duel 11. video (cw: death or dying)

[puzzlingly]

「It's been a while since he's made a video post in which he looks actually serious, he doesn't look sad for a change, just thoughtful.

When he finally speaks he does it uncharacteristically (for him) quietly, even though, firm.」

How do you deal with loss?

When people leave this place or, when you know you will never see someone you care for again?
When they pass away.
Do you try to forget about them... or... 「No, that thought actually hurts.」

What is that helps you to move on?

「If they do at all.

This has been in his mind ever since Maedhros and Celebrimbor were gone, and even way before. He didn't knew them personally, but he could see how much pain their departure had caused — only one person had made him feel that way, but it wasn't Yugi who left, it was him. Atem left them all and he cannot help but wonder, was he the cause of grief among his loved ones, the ones that survived him when he decided to give up his life, and then when he had to move on from the world of the living a second time?

He doesn't wish to think so highly of himself, but it's hard, specially when all his life the world did use to revolve around him. But he worries about those he left behind, they would be fine, wouldn't they? Heh, if only they knew he hasn't moved on at all, that he still talks to his partner in his head all the time... What a little hypocrite.」


「private text: Kaiba Seto」

Mokuba is gone.

「But Atem is sure he already knows. He doesn't expect a reply.」

Comments

[murderpotato]

dont make me chug a forty and fight this whole fuckin island

but not shittin you, ive done some fucked up shit. i aint a good person.

[puzzlingly]

What does that even mean? Sounds like something an old guy would say.

「He's clueless about some stuff, man! It doesn't really matter, but is that a confession or something? He gives him a bit of a shrug.」

I don't really care about that. I am not either. No one in this hellhole would ever claim that they are a good person, I can assure you that.

[murderpotato]

[If 'I would drink an excessive amount of alcohol and fight everyone I can find' is a confession, it's... not really that much of a secret. Gren is the surliest old monster man, it is him.]

fuck you i am an old guy. older than you probably.

[Granted, he's been surprised by how old some people are around here, but he's still relatively confident in his excessive age. Once to hit a thousand, you've got most living things beat.]

yeah fair. everybodys some amount of fuckin asshole but some are more than others

[puzzlingly]

Yep, you sound like it, grandpa.

「What if he told him he's been around for a few millennia? Only not really, being trapped in a shitty magical artifact and having his life (or death) paused, don't make them count towards any kind of experience.」

If you're aiming to become the King of Assholes, you're doing it wrong, that's all I'm saying. Of course, if you ever touch Barry again I'll rip you a new one and handle that title to you, free of charge.

「He also went there, fight him.」

[murderpotato]

if he dont ever raise a fuckin hand against lup again i wont have to

but you sure thats the denim hill you wanna die on? defendin a guy that hurts his wife aint what id call the fuckin moral high ground

and hey ill take all motherfuckers so youre welcome to take a swing but fuckin trust me you want exactly zero of what i am

[puzzlingly]

Hey... It wasn't all on him.

「It was bad he knows. But he also might not understand the connotations of it all, he's stupid and naive and believes that love and friendship can overcome it all.」

[murderpotato]

yeah i know. the gods were fuckin with everybody because theyre fuckin assholes like that

thats why i aint gonna start shit unless he does shit

and i get givin people second chances. id be a fuckin hypocrite if i didnt. but if something happened again you might wanna just fuckin consider how many chances somebody gets.

[puzzlingly]

「That's fair enough. Even he would get behind that. Perhaps he should have not provoked him.」

You... truly aren't as bad as you say you are...

「Keep ruining your reputation, go on.」

Should I keep calling you grandpa, or do you actually have a name?

「He can see his name alright, but it's always better to ask.」

[murderpotato]

i told you dont go spreadin that shit around

[His! Reputation! But he really does ruin it all on his own, once people get to know him. That's the thing, though, a lot of people don't get past his pissiness to begin with.]

dont these things show you my name? whatever. its gren

[puzzlingly]

It's all you, Gren.

「At least after being here almost a year he can expect anything from people. Maybe he won't disappoint him much, or the other way around. It could happen.」

I think I like grandpa better, tho.

[murderpotato]

[This little shit.]

you call me granddad and im gonna start callin you little shit

i think its a real good name for you. all kinds of fuckin descriptive.

[puzzlingly]

「Cue laugh, dammit Gren, stop being such a good catalyst.」

Bring it on, Grendad!

[murderpotato]

no

dont you fuckin pun at me i got enough of that shit when sans was still around

[Don't send him to this hell again.]

[puzzlingly]

「He actually doesn't know who the hell is that.」

Good friend I assume?

[murderpotato]

no i fuckin hated that guy

fuckin jackass liked to piss me off for the fun of it

stupid punnin jokey little fuck

he broke my windows once too

[puzzlingly]

Why?

「Atem's not that bad, at least?

Eh........」

[murderpotato]

stupid god bullshit made people mad about stupid shit

but he was always up my fuckin ass because

[There's about a thirty second pause between messages.]

aint important. point is, he was an asshole

[puzzlingly]

「Because...?

Longest thirty seconds in life.

He doesn't buy that shit, at all. Nope.」

Fine, just grandpa will do.

「Okei? Okei」

[murderpotato]

[Look, it has to do with his soap opera of a former love life and Atem needs to reach Friend Level Four to unlock his bullshit backstory or whatever. Keep leveling up those social links, bro.]

this is fuckin karma or some shit. my life is full of assholes and i mustve done somethin to fuckin deserve it

[puzzlingly]

「Goddammit don't put it that way! He'll win this! KING OF GAMES!

Only not really, but... he wonders — he's also had a lot of reminders that he should not meddle in people's lives! This doesn't help...」

Hey, you said it yourself, you're not a good person or something, I don't remember anymore. Maybe it is Karma after all.

「Eh, he has a terrible tendency of pushing himself into people's lives...」

Do you play card games?

「Oh noes.」

[murderpotato]

[How many busybodies can Gren have in his life? At least one more, apparently.]

i aint bad at poker and blackjack. what, you some kinda card shark? it aint like we got money to lose

[puzzlingly]

Betting is useless here, and I don't cheat. Never heard of Duel Monsters, have you?

「No. one. does.

Won't stop trying!」

[murderpotato]

the fuck is that

[Sorry, King of Games, Gren doesn't know about your monster-based card game for children with improbable hairstyles.]

did you just make that the fuck up

[puzzlingly]

「SEE THE SADNESS IN HIS EYES Aw man, what is with these worlds lacking of the best game ever?」

Of course not. It's a game from my world. And from my world only it seems.

Poker or blackjack will do, thought those are not nearly as fun.

[murderpotato]

kinda need more than two people for a poker table. you get enough together and yeah ill join in, why the fuck not

it aint like you can fleece me for cash

[But what ELSE can Atem win from him???]