#he never told atem to give up because he knew atem could do this

[plutoschiild]

so youre telling me yugi was ready to sacrifice his own soul so atem could get his memories back? that he didn't give two shits about being offered as a sacrifice to the shadows because he trusted atem would beat tf out of yami marik even though he had the winged dragon of ra? wtf is up with this boy he was simping HARD 😭😭😭

[gx-gameon]

I was wondering, how/when did the AU’s version of Sheppard learn about Jaden’s history with Yubel? In canon, it’s never stated when exactly the Yuki’s told him about it, other than that it was before the entrance exams, though my assumption was that it was when Jaden first signed up for Duel Academy.

But I imagine that probably wouldn’t make much sense in this AU, unless they were stalking him or something after giving him up. And I’m not really sure what they would expect Sheppard to be able to do if they told him before.

I…. Didn’t think about that.

Cause Jaden’s birth parents are not around. They’re not dead they just want nothing to do with him. They don’t even know who adopted him.

I guess if you want to say that it is Jaden’s birthday parents that called it would be after the televised school duel in season one. His birth parents saw him at duel school dueling, and were like ‘oh no, how did he get there.’ Maybe it’s concern for the other students, maybe they are that afraid of their child, maybe they don’t say anything and are like ‘not my kid not my problem.’

I can’t see Yugi or Seto telling the school anything. It’s weird for them to have that kind of information about someone that’s ‘not their kid’

I could see Seto reaching out maybe since Jaden is missing his “true deck” and it is Kaiba Corp that sent it to space. But the details on Jaden’s childhood? I don’t think so.

With Atem around they have a lot better understanding of Jaden’s locked powers. They aren’t a scared couple with a “dangerous” child. Atem can help Jaden keep his powers in check.

I just don’t know if Sheppard has that information.

If he does it’s right after the school comes back from the other dimensions and all the adults are talking about what happened. Jaden is in his room sobbing and all the adults have been pulled to figure out what happened and where Jesse is.

If Crowler/Bonapart bring up Yubel I’m sure the Dm crew would react. They’re have to explain why they know who Yubel is. Seto or Mokuba lying about Jaden’s parents reaching out about sending the card to space. (All of that happened before Jaden was adopted so it’s not linked to his identity as Prince of Duels) they lie and say they didn’t know who the card belonged to and the staff draw the conclusion that Jaden was the child. (Not their son but the one whose card was sent to space)

Yugi is super stressed and just wants to go see his kid which is hard because all the adult staff wants help figure out what’s happening and Jaden’s friends are all in the Slifer dorm. He can’t exactly sneak over. Maybe he can just call it a check in. Ya the kids need to be check in on. He grabs Téa and says they are going to check in on the kids. The plan is Téa and him will walk over there together ask how the kids are doing. The students will point out that Jaden’s not doing great and then Yugi can go check on him while Téa distracts the others. A great plan, (you know if Jaden’s friends are not to star struck to remember that Jaden needs support)

Imagine his and Téa suprise when they show up to the dorm to over hear Sheppard telling the students everything he just learned about Jaden (that Yubel was once his card, that the card lashed out and hurt people, that Yubel was sent to space. But in this instance does he know about the electroshock therapy to make Jaden forget? Or do he and the kids think Jaden was playing stupid the whole time? Questions to figure out later.)

Yugi’s furious. He makes it known though he’s trying to reel it in. He shouldn’t be this upset about a strangers kid. He can be mad about the kids privacy being breached but why? The kids should know what happening, they’re the only fixing problems at this school (technically it’s Jaden but whatever) and if they don’t know about the Electroshock therapy then it looks like Jaden hid this from them and when their lives were in danger he willfully chose not to tell anyone the vital information he knew. The kids have a right to know and the would have a right to be angry in that situation.

Yugi can’t defend Jaden. He knows Jaden had no clue about Yubel. He knows the kid had his brain fried. He knows that Yubel tortured Jaden for months even after they were sent away. He knows Jaden would never willing put anyone in danger or hide information. But he can’t say any of that without exposing who Jaden is.

And depending on how much Shepard what told by Seto this situation looks really bad for Jaden. Either they know about the electroshock and have pity for him, or they don’t and they think he hid information from them. Neither is a great look and Yugi know it’s the Dm crews fault.

They are the one couldn’t hold their surprise over hearing to was Yubel in the other dimension. If they had they never would have had to reveal anything to Sheppard and he never would have told the kids.

Part of Yugi just want to say screw and tell them all right now that Jaden is his son. They do not know what his boy has been through, and this is a family matter now.

But that’s not his choice, it’s Jaden’s.

Jaden who is upstairs morning the loss of his best friend/romantic interest. Jaden who just violently remembered his childhood memories of Yubel. Jaden who is already being eaten alive by guilt and has already had so much taken from him.

If his parents had understood duel monsters and magic they never would have striped him of Yubel. He lost his protector. (Yes she was hurting people but that’s because dueling has always been life or death for them and they were watching baby Jaden loss and in their mind be killed, of course they protected him) if they had known how to talk to spirits Yubel could have been calmed and Jaden would have a protector at his side.

Jaden had his powers and memories blocked by getting his brain fried at a young age

His parent abandoned him. (Spooky child)

And besides the last one Yugi knows these parents were acting on the information they had. Almost no one has the connections to the spirit world Jaden would have need as a child to be safe. It’s a mirical Yugi found him. But he’s still hates Jaden birth parents for all they put him through.

Jaden had his true deck sent to space. (By Kaiba Corp)

While they did their best to give him a loving and stable childhood being the prince of games isolated Jaden from his peers up until duel academy.

They there were that shadow riders and sacred beast his first year (Yugi is still upset with Seto over that)

The cult his second year

And now his protector is back and corrupted by the light and trying to kill all of Jaden’s friends

And Jaden’s “friends” were just told that Jaden knowingly put them in danger

The universe keeps taking from his boy. Jaden seems to keep pulling the worst cards and yet his boy has always faced everything with hope and joy. He’s so proud of him. And Yugi doesn’t want to take something else from Jaden. He doesn’t want to be the one who decides when Jaden’s friends learn the truth.

He really needs to talk to his son.

But Jaden’s already running for a portal.

(Again this is fluid. I need to see what I want to happen once I finally get around to rewatching season three. Thank you though, I totally forgot about how Sheppard knew that information so thank you for pointing out a plot hole to me.)

[bastetwastaken]

congrats on 250 followers! I want to request prompt 19, sfw and monarchshipping

Thank you<3

Oh Monarch boys! Yay!

19- "Shut up and take off your clothes."

For this one, I just went with a fun little thing about Atem wanting to give Yami all the love and tell him sweet things, but Yami being Yami, wants nothing more than for his boyfriend to shut up. I hope you enjoy and that I kept it sfw enough ^.^

<3

........

Yami looked absolutely radiant above him…well he always looked gorgeous anyway, but there was something about seeing him like this, hair messy, shirt half open, a soft smile on his lips and blush on his cheeks. 

Seeing his boyfriend this way always made his heart ache with just how much he loved him. To see him like he was right now, so carefree and genuinely happy? It warmed his heart in a way nothing else possibly could. 

And knowing the blush on his boyfriend's cheeks was there because of him? Because he’d spent the better part of the last hour teasing and complimenting him, making him feel good and telling him how he made him feel…well that made it just that more special. 

The moment Yami had come home from work and told him he’d had the shittest of days, that everything had gone wrong, he hadn’t heard a single positive word all day, Atem knew what he had to do. 

He’d scooped his boyfriend up in his arms and taken them to their bedroom, smiled sweetly as Yami pushed him back onto the bed and then proceeded to tell him nothing but positive things. 

Atem might have worried that he’d run out of nice things to say about his boyfriend, but he didn’t think it was possible for that to happen. Yami deserved nothing but nice things and although he maybe knew exactly what his boyfriend thought he was getting when Atem brought him here, he wanted to make him feel good in other ways. 

He smiled as he pulled Yami closer, a soft laugh fell from the others lips and a hand came up to cover his mouth. 

“Just shut up and take off your clothes.” Yami said, and that was such a tempting offer but…

They could always do that later. 

Right now though, he wanted to make sure his boyfriend knew exactly how loved he was and understood just how important he was to him. He stuck out his tongue, licking his boyfriend's palm and laughing when Yami pulled his hand away from his mouth.

