shawarma time

[finalmix]

[ some time after Atem's palace when everyone has had the time to get back from braphine's temple, and more importantly get that sand out of your everything (and enjoy NOT 40 degree Celsius weather)

everyone who was in Atem's palace will find themselves suddenly added to a group chat by joshua and he just sends a singular address

it's the address to a shawarma place that somehow magically has a big enough table to fit 14 people. amazing. we love fluid locations like this.

post palace dinner, y'all know the drill ]

Comments

[beathollow]

( ah yes, victory tradition. she will nibble quietly, and mostly just... vibe with joshua? if he permits she'll lean on him a bit sometimes.

she might be traumatized by his specific penalty game.

sometimes you might catch her humming something, though. )

[moodwrecker]

[Aubrey probably had to be dragged out because fam, the penalty game was rough on this one.

She's also just going to decline to eat right now, sitting quietly and listening to the others talk.]

[metagame]

[The unfortunate man of the hour looks and feels like shit. Dark circles under his eyes, and his hair a wet, wire-y mess in a ponytail. He's apphrensive about being here given all that he's done to everyone in this small-but-also-large restaurant. And, as same everyone else, he's picking at his food: a pita stuffed full of falafel, vegetables, and tahini.

There's no excuse for what he has done. The God of Conflict may have influenced his Shadow and caused it to go berserk, but that was still him. That was how he used to be before he learned a better way to behave.

...

He's surprisingly small in his chair without his usual bravado to make him larger than he is.

Maybe if he keeps to himself he can eat and go back to the dorm... he really shouldn't have come in the first place.]

[beathollow]

...

You feel guilty.

( she's speaking quietly- from one palace ruler to another. )

[beathollow]

...

( if she places one of her hands over aubrey's, would that be okay? )

[metagame]

Yes.

[No point in hiding it.]

You were under his influence, too, weren't you..? Everything that happened feels like a blur to me... But I believe you mentioned it in the palace?

[beathollow]

I was. I don't remember my own palace very well, though. A shadow that took on the form of my mother wound up taking control of everything.

It wasn't inaccurate, but it was harrowing. And knowing that others got hurt because of my own pain is hard.

[emptyself]

[ soujuurou doesn’t know what the fuck a shawarma is. but he is a sheep and he will follow the crowd.

he’s sitting on the table, mindlessly eating his food as if nothing happened and he hadn’t just witnessed the horrors and fainted from them. ]

[strawsandals]

[ Listen, Mafuyu isn't the only one who's quiet today. Yoon is also not having a great time but he will quietly hold out some food towards Mafuyu. If you're hungry, is what he means to say, but the words don't quite come out. ]

[privatedomicile]

[Ok, Jesse doesn't fully know where to even start with some of the insanity that was that Palace, but hell if he doesn't think food will help at least a little bit. And hey, it's good!]

I gotta find the dude who came up with shawarma and I dunno, buy him a cold beer, because this is seriously hittin' the spot right now. Am I right?

[Everybody is clearly still reeling from the horrors, including Jesse, so he feels a bit awkward.]

[metagame]

[He sinks further into his seat.

His appetite is long gone.]

That part of me you saw back there... I was in so much pain I wanted everyone to hurt just as much as I did, because I had the power to do so. Because it was so, so easy. I've tried for a while to bury that part deep within myself. Deny it ever existed in the first place.

I hoped no one would ever know the kind of monster I am.

And I thought... I was better. Because I thought I finally knew how to do the right thing. And I treated it like it was some kind of game. If I watched the other people around me, I could present the best version of myself for them. I could be kind and generous... Just like my partner, Yugi.

... But it's not that simple--- nothing in life is. I have to do more than just act kind.

[metagame]

[The air in this place is delicious and tense simultaneously.]

Hey... Jesse... I wanted to apologize for what I did... I know it doesn't fix anything, but... I am truly, deeply sorry for subjecting you to that.

[metagame]

Was that the first time you summoned your Persona, Soujuurou?

[How can he sit there like that after everything they went through..?

And also as I said in Discord, he applies -kun to Soujuurou's name now. How this translates in Ancient Egyptian is a mystery but Soujuurou hears everything as Japanese anyway so whatever!!!]

[metagame]

Aubrey... I...

[What, exactly, do you say to someone you brainfucked into thinking they were murdering their friends?]

... I'm sorry.

[His voice sounds small, and he hates it.]

[emptyself]

Hm?

[ he puts down his shawarma, blinking a couple of times in surprise at the change in how atem calls him.

he nods. ]

Yeah. It was.

[cleansewithfire]

[ Oh, right... Mafuyu tried to help her earlier, and she didn't get to thank her. ]

Oh, Ms. Mafuyu.

[emptyself]

It is pretty filling. And it’s got the meat and vegetables together.

[ soujuurou is happily (?) munching on his shawarma, nodding along with jesse’s statement. ]

Where do they get such a large chicken though…?

[ he’s talking about the chicken in the rotisserie. ]

[metagame]

I noticed a while ago you always went at an enemy with your bare hands.

[He rests his chin on his hand, elbow on the table.]

I never said anything as it wasn't my business.

[A beat.]

I apologize for how I forced you to go to such extremes to subdue me.

[emptyself]

You should be.

[ soujuurou huffs, glaring at the pharaoh in front of him. wow, he’s harsh, isn’t he? ]

You didn’t teach me how to play a real game. Anyone can flip cards.

[metagame]

...

[So this is the power of the man who evaded Atem's sight in his own mind palace for so long.

He faces Soujuurou again.]

You're right, I owe you a real game. I think I know one you might like. It won't be card flipping next time... I promise.

[emptyself]

Really? I look forward to it.

[ his expression softens, lips curling in a small smile. it’s good to see atem like this, healthy and whole. ]

I owe you an apology as well, for fainting. [ he takes another chew of his shawarma. swallows. ] I’m just a bit weak.

[cleansewithfire]

[ Sunrise likely came here with Richard and is eating her shawarma with a lot of spicy sauce. She too doesn't seem all that affected by The Horrors, though maybe people will pick up that she's sitting pretty close to Richard... ]

[beathollow]

...

I have done something similar. Hurting others because I was also hurting- even if they were trying to help me, I lashed out and tried to get them to hurt themselves. And that was before this place.

I think ... you should forgive yourself a little, because even if that behavior was from your own history, you've clearly grown past it without the influence of another interfering.

Kindness is a choice for everyone. Its just that for some, it is the easiest choice.

[metagame]

Soujuurou, that is without a doubt the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say.

[His irritation sharpens his tongue.]

You are not weak.

Your reaction to what you saw was normal.

[metagame]

... Yo.

[He offers Sunrise an awkward little wave.]

Are you alright?