saoirse7ilysi

[saoirse7ilysi]

Listen up!

You see a post like this? Where OP might hurt/kill themselves? You hit that button that I circled

Hit that.

Click Suicide or Self-harm Concern

Yes.

Fill in the rest of it, and hit submit. The "content you reported" will fill itself in

Tumblr will follow up and help them.

Warning: this is only for mobile. If anyone knows how to do this for desktop, please add it!

This could SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE NOT TO REBLOG THIS.

I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF IT DOESN'T GO WITH YOUR BLOG'S THEME.

And yes, REBLOG. Liking does no shit at all. This isn't ig.

You reblog, people see it. You don't, people don't see it. This shit's that simple.

This could save someone's life. It's not a joke.

[saoirse7ilysi]

I grew up watching this show and I loved it to bits! And I’ve been wanting to get back into it, so watching it with you has been So much fun! I love seeing who you’re enjoying on screen and listening to you just savagely tear apart the card game.

Seeing you flail about when they use a card in the dumbest way possible and yell at the tv that “That card doesn’t do Anything like that!” Has been hella fun! And I knew it would be, so that’s why I asked you to rip it to shreds without mercy. Lmao

I’m excited to see more of it with you and I’m glad we found another means of watching the next seasons, since Netflix only has S1.

Love you, Sissy! And I’m glad you are having just as much fun as I am!

So I’ve been watching Yugioh DM for the first time. Ever. Watching it with my sister @saoirse7ilysi, cause she wanted to see my reaction to the anime. And it is so dumb. So dumb. God.

But I do have to admit, I adore Pegasus. He is such a character, just a delight on screen. I really enjoyed him.

And I love Mai Valentine to bits. She is best character. Fight me. I will die on this hill. Every time I see her I get excited, she’s just the best.

We are on season two now and I am so sad Pegasus is gone. But I’m excited for Marik. This has been my first time actually getting to hear Marik talk, and getting to see his personality. I finally get to experience my favorite dumb bitch.

This has also been my first time getting to hear Duke Devlin talk, and getting to experience his character. It’s interesting.

The card games are dumb as fuck though. That is all for now.

[saoirse7ilysi]

Aaahhhh! I absolutely adore this! ❤️❤️❤️❤️💜💜💜💜

So I wrote another thing for my Puzzleshipping Sphinx AU…

Atem learns the hard way why you shouldn’t let a Sphinx onto your lap during a council meeting. Just a drabble/oneshot, and it’s spicy. You’ve been warned.

Atem listened dutifully to Priest Shada’s latest proposal regarding some updates to a blueprint of a trade vessel. The next topic on the agenda was going to be some routine scout reports to be read off by Priest Seth.

Everyone was gathered around a long low table, the surface covered in scrolls, blueprints, and the occasional goblet of drink. Atem’s priests and council members were seated around on pillows, including Atem himself. He sat at the end of the long table, upon a small mountain of feather and straw pillows, looking regal and for all intents professional and attentive.

Except for the rather conspicuous Sphinx sprawled over his lap.

Yugi didn’t always join him during meetings. Human affairs were largely meaningless and uninteresting to the Sphinx. But today he’d decided to sit in on a meeting, and Atem had allowed it, despite the protests from Priests Aknadin and Seth.

It came as no surprise that Yugi got bored and opted to crawl into Atem’s lap, draping himself over the Pharaoh’s folded legs like a great big cat. And well… half of him was a cat.

For awhile during the meeting Atem simply rested his hands on Yugi’s wings. His fingertips occasionally stroking down the feathers without really thinking much about it. He ignored all the disapproving looks from his cousin and uncle, who no doubt thought having a Sphinx in his lap during a meeting was highly inappropriate.

Yugi was bothering no one.

In fact, Atem was fairly certain he’d dozed off and wasn’t even listening to the proceedings.

When Seth started into the scout reports, was about the time Atem stroked the top of Yugi’s head as if he were an actual feline. He hadn’t even really thought about the action, it was simply an unconscious gesture. The texture of Yugi’s hair felt so nice between his fingers, relaxing, and he found himself petting the Sphinx idly as the meeting continued.

That relaxing indulgence turned out to be the biggest mistake of his entire life.

Keep reading

[saoirse7ilysi]

Strip Me with Your Eyes Chapter 3

[Ch. 1][Ch. 2][Ch. 3]

---

“You what!?” the blonde woman sitting in front of Atem exclaimed at him, standing up as she turned her attention away from her boss. The sudden movement forced Atem back into his own seat.

“Would you sit down, Mai?” Atem sighed, “I’m not finished with your makeup.”

“You heard me,” Ryuji said coolly, responding to Mai’s outburst.

“Atem! You finally decide to do a show,” she growled, “and you don’t even have the decency to do it on a night I’m here to enjoy it?”

Atem rolled his eyes and gestured to the chair again. When she sat back down with a huff, he moved in close once again and resumed his work.

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist,” Marik chimed in from the doorway, “He didn’t even strip.”

At that, Mai shot up from her seat again, making Atem jerk back so as not to screw up what he was doing once more.

“What!?” She threw her hands up, sounding incredulous, “How the fuck do you pull that off?”

“Mai,” Atem held up the eyeliner he’d been attempting to use, “Your makeup.”

“It was more of a fashion show, to be honest,” Ryuji said thoughtfully, twisting a lock of hair around his fingers.

Anzu, who had been silent up until this point couldn’t help but giggle as she set a pitcher of water down on the counter. Seeing that Mai wasn’t about to sit back down, Atem opted to retrieve himself some water as Anzu spoke up.

“Come on, guys, ease up,” she said diplomatically, “It’s not like he’d ever done anything like that before.”

“That’s the point, Twinkletoes!” Mai declared, “We’ve been trying to get him on stage for ages and the night he actually does it? I’m not here and he didn’t even fucking strip?” She turned her ire toward the man in question. “This is a strip club, for fuck’s sake!”

“She’s got a point,” Ryuji said, giving Atem a side glance, “Next time, you’ll have to shed your clothes.”

“Pass,” Atem said casually as he moved to inspect which eyeshadow to use for Mai.

“Pass!?” Mai cried out, “You have got to be kidding me!?”

“Mai, calm down,” Anzu piped in again, raising her hands in a peacekeeping gesture. Mai turned toward the brunette with poison in her gaze. “Listen, if he’s not comfor-”

Before she could even finish the sentence, Marik had reached out to snatch her wrist and pull her from the room. Her startled gasp was all the opening Marik needed to interrupt.

“Shut up. Shut up!” He hissed at her. “You are not ruining this for us!”

With Anzu fallen quiet, Mai turned her attention, once more, toward their talented makeup artist. She planted her hands on her hips and leaned forward until her nose was almost touching his.

“Now, you listen to me, Sweet Cheeks! The next time you step foot on that stage, the audience better get the pleasure of seeing more skin than just that pretty face of yours.”

“Give me some credit?” he responded in a bored tone, “I may not have stripped, but it’s not like I went out there in my daywear. I used one of Ryuji’s vests and your leather pants, the ones that lace up-- We’ll have to adjust those for you once we’re done here--” he cut in with a gesture, “And a shit ton of Marik’s jewelry.”

Mai stood up straight and crossed her arms under her ample chest. She looked down at him, judgement written all over her face.

“He also definitely teased at showing more skin,” Ryuji said, not very helpfully.

“He wouldn’t have even done that if it weren’t for me,” Marik gloated, earning another eye roll from Atem. “Pharaoh just walked out and stood there like a fuckin’ statue.”

Anzu grimaced at the thought and Ryuji did so at the memory.

“Yeah…” Ryuji rubbed at the back of his neck. “That was… That was awkward.”

Mai just blinked at them for a moment before looking at Atem again, who didn’t seem terribly concerned. Then she sighed, sitting back down.

He raised a brow at her and leaned close again to continue working a third time this night.

