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[knifemonopoly]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, PLAYER1. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 10.11.0.0.01 *** PLAYER1 has joined 10.11.0.0.01 <PLAYER1> If you're looking for someone you knew as Yugi before June, you've found him! It's Atem, leave a message.

Main handle: < Player1 > Anon: < turtleluck >, < actuallydied >, < burner >

Comments

action, cw: alcohol, drug use

[downdowndown]

[Daniel doesn't leave his apartment for over a week. He remains hidden inside of it, his laptop shut tight (so that he isn't tempted to check it), the blinds closed shut (so that he doesn't look outside). He drinks liquor and opiates, sometimes at the same time, letting the very notion of time fizzle away from him until he forgets what it is.

But the food -- and the sedatives -- don't last forever. He places a call for delivery, even though the phrase placing a call is foreign on his lips, and speaking to a voice inside a telephone makes him feel like he's already mad. When he hears the knock on the door, he painstakingly lifts his head from his writing desk and mumbles a tired and all-too-sober:]

Come in.

[knifemonopoly]

[Holding a bag of food, pulling a pilfered delivery boy's cap off his head:]

Thank you. I think I will!

[He's quite familiar with the house. He found it before the portal sent them all into other-lives; he got Noa Kaiba to invite him in two weeks ago. He'd searched it for deeds to another property, in case there was a record of ownership of a warehouse, but found nothing; he'd placed everything back where it was and turned his search toward Bavan's industrial district.

But once he came back, he found the warehouse empty. That meant Daniel had crawled into another rabbit hole, and the other Yugi began to watch the house again. Sending off the delivery driver had been easy, a combination of fear and a generous amount of solars. And, here he is, stepping confidently into Daniel's entryway, striding toward the source of the voice.]

LBGTQ primer

[ohmyscream]

[ At some point Annie sends other Yugi directions to her home by Lake Dala. There is a neatly organized timetable for when she is home at night. It seems that normally she is home by no later than nine or ten every night. That isn't too terribly early for him, but Annie had wanted to give him options.

She is hanging out on the back deck with a few lanterns for light enjoying the sounds of the forest almost every night. She doesn't know when to expect him but Annie is just feeling the vibe of having her own place right now. She loves it here.]

lets go lets go

[knifemonopoly]

[One night, a day or two after the directions and timetable are sent, a bat flutters out of the woods.

This isn't particularly unusual, except that the bat heads right for her deck, swoops in, and in a blink of dust and mist, there's a person standing there instead.]

Is now a good time to drop in?

May 09th, Multiversal Museum

[isawallflower]

[ Riley hasn't been going out lately. She has largely been staying inside, particularly since her wings are molting, making it impossible for her to make a quick getaway.

...But Aunamee's little display last week... It really shook her up. Therefore, Riley's willing and able to make a few detours.

It's been more than a month since she's started going back to vandalize her own exhibit. The room's at an incline, some stairs leading down into what is clearly a basement. The books, the electronics, it's all fake—empty props. She's already snatched up all the photos, that matter to her, but they've been replaced, somehow. That and the trophy. ...Riley still stops to stare at it. On the wall beside it, displayed in glass, her cheer uniform.

A fake laptop sits open on the table, displaying a video—the video; her only saving grace is that it's only a fake screenshot. She doesn't have to see it in motion, hear the sounds of the crowd gasping and chattering and laughing as the girls fall out of formation. See the numbers on the view count go up, up, up. Around the laptop, numerous papers form a collage of both print newspaper articles and online headlines, all about a murder of three teenagers in a New York town, at a sleepover for the local cheer team. The article says a freshman was arrested for the crime. The fake knife covered in fake blood on the couch? That's just the cherry on the sundae.

She makes a beeline for the fake laptop. That's what Riley's done since she entered the museum, just walk and walk and walk and accomplish her goals. She's not paying attention to anything else. No one else who may be in the museum.

All Riley needs to do is get the articles. The knife. All she needs to do is remove the most incriminating evidence. ]

[knifemonopoly]

[The other Yugi knows that museum exhibits are too-personal for some people. Doppio, for instance, vandalizes his regularly. The Kul Elna survivor, on the other hand, treats his as a memorial, one he wouldn't have gotten under other circumstances. And Larry's had opened up a really interesting conversation about the nature of reality.

If asked, the other Yugi will avoid an exhibit.