“Atem.” Yami groaned, wiping his hand on Atems shirt. 

He gave a half hearted apology as he slid his hands down Yamis sides and gripped his hips. He could see in his boyfriend's eyes that he thought he’d won this, that he’d managed to silence Atem and his endless supply of compliments…he was about to be disappointed though. 

“You’re amazing, I hope you know that.” He said softly. 

Yami sighed, but Atem knew it was just an act, he was only pretending to be irritated by his words. They’d been together for long enough now for him to know that his boyfriend loved being told these things, he craved it but would never ask for it. 

“Atemmm.” Yami groaned, hand moving as if to cover his mouth again but Atem gently grabbed his wrist, using his hold to pull him closer instead. 

“What?” He asked, voice light and teasing. “You’re telling me that you don’t like being told how wonderful you are?” 

Yami squirmed out of his grip, body sliding off his but Atem followed him, rolling over on the bed so he could have the upper hand, laughing as Yami covered his face with his hands as he settled over him. 

“Aww, you don’t like hearing how much I love you?” He teased, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Yamis hand. “How happy you make me?” 

Yami mumbled something from behind his hands. 

“What was that?” He asked, moving to gently pull at one of Yamis hands. 

The hand fell away without much resistance and Yami looked up at him, eyes full of laughter even with a pout on his lips. 

“I said you’re being stupid.” Yami told him, but Atem knew different. 

“Oh really?” He laughed. “I could have sworn I heard you say I make you happy too…hm, must have been a mistake.” 

Yami rolled his eyes, but he laughed and squirmed away again when Atems hand found his ticklish spot under his ribs. 

“I could always make you tell me, you know.” He teased, fingers unrelenting in their search for the ticklish parts of him. 

Yami squealed and shook his head, then Atem felt a hand grab his wrist, pulling his hand away from Yamis side and holding it firmly away from him. He looked down at his boyfriend, saw the gentle smirk on his face and smiled softly. 

“You never make me do anything in a fun way, though.” Yami said with a huff. 

“This is fun!” He said, pretending to move again just to see the blush on Yamis cheeks deepen and the hand on his wrist tightened. 

“You’re really not getting this are you?” Yami asked, a soft smile on his face. 

“Oh I get it.” He hummed, leaning in to his boyfriend again, his lips brushed against Yamis and he felt the other move to try to kiss him. “I just want to tell you how absolutely stunning you are and that you’re everything to me-” 

He was cut off when something soft hit the side of his head. He laughed, reaching out to push Yamis hand with the pillow in away from him. 

“Why are you like this?” Yami said with a sigh, but his eyes held nothing but love. 

“Because I love you.” He said softly, a hand moving to rest against Yamis cheek, thumb brushing gently over the flushed skin. “And I can’t help but want to tell you how happy you make me.” 

Yami looked back at him for a moment in silence, his mouth opened slightly then a smile spread across soft lips. 

“God, you’re gonna kill me if you keep doing this.” Yami said with a soft laugh. Atem smiled as hands came up to hold his face, pulling him closer. “You’re too sweet, too fucking adorable and you’re lucky you are, cause I wouldn’t let anyone else do this to me.” 

“I’m honoured.” He said softly. 

“As you should be.” Yami smiled at him, looking up into his eyes as he chewed his lip. “Now, please, shut up and take off your clothes.” 

He laughed as he fell forward into Yami, pressing their lips together in a kiss which deepened quickly. Maybe he’d made his boyfriend suffer enough for now…there was always later after all. 

......

Fancy sending me an ask and getting me to write you something silly and sweet? Here's the post with the prompts on- link

[game-weaver]

Then don't…

Such simple words, they seemed so much easier said than done. Atem was right, it was always what Yugi had preached to him, insisted he do. To let his walls down and to let himself feel things or crumble when he needed to. But the difference was Atem had always had to be a rock.

When he ruled, when he was a spirit. Yugi couldn't blame him for being upset when his memories were gone and he had to take up the strength he had as Yami again. Yugi knew that it was hard, and hurtful, that's why he always swallowed it down. Atem needed it more than he did, that's what he always told himself.

That's what he always knew was his purpose.

He put the puzzle back together and accepted the burden it was to house an ancient spirit, to be his heart, his guiding light. To sacrifice every part of himself along the way, mind, body and soul and he did so willingly and with a smile. He was okay with that. Only, even after he could be strong on his own feet at the very end he had to give up the one person he loved.

It was a cruel fate. One he took out on himself, boarding up the room, throwing up walls, diving head first into focusing on others because dwelling on his own almost ruined him.

And now he sat here as Atem told him to stop, to listen to his own advice and all he could do was reach out and grasp onto him, to bury his face against his chest and sob. Weep for the pain he stored in his heart, the loss and agony, the desperation to keep himself stable and insist he was okay. To lie that he was so hard that he himself believed it.

"I'm s-sorry," he wept, "I-I'm so sorry." Atem would argue, but that didn't stop the words from tumbling out. Things he never said, things he held onto for years. But he no longer argued, no longer curled in on himself. "I tried… I tried so hard… I'm sorry."

Upon hearing such words... words of self destruction, of self doubt, of self crumble... Atem... couldn't keep it together. Yugi was right, he thought that his partner was strong enough to surpass him, that he was able to handle himself, that he didn't need Atem anymore. That was why he was so proud that Yugi defeated him. But to see his partner seemingly shattered, crumbled by the expectations others put on him, expectations that Atem himself put on him... He felt guilty. He felt so guilty. Of course it wasn't actually his fault, he was just going through the Ceremony and his duty to return to the Afterlife, even if that wasn't at all what he wanted. But he wanted to see if Yugi had learned, had grown, had... outgrown him. He thought he was right, but all of this...

"..."

I'm so sorry.

He just felt... sad. Sad, and heartbroken, and guilty, and... one more... but he couldn't say it. But... for all his talk of not living up to Atem's overexpectations... he's still here. He hasn't left, he hasn't pushed away nor pulled away. There's still that strength that Atem admired, even if it was buried underneath all this rubble, debris, and shattered pieces. He just had to find it. Or if the pieces were all over, then fine. He'll help put it back together again. Whatever his partner wants, right?

"Then... don't." Atem lowered his head, hiding his own expression. "Am I hurt that what I see in front of me isn't what I thought the boy who surpassed me is? Yes. Do I still think he exists? Also yes. What hurts the most is... that you held all of this... this pain, this doubt, this fear... you held it in because you felt you had to be everyone's rock by yourself! But that's not what you taught me! It's not at all what you taught me!" A small but audible sob as now his own steeled resolve was finally starting to crack.

"How many times have you tried to drill it into my thick skull?! If you need help, if you need only ask! If you fall, I will catch you! If you shatter, I will piece you back together! You've done it so many times for everyone else, why won't you let them return the favor?! What's stopping you? Pride? Fear that others might see you as broken? Is that what you really think others would see if they saw this?" He looked back at Yugi, now tears of his own streaming down his cheeks, but hell if he was going to do anything about that now. Not when his partner is suffering so much worse.

"Yes, I see someone who's broken, but I also see a cry for help, or you'd have long by now pushed me away. And you know damn well I'm not going anywhere. You don't want to be infallible anymore? Then fine! We never asked you to! I never asked that of you! You don't have to this guiding light, this... beacon of strength, this... rock for others! Hell, you say the same damn thing to me! You said it yourself, that I'm allowed to be weak, and human, and... fucking emotional, and that all I had to do... was ask for help, even when I'm feeling the lowest."

"Why can't you listen to your own words, Yugi, for once?! I'm not going anywhere and will always stay with you because I love you. I don't care if you're the duelist who surpassed me or a broken shell who's all but begging to be put back together. You don't think you have that strength anymore? Then take mine! Take as much as you want, as you need! Anything and everything you need to help put you back together, to make you whole again! I'll gladly give it because that's how much I care about you! I came back for everyone else, sure. But I wished to see you. That's why I'm here."

[x-heartofthecards-x]

@screwtherules

If Seto were the man he used to be, a jab like that may have had him lashing out and shooting an insult to Yugi in kind. But as it was, he knew that he deserved it. He’d heard those words more than once, during their breakup, or at least something along those lines. It had his chest tightening painfully and knocking the air out of his lungs.

