#No matter where Atem is

[secondchxnceduelists]

Doesn't matter that he can always see his Guardian Angel every night, today was a "special" day, even if for the wrong reasons. So he's here at his gravesite, a fresh bouquet of flowers to set upon.

"Hey there, Beloved. I hope the gods have been treating you well so far. I'm doing well, as you know, just..." Breathe in. Breathe out. "I know you don't want me to blame myself for what happened, I just... wish I could have done more."

@sennenpharaoh

Of course, though Atem didn't know it, Joey heard every word he spoke. He wished he could show himself during the day, as he heard those soft words. Though after several long moments of thought, watching in silence, he moved to have a conversation with one of the Gods, a gentle request to send Atem a sign that he was listening. Though he couldn't go there himself, the Gods listened and with a warm smile, decided to grant this small request he had made.

Within a few moments, as Atem stood beside his grave, a little Golden Sparrow fluttered down to land upon the head stone of Joey's grave.

Tilting its head, the bird gave a gentle flutter of its wings and warbled softly to the former pharaoh as if to say, "I'm listening. And I heard you." Perhaps not a blaring sign of his beloved's attention, but a sign nonetheless. He could only hope Atem would understand as the little bird gave a soft hop or two, inspecting the man he loved so much before flying up to land peacefully upon Atem's shoulder, settling there with a soft chirp.

@sennenpharaoh

[shinayashipper]

Making stuff for PuzzleJune is just my excuse to make heartbroken Kaiba stuff heh 😌

Fun part is if I'm going for post-canon, I can make dead!Yugi stuff <3 and it might be Fun and Games at the Duat with the Puzzleboys- but the people left behind.. HEHEHEHEHEHEH *rubs hands evily*

[x-puzzlejune-x]

PuzzleJune 2024

Welcome to PuzzleJune 2024: A Love Forever in Bloom!!

As usual, this month is all about creative freedom that celebrates the special and unique relationship between Yugi Muuto and Pharaoh Atem. Whether you want to share a story of them in the context of canon, or put them in an alternate universe where happy endings abound, we want to see your work! We love to celebrate his special love with poetry, fanfiction, art, or whatever you want to express your admiration of their relationship.

We want everyone who wants to participate to express themselves freely. Doing a prompt every day is not required. You can do one prompt a week, one prompt for the whole month, or maybe pick and choose which prompts you want to use for your creative works. Maybe you want to use multiple prompts for one work. No matter how you go about it, we want to see it, whatever it is! However you want to celebrate is great! This month is all about coming together to celebrate our favorite puzzleboys.

When you post to social media or Ao3, please use the following tags: #puzzlejune2024 #puzzlejunebloom So that others can find your work.

Also for Ao3 users, please post your fanfiction works to the following collection so that readers can enjoy these works for years to come! https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PuzzleJune2024/profile

Special thanks to @hikariandyamiblog and @cloudsmachinations for this year's prompts. Thanks to @wisyhana for the beautiful art.

Happy creating! And happy PuzzleJune!

[bakawitch]

tw: murder, character death

Au where tkb is a serial killer and kills Ryou because his father is the leading investigator on his case, and he's trying to get to him, but Mr Bakura genuinely doesn't care, and doesn't even notice that Ryou is gone. Doesn't even recognise the body, nada.

So this kind of pisses Ryou's ghost off. He starts haunting both his killer and his father, but tkb is pretty much unbothered by supernatural mayhem, and his father is too sceptical to even suspect paranormal activity. Things only get worse for Ryou when his body gets identified. His father's reaction is even worse than he expected, his friends who had to find out his murder from the news are the ones who got his funeral set up and his father couldn't even be bothered to attend.

Furious and overwhelmed with emotions, Ryou decides to take them out on the serial killer who caused his death, but he ends up discovering that tkb can actually see him. They come to an agreement that no matter what, they're not going to let Ryou's father be the one to discover tkb's true identity and make the arrest. So Ryou becomes a reluctant accomplice to tkb. While actively helping him evade police, he's also trying to drop clues for a junior investigator named Atem, who seems to have been personally affected by tkb's killings.

Might end up being weird ass enemies to ghost lovers gemshipping

[yu-gi-poll]

FINALS!!!!!!!

Monster Stats & Propaganda Under the Cut:

Kuriboh is used by Yugi Mutou/Yami Yugi. Its stats are the following:

Attribute: DARK

Level: 1

Type: FIEND / EFFECT

Effect Type: QUICK

Effect (according to the anime): "During your opponent's turn, at damage calculation: You can discard this card; you take no battle damage from that battle (this is a Quick Effect)."

