softspokenlandlord | IC Inbox

[It's embarrassing how soft Ryou's reactions are, and how he keeps making little noises as they...make out? This is definitely what making out is, plain and simple. It doesn't register in his mind to overthink it, though. He lets Atem settle, shift him, touch him, whatever he wants to do.

Ryou only wishes that he had another arm to explore, because he's too busy curling his clawed fingers against Atem's shoulders to really think about exploring anything else. It's fine, though. He has enough sensory input to deal with kissing Atem back, processing the sensation of large scales slowly shifting over him, almost like he's being engulfed.

When they finally break apart, Ryou's breathing shallowly, one eye opening to look at Atem, and he smiles softly, the tip of one of his incisors poking out slightly because lord help him, he's got some pointy ones.]

You'll get as many opportunities as you like...if you want. I don't mind it if it's you...I could never mind it.

[It's not weird to hear that from a monster who eats people. He also is a monster that eats people now, and even if he wasn't, like. It's Ryou Bakura. He'd probably find that very attractive.

Besides which, if Atem thinks Ryou's bad now, just wait until the naga wears off of him and Ryou starts thinking about trashy vampire novel nonsense.

At any rate, taking advantage of the pause, Ryou finally pulls his arm back, slowly bringing his clawed thumb up to brush against Atem's cheek while the rest of his fingers reach up to bury themselves in his hair. Or...more appropriately, allow his hair to bury itself into Ryou's fingers.]

I'm so glad we're here...

[Not "here" as in a place. Just...here. Finally at the point where this was fine. Where Atem could kiss him silly and make even the tips of his ears darken a shade or two.]

[Look at that! Look at those sharp little teeth. Something about one of them poking out when he smiles is adorable. Atem really likes a lot of the Ryou-smiles he's seen. He's not so much a fan of the ones that are obviously masks, meant to distract and hide what's actually going on, but the real ones? Jeez. That was part of why Atem fell for him, wasn't it? Seeing one made him realize Ryou wasn't just a close friend he felt comfortable around and cared a lot about, but was a close friend he felt comfortable around, cared a lot about, and also wanted to kiss. Ryou's got a really cute smiling face, that's just fact!

Ryou gets gazed at during this break, shamelessly and affectionately -- until Ryou says I'm glad we're here.

It reminds Atem again of how close to danger, to death, Ryou's been skirting lately...how there was a very real chance Ryou might not have been here.

Atem doesn't tighten his coils, he can't imagine that would be comfortable, especially with injuries, but the snakes grip Ryou's hand a little closer. His eyes and his tone darken, turning more serious above the thumb on his cheek, and he presses his forehead to Ryou's.]

Me too.

[Atem's mad about a lot of things, but he's going to take a moment to appreciate what he has. He's gonna appreciate it with more intensity than before, having fallen into a different mood, but he's still appreciating it with his mouth, and with a hand buried in Ryou's hair.]

[Something about the way Atem takes that tone and the look in his eyes indicates to Ryou that perhaps his words were taken in a way he hadn't meant them to be taken. His brows knit together for a moment...then he's the one that initiates the kiss this time.

It's a desperate attempt to distract Atem from any subroutine running in the back of his mind, so as a result, it's as active as Ryou's been kissing him so far. This time his hand doesn't just explore the snakes at mid-level, his fingers delve in further, tracing the spots between their bodies connecting at Atem's scalp. He's careful, of course--his claws are sharp and he can't really trim them, nor are the bandages covering his fingertips--but he's trying to emulate a sensation that he himself enjoys, which is the sensation of something tickling in his hair. He won't pull the snakes. It's not like his hair.

It's not like how Atem's pulling up little goosebumps on Ryou's skin by burying a hand in his hair and slightly tugging the strands. That's different, that's got Ryou going a little crazy actually. But in a good way!

He shows it by letting out a very quiet, but still very pleased groan from the back of his throat. It's not something he does on purpose, or even something he does to pull them into anything overly inappropriate. But he also doesn't think about it as being inappropriate because this is someone he loves, and anything Ryou can do to keep him in the now and out of his head is important.]

[They're kissing kind of hard. Ryou's trying to distract him, and Atem's remembering how important it is that Ryou is here, and between Ryou's determination and the desperate edge to the way Atem's kissing open-mouthed, it's not particularly restrained.

The mood shifts again, though, when Ryou makes that small, pleased sound. Having a hand in his snake-hair is nice, but hearing a groan like that from Ryou makes Atem's stomach drop, like the winch at the top of the elevator-shaft just broke and he's falling. It's a nice feeling, but a new one -- butterflies? Butterflies in his stomach? Is this what people call that? -- and he sighs his feelings about it, and some of the tension from a moment ago, out. Atem lets himself feel less worried, lets himself float a little. Be in his body, for a moment.