“It’s a damn good thing you’re hot,” she said, her tone finally calming down after her impassioned outbursts.

Atem hummed as he tried to let himself get lost in his art. Mai was quiet for only a moment before she stood up for a third time, making Atem huff out in frustration.

“Actually, No,” she said, glaring at him once more. “It’s not enough that you’re hot.” She pointed a perfectly manicured finger right at his nose, leaning in close to drive her point home. “This isn’t a fashion club or some random photoshoot. This is Double Spell, and if you have the balls to go on that stage, you better damn well have the balls to get naked for that crowd. You got me, Hon?”

“If I agree,” Atem said, barely keeping the exasperation from dripping into his tone, “Will you please just sit down and let me do your gods damned makeup?”

She blinked at him. Slowly, she did as she was asked, a little shocked that he gave in so quickly.

“Thank you,” he said, scooting in close again.

“Yeah, well, I’m holding you to your agreement,” she said softly.

“I know.”

And with that, everyone else dispersed to tend to their various tasks.

“I also get to see your next show,” Mai added after a moment, a note of her earlier ferocity surfacing again.

Atem chuckled, deep and rolling from his chest. “Believe me, it won’t be anything special.”

“Puh-lease. With a bod like yours, Honey? No one stands a chance.” Her mouth quirked in the smallest hint of a smile, careful not to move her face too much. “Besides, I can give you some pointers if you need them.”

“I might just take you up on that offer, Mai. Just don’t expect me to start pole dancing with you.”

---

A couple of weeks later.

Bakura slid a glass down the bar toward Anzu as he called out to her. She quickly turned and caught the drink before it could fall to the ground.

“Take that to Rich Bitch.”

“You know he’s one of our top funders, Bakura, and he’s here every night. You could stand to show him a little more respect,” she chided, setting the drink on the tray she was holding along with a few other orders.

“Tch. Yeah, sure. I’ll do that the day he sucks my dick,” he mocked, picking up a rag to wipe the counter in front of him.

“Like you’d let him,” Anzu giggled, “Besides, I’m sure Marik would pitch a fit about it.”

Bakura scoffed as Anzu made her way to a private and secluded corner of the bar where a tall, brunette man was seated. He was leaning back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest, all the while glaring at the stage as he watched the current show.

“Here you go, Mr. Kaiba,” she said cheerfully, setting his drink on the table in front of him, “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“Which one of you amatures is up next?” he asked, reaching for his drink but never taking his eyes off the stage.

“I believe after Duke is finished it’s Grave Keeper, then after him I’ll be up, doing the closing show for the night.”

“Fine,” he growled, taking a generous swallow from his liquor, “Now leave me alone before someone notices me at this pathetic place.”

“Sure, sure,” Anzu said as she walked away with a smile, “Real hard to take you seriously when you could have chosen any other club in the city to frequent.”

All she got in response was an annoyed grunt, which made her giggle.

It didn’t take her long to drop off the rest of her orders as she made her rounds, greeting both known and new patrons alike. Confirming everyone was taken care of she shot the bartender a smile and went backstage..

When she stepped into the back rooms she found their resident wardrobe and makeup artist, as well as a couple of fellow dancers. Atem had some leather he looked to be working with while Mai was helping Marik with his hair.

“Hey, Atem,” she greeted, “There's a guy out there whose hair kinda reminds me of yours.”

Atem froze for a moment, shoulders going rigid, before looking up at the brunette. “What does he look like?”

Anzu narrowed her eyes at him, then gestured to the stage entrance. “I can point him out to you if you’d like.”

Atem set what he was working on aside to join her. His movements were slow, careful not to fumble or knock anything over. Once he’d finally brought himself to stand beside her, he followed her finger with his eyes. When she indicated the person she’d been talking about, his breath caught.

It was the cute guy who’d caught his eye during his first show.

“Talk to him for me,” he turned back toward Anzu as he said this.

That caught everyone’s attention.

“I’ll go talk to him!” Mai piped in with a grin.

“Don’t you dare. You’ll just hit on him.” Atem shot a glare at her.

“You know,” Anzu said, resting a hand on Atem’s shoulder, “you can talk to him yourself.”

At that, Atem gently set his own hand on hers before pushing it away. He, then, moved to sit back down where he’d been previously.

“I have a job, unlike you guys,” he said, “I need to finish mending these pants to fit Marik’s tight ass.”

“Hell yeah!” Marik said with a grin, “Damn straight, my ass is tight! Unlike the boss’s loose ass!”

“Hey!” Ryuji—who’d just exited the stage and joined them—called out, “I heard that!”

“You were supposed to!”

“At least my ass gets dates!” Ryuji said as he grabbed a water bottle. After taking a refreshing drink, he continued, “There’s no ‘loose’ about it.”

“Don’t need dates when I got the sexy beast behind the bar out there!”

“Anyways,” Anzu interrupted before they could devolve further away from the topic at hand, “Atem-”

“Not happening,” He said quickly, “Besides, I’m serious. I still have to do Marik’s makeup and he’s insisting on wearing these pants for his performance.”

She conceded with a sigh. “Fine, I’ll talk to him. But that’s it. I’m not getting his number for you or anything like that.”

With that, she left to continue working the floor. She made her rounds, refilling drinks and taking orders. After checking on a few of their more regular customers, she picked her way over to the young man she’d pointed out to Atem.

His table wasn’t far from the stage. He was looking up and following Duke, but at the same time, he didn’t seem to be watching the routine. No, he was focused on something else. Holding an empty glass, he kept tapping at the side of it, almost as if he was waiting for something.

As Anzu approached, she couldn’t help but appreciate his aesthetic. It looked like everything he was wearing was black. His long sleeved, form-fitting shirt had the torso heavily textured to look like there was an extra layer specifically for cut fabric. Its sleeves were smooth and tight all the way down and were covered at his wrists by several leather bracelets and chains. To finish the look, he wore a leather collar with more chains and metal fixings on it.

“Hey!” she called over the music, startling him, “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. My name’s Anzu. Can I get you anything?”

“Oh, uh, Hi!” he said, rubbing at the small hairs on the back of his neck, “My name’s Yuugi! This is only my second time here.”

“Oh yeah? Well, welcome back!” She smiled at him.

“Thanks. Uh…” he hesitated for a moment before glancing at the stage, “Wh-who’s next on stage?”

“Grave Keeper’s show will be starting here in just a few minutes.” Upon seeing his shoulders sag a little, she looked up at the stage. She hummed quietly to herself as she focused on the curtain that led to the backstage.

Putting the pieces together she looked back at Yuugi, who had turned his attention back toward the stage, a mixture of disappointment and longing written all over him.

“Your first time here wouldn’t happen to have been about two weeks ago, would it? On a Friday night?”

Yuugi’s eyes, which looked strangely purple in the low light, snapped back to her, wide with surprise. “Ho-How did you guess?”

“You were hoping to see Yami up there, weren’t you?” She giggled, watching his pale features darken to deep crimson.

“Wh-I-uh-I don’t-” He proceeded to cover his face and groan. Anzu rested a hand on his shoulder to help calm him.

“That was his first show,” she explained. “We were understaffed that night and he covered for the dancer who was supposed to perform.”

He peeked up at her through his fingers.

“Don’t worry, though. It might have been his first time, but it certainly won’t be his last. Keep coming back, and I’m sure you’ll get your chance to see him again.”

Yuugi couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him as he dropped his hands from his face. That sounded suspiciously like a ploy to glean more patronage out of him. But he really did want to see Yami dance again. He looked back up at the stage.

The club’s lights darkened and the ambient music went silent. Everything was still for a beat before the Grave Keeper was announced and a new beat started up. Another moment, and lights focused on a figure, center stage, in a dark purple cloak. Fog flowed over the stage, creating an eerie atmosphere.

After a moment, the figure finally moved and suddenly the cloak flew off of him, thrown from his shoulders to allow his routine to begin.