ATK / DEF: 300 / 200

Propaganda:

Turn 18 of the duel between Kaiba and Yugi in the Duelist Kingdom arc - INFINITE KURIBOH WALL.

There's one part in Duelist Kingdom (when the rules didn't matter) where the Kuribohs multiply and there's an endless amount of them.

He's cute.

Have you seen this adorable fluff ball?! He's adorable and will take a hit for you because he loves you.

It's just a small, fluffy guy. One that Yugi and Atem used destroy many an opponent, an example of how even a monster that seems useless can be used to topple an opponent. But mostly I'm submitting him because he's a small, fluffy guy. Very iconic, even if it's not the strongest monster.

In my opinion, he's the mascot of DM. Of the whole series, really. That's why there's on in each series. But you cannot go wrong with the OG!!

Slifer the Sky Dragon is used by Malik Isthar ("Marik Ishtar" in the dub) through Doll/Pantomimer ("Strings" in the dub) and Yugi Mutou/Yami Yugi. Its stats are the following:

Attribute: DIVINE

Level: 10

Type: DIVINE-BEAST

Effect Type: TRIGGER / CONTINUOUS

Effect (according to the anime): "Everytime the opponent summons creature into the field, the point of the player's cerd is cut by 2000 points. X stands for the number of the player's cerds in hand."

ATK / DEF: X000 / X000

Propaganda:

I think the answer is pretty obvious.

[fat-butch-dyke]

Atem getting resurrected and begging yugi for a normal life in the modern world.

A life where they get to play games on their kitchen table, ones where the world isn't at stake. Begging to make shopping lists together, cooking dinners where they're standing too close together and there's flour or spices everywhere. They share a spoon to try their most recent meal and devolve into happy laughs and smiles when they see the other's expression at the taste.

To share the counter space around their one bathroom sink. Yugi's hair products and Atem's jewelry filling the small countertop and making it almost impossible to use it.

To get to pick up each other's dirty socks. To get to complain about trivial things, about how Atem doesn't check the mail often enough or how Yugi is always sleeping in too late.

To sit too close together while they watch a horror movie, their hearts racing over a danger that isn't real and that they can laugh about afterwards. Making popcorn and spilling it everywhere, late night giggles as they desperately attempt to not wake the neighbors, struggling to pick up every last kernel before just falling against each other, burying their faces against the other to stifle the sound.

To get to look into each other's eyes without the fear that this might be the last time, to get to hear the other's heartbeat. Their own heartbeats. Knowing that no matter what they still beat as one.

[exit75]

だれにも出せない答えが僕の中にある

There's an answer within me that nobody else has

Rambling under the cut:

So I do project onto Atem a lot, because I think if he came back, he would definitely have some identity stuff going on. He's not anyone he used to be; how does that feel? When all of that is taken away, what's left? Who are you? Some people may see it as an opportunity to discover yourself, but what if it leaves you feeling empty, uncertain, directionless? Even afraid?

This is something that I tend to deal with myself. There's lots of times where I have no idea who I might be. If I take away all my interests, for example, what's left? Who am I, really, underneath everything?

This comic isn't saying others can't help you with figuring it out (and we do carry pieces of our past selves, no matter what). But it comes down to each of us, doesn't it, to really look inside and figure out who we might be at our core. For people with identity disturbance, this is really difficult; when you feel you have no core self, you feel really lost. You can reach out to others as a starting point, ask what they may see, ask them to support you. And then you have to go in, yourself, because, you know, there's answers inside that only you can know.

(Kofi ☕️)

[yugioh-rare-pair-poll]

Round 1: Poll 8

Propaganda under the cut

Pairing 1: Sealshipping (Atem/Mahad)

Propaganda: it’s my favorite duel monsters pairing! | Atem remembers Mahads loyalty as dark magician even amesiac. Mahad dies to protect him out of love. They are still connected after death. The knight and prince dynamic is also good. In the manga Mahad's devotion is enough to fuel his Ka not just his magic. They are childhood friends in the anime. Mahad is present throughout the story and even cheats for Atem in the Pandora duel. Atem's love for him goes beyond his memories and he remembers Mahad as his best friend. It's as close to true love as you can get.