He breaks the kiss, kisses the corner of Ryou's mouth, then presses a third kiss under Ryou's ear. The grip he has on Ryou's hair, his fingers wound in it, helps him tilt Ryou's head to the side, to make room. It is really, really nice, to be holding Ryou with his entire body while they kiss. All the snakes who can reach Ryou are wrapped around his hand or nuzzling his face and hair with their chins, and Atem's breathing is deepening. He is focusing on the present, on everything his senses are telling him, on how very warm he is, nothing's wrong, nothing is possibly going to go wrong--]

[They kiss breaks, and Ryou's chest is rising and falling rapidly, he's trying to catch his breath and it kind of hurts...being like this. Not half as much as it hurts to be alone though, so he bears the physical hurt for a little longer. That's made much easier by the fact that Atem has now decided he's going to kiss other places besides Ryou's lips.

It's...wonderful. His toes curl a little, not much because of the bandages and he's acutely aware of the fact that he's not going to be able to handle much more of this without reacting. He wants to tell Atem "hey, let's stop", just to preserve some sense of decency.

But that's not what comes out of his mouth.]

Please...

[Stop.

No. Don't stop. Ryou doesn't want to, not when he's so warm, so full to bursting with affection.

Regrets later. Pain can wait. Sleep's already been achieved. Keep kissing him and making him feel like he's somewhere else, somewhere safe. Atem...is safe.]

[He doesn't know what Ryou's asking for. He can't tell -- the tone's a mixed signal, balanced precisely between asking for more and asking for mercy. The thing is, both possibilities send a swoop through his stomach again, like a trustfall off a burning building, because a wanting Ryou and an overwhelmed Ryou are both good, and his mouth opens, about to take hold of an earlobe, when--

--something moves. Atem doesn't know what it is. He just knows that something inside him is moving in a way it has not moved before, and he freezes, breathing turning quick and panicked, a sharp change from a moment ago. His whole body's tense. His snakes hiss in a panic.]

Something's wrong. Something--!

[What? What is that? Whatever it is, whatever's about to -- come out of him, it's not against Ryou right now, thank goodness for that, but it's weird and it's wrong and he wants it to stop--]

[Ryou tenses when he hears the hitch in Atem's breathing, the hiss of his snakes betraying his alarm even further.]

H-hey, it's okay, calm down. Talk to me, Atem. What's wrong?

[He's immediately worried, of course, and tries to push himself up which works about as well as any other time he's done it, especially with a panicked naga wrapped around him. Nope.

Abandoning that, he pulls his hand from Atem's head, instead putting it on his shoulder, squeezing to get his attention.]

We can stop, just tell me how I can help.

[Because he is very confused, which definitely helps him unwind from their fooling around. Thank god for that.

It would be embarrassing if Atem had to figure out how happy Ryou is to be here. ~~Pretty ironic, given why Atem's panicking.~~]

I--!

[...what the fuck is going on down there, it's mostly stopped but he can still feel it almost happening, and a deep blush is covering his face and neck. God, he hopes something horrible's not about to crawl out of what he's thought of as his ass this whole time, he would die his next death, right here.]

I think -- I think I'm all right, I -- something just moved inside my...

[Wait.]

...tail...

[hang on.

It's not, like, coming out, so it's not, say, eggs or something even grosser. It doesn't feel like that. It feels kind of squirmy, like he wants to keep moving it, like if he pressed his body against something to up the internal pressure he could just--

oh, no.]

[Oh no.

Ryou's got his dense moments. He's not even a professional to know how snakes work. But there's something about the way that Atem trails off...and somehow he's got a theory of what's going on here, and he's not going to say a single thing. He's going to be an adult about it!]

...Haha...um. Want to, uh. Talk about something else?

[Don't think about it.]

L-like, uh. What I mean is, it's going to be okay. It's--

[Don't.]

...Natural, I think. P-part of you.

[Oh god oh fuck don't blush don't even think about it this hard. No, he refuses to speak anymore. He's got a snake wrapped around him with something moving inside his tail.

And Ryou's curious but like hell he's going to put his foot--no his whole damn LEG--in his mouth like that. He's a little weirdo, not an absolute creep.]

[Ah, shit. Shit, they both know what it is. Atem's almost certain that's what it was, since it's settling down now that he's -- well, not calm, exactly he's not relaxed, but less excited.]

I didn't think it was going to be a problem...

[Leave him here to die! He miscalculated! He miscalculated terribly.]

[Ryou can't help it, he sighs, and smiles.]

There's always a surprise hidden somewhere in the game.

[He cups Atem's cheek in his too-long fingers, but it's not an overtly emotion-driven move. Just a touch without subtext. He understands that Atem isn't comfortable with this, so he's not going to press the matter. Even if he's curious, it has never been a part of who Ryou is as a person to force someone into an awkward situation that they were very clearly not into.]

