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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.

Main handle: < Player1 > Anon: < turtleluck >, < actuallydied >, < burner >

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[It's about a minute, as Atem thinks about his answer. There's a lot he could say.

I was the right person for that job, like you were the right one after he left the woods.

Is "owe me" a shorthand for a friendly relationship, or are you the sort of guy who keeps score?

You can have a lot of friends, but not all of them will be people you can count on when you really need help. I think Beat's one of them. I think he'd do the same for me.

He settles on none of them.]

Beat's the kind of person who makes you believe in him. He's a good guy, with a good heart...he deserves to have friends he can count on. Don't worry about it. I'm not the sort of guy who counts favors -- not unless you are!

[This time, the reply comes with a moment of hesitation to match. There's a lot that could be said here, but just how much does he want to say?]

He is. And he does, clearly. Look at how many people jumped to his rescue, how many were concerned about his safety. He's in a good place physically, even if it'll take some catching up to be there mentally.

[Another few seconds go by, and then he sends:]

Typically, I hand out favors unannounced. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of having one get turned down before. You're surprising me in a variety of ways, Atem.

I know it's hard to believe, given my recent public behavior...but I'd rather have an amicable relationship than an account to balance. It's just that lately, I've stood to gain more from being a frightening figure than a friendly one... But I don't think that's true in this case!

[He'd rather not burn this bridge. Joshua's got too many interesting theories, too much he's noticed that Atem's also noticed -- he wants to pick Joshua's brain. That is ... as long as Joshua doesn't get too friendly with Atem's. The guy's gone in there without permission twice, and even though both times it's been harmless...Atem doesn't know his full capacity yet.]

Let's finish that conversation about the Sea of Souls sometime.

[By the end, it wasn't about the Sea of Souls, of course...but he doesn't feel like typing out "how this place brought us all here for a purpose and that purpose is suspicious as hell." Joshua will get it.]

[That's... honestly surprising, and for a moment Joshua sits and stares at the words on his screen, eyebrows raised. It's a roundabout way of doing it, but...]

Why, Atem, I do believe you've just proposed a friendship! Or, at the very least, an intellectual partnership.

[He nearly forgets to muffle his chuckle, still not used to being surrounded by others that are trying to sleep. No matter what this ends up being called, though, it's certainly interesting.]

I'd like that, though. Not to mention the sheer number of games we have yet to play.

At least an intellectual partnership.

[He's a little more cautious about friends, lately. But Joshua's someone he's finding he wants to know: he wants to share ideas, run his theories past someone sharp, who he knows won't agree with him too fast. In addition...the friendlier he is with the more ambitious Fourth followers, the more clued in he'll be to what they're planning, which -- he doesn't want to stop them on principle, and certainly not out of personal loyalty to the Fog, but he doesn't want the monster population of Ryslig to suffer needlessly. (Securing his own power base out of desperate self-preservation doesn't count as "needless," to Atem.) He doubts he'll be brought into close council or trusted with dates or times or locations, but he might be able to share some of his experience, and prevent a mistake or two -- something he couldn't do if they were unfriendly.]

And a gaming one.

Indeed. It's nice to have someone that I know can give me a good challenge.

[Not that a friendship is what he was hoping for, anyway. Friendship is... a complicated thing. Very few people exist that he would truly call friends. Friendly acquaintances, however, is a different story. He'd be perfectly comfortable with that.

After all, it's nice to have friendly connections on both sides. It keeps things fair, especially if they'll listen to reason, and it offers a balancing perspective.]

Check back with me tomorrow. We'll see how he's feeling. Regardless of when you visit, though, if you want to be a particularly good friend and bring a gift, I'm sure he'd appreciate you stopping by the konbini. Karaage and salmon onigiri are good bets, and a little comfort food might go a long way.

He does seem like the kind of guy who thinks with his stomach sometimes.

[Atem knows the type. But, even if not, it's something Atem's perfectly willing to do. Not a difficult thing at all, to bring a friend who's had a hard time some familiar food.]

I'll be sure to bring snacks with me, then. See you later, Joshua!

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