Anzu watched Yuugi for a moment. He looked despondent. Even a little run down. Something more was definitely wrong than just having missed out on seeing Atem on stage.

“Hey, is everything okay?” She asked over the music.

He looked up at her, a little surprised that she’d noticed, but also a little ashamed that it was obvious enough for a perfect stranger to read him.

“Yeah..” he shrugged, “Just work being stressful, That’s all. I have a big project that I’m working on, and it hasn’t been going well.”

“Aw… Well, I hope things start looking up.” She gave him a reassuring look. “How about I get you a drink? On the house.”

“What!? No, I can’t-” He tried to protest, but stopped when she spoke up.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, “It’ll be on Yami for disappointing you by not performing tonight.” She winked at him. “Now, what am I getting you?”

He tried to protest again, but Anzu shut him down, insisting that it was fine. Eventually, he gave in and she left to place the order.

As she picked her way back through the crowd towards the bar, she contemplated what to tell Atem. Bakura gave her a curious look when she relayed the drink order absently.

This was going to be interesting to watch play out.

-----

[Ch. 1][Ch. 2][Ch. 3]

-------------------------------------------------

I had so much fun writing Mai be overdramatic in this chapter as she got to find out she missed Atem's show. And just that whole scene in general.

Also, We got the club name in this one! Lol

I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! ❤❤

[saoirse7ilysi]

Aww~ I love your description! Thank you for the mention!

Saij’s YGO Fanfic Recommendations:

Oneshots:

Tales from Domino Bay - by NaughtyOrgel

Atem is a flirty Merman, and Yugi is his unsuspecting prey. Until the feels start happening of course. Love this fic. I can’t recommend it enough. Puzzleshipping.

Soft Power - by Actualskeleton

A super cute Boundshipping fic. Characters are written so great. It’s so good it will rot your teeth out from the sweetness. Nothing more to say.

Crescendo - by Kudalyn

Yugi is a Dj and Atem happens to catch one of his sets and just falls, hard. This one is short, but hot, and an absolute treat to read. The writer is super good. And the steamy stuff is excellently written. Puzzleshipping.

His Touch - by Renk3r

Yugi is a little oblivious, and Yami is incredibly jealous and possessive about who should be allowed to touch Yugi. Spoilers, it’s him. A spicy, and wonderfully written oneshot that is sure to satisfy cravings for the jealousy/possessive trope. Puzzleshipping.

Hide and Seek - by Natoya

A fun and steamy Mobiumshipping oneshot. Yugi decides to play hide and seek with Yami and Atem inside the puzzle. But they wager stakes on the game that get downright naughty.

Wizard’s Shop - by CannibalPieChan

Yugi wanders into a wizard’s shop and accidentally breaks a magical golden puzzle. Puzzleshipping goodness. Sweet, cute, and fun.

Multichapter:

Keep the Light Shining - by Clydeside

The best kind of Puzzleshipping. The spooky kind. Yugi gets a job as a lighthouse keeper, and meets a mysterious specter haunting the island. Is the ghost malicious? Dangerous? Or just a drop-dead gorgeous sweetheart? (No pun intended. I lie. Totally intended). The writing style is spectacular. The atmosphere is intense, and the mystery and suspense of the whole story will keep you on your toes.

Bridging the Gap Between Us - by Sitabethel

Bakura gets injured while protecting Ryou and Yugi, and the boys make it their mission to take care of him while he’s on the mend. Except Bakura starts getting the feels for Yugi. A steamy, sweet, and cute Kleptoshipping fanfic. An absolute delight to read.

Strip Me With Your Eyes - by Saoirse_Ilysi

Ryuji bullies Atem into filling in for one of his dancer’s at his strip club. Atem begrudgingly dances, but ends up to catching the eye of one of the club patrons, Yugi. Oh noes, Atem is catching feels. Yugi caught feels. Feels are happening. Feels all around. Also Marik is a delight. Love this AU. Love the story. Puzzleshipping.

Reflections in the Water - by Pyromanicofthesea

Ryou bought a house. That tells you everything you need to know about this story, because if Ryou bought a house you can bet your ass it’s haunted. But WAIT! It’s not just haunted by one ghost. Delightful wonderful cute spooky shenanigans. Not sure where all the ships are going in this fic, but I like the Ryou x YMarik chemistry. And I also like the Ryou x Yugi chemistry. So I can’t wait to see how this one unfolds.

Underwater Chrysalis - by Prettiugli

Seto catches a merman during a deep sea mining excursion, and decides to study him. Because that’s just such a Seto thing to do. Meanwhile the merman, Atem, decides to have some fun. This is a long fic, it gets all kinds of kinky, and is a helluva trip to read. Loved it, from start to finish. Seto is written perfectly. Probably the best written Seto I’ve ever seen. The fic is very Kaiba-centric, so I highly recommend if you LOVE Seto Kaiba. Prideshipping out the wazoo.

The Missing Puzzle Piece to Your Heart - by ThePancake

A canon compliant Ancient Egypt AU. Yugi goes back in time to live with Atem in ancient Egypt after the events of the show. (Don’t think too hard about how this works without disrupting history and time. Just enjoy it.) This story is sweet, and steamy, and spicy, and dramatic. The author is super talented, and writes all the characters so well. And the story was so much fun to read. Reading this fic had my heart doing acrobatics when the angst and drama went full tilt. All the feels in the best ways. So much Puzzleshipping.

Home Sweet Haunted House - by InkFlavored

Because I can never get enough of the haunted house trope. I highly recommend reading this fic if you need more Puzzleshipping ghost fix. Yugi moves into a new place only to discover a golden Egyptian diadem left abandoned inside the apartment. Atem is a spirit tethered to said diadem. Cue the cutest friendship turn slow burn romance ever. It’s an absolute thrill of a read. Sweet, fluffy, but also full of suspense and spooks.

Fuzzy Handcuffs - by Sitabethel

Probably one of my all time favorite Deathshipping fics. With the help of Marik and Yugi, Ryou brings back all the Yamis using dark magic. Yugi gets reunited with Atem, and Marik with Bakura. But YMarik got brought back with no one to love him... unless. The fic is hilarious, spicy, and a treat to read.

Creepy Hide & Seek - by Sitabethel

Bet you can’t tell who’s my favorite author yet. This fic is mostly Deathshipping with a sumptuous side of Thiefshipping. Two of my favorite ships. Ryou figures out how to bring back YBakura and eventually YMarik by playing a dangerous rendition of Hide and Seek. The consequences of playing the game wrong turn out to be much more grave than he ever imagined though.

Red string - by Renk3r

Mobiumshipping perfection. Yami recovers his memories, but not in the way he expected. The memories come in the form of his former self, Atem. And now his soul is split in two. Yami and Atem inhabit the puzzle together, both vying for Yugi’s attention and affection, and neither wants to share. This is hands down my second favorite fanfic. And my favorite Mobium fic. A MUST read.

Playing Card Games is Just like Making Love - by ChaosRocket

Marik recovers the millennium ring, and manages to bring Bakura back. The two strike up a bargain to get what they both want, but their partnership blooms into a tentative friendship, that starts encroaching on deeper feelings. Especially when they start betting sexual favors on card games. An excellent Thiefshipping romp. So many feels, so well written. It’s ruined me for any other Thiefshipping fic. This one set the bar so high.

Silent Mind - by LadyGodess

The Deathshipping fic, that probably got me into Deathshipping in the first place. The OG Death fic. YMarik finds a broken Ryou, and takes him home. The two become friends as YMarik helps patch him up, and Ryou starts to see a different side to the infamous Yami.

Only Mine - by Natoya

Atem, Pharaoh of Egypt, gets a curse cast upon him by a scorned Princess. The curse forces him to become an immortal pleasure slave tethered to a golden box. The stipulations of the curse? To remain a pleasure slave until he finds true love. Fast forward several thousand years to the present, and Yugi happens upon an ancient golden box that just might contain the man of his dreams. This fic is an oldie but goody. A fun romantic romp, with great humor, spicy romance, and indulgent tropes/cliches of the best kind. A very fun read. Puzzleshipping.

