Chapter 14 - Turn 14 - M 0100 | A 0300

               “Music to my ears~” Annie chimes as she draws - not even looking at her card. “I’m not gonna risk you pulling that Aroma Gardening shtick again, so I think Kendama’s effect will be enough to tie this duel up with a neat little bow… So, I’ll banish Double Yoyo…”
 
               “Snrt.” Annie looks from her graveyard to her opponent, and sees the look of despair that had settled upon Millie’s face slowly fading - rising into a look of shock. “It… Won’t be.” she says - almost awed at her own discovery.
 
               “Nono-” Annie chides. “Like I said, I’m not attacking - you can’t pull another Aromage out of your deck-”
 
               With her hands shaking, Millie reaches up to push her glasses up by their bridge, turning her attention back to Annie. “I don’t need to!” she  says - a bit of delight filtering into her voice. “Blesshed Windsh takesh effect!” 
 
Annie furrows her brow. “Eh? You’ve got nothing to sacrifice… Have I broken you? Are you making up rules as you go along…?”
 
Millie shakes her head. “I’d never-! Thish… Thish ish real, and… I haven’t losht yet! Blesshed Windsh letsh me shuffle a plant monshter from my graveyard to my deck and gain 500 life pointsh… Sho, the damage from Kendama’s effect cancelsh out!” She reaches for her graveyard, and picks up Bergamot - delicately sliding him back into the middle of the deck, and shuffling it while Annie glowers.
 
“So what…” she hisses. 
 
“Sho- that meansh Dried Windsh activatesh too! Kendama goesh to the graveyard-”
 
Annie leans forward, placing a hand on the table. “And I bring it back, with its effect. You’re starting to annoy me…” She wrinkles her nose a little, then  looks down at the board. “I don’t care - I’ll wipe you out next turn. You can’t put Kendama down, and even if you do bring out a monster, I’ll wipe you out with its effect. Kendama attacks directly-”
 
By now, the trepidation Millie had been carrying had fully shed; the overweight girl almost bounces in her seat - her doughy body wobbling as she does so - as she continues her series of counterplays. “Sho I’ll shummon Aromage Bergamot from my deck, and gain 1000 life pointsh! Y-you’ll have to destroy him if you want to take me down!”
 
Millie jumps as she hears someone clap behind her - the noise sudden and startling; but as it continues… And as another person joins them, she settles back into the duel. Was this what it was like when people… Liked her? Wanted to see her succeed instead of fail? She… Could get used to this. 
 
Annie, on the other hand, was less than thrilled. “Uuuuuuugh… I was enjoying myself earlier, but now you’re just dragging it out… How much further do you want to fall down the social ladder, anyway...?” she gripes. “I’ll turn you into a hideous little troglodyte if that’s what you want… Maybe you’ll be lucky and have a card made in your image…”
 
“Sh-shh,” Millie rasps. “y-your turn is shtill going… A-and Bergamot’s attack ish raished by hish effect! Hish attack ish-”
 
Annie waves her off. “Doesn’t matter, it’s enough to defeat me if I continue my attack… I’m calling it off, and ending my turn… Hmph.”