But Riley hadn't asked. And he had been at such a loss -- he'd hurt her without meaning to, and she'd said he didn't understand. He didn't know anything. So, maybe, seeing what the museum has up about her will give him a clue about how to help her through the scary situation she's in without accidentally being more upsetting.

If he can't actively help, then he wants to be someone she feels comfortable going to.

He's looked over what's there, and come to the conclusion that Riley had had a terrible night. Something bad had happened, some of her friends had been killed, and it had something to do with that cheerleading video. The freshman...she'd blacked out, and she didn't remember doing it.

But that's not so odd.

Yugi and Ryou had blackouts, too.

He's out of her section and leaving when the girl herself appears, marching past like someone on a mission, and he can't help wondering if something's wrong.

So, he turns to follow, and sees her pick up the newspaper, and the knife, like she's done it a million times before.

So, she is like Doppio.

From near the exit:]

You're one of those people whose exhibit is too personal, aren't you?

Action, backdated to 5/9

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou is not usually a bad roommate. He's mellow, keeps to himself, and if there's cooking that needs done, he's happy to do it! Being what they are though, neither he or the other Yugi need that much.

The point is...it's out of character for him to be disruptive in any way, shape or form.

But after seeing a certain post on the network looking for interested parties for a Monster World campaign, he ended up more than a little pressed about it. There's an uncharacteristically loud "Are you SERIOUS?!" originating from his room, followed by an audible smack sound as he presumably closes his laptop.

Then he's storming out of his room towards the kitchen, so aggravated that he's basically let in to his shade side and went full-levitation rather than stomping about. He opens the fridge, glaring into it angrily before pulling out some fried rice from his previous meal.

He doesn't heat it up. He just starts eating it as is, and in between bites, he's muttering under his breath.]

Honestly the audacity--just another thing he's stolen of mine. Of course he'd do it now. Not like I'd want in...jerk.

[If he'd passed the other Yugi at all, he's perhaps a little self-involved right now and didn't realize if he was being a nuisance.]

[knifemonopoly]

[The other Yugi likes to sit in the living room. As long as it's dark, he keeps the curtains open, letting in streetlight and moonlight. If the weather's clear, like it is now, he opens them sometimes, taking advantage of the beginnings of May warmth to make the space airy, the sounds of a city at night softening the edges of what would otherwise have been silence. Even if he's just got the laptop out, balanced on the leg that's got its ankle resting on another knee as he scrolls through whatever other monsters are talking about today, there's no reason to shut himself up in a smaller space than is available to him.

So there's no way to miss it as Ryou furiously hovers in and viciously attacks the leftovers, even if the other Yugi's head hadn't snapped up when he heard the initial exclamation from Ryou's room.]

Ryou?

What is it?

[Even if his mind's already working on his other self? what's his other self stolen? what did Ryou just learn? and even if he already saw the post about a Monster World game and presumed the invitation did not extend to him, he saw it a bit ago, so it's not the first thing on his mind. And, besides, Ryou should be allowed to talk -- to choose whether he wants to tell him or not.

Even though it does look, more than a little, like Ryou needs to get whatever this is off his chest.]

<GODKING>

[improvking]

are you in contact with ryou what happened

[ Within a few hours of the Hydra-Kaiju being destroyed, this message appears in the other Yugi's network inbox. Whether the other Yugi sees the message right away or there's a delay due to having to return from dead-dead to undead (or other reasons), the first message is quickly followed by a second: ]

i can't ask him if he's ok he won't be if i message him and if he's not ok he'll get LESS ok

[ It does semi-occur to the Ring-Spirit that the pharaoh might not know who "GODKING" is, but... he's not sure if that might not be a good thing? Is he more or less likely to get a response as an Unknown Individual than he is as himself?

Even if it takes a while for the other Yugi to check his messages, he'll only find these two from the Ring-Spirit - while the Ring-Spirit thinks they're... probably? ok? -ish? ...he's not sure enough of it to be willing to risk pushing too hard. There are lines between "pushy, will not disrupt overall relationship" and "pushy, will Actively Harm Recipient and/or Relationship, Somehow,," and the Ring-Spirit only knows the lines exist, not where they are. So he's forcing himself to stop there, and wait to see what, if anything, he gets in reply. ]

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

[....oh.

This is very much, and the other Yugi does have to take a second, through his own just-revived weakness, to deal with it all. To bring back the memories of the guesses and conclusions he drew, about the way the two of them were, and the way they are now. He can't work up the personal pride to be satisfied that he guessed right, which should itself say something about how he feels about what happened.