Pairing 2: Shrimpshipping (Rex Raptor|Dinosaur Ryuzaki /Weevil Underwood|Insector Haga )

Propaganda: Absolute crack and love side character/side character | I've been a fanartist for this ship on Tumblr for about 5 years now. It may not be recognized or appreciated by a large chunk of the fanbase (mostly because many people consider the characters involved majorly annoying), but it's become near and dear to my heart. Long story short, Shrimpshipping is hilarious, it's cute, and there's just enough canon moments that many people consider it an "obvious" ship all things considered. Haga and Ryuzaki, no matter how much they seem to annoy each other, are always together doing something dumb. It's the kind of pair that makes you wonder if they really do like being around each other, but are too stubborn to admit it. They've got similar motives, similar gimmicks, similar heights, they were practically written to play off each other. I could write essays, nay, I could write books. There's a small but dedicated group of folks out there that love these two dorks and see the potential they have as a romantic pair. Whatever they've got going on, at least it's funny.

Now, let’s keep things civil. This is a silly poll where we can share why we love our overlooked ships. There’s no need to be nasty to prove your point. Bashers will be banished to the Shadow Realm.

[bastetwastaken]

Hi friends ^.^

I've been absent for a while, and there are multiple reasons for that, but long story short- I lost all my writing motivation and any joy I ever had for creating. I worried that it would never come back. I still worry that it won't ever return to the way it used to be but I can happily say that it's not quite as bad now.

Unexpectedly the passion for writing came back yesterday, out of nowhere, just bam, you can write again! So I've been slowly working on the next chapter of Area of Effect and just wanted to share a little piece of it with you. <3 <3

Thank you to those of you who have been supporting me through what has been an honestly awful time, and thank you for your patience.

.............

“What are we playing for?” He asked.

Atem laughed as he handed him a can, sitting down on the floor opposite him. 

“Do you only play when stakes are involved?” Atem asked him. 

“I do when someone questions my abilities.” He huffed. 

“Oh yeah?” Atem smirked, leaning back on his hands as he looked back at him. “Well then, perhaps we should make things more interesting, hm?” 

“I’m keen to hear what you’re thinking.” He said with a smile, taking a sip of the drink he’d been given. 

Atem hummed, looking around the room then back at the board between them. 

“Hang on.” Atem said, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, crawling a few paces to the shelves against the wall where he began to rummage for something. Yami decided to sip his drink again and try to keep his eyes off Atems ass. He failed. “Ah. Here.” 

Atem returned to his spot opposite him and placed a box of playing cards between them. He looked up at Atem and raised an eyebrow.

“Can you play poker?” Atem asked him. 

“Yeah.” He laughed. “Although it might not be the best choice, I’d hate to take all of your money.” 

Atems lips pulled up into a confident smirk, his eyes held the promise of a challenge and Yami felt his stomach turn in excitement. 

“Oh I wasn’t thinking we’d play for money.” Atem told him. “I was thinking about something else we could both lose…” 

He tilted his head to the side, placing his drink down on the floor next to him. He couldn’t think of anything else they could bet, maybe it was just a matter of pride? Maybe that's all Atem meant. 

“Like what?” He asked. 

“Ever played strip poker?” Atem asked.

Yami almost choked on his own breath, that was something he hadn’t expected to hear at all…but maybe it would be a good idea… he would like to see Atem wearing significantly less than he was right now after all. 

“You’re sure about that?” He said. 

“I am.” Atem smiled at him. “But are you? I’ve been told I’m quite good at this game.” 

“I guess we’ll see about that.” He said with a laugh. “I’m in.” 

“Wonderful.” Atem grinned at him then pushed the board and game pieces to the side that they’d been using previously. He watched as Atem opened the box of cards, tipped them out and shuffled them deftly. 

Atem had clearly done this many times before, and perhaps Yami would have been impressed by the way he moved the cards effortlessly between his hands, how he fanned them out and slid them back together, but no…his mind was firmly in the gutter as he wondered just how those hands would feel on him. 

He cleared his throat awkwardly and took another sip of his drink, although they both knew they were very clearly interested in each other, they hadn’t quite managed to talk about what they wanted from this yet. 

But here they were, about to play strip poker and he was going to lose his mind he was sure. 

Their cards were dealt and the game began. Unexpectedly, he lost the first round. With a sigh, he reached up to his hair, pulling out his hair tie and dropping it to the floor between them. 

He picked up his can and took another sip before he caught the way Atem was looking at him. “What?” He asked as he lowered the can. 

“You do know the rules of this game, right?” Atem asked, eyebrows raised. 

“Of course I do.” He scoffed. “Do you?” 

