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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

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou can feel the shift, and he has a distinct feeling he's said the wrong thing. But...since Atem doesn't argue the point, he decides not to either. Sometims it's best not to push your luck when you've already tried to self-sacrifice like 3 times in one interaction.]

I...yeah, he doesn't mind letting himself be a cat. I assumed he would be too proud once, before...b-before he...

[Ryou can't finish that sentence. He just can't. He misses Noa.]

...Anyway, the point is he let me pet him. I was trying to shake his hand and he put his head in it. It was...very endearing. He's pretty small for a manticore, wouldn't you say?

[Ryou tries to keep the conversation basic, just like Atem's doing. Both of them need to sleep. He won't hold up much longer himself.]

Do you think you'd want a cat? Petting one is pretty relaxing.

[knifemonopoly]

[A quick tightening of his arm, around Ryou's waist.]

He'll be back.

[Atem believes it. He misses Noa, too, and he's upset Noa threw himself in...but, now that he's had some time, Atem believes it. There's no way what Noa did would lead to him disappearing for good.

And he can think about Noa headbumping Ryou's hand instead of shaking it without feeling too bad. That's also cute.]

It is relaxing! But taking care of one in a place like this...it's easier to visit other people's cats. And other people, who are cats.

[He is already very attached to Poundmates, but it helps that Poundmates isn't his. Steve's protecting it already, as part of his job. Protecting his own cat would be all on Atem...he'd be less free to be away from home...which is why Big Sven does not already live with them.]

[softspokenlandlord]

Mmh...

[Ryou doesn't react much to Atem's comforting gesture, but it's not that he doesn't appreciate it. He just...doesn't want to give in to thoughts like this. He doesn't want to think about Noa trying to explain why giving himself up would only help protect his friends.

It's a narrative Ryou's all too familiar with, and being on the other side of it hurts.

So yes. Cat discussions are far more enjoyable to partake in.]

That's fair. Cats do require care and attention...at least you can always pet Celeste's cat. Quite the character, that one.

[Ryou can't stifle a yawn after that statement.]

Mmh...are you okay like this? Am I too heavy...?

[Because he would feel pretty guilty if he fell asleep on Atem and was basically making him uncomfortable. But he is about 15 seconds from passing out again.]

[knifemonopoly]

You're not too heavy at all. You actually feel pretty light...

[Again, a point on Atem's tail a couple of feet from the end pushes itself over Ryou's good knee, and the rest of it, almost down to the little stump, follows and curls around the shin and foot.

Nice. It's nice. He's warm here. He's calm...still a little weirdly restless, but mostly relaxed. It's less weird like this than it would be if Atem had a human body. He's half snake now! Which means there's no way this can get awkward...Atem's very sure of his own undesirability. It's like Noa...

It's not going to take him long to drift off either.]

[softspokenlandlord]

Good...

[Almost as if on reflex, Ryou presses his face against Atem's chest, as if he's a great big pillow and he's just trying to find a comfortable spot. It's okay, he's just settling. There's nothing weird about this. Not a single thing wrong with how he's positioned, and it's absolutely acceptable to have a snake tail wrapped around his foot.

It's actually pretty relaxing. He feels secure here, enough to fall dead asleep.]