He remembers how he'd thought about how, if he'd done something so terrible that Yugi wanted nothing to do with him, he would still want to look in on him, make sure he was all right, protect him every way he could.

Mostly, he's not speaking to this guy until he's spoken to because of all of the 1000 BCE bad blood; he's not sure how to approach that. But his memories of the god-survivor are mostly Ringu; there's healthy caution, because he's real unsure of the dark god, and also because of how Ryou said he was treated as a partner, but the empathy for the situation is stronger.]

we're in contact.
he wasn't taken.
he noticed the one in me in time, and left.

<purplepiper>

[epitaffio]

Hey, Yugi
Thanks for the croissants, but you really didn't have to! It wasn't really you that did that, so...
How'd you know I like these though?



[... Also hold on--]

You didn't feel the brick did you

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

it was an educated guess

and don't worry about the brick, you did the right thing
i'd have felt much worse if it had gotten you!

<WhiteWizard>, after they've both perceived Yugi

[softspokenlandlord]

Yugi's here i'm pretty sure you know already. i'm goign shopping he needs cake! i have to make it Now!!

[Yes he is still on that emotional rollercoaster this is not how he normally types don't look at it.]

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

[They're...going to be celebrating Yugi's birthday after all...

...that makes him really happy.]

Yes. If you need solars for it, the key to the safe is inside the lining under the couch. Take whatever you need.

Action, dated after the birthday party

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou wakes up pretty late in the day--or night, rather. He evidently needed all the sleep he could get, and that was understandable. After yesterday, being awake nearly 24 hours and high off of regaining his emotions...he'd worn himself down to basically nothing.

He didn't even remember getting to bed at all.

But at last, sometime during the later evening, he pries himself out of his room, rubbing sleepily at his glowing eyes while they adjust to open and the rest of him attempts to adjust to awake.

For some reason, as he heads to the kitchen, he finds that his heart is heavy and discomforted. Maybe it was just feelings hangover or something--he'd been repressing every bad thing yesterday so he could enjoy it all. Enjoy Yugi. Enjoy the party.

Oh, right. Right! Yugi!

He shakes his head to clear out the fuzzy tiredness, then glances at the couch. Is he there? Maybe...maybe not?]

[knifemonopoly]

[Yugi's not there, but Atem is, sitting on the couch by curtains he's opened to let moonlight in. He's got a mug, and there's steam rising out of it -- because drinking blood cold really is the worst way to do it. His eyes follow Ryou as he makes his way sleepily to the kitchen.]

You're finally up!

[He looks like he's still a little tired, like he hasn't gotten all the sleep he really needs, but he doesn't look unhappy.]

Don't feel too bad. You needed the rest! It's been quite the week.

[It's been quite the month.]

<NeverAcorned> - during The Punishment log

[youngtimer]

Hey, it's Horatio. Where are you at right now?

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

The apartments. Why?

action, july 1.

[gitanes]

[What Lila's doing, she realizes toward the end of June, is behaving herself.]

[It's weird. It's really not her style. In another world, with another person, she'd have long been on the warpath. Even here and now, she can feel her own nature and her shade self battling together to come out — to hurt preemptively, to assert her dominance, to get revenge for the statistical probability of betrayal.]

[She doesn't let them out. Even though it would be so easy. Even though she could walk into his apartment at any time, any second, at her whim. Nobody can stop her. That's one of the few perks of being a shade. The only barriers are the ones you make yourself.]

[Still: she thinks about him. Yugi-kun, the vampire. An important friend to Komaeda, who loves him. Komaeda, whose comprehension of the connection between physical intimacy and romantic feelings is basically nonexistent. For all she knows, they've fucked already — and that does piss her off, resentment simmering under her un-skin as she thinks about all the reasons someone might prefer a monster of flesh over a monster of spirit.]

[Her thoughts wind in circles, tighter and tighter, until one day she snaps. It's easier to find her way to Komaeda's apartment through the ceiling than someone else's, simply because she has more practice, but trial and error leads her to eventually poking her head up through the floor of Atem's bedroom, massive white eyes shining with the desire to cause problems on purpose.]

[It's empty for now. Pulling herself more completely through the floor, she pads around to the bed and climbs up, perching against the pillows as though she not only belongs there, but has a birthright claim.]

[knifemonopoly]

[He doesn't suspect a thing! He's fed well enough lately that heartbeats are faint, and with shades that's always kind of [handwiggle] anyway. He's got to spend stupid amounts of time indoors, and sunup this time of year is stupid early, so it's about three in the morning when Atem opens the door to his bedroom and finds a shade there.

