[A whole lot of feelings hit Atem at once. It's actually enough to stop him in his tracks, which doesn't happen often!
His snakes, which until now have been moving in Ryou's direction like they're underwater and a current is pushing them towards him despite their anchored bases, stop flicking their tongues. They retreat a few inches at the initial answer, but once the blankets are lifted off, and the smell of burnt flesh hits, they go still. Their eyes take on that glazed look everyone at the Steve's-been-killed meeting saw, staring straight ahead, floating around Atem like stunned fish.
Information's hitting Atem's mind in no particular order. The smell of burning person. The burning began while Ryou was strung up -- unfair. Burns on feet, left for days maybe, in a doll--in a warehouse where otherworld light ripples over one patch of floor. A possible moment of peace, broken carelessly, clumsy. The dollmaker let this happen, but wouldn't allow Riley out of a cage, took her voice. Fire immunity, salt weakness. Too severe to treat alone. Cut strings. No undamaged limbs left; moving will be difficult. Nose held, pressure on his jaw to force it open, and a third hand pouring something like wine but not quite down his throat. No sign of Steve in the dollhouse. Date of last feeding unknown. A body in a park, killer unknown.
Each beat of his three-chambered heart feels like it lasts a full minute. It's not actually very long before he speaks, but it feels like it to him, and even when he does, he addresses nothing except the last part.]
"He" who?
[Red eyes with thin pupils get their focus back, on Ryou's face. He feels aware of every inch of this room, seeing it in both the visible spectrum and by its heat signatures. Nothing is moving in this apartment that he isn't aware of.]
Who did this?
[He's always been aware that he's not going to be a very good boyfriend. He's already taken the wrong angle in this situation as far as feelings go, and they've hardly been awake again a full minute! However, what he can be is a spirit of darkness and vengeance. He knows he's good at that.]
cw trauma flashbacks, incl. forced drugging
His snakes, which until now have been moving in Ryou's direction like they're underwater and a current is pushing them towards him despite their anchored bases, stop flicking their tongues. They retreat a few inches at the initial answer, but once the blankets are lifted off, and the smell of burnt flesh hits, they go still. Their eyes take on that glazed look everyone at the Steve's-been-killed meeting saw, staring straight ahead, floating around Atem like stunned fish.
Information's hitting Atem's mind in no particular order. The smell of burning person. The burning began while Ryou was strung up -- unfair. Burns on feet, left for days maybe, in a doll--in a warehouse where otherworld light ripples over one patch of floor. A possible moment of peace, broken carelessly, clumsy. The dollmaker let this happen, but wouldn't allow Riley out of a cage, took her voice. Fire immunity, salt weakness. Too severe to treat alone. Cut strings. No undamaged limbs left; moving will be difficult. Nose held, pressure on his jaw to force it open, and a third hand pouring something like wine but not quite down his throat. No sign of Steve in the dollhouse. Date of last feeding unknown. A body in a park, killer unknown.
Each beat of his three-chambered heart feels like it lasts a full minute. It's not actually very long before he speaks, but it feels like it to him, and even when he does, he addresses nothing except the last part.]
"He" who?
[Red eyes with thin pupils get their focus back, on Ryou's face. He feels aware of every inch of this room, seeing it in both the visible spectrum and by its heat signatures. Nothing is moving in this apartment that he isn't aware of.]
Who did this?
[He's always been aware that he's not going to be a very good boyfriend. He's already taken the wrong angle in this situation as far as feelings go, and they've hardly been awake again a full minute! However, what he can be is a spirit of darkness and vengeance. He knows he's good at that.]