knifemonopoly | IC inbox

[He should have known the Ring-Spirit would turn up, when the electronic conversation went dead.

Atem is a minotaur at present, seated beside and watching the little indoor pond they have going here, where a snapping turtle will sometimes come and go.]

You remember the Monster's Pearl, right...? All the trouble, last July?

[That's not an answer, Atem.]

I didn't purchase it from the Night Market. It shouldn't be enchanted.

[ are they going to have to run tests on this cat???? ]

[ The Ring-Spirit stays where he is and watches Atem. ]

Mn.

[ A noise of dispassionate confirmation. True, it's not an answer - yet. The Ring-Spirit trusts Atem is in fact headed somewhere with this. ]

I remember. Should I be focusing on a specific aspect or just the whole?

[ He crosses his arms. Atem won't know unless he turns to look of course, but the Ring-Spirit hasn't taken off the wings-tailored coat Annie got for him last Nattenfest - he may not be planning to stay for long. It may depend on where it is Atem's heading. ]

You're the one who knows the mathematics of dimensional physics.

In your opinion, if the replacement pearl was removed, and the rift left open...

...would that be enough to cause a total collapse of this dimension? An irreparable one.

Or would it just be like pulling the plug on this pool...

[He lets his fingers trail through the bubbling water.]

...easy to stopper, and fill again, with new fish.

[ Oh. Oh.

He knows what you're really asking, pharaoh, though not why - was the breakup seriously that bad? How?? He knows how Ryou felt, and it was bad, but the guy wasn't considering an apocalypse as a viable coping mechanism...

The Ring-Spirit's tone of voice doesn't change, but he narrows his eyes at the pharaoh. ]

Mm... Based on the behavior of that rift, it depends on what precisely you're looking for - I'd say that this dimension would less "collapse" and more "be subsumed into something greater". Things were entering through the rift, remember? There's clearly something surrounding this realm, and it's not the void.

Now, if you merely want to wreck the joint, smash the Fog and Fourth's playthings and leave it at that, than an unplugged rift would do a wonderful job. Both gods might very well lose all control over the remains.

But there would be remains, and none of the mortals here would be "freed". My best guess is Ryslig would merge directly with the Sea of Stars, and based on what I know of that place, death would simply cease to be - even as a temporary escape.

[ Slowly the Ring-Spirit forces himself to shut his eyes altogether. Disengage. Try to assume less-than-the-worst of Atem here. Atem's a mortal, they don't - no, no, his own hate stemmed directly from his mortal self, mortal hatred probably burns hotter than a deity's. Oh, for fuck's sake... The Ring-Spirit lets out a frustrated sigh with the breath he doesn't remember taking, and carefully maneuvers his talons to allow himself to pinch the bridge of his nose without skewering anything. ]

So is that what you're looking for? Enhanced suffering? Or are you just getting desperate for a way out?

[ The edge in his voice has finally turned into something else - weary exasperation. What is he even dealing with anymore. He feels so old suddenly. He'd just wanted to be angry, stop making him feel like THIS instead. ]

Edited 2022-12-22 03:11 (UTC)

....

[He considers that, then shakes his head. Death no longer existing as an escape...no, that's the opposite of what he wants. The two gods aren't his real enemy. They're just middle management.]

I'm looking for a way to bring it to an end. Neither god controls this place. They're intermediaries at best...but, more likely, they're just puppets.

I want to break the control that their boss has, over this place...I want to end the cycle of fogs, and of suffering. The way it's individualized, tailored to us, in ways we can't escape. We're suffering under the illusion of freedom, but really, our circumstances are tightly controlled, by enemies...

I don't want to eliminate death. But I don't mind if it becomes permanent.

[He looks up, from gazing down into the water.]

If you were to destroy this place for good, so that it couldn't be rebuilt, and is more likely to lead to death than suffering if it goes wrong -- how would you do it?

[He's open to suggestions!]

Edited 2022-12-22 15:06 (UTC)

[Atem pokes Tybolt, who doesn't move.]

Is this his normal laziness...?

Maybe...he gets sleepy when he's warm...

[Atem decides to try a trick. He bares his teeth, hooks his fingers like claws, and growls! This is a signal for Tybolt to hide.

Tybolt...

...lolls to his feet, and, with a few false starts, and a few instances of falling on his side and picking himself up, gets off the sofa and waddles slowly toward a place to hide.]

It's obstructing his movement....?

[ But it fits. It clearly fits. That is not a lion in pajamas that are too small! Furthermore, Saint-Germain is very (ahem) well-acquainted with Tybolt's dimensions. She would not have erred in sizing.

??? ]

No...it's not in his way.....

[Tybolt...flops onto his side in front of the false panel in the sofa.

He reeeeeaches for it. Almost gets it.

He yawns. His tail flops around.]

[There's a small, wrapped gift box waiting for Atem! Inside is a wooden puzzle cube, along with a Nattensfest card:]

Hey Atem,

Happy Nattensfest! I hope this will offer you a bit of a challenge. Thanks for being a great chum.

Cheers,
Steven

Happy Nattensfest!

