Ryou Bakura (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
softspokenlandlord) wrote2020-11-18 01:10 am
softspokenlandlord) wrote2020-11-18 01:10 am
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ryslig
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. | ||||
no subject
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?
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[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?
1/3
Wait. Does Ryou genuinely think there's a chance he didn't know he's not Ryou? Or?? ]
2/3
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. ]
3/3
[ 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. ]
I am soooo sorry for late. D=
...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.]
no worries! ^_^
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.
this conversation is now categorized as a natural disaster
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.
no subject
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, ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
"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. ]
no subject
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.
1/3
2/3
You want me to - la-Ryou -[ he catches and corrects the form of address readily enough - but his tone only gets snider. ]
H-hahaha... I see, I see! Of course you want the parasite to use your name, like you're friends - why try to acknowledge anything being amiss when it's so much more polite to just pretend anything about us is fucking "normal"!
3/3
Why the fuck wouldn't I rather be Ringu?
[ The Ring-Spirit huffs, and tries to pull himself back together. He figures he's already scared off Ryou, though; fuck damnit. What happened to him being careful here? And so much for not ranting. ]
no subject
Dead silence and a wide-eyed glare. The shadows comprising Ryou are darkening, rippling. The other hasn't been around him near long enough at this point to read the signs of something that Ryou had been trying to hide since his transformation and the subsequent abuses he's endured living in Ryslig.
The little bit of his rage that had split from the seams on the network, directed towards Javert? That was a taste of it, but nothing else.
Four tendrils of shadow extended from his back, writhing like snakes behind him. But Ryou himself didn't move. The darkness was only offset by his eyes, which were no longer their normal shape, but gaping white orbs set into the hazed outlines of his face.
Then, his lips parted and all of his sharp pointed teeth were revealed. They stood out starkly against the shadows, and his mouth looked almost a little too wide. He...laughed? An empty, mirthless sound.]
You know.
[One of the tendrils inched forward, just one, and it neared to the point that it was almost touching the Ring-Spirit's shoulder. Just. Barely.]
I didn't call you a parasite. I didn't say I wanted to be friends. I simply asked for you to respect me enough to use my name.
[He drew in closer. If he was looming before, then this was towering, and he didn't care if the Ring-Spirit's wings flared. He wasn't frightened. He was just so, so upset and angry because all he wanted was to repay a favor and here it was, he couldn't even do that! Because why would he ever be able to repay a kindness, even begrudging, without the voice in his head reminding him that it's all a ruse to him?]
I did care. I cared about knowing why you wanted to be Ringu. I cared about trying to understand you, because this was hard. So HARD...yet if I showed understanding, we could begin to make a positive connection.
But now I think I want to show you something else.
[Now the tendril did make contact, along with a second. Both began to slither around the Ring-Spirit's arms, gripping oppressively.
Said spirit's next words and actions should be measured carefully. Shades had more than shadow tendrils at their disposal. Try him.]
no subject
His second thought is that - like this? They might actually be able to both understand each other for once. So he doesn't even try to move away. His wings don't flare again. He maintains eye contact for this confrontation too - depending on how Ryou's looming, the way the Ring-Spirit has to crane his neck to to do might reveal said neck is... at least a little too long.
He doesn't resist the tendrils' grip. They do a decent job of helping him cool his head again, which is nice. The pressure decidedly less so, but hey, he's sure that's the point. ]
I do know you didn't call me a parasite - do you know I was trying to tell you that I'd assumed a title was more respectful?
You don't want me to "overthink"? Every time I don't "overthink" it all goes straight to hell.
So if you've got something else to try, go for it. Nothing else is working, and we're both sick of it.
[ Yeah he's sure whatever this "something" is, it's going to be horrible. But if it also solves any part of the problem, then good enough. ]
no subject
[The tendrils tighten, perhaps painfully. Whatever the Ring-Spirit thinks he's doing here, it's not helping. Ryou simply presses in closer. He dares the other to move, extend his neck. Oh, he can see it. Go ahead, try to get away. He really should.]
What you meant and what is are two wholly different things. But you never got it, did you. You're so wholly traumatized by me shattering my soul, oh. Poor YOU.
