softspokenlandlord | IC Inbox

[...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.]

Yeah...um. Yes, I'd like that very much.

[Wait. Wait a second is...Atem blushing? Is he pausing between words? Oh???

Look the fact of the matter was that Ryou wasn't trying to be forward at all. But somehow it had come off that way, and now that he has this information presented dead center, right in his face...he's not sure what to do with it. Should he say something? What do good boyfriends do?!

F...flirt? Ryou's bad at that! He can't flirt his way out of a paper bag!

He is, thankfully, very much saved by Tybolt finding a tasty surprise. He glances at the little lion and laughs. It is...an awkward laugh that has a small percentage to do with how amusing Tybolt is being.

He straightens up, crosses his arms, and focuses on Tybolt's progress.]

Oh, look! H-he's figuring it out!

That's an intricate contraption. I didn't realize you were getting so good at these kind of things. Y-you built it, right?

[Whew, okay, it's very easy to cool off when gross animal noises are happening close by. Atem's not sure he could think about whatever weird trust thing he'd been imagining a moment ago with that going on over there. Head: cleared.

The flush on Atem's face fades, and he sticks his hands in his pockets.]

That's right! I might not care much for going to school, but learning useful skills is different...

He's almost there. He's just got to hold down that part on the side with his paw to get those slats out of the way.

[Tybolt is licking, and licking, his little tail swishing back and forth. Whyyyy, why can't he get itttt, he can smell it, he can get little licks of it, but he can't get itttt.]

[There's a vague thought in the back of Ryou's mind that maybe he shouldn't have let the opportunity go to waste...but he overrides it easily because Tybolt's licking noises are very distracting, and he looks so, so determined.]

Has he figured this one out before? You'd think he would remember if he has...

[Ryou shakes his head in amusement though, at the other thing Atem had said.]

Learning useful skills? Come on, there's useful skills in school. You just have to quit looking at the academic side and focus on the fact that high school was basically a bully hive that you had to navigate through. Even the teachers...

[Ryou's not saying this just because he was told stories of what the others had needed to deal with. Once upon a time, he had housed a pretty terrible bully, to put it as kindly as he could. And besides...]

The gym teacher...he wasn't very kindhearted was he?

[Ryou toys with the ends of his short hair a bit.]

Suppose he got a little bit of what he wanted after all, not that he'll ever know.

He has. But only once! He may not have realized it was important to remember...

[He laughs.]

I'm sure it'll come back to him. When it gets too easy, I'll have to raise the difficulty level!

[If this keeps up, Atem's lion is going to be able to, like, open safes. Disarm bombs. Rob tombs.

Atem looks away from the lion and up at Ryou. The gym teacher who threatened people he didn't like with crew cuts? Atem vaguely remembers the guy, though Yugi had avoided him pretty successfully after their first encounter.]

...no, he didn't. What he wanted was to make the way you wore your hair look less nice. So, the joke's on him, because that's not what happened at all!

[He's definitely overindulged on blood. Atem feels much too close to a living human teenager. Usually, he can give that kind of compliment with breezy ease, sincere but only so affected in the moment. But, right now, Atem's having trouble looking away. Between his collar and the hair-toying, it's...

...

...

Tybolt presses the lever. The slats keeping him from the meat retract, and horizontal spikes pierce the meat near the bottom, holding it in place so that Tybolt won't pull the whole thing out and drag a hunk of bloody human flesh all over the apartment.

Tybolt happily chows down into what had been Beauregard Perdue II, a hobbyist drug kingpin who'd pushed around youth shelters for the thrill of it. Get fucked, Beau.]

...oh, he got it.

[Ah, shit...that's a compliment. Not just any compliment, it's one on his hair. Ryou immediately feels a rush of heat rise up to his face. This is not how it's supposed to go, he misses his long hair but now...he's not terribly affronted that it's growing slowly. The way the ends curl due to their natural feathering, skimming just above his shoulder line...

Atem likes it? He...really does? Well, Ryou knows he does because he'd commented on it before, but hearing it every once in a while still has that effect on him, because his hair is something that's tied firmly to his self-esteem.]

Th...thanks. That's really, um. Nice of you to say.

[At any rate, being complimented is a fine distraction from the uncomfortable twist in his abdomen reminding him that he hasn't eaten a normal meal in a while, at least. Among...other things.