Merrrry Nattensfest~

[ Matching the locket Atem got for her, Atem will receive a small locket that can be worn as a necklace, in the shape of a Game Girl Advance.

The necklace has been decorated with charms representing many of Atem's friends. There's a small legend that comes with the necklace in order to explain which charm represents which person, including but not limited to the following:

heart = ryou
joystick = chiaki
wings = josh
skateboard = beat
eye = hinata
spider = saint-germain
sneaker = sonic
flame = riley
lighthouse = horatio
ring = ring-spirit

The note that comes with this gift reads "Happy Nattensfest, Player One! <3" ]

Nothing's wrong with you. We just have to figure out what happened.

[ She holds him. He doesn't want to let go - well, she won't either. Not him, one of her dearest friends. ]

It's okay-- maybe you've hurt-- but-- we can still figure this out-- we can fix it.

[ They have to, right? She can't bear how much pain the two boys are going through... ]

[A large envelope is delivered to Mr. Grant around the same time! Inside is a sealed plastic bag of much smaller tea-bags, full of dried flower petals, as well as some seeds, if Steven wants to try his hand at cultivation.

The card inside reads:]

Steven,

These are for when times get hard again, and the days don't pass painlessly.

When there is an empty space in your heart like you and I have, it never really goes away. But I've found I grew, and as I did, it hurt less, to be the way I was.

I hope growing into yourself as you are will be a good thing for you, too.

Happy Nattensfest,
Atem

P.S. -- if you ever want to talk and the network isn't working, draw this. I'll see and hear you, at least for a little while!

[A symbol is drawn at the bottom! It's not active; any attempts to talk to it immediately will be met with silence.]

[Atem gets a new goth outfit from Triffany! It's loose, in case he wants to wear it as different monsters, but it's got the second-hand smell that comes with every durable set of alternative fashion with plenty of skulls, bleeding flowers, and spiked shoulders to live the Halloween Lifestyle no matter the holiday.]

Me too. And one of those things was the fact that I thought I took your head off. With your -

[boyfriend? ex? he doesn't even know]

- with Ryou staying in my house every once in a while when he doesn't feel like being in total sulk mode. And Mukuro burying herself in a grief hole over Lila, where I can't forcibly help support her the way she did for me when Celeste left, and -

For fuck's sake, Atem, NO, I don't want the tea set back, I just want to feel like I haven't somehow lost track of or pissed off every single person I considered a friend.

Edited 2022-12-29 02:59 (UTC)

Shit.

Sorry, I didn't mean to lose it like that. There's ... been a lot more than I thought, I guess.

Been keeping myself busy so I didn't have to think about it. Worked really well, as you can see.

It's OK. You were saying how you felt...none of it even made me mad.

What I said back then was to make you mad enough to try to kill me, so that I could finish the trick and escape. I didn't mean it. And, I'm at Hill House...so, I'm not mad, and now you know where I am.

That's something.

[It's a relatively small box, wrapped in orange. Inside is a golden chain bracelet-- probably not real gold, but it's still pretty decent quality. Along with it is a little metal charm of a bat, and a metal dog tag in the same shape, so that Tybalt can match.]

Thank goodness for small mercies, I guess. ... I should have figured you were using tactics, but I wasn't playing with a full deck.

Hill House ... is that the one on the mountain, or the one by the lake? I can never remember. Either way, I'm glad you're safe. Tybolt with you?

The one by the lake. And yes, he is. We both got out.

[Ryou didn't expect to have to have this conversation with such a...malleable version of his boyfriend, but...it has to be had. So...once they're both home, Ryou decides to bring up an important matter with Atem.

As before, despite how terrible it had turned out last time, Ryou comes bearing treats--a small cup of konpeito that they can share. It's pure sugar. Ryou definitely needs some damn sugar to get through this, he thinks, as he raps his knuckles gently against Atem's door.]

Hey...are you busy?

[Atem is on his back on his bed, rolling a spherical puzzle-box around his fingers and hand, deep in thought.

But, when Ryou knocks, he sits up.]

No -- come in!

[Ryou's tone only cuts through Atem's own thoughts after he's said that and rolled onto his seat, one leg dangling off the bed.

Oh.

Uh oh.

Which one of them did something this time...?]

[The doorknob turns, and pushes itself open--or at least it appears to, but...they both know Ryou's power set. It's as easy as breathing nowadays, even when there's parts of this form he doesn't like.

It's him now. He can't continue to deny it forever...can he?

Regardless, Ryou smiles, and it looks a little apologetic. Once he's closer, he holds the cup out, tilting it a little to reveal the sugar stars inside.]

Here--if you want one.

...I promise, I won't be long with this. I just want to...run something by you.

[No secrets. Atem has his trust. Ryou has to prove it...by warning Atem, right? Not by bending to his beliefs, but by telling him what's going to happen, and trusting in turn that Atem will understand.]

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cw apocalypse-suicide discussion

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Nattensfest time

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hell yes!

Nattenfest 2022!

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I'm thinkin...1/2 for this one

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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.