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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 13:38:17 GMT -5
Minato tried to smile for Ryoji, but it was pained. But Atem was right. Ryoji and Death really were like Bakura and Anpu, in a way. They just shared a body. At this point, Ryoji really was his own person.
"Yeah," Minato said. He smiled, a bit less pained this time. As for encouraging stuff, he was just about drained for that. He had to wonder how Yuugi and Atem did that all the time.
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Izanagi shook his head. It was a demon. Even if it didn't hear them approaching, it would be able to sense both Souji and the dark energy coming off of the pendant Yuugi wore.
"If we could sneak up on him, he would already be dead," Izanagi whispered. He would have already taken the demon out. He didn't like the idea of it relaying everything it had heard regarding Ryoji and Souji to Abel. Abel was dangerous. It was likely that he considered Souji enough of a danger to kill him should the need come to it. Most likely Abel was afraid of Souji's Shadow side, which Souji had been denying for a while anyways.
Souji still seemed to be thoroughly passed out. Good, that meant Izanagi would have more time in this body. He still felt restricted, though. What had he been thinking trying to push Souji out before?
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 13:55:12 GMT -5
Atem had picked the best possible comparison for Ryoji. Neither teenager realized just how, or that they even had, but Atem had. If he had used himself and Yuugi, Ryoji would have argued that neither of them was 'dark'. If he had taken the time to explain Malik and Yami no Malik, Ryoji would have argued that he was the assumed personality, the one that should fade away. But he had used Bakura. From what Ryoji had been able to gather, Anpu was the original. In this life he wasn't, but how was that different from himself as Ryoji?
"Atem."
Atem had turned to go, to leave Minato and Ryoji by themselves, when he heard Ryoji address him, "What?"
"Can one side defeat the other?"
He nodded, a faint smile creeping onto his stoic expression, "Its happened before. Yuugi suppressed me before, Death saw what happened with Bakura and Anpu. Malik, an aquaintance from my own world, completely defeated his dark side."
Ryoji, this is different.
How?
You said it yourself, once. All things die, I can not be defeated.
No... but you can be stopped.
...............
"Minato..." Ryoji wasn't sure how to word this, but he had something he wanted to say. Something that probably needed to be said.
Atem headed towards the door. Minato was probably still upset with him. And Atem knew he'd want to be alone with Ryoji now, anyhow. Minato would remain upset with him, possibly. Then again, maybe the blue haired teenager could see that the confrontation had lead to something. He grabbed the door handle.
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Nyarlathotep smirked to itself. They weren't going to move. If they were going to, they would have done so by now. And as long as Izanagi was in control, he didn't have to worry about Souji going nuts on him. He looked self-satisfied. The Fall... well, if this universe Fell most of them would. If that wasn't a sign humanity had destroyed itself, nothing was.
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"Why do you have to get rid of Seta-kun?"
He was speaking politely again. He didn't sound confrontational. Izanagi wasn't like Yami no Malik... he was sure there was some good to the god too. As for the repeated question, he'd yet to get an answer to that. One that wasn't a dodge, anyhow. Souji being a Shadow may or may not have been true, but if it was he was a Shadow like Ryoji. And Izanagi was willing to speak. He just couldn't understand the why?
Before Izanagi would be able to answer, however, Atem had pushed the door to Minato's apartment open. He stopped as he saw Yuugi and heard the last half of his question. He narrowed his eyes at Izanagi, but closed the door in a normal manner behind himself. So that was why Souji's head had hurt.
"What the hell are you doing, Izanagi?" he spoke quietly. Thin walls or no, he didn't want Minato and Ryoji to be disturbed.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 15:07:29 GMT -5
Minato looked up as Ryoji addressed him. Ryoji looked like he had something important to say. He didn't notice Atem leave.
"What is it?" Minato asked.
-------------------
Izanagi narrowed his eyes at Yuugi's question. This boy was rather determined to save Souji. No, more than rather determined. He had the feeling the two of them the two of them would not rest until Souji was free from his fate as his avatar.
Halfway through Yuugi's question, the door to Minato's apartment had opened, and Izanagi turned around to see who was coming their way. Ah. Atem.
"Would you believe me if I said Souji was just taking a short rest and I was just hanging onto this body while he sleeps?" Izanagi asked. "We were being watched and Souji didn't listen to my warning soon enough, so he ended up passing out. In any case, it seems your friend Abel doesn't trust us too much, since he sent that demon of his brother's to come watch us."
