isawallflower | RYSLIG; ic inbox

[ The cat, Maple, lets out another squeal, pawing toward the window with his spindly legs, as Riley stares in surprise, before she recognizes the voice, and— ]

Adam?! Wait- no, I'm sorry, it's- it's Yugi, sorry, I'm still getting used to—

[ She's familiar enough with this, some people just...turn into animal forms. She'd seen it with Angela, with Steve, it makes sense that a vampire could turn into a bat.

Keeping Maple in one arm, she unlatches and opens her window. ]

What... Come in, come on.

[ Before her dumb cat decides to launch himself out the window. ]

Thanks!

[He launches himself out into the air, then once he's achieved flight, he flaps his way into her house. He'll settle on something high and hard for the cat to get to -- moulding, a light fixture, a wall-mounted shelf -- with his feet high and his head down and his wing-claws clinging to the surface for stability. He sounds rueful and a bit apologetic when he goes on:]

Can't go in anyone's house without an invitation.

[ Riley winces a little, hoping he doesn't look around much; her apartment is definitely less clean than you'd probably think, especially with memories of the other life to compare it to. But, she's taken care of most of the stray feathers and pieces of her own claws, some offending bits just shoved into corners.

Regardless. Window's closed, Maple's secured, and Riley narrows her gaze in thought. ]

You can't? I...didn't realize that came with the...rest of it. [ Jeez, he's so tiny... Are all vampires this tiny in bat form? ] What happened, did you just- turn out of nowhere?

Mm!

[--he says, in confirmation of the first part. Then, he hesitates.]

More or less.

[There's more to this, he's just -- is he embarrassed? Can a bat be trying not to look embarrassed?]

[ If possible, this may be weirder than talking with Angela while riding on her back. Riley takes a seat on her couch, head kind of craned back. He's...small, and he naturally blends in to the plain walls. ]

I guess... This is the first time, right? No clue how to turn back, or...when you might?

[A little bat-nod.]

Turning to mist and back wasn't hard. I could do that in my sleep! But I'm not sure what about...this...is different.

I was hoping you'd have some ideas. Right now, all I've got is, "spend the rest of my days in Ryslig like this," or "let the sun get me and hope I come back with arms and legs!"

[He's not serious about it, he's not about to eat up one of his deaths in the hopes that he'll resurrect reset, but he remembers too late that Ryou hadn't liked it when he'd talked like that.]

Sorry. I didn't mean to be so casual about that. Death doesn't really freak me out, so...I can talk about it too easily sometimes.

[apologetic bat. he's comfortable around Riley, so some of the weirdness that buzzes around his brain, the part of him that'll risk his life without a second thought in a game over a pair of shoes his best friend really wants, slipped out.]

[ A shade of something sharp and uncertain crosses her face, but she glances away and it's done back up, with a little dismissive smile. ]

It's...okay, I know some people here are different about it. [ ...But, still, she can't help but— ] Just...don't say something like that again, alright?

[ Her grip on Maple the cat loosens a bit, and the little guy, instead of jumping for the little bat, curls in a circle and starts kneading at Riley's lap. ]

It, um, I think wears off eventually, but...I'm not really sure. Steve could just...pop back to normal.

[Asking him not to think about death, especially his own, like a game move is too much; if he thought about every single death with the full weight of someone he loves dying permanently, he wouldn't be able to move under the weight. But you can ask him to be polite about it. He's learning, slowly, how to be around the people he wants to be around, instead of appearing, doing a vengeance, and vanishing again. And part of that is not talking about things people are sensitive about in callous game terms.]

Then there has to be a way to pop back! Did Steve ever tell you what it was like? What he did, what he felt? What he tapped into?

[Ah yes, tapping into cosmic forces to turn into a rabbit.

The other Yugi wonders if this is some kind of glitch or blip. Maybe he got the wrong power at the wrong time, or only half...]

Uhhhhhh— [ Riley winces something fierce at this question, shrugging a little. ] He, um...probably tapped into no longer feeling unbearable fear?

[ Her shoulders slump a little, and she looks away. ]

It— how long've you...been here? Not— it was after January, right?

[Unbearable fear?

....

Is that it? He was startled, when this happened....could getting out of it be as simple as feeling comfortable again? Is this an escape reflex, meant to get you out until you feel safe enough to retake human shape?]

That's right. I came in at Rota, in February.

[ Awesome. Cool. Well— ]

Has...anyone told you about the Iskall Ski Resort?

...sort of. Adam heard about it.

[Adam heard rumors and secondhand reports; he knows that there was a parasitic mind-controlling being at a ski lodge party a bunch of monsters had been invited to, that it could take over and pretend to be someone you knew and spread that way, and the only way to tell for sure if someone was possessed was to burn them.

He recalls something -- in order to get into the date auction he'd skipped, there was a burn test, wasn't there? He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but if they were checking for lingering parasites in February, then that must mean...!]

--it happened here, too?! To you guys?

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?

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!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw suicidal ideation but not serious

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

had to look up the actual twilight quote

we do the best research for our art

no subject

no subject