It's not the shade who lives here.

He startles, obviously caught by surprise -- then, makes a decision not to bother his roommate with this, closes the door behind him, and puts his hands in his pockets but doesn't approach.]

I don't remember inviting you in here...Miss Zacharov.

[He's had nothing agaunst her before now, but he doesn't like people snooping around...there's much better ways to secure a private chat with someone than invading their homes! But this is an opening move, isn't it? She's starting this conversation from a position of power, sending a message, so he's polite, very much so, but on his guard, and what that looks like is a smile that betrays nothing and eyes as hard and sharp as red glass.]

Action, post-unyeeting thread, cw; amputation mention, anxiety

[softspokenlandlord]

[One would assume that losing an arm and a foot and being pretty well medicated after being patched up would help a person sleep. But...let's be honest here, there was never any chance that Ryou Bakura would sleep through more than a whole morning without some kind of unpleasant nightmare.

This time, it's something very different though. What jerks him awake has nothing to do with a corrupted paradise. This time, the nightmare is more...recent. He struggles, desperately attempting to pull himself out of an all-consuming vortex, only there weren't people to help him. No Ring-Spirit, no Annie, no Atem. Just pain, pain, pain, and despair because he will never escape--

And he jolts awake.

He startles, because he's not sure where he is and everything is hazy for more reasons than one. Eventually his possessions come into view, and he realizes he's in his room. Right...right, he'd been brought here, left to rest...right?]

Ugh...nngh!

[He tries to get up, but it hurts to move. He tries to move his left arm....but it's not there. So he instead attempts to levitate himself, and he manages to get himself out of bed. Good, yes, he can do it. He can still move! Thank god--

Ryou suddenly loses control of his levitation and drops to the floor, crying out loudly as he lands facedown on the ground, definitely more than loud enough for Atem to hear.]

Augh, f-fuck!

[...Evidently it hurt pretty badly.

No...no! He feels a creeping panic settle in as he realizes that he's stuck, he can't do anything like this. What if Atem's not here? What if Atem is here, what would he think of this stupid stunt?

Anxiety has him trying to push himself up with one arm, but he can't. He's not strong enough and that terrifies him to no end. He can't walk, because he has no left foot. He can't lift himself up because his core muscles all translate across, and the pain sears along his left side. He's...he can't be like this forever, he can't! He didn't mean to sacrifice himself.

The panic of it all has him trying to extend his tendrils, to lift himself up, but his shadows refuse to respond correctly. If Atem's there, he'll probably come across a very sorry sight--Ryou on the ground, trying to raise himself up with a panicked fervor that can't possibly be helping.]

[knifemonopoly]

[Ryou may or may not hear the door open, in his state, but whether he does or not, all at once there's a presence pushing past any wild wayward tendrils, and a hand reaching out to catch Ryou under his remaining arm, pull him upright onto one knee, give the support on the other side Ryou needs to stand up.]

You shouldn't be out of bed! A double amputation's going to involve a longer recovery time than just a day or two. Come on...

[Atem's going to try to gently maneuver Ryou back onto his bed, supporting him under the arm and around the waist.]

to: <Player1> from: <hotrod>

[vroomkeeper]

Have you dueled the Fog?

[ no context no identification no nothin just. this ]

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

[He squints sleepily at the incoming message. Does he know this person....? What kind of duel? Like with pistols?? Do they mean a shadow game?? ???]

No, why?

Don't mind him, just leaving stuff around for Atem to find!

[softspokenlandlord]

[Sometime in the future, Atem will open his laptop and find a small slip of paper with a lovingly rendered coupon with terrible handwriting (and you can't be mad at him, he can't hold the paper while he writes, man).

At least it's signed! Atem will know who it's from, even if the rest doesn't give it away.]

The evening of the 8th, action, in the apartment.

[knifemonopoly]

[From the open door to the fire escape, as Atem's scrubbing the dirt off of his belly scales, like he has to do every time he comes home--]

Ryou! Hey, Ryou! Are you home?

9/1, 3am personal screen reader report?

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou had only just recently done up a network post of his own, when he sees Annie's. He's taking up residence on the blanket nest a few feet from Atem because...that's what you do when you're trying to take care of your snoyfriend.]

...Uh? Atem...? Are you awake?

[Said quietly, in case he isn't.]