The noise Atem made was a mix of shock and irritation. “So tell me how a hair tie counts as clothing.” 

He smirked, placing his can on the ground and leaning back on his hands, looking back at Atem, allowing himself just a moment more to enjoy the look on his face. 

“Well clothing is something you wear, right?” He paused, Atem nodded. “And what do you do with a hair tie? You wear it. So I’d say that meets the definition of clothing.” 

There was a moment where Atem said nothing, he just stared at him, then a smile tugged at his lips and he laughed. 

“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Atem said, shaking his head and chuckling as he shuffled the cards again. “Oh, this is going to be fun.” 

He grinned as Atem dealt the next hand.

...........

Want to read the fic so far? You can on Ao3 ^.^

[rainstormcolors]

A little (seemingly) one-sided Prideship ficlet:

Scattered on the shifting grey Pacific Ocean,

A thread of light, blurred sunset, part of the moon. An empty sky or a sky for flying things.

A traveler or a child inside the cockpit of a too-sharp plane.

Atem was gone now.

Seto Kaiba was home again now.

If he was weaker he might’ve cried at some point but he doesn’t cry. There isn’t a hell, but if there was he knew he would go to hell. Even if he went to hell, even if Gozaburo was there in hell too, Gozaburo wouldn’t look for him either. Seto might raw his tongue in anxiety so instead he worked in the manor’s basement, in wires and programs and holograph, trying to become a traveler. It was as if someone was playing an out-of-tune violin inside his brain.

The best part of this house wasn’t in all the space and the too-many rooms and it wasn’t in the autumn-toned opulence of furniture and artwork and walls and it wasn’t even in the ghosts. It was in the quiet and how Seto wanted to belong in the quiet, just for now.

He would eat dinner with Mokuba and he didn’t talk much. Mokuba’s hair was like the plumage of a raven. They would shuffle by each other to build their plates of food, to reach for something in the refrigerator, in the cabinets.

In the basement, in the laboratory, there were fingers reaching out from the keyboard. Just for a moment. Fingers touched Seto’s fingers.

“Are you okay?” Mokuba asked him one evening.

A burning sunset melted into the curtains of the windows as Seto was stepping back into the main chambers of their home from the kitchen area where they ate. The grey-dark inside edged with luster.

“What?” Seto asked quietly back, looking back to Mokuba.

“You just seem more… tired I think,” Mokuba said.

Seto wasn’t sure what to say at first and then he said, “I’m working on the new project. Duel Links will be extravagant.”

“I guess so,” Mokuba said. He kept a warm half-filled mug cupped in his hands.

“I can show you if you’d like,” Seto offered.

“Maybe later,” Mokuba said.

The letters of their words just brushing the tips of each other.

The basement’s computer would hum and beads of light sat in the dark. Clear blue light in his eyes. Seto was still alive and dreaming. He wouldn’t just be an onlooker.

The way the universe folded with light and time and energy. The unknown dark matter and dark energy that scientists couldn’t yet see and couldn’t understand. Seto would write this atlas of dimensions.

Lying in the dark of his bedroom, lying in his bed, his eyes gently opened as he sensed some presence watching him there. The being moved softly and Seto could recognize the Other Yugi’s eyes, his cheeks, his lips as he slowly bent down and pecked Seto’s own lips. Floating softness. Seto sat up and the Other Yugi was looking at him with kind eyes. Seto thrust out the back of his hand sharply at the Other Yugi and the Other Yugi spilled away into dust and stars. And then-- and then Seto flinched awake, his head resting on his curled arms in front of the monitor in the basement. He was alone.

It was raining, the early morning sky faded against the trees. Seto was looking out of a window after he’d gone upstairs for a drink of water. The greens of the world were luminously green in the rain.

[flamesignite]

You deserve this

How long had it been since he last had nightmares? At least a few months, the last one being where he was remembering every single memory he did in Ishval.

This one was a little different than the ones he was used to. He was watching himself, not in the moment as if he's watching a television show and having an out of body experience.

Watching thousands die from his hands, he couldn't bare to watch, but he couldn't look away, his nightmare wouldn't let him, wouldn't let him forget just what he did to those innocent people.

He could feel himself shudder, his body shaking, regret and guilt coming back to haunt him. He couldn't take it, he wanted to scream, but he couldn't speak. He could feel his whole body on fire, maybe he deserved this, to forever be reminded of things he's done, where he couldn't look away.

