Predictions and Observations:
Duel and Unusual Punishment

Jaden *should* go get a piece of Zane! That was a really cruel thing that Zane did to Syrus, stopping that duel. Sure, Syrus might have gotten into a jam, but he couldn’t have known that and experience is how you learn. He can’t expect his brother, who looked to be maybe eight years old in that flashback, to duel like a pro yet! To decipher what Zane meant by that knowing how to play the card isn’t enough, I’m a bit stumped. All of the most important things besides strategy itself seem to be what Zane lacked by halting the duel.

Chumley’s dad keeps buying him self-help books. As Alexis put it, with great sarcasm, I wonder why. Chumley seems to also have a self-esteem issue, and I’ve said this before, because he has this habit of attacking others’ troubles to mask his own insecurities. It’s a common trick.

I’m telling you, there’s more to Pharaoh the Cat than meets the eye! I don’t know any more than that, I just—know.

Duel Academy seems to be quite over-the-top for a school, even one that teaches dueling. The Disciplinary Action Squad (or D.A.S. for short?) was kind of, well, hilarious overkill for a couple out-of-bounds students. Reminded me of the rare card army in Making the Grade/Raring to Go. You have to wonder how bad disciplinary issues have gotten at Duel Academy to have those kinds of procedures. It may have something to do with the fact that they were at the Abandoned Dorm and may have been shadow-magicked or possessed or something, because Banner said it was only for serious incursions.

So the three people sitting in on the ‘interrogation’ are Sheppard obviously, the leader of the D.A.S., another expected participant, and…Crowler. This underlines Crowler’s high position as perhaps second-in-command at Duel Academy? Still in the dark here.

Why did Syrus keep the Power Bond card in his deck, if he considers himself unfit to play it? It uses up a turn. Why not stash it in a suitcase or whatever?

Why would Zane want to be alone more than usual? He mentioned that he doesn’t want his brother there, and we’ve seen that’s true. Is he worried that Syrus will tarnish his reputation as the big duelist on campus? Is there something else about the relationship between the Truesdale brothers that we don’t know?

Alexis and Zane seemed to be close. Alexis came and found Zane all alone out there on the dock, and they watched the entry duels together. I think that her telling Jaden to take him down is very important; does it mark a turning point where Alexis finds herself having to pick sides and choosing Jaden over Zane? Either that, or she knows Zane well enough to know that he could use a good pummeling for his own good. Perhaps she knows that a shock will jolt him out of this mood he’s in, or that Jaden will get him, one way or another, to be proud of his little brother and therefore not be depressed that Syrus is at Duel Academy.

We found out that Zane is a third-year student, keeping with my hunches about the school ranking and uniform system because he wears white with blue fastenings.

Who could Crowler plan to pair Syrus and Jaden against? My theory: Zane and Alexis, two of the top students in the school. Perhaps Crowler will have heard about Alexis’ taking the blame, and will be evil and make Alexis have to try to get Jaden expelled. Then again, Crowler seems to be fond of Alexis, and perhaps that will stretch to leaving her out of this. It’s bound to be a team of two of the school’s brightest, and for Crowler that tends to mean Obelisks. Crowler’s not sensible enough to realize that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Meaning that the current candidates are: Zane, Alexis, Chazz, Chazz’s thugs, and Alexis’ pals. Not much of a choice. Perhaps it will be Zane and Chazz, because they say, for whatever reason, that Chazz is a top student as well. He’s only a freshman, and he even lost to a Slifer! How can he still be CONSIDERED a tough duelist? (Notice that that was not a diss on Jaden, Syrus, or the other Slifers. Duel Academy tends to judge duelists by their jackets) Anyway, Chazz is a possibility, but to my way of thinking not a likely one.

It’s the funniest thing- I was wondering this morning when Duel Academy students would start learning tag-team dueling, which is a skill all its own. I must be psychic or something. Now, that’s all, even though I’m sure I forgot something, because I have a homework load and other important work, so much and so nerve-racking that it defies description. Bye! Tomorrow: For the Sake of Syrus! –Clio

P.S.- I don’t need to add that Jaden is going to so totally kick Zane’s butt—we all know that already, right?