He glances at Tybolt just to break eye contact, but he's still obviously Very Affected by the nice words.]

H-haha. L-look at him go.

I mean it.

[This whole atmosphere is weird, not in a bad way at all but in a way where....where, something's going to happen, he feels, if he lets it.

So, Atem...Atem makes a decision. Casually:]

Now that he's got it, I'm going to go get cleaned up. It's nearly sunrise, and I still smell like the gambling-room of a theme park of death!

[Ha ha ha ha he's absolutely not going to get into bed smelling like this, with the lingering scent of blood, fear, smoke, and carnival bar still on him. He's gotten fussier about how he smells, since he came back from being a child. Smelling bad can be tolerated, but only when there's no other choice.]

[Thank goodness...Ryou swallows hard, then nods.]

Y-yeah that's. I should, uh. Go make the bed or something, I was resting earlier so it's a little disheveled...um. Also I have to make sure all the stuff I was working on is lion-proofed before...well. I mean...

I'll wait for you.

[A little bit of separation will help him cool his jets, and then they can go to bed. Ryou hadn't even realized how late it was, actually. The days blend when you decide against going outside and also live your life behind blackout curtains.]

[As Atem hits the showers, washing a night's worth of dark games, gambling games, sampling modern beer, and taking care of his people and his lion off of his skin and out of his hair, he considers the question of showing how he feels, so that the people he loves know, even when he doesn't have snakes...and not taking something that's meant to help and making it uncomfortable.

He can walk that line, of course he can, and not that the feeling he got from Ryou was discomfort, exactly, but...

He turns the shower water a little colder.

Atem thinks about other things, too, as he steps out into the bathroom, drying his hair with the towel. He thinks about how both Ryou and Tybolt have him in a more predictable rhythm than he used to have. The lion has to be fed and walked, and rest's become something to look forward to instead of a frustrating necessity. Even if Atem's out most of the night, it's nice to spend days in the same place, talking about what's going on, what he's seen.

He'll need to pick a time to ask Ryou for advice on getting Yugi to consume a soul. He's got until mid-month, Atem figures, before the meter's in the red. Another week left, before...

He shakes his head. Nope. Not going to think about that, not now. It's pushed aside, as Atem pulls on what he usually sleeps in, which is a compromise between Yugi-brain full pajamas and recently-restored-memory-brain why would you sleep in more than you had to. An undershirt and boxers is the most comfortable halfway point for him right now. Let's see, what else -- brush teeth, comb hair out so it dries right, this routine's gotten easier the longer he's done it but gosh it was a pain the first few months -- and he'll pick up Tybolt's empty puzzle tray and wash it out in the sink, give the good smart boy a nice little scritch on his cute little head, then head back into his room, ruffling his still-damp hair back into place with one hand. He'll drop his dirty clothes into a hamper, then head over to the bed to hang the Millennium Puzzle on the headboard, where it usually lives when Atem's asleep.

He's calm, he thinks. Cooled off from a shower and cleaning blood out of a cat toy. It'll be fine, he won't make a nuisance of himself if he isn't wanted -- he'll be able to approach with a level head.]

[While Atem's showering, Ryou keeps himself busy doing exactly what he said and lion-proofing his work area. Paint and brushes are put out of reach of Tybolt, or at least somewhere that he has no inclination of expending effort to get to. Papers and other important odds and ends are stored away. Keeping busy has been his only lifeline in all of this, which was why he'd been able to manage a quick turnaround for the gift he gave Mukuro. He's happy to do whatever it takes, honestly. It keeps his mind from wandering to places it shouldn't...even if it does happen anyway.

However, keeping busy while Atem is showering serves a different purpose this time--it gets Ryou's mind off of the fact that he's wearing one of his boyfriend's articles of clothing, and that his boyfriend was also eying him prior to taking a shower. The implications are certainly not lost on him.

Or...maybe that's just how he feels. Maybe he's just projecting, because ever since he'd revived and healed, he's wanted nothing more than to curl around Atem and not think about anything. When Atem's out and about...Ryou either works on his Monster World board, or lays in bed doing nothing. Nothing sucks, but...he's still having problems processing anything besides "nothing." It reminds him of when he felt no emotions after taking Atem's death, actually. Every emotion he put on now was like a veneer over what he was really feeling. Slightly noticeable, but mostly covered up.

