softspokenlandlord | IC Inbox

[Ugh, stop. Stop being kind to him it's so unfaiiiir he owes Atem so much. But he doesn't want to waste the meal in front of him by letting it cool off, so he does finally pull away. One hand lifts, and padded fingers start toying with his hair shyly.

He's not blushing, you're blushing.]

Y-you're right, I shouldn't waste your efforts.

[He takes a deep breath, wills his tail to calm down even though he is definitely very happy, very spoiled, and only then does he move to take a seat. It's done carefully, allowing Atem to either pull away or double down on the tail around his ankle.]

There's some for you, right?

[Because Ryou is, if nothing else, extremely polite. He can't just sit here and eat this without Atem having any, can he? Even though...demons don't need to eat people, and this is very obviously well-cooked sinner made for Ryou's dietary needs.]

[Atem unwinds his tail and slides into a chair on an adjacent side of the table, so they're sitting close together. His legs are crossed, but it's casual, not poised; he's practically draped over the dining-room chair.

He pulls an apple out of a fruit basket that's also on the table, but not necessarily meant to go with the person steak, and polishes it on a sleeve.]

Oh, I'll eat some if you want to share it! But don't worry about me. I've told you, I don't starve myself!

[He has been snacking all day. How does Ryou think Atem made it without eating the human himself?

I've never needed to eat human meat, but I don't mind it...the Tägevalgten tricked me into it in Rota, and after that, it hasn't really seemed like a big deal...

[Monch! He takes a big ol bite outta the apple. Very easy with such sharp teeth.]

I 'id 'ake a li'le -- [swallow!] -- to make sure it was good.

The Tagevalgten...I'm glad not to have seen anymore of them. It wasn't right that they would feed newcomers human meat, it's not as if they've changed by that point.

[Ryou doesn't linger on that though, instead focusing on his breakfast because he has been pretty excited to try it. He takes hold of fork and knife to politely slice one of the sections even smaller than it already is (even though he probably doesn't have to, he's a werewolf, what is he doing), and take his first bite.

...

...

Oh, if he was a shade, his eyes would be positively glowing. But that's alright, because his ears can carry the work there. They flick straight up as Ryou's eyes widen. This...this is really good! It's tender and juicy and perfect!!

The tail that had been stilled long enough for him to sit is now twitching uncontrollably and he's trying not to let it wag so it doesn't get him into trouble with his surroundings but this is so good. SO GOOD?!

Once he's done admiring the flavor...Ryou less-politely shoves another piece in his mouth and chews.

What did he do to deserve such a perfect boyfriend? He can't even speak, it would disrespect this delicious food...but he does hum his distinct approval anyway.]

Heh heh heh!

[The approval comes across loud and clear, even though Ryou isn't saying anything; good, Atem's glad. He's pleased as punch that it worked, and he's going to munch his apple as Ryou works his way through the meal, taking a hunk of bread at some point, too. He's just using his hands, it's fine, they've been clean for cooking this whole time.]

If you like, I'll show you how to do it. But don't go making it all the time, or I'll have to figure something else out, for when I want to impress you, or say "sorry"...

[His tail undulates lazily behind his chair, a calm, pleased back-and-forth. His demon ears don't move much, but currently, they're pricked a little bit forward, paying attention.]

[Ryou is not responding immediately, just as sure as he's not taking his time eating. Not all of his manners have gone out the window, he's still using silverware and not making a mess of himself like he might have if he was eating raw human flesh, but...he's definitely stuffing his face.

Just, you know. With a tiny bit of class.

He takes a pause after a minute or two to respond to Atem though. It would be rude not to!]

Mm, I'm not sure if I could bear to do it.

[He doesn't sound sad about it, but there is honesty in it.]

I know...I know it's silly, but having something like this prepared for me is okay! I don't mind it! B-but I wouldn't want to take part in the, um. The procedure.

[Feeding instinctually as a werewolf was one thing. Properly excising a cut of meat for something this nice? He isn't sure he could take part in that process.]

...Is that weird? I don't want you to think this isn't delicious and I wouldn't eat it again, of course. It's really great!

[Which is why he samples another piece. There really aren't many left.]

Great enough that if I did switch my feeding type I'd have to bribe you to cook for me more often.