He could never look away from those he's killed. They would never forget his face as they see him snap his very fingers and flames engulf them. He would forever have their blood on his hands, so he wouldn't dare forget them, his guilt and hate for himself wouldn't let him forget the very people who didn't deserve what he did to them.

It continued like this for what felt like minutes, till finally, one person that never entered his nightmares before did.

Is that...?!

"Stop! This isn't right!" He was in front of some innocent Ishvalans when the other Roy was about to snap. Roy just stares at at the man that resembled Atem. It couldn't be, could it? This was a nightmare right? This wasn't REAL.

"I'm sorry..." He whispers softly, his fingers already barely touching, they were so close. Roy couldn't bear it, he couldn't bear to stand there and watch as his the self from his past who was just following orders was about to snap his fingers on the very man whom he was in love with.

"STOP! Don't!" Roy screams out at the other, "Don't you dare touch him!"

"The man I love would never hurt me." Atem's voice spoke up. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" He questioned, but looks over at Roy himself instead of the other.

"Would you?"

"You deserve this murderer. You deserved what you had coming. You deserve far worse than what I did to you."

What...?

He knew he probably did deserve it, but did he... really hear that from Atem? He had the same eyes as he did that night he choked him. Atem kept saying how he didn't deserve that that he didn't want to choke him, it was at that snake, but was that really true?

Apart of his brain is showing him that he felt like he DID deserve it. Especially it being someone he loved to do it to him. Even after Atem said he had no right to pass judgement on him.

Was that why he didn't stop him that night? It would make more sense because he could have easily pulled him off of him. Roy was much stronger than Atem muscle wise. So, why... why did he feel this way? The answer was obvious, right in front of him!

Atem's hands reached out to him, lightly pressing them against his neck again squeezing. Roy didn't stop them, he just stared into his eyes again.

"Murderer! You deserve the worst punishment possible!"

He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, he tried to grasp his arms but he couldn't even see his own arms. There was fire coming from behind him, Roy tried to speak, but it was too late. The Fire engulfed Atem and he disappeared from sight. In that place was himself, the one that he was trying to stop--

Roy gasped, choking on his breath as he woke up from the nightmare that had engulfed his very being. He wasn't okay in the slightest and it showed in his heaving noises, trying to breath. The panic set in as he looked around and saw Atem still laying beside him unharmed.

It was all a nightmare, that's all it was, wasn't it? Atem was fine, he was HERE. That's what mattered, but he's still having trouble breathing as he chokes on soft gasps.

The guilt was still there and he knew deep down he deserved a punishment for his crimes, but did he really think he deserved it from Atems hand?

[gx-gameon]

Thinking about Jaden as an adult and Seto in particular struggling to be okay with the fact that he's grown up makes me 🥹🥹😭 I love to torture myself so imagining his reaction to the news when (way down the line) Jesse and Jaden DO get engaged just makes me laugh maniacally 😭🤣

Here’s the thing. Seto likes Jesse. As much as he doesn’t like the fact that Jaden is growing up, or the trauma that Jaden is dealing with he does like Jesse.

Jesse is an incredible duelist. Has an ultra unique deck. Is a born leader. And has shown that he is willing to sacrifice himself for Jaden (Seto maybe don’t make “will die for _____” a dating requirement. It is a requirement for anyone who dates Jaden or Mokuba. It shouldn’t be but it is)

He could not have hand picked a better partner for his son. Jesse is loyal and kind and most importantly loves Jaden.

If Jaden ever wants to publicly come out as the Prince of Duels, Jesse isn’t a bad pattern to have. Heck the media would eat that up. The Prince and the Crystal beast duelist. (Seto does not care about this but the public is something he has to think about unfortunately)

Seto is just struggling with having to watch his son battle with PTSD and anxiety and losing all his joy for dueling and then instead of coming him he decides to go on a globe trotting adventure. Seto would far prefer Jaden staying where he can see him, just for a little bit. He just wants to protect his kid.

But he can’t blame Jaden for the way he is healing, he’s actually quite proud of him. But he’s got big complex emotions about everything that’s happened in the last year. And he’s missed so much of Jaden’s life in the past three years and now he’s missing more.

And suddenly this Rainbow boy is traveling with Jaden. It’s Jesse his “best friend” and all those negative emotions have a target now. Because Jesse is spending all this time with Jaden, and watching his back, and helping him grow and recover (they are helping each other a lot) and Seto’s happy for Jaden but also big dad feels at missing out on his sons milestones.

And it doesn’t help that he has Joey Tristian and Duke there making jokes about when the kids will get engaged/elope (even before the two are officially dating) and Seto just wants to break something.

