Shopping Center

Well, we can't just magically get everything we need in our houses with, well, magic, right? I mean, unless we have NPC maids getting us stuff all the time... Anyways, even they have to go out and get the stuff we need for home right? Bathroom supplies, groceries, or just to buy new clothes? For all your shopping needs, we have the Shopping Center of Neo Babylon! (shortened to just "shopping center" since, well, no need to include the name of the city it's in)

Here you can get just about whatever you want, save for things on the black market. Please don't do bad things like that. Jewelry stores, groceries, clothes shopping, furniture shopping, and most importantly... CARD SHOPS!!!!!! In a world of Duel Monsters, we have to have plenty of those to get what we need, and ever since the D.E.S. has been established, we have been getting access to more and more unique cards. So come on down and spend a buck or two!

With news about the Pro League duel about to happen, everyone everywhere was looking for a good view for the match. Those who still had shopping to do were looking up at the broad screens that hung from the ceiling to get a glimpse of the fight to be. One of these bystanders watching and waiting was Astrea, who sat on a bench and drank slowly from a totally not suspicious bottle of water that was totally not alcoholic in any way.... Just small sips.... She brushed back her bluish-white hair and got settled into her seat, waiting for the match to begin. Or at the very least for the duelists to reach the field. I wonder who will win today... A seasoned pro, or a newcomer with some mysterious abilities... We will just have to wait and see, as Fate pulls its strings...

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Elsewhere in the Shopping Center was someone who was actually doing some shopping. Right now, a green-haired woman was browsing the arts and crafts store, looking for inspiration amongst the mix and match aisles. She decided to also pick up some very fine tip markers that she could use for creating her, well, creations. She was a jewelrysmith, one who actually made jewelry by hand rather than the people you see in the stores trying to sell said jewelry. Of course that also meant that after she was done with her arts and crafts shopping, she stopped at a jewelry store known for its exceptional quality of merchandise. This was one of a handful of stores that she had a contract with in making the shiny bauble products. "Ah, Miss Makris. We sold a majority of the September birthstone products, so if you could replenish the stock..." "September is a popular month, I see... It looks like you could use some more here in the October collection as well. And I believe I have a new inspiration for a diamond set, so I'll look to have it in stock as soon as possible," Cyrena answered, her voice soft and almost... depressed?

Ignoring the chatter of excitement for new jewelry, she could hear the center broadcasting the Pro League match. She really didn't want to be around the dueling scene, not since that day... Keeping to herself, she left the jewelry shop and moved to the food plaza instead. Cyrena got a cinnamon sugar pretzel and nibbled on it slowly, careful not to get crumbs all over ther new markers or her clothes. But of course there was another plasma screen TV showing the duel here for spectators to eat and drink at their pleasure. Well, she might as well see what the hype was about, and took a seat at a small table alone.

With the duel ending in an almost complete shut out, the shopping center patrons returned to their original agendas once again. As for the green-haired woman, she finished her pretzel in the time it took for the duel to end, throwing her trash away when she noticed something. Not thaf she directly saw anything, but it was more like... like something, or someone, was watching her. It was a creept sensation, and one that Cyrena did not appreciate. Maybe she should find a place or someone she knew to hang out with until this feeling went away? Maybe she was just being paranoid...

No. Something was here. She could feel it in her very bones, and even her duel deck, which hasn't been used in god knows how long, seemed to resonate with the strange sensation. That just made it worse. Cyrena took a deep breath and sighed. Fine, there was one place that she could go and deal with this "threat". Getting up from her table, Cyrena made a beeline for the exit, and headed down the streets towards the West City Ruins. We'll see how far this stalker goes...

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Meanwhile, Astrea wasn't satisfied with the results of the duel as much as other people were. Yamiyo could barely do a thing, and people consider Kaen the true victor? Granted, the boy did have a trap card ready for Yamiyo's eventual Synchro Summon from the start, but it still didn't sit quite right with her. Not that... it really mattered... She was just another loner in this world, a bystander watching without any influence to the dueling world like these Pros, Guardians, or Sabres. She never really had a goal in mind before, and to this day, she lives only in the present. Astrea took a sip from her not-suspicious-looking water bottle and sighed to herself. "Maybe I should really consider what I'm supposed to be doing with my life... Or I just need a better drink..." the casual alcoholic mumbled to herself. Getting up from her bench, she went around the shopping center, perusing over their alcohol selections before making some purchases and started to head home.