Royal Tricks - by L.C.Burrows

Yugi is a prince betrothed to a Princess from a neighboring Kingdom. Atem is King Solomon’s best Knight. When Atem is assigned to train/tutor Prince Yugi in combat, the two begin discovering feelings for the other. Forbidden feelings. Prince/Knight romance. Just one of my all time favs. Gave me all the feels, and took me on the best ride. Puzzleshipping all the way.

Series:

Boundingshipping AU - by Sadistikitteh

Bakura has a huge fight with Malik, and ends up staying with Yugi because he has nowhere else to go. Yugi, the sweet little bean that he is, gives Bakura a place to crash and starts to learn more about Bakura as things get sweet and cute. Then FEELS start happening. It’s so good. And I love this series to death. Boundshipping.

Egyptology Exercises - by Nedjemet

A spectacular retelling of Yu-Gi-Oh! DM, but with 90% less card games and 90% more Egyptology and accuracy. Also it’s Puzzleshipping, and gives you all the wholesome and romantic interactions between the puzzle boys you were longing for in the original YGO. I’m loving this fic, and it really breaths new life and perspective into the series.

~

I’ll update this list as I find/rediscover more fics to add.

[saoirse7ilysi]

Strip Me with Your Eyes Chapter 2

[Ch. 1][Ch. 2][Ch. 3]

-----

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome to the stage our newest addition, Yami, for a very special performance!” The voice of the club’s owner, Ryuji, rang out through the speakers before the music took over, queueing Atem to enter the stage.

After a quick adjustment to his vest and an eyeroll, Atem stepped out from the shadows of the back and into the spotlight. While he was not a very large man by any means, he still stood tall, taking on an almost regal posture. He strode forward and raked his gaze over the crowd before movement at the bar caught his eye.

Marik.

Marik twirled his forefinger over his palm in a signal for Atem to spin. Atem raised a brow before doing as was told. When he’d finished his turn, he looked at Marik once more to see the blonde man recovering from a facepalm. He, then, seeing that he was being watched again, gave a little dance before gesturing at the stage.

Atem glared at him and walked to another part of the stage.

He could see Marik groan before his eyes lit up and he struck a pose, looking up at Atem hopefully.

Atem considered for a moment before he turned his back to the audience and stuck his hip out, allowing the crowd to admire how the leather of his pants hugged his ass just right. He rolled his head over his shoulder to look out at the audience once again and slid one hand up from his thigh to his waist, moving the black leather to show off a little more skin and give a hint of a full color tattoo. His other hand lifted to run through his hair to give it a light fluff.

All eyes were on him. He’d had them stunned into silence at first. No one really seemed to know what to think of the new performer. But slowly, one by one, people began to cheer, placing dollar bills on the sides of the stage.

“Damn!” Jonouchi hollered above the music toward his friends.

“I’ll say!” Honda responded. “I guess it wasn’t such a bad thing that Essence didn’t make it tonight!”

“He’s alright. I like his costume, though,” Ryou called out before turning to their smallest friend, who had yet to be brought from his stunned stupor, “What do you think, Yuugi?”

Yuugi just stared at the man on stage, completely taken in. He strutted and posed more like a runway model than any kind of dancer. But Yuugi wasn’t about to complain. It allowed him to truly appreciate Yami’s attire as much as he did the man.

He wore tight, black leather pants that hugged his hips, ass, —Yuugi swallowed as the man turned once again—and pelvis brilliantly. The pants had laces all along the side of his legs, tied well enough to show off the man’s legs that looked miles long, even with his lack of height.

On his chest, he wore an open black leather vest, allowing the crowd to see the toned nature of his abdomen and the gorgeous bronze of his dark flawless skin. Several gold pieces of jewelry adorned his neck and shoulders as well as his arms and wrists. He wore gold rings on each hand and more gold dangled from his ears.

His hair was similar to Yuugi’s, blonde bangs framing his face with the rest of his hair styled up in tall spikes, black with color on the ends. But where Yuugi had more purple highlights, Yami had magenta. One other difference was a set of blonde highlights that were styled up along the front of Yami’s spiked hair.

His jaw held a strong angle. His lips were turned down in a serious expression. They looked soft, though, despite the severity. His cheeks were adorned with black liner designs meant to draw attention to his eyes. His eyes were a brilliant ruby red. His eyes, that Yuugi could get lost in.

Eyes that were looking straight at him.

Yuugi’s own amethyst eyes widened before he gasped and looked down. Only now did he notice he’d been holding his hand up to his own lips as he’d stared. He brought said hand down to his chest where his heart was hammering against his ribs.

“Are you alright, Yuugi?” Ryou asked him, bringing his own hand up to rest on Yuugi’s back.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Jonouchi asked, taking notice of the exchange.

“No! No, everything’s fine!” Yuugi called to them, still having to compete with the music to be heard. “I promise! Don’t worry about me!”

“You sure?” Jonouchi hollered.

“Yeah, I- I’ll refill our drinks!” Yuugi responded and quickly left his friends to go to the bar. He stumbled around tables in his haste, barely avoiding clipping a few people.

Once he was out of sight and safely at the bar, he took a moment to try to calm his erratic heart. He took deep breaths as he sat down.

“Hey! What can I get- You don’t look so hot. You alright kid?” a voice intruded.

Yuugi’s irritation flared. “I’m not a kid!” he protested as his eyes shot up to meet lavender eyes.

Marik laughed. “Of course not! Akeifa would have kicked your ass out if you weren’t old enough to come in here. He’s got a good eye for fake IDs, too, so don’t even try to argue that point.” He looked Yuugi up and down one more time before adding, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were copying the Pharaoh up there.”

“Pharaoh?” Yuugi asked, irritation instantly vanishing under the confusion.

Marik shrugged. “Just a little nickname I gave him. C’mon,” he gestured at the stage, “You can’t tell me you don’t see it! The man just exudes royal, uppity hotshot!”

Yuugi’s eyes followed where Marik had indicated and nothing more than a breathless, “Yeah... royal,” could leave his mouth.

Marik watched the smaller man for a moment before rolling his eyes. “So, I take it nothing was actually wrong?” he asked.

Yuugi’s eyes darted back to the bartender, before it clicked what was being asked. “No! Everything’s alright! I just needed a moment to breathe,” he called.

“Good! I thought for a moment I’d have to call Akeifa in to kick someone else’s ass out,” Marik said, leaning on the counter. “So, what’s your poison?”

It took Yuugi a moment to realize what he was asking and he chuckled lightly to himself before ordering enough drinks for him and his friends. When Marik finished making them, he set them on a tray and called Ryuji over.

“Hey! Sup?” Ryuji greeted.

Marik gestured at the tray. “You wanna take this to the kid’s table with him? With the crowd, something tells me he’s gonna need some help!”

“Sure thing!” Ryuji turned toward Yuugi with a smile, instantly understanding why Marik called him a kid. Seeing the irritation on his face he picked up the tray. “Lead the way, man! Ignore Marik! He’s got a loud mouth and no filter!”

“I heard that!” Marik’s voice shouted behind them.

Yuugi couldn’t help but laugh a little as his irritation left him once again. “We’re all sitting over here!” he called to the bar owner.

“Ah! That’s Honda and Jonouchi’s usual seat!” he said as his eyes landed where Yuugi was indicating. “You with them?”

“Yeah, They’re some of my best friends!”

“Nice! Well, A friend of theirs is a friend of ours here! Name’s Ryuji, I own the place!”

Yuugi nearly misstepped at that, but was able to keep his balance well enough to lead the rest of the way to his table. “I’m Yuugi!”

“Ryuji!” Honda greeted as he moved to take the tray from him. “Good to see you man!”