Their complex emotions.

It gets better when Jaden and Jesse start visiting Domino more often. They’ll do work in Europe and then come back to the manor as a ‘home base. Then they’ll head off to America or Australia or any other country and spend some time helping people and duel spirits there and setting up a global community. But they always come home.

By the time they do finally get engaged Seto has grown used to Jaden being an adult and living his life. And he’s quite happy Jesse and Jaden are now a permanent team. (They have always been a permanent team the two of them just made it official)

Jesse does have to duel Seto for the right to marry Jaden (Yugi has already approved so it doesn’t matter if he wins, Seto just wants to test the kids resolve. A weakling can’t marry his son.) I will let you decide who wins that duel. Seto Kaiba in his mid 30’s vs Jesse Anderson in his early 20s.

Either way he makes Jesse WORK for it.

It’s a lot of growing pains especially in the early relationship.

Seto Kaiba is a man who loves deeply and protects fiercely. His circle was so small for so long (just him and Mokuba) and he’s got walls made of titanium. Yugi slowly broke them down over the series and even then it took Seto a while to realize his feelings but once he did he pursued Yugi. Once he knew the feeling was mutual he opened his circle up to Yugi, Jaden, Atem, and eventually Solomon Muto. Over time other wormed their way in but he’s not someone who trust people easily.

Dating is an up hill battle for Mokuba. Seto is very particular on his partners, worried about his brother getting hurt. Early dating is a nightmare. And honestly we should salute him because he paved the way for Jaden.

So when Jesse rocks up to date Jaden it’s hard to trust him with the heart of his extremely traumatized son.

Adding Chazz or Aster to the family is one thing. He’s heard about Chazz for 3 years and Aster for /. He’s researched them, followed their careers, and Jaden has told him a lot about them. He had time to process them.

Jesse rocks up in season 3 they are quickly sent to another dimension, Jesse sacrifices himself. Jaden goes back after him, gets deeply traumatized. And once the return the transfer students are sent back to their schools for their ‘safety’ yes Jesse helped out in season 4 but how much is Jaden communicating with his family at that point? Seto didn’t have the same amount of time to get used to this kid/hear about him from Jaden. He doesn’t trust the kid. Not yet. They have a lot of growing pains.

[sennenpharaoh]

It was a quiet walk home. It was a quiet and long walk home.

Between navigating his way home through the map on his phone and figuring out how roads and pathways worked in the Modern World, he had no time to process all that has happened. That, and he dare not show anything here in the wide open public. At least the traffic and sounds of the outside world could drown it out for the time being.

Once he was inside and the door shut... everything was quiet. The only sound hear loud and clear was the ticking of the clock on the wall. He didn't bother to remove his jacket or take off his shoes, instead immediately walking to his room... right next to his studio... where his eyes met the painting.

It was a spur of the moment capture, a way for him to express what he was feeling right then and there when asked about Roy. Roy... a friend that he made without any help. A friend he made because of Atem, not just because he was Yugi's friend first. A friend who wanted to get to know the present Atem, not Pharaoh Atem. Someone he wanted to get to know more and more and possibly become closer and closer.

Even though at the end... it will all have to go away. This wasn't Roy's home, this wasn't his world. Eventually... he will have to go back home. Away from him.

"...Atem... If I leave... then I won't get to see you anymore."

"I know." He whispered, answering back to a silent thought as he just stared at the painting.

"Do you... really want that?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. Being selfish serves no one and that's..." He could feel his voice begin to catch in his throat and his eyes well up. Had he been in the presence of Roy he'd swallow it down like he had done already earlier but now... with the luxury of privacy, he can let it out however his body wanted to.

"...that's not fair to you. That's not fair to anyone. It's not right."

It tore him up when he heard Roy seemingly beg and plead for Atem to not leave him.

"I'm scared that I'm going to lose something no matter what I do... I'm going to lose you."

But what struck him the most was when Roy grabbed him by the arm. One thing that Atem valued highly, his "love language" one might say...

Touch.

"Please don't go..."

"Why did you say that?" He brought his arm close to his chest, not even realizing (or caring) that tears were freely running down his face at this point. There was no one to see him, just as he wanted. "Why put me above the others? Why was I the only one who saw the bigger picture?" He had to take in a breath as his voice choked up again. "No matter how you say it, the ending is the same. How we feel is irrelevant. How I feel is..."

