Trish Una (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
figlia_morbida) wrote2022-08-08 05:05 pm
figlia_morbida) wrote2022-08-08 05:05 pm
Ryslig | IC inbox
Main Username: < Zigazigah >
Public Appearance UN: < Western_Horizon >
Anon: < sharpdistance > , < kidcharlemagne > (not actually anon now because of Hinata)
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[Yes, even as a bear. She has a Look going on, she's clearly a bear who cares about making an impression.
But he'll answer her question; Atem steps forward into the courtyard, spreading his hands, palms out, down by his sides.]
This was our base of operations in Upper Egypt. Lower Egypt was to the north, where the Nile meets the sea, and we spent a lot of time there, too...the whole court went wherever we needed to go. Whether it was mining in the south or enemies in the north, wherever our attention was needed most...that's where we'd travel to. But I only remember up to the age you saw me at...
[He turns around to look back at her, the gold and lapis-lazuli at his ears swaying gently back and forth with the movement.]
I've been told things got more difficult, after that.
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Still, it's nice to hear, and she murmurs:]
You're sweet, Atem.
[Trish listens as she moves to flank him, inspecting the courtyard with rapt attention. It's opulent and masterfully crafted, this place...and then she glances his way, meeting his eyes when he turns.
He...only remembers when he was a little boy? Oh, he was such a polite boy too. It's easy to see how he grew into the young man he is now, someone fascinated by the world around him and eager to sift through everything it has to offer.
But then he's saying something so solemn, and she watches him carefully.]
Oh...I didn't mean to bring up an unpleasant topic.
[Her question was innocuous on its face, but Atem is someone she really...doesn't know anything about. She likes him and trusts him, but it's an evergreen problem with her and the people around her, isn't it?
And maybe she's a little more wary of treading on uncertain ground, after everything.]
We can talk about something else, if you want.
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[He lightens up, gives a shrug! Atem crosses to the pool, kicking off the stylish shoes on his feet, and sits down at the edge, letting his feet dangle in the water. A few ducks swim away, giving him a wider berth, retreating to the blue-white-yellow water-lilies that are floating on the surface.]
Actually, I wanted to ask....
....is "cervo" a word in Italian? I'm afraid I don't speak it, but it seems to mean something, to someone I know...
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[She says simply. Not unkindly, but more in the sense of a friend brushing aside anything that would threaten a pleasant time.
Trish follows Atem to the pool, then, watching him get comfortable. It's a little more effort on her part, but she takes off her own stylish boots before joining him at the water, dipping her feet in. She hasn't felt water on her bare skin in so long...and this is a facsimile, she knows, but it feels real enough she savors the sensation.
The ducks are a cute touch too, and she's of a middling opinion on them, usually, but right now? It's a nice addition to this perfectly idyllic picture.
At Atem's question, she tilts her head. First Sardinia, now "cervo"?]
You mean Doppio again, don't you? Unless you've managed to get close to his boss. I know you were looking into the two of them.
[Way back during the investigation of Steve's murder. She still has the deadman's switch he gave her, kept close to her laptop at all times.]
"Cervo" means deer in Italian. In Sardinia, there's a resort called Porto Cervo. I suppose it's possible Doppio has been there, since he worked for the mafia. It's a place attended only by the obscenely rich. I can't imagine his boss ever going there, anyway.
[Although she has no clue what Doppio would do in such a place. Be an embarrassment, maybe.]
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[He sees. He sees....he thinks he gets it.
Cervo is a creation unique to Ryslig. A little like Adam, and Ankhsunatem. He's quiet a moment -- until Trish goes on, pulling him out of his rapidfire conclusions.]
Yes, it's about Doppio. I've been looking into him, and his boss -- but you should know that it's got nothing to do with Giorno!
I've known Doppio for about a year, now...he was one of the first people I met, here. And, thanks to one of the things that happened, it feels like I've known him for a lot longer...
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Although she does look to him at the mention of Giorno, since she and Giorno aren't speaking to one another at the moment.
And...she remembers Atem's interest in Doppio back during her early months here as those of a concerned neighbor, but it sounds like there's more to it. When she thinks on it...]
Yes, I remember. You were curious about him. Trying to understand him, right? I know Giorno's not interested in that, so it's certainly not on his behalf.
But you do bring up something I've wanted to ask after.
[She leans back, resting her weight on her palms.]