Izanagi wasn't aware that Nyarlathotep was no longer contracted to Cain, but he knew that it had once followed Cain, so for now he was assuming it still followed Cain, and followed Abel too because he was King of Bel.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 15:24:54 GMT -5
"I probably won't last until the moment of the Fall... if I have to go, I might not be able to say goodbye. Because I've fought it for so long already," Ryoji looked up, pain mixed with a serious expression, "Don't chase after me if that happens. You know how, and I'll probably know the final day in a week or so, but don't chase after me. I don't want... you to see me like that again..."
Whatever of Ryoji had remained when S.E.E.S fought Nyx Avatar had hated that. He had hated being forced to fight his friends. He had hated watching what he had been sure were useless struggles. And this time there would be no way out. Minato, the only one who could make the Seal, couldn't anymore. And besides that... Ryoji had a feeling things would be different this time. Because even if he succumbed to the call of Tartarus, he'd fight it. Maybe that would work, maybe Death would destroy Ryoji and he wouln't be left with the memories. But he couldn't say that. Minato was already worried enough.
He was leaning more towards the twentieth for the Fall. He didn't think he'd last until the fifteenth for staying as Ryoji. None of that needed to be said. What needed to be said was what he had said. Don't chase me. Please.
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"Abel is no-" he glanced towards Yuugi, "Nevermind. I'll choose to believe you, if only because my Partner doesn't seem upset. Why didn't you just tell Souji? Those headaches were an attempt at nonverbal communication, correct?"
Atem had a suspicion. Souji hated Izanagi. It was possible Souji wouldn't have listened to Izanagi. Or at least it was possible that's what Izanagi thought. Yuugi looked towards Izanagi.
"It's not that he doesn't trust us, he's just worried. I mean, maybe he doesn't much anymore. That's probably my fault. But he's worried about things... you didn't answer my question, though. I'm not saying you have to leave, you've got as much right to live as Seta-kun does... but why do you have to get rid of him?"
Atem found a bitter smile on his face. As much right to live...? Yuugi had always, always been the more forgiving of the two of them. It was true that some of his suppressed emotions didn't agree with that statement, hence the deaths that had occurred shortly after the Puzzle was solved, but the whole of his Partner did. From a less emotional viewpoint, Izanagi had mostly acted out of self preservation. Souji didn't need to be erased, but beyond that. Atem glanced towards the god. Would he answer the question this time?
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 16:17:22 GMT -5
Minato looked pained as Ryoji went on. Ryoji wouldn't last until the Fall... he supposed it was better than the last time. Ryoji had been lost a month before the Fall. It would probably only be a few days this time.
He remembered the thing that Death had become that S.E.E.S. had fought on top of Tartarus. That winged creature that was wearing Ryoji's face. Literally, as it was nothing more than one of those masks Shadows wore. He didn't want to see that as much as Ryoji didn't want him to see it. But Minato didn't think he'd accept it until he'd seen it with his own eyes.
"...Ryoji, you're asking me to do something you know I can't," Minato said.
-------------------
Izanagi nodded at Atem's question. "Souji wouldn't have believed me if I said he needed to leave the room, what with where the conversation was going. He would have stayed just to be stubborn."
And then Yuugi asked his question. Izanagi turned back around toward Yuugi. The boy didn't want him to leave? Surprising. Especially considering Souji certainly did, or at least to go back to his "asleep" state as nothing more than a Persona. "It's almost impossible for a god at its full abilities and the adopted personality that had inhabited the body previously to coexist without one of the two swallowing the other. Even if the adopted personality doesn't mind my presence, it's hard to keep the adopted personality a separate entity."
Not like that typically happened. The way it was supposed to work was that the avatar didn't learn about the god that they were the avatar of until it was close to the time of the god taking over its body. They were usually too shocked to notice that they were fading away by the time it happened.
That was how Izanagi typically did things, anyway, but he knew other gods did things differently. This was just his own personal preference.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 16:33:23 GMT -5
Ryoji bit his lip, "You know, I knew you were there. I couldn't... as Ryoji I couldn't act. It was pretty much all Nyx, and the form was more mutated from Death than anything else..."
