softspokenlandlord: (Default)
Ryou Bakura ([personal profile] softspokenlandlord) wrote2020-11-18 01:10 am

IC Inbox | [community profile] ryslig

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, WhiteWizard.

FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 007.80.751.19

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<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.
knifemonopoly: (eheheheheheh)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-07 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
What are you doing all the way over there?

[If Ryou's eyes are closed, or he's facing away, he might end up caught by surprise as two hands and two wings reach out to pull Ryou in. Ryou's going to end up lying on one of the wings if he doesn't fight it, and the other ends up slipping between Ryou and the blankets above. It's not fast enough to be a shock, there's no weird monster speed making this hard to fight or something that might spook, and it's gentle enough that Atem's being mindful of how bad Ryou feels physically right now, but -- the person Atem wanted to be there most has been absent for painful reasons for over a week. So as long as Ryou's up for being held, Ryou is getting held.

He usually is. So, as long as it's not so rough it hurts, Atem's not expecting to be pushed away. He'll be careful!
]
knifemonopoly: (we love a bat)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-07 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[He gives a little headshake -- no, not too heavy at all. Especially during the fog. This form is tougher...Ryou's fine like this. Atem's eyes fall half-closed as his face is touched. The sore feelings from the fight are ebbing, scabbing over, well on its way to healing. His face presses lightly into Ryou's hand, and his voice is a low rumble.]

I know. I love you, too.

[He's got no idea how kissing would go with a horrible ear-to-ear bat-maw. Nose boops are about the best he can manage, because he's not Lila, who just fuckin goes for it. Instead, he brings their foreheads together again, getting one arm settled under Ryou's head and the other around his back.

...he really does want to do the catlike face-rub a lot when he's like this, Atem notes. He supposes there's a similar scent thing going on with bats, though his own nose isn't nearly good enough to pick it up. He could hold back, but...something in him doesn't mind being a little selfish right now. So, after a moment of forehead touch, Atem does nuzzle the side of Ryou's face with his own furry one, like an absolutely enormous cat.

He doesn't have snakes to show his feelings anymore, so...Atem has to do it himself.
]
knifemonopoly: (we stan a bat man)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
[The wings' thumb-claws find places to hook onto, and Atem settles back into a chin-tucked forehead-to-forehead rest. His upper hand comes up to stroke Ryou's hair, lightly, very gently with the claws.]

There's so much I want to tell you...but, not now. Today's for resting...

[He exhales the rest of that breath out, and his whole body sort of settles into place, becoming quite literal dead weight. He's not going to move for a good long while if he has anything to say about it -- he's not going to move away from Ryou until he's not this tired anymore.

Cares can and should wait. Sleep now.
]
knifemonopoly: (all the japanese with their yen)

t-t-t-timeskip!!

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
[A couple of days pass by uneventfully.

That is -- they're eventful for Atem, but in a way that's manageable.

He's in and out of the apartment, taking advantage of the fog while he can, but he's usually back before sunup, and Ryou's got an open invitation to be in Atem's room as much as he likes. As he pushes open the door, he announces his presence by immediately breaking into friendly conversation:
]

Well, Black Hat and Handsome Jack didn't make the best murder themepark I've ever seen, but I'll admit it's got a sort of rustic charm.

[Honestly, they warned everyone that it was a theme park of death, which is more than Kaiba did, so aside from Javert being held captive there (not good), Atem feels fairly charitably toward it.]

I'm home!

[He drops a pile of solars on the counter, then pulls a hunk of meat out of a plastic bag -- Tybolt comes galloping up on his big doofy paws -- and starts putting it into a puzzle-toy he'd made in his trap workshop while Ryou was gone. Enrichment.

Now that the fog's just nicely cleared, it shows that, even if he hasn't rested right, Atem hasn't been starving himself, at least. Ryou may already know; offers to share kills were made. No point in wasting the souls of the people Atem's going through in order to prepare a blood supply for August and find Yugi a correct first soul-extraction victim.
]
Edited 2021-10-08 03:49 (UTC)
knifemonopoly: (through the end of the world)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Atem's noticed that there's not much in the fridge in the way of normal person food, but he hasn't thought much of it. After all, while food is fun and Atem likes it, he always feels lighter and healthier when all he eats is blood. Ryou's probably fine.]