When you say you've known him longer, is it because of the "dream" you all shared some time ago?
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[Quietly, thoughtfully, taking his time:]
Did I tell you about the other world? The one Daniel's sacrifice took us to, instead of Felfri.
[Putting it delicately, like he usually does. As though the sacrifice hadn't been partly him.]
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Atem was tortured. That came first.
Then it was: Atem was tortured by Daniel. And now it's: Atem was tortured by Daniel, out of what were ultimately deeply misguided sentiments on Daniel's part, fueled by desperation that abetted an unimaginable amount of cruelty. But she remembers the base fact most vividly. It was one of the first things she learned about Atem, which is a hell of a way to be introduced to someone.
The fact Atem was candid about it was half of why she found him so incredible.]
...You hadn't, no.
I'll admit I'm unclear on the difference between Felfri and the other world. So to clarify: Felfri was the dream world, and Daniel's was something else entirely?
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At least, that's how I understand it. It was before my time! The dream world -- at least, the one I experienced -- was a shared consciousness phenomenon that happened in June because of some evil trees. And then, Daniel's place...
Daniel's place was a Ryslig where all of us from other worlds had actually been born and raised here. For a week, we became those people...we had memories of whole lives, here. As humans.
The "me" in that world...Adam...he knew that world's Doppio.
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Her face goes on an interesting journey then, when the term "evil trees" leaves his mouth. Of course, why wouldn't there be sinister plant life?
But it is nice to have clarification that there was a dream world and...she's not sure what to call Daniel's creation. A fake life? That sounds like a dream too, but the fact it left them with lifelong memories that felt real enough that it bled into Atem's feelings toward Doppio now...it's interesting. Revealing.]
In what capacity? I'm led to assume you were at least friends in that fake life.
[More importantly:]
Is that why you've been looking into him? I don't want to accuse you of being sentimental, but I doubt the Doppio you knew there is anywhere to be found in the Doppio here.
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He was different. His name was Solido...he was a sailor. He knew my -- that is, Adam's -- father. My father and I would get away from Bavan, sometimes...we'd go to Vandare, and I'd play cards with the sailors in the bar. And, when that man died...I have memories of Solido being there for me.
[Adam had been eleven, when it had happened. He'd cried.]
I know we're not the same people. But it's hard to stop caring completely, when you have memories like that, even when they're not entirely yours. I think he feels that, too.
[Take it from him. He felt the same way about Jounouchi and Anzu...people Yugi remembered, that Atem wanted to protect.]
I suppose, if he'd been cruel to me afterwards, I could have let go, but...he hasn't. The impression I've gotten of him since is of someone whose whole world is one person...
...and when your world is one person, it doesn't matter what you do to others, if it's for that person's sake.
[Again, his tone suggests, believe me, I know!]
The way to stop that is to have other people in your life who matter, too. To be yourself, instead of someone else's protective shadow. So, I'm not willing to stop trying to be his friend, even though he's done terrible things. Because, even if it's not the same as how he cares about his boss, I think he cares about me, and I doubt there are many that can say that.
[Here, he looks up at Trish, and offers a small smile.]
I want to help him be a Doppio that's more than just the don's underboss. And I think I have a chance.
I LOVE ATEM SO MUCH....sweet boy, murderous ghost...sweet murder ghost
And...she bites the inside of her cheek to hide any visible reaction, but there it is again. That name Doppio shouldn't have, but does. Solido. That almost certainly makes Doppio's ties to that name much stronger, doesn't it? Even in a dream world, he was called Solido. When he was a little boy, he was called Solido. Just as Atem fell into old memories to recreate the little boy he used to be, that means it's true, isn't it?
Solido is Doppio's name, not Diavolo's.
Something prompts her to look up, some movement in the corner of her vision, and she meets Atem's smile with an expression that is both thoughtful and torn.]
...I think so too. Doppio isn't a good person, but he has the capacity to be better. Giorno doesn't believe that, and I don't blame him for feeling that way in the least, but I'm like you. I've seen a glimpse of Doppio when he's better.
[She offers Atem a tentative smile.]
Just like you have a lifetime of memories where he was nothing but kind to you. Though I also have to ask...doesn't it bother you to have fake memories dictate how you feel?
[The false memories...she wonders how many people found a connection with others through Daniel's other world. Was Giorno one of them? He must have been.]