But with Atem...the veneer was opaque. Thin as gossamer, and it wasn't just because Atem could read him. No, it was because Ryou genuinely felt happy around him. Even regarding Atem though...there was something hidden far past the surface, down into the core of his being. Guilt. Sadness. Hurt. Those were not emotions he touched or lent credence to until he was alone.

Like now. Because after making up Atem's bed...Ryou doesn't know what to do with himself. So while Atem's getting dressed, cleaning the Millennium Cat-Puzzle and loving on Tybolt...Ryou was in his own room, staring at everything and thinking. A terrible pastime, thinking. He shouldn't...because the thoughts hurt. The feelings hurt. The memories...are agony.

Once he's certain that Atem's wound down, Ryou finally shuffles from one room to the other. He doesn't poke his head in yet though, instead trying to lead with a little levity.]

Are you decent?

[Said as if he actually believes Atem would wander the apartment indecent.]

[As he's hanging the puzzle on the bedpost, Atem calls back toward the door.]

That's a matter of opinion!

[If Ryou is going to kid around, so is he.]

Ha ha.

[Ryou finally does enter the room. His outfit did not change because uh. He's been home all day. He did all the self-care stuff before Atem even arrived, and he's going to sleep in pants tonight.

~~What do you mean you can't sleep in pants? You can totally sleep in pants.~~]

If you weren't decent, I probably couldn't stand to be around you for as long as I have, to be honest.

[All of the negativity that had been swirling in his mind is pushed away as he moves in close behind Atem, wrapping too long arms around him and pulling him close. Ryou just...wants to be close right now, even if he's too tall and it probably looks and feels silly. Shh, boyfriend time.]

I know we've been living together for a while, but...it's still funny seeing your hair after a shower.

[Seriously. Can nothing hold it down?]

[Absolutely nothing. Not even being dunked in Domino Bay flattens it. All it does is make the bangs Atem's gotten pretty good at getting to stand up flop down in front of his face, like they did before Steve showed him how to fix them up in June. This hair isn't magic, just ridiculously thick.

He relaxes into the hold, one hand coming up to rest on one of Ryou's wrists.]

Living together means that you see a lot of things most people don't!

[Asking Ryou to move in with him...Atem hadn't realized how close they'd end up getting. It'd just been a logical move at the time. He guessed they'd get along, and live together well, and it'd mean Ryou wouldn't be crashing somewhere that wasn't good for him, something that mattered enough to Atem to act, after being friends in the other-Ryslig, and after their talk when they got back.]

What's funny about it?

It doesn't change shape, really. It stays in place, even when it's wet. Well...except for the bangs. But that's understandable.

[His fingers curl in a little, giving Atem a brief, gentle squeeze before finally pulling away reluctantly. He feels...warm. Not the same way as he had before Atem had freshened up. No, he just feels satisfied with the fact that they're coexisting in the same space.]

I'll admit that I always imagined it was product, not your actual hair defying gravity.

Well, it's not held up with magic, or it would have flattened out when I arrived, like the front part!

[Talking about mundane, light stuff is fine. This is good. This is nice. This is--

He turns around as he's lifting the blankets out of the way to get into bed, and he spots that the collar is still on Ryou's neck. It really does look nice on him! It's a cute accessory, but it can't be the most comfortable, and he's completely failed to forget a single offhand comment involving bells made during a combined birthday-nameday party for four months.

If it's.

If it's uncomfortable, Ryou can take it off. It's possible taking it off would be more uncomfortable, since right now it's comforting him about the scar that happened when his head was bitten off, Atem, be considerate of other people's deaths. Some people sleep in collars to cope. He did, when he woke up with what he thought were bite marks on his own neck.

So, instead, he keeps the conversation up, as he climbs into bed.]

I guess whatever happened to it when I was alive changed it permanently, instead of it being an ongoing magic effect...

[They had discussed his magic hair as children.]

Edited 2021-10-10 03:00 (UTC)

[Ryou fortunately remembers that conversation. He's a little embarrassed that as a child he'd been such a nosy jerk, but in fairness to him, Atem had been a bit bratty. And...actually, it wasn't so bad. They ate noodles, they took care of each other, and they ended up being friends again.

