Sarah tried her best not to pass judgement on what was before her.

Now’s not the time to be a snobby bitch… You slept in a storage room for almost two months now…

“I know it ain’t much, but my family and I call it home!” Mica stood in front of the double-wide halfway down the street in a trailer park.

The mobile home looked fine, all things considered. A small garden was neatly established in the front as hibiscus flowers bloomed, even in early January. Dogs barking and children shouting was a constant, forming an ever present reminder of the fact that the neighbors were only a few steps away.

“You comin’ in?” Mica held the screen door open as the wooden door sat ajar for them to enter.

“Sure.” Sarah tried her best not to fall into old habits. “I like the color. Lime green on purple is a good combo.” Her father always taught her to compliment the color of someone’s capital asset if there is nothing nice she could say.

The living room was your typical mid-western haunt. As the ceiling fan spun slowly above, a single old woman with a walker set precariously before her as she sat on her beige fabric recliner covered in a incomprehensible amount of doilies. A bald man with a vantablack moustache cackled loudly at what one of the contestants said, still earning no reaction from the elderly woman.

“Don’t mind Mee-maw Doris, she’s headed to church later and then she’ll come back for her nap after she gets tuckered out.”

As Mica hovered by in her dress, she kissed her grandma on the head and made her way to the back of the house.

Framed pictures of various sizes showed strong dark men in overalls and women in dreadlocks and patterned dresses as they covered the entire wooden panel wall. No two people in the pictures were the same as any other. The corner of each room was home to tall glass cases holding different ceramic items.

Turning the corner as Mica nearly ran into him, a large man with glasses nearly was as tall as the roof.

“Oh hey, Dad!” Mica tried to walk past him and into the now cramped doorway. “Move out of the way, old man! You’re gonna talk to her for hours!”

“This must be your friend you were telling me about.” Every step he took, shook the home. Sarah was afraid he might end up stepping through the floor.

Holding out his hand, her wrist nearly fit between the space between his fingers. “Nice to finally put a face to the name, my name is Charles Jefferson.”

“N- nice to meet you, sir. I’m Sarah Weatherford.”

“Weatherford? I know Michelle threw out your name, but are you really related to the Weatherfords?”

Sarah gave a quick nod as her hand was freed from the grasp, “Yes sir. My dad’s Timothy Weatherford.”

His laugh caused the entire house to vibrate, “Ol’ Tim? I haven’t seen him in years!” The large man bent down to get a better look at Sarah, “Tell your pops he still owes me twenty bucks for helping him with the pizza oven all those years ago!”

With a pat on the shoulder, the man got up and barely squeezed through the doors leading outside, “I’m just messing around. You girls have fun!”

“Ok cool, let’s g-”

From behind her again, a woman gracefully slid from behind Mica and slinked into the living room. She was statuesque and her dark tone contrasted nicely with the bright yellow tight fitting dress lifting quite a bit up. “Michelle! I completely forgot you were bringing over your friend today!” She showed her pearlescent white teeth with a well-timed smile and handshake, “Good morning dear, my name is Odella Jefferson. I believe you just met my husband Charlie. Couldn’t you please have left your shoes by the door?”

Sarah was only up to this woman’s lower chest. It was apparent where Mike got his height from, but failed by a wide margin to inherit his mother’s dignified movements. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“How well mannered! Were you planning on joining us for church?” She looked towards Mica, still trying to sneak into the kitchen and then her room.

“Well, I- I don’t want to intru-”

Mica grabbed Sarah’s hand as well, “We were just going to hang out in my room for a bit and play cards!”

“But you’re joining us for lunch after though, right? Just please don’t eat all of it...”

“Yeah, sure!” Mica wrenched the confused girl out of her mother’s spindly fingered grip and finally led her to her room.

“So, uh, this is Casa del Mica y Mikey!”

The small bedroom only had one window leaking light between the blinds onto a tower fan that squeaked lightly as it oscillated between the two beds, both meticulously made. With only an entertainment center holding a few water damaged boxes and a small flatscreen television, space was tight.

“Let me show you my favorite part!” Opening the only other door on the far side of the room, Mica walked in and turned on the lights.