He had done that. And the fact that he didn’t tell Yugi or bring the boy with him during his excursion into the afterlife only to lose a goddamn duel against the Pharaoh— that made it even worse. But he didn’t do it for Yugi or for Atem or for their relationship. It was just something he needed to do. He needed that closure that Atem never gave either of them. But he should have told Yugi how he was feeling at least. Explained the situation. Communicated his needs. But he did none of those things.

It had been a difficult situation to explain to his therapist, that was for sure. But the amount of money he was paying her meant that he could be as open as he wanted.

With a heavy sigh, Kaiba stopped by his car at the passenger side and tugged his phone from his pocket. He offered Yugi a weak smile and replied, “I see now that this was a bad idea. You are still angry with me— deservedly so. Let me call you a car. The driver will stop for coffee for you, paid, and will make sure you get home safely. And if you need anything, for the shop or your grandfather, you know where to find me.”

Yugi rolled his eyes at the sigh and pushed off of the car as Setobpulled out his phone. He shoved a hand in his pocket as he said, "No, man. I'm over it. I don't need a car. I'll walk."

The shorter man had fully begun walking off, but only got a few steps before he turned and said, "But if I was mad, it would be justified. Because who fucking does that, Seto? I mean, after Atem left you totally withdrew from me when I needed you most. Then you just up and killed yourself. You didn't even give me a heads-up or leave me a note about your experimental, completely unsafe interdimensional vacation plans. I had no way of knowing if you were going to come back. You were just gone and I didn't matter."

Yugi let out a scoff and added, "And also, if I was still mad, how would I have worked through any of this to not be mad when your knee-jerk reaction is calling me a car to get me decidedly the fuck away from you because it is a mistake to talk to me when I'm emoting. This is why I haven't talked to you. Because you don't actually want to talk to me."

He took a step back and added with his fist clenching in his pocket, "But it was never actually me you wanted to talk to, so I shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, thanks for the wake-up call, boss."

[kaibacorpintern]

the wound

word count: ~2500

summary: kaiba has some pointed thoughts about yuugi’s recent cooking injury. platonic rivalshipping. post-DSOD

a/n: a woman has too many unfinished one-shots in her google drive so i’m making time to finish them instead of overthinking them (and never finishing them.) yes this is about cooking and yuugi and kaiba and depression. yes i have already written about this. whatever man. enjoy.

++++

Same time as usual. Two in the afternoon, on Saturdays. Same place as usual. The picnic table under the massive oak in the park, two blocks away from the Kame Game Shop and twenty minutes by subway from the station under the Kaiba Corp tower. Seto took the subway mostly out of scientific interest, taking a professional curiosity in the world Atem had wanted to live in, and because Atem had told him to enjoy it. What had he seen here, in the faded orange seats and bright pastel advertisements and the quiet scattering of human-not-Puzzle bodies? What had he felt, as the subway swayed around the curve in the tunnel, unseen in the darkness and known only by its momentum, making everyone sway with it? Hands curled around handrails and books. Fingers on phones. The train burst into daylight. The side of that girl’s head against the glass, watching Domino slide by with an equally glassy look in her eyes. Two layers between her and the city. Missing someone? Or just bored of life? 

He slunk off the subway, unnoticed and unknown, in an immaculate white hoodie and aviators, stainless steel water bottle dangling from one hand. Yuugi was waiting for him at the park entrance, as usual, wearing some kind of fashionable belted dark purple romper, with the usual tote bag full of games hanging from one hand. On the other hand, something unusual: his fingers stuck out from a half-formed mitten of gauze, giving his slender hand a clumsy, snub-nosed silhouette. He was having trouble holding his iced tea, thumb and fingers alligator-clamped around the lid. Someone had drawn a pair of flowers in pink marker across the back of the mitten, a bumper sticker of cheerful admonition: 🌺 BE CAREFUL! 🌺 Not Yuugi’s handwriting. 

“Hey,” Yuugi said. “How’re you doing? You sleeping better?”

Seto pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head, over his bangs, crown-like. 

“On and off,” he said, which was true. His nights were now vast, tossing oceans of insomnia between shores of just good-enough sleep. Last night he’d simply given up trying to swim and instead, for the first time in years, read a book for amusement instead of education. Some sci-fi novel Yuugi had mentioned and Seto bought on a lark from the bookstore in the subway station. Most of his amusement came from correcting the bad science in the margins, until he woke up at dawn with his glasses bent and his bed linens blotted like calico cats with black ink. “What happened to your hand?”

“Oh, this?” Yuugi said, lifting his mitten-hand. “So, I was making a ceviche yesterday…”

He told the story as they walked through the park to the oak tree: the protagonist was a ripe avocado, its tough, disingenuous alligator hide concealing a soft, buttery-green flesh. The arc of the conflict: avocado against knife, a natural antagonist. The climax: the knife, ignorant of its own bluntness and made arrogant by the shine of its own steel, slid off its trajectory like a failing rocket and plunged at speed through plant skin and plant flesh straight into human skin and human flesh. The resolution: two identical cuts, a half-opened avocado and a half-opened hand. Man versus fruit. 

"There was so much blood Otogi almost fainted," Yuugi said, thumping the tote bag onto the wooden table and straddling the bench sideways. "So we went to the ER and they stitched me up, and then when we got back home I finished making the ceviche. What game? You pick."

"Hive," Seto said. He couldn’t stop looking at his bandaged hand. It drew his attention like a glitch on a screen, an inescapable aberration. “Does it bother you?”

“I mean, it hurts, but whatever, you know?” Yuugi said, digging into his tote bag for the drawstring bag of wooden tokens. He spilled them onto the table in a clattering cascade of wood against wood. They rapidly sorted them out. “It’s not my first cooking accident.”

Seto raised his eyebrows. It was a testament to the amount of time they’d been spending together lately - every Saturday afternoon for a handful of hours, until he made some excuse to leave, and Yuugi accepted it not because he was gullible but because he knew Seto had a battery and it ran low - that he didn’t even need to ask a question, and Yuugi simply provided an answer, with examples.

“So, here, I was frying onion rings for Jounouchi, and I splattered hot oil all over my arm,” Yuugi said, lifting his hand and pointing out a haphazard constellation of white scars over his forearm. “Then here - I was baking cookies for Shizuka’s birthday and touched the tray fresh out of the oven with my bare hand, like a moron, I dueled Jounouchi after and drawing my cards was like, ow - ” he waggled his fingertips - “and this one is another burn - ” a long white ink-stroke across his wrist - “from when I was making ramen for Anzu, ‘cause she was home from New York. And this one - ”

More interesting than how and what were who. This burn for Honda’s birthday barbecue, that cut for Otogi’s game night. A violent kiss between blade and fingers behind a frothy veil of soapy water, cleaning up after a movie night. Another spray of oil splatters, frying tempura for his mother. A lot of meals for her, his grandfather, Jounouchi. Every scar Yuugi showed him had a name attached, almost all of them below the elbows, as though collected there for easy reference. Seto frowned as Yuugi's fingers flew over this map of friendships and family, their routes landmarked by midnight breakfasts, lazy brunches, beautifully-wrapped bento boxes. Something about it tasted sour to him, his tongue held tight and bitten between his teeth. All of his own scars had only one name.

“You probably think I’m a klutz,” Yuugi said, with a sheepish smile, sliding one of the wooden tokens into place around their hive. 

“I told you to stop doing that,” Seto said briskly. “I’m not some dumpster for all your insecurities. You think you’re a klutz. You have no idea what I think.”

“I - ” Yuugi started, and huffed, with another smile, his chosen defense against causing offense. “Sorry, force of habit - ”

“Forget it. You don’t ever cook for yourself?”

“Duh. Of course I do. And I eat what I make with everyone else. It’s not like I make a pizza for all my friends and just sit there watching them while they eat it,” Yuugi said. “But I like cooking for people. I love... nourishing them. Knowing they’re not going to go to bed hungry or anything, and I can make something for them that makes them feel good.”

Seto tapped a wooden token on the table, under the guise of thinking about the game but really thinking about the kind of friends Yuugi made, and how he made them. Jounouchi. Honda. Atem. Himself.

“Did you ever cook for Atem?” he said, because he couldn’t help it, and braced against the soft look that came his way, with a default smile, a pre-emptive look, I'm fine. this didn’t hurt me smile.

“Yeah,” Yuugi said. “I did.”

