365 Days of Starshipping (Part 1)

Portals

6/24/19

"Alright, I just need you to think really hard about your home, okay?" Judai said, putting a hand on Jasmine's head after she nodded in understanding.

He could open portals, but it wasn't actually something he used often - when he was travelling he liked to take in all the sights and take his time, so he really only used it if he needed to make a quick get away and had nothing else at his disposal or there was an emergency with one of his friends. Plus, if he'd never actually been to the place he was trying to get to, it wasn't very accurate and would sometimes place him somewhere within a ten mile radius of it. Luckily it could also be used for getting to and from the spirit realm and worked in relatively the same way, with only a few minor differences in how much energy it took and how he had to weave it open; it could also be used with another person visualizing the area, but it was basically guaranteed at that point that it'd open up somewhere around it instead.

It took a minute, but soon enough his shadows all conglomerated into one mass in the middle of the room, almost like a door they could step through. He could feel the spirit realm on the other side of the connection, so it had worked like a charm.

"Nifty," Yusei commented, blinking rather nonchalantly at the portal - then again, they'd both time travelled at this point and endured a number of things, so portals weren't really too big of a stretch.

"Woah, so cool!" Lua exclaimed, the three younger ones in the room all staring with wonder at it, "And it's perfectly safe?"

"Perfectly safe," Judai reassured, walking next to it so he could demonstrate by poking his head in quickly just to check the other side. It was definitely a forest, and there were a lot of flowers and other plants like Jasmine had described, so at least it was in the right area. With that he pulled his head back out to grin at them, giving them a thumbs up as he continued, "See? Perfectly safe. Also, it's open in the right place, so let's go!"

He paused when the kids didn't move, instead staring at him now like he'd grown a second head. Yusei looked to be just as confused about it luckily, so Judai wasn't the only one not understanding what'd happened.

"...W-warn us next time, please," Luka mumbled, narrowing her eyes at him in a scrutinizing pout once she got her bearings back, "That was- if this were, like, a m-movie, that would've been the scene where you jinxed yourself and died or something."

Oops, Judai thought, giving the three now glaring kids a sheepish smile as he apologized, Didn't think about that.

"Y'know, sometimes I think you might actually be a good 'older brother' type, but then you do stuff like this and I'm reminded that you're definitely not," Yubel chuckled at him.

I am a perfect 'older brother' type, Judai retorted, barely keeping the pout off his face as he coaxed the three through the portal.

"More like a clutz," Haou stated, his amusement spreading through the back of his head, "You'd be the older brother who ended up getting taken care of by your younger sibling, because you're so prone to stupidity."

Ah, just shut up, Judai replied resignedly, sagging slightly once it was just him and Yusei.

Yusei raised an eyebrow at him in amusement, asking, "You talking to the two of them?"

"They said I'm not good older brother material," Judai explained, looking at Yusei pitifully in hopes that he'd tell him it wasn't true, "I'm at least decent, right?"

"Oh! Now Yusei, on the other hand, is perfect older brother material," Yubel added with a snicker, "Both him and Haou, actually. Cool, calm, and collected - they'd just be on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of showing their affection."

"Don't bring me into this," Haou muttered, while Judai just sighed even more resignedly.

"And... Yubel just said that you and Haou are perfect older brother material," Judai continued, though he brightened up considerably when Yusei ruffled his hair lightly with a fond smile.

"I'm not sure about that one-" Yusei said, Yubel scoffing immediately at the irony of the words proving her point, "-but I think you'd be a good one. You've got the playfulness and the energy for it, at least - foxy, remember?"

"Right," Judai nodded, grinning up at him and giving him a quick peck on the lips, "A very lovable fox, right?"

And then Judai very playfully shoved him through the portal with a toothy smile, laughing at the cute, surprised look on the other's face right before he went through.