No--

[--he says, bending down to put the big tray in front of Tybolt, who starts sniffing around at the sliding panels and levers to pull that he'll have to remember how to work in order to get the meat. Then, straightening, Atem picks up the pile of solars and taps it on the counter, straightening the bill-stack and putting it in order.]

--I won this at the blackjack table. I've still got a life left before I start to lose my memories, but that's no reason to be careless!

[He heads for his room, which means he'll pass Ryou on the way. A few feet away, he turns into a cloud of mist, one that goes up just about to Ryou's height -- and Ryou will feel a quick kiss on his cheek as it flows past him, before Atem reforms inside his own room. He's been working on that trick -- on turning only part of himself into mist, and on making only part of himself solid again. It takes a lot of concentration, but it's possible!

Anyway, what's that combination to the safe under the bed again...?
]
knifemonopoly: (they spin the clubs cruise down the bloc)

cw self sacrifice ideation

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 12:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Atem has no idea how much money that is. It's all numbers, and some numbers impress the guy running the clinic, and some are enough to cover a taxi fare and a good meal and an extra set of clothes which is an absolutely reasonable amount to toss at a newcomer like it's nothing.

This amount gets put away safely, so that he can give a cut of it to the Lighthouse and another bit to the clinic and save the rest for if there's trouble. Atem's biggest expenses (phlebotomy bags) are covered already for the month!

He doesn't intend to lose his last free life to something like a murder park, though, he thinks, closing the safe back up. That life...he's saving it, for in case Yugi doesn't accept eating someone who's lost a game, or who wants their life ended. That life means another month of time to get Yugi out, a kill Yugi doesn't have to feel bad about, since it won't erase Atem, or any of his memories. No harm done.

But, now's not the time to think about that! The safe shuts again with a click, locking away winnings and worries, until it's time to take them out again.
]

I'm not busy at all!

[Atem straightens up and turns around, headed back toward the kitchen, where Tybolt is hopefully licking a metal knob he needs to pull towards him to unlock a sliding panel.]

What is it?

[Gosh, he likes having Ryou around again. Ryou and the little lion they're helping to take care of...they're cute. Atem's mood is pretty good, right now -- he's in for the day, the lion's fed, Ryou's good on souls for now, Javert's been found and helped, all from the same shadow game. It's true that whatever he's about to be asked could be bad, but for the moment, Atem's calm. He'll take calm moments where he can get them, these days.]
knifemonopoly: (do you hold their lives from a string)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[...ah. So, that's bothering him. Atem can understand it; it's easy for Atem to lose track of his own scarring, because he can't see his own back or chest in a mirror, and he rarely looks at the bottoms of his feet. But it's getting to Ryou.]

Well, I don't mind at all. But I don't have to, if you've changed your mind!

[Wheels start to turn, like they always do when Atem is presented with a problem. What's the best approach?]

A scarf might come off, though...or get too warm when you go inside.

[He thinks he's got a solution. Atem knows what made him feel better, when it felt like somebody had gotten at his neck in early March...

He gestures to the buckle-collar around his neck.
]

Want to borrow one of these?
knifemonopoly: (all the bazaar men by the nile)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
It'd get pretty dirty if I wore the same one every day!

[Even if he doesn't sweat anymore, being outside, wearing it around, it gets uncomfortable! Atem can feel when it's grimy. And washing it means it takes forever to dry out. Nope. He has to cycle them.

After eight months here without anyone to do it for him, ​Atem has finally figured out how to take care of his own dang clothes. Thank god that '80s mall popped up in April. Although, actually, working with leather straps isn't that hard when they're trap components, since he has the right tools...Atem could probably make some, if he really wanted.

But that's beside the point!