Like what? Did he like it? Did he help cook or did he just watch? Just the two of you or with everyone else? Tell me. What did you nourish him with? What do you think he’s eating now? I ate pomegranates when I was there. Bread and honey and figs and garlic and beer. Nothing I ate makes me spend six months with the living and six months with the dead so instead I trade off day and night. Sometimes I leave for a few minutes, mid-afternoon, and I can hear my own name clattering through me as Mokuba calls me back. Seto kept all these comments to himself. There was only so greedy he could get with Yuugi’s grief; only so much he could share of his own.

He slid his wooden token into place around the honeycomb of pieces. Yuugi swiftly countered. Seto lapsed back into thought.

Yuugi took a quiet slurp of his iced tea, gave it a shake, rattling the ice until it settled, and took another, watching ducks paddle into the reeds at the edge of the pond and paddle out, a portrait of calm patience. It had taken him some time to get comfortable with Seto’s long silences. In concession, Seto made the effort to shorten them.

It was the kind of day where stepping into the shade made a difference. The air was darker and cooler under the trees and the flowering bushes that lined the park paths, while the rest of the earth baked in a cloudless dry heat. Seto made his move and pushed the sleeves of his sweatshirt up to his elbows.

“How about I cook for you sometime?” Yuugi said brightly, nudging another wooden token against the others with a single fingertip. 

Seto scowled, not at the suggestion but at the way his thoughts splintered apart, like two halves of a wooden log split by an axe. He had no doubt Yuugi would pull out the stops for him, slave and sweat for hours over some seventeen-course feast of modern art finger foods. Or maybe something cozy that made him feel like he was just nineteen instead of nineteen and exhausted. Whatever it was, Yuugi would put in the effort. But.

“No,” he said, and made sure to clarify this refusal before the clouds finished gathering over Yuugi’s face in a dejected overcast grey: “I don’t need one of your scars named after me.”

“I - what?” Yuugi said, flashing him an uneven, sideways smile, and Seto felt a flicker of irritation. Atem would’ve understood immediately. But, in fairness to Yuugi, he was being a little obtuse.

“You have a way of suffering for your friends,” he explained. “And I think part of you likes it.”

Yuugi straightened up in his seat, suddenly electric. 

“What the hell? It’s just cooking,” he said, with a stormy flash of lightning in his violet eyes. “You’re reading into this way too much. I cook because it’s fun and artistic and I like feeding people, not because I like… self-flagellating or something. Seriously, you can’t just spout off - ”

“You misunderstand me,” Seto countered. “There’s no reason to… hurt yourself on my behalf. If you want to eat together, I’d rather go to that kitschy little ice cream place down the block and get a fucking waffle cone. I don’t want you unable to duel because you burned your hand trying to pan-fry a steak for me.”

Yuugi opened his mouth, brows furrowing together… and scoffed, a surprisingly affectionate sound.  He rolled his eyes around the park, his gaze swinging across the sunlit grass, and looked back at Seto. 

“Okay. First of all, I've mastered the art of the pan-fried steak, and you should try it,” he said. “Second of all, what makes you think you’re not someone worth suffering for?”

Seto snorted, masking his inwards flinch. Mokuba already suffered enough, thank you. And for what? A ghost of a brother. A black hole, a perpetual collapsing. Things went in and they crossed the event horizon and the pressure squeezed them for eternity without ever letting them reach the center and nothing ever came back out, as much as it wanted to. The scientific term for such distortion of effort, stretched to an immeasurable length without breaking, was spaghettification. Even a black hole needs to eat! 

He slid one of his tokens back and forth with his fingertip, short, scraping jerks of wood against wood, thinking. 

“Direct attack on my life points,” he muttered.

“Yeah, you also got me pretty good,” Yuugi chuffed. “Let’s call it even. But relax. It’s just cooking. I love the process, and I love the result, and I love doing stuff for my friends. It’s not some big… metaphorical… symbol of something. This - " he lifted his mittened hand - "doesn't mean anything except I mishandled a knife. It’s not like… you and Duel Disks.”

But Seto also loved the process and the result and more than once he'd injured himself, machining parts or fiddling with wires that, like all wild living things, bit back in fear of his touch. He splayed his hand over the table, watching blood drip onto his work station, knowing he should get up, clean it, bandage it. But it was only two in the morning and there was work to do.

“The Duel Disk is a symbol of Kaiba Corp’s future,” he said, closing his hand into a fist. "I know what you've done for your friends. I’ve seen it. Doesn't that merit the same... mythology?"

Yuugi gave him a funny look, half skeptical, half knowing.

"That’s nice of you, thank you," he said, and an uncomfortable blush crawled up Seto’s neck. Sometimes he did understand. “Are you sure you don't want me to cook for you?”

Seto opened his mouth, closed it, folded his arms on the table. He felt like he was trying to explain the feeling of the color blue, or the arguments for why numbers do or don’t exist, or what it was like to dream. Well, you see, the last time I saw Atem, he told me - correction: the last time as in the most recent link in a chain of time, not the last time as in the end of the line, because he also told me we’d see each other again - he told me to enjoy this, and you know me, I never do what I’m told. And I can’t do what he told me to do because he was my friend, and if friendship is just getting caught in a great sticky web of small cuts and large cuts and burns and bruises and tears and suffering because they’re here and suffering because they’re not, then just go ahead and let the spider drink me up and dump what’s left of me in the dirt. I am so sick and tired of pain. Mine. Yours. Ours.

But he did enjoy these afternoons. He was enjoying the process of making this: he had more with Yuugi now than he ever had before. He reached across the table and took Yuugi’s bandaged hand between his own hands, running his thumb carefully over the inked warning. Yuugi's hand relaxed in his. Yes, Yuugi was wrong. It was the same as Duel Disks. In any act of creation there was pain, there was power, and there was glory. What difference was there between a hologram of a dragon and a steaming bowl of soup? Both nourished something. Both were an answer to hunger. Discovering an emptiness and filling it.

“Okay,” he said, releasing Yuugi’s hand. “Alright. Cook for me.”

“Yeah?!” Yuugi said, with rising excitement, beaming. “What should I make? What do you like?”

“Make me a steak,” Seto said, smiling. It felt good to see Yuugi smile. His hypothesis neatly undermined. See? It’s not all damage. “No. Surprise me.”

[vivinightingale]

You know what I wanna see with the Yu-Gi-Oh! Boys? Having to deal with their s/o putting themselves in danger! The boys throw themselves into the ocean, nearly get crushed to death, almost fall off a building, escape being burned alive or having their legs cut off. It's time for them to have the tables turned!

My my how the turn tables-

Warning ⚠️ this one contains abuse on Marik Ishtars part. If you are uncomfortable with it please skip it.

Yugi Muto:

You knew how cruel Domino high can be, with the constant bullying and corrupt teachers no day was ever easy. Especially for your boyfriend Yugi.

You didn’t know what it was, but a lot of people that it was okay for them to hurt him, and he would take cause he is too nice to say anything.

Well one day you had enough, and as this gang of bullies went to throw a punch at him you stepped in and took the blows for him.

When the dust settled and they were gone you were left bloodied and bruised on the floor. Yugi was quickly at your side call his friends to help take you to the nurse.

The poor guy was sobbing and trying his best to help you when his friends finally arrived. He has never been so heartbroken in his life and hated himself for not being able to help you.

Yugi doesn’t remember what happened after that, but he heard the next day that bullies were nowhere to be seen.

Yami/Atem:

A battle against PaniK was no easy feat considering he was to wipe people out the competition.

So watching you duel against his was hard for Yami, and it got even worse when the fire was spewing beside you.

He wanted nothing more to step in and take over the duel for you but he couldn’t. It got worse when with every second the flames licked at your legs the more burns you got.

By the time the duel was over you were covered in burn marks and no star chips. Yami called out your name as he rushed to you his friends not to far behind him.

He clutched your form as hot angry tear ls ran down his face. “I will not stand for this PaniK!” He glared up at the taller man.

“We will duel and you will give back Mai’s and (y/n) star chips!”

The battle didn’t last long as Yami wiped the floor with and took the star chips back, but to make sure PaniK would never do something like this again he sent him to the shadow realm.

He then went back to your still resting form and kissed your forehead gently pained that he let something like this ever happen to you.”

Joey Wheeler:

His fight with Marik was more devastating then he cared to admit. When he thought he had the upper had it was taken from him.

You watched from the sidelines and felt your heart wrench with every hit he took, and it got worse when Marik summoned Ra.