[knifemonopoly]

[Ryou will see the blankets shift. He's been drifting in and out of miserable consciousness. His skin is, like, ready to go.]

Hm? What is it?

september 9th, post-fog

[hairday]

[ Steve's previous schedule of all-nighter, all-nighter, crash, all-nighter, all-nighter and so on was the result of too much energy.

Now, he doesn't have nearly enough, but there's something else keeping him awake. Sometimes, the dark takes him back to that reeking warehouse where he can't move, can't call for help. And the second it feels like he'll never escape, he's back in his bed, suddenly upright with sweat seeping down his spine. Thus, on one of the later nights in the week, when Steve chances returning to his apartment, Atem's door receives a soft knock in the AM. Steve's really glad to have so many neighbors with nocturnal schedules right about now.

When they arrive at the shelter after a short ride in the van, he glowers exhaustedly at the task board tacked to the wall of the break room, noticing a box left unticked. ]

Awesome, someone forgot to feed Tybolt.

[ The fridge he opens next isn't for employee lunches, because it's chock full of raw, red meat in shrink wrap. He must be spending too much time around Giorno, because without elaborating he just begins paring the bone away from a good-sized steak with a knife.

This is normal.

No, literally, it's incredibly nonsensical to be starting any of the shelter's several dozen plus cats and dogs on a luxurious raw diet now of all times, when it's kept afloat on a finite amount of charity dollars. ]

[knifemonopoly]

[He's so glad to see Steve. The first time he saw Steve back, what happened started out as a hand on Steve's shoulder and sort of just devolved into a hug. Atem has so much going on, but when it's Steve knocking on his door, all projects get shelved, and Atem's more than happy to come along to Poundmates. It's been a while since he visited, anyway, what with the aforementioned projects, and also he's got friends to help calm him down, so he doesn't need to sit with the cats quite so much. He wants to see how the inmates are doing.

But when Steve opens the fridge and starts cutting up raw meat, Atem repeats:]

"Tybolt"?

[That's not the usual cat or dog food...there's a lot of raw meat in that fridge. This must be for something that doesn't eat kibble...but what?]

Who's Tybolt?

[Atem's imagining, like....a chimera. Something somebody requested from Mana, looking for a guard animal, and then they disappeared, so now Steve's looking after a huge tooth-and-claw unkillable monstrosity that's part bear, part tiger, part...what, shark?]

Action, 9/2

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou hums to himself as he sits at the desk in his room, one tendril extended so he can lean his cheek against it as if it was his open palm, the other hand busily holding a small bottle of brown paint while he used his telekinesis to unscrew the cap.

Today...it's a day for him, isn't it? Too early for most, and most didn't realize anyway since Ryou was a bit private about it. He shouldn't have been, should he? He has so many friends here...why not tell them?

Well, the answer to that is...it's not important to anyone else, really. He's happy enough staying home and not troubling anyone.

Once he's opened the paint, he absently sets it down and reaches for a paintbrush, running the clean bristles over the tip of his tongue (a bad habit, but he's not feeling up to fetching a cup of water) before dipping it in.

Then, he starts to paint a rudimentary picture on a sheet of paper. A wide cylinder with a line in the middle and an oval underneath it. Idly, he paints 20 lines at the top of what's clearly a cake at this point.

Happy birthday.

He hopes Atem wakes up soon. Atem is his gift, at least that's how he personally decided it.]

[knifemonopoly]

[Atem has ended up terribly entitled to being in Ryou's bedroom. He knocks on the door as a courtesy, to give Ryou the chance to tell him not to come in, but in the absence of a just a minute! he won't hesitate to step inside. There's something wrapped in cloth under one arm!

He spots the painting as he comes in.]

Ah...I was right! You're lucky we knew each other in the other world. Otherwise, I'd have no idea when your birthday actually was!

[The network post was a reminder, but Ryou hadn't been specific about the date on it. Atem had had to rely on what Adam knew to narrow the date down.]

9/6, ~3 am

[gitanes]

[There's a power surge around one in the morning. Later:]

kos back

same as steve

help. please

[knifemonopoly]

[Oh, no.

Oh, no, he hates that he was right about this. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck, okay, one step at a time. His ears are ringing, the pause before the reply is only a couple of seconds but it feels like years to him, but Atem types--]

where are you?