Walking in after, Sarah found herself in a walk-in closet almost larger than the room. Ornate dresses were hung above while their matching shoes were set below. Various colors, styles, and patterns were represented.

“As you can probs tell, this is where most of my money goes. I’ve got ball gowns, gothic lolita, Victorian…”

Mica continued to prattle on about lengths, cuts, and histories, Sarah noticed a small sewing machine and table with various rulers and pins scattered about, easily the messiest place in the whole house.

“You make your own dresses?”

“Uh…” Mica clasped her hands together, avoiding eye contact, “Yeah… Been doing it for about five years now… Even though I literally just said that.”

“That’s super cool! I never really had a huge thing for dresses, but I always thought they were kind of cute!”

Mica smiled widely, “Thanks! I always get weird looks when I go out, but it’s one of the few things that make me genuinely happy.” Exiting the closet, she sat on the bed on the right before reaching under and pulling out a cookie tin, “Here’s where I keep all my cards I’m not using. If you see something you want, go ahead and get it.”

“Are you sure I can just have it? “You’ve already given me a bunch and besides…” Sarah tried her best not to look like she was looking over the room too harshly.

“Nah, you’re good. You bought Mikey and I some cards not that long ago, so we’re cool!”

The two picked through the cards Mica and Sarah brought. With her extortion of Phillip Turner’s generosity, Sarah had at least a copy of all the cards from the first two expansions, so there were plenty of cards available for trades.

“You nervous about the tournament? It’s your first one, right?”

Sarah continued to shuffle through the cards, “I mean, there was one the first day I was at the shop. I would’ve won that one if stupid fuckin’ Ronnie didn’t use that fucking [Sonic Strike] on me.”

Mica chuckled, “Yeah, I figured you’re never really nervous about anything…”

“I mean…” The days spent sweating before her match with Bruno came rushing back, “I mean, there are some things that can get anyone a bit of anxiety.” Swallowing that ordeal she still had not fully processed, she continued, “Besides, it should be the usual losers, right? Aside from getting controlled out of by Isaac and Jim, there really shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Actually, no.” Making sure not to wrinkle her dress, Mica brushed it all down, “There was a whole bunch of people coming in for prelims. One dude even said he came in from out of state!”

“Shit.” Sarah put the cards she shuffled through to the side, “Did any of them seem good?”

Mica put her finger to her lips as she stared blankly into a corner of the room, “There was this one dude who ran a Noble and Heathen build. He was the one that came in from out of town.”

“Any cards you haven’t seen before? We have them all here.”

“I think…” She continued to appear pensive, “He showed me before the match started but never got around to playing it. I kinda bursted him down too quickly!” She stuck her tongue out and winked.

He was probably testing to see if she was an ACE user… Makes sense they would show up for a big tournament.

“Oh! Do you remember that one girl that, like, trips over stuff and kinda looks like that one girl on that one ‘Mahou shoujo kino abaccio- or whatever show?”

The words flew past Sarah.

Coming out from underneath her brother’s bed, she held up a poster featuring all three of the dominatrix-ballerinas Jim had on his mat and Mike had on his phone. “This one!” She pointed at one with bright blue hair and way too little clothing.

“Uh… You think I’d remember someone with blue hair…”

“No, she had black hair, but is almost one-for-one with this chick here.” Mica held the poster before her, “I don’t really get what the guys see in this show…”

The girl was gorgeous. Her pose and attire helped accentuate her already humongous proportions. While not being able to get a full profile of her body with the action shot she shared with the other two girls, her striking blue eyes came out the most.

“It might be their huge fucking titties, dude.”

Mica’s eyebrows furrowed, “Nah. I’ve seen some of Mikey’s shows, but he really likes this one. Besides, like you’re one to talk…”

“But what about the girl?” Sarah snapped her fingers to bring Mica out of her stupor.

“Oh! Yeah, bruh, she’s stupid good!” Mica finished the sentence before giving herself a light slap on the face.

Sarah had to do the same thing while afflicted by Mikey’s addictive lingo. “Really? Any weird cards on her?”

