The City of the Specter, Atem's Palace

[metagame]

The corpse sinks to the floor
Even the brightest gold, even the sharpest blade
Becomes sand, becomes dust

Comments

[pointzeropercent]

[He's checking out the papyrus (7), though after a while he'll go talk to Atem.]

Got any recommendations for reading?

[metagame]

I'm quite fond of the Shipwrecked Sailor. I should have it over here...

[pointzeropercent]

[Going to just go look for it wherever Atem points it out.]

[metagame]

Here you go, Sou!

[pointzeropercent]

[He will indeed read it, because any insight into Atem's mind is helpful.]

I see why you like this one. Fantastical stories like this really are entertaining.

[metagame]

Yes! Do you want another one to read?

Or maybe we can do something else together..? Like a game?

[pointzeropercent]

[The way Sou instantly tenses up when Atem says 'game', before forcing himself to relax. That word has been ruined for him forever.]

I guess it depends on the kind of game? What did you have in mind?

[metagame]

Four Aces!

It's actually quite simple.

[He lays out four cards again on the table.]

You draw two cards, and if they're the same color you win! But if you lose, you'll have to face a penalty.

[pointzeropercent]

[This is triggering all of the alarm bells in his mind, dragging him right back to a time not too long ago when participants were matching dance moves under a threat of death if they messed up even one step.

No matter what he does, he can't escape 'that time'.]

Sounds interesting! How about you go first and show me how it's done.

[metagame]

As you wish.

[He flips over two cards to show Sou: the Ace of Spades and Ace of Clubs!]

See? It's not hard at all.

[So he returns them face down.]

[pointzeropercent]

[Sou watches carefully as Atem puts those two cards back and shuffles. He watches them carefully as they move around the stack of four, until they are laid out for him to draw.

Will this work? Who's to say, Sou's eyes could have missed something. But somehow he does manage to draw an Ace of Clubs and an Ace of Spades.

Once that happens, Sou lets out a sigh of relief.]

You're right, that's not too hard.

[metagame]

Good job!

[Sou gets a thumbs up for his trouble!]

I'll tell the guards and Set you're all my guests, so feel free to explore the palace at your leisure.

I have business elsewhere to attend.

[And with that, he's gone! He straight up disappears!]

[pointzeropercent]

[Ope there he go.]

...somehow I feel like this isn't the end of things.