IC Inbox (ryslig)

[improvking]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, GODKING. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 013.00.020.01 *** GODKING has joined 013.00.020.01 <GODKING> for questions about Choose the Fog, contact < Fritvælge > <GODKING> for complaints about Choose the Fog, contact < TRUTH1223 > <GODKING> otherwise have at it.

- GODKING : main handle
- Necrophades : "serious" handle
- understanding : anon/alias (polite persona)
- Fritvælge : for sub-cult business

Comments

if I hadn't wanted the demon eyes more he'd have gotten these ages ago,

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit preens. Yes, they are cool, and definitely worth the aggravation of relearning how to talk, thank you for noticing.

He lets Ryou take a good long look, but he does need to use his tongue if he's going to talk at all, so eventually the "show" part ends for the "tell" follow-up. ]

I' mabes dalging harder, bud I'r ged uth'oo ib.

[softspokenlandlord]

I had troubles like that too. With these.

[Ryou's lip curls upward, revealing his pointed teeth. Months. It had taken around a month to talk around them without sounding off, but he had the time to learn when he was keeping to himself and sticking to the streets.

It seems like such a long time ago, though...since he'd had the trouble..]

Also my fog form. I could speak in it, but it took practice to talk around the different shapes. I wish I had advice...but overenunciating helped with the teeth, I suppose.

[This is actually helping him loosen up. Whenever it's not his problems, things are easier when he's trying to fix them.]

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit nods thoughtfully, taking in the advice. ]

Nagth 'enth. I'b gonna dalg bore - nore - care-hu-ny.

[ Ugh, even when he tries to enunciate real slow, the sounds come out wrong. He gives an impatient huff. Well, whatever. Beats having a four stuck on him. He sighs, resigned to it, brushing his feather-hair back with one hand and looks at Ryou for a moment. He did notice Ryou relax when they stopped focusing on him, so maybe... maybe, the Ring-Spirit thinks, he shouldn't redirect the conversation. ]

'hragith, dath wha' I neen.

[ ...This would be easier if...

The Ring-Spirit snaps his fingers abruptly, having an idea. ]

Con ober do by b'nafe? I can uth a pag dere an' buth ri' thid 'own. Eathear for bofa uth.

[ As he "speaks", he first gestures back towards the way he came and then mimes writing, hoping to clarify the mess that are the sounds coming from his mouth. ]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Admittedly, Ryou's gotten some practice in with this kind of thing, seeing as he'd broken the Ring-Spirit's nose once before and had to figure out what the hell he was saying then...but it is a little harder like this, he finds.

There's a difference between talking past a jacked-up nose, and having the main part of your speaking-bits be nearly unusable. So, when the Ring-Spirit offers(? Ryou is pretty sure he is anyway) Ryou an invitation to his Dyster-home, Ryou simply nods and offers him to lead the way.]

Sure? I...probably shouldn't be walking around so much right now anyway, just in case.

[In case he wears himself out--he'd just revived recently--or in case he finds someone ready to lay him out for being responsible for the mid-month event.

Either or.]

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit gives a thumbs-up and turns to lead the way, motioning for Ryou to follow.

Perhaps(?) unsurprisingly, the structure the Ring-Spirit leads him to looks like a miniature ancient Egyptian temple - albeit one that's half sunk into the ground. The entryway is imposing, as tall as a two-story house... once past the threshold, the building turns into a long walled-in courtyard lined by thick columns. The courtyard is a good twenty feet long, on a descending incline so steep that the middle walkway is simply stairs; at the foot of which lies a large arch opening into an underground chamber. That chamber proves to be fairly dark, being dimly lit only by a pair of torches, one on either side of a small door opposite the open arch. This room serves no clear purpose, being sizable enough but containing nothing besides a double-row of columns and the aforementioned torches. Through the small door...

...is a windowless but nonetheless well lit modern Japanese-style apartment. There's even a place to remove and stash your shoes by the door.

The Ring-Spirit, barefoot as he always these days, simply ignores that, walking right past it; but it's there.