Action (FINALLY), few hours after Ryou's network post, cw; alcohol mention

[softspokenlandlord]

[It took a little while for Ryou to calm down after Yugi convinced him to get off the network and stop being embarrassing. It wasn't...necessarily that Yugi had put it that way, but once he'd sobered up some, Ryou came to the realization that a great deal of his conversations were perhaps a little too revealing about how his current state of mind was, at least regarding the gods.

...And maybe his relationships with people who he'd responded to. Most importantly though, was the undercurrent of stress that had been vaguely revealed by a few drinks. He's pretty sure that he won't be bringing his laptop to Yugi's apartment anymore while he's trying to destress, because at the end of the day...he's next to his own apartment and he could get online easily enough.

At any rate...he'd played games with Yugi until he felt ready to go home, which was pretty much around dawn. As a result, when he finally shows back up to the apartment, he's in his day form.

He's not sure why...but he enters quietly, as if he expects Atem to be sleeping. Which he shouldn't, because nephilim.

His nose twitches as he samples the air--he's gotten pretty good at locating by scent, and it helps that Atem smells very nice. So wherever he is, if he's not immediately visible...Ryou will find him. And then probably ask for a hug. There's no doubt that he needs one--the way his tail curls around his leg, the lowered ears and the awkward way he rubs at his arms...it's pretty obvious that he isn't at his best.]

[knifemonopoly]

[Atem's been true to his word, through to the end of the fog. It's driving him a little bit stir crazy, like he'd been when the days were getting longer and he hadn't traded his form for a monster type that could go out in the sun, but he's managing, mostly thanks to having a baby lion around. This is the second fog in a row where Atem figures Tybolt is safest where he and Ryou can keep an eye on him; if Poundmates catches fire thanks to a poorly timed rendition of a number from Oliver and Company, the firefighters might not know to check the store-rooms.

There's the network, of course, too, to check every once in a while, to see what the other monsters are saying. For a while, it helped pass the time, since he knew Ryou wanted time out of the house, to spend with other friends. Atem gets it; it reminds him a little bit of late June, too, when Atem had left to spend the day with Noa, when he needed space and someone different to be around. Only worse, because this time, he has mistakes, terrible ones, to ruminate over, thoughts returning to them again and again like vultures picking at a carcass.

Unfortunately, once Ryou's post went up, checking the network did the opposite of helping the time go by quicker. Realizing something was wrong, in a way Atem was cut off from, slowed time down to a crawl.

It ate at him. He paced, if you could call no-one-looking nephilim-blinking-in-and-out-around-the-room pacing. He chewed over what-ifs and worst-cases and suspicions, lining questions and arguments up like battle plans. But, in the end, what was needed here is the trust Ryou's asking for: recognition that it wasn't Atem's job to fix this. It wasn't up to Atem to decide what was needed. Inserting himself into the situation would be a mistake, especially considering Atem's recent conversational track record.

So, he's been augmenting Tybolt's toys and hides with the few tools he's got around the apartment. Some of them are able to be closed from the inside, now, at a little lion's discretion, so that it's impossible to tell where he is. There's a little bell near the door, too. The old naga-rattle's out on the floor when Ryou comes back, and so's one of the mini-pumpkins from the Fiddleford farm. There's been a lot of play and a lot of training, and that's why, when Ryou comes in, Tybolt is asleep on Atem's lap, completely zonked out, his little tongue tip peeking out of his mouth. Atem himself is dozing on the living room couch, leaning against the side with a hand on the big cat's head, because having Tybolt around doesn't just give him a million things to do with himself -- it also calms him down, having a warm weight on him like this. Ryou's sharp ears will pick up an unfamiliar language, probably even before he opens the door--]

--the best of lions, who will live a hundred years surrounded by all good things--hey!

[All his eyes snap wide open again as the door opens, and he sits up straight. Tybolt opens his eyes, stumbles off Atem's lap onto the couch, and shakes himself off sleepily.]

Ryou!

[Atem's...not actually certain what he's expecting to hear. He knows Ryou's not all right, but he doesn't actually understand what happened, or why. It had something to do with a god prayer, but it was something he didn't want Atem's help with, he wanted to get drunk about it instead...and that sounds very complicated, not the kind of conversation he can go into with any assumptions. At all. So, he's going to let Ryou take the conversational lead, here.]

<a.dyer>

[ohmyscream]

I'm throwing a pre-holiday party. You're not often present on the network so this is me letting you know.

It will be on the 1st.

I was hoping that you might be interested in acting as the judge for a friendly contest. Ugly Christmas sweater building. I want it to be fair and if anyone that's a Fourthie shows up? I can't promise to be impartial.