When Marik called his final attack you could take it anymore. So in an act of desperation you climbed up the stage and blocked the attack with your own body.

Joey and the group watch in horror as you took the blow from and Egyptian god. You clamped your jaw down hard and stood firm till the attack was over.

As you fell Joey caught and called out to you. Tears fell from his face as he tried to wake you up. It was announced that Joey was disqualified due to your interference, but he didn’t care he didn’t have the time.

He quickly picked you up and took you to the doctor. He kept trying wake up on the way there is voice frantic and pleading.

When the doctor came to the conclusion that it was a coma is when he sobbed hard. How could he let something like this happen to you? He should have stopped you!

He stayed with you all night and for most of Yugi’s duel, and when you finally woke up was he hugged you tightly “Don’t you EVER do that again!”

Tristan Taylor:

With as many fights as he has been in due gangs you would think that you would be use to seeing him hurt.

But you never were with hit took the more you worried about him and his health. So you tried to talk him out of it.

He promised you that he would stop fighting, but that was easier said then done. Especially since the gangs wouldn’t leave him alone.

You watched as he was caught in the middle of another fight, and you weren’t a fighter yourself so the best you could was yell at them to stop.

But that wasn’t enough. So as Tristan was nearly wobbling ready to take another hit you stepped in and acted as his shield.

The punch to your stomachs hurt but you stood firm. You weren’t gonna let the man you love be hurt anymore.

Luckily for you, you shocked the attacker and that was the opening Tristan needed to knock the mans lights out.

As the two of you hobbled home Tristan slung an arm around “it was brave of you...but please don’t do that again...”

Duke Devlin:

The fight with Nezbitt was anything but easy. He played to their weaknesses, and attacked the weaker link.

With that being said that left Duke to fend for himself and the other two, and that made you worried and upset for your boyfriend and friends.

You got so worried that you offered to take Tristans place after he fell, because they were desperate for more bodies Nezbitt accepted.

You blocked and helped your boyfriend and serenity to the best of your abilities, cause you to lose more life points.

Duke tried to yell at you stop, that he was willing to take the blow for the two of you but you weren’t having any of it.

So when Nezbitt aimed a huge attack at duke you knew what you had to do to keep him safe. You use you monster to block the attack knocking out your LP

All you remember is waking in an electronic cats body. You followed Tristan and found your friends and boyfriend.

After the events Duke held your face in his hands and kisses you roughly “please I can’t lose you... don’t do that again.”

Seto Kaiba:

You didn’t know if you believed Noah’s story, but you didn’t like how he was using Mokuba against Seto.

The battle between Seto and Noah was getting scary and you didn’t like the look of it. You were there with Yugi’s group of friends as they commentated on what was going on but you could hear it.

When Mokuba finally came to his sense you were so happy that you were in tears, but that was short lived as Noah Aimee his sights at the brothers

Fearing what was gonna happen, you ran past them and held your arms out taking the blow that was meant for them.

Seto and Mokuba watched in horror as you were turned to stone as Noah laughed in the background. “To think someone actually wanted to protect you Seto.”

That was the last straw for the young CEO. He sent Mokuba with Yugi and his friends as he glared at the deck master in front of him.

“Your games end her Noah.”

When you woke up Mokuba ran up to crying your name as he hugged you, and before you could ask Seto pulled you both into a protective hug. “Don’t do something so stupid again”

Bakura Ryou:

Bakura was never much of a fighter, and he never claimed to be. So when this tall guy tells the poor boy he wants to fight for stealing his girlfriend he is a bit shaken up.

He was gonna simply ignore it and move on with his day till he got a not in his locker stating that they had you.

He couldn’t allow anything to happen to you, so he went to the set location that the boy wanted to meet at.

Seeing you with someone else hold your hands behind you back made him furious. Glaring at the boy he tried to resolve the misunderstanding but it was in vain.

Though Bakura was agile and quick the boy still landed hits on him, and terrible hit they were.

You watch from afar as Bakura and the guy faught you wanted to stop it but didn’t know how. So you watched in tears.

When Bakura took a nasty hit and was on the ground was when you were able to break free from you captors and block anymore hits from landing on Bakura.

You took a few hits of your own but eventually the bully got board and left yelling at Bakura to leave his girl alone. All the two of you could do was hold each other till everything was okay again.

Yami Bakura:

Everyone knew this man cared for nothing but himself and his plan. So when they learned he an s/o they were all surprised.

They way everyone found out was not the normal way either. One of his duels got really physical when joey learned he would be sent to the shadow realm if he lost.

Yami Bakura isn’t use to fighting so when took blows from Joey they were hard blows. You tried to call to Joey to stop, but your voice didn’t reach.

So as a last resort you ran in between them and block Bakura from the punch. Unfortunately for you he hit you hard enough to send you to the ground.

At the sight of your fallen form Yami Bakura grew angry and hostile. The shadow grow angry as Yami Bakura came up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

“You will pay for the crime you committed against (y/n)”

You don’t know how the battle ended but you woke up in the arms of Yami Bakura carrying back home.

“You will never pull a stunt like that ever again.” Was all he grumbled as he held to close all the way home.

Marik Ishtar:

Living with his father was never easy, especially when he got angry when Marik didn’t want to do as he was told.

Marik suffered many beating from his father, and you witnessed every one of them, and you hated it.

So one day Mariks father was yelling at him, and you noticed his hand raise to strike a blow at Marik you stepped in and took the hot for him.

Marik gasped at the sight of your form on the floor, your face red from the blow. However, your act of your courage gained you a beating of your own.

After you were take back to your room to recover from it. A litt but after Marik sneaked in to see you.

When he saw the state you were in he immediately began sobbing .

“Why would you do that! You know how harsh father can be!”

You didn’t say anything as you smiled at him. Marik didn’t like that response but stayed at your side till you were better once again.

Yami Marik:

The battle between Yami Marik and the Pharaoh was coming to a close, and you were terrified of the outcome. You didn’t want to lose the man you loved.

So out of act of desperation you instered yourself in to the duel and used your life points to power Ra.

Most of you was in the shadow realm as you watched Marik best the Pharaoh and claim his victory. So in turn you were very weak and ended up passing out before you could see the aftermath

You don’t know how long you were out, but when you woke up again you were laying down on a very comfortable bed with Yami Marik right beside you.

You heard shuffling as Marik grip around you tightend slightly. “You have served me well doll, but don’t ever do that again or I will leave you there”

You nodded knowing he only said those words out of worry. You snuggled up to him and fell back asleep dreaming of the rest your lives together.

[3w-writer-with-wings]

10 Most Powerful Scenes in Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

10) Three things

Starting with probably the most well known quote in VRAINS – three things. It would’ve been probably ranked higher if it was not that repetitive and its impact wasn’t scattered to many different scenes, but it is still a very powerful scene regardless. Yusaku was just an innocent six-year-old child who loved to play a card game and yet that same game was turned against him in the cruellest way possible. Suddenly he had to duel for survival and suffered for each defeat. For half a year, Yusaku was trapped in a never-ending nightmare that didn’t seem to stop until he heard Ryouken’s voice. These few sentences gave Yusaku hope to hold on just a while longer and he started using them as his coping mechanism, even years after the Lost Incident. Like Yusaku said it himself, it felt like the life stopped moving for him and despite therapy he could no longer lived his life like others. Thinking of three things to move forward was the only thing that helped him out and knowing there might be someone else still trapped there made him more determined to find out the truth. Since he used this coping mechanism outside duelling, it may also suggest that three things speech is the only thing that kept him from turning into an empty shell like Jin.  

Another thing that makes this scene so powerful is Ryouken’s side of it. Just like Yusaku, he was also just a child who loved the game and most certainly just wanted to play a game with a new friend. It is still unknown if Ryouken was aware of what will happen to children, but it is most likely that he genuinely meant no harm. True his father brainwashed him with his ideas of work for “greater good”, but Ryouken knew it was wrong. He could only report the incident to police and push the memories of it away and yet he reached out to one of the children just before he did. Later it was only further proved just how guilty Ryouken felt and always had a soft spot for the victims. Neither Vyra nor Faust had the courage to report the incident, but Ryouken, a mere eight-year-old child had. Despite his father’s brainwashing, he acted on his own and continued to do so until all the victims were fully safe.