He didn't think he was going to convince Minato. Dammit. If he had to go, he wanted Minato to spend his last days with his friends... and "Nyx Avatar" was not his friend. By that point Ryoji was convinced there would be no way to save him, and yet Minato would still try. Because the idiot never gave up. He felt like he was all of five right now, as his eyes stung from tears trying to well up again.
It was useless, he wouldn't be able to stop Minato. He'd probably known that, but he'd had to try. Yeah, he'd known. But... that's what hope got you. Disappointment. And that's why it hurt so much to see those he cared about hoping for the impossible.
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"...almost?"
Izanagi had said almost. Almost. Meaning it wasn't impossible. It wasn't even as close to impossible as even stopping The Fall was. It meant that the god acknowledged it wasn't impossible. Even if he wasn't fully aware of that, he acknowledged it enough to use the word almost. So Souji and he could live. But the problem was... well, even if Izanagi could be convinced, Yuugi was sure Souji would have to cooperate. And Yuugi wouldn't blame him if he didn't.
Atem looked back at Izanagi after Yuugi squeaked out his question. The same things were going through his head. After all, when Yuugi had really and truly accepted him, not just the idea of him like he had in Death-T... well, that had been their first fight, in a way. Yuugi had sunken into a depression that Anzu had fought Mai to get him out of. Mai had given up the Duel for the point Anzu was trying to make. So its not like two that were at odds with each other couldn't get along. But Souji would have to agree to it as well. If they were to both survive, they'd both have to agree to fight against losing the other.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 20:19:36 GMT -5
Minato stepped a little closer to Ryoji. He hesitated for a moment. "Ryoji... Even so, I don't think I'd be able to let you leave like that. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. It's stupid, but it's true."
He knew he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about what happened to Ryoji once he left. And feel horrible about not going to see him one last time. And to tell the truth, if it came to the rest of the group going to fight Nyx Avatar... Minato didn't think he would be able to help them. He'd probably be better off watching the Fall from his apartment. He'd be no help in a fight in his state anyways.
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Izanagi didn't like the sound of that "almost." He had said "almost" because even though avatars had a specific purpose, there had been very rare cases of them defying that purpose and still being the deity in question's avatar.
"I told you, it's almost impossible. And it relies on the god and adopted personality cooperating with each other at all times. After all, an avatar is a form the god takes to interact with the human world," Izanagi said. The more observant members of the group would notice that he was using the term "adopted personality" instead of "shadow" at the moment.
He felt Souji stir a bit in the back of his head. ...Iza... wha?
Go back to sleep, Izanagi ordered. Souji didn't even seem halfway coherent now. If he regained dominance right now, he would probably just pass out again.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 20:50:13 GMT -5
"You wouldn't be leaving me," Ryoji said, his eyebrows slanted, "I'm telling you to, so you wouldn't be leaving me. I'll... well, Nyx would try to kill you. Even if you took care of the Avatar, the world would still Fall. You know that..."
Minato did. After all, S.E.E.S had pushed what Ryoji had become far enough it couldn't fight anymore. And yet when the time came, it still rose. The moon still became messed up. Had Minato not sacrificed himself, the world would have still fallen. Ryoji wasn't even sure why he was arguing this anymore. Minato wasn't one to change his mind once he made a decision.
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Yuugi lowered his head. It was an almost. Even if Izanagi could be talked into sharing control, which didn't seem possible, could Souji? The problem here was both Izanagi and Souji had pride issues. Neither wanted to work with the other. But if Souji could survive, if they could both live, wasn't that worth it? Wasn't it worth it to not lose a friend. Yuugi looked up, trying to look serious but just coming across as worried.
"Seta-kun is mad at you because of what you did at first... but I don't want to lose him! You keep saying he can't defeat you, so you should try and coexist. If you'd just apologize for what you did..."
"Partner," Atem shooks his head towards Yuugi.
If Izanagi was going to listen, pushing it wouldn't help. If there was any chance the god would listen, pushing it might harm that chance. Atem walked forward so he wasn't standing behind Souji's body and turned to face the god.
"Whatever you do, Souji-kun is still here for two years, correct? Your actions exhausted him, so let him rest."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 21:48:13 GMT -5
"I know..." Minato said. He shook his head. "This is going nowhere."
Well, there was something they could agree on.