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

[Ah....any other time, he'd leap at this. A new experience, a chance to celebrate with friends, it sounds fun...but to Atem as he is right now, his feelings take a dive like a swooping kite. He can't, right?]

Annie, I don't know the first thing about ugly Christmas sweaters. My memories are either of a different set of holidays entirely, or Christmas as it's celebrated in Japan. Since I'm not familiar with the tradition, I won't know what qualities to judge.

Are you holding a grudge against Fourth followers?

DEC 1

[noasark]

[Twas the night before Nearly Christmas, and all at the door, there was a hella loud knocking like never before-

wait] Ahrm.

[Noa isn't the one knocking, because he has better things to do with his paws. The things are keeping them tucked beneath him like he's some sort of strange orange spotty loaf, wrapped warmly in a kitty coat and surrounded by the black fur of something perhaps the size of a small bear.

The 'bear' is politely rapping at the door with her paw. And doing a great job of exercising about as much force as any human being would!

That will not be enough though.] ATEMMMMMMMmmMMmmMMMM!

[Caterwauling Will be necessary here, and he wouldn't do this but someone hasn't been responding to network messages, Or seen out and about, and that gets to a guy!]

[knifemonopoly]

[Network's upsetting. He can't stop putting his foot in his mouth in person or online. As such, Atem has decided to let matters rest.

.....until he hears WAILING.

He sits straight up, his ear-wings flaring out and up into his hair in surprise.

What on earth...? Is that Noa?

He calls through the door from the living room:]

What is it?!

morning, 12/5. <harmonia>

[digiorno]

i am already so tired of being a vampire how do you do this every day

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

[The response doesn't come till late at night -- there's been some temp growing pains. But come it does.]

Oh, you went for a temporary change? This is a good time of year to do it! Some parts of being a vampire are hard...but the powers are pretty cool.

The speed and mist are my favorites. Did you get those?

Sorry about leaving your message so long. I spent the last day and a half without any hands!

[His switch to demon is complete, and it has completely removed any brain to mouth filter Atem might have had.]

cw for hurt kiddo and/or kind of dog

[sweartoyou]

[She only has a moment to marvel at the change after the electric, numb-painful feeling branching through her body rebuilding itself settles and the wet layer of slime sloughs onto the ground. She has fingers again, ones with gnarled joints and claws at the end. They have pads which she can use to feel the soft fur that's grown over her arms and face -- oh, that's a muzzle! A cute little muzzle with chunky fangs that are too big for her mouth. Not inherently cute, maybe, but didn't detract from it, either. She wants to see --

There's a searing pain in her belly as she gets up that has her stumbling back in surprise. New feet she's not use to walking on bump against the shattered pieces of what was once her shell before giving up, folding again. Ow. Ow, ow, ow, something is wrong. Rachel's breath hitches before falling into a desperate pant, hot doggy breath hitting cold air and making even more fog than what usually spilled from her. She's drooling. She can tell that much through the confusion and pain because it drips close to the drawing she's shakily clawing into the dirt and threatens to break it. It might not do any good anyway. Her mind had been so different, struggling to hold onto the information she received, but she'd done her best to memorize what was important. The symbol had been important.]

A-Atem... [Her voice trembles, and tears are joining the spittle in the cold dirt.] Can you...hear me?

[It's a silly thing to ask. He can't answer. But maybe it worked, and maybe she'd have to do more than wait there all alone.]

I'm just -- outside Bavan. To the n-nnow... Ugh, the north. I think -- [She can't curl up, but laying flat hurts, too. She just -- has to stop moving. Settle in a half-curled sprawl to the side and speak through the odd keening that makes her want to cry even more than what she's feeling, even if she can tell it's only coming from her. It sounds sad. She's so sorry, little puppy.] I don't want -- to die alone.

[knifemonopoly]

[He gets it right away -- straight into his mind's eye, just like all the times Atem tested it. The face is different, but he knows the voice, and oh, no, she's in pain--! Dying? Why's she dying? She's not in trouble, is she...?

Being a demon is pretty carefree, but Atem himself has a well of caring so deep a demon's psych change barely scratches the surface. So, within seconds, he's throwing on a coat, the one that buttons around his wings, and has barely pulled on shoes before he's taking off out the back door, vaulting the rail of the eighth floor's fire escape, letting blue leathery wings catch him a few floors down and riding an updraft to just above the height of the buildings in this part of town.