“You too! I’d stay and chat, but the show’s almost over and I gotta get back! You guys enjoy!” He offered fist bumps to the two regulars and patted Ryou on the back before shaking Yuugi’s hand. “It was good to meet you! Be sure to come back soon! You look like the type to reel these two idiots in!”

“Hey!” The duo called out as Ryuji made his exit.

---

Atem struck his final pose to the last beats of the music, locking eyes once more with the stranger in the crowd who sported his similar hairstyle. And apparently shared his taste in dark apparel. It was hard to accurately tell, what with the lights being as bright as they were on him.

Lights that promptly went completely black.

That was his que to exit the stage.

Well, that was an interesting experience.

Atem reflected on the show as he sat down in front of the mirror to remove the excessive stage makeup, first pulling his hair away from his face to put into the ponytail he normally sported for work.

Before he could get far into reflecting, however, Ryuji called out to him. “Dude! You did great! Everyone loved you!” Once he’d closed the distance between them he clapped Atem on the shoulder.

“No,” Atem said simply.

That gave Ryuji pause. “But-”

“No,” he said again as he met the other man’s eyes in the mirror, pulling out his makeup remover towelettes.

“What if-”

“No.”

“Only in an emergency,” Ryuji finally got out.

Atem decided to wait and let him finish before rejecting a fourth time.

Encouraged by Atem’s silence, he continued quickly. “If absolutely no one else is available. Tonight, because of short notice, I’ll pay you the triple I mentioned, but any other night I ask, it’ll have to go down to double. But I promise I won’t ask unless I can’t fill the spot. What do you say? Deal?”

Atem considered it for a minute as he went for a second towelette, allowing Ryuji to sweat a little as he finished cleaning his face, being careful of the piercings on his brow and lower lip. Once he was done, he turned toward the club owner and sighed at the hopeful expression on his face.

Ryuji carefully kept his feature’s schooled until he heard that one single word he’d been hoping to fall from Atem’s lips.

“Fine.”

“Yes! Thank you!” Ryuji pulled Atem in to kiss his cheek with another, “Thank you!” and ran off after being shoved away.

Atem rolled his eyes, starting to believe the action was now one of his favorite pastimes and turned to pull his hair from the makeshift ponytail. He brushed it out before putting it back up properly this time.

With that task done, he moved to change back into his casual dark grey cargo pants and black form fitting long sleeved, mock neck shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, allowing the Dark Magician tattoo on the inside of his lower left arm to be seen. On his feet, he kept the black leather boots he’d worn on stage.

He replaced the myriad of gold jewelry with his normal black wrist cuffs decorated with black embroidery that resembled Egyptian hieroglyphs. The black on black made for an extremely subtle design. All of the necklaces were replaced with a single one. A gold chain holding a small gold inverted pyramid that rested just under his collarbones. This too had an Egyptian theme to it, depicting the Eye of Horus on its face. And in his ears, he replaced the dangle earrings for more subtle miniature hoops and cuffs.

Once he was satisfied, he packed up his gear and began cleaning the area, now having the space to reflect on his experience out there.

It wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d thought it would be. In fact, he enjoyed it a little more than he would ever admit. The crowd seemed to enjoy him. And once he’d actually figured out what to do, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as he thought it would be.

Ohhhh… Marik was never going to shut up about having saved the show with that.

Atem silently shook his head at the thought. He could just hear his voice now.

‘If it weren’t for me, he would have just stood there the whole night! No better than a mannequin! At least as a fuckin’ model you pass as eye candy! If it weren’t for me being needed at the bar, I actually would have put on a show! Fuckin’ hell!’

Yup. Just like that. That would be exactly how Marik would sound.

Thinking more about how the crowd received him, his mind wandered to the smaller man who was sitting with some of the club’s regulars. The way that he’d been staring was hard to not notice. However, instead of feeling unnerved or creeped out by it—the way Mai or Anzu had described some of the stares they received—he’d swear were it not for the heat of the stage lights, someone might have caught him faintly blushing.

Atem heaved out a breath as he finished his task and went out to speak with Ryuji. It was time to end his shift, and he was quite ready to head home.

-----

[Ch. 1][Ch. 2][Ch. 3]

__________________________________

I was supposed to post this yesterday! I'm sorry for making you guys wait! DX

I maaay have gotten distracted playing Dnd with one of my friends until after 1 am... >.> <.<

[saoirse7ilysi]

Strip Me with Your Eyes Chapter 1

[Ch. 1][Ch. 2][Ch. 3]

-----

“No.” The man raised a brow at the club’s owner, crossing his arms.

“Please, Atem. If you do this for me I'll owe you big time. I'll do anything.” Striking Green eyes were pinning Atem with the best impression of a pleading puppy that they could manage.

It was an oddly endearing sight to take in. Ryuji Otogi was normally much more composed, though still a little excitable, particularly when it came to implementing new ideas for the club.

The current idea, however, was one Atem was loath to participate in. He couldn’t dance, and he was terrible at flirting. What did Ryuji expect him to do? Go up on stage and what? Stare at the Audience? That would just be weird, for everyone involved.

No. He won’t do it.

He opened his mouth to give yet another denial when he was interrupted before he could actually speak.

“I’ll even pay you double-no, triple for the night! Please.” Ryuji reached over and placed a hand on Atem’s shoulder. “I need you to do this for me. Please!”

Atem stared the other man down for a moment before he sighed, giving into defeat. He lowered his head to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Fine, fine. As long as this doesn’t start a trend. I’d much rather be doing someone else’s stage makeup like usual.”

Ryuji's eyes lit up instantly in his victory and he quite literally jumped for joy. “Yes! Okay, man, no worries! You won’t regret this!” He then ran off to start the needed preparations for the show.

Atem sighed again once he was alone backstage and turned toward the mirror to gauge what kind of stage makeup he would need.

Thirty minutes. That’s how much time I have... Fuck.

---

Once Ryuji had left Atem alone, he breathed a sigh of relief. The night was saved. With Mai having called in sick, he would have had to cancel tonight’s 9 o’clock show. He couldn’t perform, because his general manager was out, and someone needed to be in charge. Marik was the only spare dancer working tonight that wasn’t already scheduled and he was busy tending the bar.

Even if Atem wasn’t exactly a performer, no one could deny that the man was sexy as all hell. And that was what mattered.

As he thought on this, he headed toward the bar to report his success.

“Wait, seriously?” The bartender replied, “You actually got him to agree? How the fuck did you manage that?”

“With a charming smile and my dashing good looks,” Ryuji quipped with a smirk as he leaned over the bar to grab himself a water bottle.

Marik barked a laugh. “If that’s all it took, you’d have gotten him on stage ages ago.” He finished the drinks that he was making and slid them across the counter. “Here you go, Honda.” With a nod, he turned back to the owner. “No. You had to bribe him or something.”

Ryuji chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Listen Marik, He needs a stage name. And don’t give me something dumb.”

“Hey! Malik Blishtar isn’t dumb!” Marik glared at his boss. “I thought it was brilliant!”

“It’s dumb.” He turned to sit on one of the stools and hummed, curling a lock black hair around his finger in thought.

Marik scoffed as he started cleaning his station, “I dunno. You could call him... a Gem! It rhymes! Or… Or Stem! He’s about as skinny as one!” He laughed at his own joke.

Ryuji smacked himself on the forehead and groaned. “You know, the point is to change more than a single letter of the dancer’s name, right?”

“Whatever. You just don’t appreciate my genius.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “Sure. You keep telling yourself that. I’ll think of something while setting up the music. See ya.”

Marik gave a half salute before turning to take another order.

---

Honda set the drinks he’d ordered from Marik on the table and sat down. “Sounds like they’re gonna have a new dancer tonight,” he said.

“Awe~ I was lookin’ forward to seein’ Essence tonight. Dammit!” Jonouchi took his drink, making room for his companion.

