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[ "Kul Elna sacrifice"? Kul Elna is the village where the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories awaits the Millennium Items. What the heck kind of sacrifice - and why would the Pharaoh, this Pharaoh, who barely even duels, know something about Kul Elna that not even a Tombkeeper -

The other Tombkeeper, then? Shadi? Or someone he's met here...? Wait, with the context, "like him and the survi---" ]

The Spirit of the Ring is from Kul Elna?

[ He sounds baffled. There is fucking nothing in Kul Elna. What's more, the Spirit of the Ring used to be human, like the Pharaoh?

This is a silly thing to be fixating on when there's all of...the rest of it....to worry about. A punishment worth three thousand years of servitude. Of captivity. Captivity of not just bodies, but minds, hearts--!!

Marik may be focusing on the one thing here not directly relating to his situation for a reason, and that reason is escaping him. ]

...yes. Well, part of him is.

The other part is the dark god the sacrifice was made to. I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow, what got sealed into the Ring is both of them at once!

[Pretty fucked up!]

Edited 2021-08-18 14:21 (UTC)

[ This does not help. At first. ]

But that's -

[ HUH. So much for a change of subject not involving getting his mind reblown.

This one is easier to take, though. So Kul Elna....was the site of a great sacrifice. He wishes he could ask Sister what might have made it such an exceptional spot. But that was never in their texts either, was it? The Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories was in Kul Elna because that's - that's where it was.

...Doesn't matter. The Ring-Spirit being from the same time period as the Pharaoh makes sense. Especially since he also collected Items...yet does that mean that - that Marik's theory about the Millennium Items being tools of a great darkness -

If he ends up having been right about everything, he is not letting anybody contradict him, on anything, ever again. He wants the past few weeks at home he spent hating himself back now! Gods! He was right to hate whoever trapped them beneath the earth, and he was right there was something fishy about the Millennium Items! EVERYONE SHOULD ALWAYS LISTEN TO MARIK ISHTAR: MORAL OF THE STORY. ]

- I see. [ Marik is able to smile! Something about this is a little bit funny.

Namely, the last time he saw the Ring-Spirit, said horrifying amalgamation of evil incarnate had gotten his nose broken and was calling a man in goblin cosplay something Marik is increasingly certain was "Dad". ] He's gotten sloppy in his old age.

[ Come ON, dude, if you're going to be an ancient spirit of untold terrors, the least you can do is like. Win a card game now and then. For fuck's sake. ]

How so? Is he all right?

Or are you talking about the broken nose he had two weeks ago?

[Atem sure seems concerned about someone he'd just called "half evil god."]

That, and he hasn't got the faintest idea how to run an organization! [ Marik sighs. One of the problems with having an Active Mind is that occasionally he falls prey to shiny syndrome, especially when he doesn't want to think about something else.

And right now? With his world in pieces within his head and his scars useless against Atem's blanket, in the face of the ruins of the Gods? Mocking the Ring-Spirit sounds fantastic. ] I helped and he still hasn't recruited more than five people....

[ and one of the people lies on the floor all the time....and one of the people is "dad"....the other three seem competent enough though ]

I'm willing to support his endeavor as a backup plan if dueling falls through, but I shudder to think how he's fared without me.

Oh, I see...

...

Do you mean what he was talking about in Rota a few weeks ago? He's actually managed to sway a few of them?

[Completely unconcerned that the Ring-Spirit and Marik are running an offshoot group of monster worshippers. Because RS and Marik are his friends! And also, RS legitimately appears to be a better cult leader to follow than Tage.]

Half a dozen, give or take.

[ Five. He has five. Four Tage and one girl who just sort of...showed up...? One day? Marik is still learning the details but he has a feeling that when he gets the whole picture, he's going to have another reason to laugh at the Ring-Spirit. So he likes that cultist. ]

The angle we're going for is "truth". True facts about the Fog, living in a way that's true to who or what you feel you were born to be...

[ He almost has a moment of introspection, but he's done that enough today, and his brain is tired. He sniffs. ]

Their last leader made them all dress like waldgeists. No imagination.

[Atem frowns. Every time he's been in Rota, they haven't been waldgeists...]

No, she didn't. Most of the time, they all dressed like different monsters...I thought the leader was the only one allowed to dress like a waldgeist.

[What does Marik mean??]

[ Well, now Marik's just confused. ]

They wore deer masks to invade Bavan....

[ But....if the Pharaoh is right about under typical circumstances, then....

wheels. turning ]

[Oh, right. They had, hadn't they? And Marik ran into them then...]

...that's right. I guess that was some kind of uniform...or maybe an infiltration costume? Designed for anonymity.

But when I woke up in their village, the one that looked after me had a cat mask...there were two with snake-scale tattoos, I remember them, too...and one of the tents was done up to look like a vampire lair. They'd painted it to look like it was part castle, part cave!

[They put a lot of creativity into what they do...it's a shame they're all murderous LARPers, instead of just the regular kind of dramatic.]

So she picks and chooses when they get to be what they want to be, and what they're allowed to want to be.

[ Marik snickers. It's still a bit bleak-sounding since he's Had A Day, here, but... ]

Oh, yes, definitely, they're all there to serve the Fog! I can't believe his angle was right....

[ "Richard" was onto something, there, by targeting Ms. Tage for his objections.

Pity about that broken nose making it nearly impossible for anyone to tell what he was saying. Must have been quite the scuffle, with someone impressive, to get one up on the Ring-Spirit! ]

I don't like Tage, either...she ran off at the first sign of trouble, and left a lot of her followers behind....many of them got killed by angry monsters last month because of that.

[As Atem goes on, he's more musing to himself than anything else.]

The Tagevalgten...it's a complicated situation. It'd be better if they didn't exist as an organization....but I understand why they turned to that kind of philosophy.

Don't worry. We'll take good care of the ones that remain.

[ If they can just get more than four established cultists and one teenager from town who likes being play-chased by "Richard" to listen to them.

Marik chuckles, his head full of plans, then grows quiet. He draws the blanket around himself. Resists the urge to lean on the Pharaoh. That would be disrespectful.

But the day is catching up with him, and he's flagging. ]

[That's not ominous at all!! But Atem actually does trust the Ring-Spirit to look out for the guys under his care. They're better off with RS than they were with Tage.

But he does not trust that Marik won't pass out on his couch. Atem had better get the guy home before he's too tired to operate a motorcycle.]

You've had quite a day. I wish I could tell you it won't always be like this, but...since that's the way things are, it's even more important to get proper rest!

You're still staying with Noa, right? Can you make it back on your own?

[ Can he....He thinks so. He's tired, but...riding always makes him feel better. He'll ride his bike, and then....

Then....He'll let the back of his mind figure out "then." He's brilliant, he can do things like that. ]

I couldn't trouble you further. [ Marik pushes himself forward, roots around for his clothes. ] Prepare for the Duel. I'll do the same.

[Yes, Marik, please put your shirt back on.

Atem doesn't say that, though. He just nods -- and he'll see Marik out the door, once he's clothed and gathered up. Drive alert arrive alive, pal.]

Edited 2021-09-19 21:34 (UTC)

[ Who the hell do you think he is?! He's fine!

He only gets honked at three times, even, which means he's having an especially uneventful night.

Marik heeds none of it, however. Lots on his mind. ]

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now that I know he doesn't go to the penthouse.....

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OH MY GOD RS'S BELLA IS IN THE SUBCULT?? omg

the mods said "5 humans, half are traitors", so, 2 real converts, 2 traitors, 1 fangirl....

amazing.

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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.