I'm sure they must have felt real, but I'd struggle when the person I thought I knew is only a little like the one I grew close to.
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Not really...
...even if the memories aren't real, the feelings can be. Even if that person isn't exactly the same, I've struck up friendships starting with less! It's an okay place to start, as you get to know their other self.
[Atem's tone turns dry as he goes on:]
...do you know, Giorno asked me to spy on Doppio, when he found out I had a connection with him? I refused, of course...and he accepted my refusal. But it was pretty gutsy, to assume I'd agree to something like that...
Even if Doppio and Diavolo are a bigger threat than the average monster, which I'm not sure is true...that threat can't be neutralized through force or fear! Not in Ryslig. You can't make another monster behave differently. You can only hope to reach their heart, and help them choose something better for themselves.
[There's a lot of people Atem wants to reach, to support, to help them choose something better. Doppio's one. Javert's another. Daniel seems to be trying, but Atem can't be the one to reach out to him...and then there's Ryou, too.]
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But it's hard, because she wants stability, something tangible and stable.
Atem is a clever person, eminently flexible...where she sees something too good to be true, too suspicious to really trust, he sees opportunity. And he's sentimental too, she knows. Sweet and understanding. His heart is big enough she can see how he wouldn't hesitate to let people in if they showed they only meant well, or the potential for it.]
Is that so? I think you're simply the type of person that draws others to you. You make friends easily.
[She believes that more than anything. She has to admit she's been drawn too.
As for Giorno...Trish frowns. To Atem, it must have seemed really invasive and ultimately unkind with no context to back it. As if Atem would betray a friend's trust like that.
And what he says resonates with her. It's what she's decided on too, as someone who can't fight...her only strength is espousing reason and showing kindness as much as she can. She's verbally strong-armed Doppio, sure, but she likes to think he could see her logic, even if he didn't want to admit it.
Trish pulls her feet out of the water, then, but only to tuck her legs against her body, wrapping her arms around her knees and curling up.]
...I had no idea Giorno reached out to you. [Said softly.] Doppio and Diavolo wronged us deeply back home, and I know he can't forgive that. Neither can I. But I...
I don't think fighting them is the answer anymore. So if you can reach Doppio's heart like you say, then I'm with you, Atem. I want to see you succeed.
However, I don't know how much Diavolo will allow that. If there's anyone that can ultimately sabotage you, it's him.
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[He keeps being told he makes friends easily...honestly, it surprises him to realize, and to know. In his mind, Yugi's the one who's better at making friends -- it's hard to shift from his perception of himself a year and a half ago, where Yugi had friends and Atem protected them from the shadows -- but it's clearly not the case anymore, and he has to admit it. He puts a light, gentle hand on Trish's upper arm, just for a second. He sees her curling up into herself, and it's to reassure: it's okay.]
He said something similar -- that he hoped I succeeded, and that if anyone could do it, it'd be someone like me.
As for the other guy, though...I have to admit, he's still largely a mystery to me. He's not like anyone I've ever met before...he's clearly used to being powerful, but he also seems like he's afraid to exist...I can't quite figure him out!
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As fake as it may be, it's real and grounding just for the intent behind it. So when she looks to him, her expression is soft.
Of course, she always will wonder where people think she stands with the boys...and how much she approves of them when they do things like Giorno had. She doesn't fault him for seeking Atem as an avenue, but...Atem, his safety matters far more than any intel. So she's surprised to hear him say that. Would Giorno have approved of her reaching out as well, with that in mind, or is it because Atem is so removed from the conflict that Giorno sees no harm in him trying? It's impossible to tell, so her silence in Giorno's wake can only be justified, right?]
It's because you're someone who's easy to talk to, Atem. Your questions come off as genuine interest. Maybe you have some motive, but it never feels that way.
[For her, motive is implicit meanwhile, and thus Doppio hardly shared a thing with her aside from one boggling peace offering. But that's neither here nor there.
Then...as if to prove her statement to Atem, Trish chews her lip. "The other guy", he says. Oh, she wonders about that man more often than she cares to, if only because he's baffling in every way.]
You and I feel the same way about Diavolo too.
[Trish is looking at Atem now, emerald green eyes gazing with a hardness not directed at the boy-king with a heart of gold.]
Did you ever notice any similarities between us? I haven't really mentioned it to anyone here, but he's...my father.
