isawallflower | RYSLIG; ic inbox

Uh. Yeah. All the things that happened in that world still...happened here.

[ It should be telling that Riley's eyes drop to the cat in her lap, when she answers. ]

It was— [ ... ] It wasn't a great time. Anyway, that's when he first went all...rabbit-y.

....

I see...

[He can't even imagine what that must have been like. He had an acquaintance or two, work friends of friends, who'd been there and made it out, and they...from what little they'd said, it sounded horrible. Especially horrible to Adam, who wasn't used to things like high-stakes body-horror games of Mafia. The other Yugi's never done that, but...while he could see it happening, something about the test having to be burning gets through the game-framing coping mechanism, and makes him sit with the experience being a very, very bad one.]

And he only changed back once it was all...over?

[ She nods. ]

After we were all safe again. Someone...flew us back to Bavan, so we could rest. It took...awhile? I don't completely remember, I had...some other things to take care of. Definitely less than an hour.

[He doesn't pry! That business could be "dealing with an injury," or it could be "avenging something that happened by inflicting injury." None of his business to stick his nubby little nose into. So, he brings the subject back around.]

So, if his works the same way mine does -- which is possible -- then it might be a sort of monster panic reflex. If I feel like I'm in trouble and need to get away, then my body turns into what it thinks is the best form to do that in. Like an adrenaline rush increasing the oxygen to your muscles!

If that's the case, then I'm not going to turn back until I'm not worried anymore. I've got to make my instincts believe I'm safe.

[Easier said than done. He's a predator animal, but there is a bigger, sharper predator animal down there. And after all his work with cats...]

[ She can't hide a grateful little sigh. There's many things Riley doesn't like to think about that've happened here, and those horrible 40 hours or so are at the very top of the list. The only thing to dethrone them is— ]

That makes sense! [ Ignore it. She decides to ignore it. ] I...don't really know what bats do to feel safe, though...

[ She frowns at her cat happily purring in her lap. ]

A natural predator probably isn't helping.

[He's very sorry, Steve. After everything you taught him, he's still not getting along with Riley's cat. He's let you down.]

...normally, I'm not bad with cats...

[He thought he'd be human when he met Maple. He tried! RIP.]

I don't really know, either. Should I go find a cave...?

[He's from before when videos of bats in blankets went viral.]

[ Riley looks between Maple and the poor bat on her ceiling, and then she abruptly stands, lifting her cat to her shoulder. ]

No, there're probably owls and stuff out there and...you don't really seem to have a lot of the bat-like instincts to keep yourself safe from them?

[ Blunt...! But she carries on with a positive chatter, as she holds up one finger, wait, and goes digging through a closet by the front door with one hand. Maple's relaxed enough not to realize what she's digging for is a cloth kennel, until he's deposited in it and starts crying. ]

But first step is to keep this little guy from getting any ideas. Ohhh, stop that, it's just for a little while.

!!

[Direct hit to the pride, Riley. Ow. -3000 life points. If he weren't already stuck this way, he'd become a shame-bat. Eaten by an owl, indeed.

Scuse him he's gonna cling to this wall and feel every inch a small, humbled, flying mouse. What a mess he's in.]

[ The tragedy of all of this is she really doesn't realize she said anything off-base... Riley fusses with her cat for a few moments before placing his carrier on the couch. ]

If he keeps whining, I'll give 'im a treat to help cool him off...but that should probably help something! Now, hm... Maybe getting you something to eat...? What do bats like...?

[Oh no did she really just -- ask me the most basic question: what do we eat? What do you think bats like, Riley!

He's dying up here. If he weren't already dead, he'd be dying. The other Yugi collects himself and tries, with only relative success, to not sound like he wants to sink into the ceiling.]

Different kinds of bats eat a number of things. Some eat fruit. Some catch bugs. But, uh...vampire bats...they, you know. You know what they eat.

[Awkward!!! He could talk about how vampire bats don't technically suck blood but that nerd fact doesn't apply here because the other Yugi definitely does! He can't fix this situation with trivia!]

[ Really she doesn't understand why he's so uncomfortable. Riley tilts her head with a little frown before her eyes widen, with a start. ]

Oh! Oh, no, I didn't mean— I meant normal bats, like—like, we're all supposed to...you know, but I figured, if you're like...just a normal little bat, like— are you a...vampire bat...?

[ Legit was just thinking of like nuts and berries and shit, oops. ]

....I don't know. I thought, since I'm a vampire, and a bat...but the truth is, I've never had to tell the difference between bats before!

And, even if I knew how to identify a vampire bat, it wouldn't do me much good. I don't have a reflection anymore, so...I actually have no idea what I look like.

[He could have KICK ME on the back of his fur and he'd be the last to know.

He supposes the thing to do might be to get a book on bats...but all the libraries must be closed by now, and even if they weren't, his species might not be native to Ryslig...

Am I a normal little bat...? On the one hand, his pride as a terrifying dark avenger of high school bullying wrongs is wounded. On the other, he actually doesn't want to scare her, or be too weird. So. He's. Here's hoping for normal little bat.]

[ Ah, oh no. It sounds like he's panicking, to Riley's ears, as someone who is always panicking. ]

Okay! Let's not stress! Don't...worry about the food for now, just...listen to what your body's telling you. I've got all kinds of...bird instincts, and I've never actually become a bird. Like...what's telling you feels safe? Maybe- do bats nest?