“Somethin’ must’ve come up. Don’t worry man, We’ll see her next time,” he chuckled, “Besides, if Ryou’s bringin’ Yuugi, it might be a good thing that this’ll be someone we haven’t seen yet.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jonouchi sipped at his drink before continuing, “Hey, where are they anyway? Weren’t they supposed to be here by now. The show’s gonna start soon.”

“I got a text from Ryou while I was at the bar. He said that they’re on their way. No doubt it took some more convincing to actually get Yuugi to leave his house.”

Jonouchi leaned back in his seat and propped his feet up on the low set table in front of them. “Well, as long as they don’t miss anything.”

Honda chuckled again at that, knowing how bad that would make Yuugi feel. Not because he’d have missed anything but because he’d have made Ryou miss the show. And that would defeat the whole purpose of dragging Yuugi out to begin with.

“Yeah, The poor guy’s been stressed enough as it is.”

“Good thing we made it here on time then, isn’t it?” a new voice piped in, startling Jonouchi enough for the blond man to spill his drink all over himself.

Honda couldn’t help but to burst into laughter and the newest edition chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Jonouchi looked up to see white hair and pale skin. Glaring, he shoved his now empty glass forward. “Buy me another drink and we’ll call it even,Ryou”

“Of course. It’s the least I could do.” Ryou turned to his side, “I’ll order your favorite too, Yuugi, so you can sit and relax.” He gladly took the glass and turned toward the bar, leaving behind a much smaller man with spiked, multicolored hair and black eyeliner.

He gave a shy wave to Honda and Jonouchi.

“Yuug!” Jonouchi reached over to catch the smaller man in a headlock and hauled him onto their couch, ruffling his hair. “Gotta say, we were a little worried you’d chicken out!”

“I almost did,” Yuugi admitted after pulling away enough to catch his breath and fix his hair.

Honda leaned in to bump Yuugi’s shoulder. “We’re really glad you didn’t bail, man. And good news: They’re gonna have a new dancer tonight, so we’ll be more preoccupied watching them than making sure you’re having fun.”

Yuugi blushed, ducking his head as Jonouchi punched the other taller man. “Uh, Thanks?” he said cautiously, watching as the two devolved into lightly wrestling each other. He carefully moved so that he wouldn’t accidentally be caught in the middle of their antics and waited for Ryou to return.

When he did, the albino man laughed quietly at the sight, before setting a tray of drinks down on the table. It was then that the lights dimmed, the music changed and all attention was immediately drawn to the stage.

It was show time.

-----

[Ch. 1][Ch. 2][Ch. 3] __________________________________

Sooo... This was born from an idea that @saijspellhart had shared with and few friends and myself and she told me to file it under ideas that she'll never write. Well, after talking with her about it last night, it got me thinking.

Lo and Behold, This morning I woke up with this scene playing through my head. And I couldn't not write it out.

So I hand out my first fanfic offering into the Yu-Gi-Oh fandom! I hope you Enjoy!

[saoirse7ilysi]

Yes, yes we are. Lmao

I have a bottle of blackberry wine.

There is a distinct possibility I will get tipsy this weekend and wax poetry about how wonderful Yugi and Marik are. Because I love them. And they are the best.

My husband will be in for a ride.

[saoirse7ilysi]

Amazon Unveils a [Horrifying] Fanfic Publishing Platform

Today, Amazon announced the imminent launch of its newest endeavor, Kindle Worlds, a publishing platform for fanfiction. When I read the announcement, I was horrified, then angry, then sad. I want to take a moment to explain why this is such a tragedy.

Read More

[saoirse7ilysi]

Yay! I'm so happy that the appeal went through and you got to have it and be able to share it! I had so much fun creating this! The idea popped in my head and then it wouldn't leave. At. All. Lol

I finished it after maybe a day and a half from when I started it. Which, honestly, right now is a record for my arts that go into as much detail. XD

I love you so much, Sissy! You are the best and I'm so happy you love this so much!

Happy Birthday to the Best Sister a girl could ask for! @saijspellhart, You have been such a joy to have in my life for all these years and it’s been a pleasure hanging out with you and watching you grow and thrive!  I know things have been super hard for you of late, and I’m so, so, so glad to see you happy again!! You are such an inspiration to me all the time and I wanted to do a little something for you in return. So, I drew these boys, really starting to get into it. Lol

Happy Birthday, Again! I wish I could be there with you to celebrate!

[saoirse7ilysi]

Happy Birthday to the Best Sister a girl could ask for! @saijspellhart, You have been such a joy to have in my life for all these years and it’s been a pleasure hanging out with you and watching you grow and thrive!  I know things have been super hard for you of late, and I’m so, so, so glad to see you happy again!! You are such an inspiration to me all the time and I wanted to do a little something for you in return. So, I drew these boys, really starting to get into it. Lol

Happy Birthday, Again! I wish I could be there with you to celebrate!

[saoirse7ilysi]

Eibhleann Cyrus

Nearly three hundred years she’d been wandering through the lands of the Light Realm. While life was never easy in this realm, she did find that it was far more preferable compared to her experience within the Dark Realm. However, there was one difference that continued to bother her in all her years here.

The light realm was, in a word, lonely.

She found that wherever she went, should her identity be revealed, she’d inevitably be chased out or hunted as a monster. A creature that stalks, deceives, seduces, and ultimately kills unsuspecting victims for its own pleasure.

Two hundred and eighty-nine years of this had worn down her patience, but there was still a small part of her that hoped that she would eventually find someone, just one person really, who could look at her and see a friend or companion.

But she was ever cautious, for even in the Dark Realm one did not hand out trust easily. And ultimately, it was better off not trusting anyone. 

Eventually, everyone would stab you in the back.

While there had been a few exceptions to that rule, she was nomadic at heart. And she wanted, more than anything, to learn and experience new things and meet new people.

Unfortunately, things never really went the way she’d planned.

Learning was easy enough, and Scholars on this side were even treated with respect rather than tools for power. Not that that was unheard of, but tools for power was a far rarer sight for scholars than they ever were in the Dark Realm.

However the real challenge for her had always boiled down to the people. 

People were hard.

Meeting someone new always posed the threat of what they would do when they saw her face or her… hair…? Her expectations never seemed to fail her even as much as she wished they did and inevitably…

They always attacked or ran away screaming.

Still, She held on to hope.

___

Eibhleann stood tall as she entered the small village within The Holds. Her hood pulled over her head enough to cover her eyes, her black bodysuit, pocketed belt and thigh high boots hugging her body in the best way to show off her toned figure. She exuded confidence and sex appeal, while also maintaining an air of mystery about her. 

She was here for a purpose. Some five years prior, Eibhleann had stumbled upon this place, meeting someone who piqued her interest. Someone whose interest she had piqued as well. 

He was an Elven man with long ears and smooth, layered hair that was dark in color and was just long enough to touch his collar bones. His high cheekbones, straight nose and sharp chin were smooth and quite handsome and his river blue eyes were kind with a hint of mischief. He stood just over six feet tall and was built for stealth and tracking.

His name was Iolas Ararel and he was a hunter.

When they had first met, he had approached her, intrigued by her mysterious nature, though he did not do so in suspicion as so many others had done. No, he approached her in curiosity. There had been some playful and flirtatious banter between them before she proposed that he find her campsite if he wished to continue their conversation.

And thus began a trend.

She found herself always returning to this village, making her presence known before disappearing into the surrounding forest, waiting for him to find her. The two of them would then talk until the early hours in the morning and she would leave for her next adventure and he would go back to the village to tend to his own duties.

After making her presence suitably known, she left once again to make camp nearby. She would have thought about staying in the inn, however the tight knit community of this place led to a common suspicion amongst strangers. The citizens were never outright hostile, however, as they began to recognize her over the years and the trend that had started between her and Iolas, they felt more and more that she was not to be trusted. 

She would over hear snide comments of why she continued to come back and that she had something sinister planned. Asking what she was hiding and why, accusations that she planned on stealing their best hunter away.