9)      Ai saves Yusaku

From the start of the series, Ai wasn’t a typical partner character like Atem or Astral since he was mostly goofing off and wasn’t really useful when it came to duelling. However, in this scene, Ai shows for the very first time just how powerful he really is and even Yusaku is left speechless at Ai’s abilities. Ai even tells him to shut up back and letting him know that he is far too in this duel to just give up. He even refers to him as his partner and shows he is willing to risk his life for him all the same way. Considering Ai was already using Yusaku as his personal weapon against Knights of Hanoi at the time, this may be the first time he actually started seeing Yusaku as his own person and not just as the tool in his plan. Ai has always been sneaky and successfully covered up his true colours, though in this single scene, he genuinely looks concerned about Yusaku.  

8)      Hope for the future

Hopeful and optimistic scenes are very rare in VRAINS and this is just one of many reasons why this one was included. Shortly after Earth’s death and Go’s decline, Yusaku blames himself for what happened and is again unsure about what they should do. Fortunately, Takeru, Ai and Flame are there to cheer him up and despite the approaching battle, Yusaku is hopeful for the future. Compared to how he used to be, when he told Akira that he can no longer live normally and that he sees no future, this is a major change. Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonists have always been optimistic and even if it was impossible, they believed in themselves and in their actions. Yusaku has always been bold and realistic, so seeing him hopeful and thinking about future in his own realistic terms made it that more impactful. He even smiled several times and ensured both Ai and Flame that they have a plan to keep them safe and if it won’t work, they’ll just think of another one. Watching this scene for the first time really made you feel that despite the hardships, this show will have a happy ending and for a while it really felt that way. Knowing how VRAINS will end this scene may also hint that this is when Ai truly started thinking of Yusaku as his true friend. Ai has been moulding Yusaku into Playmaker from the start and when his so called weapon acknowledged him as a living being and promised to do everything he can to keep him safe – that’s likely when Ai began to realize just how much is Yusaku willing to do for him.

7)      Earth’s execution

 This scene is probably among one of the most heart-breaking ones as it is among surprising ones as well. Villain very rarely wins in Yu-Gi-Oh! and when they do, it’s a big deal. Earth wasn’t around for long but when he was, he appeared as a very nice, caring and socially awkward Ignis. He was likely also the only Ignis besides Ai that expressed love towards someone and he was willing to do anything to keep Aqua safe. What makes his death that much sadder is that he was captured by Go who was by this point a mere shadow of what he used to be. Both Go and Earth were victims of SOL’s greed and ended up as their tools. SOL did absolutely everything to ensure Earth was not a living being, using scientific expressions reserved for objects and not stopping even when he screamed he is his own person and cried his eyes out when forgetting about Aqua. Another powerful comparison was between Akira’s and Queen’s reaction to it. Akira couldn’t watch while Queen smirked and likely only thought of next step which later turned out to be creation of their own Ignis and putting Earth’s data in Go’s implant.

Other Ignis also felt Earth’s death, along with his own origin. Specter has always appeared to be someone who was entirely devoted to Ryouken’s plans and would do anything to destroy Ignis, despite being connected to one. After Earth’s death he felt like a part of him was gone and he even shed a tear and looked disturbed when seeing Go being fused with Earth’s data. Deep down Specter felt the bond between him and his Ignis and when Earth was no more, he likely felt the same pain as when his beloved tree was cut down.

6)      Yusaku defeats Kusanagi

 The duel between Yusaku and Kusanagi was anticipated from the start since it wouldn’t be a Yu-Gi-Oh! if it didn’t include an emotional clash between two best friends. What made this duel that more emotional is that Yusaku and Kusanagi seemingly did not have that best friend dynamic that so many protagonists before them had. They treated each other more like caring co-workers and even Yusaku stated many times that Kusanagi was his acquaintance and not a friend. Many times it also appeared like Kusanagi saw Yusaku as Jin and was doing all of this for his little brother and would likely choose Jin over Yusaku.  Still there were many moments where Kusanagi showed legit concern over Yusaku and apologized many times for involving him into this. As for Yusaku, he appeared to be more or less stoic about it, showing little emotion, which made it hard to tell just what kind of relationship he really has with Kusanagi, not to mention he always used very polite mannerism towards him which was his surname and –san. Compared to Takeru, whom he refer to simply by his first name, that was pretty polite though then again, Yusaku didn’t mind Takeru nor Kusanagi calling him by his first name either.

It was clear that the reason why they kept their relationship strictly professional was because Kusanagi knew there will be a time where he might need to put Jin over Yusaku and yet he still cared about him. Yusaku also did not want to involve anyone since he knew what he was doing was dangerous and even Kusanagi needed a while before he became a part of his team. Lightning knew well about their bond and did not hesitate to use it against them in the cruellest way possible. Even though Kusanagi played along and tried to make it as convincing as possible he was likely breaking inside. It also does not help that the scene where Kusanagi deals multiple damage to Yusaku looks strangely identical to the Lost Incident flashbacks where Yusaku was electrocuted many times. The duel came to a point where Yusaku couldn’t fight Kusanagi and that’s when it was clear that he also cares about him. The flashback to the promise further proved that this duel was something they anticipated and were ready, but what truly makes this scene so heart breaking is when Yusaku outright cries out after dealing the final blow to his friend. It was clear that Yusaku was ready for something like this, but at the same time he didn’t understand just what this meant for him. It truly broke him and another reason why this was so impactful is that duel was a mirror image to Lost Incident. They again took something that Yusaku loved and turned it against him until he was broken to the core. Only this time, there was no Ryouken who could tell him to think of three things in order to go forward.

5)      “You know nothing about me!”

When VRAINS started, no one really had a clue what it will be about besides hover boards and duels in virtual reality. By episode 2 the first hint of Lost Incident was shown and by that point it was clear VRAINS is going to be a lot more complex and dark to previous shows. We all wanted to learn just what exactly happened to Yusaku and what the truth he was so desperate to uncover was. By episode nineteen he is finally close to that truth, but Akira stands in his way, claiming he knows all about what happened and that Yusaku should let Akira handle this. We learn that there were six children who were kidnapped and held captive for months until they were rescued. Akira compared that experience with his own when he lost everything and had to do shady jobs in order to provide for himself and Aoi. He expected Yusaku to accept his help and move on with his life, but instead of that Akira is met by absolute rage. Yusaku and Kusanagi both appeared to be rather cool and collected people, however seeing how Akira was treating everything so lightly made their blood boil and shouted all of their frustrations out. This was followed by Yusaku’s raw description of just what was happening from the point of view of someone who actually experienced this and not someone who merely reported it. It was nowhere as simple as Akira described it and learning that Yusaku still suffers from PTSD and night terrors rightfully justifies his rage. Like Yusaku put it, he tried to move on countless times and did everything he could to forget the pain, but he just couldn’t. Learning the truth was the only cure he knew would help and seeing someone brush it off just like that was incredibly insensitive and gave him all the right to be as mad as he was.

4)      Yusaku doesn’t want to fight anymore

 It is rare to see Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonist to give up and for someone like Yusaku who will do anything to reach his goal, it was absolutely heart breaking to see him give up. This was the second time he was broken apart, only this time he had no one to give him hope. Yusaku has been fighting his whole life and tried to distance himself from others because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to take it if he were to lose them or if something happened to them. He even was getting better at socialising and trusting others more which is why this scene is so sad. Just when he was seemingly experiencing bits of normal life, Lost Incident happened again and this time it took away his friend. He was outright defeated at that point and despite protecting Kusanagi from Lightning’s badmouthing, Yusaku just couldn’t take it anymore. The pain of loss was so great that he simply shut down. In a way it is similar to when Yuma lost Astral and cooped himself in the room for days, refusing to eat or talk with his friends. And honestly can you blame him? This started out as merely quest to learn more about Lost Incident and over the time it turned into fighting with cyber terrorists, protecting thousands of people and dealing with homicidal AIs. Like suffering from PTSD and night terrors, Yusaku had even more responsibility pinned on him and it is understandable that after such ordeal he could not take it anymore. It was only thanks to Kusanagi’s voice that he found the last of his strength in order to defeat Bowman once and for all.

  3)      “If losing a friend means your heart breaks, then are you trying to break my heart?”