At least when you've changed back, there won't be anything unexpected, right? We can do whatever we like and whatever happens...happens.

[Or do vampires also have weird...stuff going on? The ~~sacred tomes~~ romance novels didn't say anything about that.]

[He doesn't like surprises hidden inside his own body! He's preferred very much, up until now, to sidestep the entire question of "what do I want, sexually?" and answer it, "I don't!" Atem frowns, though not at the contact, and takes a deep, slow breath.

Does this change things? Is he going to need to keep further away from Ryou for the rest of the week? Atem doesn't want to, but he also doesn't particularly want to explore an awakening that involves mystery anatomy. It's a lot, very fast!

Is he going to have to wear...like...snake pants? None of the other nagas do...it might be weirder, to start now, and draw attention to it...

Oh, Ryou's talking. Ryou is talking about doing whatever they like, and that sounds really nice; Atem is still wrapped around Ryou, and he's feeling warm and restless, he wants to, he wants to...?

No. Nope. Don't chase that. He wants his body to stop doing things without his permission, that's what he wants, that's it.]

...I need to get off you.

[He doesn't want to! His heart protests! So do other parts! His snakes have calmed down and are reaching for Ryou again, but Atem is the mothersnake and what he says goes. He is going to, very carefully, retreat from being on Ryou's chest, and slither the rest of his body over to his side of the bed, too. Shame snake. Atem's not ashamed of the things he means to do, because he's decided to do them, but he is embarrassed by accidentally almost inflicting mystery anatomy on his boyfriend-of-less-than-a-week, who is, if not severely, significantly injured.]

[Ryou nods, and although he's disappointed knowing they can't do anything else anymore, he keeps that squarely to himself. Atem had gone to great lengths to make him happy and comfortable. This is the least he can do.]

Okay.

[He lets his hand fall away, allowing Atem to slither off of him. It's...actually very uncomfortable? Not the slithering, but having Atem's weight shift off of him at all. He'd been happy there, with a snake wrapped securely around him. Now that the weight was gone, he was reminded of everything else. It was almost as if everything they were doing, even the weight of Atem's body, was shielding him from what he knew he should have been feeling.

...He knows that doesn't quite make sense, probably? But it's hard to argue when his wounds are aching more than they had before.]

Nngh! Oww...

[Man, he almost preferred mystery anatomy over this. But maybe that's just his own not-quite-diminished state of arousal speaking. At least his anatomy is behaving! Pain is a buzzkill.]

Sorry.

[The apology's for the pain, but also...he gets the sense that it's disappointing? That he's left? Aaah. The approach seems to be...the more attention Ryou gets, the better, and he prefers not to be brought back down to earth...but he has to be, sometimes. Atem can worry about the practical things, even if they aren't always happy.]

That medicine must be wearing off by now. Is it time to take it again?

[Not yet time to change the bandages. Those stay on another few days. He's keeping track.]

N-no, don't be sorry! You didn't do anything wrong, it just...hurts. You're right, the medicine's worn off, I'll feel better once I've taken some more.

[He's supposed to take it a little more often than this, but he'd slept through the cycle, and that's not entirely a terrible thing.

He's not sure why, but he feels like even though he tried to hide it, his stupid, stupid feelings had been expressed anyway, so he reaches out, because Atem's not so far away from him that he can't reach for his hand. Shade reach is honestly the best.]

You know you've been very good to me since...um. Since we got back. I just wanted to thank you for everything. U-up to and...including what we just did. It's nice.

But...there's other things we can do, you know. Maybe we can find a card game I can beat you at.

[Ha HAAAAAAA sure, Ryou. You keep thinking that.]

[Holding hands is all right. Holding hands is safe! Atem doesn't mention the fact that he's absolutely planning to get Ryou a soul to eat sometime tonight, absolutely not. Instead, talking about maybe playing a game does cheer him up; he looks interested, less down. Atem goes from passively having his hand held to curling his hand around Ryou's, affectionate.]

Heh! Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're gorgeous!

[It is going to take much more than a pretty face to distract him from the sanctity of card games.]

[Ah! No! Not compliments! He's flustered now, and it shows in the color at his cheeks and the pout on his face.]

That's going a little far now, isn't it? I mean...y-you're more attractive than me.

[Gorgeous? Gorgeous? Atem, come on. He's not what The Boys like. Boys don't like pretty soft faces and long (well, usually long) hair, do they?]

A-anyway, I wouldn't possibly try to use any kind of advantage like that! Games should be played for fun, without subterfuge!

[...Someone should remind him who he's dating.]

[Ryou gets a Look at that first bit, a cocky that's not what I think, but the second thing Ryou says makes his face relax.