He trailed off, just looking at the painting through blurred vision. All that was going through his mind was the memories he had made with Roy already. Going to the lounge, spending time at the park late night, even the rush of feelings that led to creating that painting. That right there was proof of his feelings. They were right there.

"No... I can't be selfish." He felt himself tremble a little, knowing exactly what that endgame would mean. No more nights together, no more random talks at the park. No more Roy. Falling to his knees, he tried to fight the one feeling he didn't dare admit. "I can't keep you here, this isn't your home! As much as I want you to stay, as much as I don't want you to go..." His eyes widened as soon as he heard the words come out of his mouth.

He didn't want Roy to leave him. He wanted Roy to stay.

"No. No. No no no no no no no. Why did I..." He couldn't fight it anymore. He could barely keep it in front of Roy, why hold back now? He said it. It was an ugly thought, a selfish thought, an honest thought, but he said it. Wrapping his arms around himself he layed on the floor, tears flowing nonstop at this point and his voice just choked up.

"No... it shouldn't matter what I want! Asking you to stay is selfish! This isn't your home! This isn't fair to them! Just because I want you to stay it... it shouldn't matter! My feelings... shouldn't matter. My feelings..."

He couldn't finish it. He knew exactly what he was feeling. He didn't want Roy to leave. He wanted Roy to stay here, with him. He knew how ugly, horrible, and selfish these feelings and emotions were, and he hated it.

But they were there.

As he just curled up and cried quietly to himself, Roy's words rang again in his mind.

"I'm scared that I'm going to lose something no matter what I do... I'm going to lose you."

"So am I, Roy." He whispered as much as his sobs would let him. "So am I."

[bakawitch]

Casteshipping au where tk is an international criminal and Atem works for Interpol or something.

Bakura is able to evade him every single time after big heists, and Atem is at the end of his nerves. So next time he gets a tip about tk's next heist, he decides that no matter what, he will not lose the thief this time. Surprisingly enough, he does end up catching him! And to make sure that Bakura won't get a chance to escape, Atem cuffs Bakura to him with a magnetic handcuff that can not be lock picked.

Unfortunately, some big crime boss kidnaps them and takes away all of their tools, so they decide to work together to escape. Upon escape, they find out that the interpol now considers Atem a fugitive because they believe he was a mole for tk the whole time he worked there.

Still cuffed together, they decide to cooperate for the time being, and they check into a small inn. When the clerk asks why they're cuffed together, Bakura just blurts out that it's couple's therapy, and from that moment on, their already weirdly homoromantic rivalry takes on a new form now that the idea of dating the other is planted in their heads XD

[yu-gi-poll]

ROUND 5 (QUARTERFINALS)! MATCH 1 OUT OF 4

Monster Stats & Propaganda Under the Cut:

Kuriboh is used by Yugi Mutou/Yami Yugi. Its stats are the following:

Attribute: DARK

Level: 1

Type: FIEND / EFFECT

Effect Type: QUICK

Effect (according to the anime): "During your opponent's turn, at damage calculation: You can discard this card; you take no battle damage from that battle (this is a Quick Effect)."

ATK / DEF: 300 / 200

Propaganda:

Turn 18 of the duel between Kaiba and Yugi in the Duelist Kingdom arc - INFINITE KURIBOH WALL.

There's one part in Duelist Kingdom (when the rules didn't matter) where the Kuribohs multiply and there's an endless amount of them.

He's cute.

Have you seen this adorable fluff ball?! He's adorable and will take a hit for you because he loves you.

It's just a small, fluffy guy. One that Yugi and Atem used destroy many an opponent, an example of how even a monster that seems useless can be used to topple an opponent. But mostly I'm submitting him because he's a small, fluffy guy. Very iconic, even if it's not the strongest monster.

In my opinion, he's the mascot of DM. Of the whole series, really. That's why there's on in each series. But you cannot go wrong with the OG!!

Blue-Eyes White Dragon is used by Sugoroku Mutou ("Solomon Mutou" in the dub) and Seto Kaiba. Its stats are the following:

Attribute: LIGHT

Level: 8

Type: DRAGON

Description (according to the anime): "This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and lived to tell the tale."

ATK: / DEF: 3000 / 2500

Propaganda:

It's big, it's strong, it's a freaking dragon for Ra's sake. With a sleek, elegant design and easily recognizable silhouette, this dragon is sure to blast you of your feet. Easily one of the most iconic monsters in the whole series, I mean say Yu-gi-oh to someone who only barely knows the series and what monster are they gonna think of? None other than the Blue Eyes White Dragon of course. And don't even get me started on the fusion possibilities. I mean, Blue Eyes *Ultimate* Dragon? Say no more. And the Blue Eyes is resilient, too. After all, I'm sure we've all heard the classic saying, "If at first you don't succeed, blast them with your Blue Eyes again". This is because the Blue Eyes is persistent. Even in the face of resistance, in the face of seeming defeat, it will bare its fangs and strike again. So vote Blue Eyes White Dragon, the superior duel monster.