Heh.

No, it's not weird at all. It's like the difference between a crime of passion and a murder in cold blood...

[One of them takes more willpower than the other. All it takes to commit a crime of passion is to get carried away, but to do something premeditated, to cut up meat that had once been a person...

...he doesn't think less of Ryou at all for not being capable of the latter.]

...but if we didn't have monsters who could butcher corpses, the soup kitchen wouldn't be able to operate. The ones who can tolerate it make things easier for the ones who can't...

[He's just thinking out loud now, distant a moment, then comes back to earth.]

If you switch your feeding type, you won't have to bribe me at all! Just ask. I'll do it for special occasions, too...only, since I asked you out during a fog, I might not be able to guarantee it on an anniversary!

[Whoops.]

Yes, you're right...maybe some monsters here are terrible, but there are just as many who are willing to help others by making this kind of thing palatable. Especially to new arrivals.

[Sometimes...there are things here that revive Ryou's faith in the good of the community. The soup kitchen didn't need to exist, but it does...to help people.

He picks up another piece of people food and brings it to his lips...then pauses. Wait.]

Ah...a-anniversary? H-haha, I never really thought...much about having an anniversary.

Is...he a bad boyfriend?! When was their anniversary?! He's going to have to backtrack...!!

But for now, he doesn't draw attention to it. Though he is a little blushy at the thought that they might, at some point, reach a year of dating. Things in Ryou's life are fleeting, he finds. But he'll hope for that kind of outcome. He'd do whatever he could to still be with Atem in a year!]

You don't have to worry about that anyway. It's just as likely that I'd be stuck in in my fog form than anything else, and such a meal would be wasted even if you weren't stuck in yours.

[...Unless Atem intended to roast an entire human on a spit. Yikes.]

[Ryou, do you know how many moves ahead Atem plans? Of course it's possible they might break up at some point, but, on the off chance they don't, annual dates are important!!

He leans his chin on a clawed hand, the one not waving the apple core in a dismissive gesture.]

Of course, it'd be better if we weren't here in another eight months...and you didn't have to eat any part of a human at all.

[Maybe they'll be back in Domino, or maybe in a different world entirely, something beyond Ryslig's borders, a place the vortex opened to.]

Maybe there's another kind of meat that cooks similarly, that I can make for you instead. I'll worry about that when we come to it!

Oh! That's easy, actually. Human flesh is supposed to have a similar taste to pork. Some ancient cannibalistic cultures refer to it as "long pork" and so I imagine it cooks much the same, although it does remind me a bit of beef too, in the way it cuts. I'm no expert though, so...

[Ryou Bakura how do you know that?

If he's asked, it'll take a moment before he answers, because he's finishing off his breakfast now.]

Edited (deletes extra spaces) 2022-01-01 01:09 (UTC)

[No, Atem doesn't even ask.

He just accepts that this is one of those weird wonderful little things Ryou Bakura knows, because he's fascinated by the morbid and grotesque. It'd be like asking Atem how he knows the earliest dice were the heel bones of cows and sheep. They're both kind of like this, and Atem is very fond of it.

He grins, his smile irrepressible as he reaches for the bottle of wine, running a claw around the foil.]

Pork it is, then. At least, that's what I'll try first.

[He sticks a claw into the cork, then twists his finger to pull it out with a little pop! A dash gets poured into a glass on Atem's side of the table, and he raises it in Ryou's direction.]

Here's to getting out, and getting to make this again, out of a real pig, instead of a metaphorical one.

[Ryou swallows, then smiles back, a soft, unashamedly smitten look. He really had expected Atem to be surprised or put off about how he knew about that, but sometimes...just being accepted for the strange person that you are is deeply comforting.

He feels more at home by Atem's side than he could ever have felt back home. That should bother him...but right now, it doesn't. He's happy. Happy enough to reach for his own glass of wine--he'd been debating which drink to take, but now he's more certain--and he raises it as well.]

You cook the meat, I'll make the sides. Between us both, I think we'd put together quite a feast.

[They'll figure it out. Together.

...And there goes his tail again, swaying from side to side in the universal wolf expression of happiness. He doesn't even bother to control it.]