Now this single quote may as well break your heart. Yusaku and Ai might’ve started off as an odd pair that regularly annoyed each other, but with more episodes, deeper their relationship became. Ai has always appeared to be this happy-go-lucky goofball and that turned out to be a mask. Not only to cover up his true motives for siding with Playmaker, but his own personality as well. When he was cracking jokes, he was really just covering up the fact that he has been torn apart and hiding in network for years in order to protect his friends. Yusaku was his only hope and even though he has been manipulating him to the very end, Ai grew attached to him and especially after losing other Ignis, he felt alone and guilty. What makes this scene so powerful is that Yusaku tells Ai loud and clear that he is his friend and losing him would as painful as when Ai lost his fellow Ignis. A couple episodes ago Ai said there is only one person he fully trusts with his feelings and this person turned out to be no other than Yusaku. Ai also revealed that he was using Yusaku as his weapon and yet Yusaku still referred to him as his friend. This entire duel was probably the first time the two of them were completely honest with each other and out of all sentences they exchanged, this one was the most heart wrenching.

2)      Revolver's helmet breaks

 Like Yusaku, Ryouken has also been moulded into Revolver, the man in charge of cyber terrorist organization known as Knights of Hanoi.  His father who brainwashed him with his ideas to a point when he was willing to blow up himself with the rest of the network has created his entire identity and Ryouken had little to no say in it. Despite closely following the orders, part of Ryouken still rebelled since he wanted to uncover Playmaker’s identity and the fact that he managed to do it behind his father’s back proves that he wasn’t completely loyal to his father. He always had that tiny bit of conscience that made him report the Lost Incident and learn about the victims. After his father’s death he both felt free and lost, so it was a good thing he took some time off to clear his thoughts. He had time to learn everything about the victims and the case of Windy’s child was likely one of the many reasons he decided to outright eliminate all Ignis. And once that was done, the only thing he was left with were sins of his father. He was even ready to surrender himself to authorities and go to jail if that would help Takeru and other victims to move on. They settled this with a duel and when Ryouken lost, his helmet broke, symbolically freeing him from his burden. Takeru didn’t want him to go to jail for crimes he didn’t commit and rather wanted him to be a rightful Knight of Hanoi – the one who protects network and others so Lost Incident may never happen again.

1)      Ai means »to love people«

 Yu-Gi-Oh! series tend to give their characters rather meaningful names, like how Yugi means “game”, how Yugi’s and Juninchi’s first two letters form a word “friendship” and even in SEVENS, Yuga Oudo translates to “seventh road” which symbolizes Yuga’s wish to invent things for better future. The second Yusaku named Ai, I knew his name will be important part of the story. I already knew Ai means “love” and considering how much emphasis’ series put on relationship between protagonist and his partner, I assumed it will be important someday. VRAINS told a story of an AI who was torn from his world and friends and ripped apart, driven by revenge and goal to get back. In order to achieve his goal, he manipulated a traumatized boy into becoming a weapon he needed, successfully using him until the very end. What he did not expect is that the person he carefully moulded into a tool for his plans would become his closest friend so when he was slowly fading away in Yusaku’s arms and heard what his name meant… that’s when it hit hard in the feels. Ai was an AI with free will, born from the pain and misery that Yusaku had to endure for long months. He was programmed to think freely and yet the fate has drawn him back to his origin, slowly understanding just how much he needs Yusaku and how much Yusaku needs him. Even though there was a way for them to be together, he understood the pain Yusaku has been feeling his entire life, the pain of being used and knowing Yusaku cared about him to the point of protecting him with his life, it was clear there was only one other way. Not wanting to hurt him anymore, Ai sacrificed himself for his partner and once he learned the meaning of his name, he faded away with smile.

What he did was the ultimate act of love for his partner.

[setoslut]

maybe the thief king x reader? I don’t see a lot with him

Character: Thief King Bakura

Time Period?: ancient Egypt

Warnings: none

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I hope you liked my idea for it and if not just send in another ask that you want!

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Thief King Bakura 

Like any other story, headcanon whatever

You and Bakura, soon to be ‘Thief King Bakura’ in the upcoming years- were ‘childhood friends’

Or whatever the term was called in scientific Egypt

This might be unrealistic but let’s go with the flow because I’ve gotta make this head canon some how-

When y’all were about 8-9 ish

Apparently Thief King Bakura is 27, and Atem is 18 big yolo-

There was an order issued to bring forth some of the most Devine? Beautifulest? Children that they could find and bring them to the castle to prep them to be Atem’s potential wife

And Ofc you were chosen and you never got to see Bakura since that fateful day

You’re last memory of Bakura is him reaching out to you and shouting you a promise you’ll never forget

“I’ll come for you Y/N! I’ll find you and I’ll steal you away from here! For ever! And we can live in a palace together okay! I promise”

That memory will forever be engraved into your mind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay so fast forward about 9-10-11 years? Atem’s turning 18 which is the day for him to choose his wife that’ll rule by his side till the day they die-

Which also means that Bakura would be turning 23 today

Yes I changed his age sue me-

Okay so yada yada yada

Orientation or whatever the coming of age ceremony is passed and now it’s time to chose a wife

So far Atem hasn’t seen anyone worth while, too ugly, too fake, too big, too bony, too greedy, too-

Wait a minute

Who?

Who? Who is that?

Yep, you guessed it

It’s you:)

You’re literally the meaning of true beauty and the definition of perfect in Atem’s eyes

As well as Bakura and me 🙈

And you’re not stuck up?

Perfect

so he decides that you’re the perfect bride for him so you get taken to a separate room that has a balcony thingy that over looks the side of the garden

And you can’t help but reminisce all the memories spent with Bakura back from when you two were kids

How you longed to see him

And how you still hoped that he kept his promise

Don’t get me wrong- it’s nice living in the palace, wonderful even. But you aren’t with the one you want to spend the rest of your life with

Nor are you cut out for it.

You need some excitement and adventure in you’re life

And that’s what Bakura gave you

S i g h

Snapping back to reality you see a rustle in the bushes to the mid right back? Of the garden, kinda on the edge?

Great explanatory skills amirite?

Leaning forward slightly you see a tuft of wild spiky white hair, that low key looked kinda soft, emerge from the greenery attached to a body of a man with scars litering his tanned face and body

But you recognise that hair from anyway

Surely it’s-

“Bakura” you breath out airily as he swiftly and silently climbs up to where you’re at and gives you a massive smirk as you he grips your forearms tightly, but not enough to harm you

“Told you I’d come back to steal what’s rightfully mine”

But before y’all can catch up, Atem walks in with priest Seto

And poor babey thinks you’re in trouble but Priest Seto the hot Slut- thinks you’re working with him, tbfh he’d think that no matter what-

N E W E I G H Z

Atem calls for his guards whilst him and and priest Seto, albeit reluctantly, go to help you

But plot twist for them-

“Unhand her this instant!” Atem yells which is futile, because now that Bakura has you? He is NOT letting you go anywhere without him

Or outside at all

“Sorry Pharaoh but I’ll be taking my prise possession back” you can literally hear the smugness and the smirk in his voice

“She does not belong to you!”

“Actually” Bakura licks his lips “she does/ I do”

Poor Atem is struck still-

Oh well this isn’t an Atem angst this is a Thief King head canon so let’s continue-

Without sparing any last words, Bakura flees, leaving without a trace, with you tightly in his grasp, just as the guards turn up in and around the area

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you’re a safe distant away you both stop behind an abandoned building North West of the palace

You brings your hands to his cheeks and slowly and carefully start to trace his scars

“Oh Bakura” you frown, concern in your eyes “what happened to you?- How did this happen to you?”

“Well” that familiar smirk adorns his tanned face “ I am Thief King Bakura”

Instead of you running away like he thought you might, you stayed and gave him a soft smile with a small shake of your head as a small chuckle seeps past your lips

“Oh My Thief King” these a hint of amusement in your voice before it disappears without a trace,

“ I always knew you’d find me and steal me back” you say 😌

“What would I do without My Thief Queen? I wouldn’t be complete, so consider your self lucky”

even though his words were slightly harsh his tone wasn’t, and you understood him enough to realise that

“I guess not”

You slowly wrap your arms around his neck

“I can’t wait to make new memories with you”

His arms sneak around your waist to rest just above your hips

-Reduced to a mumble-

“we’ve got plenty of kisses to steal from each other as well”

Your lips are inches apart

“Then I guess we better get started”

Your lips touch in a slightly soft but rough kiss that is filled with so much passion and longing to last a life time

You both slowly pull apart as y’all need to breath

Y’all are slightly short of breath as a thin string of saliva connects you two

Cheeks flushed you keep your forehead pressed against his as you whisper

“My Thief King”

“My Retrieved Thief Queen”

••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~

{ Rip pharaoh- he will be missed 1998-2020 }

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

It’s currently 6:58 AM and I’ve had no sleep so I think I may have misspelling a few words and a few things might not make sense but I hope it’s eligible- if not I’ll fix it later

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

[nenya85]

For both Giving Up the Ghosts & The Newly Revised Book of the Dead; 💡-What was the motivation behind the story? + 💎- What was your favorite part?, if you'd like. Thank you!

