I'm just a few thoughts, fragments of memory (open)

[puzzlingly]

Who: Atem and you (open, mostly)
What: Catch up log for all your needs!
Where: Places.
When: Backdated to the start of November to somewhere around the middle.
Warnings: Annoying card games references maybe! Will match format.


around | early November | open

People were gone, Gowther was gone and everything Atem used to remember of this place, gone as well. Not that Atem actually ever noticed that Gowther had never been in this place before the influx of people.

Now, that might an exaggeration, he remembers people, but not all of them, he's not sure who knows him or not anymore. It turns out it was probably not the so called gods messing with his head, but it probably didn't matter now, did it? It's like Kaiba would say, 'Just ignore it and crush it under the weight of your future', literally... He spent so much time trying to get his memories before coming here, it sure doesn't feel like something he wants to do here as well. He knows himself, he knows Kaiba, and others, and they know him. That should be enough.

He cannot help but wonder, who else did he forget? So far he hadn't found many who claimed to know him, maybe he shouldn't worry that much.

But as much as he wants to move on, he finds himself staring at people's faces, wondering if he's met them before or not. Either you may feel someone watching from where you're sitting down at the Speakeasy, and when you turn at the counter, there he is, this scrawny young man you might or not talked to before looking at your face as if it had something on it. Maybe you're just passing by as he's sitting down at the sidewalk or just as he passes by you, stealing glances from under his umbrella—were it a rainy day—or just as you're trying to find a new pair of pants at the stores, there is this pair of amaranthine bright eyes staring curiously, maybe a little worriedly even..

What do?

( ooc: A gentle reminder Atem was given a hard reset during the fourth wall event, which means he's forgotten most of the people he's met in Hadriel. Send me a PM if you wanna plot around that, otherwise please assume a clean start with your character. )

the orchard | open

「After how things went down with the first tree he grew, Atem has been taking things a little more calmly, after all, he doesn't want to pass out again from using too much energy to turn a little seed into a full grown tree, if anything he's trying to make them grow to his knee or so. And that's what he's doing at the moment, flattening the dirt around a recently planted seed, as much as he possibly can. Then he can be seen drawing some circles and markings around it, it's not that easy to make the glyphs as perfect as he wished he could, but he keeps on trying. 」

There must be an easier way...

「He mutters under his breath.」

carlisle's garden | idk the muffin man

「Just as Carlisle had cut the communication, Atem hurried down to the piers, jumped on a goddamned boat and hurried towards the North Island as fast as the winds allowed him to. It was amazing how good he had become at this sailing thing after a while, still, dreaded it—the sea was not his element, it was so wet—but not even this time he cared to get his shoes and pants wet if it meant to get to his mentor as soon as possible.

Finally, he knocks on that familiar door, perhaps a bit more obnoxiously than he should.」

Carlisle! It's me! Open up!

「He sounds really excited at least!」

butterflies also like living in pretty houses | sal

「Atem did promise he'd help beautify whatever little house Sal decided to build for his little new friend. He's been practicing in fact! Trying to build something more spacious and fireproof for his fiery salamander. Meanwhile, he waits for his friend to arrive as he writes some notes in his notebook, anything that comes to his mind that could potentially help with creating new things, or just transmuting them into something else.」

the sewing shop | margie

「Still a little unsure of what the future will bring them, Atem decides to act on it anyway, he could use a new jacket, the one he's got, even if it's from home, has seen better days. He remembers being at the sewing shop before, but everything aside of that comes as a blur to him, he pokes his head into it, expecting some kind of magic to happen and suddenly remembering everything.

He doesn't.」

Hello?

「Is anyone there?」

wildcard

( You know the drill! PM me if you want a starter for your character or just hit me up with anything you want. )

Comments

[puzzlingly]

Ah, Sharon, don't worry about me, I have enough energy.

「Seriously, didn't she see that one coming? Too easy.」

It doesn't matter, either we get no trees whatsoever, or we some that for a while might not know if they might be poisonous or not.

「It's gonna take much more than that to put him down.」

Besides, Rey might appreciate the extra fruit.

「Isn't Sharon the type that enjoys the booze from the Speakeasy, after all? Where does she think Rey gets it? From some halfassed deal with the gods? No way.」

[fogsong]

I said it's a waste, not that I cared if you did it. [ There's a difference but she must care a little to bring it up at all (though that's a point she would argue).

She tilts her head curiously. Is that where she got the shit? Ah, fuck. ]

Isn't that even if you get anything nontoxic to us to grow? I don't know, I think I'd say that's now a definite waste of time and energy, even for Rey. [ BUT: ] How are you guys on stock, anyway?

[puzzlingly]

「Same difference to him, it's his energy and time which he's using, why would she care if it's a waste or not? Which is why Atem merely gives her a little shrug. He's stubborn but not going to get into a fight for a technicality. She sure is trying hard to get him riled up, she should meet Kaiba, she's got a lot to learn.」

I'd do that for her and more.

「It is not a waste, never a waste.」

Hmm, kinda on the low side.