“No, but…” Mica dug through the cards she made sure to neatly pile, “She kept playing this card! It was so frustrating!”

While Mica drew out her ‘so’, Sarah examined the card. Ortelanus, Star of the Sea. That stupid bitch Miranda used this card on me. Let’s see… Ortelanus came out in the base set, so it was not that new. Alcademia, 6 play points, 3 attack points and the ability to send a creature on the field to the top of its owner’s deck.

“Card’s fucking annoying, but what’s so bad about that?”

Mica pulled the card back in and examined that as well. “Wait. Doesn’t this card have a [Shield Skill]? Her card had the symbol on it and everything!”

Looking at the card as well, Sarah also noticed the lack of a keyword. Is this like Carbuncle? Rotewasser said that he designed ‘Buncle not to gain his owner a play point but mine’s had that since I got him… Could that be another ACE holder?

While she expected to have a sense of dread just thinking about another brush with death over trading cards, it was nowhere to be found. Instead, she found excitement.

“Maybe it’s a misprint?” Sarah rubbed the back of her neck while nervously chuckling.

“But that’s not fair! This card is, like, sixty bucks! You mean if I somehow pull one it could be worse than someone else’s?”

As Mica dug through the mountain of frills that were her dress for her phone, Sarah put her hand where she assumed Mica’s would be. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much. I’m sure she just got fucking lucky!”

“Hey girls, ready for some bar-” Odella’s smile quickly disappeared as she saw the blonde girl’s hand lost within the frills and furls that made up her daughter’s dress, “Just come out when you’re ready! Wait. Maybe this is my daughter coming out...”

The door slammed shut.

“Nah! Nah, take another rib! You’re so skinny! Well, we know where it all goes…” Mee-maw Doris placed another bone-in beef rib on Sarah’s plate. Her shaky voice betrayed the conviction and speed she wielded the tongs, placing the spare rib between two mountains of potato salad and brisket.

“Thanks Mee-maw…” Sarah held her tongue after seeing Doris catch her son’s nose with those same tongs. Charles may have been twice as tall as his hunched over mother, but she knew how to strike fear into the large man.

Taking a seat at the end of the table next to Mica, Sarah lifted her plate as a young child’s leg jutted out haphazardly from beside her.

Mica held the squirming child in a full nelson, still in her Victorian, as another jumped from the picnic table behind them and onto her back. “Deonte! You’re not going to save him!” Rubbing her knuckles on her cousin’s shaved head, the captive screamed and giggled.

Only half the family made it out to the Sunday barbeque, but still took up the four picnic tables in the local park. The weather was perfect, without a cloud in the sky, as young children played soccer and tag while the older teens and adults watched. A few tall men came over to talk to her, but Sarah was far too distracted with the overtly friendly young cousins.

“Bet you’ve never seen something like this before.” Odella sat across from Sarah, as Mica dragged her hostage to the swings a few yards away. “Doris had something, like, eight kids, so Charlie was a bit of a package deal.

But I don’t hate it…” Odella smoked a cigarette, the only one she was allowed all week. The tall woman had somehow straightened her hair sometime between when church ended and the noon barbeque, making her appear even more svelte and regal.

“Not really. Both my parents were only children, so we only had my grandparents.” The sheer amount of people gathered solely for a regular family gathering felt foreign to her. Not counting herself, there had to be at least twenty people, most of which she was introduced to but had forgotten their name and their relation to Mica as soon as she met the next one.

Odella took another long thoughtful drag as she looked out over most of the family gathering up and organizing a game of touch football. “Hey, I’m glad you’re hanging out with Mica and Mikey. They’re both graduating soon and we’re hoping to do something for them…”

That’s right! They’re both younger than Becky…

Sarah nibbled at a rib as she sat back on the picnic seat, admiring the bright blue sky. She remembered her own family. The vacations she took around the world with her parents and Rebecca, the stuffed dinosaur she opened at Albert’s place, the hours spent cuddling with ‘Buncle on her shoddy cot…

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

Mrs. Jefferson nodded silently. The crying grew louder as a girl about five years old came clamoring up to her, holding her bleeding finger and crying hysterically. Putting out the cigarette on the table, she picked up the still screaming child and carried her off.

