[Ryou's shoulders drop when Atem tells him he doesn't need to do things he's not okay with. That's so hard, so much harder than simply saying it. Doing it is another thing.]

Sometimes what I have to do doesn't align with what I think is okay. That's just how it is here. If what I wanted always aligned with what I needed, then I wouldn't be with the Fog right now.

But I am, because without Her strength behind these claws, I'd be too weak to protect myself, much less anyone else around me.

...And sometimes, what I really, really want doesn't align with who I think I should be. And when that happens...I want to be something else.

[Not someone else. Something else. He still wants to be "Ryou Bakura", but not as a shade. Not with that burning resentment that eats at him like acid reducing away layers of his skin, slowly but painfully.

Suddenly, Ryou draws in a long, almost painful-sounding breath.]

Listen...t-this isn't what we should be doing. You're supposed to be focused on your recovery. Is this really what you want to talk about right now?