waitingforplayer2

[Ah.....she's figuring out who she is? Now that she doesn't have to be the Ultimate Gamer....he can sort of remember what that was like. When he was trying to figure out who he was, besides the other Yugi.]

I used to think what made me me, was Yugi...I was just, "the other Yugi" -- what he was like, when he had the powers and knowledge of darkness! But that was wrong...

...because there's things that have made me me, that are always there, even when I'm different monsters, or a me that's not a monster. Even when I was the other Yugi, or Adam, or Ankhsunatem...

[He's quiet a moment, trying not to get distracted by how tickled and fond he is, of her flopping down in his hair. He owes her some seriousness -- this is a serious discussion!]

My heart is made of a lot of different pieces. All of my friends are pieces of my heart...everyone I've ever cared about is there! The feelings I feel, that I wouldn't have felt, if we'd never met...the ways they've changed me...that's something no monster type or mid-month fog can change! So, the things I learned from Yugi -- from Jounouchi and Anzu and Honda, and here, from Ryou and the Ring-Spirit, and Nagito and Celeste, Ima Wiggles, Horatio, Amanda, the Thief-King! Noa! Kaiba, when he was here! Everyone...they're all...

[He presses a thick-nailed hand to his chest, and has to stop walking for a moment, to close his eyes.]

They're all part of a heart that will do anything to protect them. To protect their hearts, too...whatever that means, whatever it looks like. I, Atem -- I'm someone who pays attention! I look for advantages. I find ways to create them, if they're not already there. For the sake of my heart!

[With satisfaction -- because he's satisfied with this answer, it rings true to him -- ]

That's who I am.

Edited 2022-11-09 02:11 (UTC)

[ It's warm, and sweet, to hear Atem talk about himself; his love for his friends, his steadiness in his self. She wants to hug him; so she tries to do so, from her small position, hugging the top of his head tight when he's finished. Maybe he'll realize what she's doing, or maybe he won't. ]

So many of them... so many dear friends... [ She has no tear glands, but she certainly feels full, deep in her heart. ] You have a strong and kind heart, Atem-kun...

I hope you feel that love from us back. Because you're such a dear friend to me, and to so many on this peninsula...

[ If trying to be scary was his goal, well... it's backfired a bit, hasn't it? But in the best possible way.

She's quiet for a little while, thinking as they walk. Grateful to him, for the time to think, and the space to work all this out. ] My friends... they mean so much to me. I wouldn't be where I am, or who I am, without them... maybe that's something I need to think about, with all this...

[He's so fond of her. She can ride along in his hair as much as she likes! He's not certain that he agrees with kind, the strength that comes with kindness is a kind he's rejected, but...

...he's glad. To have the friends he does. And he's glad to give her time to think, before she goes on!]

Even if you can't think of any qualities yet, that you know are you no matter what....

....there's always what you love, to show you where your heart is. Our connections with other people, and things in the world around us, are an important part of who we are...

...and, they can show us who we are, too. No one starts out liking themselves...but, when we have other people who like us, they can show us our own good parts. And, we have the chance to act in a way we feel proud of, when there's people in our lives to act for.

Your friends, and how you treat them...that might be a good place to start looking for Chiaki Nanami.

My friends...

[ She idly twirls a lock of his hair between her fingers, and then twirls it again between the fingers of a different hand. Idly twirling it into a small knot or curl. Hopefully Atem owns a good comb. ]

I have a lot of them... sometimes I feel like I'm a little different with each of them, though... it's strange...

[ She's a shapeshifter. She's learning this. (Isn't everyone?) But she frowns a little. ]

If there's anything that's the same about all of them... it's how much I love them with my whole heart. [ She literally can't think of an exception to that. ]

Are you still being true to yourself, when you act differently around them?

[He asks, because he's familiar with that, too. He acts differently around Trish than he did around Amanda.]

It's possible to show different sides of yourself to different people. But as long as the way you act still feels like you, and not like you're pretending...then, it just means that you're bigger than you thought!

I think I am... I don't know how I'd know if I'm pretending or not.

[ A pause. The little itch at the back of her mind doesn't bother her. Huh. ] Yeah, I guess that's true.

I'm not trying to ... um, to not be myself around people, though. Or to be fake. I just... want to be the best me for them... that I can be, I think.

If that's the case, then...make sure that that you is a you that you like, and can be proud of being!

[Here's that mall. In the doors they go.]

Now! What kinds of clothes were you looking for?

You first!

[ She peeks down over his hair to grin at him. ] You're the one who needs a whole new outfit, Atem-kun!! What would you like to wear on your new body?

I...

[He has to think about that.]

...I don't know. I just know that this...

[He gestures to the chunky sweater with holes in the shoulders for spikes that aren't there, and rolled up khakis which aren't hanging right on his waist at all.]

...isn't right!

[His plan is to walk around until he sees something he likes. So, he starts to stride down a tiled aisle, glancing left and right, his hoofs making a click click click on the floor. Purses...swimwear...artisanal soaps...local vegetables?? No...

...

He pauses in front of a formalwear store, with suits and long silk gowns with puffy 80s bows and shoulder pads, then shakes his head. Those don't seem right, either.]

Something cooler than that.

Edited 2022-11-18 14:06 (UTC)

[ She can't help but make big bug-eyes (literally) at the formal wear, remembering when she tried on the suit with Peter a couple of months ago...

But they're moving away from the store pretty quickly, and Nanami's scanning the aisles. She flies off his head and starts flitting around, checking sign after sign for something interesting.

Eventually she zips back to Atem's shoulder, hovering just above it. ] There's some women's clothes stores if you make a right up here, and some people our age hanging around near one of them... maybe something like that?

Sounds like a good place to start!

[He heads in that direction, stepping somewhat more purposefully.]

Thank you, for scouting!

It's a lot easier when I can fly!

[ She flies at his side as they approach the story. This one in question seems to have a lot of darker, gothier clothes - and the teens near the entrance glance around to look at the monsters as they approach, all black clothing and heavy eyeshadow, and frown at them suspiciously.

Nanami would feel very much more out of place if she was full-size. Being tiny feels more comfortable for now. Atem can take over the social duties here; or ignore them and go right into the store. ]

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