[He can taste blood on his tongue, feel it drip down his lip, pool at his chin. Dark and bitter, like black coffee. Ryou's face hurts, his back is in agony, bruised and beaten.
Stubborn...penalty...that's what he remembers, what he thinks of even as the world around him seems to go mute, as he takes the next round of blows. He can't hear himself scream. He's here, of course, it still hurts, his arms still feel like they're ready to twist clean off.
But he feels distant, until at last, they reach the last person. The final chance for him to save himself. Ryou can feel the crop between his shoulders, and he stays silent for...perhaps too long, focused on that sensation as he thinks.
What is the name of the monster who knew you killed those men and ate them...
All coloration fades from his tail. The spines recede, leaving a shirtless, beaten shade with one eye nearly swollen shut, standing on his toes. His answer is important, isn't it?
To him...to Atem...to all of them, in a way. But only in a way that matters to Ryou.
He smiles, the corner of his mouth quivering...then gives his answer, clear as anything.]
no subject
Stubborn...penalty...that's what he remembers, what he thinks of even as the world around him seems to go mute, as he takes the next round of blows. He can't hear himself scream. He's here, of course, it still hurts, his arms still feel like they're ready to twist clean off.
But he feels distant, until at last, they reach the last person. The final chance for him to save himself. Ryou can feel the crop between his shoulders, and he stays silent for...perhaps too long, focused on that sensation as he thinks.
What is the name of the monster who knew you killed those men and ate them...
All coloration fades from his tail. The spines recede, leaving a shirtless, beaten shade with one eye nearly swollen shut, standing on his toes. His answer is important, isn't it?
To him...to Atem...to all of them, in a way. But only in a way that matters to Ryou.
He smiles, the corner of his mouth quivering...then gives his answer, clear as anything.]
Penalty.