He disappears into what appears to be a small bedroom off to one side, and returns with the notepad he mentioned, quickly scribbling out:

I'd offer snack but haven't stocked up yet

There is a small kitchen along the back wall, but if his note is to be believed, the fridge and cabinets are currently empty.

The Ring-Spirit settles by the kotatsu in the middle of the living area, placing the pad down on the table, and waits for Ryou to join him.

The apartment section of this place isn't fully on display as Ryou enters, there being a few closed doors; but it sure looks like it's not even as big as Ryou's own apartment had been. ]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou follows, glancing at the general scenery. The Ring-Spirit's place isn't quite on the same level as Atem's palace, but it has a similar stylistic vibe. Much less extravagant, but still with the architectural likenesses. He finds himself looking around, getting a feel for the place...but ultimately worrying more about getting from point a to point b.

When the temple chamber gives away to a more modern Japanese-style living arrangement though...Ryou can't help but blink in confusion. He's overcome with a strange feeling--homesickness? Even now?--as he stands at the entryway for a few seconds longer.

He's somewhat lost in the old familiarity of a place like this, to the point that the Ring-Spirit communicating with the notepad doesn't initially hit home.

After a few long, possibly worrying moments, the shade shakes his head to clear it, then answers back:]

N-no, it's...it's alright, I'm not that hungry.

[Probably odd for Ryou, but...well, the situation is what it is. He walks tiredly to the table, moving as if he's on autopilot and making himself comfortable afterward. If it's a heated kotatsu then...by god, Ryou really will feel all the more homesick.]

[improvking]

[ It's wintertime in not!Scanadanavia, of course the kotatsu is heated, why else bother with one - the Ring-Spirit notes Ryou's dispiritedness with a quiet frown though. He ponders the matter, then hesitates, before finally writing something else on the pad.

He slides the pad forward, looking away uncomfortably.

sorry I wasn't there ]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou decides not to be a prim and proper gentleman, and shoves his clawed feet under the kotatsu to take up as much heat as possible. He wants it. He wants to be warm and comforted, even if he's struggling to believe he deserves as much. It comes and goes, despite the fact that he knows very well that what he's done shall pass sooner than later...just like everything else that happens in Ryslig...right? Even Javert had been accepted after what he'd done.

When the Ring-Spirit slides the pad over, and Ryou sees what he wrote...his heart feels as if it skips uncomfortably.]

I wouldn't have wanted you there. Everyone I ran into, I fought them. Even other Fog followers. Humans. Everyone.

...I didn't want to fight you, Spirit.

1/3

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit responds instinctively. ]

I 'ouldem 'a pawed ba -

2/3

[improvking]

[ - Then the Ring-Spirit pauses, actually thinking about what the two of them are saying to each other; and, reluctantly, with some chagrin, he thinks he sees the problem. He quickly notes

fair enough

on the edge of the page with a wry expression, then turns the writing around to face Ryou. ]

3/3

[improvking]

[ He keeps writing after that, however, first crossing out the apology and then continuing with

but know I wouldn't mind. if you ever fight me, no matter the reason, don't feel obligated to regret it. if you do, I get it, but if you don't that's ok. it's always ok.

When he spins the pad around again for Ryou to read, he reaches over for one of Ryou's oversized hands to give it a squeeze. He smiles somewhat helplessly at him; honestly, after everything, he deserves to have Ryou kick his ass, and he'll never quite know what to do with the fact that just doing so would make Ryou feel worse. ]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou can't help but smile wryly himself, upon reading all of that. But even as he does...his fingers twitch in a modicum of movement under the Ring-Spirit's hold. Acknowledgement, perhaps. He doesn't mind the contact at all.]

You know me well enough, Spirit. You know...I regret a great many things.

[He breathes out a slow, achingly heavy breath.]

I told Atem I wouldn't regret this. For the most part I don't, but...it's hard not to feel as if all I've done is cause pain to people who don't really deserve it. I know that things could have been worse, and that some enjoyed their time as a shade. It's not all bad.

I just can't stop fully being who I am and pretending that it didn't affect me, I suppose. Or...pretend that I enjoyed hurting my friends.

[Or, though he doesn't say it aloud, pretend that death didn't hurt every time it happened.]