Because. Yes. A lot of games are not for fun at all. But sometimes they are. With friends, they should be!]

Yes. Yes, we'll play a game for fun.

But first, you've got medicine to take. Are you hungry?

[He means normal food, for the moment. Atem takes a different tone when he's talking about eating people.]

[Whatever way that Atem meant it, Ryou is honestly about ready to say "yes let's eat a person right now." But he's trying to keep it together on that front, so...]

I could eat. But once everything's settled, a game really does sound like a nice continuation, it's not like we have time to enjoy such things half as often as I'd like.

[Okay. Time to try levitating, let's go...let's...yes! Ryou is able to lift himself up, just a bit. Actually, it's surprisingly easy to do so. Maybe the sleeping did help, or perhaps it's the good mood in general.

Either way, he's pleased with himself. Finally, he's being a good shade again.]

...Are you starting to feel a little better?

[More...himself and less weird?]

[He sits up!]

I feel fine!

I can't sit around feeling sorry for myself all night just because something unexpected happened. Not when we're going to play a game...and it looks like you're feeling better, too!

[Look at Ryou go. Shades are very much like ghosts...Ryou not being able to float well was really holding him back. Atem puts a mental pin in, "see how Ryou practices using his powers and maybe help him with it." It could even be fun...they could make a game out of it...]

[Not being able to float, and not having a foot were very difficult. Atem had sorted the former, and...Ryou has a bit of a feeling that, unconsciously, he had helped with the former.

Ryou was contented. Very much so, despite the awkward happenings just prior. For the first time all month, he's felt as if he was somehow made whole, because Atem is here, with him. Romantically? Voluntarily?! It seems to be affecting how his powers act, to be so happy.

He'll take it, of course. He wants to move. He wants to be able to roll weightlessly in the air for once. Actually this is, in fact, one of the few times Ryou's almost completely intangible. The parts of him that are still close to Atem are more solid than the rest of him so that he doesn't cause pain, but for the most part his skin's gone completely black with a almost wispy quality, and his aura's pretty much at maximum, licking up from his edges like a smoky flame.

He's a happy shade. This is apparently what a happy shade looks like!]

Do you have a deck of cards handy? I'm sure I left one on one of the living room shelves, but it'll take a moment to find it.

[As he says this, he floats to his nightstand, taking the pill bottle in hand. He can't put that off much longer.]

[Huh, there he goes...Atem sees Ryou's opacity change, notes the difference in aura, and wonders if there's a correlation with his mood. If so, that's important information...]

Heh. Of course I do!

[He's slept in the one piece of clothing he wears these days -- a hooded sweatshirt with pockets. Pocket space is at a premium, but the important things to keep in there include money, dice, a multitool, and a deck of cards, and Atem pulls that last one out. It's still in one of those small cardboard boxes, so none of them get lost or damaged in a way that a card can be identified by a tear or crease, but Atem doesn't open it yet. He just takes it out long enough to show Ryou that he has it on him.

Really, what did you expect.]

[You know...Ryou probably shouldn't have expected anything different. And yet, he'd asked the most nonsensical question of his ultimate gamer friend. Atem's the final boss. Of course he has cards in his pocket.]

Honestly...I don't even know why I asked.

[Said with amusement, of course. He floats back over to Atem, attempting to peep the deck before it disappears back into its pocket. Any interesting design on them?]

You're always prepared to play a game. Heh! Cards are an easy vehicle for creating games of chance on the fly, aren't they?

[A brief nod! Nothing about the cards is particularly special; it's an ordinary 1950s-style deck, but the design on the back is a little dark.]

Yes. It's important to pick the right game for the right person...but there's plenty you can do with cards. I keep some dice, too. That was how I caught the two Tågevalgten last month...

[Some people carry weapons on them! Atem does! This is what they look like.]

[Look, that's a great design. It fits Atem pretty well, actually?

Ryou nods at Atem's words. It's true that there's plenty to do with cards and dice. He, especially, would know plenty about dice and their versatility. He might even have asked Atem if he preferred to play a dice game, but he's kind of married to the idea of a card game right now, because after having spent so long seeing Atem play Duel Monsters back home, it's been a bit strange having him play anything but card games.

...They're not the same cards but that's not the point!]

Did they cheat when you went against them? You somehow seem to attract cheaters, you know.

[A pause.]

Oh, but not me. I wouldn't dare. To devalue the sanctity of a game like that...well, unless it's written into the rules that someone has to cheat, that's unacceptable.

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, WhiteWizard. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 007.80.751.19 * WhiteWizard has joined 007.80.751.19 <WhiteWizard> Hello, this is Ryou Bakura! <WhiteWizard> Feel free to reach out to me if you need anything. :) <WhiteWizard>** I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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