[He's quiet. Thinks about that. He doesn't know that they nest, but he's endeared to Riley suggesting it. He thinks they...roost? In dark places?

And...what's his bat brain telling him is safe? What would be good, what would make him calm down...

...

...

...he breaks into a laugh. A wry one, and a tired one.]

Sorry, but it's the second time this week that someone's suggested calming down, and I haven't had the first idea of how! I know how Adam calms down, and -- I know how a different me calms down -- but I...

[Honestly, the last time he felt really safe was when Iso-- Lust, she goes by Lust, had wrapped him up in a four-armed hug. He'd never been quite that calm before.

And didn't bats sleep with their wings wrapped around themselves? Maybe there was something to this hugging thing.]

...you might be on to something with the nesting idea. Bats sleep in caves, with their wings around them!

[ Riley's almost taut, forced pep fades to something softer, more genuine. ]

Hey, it's okay. This is all...kinda something no one could prepare for, you know? We just have to do our best.

[ Okay, not no one but no one like...relatively normal? He seems relatively normal, right? ]

And, like...to be honest, I have, uh...a bit of a hard time relaxing too, sometimes. [ Riley admits this reluctantly, dropping her gaze back to her pouting kitten. ]

[Heh. His tone's quieter, and you can hear a little bit of a grin in it. Curiously:]

...does having a cat help?

[He knows petting cats is nice. It's nice when they purr! It's really reassuring to have a little meter that tells you "yes, you're interacting correctly with me!" Petting cats is rewarding.]

[ She hums softly, reaching a finger to Maple, who tries to grab it through the mesh of his carrier with a whine. ]

...Yeah. Sometimes. Makes everything a little less... [ Lonely.

But, she trails off, not willing to say that much, and instead turns her smile back to her guest. ]

So! I'm thinking we get a few spare blankets, turn down the lights, and maybe, maybe, your little bat body will think it's in a cave.

[...that looks nice. It's probably nice, having an animal around to love you. The other Yugi's not sure he wants one himself, he's not certain he'd be able to take care of it right, but he recognizes why someone might choose to keep one.]

I think that's worth a try!

[He sounds optimistic about it. And not quite as wound up as a moment ago -- not feeling alone has always made him feel better, and he's not alone in having difficulty calming down and stepping back. Even though, objectively, it's not great they both have trouble with this, it's...nice that someone understands it.]

[ There. Weird mood completely evaporated, good job, Riley! She gives herself a little mental pat on the back and stands. ]

Okay, wait just a minute and...hm, maybe we can set it up on one of the counters? [ Riley's got one of those apartments where the living room and the kitchen kind of blend into each other ~~because you write what you know~~ so she frowns at the counter that could vaguely be considered their separation, before deciding against it. ] Look around for anywhere that might feel "comfortable" and we can go from there, okay?

[ True to her word, she'll be only a few minutes as she scrounges some extra blankets that came...quite in handy in the colder months. ]

[She leaves the room, and he finally stops clinging to the wall. He flaps around a little, landing on the arm of the couch, looking around -- ah, the table looks likely. Table dark. Blankets could go over it.

When she comes back, when he spots her feet from where he is, hanging by his feet under the table, she'll hear a voice:]

I'm under here!

[ Not seeing where he's gone fills Riley with a very brief, very small rush of panic. What if in the time she's been gone, Maple got out, ate him, and then put himself back in his carrier and zipped it back— okay, no, that's ridiculous even for her. Still!

She looks around for a moment, talons tapping, before he calls out to her. She kneels down and tilts her head a little too far to the right in trying to see him. Bird flexibility, who knew? ]

Oh! There you are— under the table feels safe?

[Look at her head go! That's probably useful when it comes to high shelves.]

As safe as anywhere. It could be pretty cavelike with some blankets over it!

[blanket fort, riley]

[ Bird neck, extend. ]

Huh... Yeah, I can see it. In that case...

[ Prepare for darkness, because Riley straightens and starts draping blankets over the sides of the table. ]

[Hahahaha he is the darkness!

And a bat man, come to think of it.

Anyway, the blankets go over the table, and the other Yugi tries to make peace with his bat-self. It's okay. He can see everything that's going on. No cats. No guns? The under-the-table space isn't completely dark or completely close, which is good. He's got some bad memories from one life about not being able to move around and some bad memories from another about being shut in total lightlessness.

He waits.]

[ With nothing much to do, Riley also waits. She sits back, focusing on keeping Maple from fussing in his carrier. Little boy's getting more treats than he probably should right now, but it's keeping him quiet.

She doesn't say anything, just leaning against her couch, almost reveling in the peaceful moment. She wonders if this is something harpies do too, if maybe one day she'll get too freaked out and just turn into a bird. What kind would she be? Small? Large? Common garden bird or predator? Maybe she should look into that... ]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CHEERYCHERRY. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 019.46.820.17 * CHEERYCHERRY has joined 019.46.820.17 <CHEERYCHERRY> It's Riley! <CHEERYCHERRY> Please leave a message! <CHEERYCHERRY>** Please be someone with their priorities sorted out properly!

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had to look up the actual twilight quote

we do the best research for our art

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