softspokenlandlord | IC Inbox

[ .....Oh. ]

or I could just
be a swan again
that's less stupid

[ Why was his first thought a fuckin paper bag?? Aaaa,, ]

You don't have to do either.

[Ryou has decided that for all of the grief he'd unleashed on the Ring-Spirit, he was going to very much ignore the silly thought of him putting a bag on his head. After all, the bag wouldn't fit. Not with the heron crest. He's...pretty sure those feathers were heron feathers.

...But it occurs to him he's never asked. Well. He's never really felt comfortable around the Ring-Spirit to be fair. Right now though, in a state of general catharsis, he's tolerant and honestly grateful.]

There's not any rush if you don't want but I think I'd be okay with seeing you. We probably ought to talk through some things regarding um.

That week?

[Slam dunk right into more awkward situations, Ryou.]

[ Yes lets move on right past that stupid stupid bag suggestion,,, lets pretend that just didn't happen,,

...Ryou's ok with seeing him sooner? ]

I do want if it's not a problem.

"that week"? gonna have to narrow that one down a lot more. *which* "that week"?

[ Been a few of those from the Ring-Spirit's perspective! ]

When works for you?

and uh.

The week where we were, you know.

cousins.

[Okay, alright. He's not totally better yet. There goes the proper writing again. To be fair to Ryou though, he's not really over the alternate universe stuff.]

[ Hm, they're still on that one then. The Ring-Spirit isn't sure what they need to talk about at this point, so... he should try to word things carefully until he has a better idea of what the problem is. ]

alright. that's more of an in-person conversation, yeah.

honestly, the sooner the better for me. sometime tonight would be best. you have a preference for where? I can't give you a more specific time without knowing where I'm headed.

Edited (html nooooo) 2021-04-06 05:22 (UTC)

Night is the only best time for me so that's fine.

Is the museum okay? I have been meaning to check it out. Is it...even open?

[He's a Shade and most things are closed at night. It's hard to know what to do around here sometimes.]

it's always open. thing runs itself, so it doesn't have staff or hours. there's a few humans set on being "volunteers" there, but fuck if I know what they actually *do*. seems like they just hang around at counters, insisting they're cashiers, or else acting like janitors whe
OH
they must be another larp. Ryslig larpers are so weird.

that's
probably not important.

wanna meet up in the place's food court? the food's not amazing but it's always there. I am no longer sure whether the "staff" who show up are responsible for that or if it's another "the museum does this, why are you here".

[ Er. Wait. The Ring-Spirit isn't sure if Ryou can still eat normal food. If he can't that was a terrible suggestion. Oops...? ]

[Lucky for the Ring-Spirit, Ryou can still eat normal food. And although it isn't entirely satisfying, it almost feels like it takes the edge off his true hunger. He could use it. It'd been a while since he'd fed anyway, it'll help.]

Why in the world would they even larp in a

you know what? Don't answer that.

The food court is fine, I'm sure there'll be something worth eating there. Even if it's not that good, it can't be all bad, and it'll give us time to sit and chat.

[A double edged sword, huh. Talking about things and maybe feelings. Eugh.]

[ Ryou can eat the food, whew! Close call. ]

I'll be waiting for you there. expecting you to show sometime before 10.

[ The Ring-Spirit decides against finishing with a threat to start setting Bavan on fire if Ryou's a no-show.

He wouldn't follow-through if his bluff is called. Not right now, he's still looking for people... And it's one thing to make threats that ya aren't sure how to follow-through on, but something else entirely if ya don't intend to even try. ]

[Expecting him to show just because you said it that way. That's bold.

...Ryou does arrive reasonably on time though, finding his way to the museum with little difficulty, then following directories and signs to the food court. The Ring-Spirit will likely catch him approaching rather slowly, as if he'd somehow acquired second thoughts about this. And uh. That's reasonable to think because Ryou had acquired second thoughts.

At the start he'd thought to try and address the Ring-Spirit's thoughts on what their life had been in the alternate universe, but the more he thought on it, the more Ryou realized he wasn't really over the whole thing, and having the spirit who had used him as a vessel forge a familial relationship with him? That was almost too much to bear.

But...he approaches anyway. Everyone has to face their demons.]

Um. Hi.

[You ever seen a tall shadow try to shrink into basically nothing? It's pretty ridiculous. He doesn't even get far, even with his shapeshifting abilities.]

[ If the Ring-Spirit had left the meeting time open-ended would Ryou have shown at all?

When Ryou gets near enough, the Ring-Spirit looks up, seeming somewhat disoriented. He's not sure when he last slept and he's been roaming Bavan hoping to recognize people - mostly the members of Ringu's gang. No luck on that particular front yet. ]

Hi...?

[ Responding cautiously, watching for reactions. Just. trying to get a read on Ryou's mood, or thoughts, or... without. yknow. looking worried. or uninterested. or upset, or too happy, or too... too... Is Ryou injured? What would that even look like on a shade.