It sounds like we'll have a lot of food! Would you like to invite our friends to this feast, or should it be just us?

[He's just idly fantasizing now. Wouldn't it be nice, to be out, to throw a big event, to have everyone he cares about there...]

Hmm, it has been a while since we've hosted a party, hasn't it? Not since Yugi's arrival, I think.

[Ryou takes a long sip as he mulls it over.]

I say...practice with each other first...then throw a party later. I'm alright with it, I rather enjoyed throwing that last one.

[Even if afterwards he was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch. It's fine. He was fine, because everyone else had a good time!]

Well, you know how I feel about practicing with you.

[There's something lascivious in how Atem says it. Atem, please, Ryou just woke up, don't hit on him this early, even if it's like 8pm for you.

He was never this bad when he wasn't a demon.]

[Good thing Ryou didn't go in for another sip because this wine tastes way too nice for a spit-take. His shoulder fur bristles and his ears flick upward though as he makes a very strange noise of...what, embarrassment??

Uh! Sir!

It's the morning sir if you were going to be this way you should have led with that before breakfast!]

That...that sounds inappropriate!

[Yeah no shit, Ryou.]

Does it? Oh, dear.

[A very unconcerned sip of his drink.

Then, something occurs to him, and a very controlled mask comes down to hide a sudden burst of playful energy.]

How terrible, I've embarrassed you over breakfast! That won't do at all.

[There's a note in his voice that Ryou should be worried about. He's going somewhere with this.]

I'll have to make it up to you.

[...Ryou is not a fool. He knows when he's being baited into a response. But also...how do you even respond to this? How does one respond when their boyfriend is being absolutely saucy in the morning. Hell, he hasn't had enough time to switch gears from "that was some real good person steak" fully.]

You don't sound very sorry about it...

[Safe answer??]

I'll have to show you, then.

[He crosses to the refrigerator, opens the door, and pulls out a pastry box.]

That I'm properly repentant!

[He sits himself on the table next to Ryou, his tail deftly twitching out of the way.]

Luckily, I already had these...

[He opens the box.

It's creampuffs.

Do you need dessert for breakfast? Yes, when you're spoiling your boyfriend. Atem doesn't hold the box out yet, though, just sits on the table with his legs crossed, thoughtfully.]

You like them, right?

[He actually doesn't know. Atem got them because they were sweet and bitesized.]

[...What? What?

There's absolutely no way that Atem is just that lucky. He had to have asked the Ring-Spirit or something. He must be playing coy! But...it doesn't stop Ryou's eyes from practically shining with interest, nor does it stop his tail from wagging wildly behind him.]

I love them.

[Said like someone who has clearly been presented with their favorite food. Atem may as well have proposed to him, the way he's looking at those creampuffs.]

[...oh, good. Nailed it.]

Then, here...

[He holds one out between two claws, in front of Ryou's face.]

I'm very sorry for making inappropriate implications over breakfast. Please accept my apology!

[Ryou doesn't even hesitate. He leans in, gently snags the creampuff in his teeth, and tugs it out of Atem's fingers greedily. No games, sir. He is having that treat, at least the first one anyway. Any games that follow thereafter will be considered.

wagwagwagwagwag

...The intimacy of this isn't lost on him. He definitely likes said intimacy, and he certainly enjoys being spoiled to death. Besides, he'll pay it back anyway, he's good at showing his appreciation! Or he likes to think he is anyway.

He hums as he chews, which bleeds into that deep-in-his-chest happy noise that Atem seems to be able to pull out of him effortlessly. Once he's swallowed the dainty little pastry, he licks his lips in an overly canine motion that hardly fits his mostly-human face.]

I suppose I can forgive you...but if you'd like to bribe me further, then I have no complaints.

[Give him another, please!]

[...oh, he definitely thought Ryou was going to use his hands.

...

...he definitely likes that Ryou didn't.

They've swapped who-can-hear-whose-heartbeat this month; Ryou will hear Atem's pick up, which should help clue him in to Atem's change in expression, mostly around the eyes. Interest, intrigue, focus, a widening of the pupils, a softening of usually-hard lines.

Yes, he wants to play with this a little longer.]

...you deserve at least one more.