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Izanagi stayed silent as Yuugi spoke. Apologize for what he did? Izanagi doubted Souji would accept it, even if he had been planning on apologizing to Souji. There had been tension between the two of them since the moment Izanagi had awakened. Izanagi supposed it had a lot to do with the moment he'd chosen to awaken. Had he not, though, Souji would probably be dead and himself trapped in Yomi as a result.
He almost didn't notice Atem walking so he wasn't right behind him. He was more focused on Souji, who hadn't gone back to resting like he should have. He focused on Atem as he said that he should probably let Souji rest. Izanagi opened his mouth to respond to Atem when he suddenly shuddered.
"While I would love to do so, he's waking up and trying to seize control again. Please make sure you catch him when he passes out once again," Izanagi said. He shuddered again, closed his eyes, and his stance shifted, and when they opened, it was clear Souji was in control again.
"What the he.." and then his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell forward again as he passed out from the lingering effects of the headache.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 22:01:59 GMT -5
Ryoji nodded, and went to put his hands in his pockets. He blinked as his hand hit something hard. It had a bit of give. He pulled it out and looked at the hard leather case. The cards. Before he'd regained his memories, he'd had something that seemed significant. Death, upright. Duelist in a manner that wasn't supposed to be readable but had seemed important. As if Fate were undecided... he paused.
"Minato, can you clear off your table?"
He knew now why he'd had such faith in these readings. As a Shadow, he knew the true power of the Arcana. How accurate the readings could be depended on ones' own resonance with the deck and how well one observed the situation in relation to the reading. Never should a reading be done directly after. Then again, he may have awoken recently, but a lot had happened. It was enough to warrant another reading. Because before... well, everyone kept telling him Fate could be changed.
...Including the only two he'd ever known that resonated with the Duelist Arcana.
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Yuugi looked confused. Then Izanagi almost convulsed. Atem noted the stance shift and was next to Souji just as the teenager fell forward. The height and weight difference made it interesting. As in had Yuugi not rushed behind Atem to catch the former Pharaoh, Souji would have knocked him to the floor. They still had the issue of height difference, too. It just wasn't as extreme.
"Souji-kun, can you wake up?" Atem asked. It wasn't a long walk to Souji's apartment, but it would still involve dragging the silver haired teenager on the ground a bit.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 22:52:11 GMT -5
Minato watched as Ryoji pulled the case from his pocket. He'd nearly forgotten about those cards Ryoji had gotten from Himitsu. Himitsu.
Minato suddenly snapped to attention as Ryoji asked him to clear off the table. "Yeah," Minato said. He moved over to his table and began clearing off the various junk he had scattered across it. Ryoji was going to do a tarot reading with the same odd deck Himitsu had sold him. And while Himitsu unsettled him as much as she did the rest of the group, he knew that she wouldn't have done that if it wasn't important in some way.
The table was cleared off quickly enough, with the previously crowding junk placed on the floor for the time being.
---------------
Souji groaned in response to Atem. He just needed a moment. Damn, what had Izanagi been doing? He knew Izanagi had something to do with this, hell, the moment he'd realized Izanagi was walking around in his body again he seized control back. That was probably the real reason Izanagi had made him have those headaches. To knock him out so he could get control. Bastard.
"I look pretty pitiful right now, huh?" Souji asked. He slowly stood up, so Atem and Yuugi didn't have to carry him. "Ow... Sorry about that. I really am."
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 23:03:05 GMT -5
Ryoji pulled up a chair and opened the leather case. He wasn't talking to Minato right now, but he seemed concentrated. He pulled out the twenty-three familiar backed cards in the deck and shuffled them. It was almost amusing. He had the same skill, speed, and care for the cards that Atem treated his own deck with. Ryoji closed his eyes and set the case on the floor before putting the cards in the lower left corner o the table.
"Minato, can I ask you to not talk while I'm doing this? And... not to freak if I do anything 'weird'?" Ryoji asked. There was heavy implications he would be doing something weird and he knew what it was.
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Yuugi shook his head, "It's really not your fault! Seta-kun... Can I ask you something?"
He wanted to try and get Izanagi and Souji to cooperate from Souji's end, too. It had seemed that maybe, just maybe Izanagi would try to cooperate. He didn't know everything that went on with them, but they seemed to bicker a lot. If he could get them to both see the value of keeping them both there, he wouldn't have to lose anyone. Atem made sure Souji was stable before stepping back. He glanced at Yuugi before turning back to Souji. This would be met with resistance, he was sure of it.