He can't send a message, but he wonders if maybe she'll feel a connection between their hearts, if they believe enough -- stay there, he's coming.

It's happened to Atem before. Unity powers.

Anyway, north, north...there's a fair bit of ground to cover, since it's a big city, but luckily, Atem's still a flying type. He's had practice with three kinds of wings now, and these aren't so different from his fog form...

He looks at the image in his mind for any clues, anything in the periphery that might give him an idea of what to look for as he begins his sweep. If nothing else, the light fur will stand out against dirt -- Atem flies as high as he can while still getting a good look at the ground, gliding with his wings wide, flapping at intervals to maintain height.

Where, where, where...?

It's hard to listen to her like this. But Atem has to, in case she moves, in case something finds her before he does.]

action; Dec. 9th

[dead_eyed_wolf]

[Despite their differences, generally, Mukuro's been able to respect and appreciate Atem. It's only very recently that he pushed hard enough to really upset her, and from what she's gathered, part of that was his temporary monster change saddling him with some troublesome psychological changes none of them were expecting. That would be one thing, she'd be willing to wait for an apology and a return to normal - except then the usual monthly nonsense happened. She's pretty sure she hadn't actually managed to kill him, but she had tried to, and - that level of uncontrolled anger isn't something she's let happen in a long time. It's not what she wants to be, and it's not what Atem deserved. Plus, two of her most important people really like him, and on top of that they are literally neighbors. She can't just ignore him or pretend it didn't happen. She's not a coward.

She waits until the fog recedes, so her mind is clear and entirely her own. This is already going to be difficult, and the last thing she needs is to be pushed into a more aggressive mindset. Once it's relatively safe, and she's sure he's around, there's a knock at his door come nightfall - she's not going to bother with text. Not when they've had so many miscommunications already. This is a conversation they should have face to face, and Mukuro knows an apology means more in person regardless.]

[knifemonopoly]

--ah!

[He's a very carefree demon. So carefree he just unlocked and opened the door without asking who it was. Atem startles, red-on-black eyes widening -- before logic catches up with him. She's not here to fight, of course not, if she were it'd have been timed differently, it wouldn't have been a polite knock on his door. Still...the fact that he startled at all speaks to a guilty conscience.

As a nephilim, it was impossible to forget. As a demon, it's easy, as long as it's out of sight. But even as a demon, what he got into with Mukuro presses on his mind like a vise, when he remembers.

So, if she's not here to fight...what is she here for? To talk? Whatever it is, it must be important if she's seeking him out.]

...Mukuro.

[And shouldn't be discussed in the hallway.]

Would you like to come in?

[His tail, blue and spade-tipped, is held low, twitching from side to side behind his ankles. It's not comfortable but definitely not signalling a threat.]

<KrisKringle>

[getmeoutofthedraft]

Ho ho ho! Merry freaking Christmas!

Your Secret Santa recipient this year is Joshua Kiryu. I've got no other information, so consider this a scavenger hunt. Please buy, make, or otherwise procure him a nice gift before December 26! You can give this directly, or label it clearly and drop it off at Crowe Clinic C/O Hawkeye Pierce.

Remember: Saint Nick is watching, and he knows where you live!

Happy Holidays, etcetera, and so forth,
Santa Claus

<Player1>

[knifemonopoly]

Wait a minute, I didn't put my name down for this.
I mean, I don't mind, I know the guy you're talking about, but are you sure there hasn't been a mix-up with the names?
Do you have the right private channel, Mr. "Santa Claus"?

[hairday]

[On Nattensfest Eve, Steve delivers the following to 806:

A board game called Betrayal at Manor in the Mist. It's a bit on the nose subject matter-wise, considering some of the "haunts" are obviously based off of the monsters that they are, but the attendant that helped him pick it out insisted that the gameplay is still very fun.

A deck of nicely-illustrated tarot cards. They're dark fantasy themed, featuring things like knights and wizards on them. And skulls. And blood. Lots of skulls and blood. He definitely mistook these as another game when he bought them.

A donut for Tybolt.]

[knifemonopoly]

[Good news for Steve: Atem's 100% aware that tarot is a game! These may never be used for fortunetelling but they will definitely get played.

Also, if Steve is around the 38-8 on boxing day or the day after, that board game is getting played too, with any interested neighbors.

Tybolt loves his donut and at least 1 pixellated blurry proud-dad photo is sent over the network to Steve's laptop, probably with a dumb joke about how ryou is never getting his pastry back or something.]