[hereforthefunnyguys]

Break down Anzu please 🥺🙏

O 1. How do I feel about this character?

Will not lie to you at first I didn't see all that special about her but still thought she was a fun addition to the friend group. Then I got on the Internet (bad idea wouldn't recommend it) and saw how much hate she got and was like Oh I See. It's my job to defend her forever since apparently nobody else will. Send my ass off to war for her.

I do really appreciate her and I wish people would take a minute to examine her character more (which, to be fair, they removed a lot of for the manga). Like. I especially relate to the way that she both obviously has so much ambition for the future and looks forward to her career as a dancer, but is still scared and sad about having to let go of the friends she's made over the years.

Also people make fun of her for being too wishy washy and "vulnerable" but the fact of the matter is that she's not prone to discussing her emotions with anyone else in the series at all. Like. The only reason people see her as emotional is because we're given a viewpoint into her thoughts. Jonouchi is more openly emotional than her. Honda is more emotional. People should try and learn how to actually read into her character instead of just assigning her the Generic Shonen Girl Personality and calling it a day.

2. All the people I ship romantically with this character:

There is a horrid dearth of proper yuri in yugioh, but! I like pairing her up with Mana (unrealistic and they are separated by 3000 years but! She will Fuck That Mummy (i just got a really really good idea for an au guys trust me)) just because I think they make an interesting hypothetical dynamic - honestly, I'd go the full mile of calling them kind of narrative foils, what with Anzu's responsibility vs. Mana's silliness, Mana being tutored by a mentor vs. Anzu being mostly self-taught and self-propelled, Mana not having much ambition for most of the Millennium World arc despite her position of power and privilege vs. Anzu scraping up from the bottom specifically because she has such an intense vision of what she wants her life to be. Really good potential there. Anyways continuing on

I think her and Miho seem cute but i gonna be real with you i have. Not seen a ton of season zero so I have no real frame of reference for what they'd be like. And manga miho seems a little quiet for anzus personality tbh she needs someone she can argue with lmao

On the het side I like her with Atem but not honestly much of anyone else. I thought her and him had a very sweet dynamic in the manga and I would have liked to see more of his thoughts about her since he seemed to enjoy her company, he just. Is not good at talking to people in general. Don't hit me with that "ackshually atem hates Anzu 🤓" Shit. They are friends. They like each other.

Also I hc that she was crushing on mai kujaku but i don't think she would've been happy if it was a serious relationship. It's just like. One of those crushes teenagers get on attractive adults that show them genuine respect for the first time ever you know?

3. My non-romantic OTP for this character is:

Her and Jonouchi are so funnyyyyyyy lmao. "JOSEPH WHEELER WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU" alright they seem like the perfect mix of stupid and stubborn that im sure can lead to them getting into all kind of dumb shit. Where's my au where they both get lost in the woods because Anzu said she knew where she was going and Jonouchi was too proud to check the map. Silly

4. My unpopular opinion about this character:

SHE! IS! NOT! BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!! (rips shirt off and screams in rage) AND NO BEING YUGIS LOVE INTEREST IS NOT HER ONLY JOB IN THE STORY!!! SHE HAS A PERSONALITY BEYOND ANOTHER BOY'S CRUSH ON HER THAT SHE MAY OR MAY NOT RECIPROCATE!!!!

Really though she has such a strong personality if you set out to try and figure it out!! And she does play multiple roles beyond love interest and damsel in distress! She did a ton of stuff in the early manga and i still cannot believe people make fun of her for friendship speeches when they are obsessed with everyone else from hit series Yu-Gi-Oh, Friendship is Magic. She didn't even make that many speeches!!!!!

5. One thing I wished happened to this character in canon?

I wish we got to see more of her home life and her background since it feels like it has something going on back there, since she seems to be hustling for money in a way that tells me she mostly relies on herself for funds and support. Also I wish at least at some point she had gotten to tell Atem how she felt about him :( or at least resolved the plot point beyond "well I guess he's going so i have to cope"

anyways I LOVE HER A MILLION KISSES FOR ANZU MAZAKI