[Oof. What does it say that Atem's first response is we all have?

No. Ryou deserves better than that.]

In what way?

Being here has changed all of us. We've all done things, to survive or because of our changed natures, that we wouldn't have otherwise.

[Him included. This month has taken away his ability to count himself out of that.

(Was it Ryou's wolf nature that drove him to hunt with someone who wouldn't pick a target carefully?)]

But that's how Elias collects followers. He reminds us that what we're doing is monstrous, and sets himself up in opposition to the being that put us in this position, without having any real power over her, or to make it stop.

[He knows Ryou isn't getting what he was hoping to get out of this. But Atem's taking penalties to a lot of stats. He can't communicate like he's used to. Something that used to be effortless for him is gone, something that's been shown again and again in conversation after conversation. Ryou is going to have to live with the Atem he's got, or leave. Or pull a knife, because Atem's not even a stepladder for other people's hope, now. It's just despair.]

What did he accuse you of?