365 Days of Starshipping (Part 1)

Spirit Theory

5/19/19

During one of his breaks while cuddling with Judai, his head lying comfortably in his lap on the couch while Judai's fingers threaded through his hair idly, Yusei remembered a stray line of thought that he'd had while working. Right now the labs were wanting even more information about duel energy and its properties and reactions to certain things, which led him to thinking about other possibilities to think about later before he got back to work.

"Hey Judai?" Yusei started, not bothering to open his eyes because he was too comfortable at the moment and knew he'd have to get up in roughly ten minutes if he wanted to stick to the tentative schedule he'd mentally formed for himself; it would be a long enough break at that point to make Judai happy with him as well.

Judai hummed in acknowledgment, his hand pausing for a moment in his hair before resuming its ministrations.

"All this study and research about duel energy got me thinking, and this might be pulling at strings here, but... is Haou able to manifest as a spirit like duel monsters?" Yusei asked, feeling Judai tense slightly at the question, presumably in thought, "You said you'd fused souls with Yubel and that he'd already been there; theoretically Yubel shouldn't even be able to form as a spirit in the first place due to the way duel energy interacts with people and duel spirits, yet she's able to anyway. So, theoretically, because all three of you are technically sharing the the same soul, shouldn't he be able to as well? And then when he's in control of your body, shouldn't you be able to exist as a spirit if we're going by that logic? It's all duel energy that's at work here, so taking that into account-"

"Holy shit," Judai breathed, prompting Yusei to pause in his explanation and finally open his eyes to look at him in confusion. He was met with wide chocolate eyes staring at him from above, Judai's hand falling out of his hair to grip at his shoulder instead as he continued, "Holy shit you're a genius. How did we not think of that? You need to rant more often to me, Yusei."

"...Okay?" Yusei replied, feeling a bit lost.

"Four years, four years, and we never thought of it that way at all," Judai explained, evidently seeing his puzzled expression, "It feels so blatantly obvious now, but it was just something we'd accepted - that Haou didn't have a spirit form. It never even crossed our minds to try."

"Technically all three of you would, if my theory is correct that is," Yusei said, sitting up and stretching as he talked, "It's because you're half-duel monster. You're not two humans and a monster that happen to share a soul, you're-"

"-three individuals that reside in the same half-human, half-duel monster," Judai finished excitedly, causing Yusei to smile eagerly in response because he'd understood where he was going with this, "We were only thinking of Haou as human, not half-duel monster like... well, all three of us technically are now. Therefore, he should be able to appear outside!"

They both startled at the same time when Haou and Yubel both suddenly did so, with Haou looking down at his form in slight surprise. The man was wearing black everything, including the black, high-collar shirt that Judai had been wearing when he was travelling, though he also had a red cape attached at the shoulders that flowed down and ended just after reaching his ankles.

"...Well, guess that proves my theory correct," Yusei mused, tilting his head in thought, "The outfit's probably based on how you think of yourself. I'm guessing if Judai were to do it that he'd just be in whatever he was wearing at the time."

"Makes sense," Haou stated, studying his form curiously. Yubel floated next to him and gave him a test poke to the shoulder, which ended up pushing him slightly as if he were physical.

How did that work? Was it because it was duel energy from the same soul? Or was it because they were both spirits? If Judai poked him, would he be able to physically affect him as well or would it just pass through? What if he were to-

A hand cupping his cheek and turning his face to the side brought him back to awareness, Judai giving him a silly grin being the first thing he saw.

"You were doing the look again," Judai said cheekily, squishing his cheek lightly to tease him, "Tell ya what, we'll play around with this new discovery while you go back to work, and once you're done for the day we'll tell you all about what we figured out and tested, okay? You don't need to dissect us right now, you can do it later after we've already figured out the basics."

"You make it sound like I'm using you as a guinea pig for an experiment or something," Yusei muttered, glaring at all three when they chuckled in amusement, "I'm not."

"I know," Judai soothed, pulling him into his lap for a quick hug and a peck to the cheek, "But you do need to work. Maybe you'll figure out more questions while you're doing so."

Yusei leaned into him with a sigh, suddenly very reluctant to go back to work for once - damn it, he should've waited to ask about it until after dinner. Then at least he wouldn't be stuck wanting to learn about it but having to work instead, even if it was more stuff about duel energy that might help him understand how it was possible in the first place.

But Judai convinced him he'd be fine, making him smile and laugh and feel better with a bunch of eskimo kisses, so it was back to work he went as he did his best to shove all thoughts about the matter out of his mind.