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Nyarlathotep let out a mock yawn. No actual sound came out. He couldn't exactly get close enough to Death and Minato to spy on them like this. He wished the stupid trio there would move. What was going on now seemed boring. Yuugi trying to convince Souji and Izanagi to work together, huh? Even if he succeeded, there was still The Fall. It seemed safe to assume that Yuugi's almost blind friendship towards Abel would prevent much of an issue from arising, but damn the demon felt bored.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 16, 2010 23:21:05 GMT -5
Minato blinked as Ryoji asked him to stay quiet, which he understood, and to not freak if he did something weird, which he didn't. Okay, so there were a lot of things Ryoji could do at this point to make him freak, especially considering the previous conversation, though in this case, whatever it would be was probably more related to the tarot cards than Nyx. He hoped. Then again, who had been going on about how the Arcana's the means by which all things are revealed?
"Er... yeah, I suppose," Minato said. He stayed standing to watch Ryoji as he did his reading.
-----------------------
"I guess so," Souji said. He was confused. Then again, considering the previous conversation... it probably had to do with Izanagi. In any case, Izanagi himself wasn't saying anything either. Probably wanted to hear Yuugi's question too.
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Post by mugenginga on Jan 16, 2010 23:36:53 GMT -5
Ryoji nodded and closed his eyes. Part of his subconscious balked him here. Because with knowledge of being Nyx's Avatar, he knew where these phrases came from. Then again, he knew that if he didn't have his memories he'd be using them as focus with no problem. He wasn't drawing upon magic as he took a few deep breaths. It was merely a form of meditation. Without opening his eyes he placed one hand on top of the deck, two fingers centered from the bottom of the cards. His thumb guided out a number.
"Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... When in the face of what can not be stopped, what can be done for the world?"
Ryoji drew seven cards in one motion. It was similar to how Atem was known for drawing the first five cards of a Duel at once. Really, at this point it was a bit eerie how similar some of the actions were. Ryoji did it with less flair, but there was a greater level of concentration there as well. Minato was probably freaking over what Ryoji had said, especially when considering the contrast of Ryoji's voice and that horrible voice Nyx Avatar had possessed. In one swift movement, the cards were layed out in a spread only those rather familiar with tarot would know. The Ellipse Spread.
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"If Izanagi apologized for what he did, do you think you could accept it? I mean, not just that... he said there's a slight chance you don't have to be lost!"
Atem said nothing. It was possible Izanagi didn't want Souji to know that. And if he didn't, it would probably cause more friction. The former Pharaoh could now see where Yuugi was trying to go. He was trying to get Souji and Izanagi to accept each other. Not being stuck together, but as people. The corner of Atem's lip curled up in a sad smile. As important people.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jan 17, 2010 0:34:23 GMT -5
Oh. That had been what Ryoji had been warning him about. Minato was now silently freaking. Of course, Ryoji was doing this right after Minato had been insisting that he was separate from Death. He had to remind himself that Ryoji had probably intended to say those words. Though it didn't change the fact that Minato knew what had said those words the first time he'd heard them.
He calmed himself down. Unless Ryoji was suddenly sprouting wings or something like that, it probably wasn't too much to worry about. Probably. That word did not help keep him calm in the slightest.
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There were a few seconds of silence after Yuugi asked his question. The first few because Souji couldn't believe what Yuugi had just asked him. Well, he could, it didn't surprise him that Yuugi was asking him this. The next few were because Souji was now conversing with Izanagi in his head, which was putting it lightly.
You did something while I was out! What the hell did you do while you were romping around in my body?! Souji accused Izanagi.
Yuugi was the one who called me out in the first place. And I'd hardly call it "your" body. Izanagi replied much more calmly than Souji had.
Stop dodging the question and answer me! Souji growled.
I'll pass on that, Izanagi said. In truth, he disliked the fact that Yuugi had brought it up like that, especially since he hadn't even decided what he was going to do next. Though he should have expected that from the spiky-haired child.
Souji decided he was getting no answers from Izanagi and returned to the conversation at hand. "Me not being lost...? Yuugi, what happened while I was passed out?"
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