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But he also finds things to like about the people he meets pretty easily. Every monster he meets is intetrsting. His friends are so cool, and the things they like are cool, and it's cool that they like them. And if they act in ways that cause harm...often there's a reason. Since monsters can't die, the better way to handle it is to hear them out, and help. Murder's not a viable option anymore!
All of that, though, is less important than the bomb she's just dropped.]
Your father?!
[Give him a second to digest that.]
Sorry. I don't mean to be rude. He just didn't seem the type to have that kind of relationship!
[That guy seems like he'd be spooked by the sight of a nipple that wasn't his own, to be terribly honest.]
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Although Atem is far more generous than her, she's sure. People like Lusamine and Aunamee are simply irredeemable, but they were real monsters before their bodies changed to match the ugliness inside them.
Regardless, any dour thoughts are set aside as Atem reacts almost immediately to that revelation, and not in the way she expects.
Trish blinks, staring back for a beat, before she laughs. Really laughs. It's a stupid thing to laugh about, maybe, but then...Atem has no context besides what he's seen of Diavolo! She tries to picture herself in Atem's shoes, and it only gets funnier. It must sound goddamn strange to hear this after what little he's come to know of Diavolo.
Trish waves a hand then, still curled over her knees, but her smile is impossible to miss.]
No, be as rude as you like! I've honestly wondered the same many times. But I'm living proof, so I can't really deny it, can I?
[Okay, okay. She can't keep having a chuckle over this, because her next point isn't nearly as humorous.
Still, it's something she'll tuck away. She hasn't told anyone outside of her little circle exactly because it's so morbid, but well...Atem knows Doppio is a gangster. So maybe this will help him understand why Diavolo may be an issue. It's worth sharing, considering they have the same goal.
So Trish follows up her last statement without hesitation, her smile turning watery as she continues:]
Really, I don't care if you insult him or not. That man and I have no love for each other. He'd rather I was dead.
[This could be construed two different ways, she realizes; hyperbole, or fact. She's almost curious to see where Atem lands.]
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He grins, too, in shared mirth at the idea of Diavolo being too jumpy to sleep with anyone. It's gratifying to hear Trish laugh like that....Atem's not sure he has, before. She's so serious, wound so tight almost all of the time, and he's going to remember how her laughter echoes off the garden walls. A good memory.
He sobers too, though, when she talks about how her father wants her dead. It could be teenage angst -- my dad hates me!! -- but also, she turned pretty serious when she started talking about it. Hard to tell if it's exaggeration.]
What makes you say that...?
[Diavolo must have done something...does it have something to do with the gang? An unwillingness to follow in her father's footsteps, a decision that she's not worth keeping alive if she's not useful, or just a fight over it? Anger at her friendship with Giorno is a possibility, too. There's too many unknowns, so, he asks.
It's pretty awful, if Diavolo really does want Trish dead...but why would he?]
HIS META TEXT.....OOOOUGH
Atem is a young pharaoh, meaning his father was a king. All of Egypt bowed to them, right?
It's funny. If her father saw her as an heir and not an enemy, how different would her life have been? Would she move through the world as confidently as Atem does, knowing she could shape it by virtue of the power handed down to her by a father who held Italy under his thumb? But then...Passione hurt people. There was no true leadership to be had from it, ruling through fear, preying on the weak and destitute. That's why Atem is so sweet, and why the world he's showing her is bathed in a bright sun. Egypt had its own problems...but she's sure whoever raised Atem did it with love and care.
After all, Adam was devastated over the father he lost. Surely, that was no accident on the fake world's part. She was a friend in Giorno's, after all. The parallels had a basis in truth, surely.
As for Atem's question, Trish rests her hands on her knees, still watching him. This time, her smile does fall.]
Because he tried and failed to kill me.
[If not for Giorno and the others...she tries not to think about it, but as a consequence, she thinks about it anyway. All the time.]
I'm telling you this because I know you want to stay friends with Doppio, but with my father around, it might get complicated.
Diavolo...he doesn't think like a normal person, as you know. [She gestures vaguely.] I was never a threat to him. I'd never even met him. But he was convinced I could do him harm.
He often acts irrationally, is my point.
[Extraneous details, like the shared shape of their souls, and their Stands, is helpfully left out. She assumes Atem is from a saner world.]
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He's obsessed with keeping secrets, isn't he? Even his name -- he only gave that up to me because the flowers last month were killing him.