[The word is spat, angrily. Vindictively.]
Poor little you, right? Because you can talk yourself in circles, you terrible creature, and try to find reasons to OVERTHINK because that's the only way you know how to deal with things. But that's your problem. You want to make everything complicated, except for the things you choose to try and make palatable. Everything you say to try and sort your feelings towards me is a pile of worthless excuses.
Do us a favor. No more excuses, please?
[A third tendril creeps forward. This one starts to wrap around the base of the Ring-Spirit's ruff. His neck. Ryou's lost in it, pressing his advantage because maybe this is a little more of the monster he is. The monster Javert knew he always was.]
Or I will show you your soul and you can appraise it from outside your body.
[cw: suicidal ideation]
Ryou is strong. Those tendrils have quite the grip on him - they could break something, anything, everything: oh-so-easily. The Ring-Spirit's pain tolerance is unhealthily high, but he's well aware of what a terrible position he's in.
The Ring-Spirit can't help but feel some bitter satisfaction in Ryou's response. Finally getting the picture, l a n d l o r d ~? ]
You're the one looking~ for excuses~ for me~
[ Because that's what the problem is, isn't it. His dear host refuses to accept that he wasted so much of his life on a pa~ra~site~. ]
I know what I am, it's about time you gave up. H-haha, maybe we'll all get lucky and I'll stay gone for fucking once!
[ Laughing's kinda difficult at the moment, so the Ring-Spirit simply leers up at the shade. Do it, do it, you know you want to~!
Maybe he won't come back. Won't get the chance to go home and wreck everyone there. Won't have to think about who he'd be condemning, and to what fate. Ryou's on that hit list too, by technicality if nothing else. But maybe none of that needs to matter, wouldn't that be just swell?
Nothing's salvageable, so fuck it. ]
cw; panic attack
Ryou grits his teeth so hard they grind, and for one moment, he considers making good on his threat. One hand reaches forward, resting on the Ring-Spirit's chest, the fingers phasing into an intangible state. There's more than a prickle of discomfort as he lets his fingers sink in. He's sure it hurts, though how much it hurts he can't quite say.
But those words. All of them give him pause before he can even take hold of the spirit's soul and do...what? What's he going to do with it? Devour it? N...no?
Through the fog of his own anger, Ryou realizes what exactly he's doing. His hand pulls back and he backs away a few steps. The tendrils don't release the Ring-Spirit, but Ryou needs distance.
The Ring-Spirit's words play in an unending feedback in his head, and Ryou finds himself struggling to breathe, the darkened shadows peeling back and his natural shapes returning to what they were. He...he didn't mean for this, he just wanted to be nice. Why had it gone this far?
His heart's pounding in his ears, and the Ring-Spirit can probably tell what's happening. He'll judge Ryou for it, because Ryou can never commit, can he? Be nice, be catty, but never vengeful like this. What...what's happened to him?
His breathing gets more unsteady, to the point he's pretty much hyperventilating. He should never have left home, he shouldn't have taken things so far that the Ring-Spirit got his kicks, his fucking leverage, whatever he wanted!]
H..hhh, no. I'm not...I'm not like you. And I'm not going to serve your wants here.
[All of a sudden, the tendrils rip away and the Ring-Spirit will feel a surge of pressure against him, shoving him back into one of the tables as Ryou's telekinesis kicks in. But the Shade doesn't stick around to see what happens. He doesn't care.
He just stumbles over his own feet to get out of there, leaving his bad decisions trailing behind him.]
no subject
He was supposed to be fucking careful with Ryou right now, why couldn't he do that? ]
La - Ry - [ Whether Ryou hears the Ring-Spirit start or not, Ryou's words shut him up. That's what's wrong? If he's fine with it, it's not fun anymore?
He feels a surge of anger, because yeah ok, he can see that, but also he was worried and - and... and it's very hard for him to feel indignant over something that's giving Ryou a panic attack...
Before he can figure out his own reaction, the Ring-Spirit finds himself chucked at a table. He lands with one wing pinned awkwardly under him.
He doesn't get up again for a long while. Why bother, honestly. ]