She didn’t really care about them or their comments. All that mattered was the opportunity for her to visit her friend. 

A gentle smile crossed her features as such a word entered her mind. 

Her friend.

She’d missed being able to call someone that. The ever present loneliness of her travels no longer tainted her days as her travels were now stories to share with someone.

Once she found a suitable spot to make camp, she set up and settled down. It was mid-afternoon. Iolas would not arrive until evening at earliest. 

Time sped by rather quickly with the help of a book she’d recently obtained detailing stories and legends of world known heroes and their adventures. She always found herself particularly enjoying reading about the exploits of The Crimson Jasione and her Knight in Shining Armour, seeing where the stories exaggerated things and where they got details wrong. Of course, it was also always fun to add to the stories that she already knew of them as well.

“Hope that book’s not more interesting than I am,” said a familiarly smooth voice. 

Without looking up, Eibhleann responded in a bored tone, turning the page that she’d been reading, “Only if you happen to be more interesting than heroes of old.” He smiled. “It’s been a while, Eibhleann.” “That depends on your sense of time.” She finally set the book down and inclined her covered head in his direction. “How are you, Iolas?”

“Eh,” he said as he bent to make the campfire, “Same as always: bored. Hunt game for the town, clean it, sell it. Repeat.” He looked up at Eibhleann once again, “We both know your stories are far more entertaining than mine.” “That may be so, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to know.” “Bullshit, You’re just being polite and you know it.” He chuckled.

“Me?” Eibhleann asked, raising an eyebrow, not that he could see it under her hood. “What in the hell ever gave you that idea?”

“Oh, right, sorry. I forgot, you’re the most badass bitch to roam the lands. None can expect you to be polite. Yuck.” He rolled his eyes.

Eibhleann smirked.

“So, are you going to tell me about your latest adventure or not?” Iolas blew on the embers that he’d created while he waited for her response.

“No, I don’t think I will.” Eibhleann teased. Without missing a beat, Iolas pulled a berry from the pouch on his side and flicked it at her and Eibhleann caught it before it could smack her. She eyed it for a moment, before tossing it in her mouth to eat and telling him about her most recent story..

Iolas finished with the fire and pulled some meat to start cooking dinner while he listened to Eibhleann’s tale, only interrupting to ask the occasional question.

Once dinner was fully prepared and cooked, he moved to sit close to her, offering her a plate. She easily made room enough for him without moving away, wanting to hold his presence at her side as she accepted his offer. 

She continued her stories even as they finished eating and he leaned into her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her closer to him, still listening intently. Eibhleann easily let herself rest against him. 

By the time she’d finished telling him of her adventures, Iolas was playing with the hem of her cloak while he held her against him and she was watching in mild interest.

“Tell me why I can’t join you again,” He said quietly at the end of her tale. His voice was soft  next to her ear. He moved as if he wanted to nuzzle against her hood, but stopped himself before he did. By this time, he knew better. As much as he wanted to, he knew not to touch the hood itself.

She sighed. “We’ve gone over this.” “So, go over it again.” “No.” She sat up, turning toward him. He was reluctant to let her go, but did anyway. “I’m fine travelling on my own, and… There is a lot that I don’t tell you about. Enough that. Well,” She looked at the ground, her voice going soft, “Travelling with me is a lot more dangerous than you might think.”

He reached over to take her hands in his. “Eibhleann, I don’t care about the danger. I can take care of myself. You know that. You also know that, in part, it’s the danger that appeals to me. I’m bored out of my mind here and…” he reached up to gently touch her face, “...I want to stay with you.”

Her hand came to rest on his wrist, gently pulling it away. “You have no idea what you would be walking into, Iolas. I… I can’t put you in that position.” She pulled away from him completely and wrapped her arms around herself. 

Iolas moved to kneel in front of her, gently taking her arms so she wouldn’t turn away again. “You wouldn’t be. I would. Please, Eibhleann, let me come with you. I don’t know how much longer I can fare only seeing you for a single night at a time.” She looked down at him, her eyes and face still hidden within her hood before she shook her head. “You don’t even know what I look like. How could you trust me?” “What you look like doesn’t matter to me.” His hand came to her chin, his thumb gently stroking her cheek “I already know that you are beautiful. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Her heart stopped for just an instant. Was that…?

“Please,” he whispered, pulling his hand back down to her arm.

She slowly set her hands to rest on his cheeks. Her heart dared to hope, dared to dream, that maybe, just maybe, this was what she’d been seeking. This man who knelt before her. 

She leaned down to softly press her lips to his for the very first time. He took in a deep breath, his grip on her arms tightening just so before she pulled back, ending the kiss. 

“Okay,” she whispered against his lips. Then, she stood up and moved toward her tent, leaving him by the campfire. Just before she entered it, she turned to face him once again. “But first you have to get your affairs in order. I’ll be gone by morning, but I’ll come back in a month. We’ll leave together then.

His whole face lit up but before he could rush to her for another kiss, she’d disappeared into her tent, a clear dismissal. She listened as he put out the fire and ran back in the direction of the town.

Being alone once again, she questioned herself. Was this truly a good idea? 

___

Over the next month Eibhleann thought long and hard about Iolas and what was to come. She was so distracted that she found herself chased out of two towns before she hid herself away in a cave. 

Even as much as he said he didn’t care what she looked like, she knew that merely by the nature of travelling with her, he’d eventually find out. And she was afraid of how he’d react if she didn’t come clean to him. Especially considering the fact that by travelling with her, he would likely be accused of being a monster by association. People would think him evil just as they thought she was. 

The very thought of telling him scared her, though. And she didn’t know how she would or what she would say. She didn’t know what to expect when she did tell him… because ultimately, she had to tell him.

How would he react? What would he do? What would he say? Regardless of her fears, she knew one thing: She was not going to start their journey together under a veil of deception. 

When the month was finally up, she went to the same spot that she’d made camp on her last visit. This time, however, she kept her things packed and ready to go while she waited for him.

As the sun was setting, she heard the rustle of underbrush that signalled Iolas’s arrival and she took a deep breath.

It was time.

She turned in his direction and as he sped up to embrace her, she stopped him short, holding her hand up.

“Wait,” She said. Her voice was quiet but determined. It held the authority that halted any attempt to argue. “I will not take you with me without telling you the truth first.” 

Iolas pulled his brows together, “Eibhle-” “Please. Iolas, it would not be fair to you to start our journey without you knowing what you are walking into. Please don’t say anything until I’m done.” She waited until he agreed before she continued. 

“I am not what you think I am,” she said slowly, “I’m not from here,” She gestured around them, “The Light Realm, that is. I am not human, nor elf, nor anything else from here. I am” Eibhleann took another deep breath, “I’m going to take my hood down so you can see with your own eyes what I am.” She paused.

As she reached up to grasp her hood, she froze before doing what she had said she would. “Please. Don’t react,” she requested, her voice small.

Once her face was revealed, her gaze stayed glued to the ground for a moment before nervously meeting his shocked expression. After maintaining eye contact for a moment, she continued.

“I am a Gorgon. Where most have hair, I have snakes. Yes, they do carry venom. No, It is not deadly.” Her breathing was shaky.

“I came to the Light Realm to learn…” And she explained herself and her story. She told him of her scholarly ambitions and how they would be used in the Dark Realm. She told him of her hopes and of her concerns. 

And after a while… She stopped talking. 

She watched him carefully and was not surprised when his shock did not disappear and his confusion did not let up. 

He stared at her, unspeaking and unblinking. 

When it was clear that he had no words and no response, Eibhleann pulled out a talisman from her bag. “I’ll give you time to process what I’ve told you. If you decide that you still wish to join me on my journey, you need only write to me. This” she set the talisman on a nearby bolder, “will deliver the letter directly.” She straightened and took a step away. “I’ll understand, though… If you decide that this is too much. If you choose to hate me… I’ll understand. You merely need not use the talisman and you’ll never see me again.”