It was nice to know that even without a preexisting connection...they could still come around to each other.

As for the collar, he doesn't want to take it off yet. Much like the pants, the collar represents something protective right now. Plus, he has to get used to it anyway, right? It'll be okay. It's not even that uncomfortable!]

Hmm. You did mention something about the Puzzle--er, the Pendant? That's what you called it, I think.

[The memories are still fuzzy around the edges, but Ryou's not interested in focusing on the fact that he can't remember everything. It's fine...

He lets Atem settle in, then with the same amount of hesitation as usual, he slips into bed as well. He'll probably never get fully used to it. Atem gets into Ryou's bed with him like he owns it. Ryou? He's leasing space for at best eight hours, don't mind him.

He's getting a little better though, he doesn't have to be encouraged to roll on his side and scoot closer.]

[Good, because Atem wants to face him and hold hands. He takes hold of Ryou's and brings their clasped hands up to the pillow, folded between them.]

Yes. Touching it was what made my hair change.

I was looking for something to play with, and I thought I could use it as a top, like the spinning kind...I had no idea it was dangerous!

[Ryou smiles, because he loves how easily he can keep this kind of familiar contact with Atem, even during conversation. Dating's wild.]

It's understandable that you wouldn't know any different. Some of the Items have an interesting feel to them. I...erm. I used to...toy with the spires of the Ring when I was younger.

[Wow! That is not the same!! Ryou backpedals from that statement because it really doesn't match up to Atem's experience.]

...Actually that's silly, that's not--it isn't the same, it's not as if the Ring changed me physically just for touching it...

No, I think it is pretty similar. We were kids, and we didn't know any better...we didn't know we could have gotten hurt! Most children do something like that at some point, I think...

[No reason to backpedal. Also, Atem's not going to bring up the gross shit he remembers seeing where the Ring was underneath Ryou's skin. If that's forgotten about, it can be consigned to oblivion.

Instead, he takes his other hand and puts it on top of Ryou's, not content with just the one.]

[Ryou tries very hard not to think of his first possession, and for the moment, the memories of the Ring under his skin aren't something that comes to mind. But uh. Hey, good job never imposing that particular body horror tax on Yugi, Atem.

Because a certain Ring-Spirit certainly did. Surprise.]

Well at any rate...at least your hair suits you. I like it.

[When Atem grips his hand more securely, Ryou grins, all pointy teeth and yet somehow very soft. He brings his hand up, just enough that he can lean down just a bit and kiss the backs of Atem's fingers.]

...The Items are dangerous. But if I didn't have mine, I wouldn't have ever had the opportunity to meet you. So...I'm happy about that at least.

[He never really notices that he still speaks about the Ring as if he possesses it even now. He doesn't want it, but it had been such a constant in his life that...sometimes he forgets.]

[Atem likes his hair, too. Something about it feels right; he has no inclination to change it, as set in this is how I look as any ghost. He's completely secure in how it looks, even though compliments on it are few and far between.

But this compliment from someone he loves, simple and sincere, pulls a smile out of him, a warm one, that only gets warmer when Ryou brings their hands up to his mouth to kiss them. It makes Atem feel again like, if his heart is made of cool metal most of the time, then this touch is warming it, promising to make it soft. He's charmed.

One of Atem's hands, the kissed one, pulls away from Ryou's so that he can run the backs of his fingers over Ryou's cheek.]

I'm glad we met, too.

[The fingers brushing the side of Ryou's face turn over, catching him just behind the jaw and nudging him forward, so their foreheads can touch. They really were born three thousand years apart...them meeting seems impossible, but now that it's happened, Atem doesn't want it any other way.

Speaking of impossibilities--]

Though, I really did think you were going to come back with me to Egypt. I was going to take care of you, make you a companion...and make sure you got to hold a duck! Heh heh.

[He had behaved like an absolute brat at the start. But the spoiled little kinglet had come around, and ended up caring very much, enough to hold both Marik and Ryou's hands on the way back from the fight with the monster.]

[Ryou's eyes half-close, illuminating a light dusting of darker gray on his cheeks because...he never, ever expected this. Ryslig was hell, and he probably deserved it, but what he didn't deserve was Atem. Every single one of their friends would probably give him the most owlish looks if they knew, because Ryou Bakura? Atem could probably have done better.