Sarah sat alone. The game of football was underway, Mica still was fighting off hordes of young boys in her regal attire, Odella and Doris sat beneath the shade of a tree with a few other women watching over everything. Checking her phone, her mother, Crystal or Becky had not returned her messages.

Man, I wish I brought Carbuncle or something…

“Alright Timmy, it’s five o’clock! Quittin’ time!”

After listening for an affirmative grunt from his office, Crystal signed off on her computer. It was a busy day for a Wednesday. With Mr. Weatherford’s unveiling for some sort of ‘secret reveal’ on Friday coming up, the sheer call volume occupied all of Crystal’s time.

She hummed a song she had stuck in her head from that day’s Tommy Tangerine video, a mukbang creator turned musician. It seemed like every influencer had been dipping their toes into music lately.

As the doors of the elevator opened, she found herself in the reserved parking garage floor she took full use of. “Totes gonna hit up a sick bubble bath when I get in and then it’ll be time for The Actual Homemakers of-”

She stopped short. There, on the ground of this exclusive spot, was a trading card. Stooping down to pick up the card, she looked around the concrete pillars and various luxury cars. Despite being in black stilettos and matching pencil skirt, she had become a pro in maneuvering in business attire.

“Hello?” Her voice echoed. Looking back at the card in her hand, it glimmered and shimmered in the buzzing fluorescent light. Turning it over a couple of times, she admired the pristine condition, despite being on the floor of the dirty parking garage.

“pain.” A deep gravelly voice rang through her mind.

Taking another look around, she reached for the can of mace she carried in her purse. “I’m sorry, but business hours just ended! Please come again in the morning and we can assist you with your retirement or security account needs!”

“suffer.”

The voice sounded like thunder. “Mierda chigada…” Crystal slid the card into her purse before fishing out her keys. Paying no mind to her recently manicured nails, she quickly fumbled around in the designer shoulder bag before remembering her car was a touch entry.

Quickly sitting in her car, she locked the doors and breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly jumping up and starting the vehicle, she began to back out, her attention laser focused in front of her. “I’ve seen enough horror movies to know about the fucking mirror thing!”

As she flew out onto the main street and free from the dark claustrophobia behind her, she finally sat back in her seat as she set it to autopilot. “Free at last, free at last…”

Setting her purse in her lap, she loosened the tie around her collar and checked her hair in the rearview mirror. Setting up her speakers, she quickly jumped to her current favorite track, “Ghost of Perfection” by Dopeth. Something relaxing to calm her nerves.

She dug through the designer bag, looking for some lip balm. In doing so, she brushed against her recent pick up. “agony.”

Looking up, Crystal checked the track, “I don’t remember that part being in this song…” Glancing at the card still in her bag, she held her breath. This shit is cursed! Hail Mary full of gra-

Continuing to pray and occasionally missing a word or two, she took a few deep breaths before picking up the card. “Alright… I might be crazy, sitting here, talking to myself, in my car, alone… But! I think this card-

“Wait! I’m just messing with you, bro!”

She glared at the card, bringing it closer to her, “Nobody’s called me ‘bro’ in years…” That alone made her closer to throwing the card out the window more than the ominous and nebulous words.

The voice seemed confused, “Shit, sorry brocachina! It’s kinda hard to tell what’s going on, man. I’m kinda just a trading card right now!”

“It’s alright, just don’t let it happen again!” Crystal caught a glance at herself in the mirror. She froze as she saw herself pointing at the card and reprimanding it like some sort of pet. “Wait, no! Paper cards don’t just telepathically talk to you and stuff!”

“Hey, I don’t get it either dudette, but I don’t wanna think about it too hard!” The purple card sparkled in the sunlight as the car drove itself on the freeway. “Look, I’ve had a wild and wacky day, my gal. Mind if we just chill for a bit? My name’s Ultradeth.”

She had to stifle a laugh in fear of really thinking she fell off the deep end. With a deep breath and a deliberate effort in not questioning what really was happening, she picked herself up, “Sounds good to me! My name’s Crystal!”