[His dark, finely lined brows furrow as he guesses:]
He thought you knew something -- something his enemies could use? And, instead of bringing you in, and determining what the actual danger to him might be...
...he acted irrationally.
[...he's going to reach out and take one of Trish's hands, wind their fingers together, and hold it on the sun-warmed flagstone between them.]
I'm sorry. You should have been treated better than that.
[It's not even the gang part he has an issue with. It's the betrayal of someone who should have been received with love and welcome.
They can get back to the main topic in a second, the one she's trying to illustrate with the anecdote. They're gonna talk about the anecdote first, focus on Trish, because what happened clearly hurts her.]
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Trish doesn't think further on that, however. She doesn't think further on anything for a blessed minute, startling a little when Atem's warm hand takes hers, lacing their fingers together and resting that link on even warmer stone. None of this is real, but she can see...how Ryslig can make even things that aren't real seem so true and present. The Atem under the illusion is cold and dead, and she's completely inhuman herself. But then...in a way, this is the real them. This is Atem as he was back home, before becoming a ghost. This is how he recognizes himself. Just like she still sees herself as a person deep down. That's not less real than the lie the fog god forces them to wear, when she thinks about it, when she feels Atem's hand in hers and thinks about what really, truly matters.
As for Diavolo, Trish isn't sure what she ultimately wanted from him. She certainly didn't want to be a gangster, not after living an average, comfortably mundane life. She'd be in danger the rest of her days as the daughter of a mob boss hounded by traitors eager to topple him. What Bruno told her to comfort her...only made her feel that much colder, honestly. She'd be taken from everything she ever knew, and be safer for it, but she would still never know her father, still be under the thrall of Passione. The best thing Diavolo could have done, then, was exactly what took place. He stole her away to kill her himself, but she lived because of that. She was handed over to Bruno's group, and was given a new future when Bruno betrayed an entire organization to uphold his ideals and save her life. He freed her. He freed Italy. Bruno Bucciarati and Giorno Giovanna, they changed everything.
Still, it's touching that Atem sees her pain and wants to soothe it before anything else, even if Diavolo is almost tangential to it now. It's not why she brought it up, but she squeezes his hand once, appreciatively.]
...It's alright. Like I said, I'd never met him once before then. So I wasn't surprised he wanted me dead.
I was the only one who knew from the start, I think. Everyone else tried to reassure me, just like you have, but you know better now. He wanted to keep his secrets, and I shared his blood. That alone was too much for him.
[Just like she thought Atem getting too close to Doppio might be too much. The fact he shared his name, however, even with the threat of death...that, and Atem hasn't mentioned any retribution for it.
Curious.]
But none of that matters here, does it? That's why I want to be able to coexist with them. Not because I think they deserve it, but because it would be pointless to fight them. If they're content to leave Italy and everything with it behind and start over, I won't stop them from doing that.
It's why I think you have a good chance with them. You have nothing to do with Italy or us, as far as either of them know. That's probably why Diavolo sought you out to speak his name to you.
[Spoken from her lips, it would be a curse. From Atem, it's just a name.]
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[He certainly intends to try. He squeezes Trish's hand back, once more, then lets it go.]
A lot of things that mattered so much at home are different here. Did I tell you, one of the most important people to me now is a tomb robber, whose spirit was combined with part of an evil god? Both of them tried to destroy Egypt, and the united version here doesn't even have a name...but I trust him entirely.
[Wild, how things happen. But Atem loves and trusts the Ring-Spirit better than a brother...]
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Well, for just a second. Because her companion decides to just drop that without preamble? Trish sits up, looking at Atem incredulously.]
...What?
[She is boring holes into his soul with her very eyes, she is.]
You can't be serious. Your world had awful gods like this one?
[A tomb robber, she can accept he exists and is a pain in the ass, but what do you mean he got soul-glued to some evil god? Who does this tomb robber think he is, Elias But Better?!]
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[Matter of fact. Straightforward. Dropping it like "we had smartwatches."]
I don't know how much of Egyptian religion was just superstition, but...at least a few of the gods were real! I saw them, and could call them...and fought one.
Only now, I can call him, too, and he can call me...
[A funny old world, is the tone Atem takes! He's had plenty of time to get used to all of this, he's accepted it...he doesn't find it hard to talk about, as long as he's believed.]
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cw self sacrifice!!
ATEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"He's been in danger no matter who he's with. He could be in danger now." AUGH