It is not hard to pick up that Ryou doesn't quite want to be here. The Ring-Spirit isn't even sure why they're meeting up yet - yes, he just plain ol wanted to see Ryou again, but he hadn't been sure what to expect from Ryou's side of things, and now Ryou's changed his mind? Maybe?

The Ring-Spirit absently rakes his long talons through his feather/hair-ruff-something. The motion looks fidgety. If the disheveled state of his ruff is any indication, it's also a motion that's become habitual.

Should he say something more? Wait for Ryou to... address whatever this is about, or...?? ]

[Ryou sighs loudly, more at himself than anything. He was doing this as a show of goodwill towards the Ring-Spirit that even now he's shaky about extending...but they live in the same peninsula, he can't keep being apprehensive about it.

He finally closes the distance and responds.]

Hello.

[Nailed it. Ten out of ten.

Like the Ring-Spirit, Ryou has his own way of fidgeting, though it's mostly just stepping uncomfortably from one clawed foot to the other and trying to figure out to do with his hands. Like honestly. Calm down boy, stop clenching your fingers.]

You know, maybe this wasn't a good idea. It's...hard to see your face still.

[What a charmer he must be.]

But despite it, I feel like we needed to meet. Do you know why?

[ The Ring-Spirit is quick to offer: ] I can still be a swan instead.

[ He makes the offer, rather than simply transforming unasked, because he doesn't know what Ryou wants - maybe Ryou wants to stare at his stolen face, the Ring-Spirit has no idea. And after their earlier conversation? The Ring-Spirit intends to move cautiously - the metaphorical room is definitely trapped, but who knows what the trigger looks like.

He hesitates before replying, doing a quick pros/cons comparison between various types of responses. ]

I've got a few guesses, but I don't know, no.

It's not my face. You aren't me. You're someone else.

[There. He said it. It's...not the best catharsis. But it is catharsis.]

I know that sounds bad. But if you really think about it...it means you are your own individual self as well. You made yourself a life here. And um.

[Here, he sort of stalls out. he isn't sure what the safest route to this train of thought really is. But he feels the need to press on regardless.]

...Well, I mean. You sounded like you enjoyed the other place. But did you really feel like it was worth sacrificing your individuality?

[ The Ring-Spirit listens - there's a moment of "ah, he needed to say this to the stolen face, ok I can see where this is coming from" but... then Ryou. keeps going? Is he chickening out and trying to take the teeth of the statement back, because that's not.....

Wait. Does Ryou genuinely think there's a chance he didn't know he's not Ryou? Or?? ]

[ The confusion holds steady all the way through to the word "individuality", which startles a sharp bitter laugh from the Ring-Spirit. ]

H-haha-ha-ha -[ and because he knows how that's gotta look, he holds up a hand in a "wait, no" gesture as he gets it back under control. ]- individuality? Me? Do you know how many people I am, landlord? Because I don't!

That's why I said "Ringu's not here" - Ringu was just himself, he got to be ~an individual~

[ The Ring-Spirit taps on the Millennium Ring with one of his talons, making the tink-tink sound of metal on metal. ]

There's two or more in here - er, were. Before, ah... [ he motions vaguely ] ...with the bird thing. [ Eloquent. ] ...tch...

[ He crosses his arms awkwardly. Subject change, subject change - right, just the tiniest of rewinds and there's a subject change gift-wrapped for him. ]

...So is "you're not me" something you needed to say, or something you thought I needed to know? Did you find out about the pharaoh's weird "~I'm Yugi~" thing too, is that why we're... you're here?

[ ...The Ring-Spirit belatedly remembers the plan HAD been to proceed cautiously here, right. Fuck damnit.

He really hopes he didn't set anything off just now. ]

Edited 2021-04-11 07:23 (UTC)

I think it's something I needed to say, but maybe you needed to hear it too, I thought. Because if I'm confused, then I thought maybe you...

...Well. Never mind. I'm sorry to presume.

[He'll put a pin in it for now, but don't think for a second that he's forgotten the whole Ringu thing. He still wants to touch on that, because it seems to be a point of contention somehow. He wants to know if the Ring-Spirit preferred being Ringu, truly.

Buuuut, maybe Ryou's not too ready to discuss that himself. He's barely gotten over figuring out his individuality again. So he shifts to the secondary point.]

Um. I...didn't really need to find out about it. He introduced himself as Yugi and he's clearly younger than I am. We were in the same classes, you know, so I assumed he lacked his memories at this point.

[Said without a shred of hesitation. He's not trying to insinuate that the Ring-Spirit is ignorant of course. For once.

He just hit that high perception is all. Ha ha.]

[ The Ring-Sprirt isn't about to ask what precisely Ryou had assumed about him - he's not looking to restart Ryou's own confusion, after all. It's kind of... nice, though? Knowing Ryou had actually come with the intention to discuss something.