[fogsong]

[ She feels a spike of jealousy. There are only a few she believes would do something like this for her. This is what happens when you consistently self-sabotage yourself, Sharon. ]

And I bet she'd tell you not to be an idiot. [ Rey's never been one to mince words, though she doesn't feel entirely confident putting words into the other woman's mouth. ] Even running low. Your little glyph shit could probably be put to better use.

[ She's just making assumptions about how his magic works, all right. ]

[puzzlingly]

She's told me that plenty times, you're also welcome to do it.

「He's not going to lie, he often needs to be stopped in his tracks, sometimes, literally. Last time he almost went into the fog for a mere need to get back nothing but a memory before Rey stopped him. She is too good to him and only can try to reciprocate.」

Got something in mind? 「That certainly catches his attention. He's not closed to suggestions!」

[fogsong]

[ She's not a huge fan that Atem just brushes her words off. She'll find a button to press that'll bother him eventually.

He asks for examples and her expression gradually becomes more thoughtful, less soured. ]

For one thing, if you can grow plants, you should focus on those plants with curative properties. [ A shrug. ] If you want more suggestions, I'll need to know what else you can do besides grow plants and change the color of things.

[puzzlingly]

「The thoughtfulness is nearly mimicked, Sharon is brand new to him and their last conversation left a lot to be desired. While he's working hard to trust people he cannot really say he trusts her. Telling her everything he might be able to do is not quite the good idea. There barely is nothing that cannot be done through glyphcrafting, the schools were humble and their power mighty if the right combination was made, hell, he's sure he could even attempt to send everyone home, if it wouldn't put everyone in danger as well. Now he might understand why Carlisle has been wary from even teaching him everything. Healing included, it's dangerous for an amateur like him.」

Do we have those?

「It's an honest answer, he's not exactly well versed in what the orchard offers or not.」

I'll make it easier for you, what is it that you'd want that's not leaving this place or you know, killing the gods?

「It shouldn't be too hard to do that either, if he thinks about it. They are all energy...

When did she show her he could change colors, though? Perhaps when they met, he won't ask.」

[fogsong]

We did. [ Past tense, a touch uncertain. She can remember that there were people here who had grown their own homeworld's curative plants but she couldn't tell him which they would be or who would have them. And she leaves it as simple as that.

Her expression steels at his response, from a soft sneer to blank slate, offended. She hadn't even considered either option. ]

Well, now that you've fucking mentioned it. [ It's not wrong of him to make such assumption about her curiosity but it still stings. Somehow, she's still an easily wounded teenager. She's starting to walk off. ] I'll leave you to your shit.

[puzzlingly]

「Of course he's not wrong, she said it herself after all. But, is he supposed to try to stop her, again? This cat and mouse behavior is something he's seen so many times before, but he's unsure about it still. She seems like a good person, like someone who has been hurt, he doesn't want her to be like this, he wants to help her, even if he doesn't know how. Can't force her to trust him either.

Her being offended about it is understandable, but he's gotta accept this one is on him. A little honesty is always appreciated, unless there is something under those layers of hate and doubts. She's really a lot like his rival, always going around life with a fight or flight response to everything. But she's not him.」

Don't be like that, stay.

「Don't use the teenager card on him, he's pretty much in he same boat and he's not a bitch about it.」

[fogsong]

[ She doesn't seem to want to consider it and huffs, gaze lazy. Dude, come on. ]

Why? [ It seems meaninglessness and, honestly, she's childishly spiteful at times. ]

[puzzlingly]

Because you wanna see this.

「He crouches down, placing his fingers on the right places for the glyphs to active and they immediately glow. The tiny sapling reacts to the magic and glows with a lovely golden aura as it starts growing as if someone had pressed forward on a tape. Atem doesn't stop until the little tree has reached up to his hair and very small and tender fruits sprout from its branches.

What a show off.

It probably good that he remains vastly hidden behind the small tree's leaves, he's looking awfully pale and just as if he were to lose his lunch, but oh man, that smirk is a prideful one.」 

[fogsong]

[ The display is impressive, nature in fast forward. From sapling to something mature, even fruiting. Emotionally, Sharon wears her feelings on her sleeve and she can't hide the surprise and excitement at the show. She approaches with no hesitation, reaching out to touch the newly fruited tree, peering at Atem between branch and leaf.

He looks pale, ill maybe, but that smirk on his face quells anything like worry, annoyance blossoming up in her chest instead. ]

Is that all?

[puzzlingly]

「Even if he's being temporally stolen of his energy, it's only for a moment that Atem doesn't pay much attention to whatever is going on around him, it's not the same to enchant an inanimate object than a living thing like this, it requires way too much effort that maybe Sharon is right, it's not worth anyone's time. It is until he sees Sharon approaching closer that he does his best to keep kneeling down without letting himself sit down too roughly on the ground.

He's not that far gone to not notice her surprise. He smiles at that, but it is her barbed comment what actually makes him chuckle.」

That is all. You can go now.

「He probably shouldn't tease her like that, but it's too easy.」

[fogsong]

[ Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

She rolls her eyes as she walks away but calls back to him with a bit of a sneer in her voice. ]

I'd go rest if I were you. You look sick. [ No impression that she cares, just letting him know she noticed and that, whatever powers he may have, he's only capable of so much. ]

[puzzlingly]

Thanks, I'll do that.

「No, he won't. But he waves at her regardless.」