[Atem's eyes drift back over to Ryou as he talks. It's so calming feeling the snakes be touched. If anyone else stuck their hand in there, Atem would probably recoil; if they were all grabbed, it would hurt badly, and there's something oddly personal about it, about how much sensory input it sends him...but since it's Ryou, Atem doesn't mind.
The one that gets its chin scritched gives Ryou a truly dopey, hopeless look. All the others look doe-eyed, too. They're not jealous, they are all one, but they really, really like him.
Atem's own eyes lose a little focus again. He's listening, though -- and, when Ryou stops flirting with the hairsnakes, he comes back to himself more. Right. All day...that doesn't add up, though. The snakes huddle thoughtfully.]
The whole day...that doesn't quite match with what I remember. I...I told you I had to leave. I wanted to see my other friends, and make sure they were all right. But if I didn't go then, I wouldn't have been able to tear myself away at all!
...
[A beat. The snakes turn back to Ryou, and even though Atem's voice is dry, their little faces are full of snincerity.]
I really thought I'd stop thinking about it.
[But he hasn't! For two months! He remembers it clearly enough to recognize how Ryou kisses! His snakes un-huddle; they're giving pining looks again. Hey, remember what the end of June was like? Where they were trapped in an apartment together for three-quarters of the day, but the easy rapport they had at the beginning of June wasn't there anymore, and Atem was going stir-crazy and had to get out of the house sometimes? And the beginning of July, when Atem thought Ryou was trying to disappear into a dream world and leave him behind, and right after they cleared that up, Atem found something to do he thought Ryou would have fun with? The crush just got worse!
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The one that gets its chin scritched gives Ryou a truly dopey, hopeless look. All the others look doe-eyed, too. They're not jealous, they are all one, but they really, really like him.
Atem's own eyes lose a little focus again. He's listening, though -- and, when Ryou stops flirting with the hairsnakes, he comes back to himself more. Right. All day...that doesn't add up, though. The snakes huddle thoughtfully.]
The whole day...that doesn't quite match with what I remember. I...I told you I had to leave. I wanted to see my other friends, and make sure they were all right. But if I didn't go then, I wouldn't have been able to tear myself away at all!
...
[A beat. The snakes turn back to Ryou, and even though Atem's voice is dry, their little faces are full of snincerity.]
I really thought I'd stop thinking about it.
[But he hasn't! For two months! He remembers it clearly enough to recognize how Ryou kisses! His snakes un-huddle; they're giving pining looks again. Hey, remember what the end of June was like? Where they were trapped in an apartment together for three-quarters of the day, but the easy rapport they had at the beginning of June wasn't there anymore, and Atem was going stir-crazy and had to get out of the house sometimes? And the beginning of July, when Atem thought Ryou was trying to disappear into a dream world and leave him behind, and right after they cleared that up, Atem found something to do he thought Ryou would have fun with? The crush just got worse!
🐍 Ryouuuuu 🐍 don't be sad 🐍 don't leave! 🐍 ]