(none of his friends would think that. maybe)

...Ryou drops that line of thought because it's sad, and he refuses to be sad around his boyfriend. He should be happy. Grateful! Don't be stupid...instead, he shakes his head a little, because as a child, Atem really did have some big ideas in his head.]

You were just as sure of yourself at that age as you are now, I think. It was cute...even when you thought I was misleading you about not being a magician.

[He pauses, trying to sort out if he wants to say this or not. It seems...cruel to say it. But it's the truth.]

...I think I would have liked it if that could happen. I wish that I could go with you, somehow. It would have been nice, I think, to become friends, see the ducks, and spend time together. As children, or otherwise. It was nice getting to know you as a child, though perhaps you were far more sociable than me.

[He edges around the meat of his answer, talking about ducks, being children, all of that. But what he was really most focused on was the thought that he would have liked to be at Atem's side. If they go home, past the Sea of Stars meant to prevent them from going back, then...in the end, Atem would be gone forever, and Ryou would be left with the memories of something he could never have.]

Y-you know...I would have...liked learning magic and serving a purpose for you. I'm not magic, not really. But just if I could. H-haha.

[He leans in a bit, kissing the corner of Atem's mouth, because he wants to be affectionate, not overbearing.

"I would have liked being yours."

Those are the words in his heart that he doesn't wish to speak.]

[A thumb runs over Ryou's cheek; there's a light smile left behind, as Ryou pulls away from that kiss.]

I'd have liked to have you there. Not just to serve a purpose -- though I'm sure you'd pick up heka well! But, to have you as somebody close to me.

[Atem scoots a little closer, smiling. He has good news, about not being magic. He explains what he's remembered in a low, conspiratorial tone.]

Anyone could learn it, you know. The school for it was hard, and it involved a lot of difficult hieroglyphic work...but, it would have been possible for you to become a magician!

[The picture might not be quite as rosy as Ryou is thinking, but...what else is a fantasy for? Fantasies don't have to have bitter realities like the beatings students got, or how there is sand in all the food. They can just be nice.]

School? Heiroglyphics? Sounds like I'd have to work extra hard. I'm not that bookish.

[Though to be fair, he's a little more bookish than some of his other friends.

Ryou leans into the touch a bit. This conversation is nice. It makes him feel like he's working out his role in a game, and honestly, that's about the most comforting thing he could do in a situation like this.]

I'd learn it to help you, though. I know you don't mean for me to just be useful, but I think we both know a king couldn't just have a pretty face that didn't contribute--

[And then, all of a sudden, he pulls a look of false surprise.]

--unless the pharaoh intended to collect an oddity--a white-haired male concubine? That's terrible of you!

[He would never, ever say that to anyone else without an immediate flush rising to his cheeks, but somehow, Ryou feels perfectly alright teasing Atem like this...unless Atem reacts negatively in which case Ryou will promptly vanish from sight, but he's hedging his bets on the fact that around each other, they could be more lighthearted.]

[Ryou Bakura, he has seen the guidebook for Monster World. You are bookish when you care about what the book will let you do, and you're not afraid of a lot of fiddly details and math. On top of that, Atem thinks, Ryou's used to making small things that are representations of others...that's what sympathetic magic calls for. His skill set is very suited to heka.

Then, Ryou cracks that joke, and Atem's eyes widen, a flush creeping up his face for a moment. Ryou--! Really!

But it only takes a moment for Atem to recover from the surprise of a comment that mischievous, and a second later, he's bounced back, leaning in and grinning.]

Definitely not! I wouldn't collect an unusually beautiful concubine--

[He pushes Ryou onto his back, following so his head and shoulders are above him.]

--and keep him hidden away nowhere important. No -- you'd be a king's-wife, by my side! And I'd be the envy of everyone who saw you.

[One of his fingers runs down Ryou's nose, a playful stroke from the bridge to the tip.]

Unless you'd prefer a quiet life away from the court. But we wouldn't see each other as often, then.

Edited 2021-10-11 11:56 (UTC)

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.

IC Inbox | ryslig

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passes u 400 words of domestic garbage

cw depression...?

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