With that said, she took her bag and left the clearing.

___

Eibhleann sat in front of the fire of her campsite, working on replenishing her talisman supply. It was getting late and she was going to turn in for the night once she’d finished. She found it mildly difficult to focus while her mind was miles away.

A noise brought her from her thoughts and before she could react, a letter dropped in front of her, landing right on top of her notebook. She stared at it for a moment before slowly setting her pen down to take the letter. 

Her talisman was neatly attached to the folded paper. 

Iolas

It had been nearly six weeks since Eibheann had come clean to him. She had been prepared for a long wait, for that wait to stretch into eternity. But that had not stopped her from still hoping that he’d eventually send for her.

And here, letter in hand, that hope swelled. 

Slowly, she turned it over to open. In elegant handwriting, she read his summons.

Eibhleann,

I write to you tonight with thoughts of the woman that I’d gotten to know over these last years. I think on all of those nights that we spent talking until the sun rose. I find myself longing to have that once again.

I know now, no matter how any of this plays out, everything has changed. And I know that it would still be the case had you not revealed yourself to me. 

I would like to ask you to return to the meadow where we last parted. I’ve had the time that I needed to think things over and figure out what it is I wish to do and how I’d like to proceed. So, please, whenever you are ready to talk, I’ll be waiting patiently for you.

Iolas

She dared not breath for a moment as her heart pounded in her chest. He was asking for her return. Did this mean that he’d decided to remain with her? Or did he merely wish to talk? 

Either way, she found herself relieved. Relieved that he had sent for her, that she didn’t have to wait. She was surprised that he hadn’t taken longer to make his decision, but her heart was full just knowing that he had. And his decision was to see her again. 

Even if it was merely to have one last conversation to say goodbye. 

With that, Eibhleann put her things away and turned in for the night. In the morning, she’d set out once more to the familiar forests within The Holds.

___

The sun shone through the break in the forest’s canopy, washing the meadow in a brilliant afternoon glow. Eibhleann stepped through the underbrush, taking in the familiar sight of the little clearing. 

She spotted Iolas pacing through the short grass on the other side, relaxing at the sight of him.

“Iolas.”

He stopped at the sound of her voice and looked at her. “Eibhleann.”

She started toward him, but stopped herself when he raised his hand.

“Wait. Please.” His voice was quick at first, but then it softened. “I… Please remove your hood. I’d like to see your face… before we talk.”

Eibhleann was quiet for a moment, taking in his request, before slowly moving to do as he’d asked. She looked to the ground, afraid to see his face just yet. Once her hood rested fully upon her shoulders, she allowed her eyes to meet his.

He took a step forward and his shoulders seemed to relax when she mirrored his movements. When he spoke again, it was quiet.

“I’m relieved that you came back.” He took another step.

“I’m relieved you sent for me.” She followed his lead.

“I couldn’t not… It…” He watched her as she matched once more. 

Upon the moment her foot made contact with the ground on this third step, a flash of magic from a paper talisman engulfed her and her body froze, unable to move. She was nothing more than a living statue. Her eyes widened as he seemed to relax. 

She’d been trapped.

“It wouldn’t have been right,” he continued, his voice growing more confident as he spoke. 

“Iolas, wha-”

“To let you go free. To let you prey on another small village.”

“What are you-?”

“What did you think was going to happen, Eibhleann? That I’d just let you disappear? What was the plan?”

“Please, Iolas, you have to-” Eibhleann tried to get him to listen, but he continued to speak over her.

“To pick a small village, seduce their best hunter away from them, and take control of it once you’d killed me?” He continued to move closer to her, his posture grown more threatening by each step.

“What? No! Please, just listen. You don’t understand-” 

“Oh, I understand plenty. You’re quite cunning. But I won’t let a monster like you harm anyone else.” At this, he pulled out a dagger closing the distance between them. Tears began to build in Eibhleann’s eyes. “Who knows how many countless others have fallen to your trap.” Through all of this, he’d kept eye contact with her, allowing her to see that he believed every word he spoke. 

“Iolas,” She near sobbed, “Please, you don’t know what you’re talking about. That wasn’t it at all.”

“Enough,” Now, standing right in front of her, he gripped her face, covering her mouth so as to prevent her any further talking. “I’ve heard all I need from you.” 

Despite his hand being in the way, Eibhleann still tried desperately, the tears in her eyes finally spilling over.

His gaze softened just so, as did his voice. “Don’t worry, I’ll make this quick.”

He lifted the dagger to her throat.

She closed her eyes, a sob escaping her once more.

His muscles tensed, ready to slice right through the skin of her neck.

She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze.

He froze.

Try as he might, his muscles would not move, the magic in her eyes finally released after she’d held it back for so long. He was frozen, just as she was, staring into her eyes.

Blood trickled down her neck.

“What is this?” he demanded, enraged by the unexpected turn of events. “What have you done to me?” 

The fact that his hand was still held to her face angered him further as she was rendered unable to answer his demands. Despite this knowledge, he continued to question her and as his frustration built, his voice grew harsh and his words unforgiving. He watched as she cried, still unable to escape him.

When the tips of his fingers and his toes grew numb and began to turn grey, fear entered his gaze. 

“What’s happening to me?” Panic laced through the fury in his voice. This was not how this was supposed to go. “What are you doing? Fuck! What is this? Bitch, answer me!” 

Her tears soaked his hand as she watched him turn to stone at an excruciatingly slow speed, as she listened to his terrible words all the way until he could no longer speak. 

Neither of these hurt her more than the pure hatred in his eyes when, finally, it was over.

The meadow was silent save for her own voice as she screamed in agony into his statued hand, frozen by his spell.

As time remained as still as she, her sobs slowly died along with her heart. When, at last she was released, she removed herself from his grip, careful not to cut her neck further from his dagger, she took several steps back and let the last of her sorrow give way to anger. 

“A monster, huh?” She mumbled under her breath. Then, with conviction and determination rising within her, she gazed once more at the statue that was once the man she’d loved. “I’ll give you a monster.”

With that she picked up a nearby fallen tree limb.

When she left the clearing, it was barren save for rubble littered across the ground.

-----------

So, this is the backstory of my current Dnd Character. She’s tough and sassy and just an all around badass bitch. But she also cares more than she’d ever like to admit, and she loves far deeper than even she is aware. I love her so much and I have so much fun playing her. 

We’ve been on a bit of a break over Christmas, and I really can’t wait to play her again here in a couple of weeks!

[saoirse7ilysi]

You know, christians are pretty fucking annoying. But sometimes there are cool ones with a sense of humor. these are the cool ones with a sense of humor.

[saoirse7ilysi]

Yeah, I saw that as soon as I hit send. Lol

For the Video game Asks, how about R? P.s. Love you Sissy!

I just answered R in a previous ask, Sis! You can check out my answer there. But thanks for the ask anyway. Love you too.

[saoirse7ilysi]

Indy! He's so cute! I love him!

I doodled a teen version one of my characters in a hoodie. 

His name is Indelatio, Indy for short. He’s part of a desert race known as Sandcats. This little guy lost his parents due to an attack by sandmen, then his tribe abandoned him because of famine when he was five years old. He was found and adopted by Kadie, (a mercenary adept in the sword,) and she took him in to train him as her apprentice. Another attack by sandmen results in his right hand becoming messed up, and unable to wield a sword with it. He works twice as hard to train his left hand to be his new dominant, because he doesn’t want to let his adoptive mother down. He suffers from abandonment issues, trust issues, and places a lot of value in found family. 

[saoirse7ilysi]

My mother says that fanfiction doesn’t count as reading because “it isn’t nearly as good as the stuff that’s published. You’re not going to find something online that will win a Booker Prize.” Please reblog if you count fan fiction as reading, or if the fanfiction you’ve read is equally as good as published novels. I want to see the figures.