That last comment gets a Look all the same. ]

Mmhm, I know. I was there~

[ #justpossessionthings

The implication that, having been there, the Ring-Spirit should have likewise already known about the Yugi-confusion isn't lost on him, even if that's not what Ryou was trying to say at all. ]

Tch, I didn't need my memories to know I wasn't you. And I used y-[ er. Ok maybe he shouldn't get into details about how and when he did or didn't use Ryou's name and the reasoning behind those differing instances. ]

The point is there's no reason he shouldn't have known, so why would I think he didn't? It's weird.

[Ryou frowns, and this is...perhaps the most normal response he offers to the Ring-Spirit since they started talking today.]

Well I beg your pardon, I didn't realize that you listened in on every aspect of my life. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but here we are.

[Just for a moment, the status quo goes back to bickering and passive-aggression, but Ryou can hardly keep it up at the moment, so he just exhales deeply and tries not to roll his eyes. Someone's still touchy.]

...That was rude. I'm sorry.

[Is he? Oh well.]

That said, your experience can't be used to color his. I know you don't care for him, but he introduced himself as Yugi. He clearly had some uncertainty and I wasn't sure whether to press the matter, so...I didn't.

And...[He pauses. Coming on the heels of what had probably been really catty, this likely won't sound as sincere as it actually is. But Ryou's not going to lie about it just for the sake of preserving the previous tone he'd set.]...I came here because you wanted to meet up.

You said that.

[ The Ring-Spirit's ready to come back with "what else did you think there was for me to do" when Ryou reels it back. And as much as he'd like to push for the old dynamic, the Ring-Spirit's more concerned about not driving Ryou away again right now, so... reluctantly, he lets it go. Pity, bickering's fun.

Only. Ryou continues and. Um? Yes, he'd wanted to see Ryou, but couldn't find Ryou, so he had to ask. Why does this need reestablishing. ]

I... yeah, but... you came for some other reason, right. You're not here just because I asked...

[ His tone is delicately balanced between "we all know this, it's so obvious that just bothering to say it is absurd" and "potentially maybe asking if that's incorrect, actually," because haha, what, ]

[Ryou just kind of...raises an eyebrow. Sort of at the Ring-Spirit, but also internally to himself. He can see why it comes off as strange, certainly, but he had owed the spirit something for helping to shake Ryou out of his growing self-destructive spiral.

Ryou supposes that doesn't translate over well though.]

You're overthinking it. I came because you asked, and I owed it to you for helping me. I think the better question is why you are fretting over this so much. Just...let it be normal for once.

[Seriously he's still stressed out this is the perfect time to take advantage of this decidedly social move.]

[ ......

"why are you fretting"

"let it be ~~normal~~"

The Ring-Spirit is trying to fight saying anything, but... but....

His eye twitches. ]

Mmhm. Yes, why. Why indeed. Tch - so!

Landlord. What is "normal" supposed to mean?

[ It's taking so much effort to resist the urge to keep going, to launch into a rant neither of them want to deal with right now. ]

Edited (html nooooo) 2021-05-01 03:13 (UTC)

[...the Ring-Spirit might have wanted to bicker, but if that's the case, he's getting more than he wanted, because Ryou is still on that hair trigger, and he's not liable to fall to pieces here either.

No, he's starting to get angry.]

You know what? Alright, let's discuss what normal means!

[He moves in closer, and maybe he's unconsciously shapeshifting himself, but does he seem even taller now? Is he...is he looming??]

Stop calling me "landlord"! I'm not renting my head space out to you anymore, alright? Why do you insist on this? Why can't we just discuss things without it turning into an argument or some drawn out debate??

I came here because I wanted to repay the kindness you showed me by helping me talk about everything! Accept the fact that sometimes, I don't want every interaction we have to be negative! I already don't...

[Suddenly, he steps back, the few inches gained by his shadow powers shrinking away.]

You...were here first. So now you get to be the "landlord" don't you? [It's a little bit of a bastardization, he knows it's not the same.]

Ugh. I don't want to do this again, I don't. Let's just sit and have something to eat, please. Please? Say what you want to say, and let's drop this.

But if you take anything from it, then consider this my formal demand for you to start using my name. I'm not your landlord.

[ The Ring-Spirit maintains eye contact throughout Ryou's response - and when Ryou starts with the looming, the Ring-Spirit's wings raise subconsciously into a threat posture. When Ryou steps back, the Ring-Spirit's expression is hard. No matter how much of a point Ryou might have, how much of a right to sass, the Ring-Spirit still plain ol Dislikes Being Challenged. ]

IC Inbox | ryslig

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I am soooo sorry for late. D=

no worries! ^_^

this conversation is now categorized as a natural disaster

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[cw: suicidal ideation]

cw; panic attack

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, WhiteWizard. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 007.80.751.19 * WhiteWizard has joined 007.80.751.19 <WhiteWizard> Hello, this is Ryou Bakura! <WhiteWizard> Feel free to reach out to me if you need anything. :) <WhiteWizard>** I will get back to you as soon as possible.