[A second creampuff is held out, but this time, it's touched lightly to the outside of Ryou's mouth; the pressure is feather-light, so as not to crush the pastry shell, but there.

Why does Atem want to watch Ryou eat it? No idea. He just does -- he's a demon, and not in the mood to question or deny.]

[Ryou would have left it well enough alone, but he hears the tempo shift in Atem's heartbeat, and one ear even rotates forward to confirm. Black and gold eyes shift, glancing into black and red. Hmm...

When he's offered another creampuff, he takes a moment to consider what he's going to do here. Certainly...he's going to eat it. But there's something different about this offer, as if Atem's taunting him with it.

So they are playing. Well, why not? This is a stay-at-home date, and Ryou's starting to come around more. The sleepiness is finally clearing out of his head, and as he becomes more alert, he tries to figure out how he might turn this on its head.

How can he take Atem by surprise?

...

Ryou's tongue flicks forward, and he scoops the creampuff slowly into his mouth, the flaky pastry making a satisfying crunch between his teeth. Then, for good measure, he licks the crumbs from Atem's fingertips, all the while maintaining eye contact.

Well?]

[A haziness crosses Atem's eyes, a lowering of lids and a softening of focus that Ryou's pretty familiar with by now. Ryou's being checked out pretty shamelessly; Atem breaks eye contact first, gaze flicking down to watch Ryou's tongue flick over his fingers.

The initial idea for these was, small bite sized dessert, easy to have only a few of in case Ryou's too full of human meat to finish anything else.

The idea now is a much less collected, I'm going to put another one in Ryou's mouth and he's going to like it.

The fact that his heart's going harder and his cheeks are burning is noted and ignored. The heat from the, what, half a glass of wine has gone directly to them, giving the skin a redder flush, hot and alive. It's not embarrassment, or self-consciousness, or awkwardness. He's just really into giving Ryou this food and Ryou accepting it, and isn't questioning where any of this is coming from.]

Mmm. Another?

[As long as Ryou doesn't say no, a third creampuff comes out, pressed to Ryou's mouth. This time, the pressure is firmer -- still not enough to break the shell, but if Ryou's mouth opens, Atem's going to push it inside with a clawed finger. His expression as he watches this happen looks like he's inches from either kissing Ryou, climbing into his lap, or both, and the only reason he hasn't already is because he hasn't decided which one he wants to do.

Normally, Atem's a champion at not making things weird, but not this month.]

[This is not how Ryou expected it to go. But upon further thought, given that his boyfriend's currently a demon who doesn't give a single fuck...he really should have thought it over before teasing him.

Then again...this is a date right? Not even a public one, just a stay-at-home date with good food, someone he loves...and his favorite treat, which apparently Atem now might have an idea of.

As for what Ryou has an idea of...well. He can hear the racing of Atem's heart, he can see that he's being looked at less-than-innocently...all of it is makes Ryou want to ride this out. And yet, when he's asked if he'd like another, Ryou has the decency to look shy about it. One foot goes over the other, wolfish nails scritching at the side of one long ankle because yes he's aware of what Atem's doing but that doesn't change that Ryou himself is a shy person.

But he doesn't say no, and the creampuff is pressed to his lips. He doesn't hesitate to part them (Atem will one day learn that Ryou will food coma himself unrepentantly), fully expecting to take a bite and instead having the creampuff pushed into his mouth completely. Oh...oh, Atem's watching him.

Ryou averts his gaze, clearly flustered as he chews slowly on the creampuff. This is...hm. He likes it. He...really likes it. His tail agrees, it's not just wagging at this point, it's raised, and his ears are angled forward attentively.

He swallows, perhaps a little louder than he means to...then finally speaks.]

...I have the distinct feeling...that you are not sorry for what you're doing right now.

(no subject)

knifemonopoly - 2022-01-11 14:55 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

softspokenlandlord - 2022-01-12 07:28 (UTC) - Expand

IC Inbox | ryslig

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

not me gettin lost in art all day. :P

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw extra credit cannibalism

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i'm so sorry.

SHIBE BONK. HORNY JAIL!!!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

technically sfw but they're making it weird

maybe a liiiittle less sfw but still not terrible

g-rated kink itt, cw sexually charged profiteroles, these nerds, i swear

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

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.