(no subject)

[puzzlers]

Who: pep!pep!
Where: pep!pep!
When: Day 66, afternoon

[ there's a new kid on the block. ]

Comments

[puzzlers]

... [ he falls silent. disappearing? forever? king might not be dwelling on it, but corona's sure going to. ]

I... I will. [ but that also means: ] We won't be seeing much of each other for some time, huh? [ he gives king a weak willed smile. ]

[puzzlekeeper]

Hopefully not too long. [ If he gets his way, at least. ] That phone you woke up with - you can message me any time and I'll respond.

And I think... meeting in common spaces during the day should still be fine.

[puzzlers]

[ he's going to message him every. single. night. ] I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into.

King, if there's anything I can do to help... [ he clenches and unclenches his fists. ] I haven't been here long and there probably isn't a whole lot I'm capable of doing, but... I don't want to do nothing.

[puzzlekeeper]

I know. Truthfully, I feel just as frustrated as you do right now.

I think the best thing any of us can do is stay safe.

[puzzlers]

[ he's afraid to ask... ] Is anybody in your unit affected?

I understand. We can't let this thing beat us, we can't let it win, ... [ whatever it is. but that's probably easier said than done. ]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ And he hates having to give this answer, but... ]

... Two of my teammates are affected. I've been keeping a close eye on the others.

[puzzlers]

[ it's like he can feel his heart stop. ]

K- King. [ no. nonononononono. ]

[ he feels his composure start to slip as he imagines king succumbing to the plague. ] You... you can't...

[puzzlekeeper]

[ It's fine it's fine it's fine it's fine it's fine it's fine it's fi ]

Don't worry about me. If it hasn't affected me yet, I'm sure I'll be alright.

And... we'll find a way to help the others before it gets too serious.

[puzzlers]

[ this seems like the opposite of fine! ]

Easier said than done. [ his worry levels have already broken the charts. ] I hope so. [ he hesitantly reaches out for king. ] I don't want to lose you.

[ this isn't too serious?! ]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ He's just going to keep projecting unfounded confidence until morale improves. ]

You won't. It will take more than this to get rid of me - or any of us.

[puzzlers]

[ if he wasn't the slightest bit aware of what a hellscape imeeji was slowly becoming king's profound sense of confidence might have very well done something to tilt the scales towards the positive, but right now yugi is letting his worry and concern chip away at his usual chipper attitude. this being the first hour he's been here hasn't helped either. ]

When [ not if. ] this is all over promise you'll stop by again, so we... can... [ do something. anything. ]

[puzzlekeeper]

I will. There are... some things we should probably discuss.

[ Like how he's a ghost who may be possessing you against your will




Yeah, that especially......... ]

[puzzlers]

Now's probably not the time, but... but if they're weighing heavy on your heart [ which it kind of sort of seems like they are. ] we can discuss them now.

But maybe... somewhere else. [ somewhere a bit more private. ]

1/2

[puzzlekeeper]

[ On the one hand, it's probably terrible to leave Yugi hanging. On the other, this conversation might suck, and also he's on a ticking time limit right now.

But what if he goes off and gets himself killed? Will it be better or worse if Yugi doesn't know? And then remembers it himself later anyway?

??

?????? ]

......

[puzzlekeeper]

[ ........ well,

There is literally no time like the present. ]

I don't have long. I should get back to my team. [ Not that he's actually going back to his team, buuuut... ] We can find somewhere in the city to talk - just for a bit.

[puzzlers]

[ he gets the sinking feeling that the conversation they’re about to have is going to be some sort of beautiful disaster. call it a hunch. it doesn’t help that king’s been considering this for what feels like forever. ] I- I know, and we have to be extra careful because of the plague, but- [ a smile. ] Just for a bit. That’s fine. It’s all we need right now. [ he takes king’s hand, because what is giving a shit, and he tugs him towards the elevator. he doesn’t know where he’s going, but it doesn’t matter… secluded is secluded. ]

[ aaaand here. he finally releases his hand, an awkward laugh following as he hadn’t really even realized he’d taken it and dragged him halfway across the city. ] So what’s on your mind, King?

[puzzlekeeper]

[ King makes sure they're good and far down a secluded street before he starts talking. The design of this place already lends itself enough to airing his dirty laundry without adding this on top of it.

Also carefully ignoring what clearly looks like impending apocalypse in the sky and every building around them, because showing clear alarm over it will no doubt alarm Yugi in turn. ]

So...

[ How do you even start with this? ]

I haven't remembered very much yet, but... we're not brothers, or "twins," or anything like that. It's - much more complicated than that, I think.

[puzzlers]

[ at this point in time he’s doing his best to ignore it too. it’s happening and it doesn’t seem like there’s much can be done to stop it from happening. ] … [ so. ] If it’s not either or, then it might be a bit more complicated. Do you… have any ideas kicking around in that head of yours? [ he tries to lighten the mood, because, frankly, it’s suffocating. or maybe that’s all the gray. ] Are we the same person or something?

[puzzlekeeper]

I don't- ... Maybe? Um...

[ please understand ]

... I think I'm a ghost living in a necklace that you have.



[ JUST GONNA WAIT AND LET THAT PART HIT HOME FIRST ]

1 / ?

[puzzlers]

It’s alright. I guess it doesn’t really matter as long as- [ aaaand bombshell deployed. ]

2 /

[puzzlers]

3 /

[puzzlers]

A ghost… living in a… necklace I have… [ uhhuh. so king is a… genie??? ] But I don’t have a necklace and… [ king looks very much alive to him. ]

[puzzlers]

[ as if he wasn’t confused enough! now he’s got to try to make sense of this. ] A ghost? [ hope king doesn't mind getting pinched, because what. seriously though... what. ]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Well this is going better than he expected so f- hey!!! ]

Ow- I'm obviously real right now!

[ PLEASE ]

[puzzlers]

Just making sure! [ he lifts his hands up and laughs. ] I mean, c'mon, that's a lot to swallow. [ but he's got no reason to believe he's being lied to. ]

Right now. [ how did he die though? could he have... ] I didn't do anything, right, [ concern shakes his voice. ] I'm not the reason you... you... [ died. ]