Yes. He does have extras.
]
knifemonopoly: (all the school kids so sick of books)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah...reminders like that can be hard.

[He gets it.

Yeah. Okay. Time to go get the other collar. Atem heads back into his room, businesslike, talking as he goes.
]

It doesn't bother me to wear it at all! Actually, it makes wearing the Millennium Puzzle a lot more comfortable...but Yugi always thought they looked cool.

[The sound of rummaging, from the bedroom--]

So, maybe this will help make it easier to face mirrors -- ah! There it is.

[Atem strolls back out with a very similar one in hand, nearly impossible to distinguish from the collar he has on. It's buckled, so he's able to casually twirl it around the forefinger it's looped around as he approaches.]
Edited 2021-10-08 18:00 (UTC)
knifemonopoly: (then you pull it back)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-08 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh! There's other kinds at the mall people showed up at in April, if this style ends up feeling too heavy for you. But it should do for a trip outside.

[He says this because there's been a slight change in atmosphere; is Ryou having second thoughts about a completely ordinary fashion statement? Or is it just too much for someone who dresses in a pretty subdued way? They'd better see if he's up for wearing it out, then. Atem unfastens the buckle, pulling the leather strap free, and offers it up to Ryou.]

Try it on, see if it's comfortable.

[If Ryou's not comfortable in it, then it's no big deal, the scarf's probably going to be fine on its own. It's just less of a sure thing! There's not another option, is there? He wonders...]
knifemonopoly: (don't remember what you're asking for)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-09 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
[...it wasn't weird a moment ago.

A moment ago, it was a practical solution, a borrowed accessory, a favor done for a romantic partner going through a difficult time.

Now that it's on, though...it hits Atem that that's a piece of clothing that's his, that Ryou's going to be borrowing, publicly. It feels a little bit like a class ring or a letterman jacket -- Atem remembers those from being Adam. There's definitely something romantic about it, something he likes.

He grins.
]

It looks good on you!

[A playful wink.

It's a smidge off-center, though -- it's hard to get them on straight by feel if you're not used to it! So, Atem reaches up, gesturing for Ryou to lean down--
]

Here. Let me see it.

[Once Ryou's neck's within easy reach, Atem will twitch the choker lightly a few degrees to the left so that the buckle's centered, a gentle correction. Something about the action puts a warm, satisfied feeling in his chest, possibly the closest Atem's felt to what it had been like to hold someone with a snake-tail since he lost the snake-tail in question. Probably just the whole seeing-someone-in-your-clothes thing.

That done, Atem takes another good look at it, now that the collar's straightened out.

With Ryou's shade-coloration, the black color isn't overpowering...this particular choker might be a bit much on a human Ryou without other clothes to offset it, but like this...
]

Yes. It definitely suits you!
Edited 2021-10-09 02:45 (UTC)
knifemonopoly: (some boys are trying too hard)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-09 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
[How's Atem supposed to not kiss him right now? Fingertips, no warmer than the air around them, touch the side of Ryou's jaw lightly, and a warm but brief kiss is initiated -- hopefully, shared.]

I know it's to help you, but it feels like I've just given you a class ring!

[He lets out a quiet laugh. As if there were any doubts about whether this was a steady relationship or not, before this!]

Borrow it as long as you like.
Edited 2021-10-09 03:34 (UTC)
knifemonopoly: (cause these words are knives)

[personal profile] knifemonopoly 2021-10-09 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
[...okay, there's no reason for the idea of buckling Ryou Bakura into a collar to be doing this to him. It is just helping him, because Ryou's not used to wearing things like that, and trusts Atem to do it, and Atem likes that trust a lot, and he's got to stop thinking about that right now.

Atem's probably been drinking too much blood lately, does drinking too much blood make you sensitive to things like that? A blush is rising to his own face.
]

I'll...help you with it as much as you like.

[He really doesn't mind.

Behind them, there's a clatter, as Tybolt gets part of the puzzle open, and some gross wet sounds and some snuffling as he tries to lick the meat out through the too-small gap.
]

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