@rainstormcolors - Thanks for asking!

If anyone has a question, the link to the asks is here!

Giving Up the Ghosts 

💡-What was the motivation behind the story?

When we see Kaiba fly off from Alcatraz, I was struck by just what a pivotal moment that was in his life.  He’s accepted that he needs to search for his future in the rubble of his past, that he has to let go of his own bitterness and anger.  But it’s equally obvious he has absolutely no idea – not only how to do that – but even if he’s capable of change.  It occurred to me that one thing Kaiba might do was create a virtual world that would challenge him to do those things.  So I really wanted to write a story where the entire world was a map of who Kaiba was, so that when the characters were inside of it, it was like being inside of Kaiba’s soul.  I wanted to look at how Kaiba could develop and change – and also at the limits of that change.  So, I ended up using the virtual world Kaiba created as a 51 chapter metaphor.

💎- What was your favorite part?

The Wicked Worm Beast.  In the first chapter, the Wicked Worm Beast shows up in Kaiba’s virtual world and attacks him.  This keeps happening over and over throughout the entire rest of the story, with Kaiba insisting to anyone within earshot that it’s a stupid computer glitch that has no significance whatsoever.  The thing is, for at least the first dozen chapters, I had no more idea than anyone else why the Wicked Worm Beast was there.  I just knew he belonged.  It’s the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken in a story.  Then when I was about a quarter of the story in, and the Wicked Worm Beast had made several appearances, I went back and read every scene with him in it and all of a sudden I knew why the Wicked Worm Beast was there and what his part of the story was.  

The Newly Revised Book of the Dead

💡-What was the motivation behind the story?

I felt like the ending of the manga left so many questions not just unanswered, but unexplored.  There seemed to be a conflict between the insistence throughout the story that your life chip should never be wagered on a game and the events of the Ceremonial Duel.  We don’t know how Atem feels about going to the after-life or if this is what he wants.  The only time he talks about the possibility, earlier, he says that he would rather stay with Yugi even at the cost of his memories.  We don’t know if he changes his mind because it never gets discussed.  

Also, it occurred to me that Atem was no longer the same person who had once ruled Egypt.  He’d changed in his time in Domino, he’d had to form his own personna all over again from scratch’ he’d developed roots here and a way of looking at things that was in keeping with more modern times.  Essentially, there was a lot of Yami in him and some of the things he’d learned about himself, might be things he wanted to keep.  It struck me that Atem might regain his memories only to feel a bit alienated from them.

It also occurred to me that after Yami no Yugi manages to convince Kaiba that losing equals death, and that they were friends, Kaiba might very well feel betrayed by watching Atem lose a duel and die.  Assuming Kaiba arrived after the duel, that he might feel betrayed by Atem leaving without a word to him and without a rematch.  And I could see Kaiba, as someone who has experienced repeated abandonments, not recognizing the sense of hurt and loss that was fueling his anger.  

I wanted to write a story that encompassed all of that.

💎- What was your favorite part?

I’ve always seen Yu-Gi-Oh! as a fairy tale with some modern day trappings, so I enjoyed writing something that really was a flat out fairy tale – and then putting Kaiba in this fairy tale world was irresistible.  One of my favorite parts was having Mokuba tell Kaiba fairy tales and having Kaiba (grudgingly and disruptively at first) try to search for the meaning in them.

This is Kaiba’s take, from his first person point of view of trying to find the meaning in Jack and the Beanstalk:

Mokuba was looking at me expectantly… like he was waiting for me to say something.

"How did they clean up the giant?" I asked awkwardly.

That's when I remembered that fairy tales are supposed to have morals – and Mokuba must be waiting for me to find one in this mess.

"Well," I said slowly, "Jack sneaks into this giant's house, takes his stuff, and then kills the giant when he tries to recover his stolen property."

If this is what fairy tales were like, I'm surprised Gozaburo hadn't told me any. Of course his lessons were usually delivered much more directly.

"But he was a giant," Mokuba explained, staring at me intently. "Giants are always bad. It's a rule. Fairy tales have their own laws."

"And the sooner we figure out what the rules are the better," I agreed. "Because in any battle, you need to learn the lay of the land. But what matters most is being smart and fast… and having a family member ready to hand you an axe when you need one." I stroked his hair. "Got it. You're one hell of a story-teller, Mokuba.”

OMG!  One last thing I forgot to add is that  I’d just read “Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea” by Charles Seife, and I was thrilled to work the discovery and use of zero as a dividing point between the after-life world and ours.

[quebracabeca]

We meet in Duat

Discord thread with @kaibacorpbros

Seto had done it a million times before. Gone out flying too late, it was a risk to his license ever time, he knew he was risking one of his greatest hobbies like that. And yet, he sill went out anyway. He'd dipped a bit too far below the horizon line while he was approaching to land after an exhilarating acrobatic flight over the sea. And it was just too late to pull out of the decent.

"Mayday--"

No, it was useless. He could take his hands off the yoke and it wouldn't make any difference. And he did, with one, in order to clasp the locket. After all those additions to it, it would be safe.

"Mokuba--"

He was burned to cinders instantly.

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

There was the sensation of falling, panic, and impact. Time didn't quite flow the same in this in-between realm, so no one would have known how long for it to take for his cells start to reform. But they did, slowly. And once his nerves and brain had come back he felt every moment.

Eventually most of his body and flight suit had reformed. He was still missing all his limbs but his his left arm, his skin still raw, burnt, and bleeding, almost like it could fall off. He was screaming, for a long time, but eventually it died off into rasps as his throat ran dry as his flesh was forced back together.

Dammit. Dammit, dammit!

He was counting on death to finally be his end. He supposed his father owed him a 'I told you so'.

Why couldn't he just die? Why couldn't it just be over? Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop--

"Please... w-why..." he coughed, spitting blood. "M-Mokuba... Mokuba!" 

He sensed his death, his arrival from his realm. Could it really be him? It had to, the sudden shift in his mood accompanied by a new sensation... It called for him to venture out of the afterlife's safety.

The other souls noticed the sudden change, in their king's behavior. It was something important, they all could tell that much. This is why no one, tried to stop him when he walked past the palace's walls and headed towards an exit of his realm. Atem wasn't all by himself, Mahad, his trustworthy bodyguard accompanied him even though he wasn't quite sure, what the matter was about. His pharaoh hadn't spoken an word, ever since he began this walk.

In no time they found themselves out of the afterlife, and began wandering into the mysterious Duat.  The place felt like a surreal dream, were they walking on a solid ground? Or were they walking on water?

Regardless of it, the duo eventually found what had brought them here in the first place. His intuitions were right... It was him.

Atem stopped at a relatively safe distance, from the burnt and destroyed flesh... The sight shocked both souls.

Mahad took his time to look for missing pieces, of Kaiba's body. Whereas Atem, stood by and stared at the state of his former rival.

"... Kaiba..." The pharaoh spoke softly, as he approached the mangled body. 

A new voice broke the sound of his own in agony. And if he could, he would have spat and hissed at it if he had the strength, despite things having been better between the two after Kaiba had managed to get Mokuba to come home.

"You," he rasped. "Of course it's bloody you, Atem--"

Seto gets cut off as more waves of pain spread through him. "W-What the hell is this, didn't--didn't I die? Why aren't I gone?"

He was atheist, and not even spiritual. He shouldn't exist. Or be in Hell, paying for old sins. If Atem was here he knew what was likely to happen. The king would try to play savior and try to fix him somehow. That begged the question... what other spirits were here? Seto didn't want to see them.

Let me die.

"I crashed! I should be liquid right now!" 

Atem remained in silence, while still staring down at the mangled remainders of his rival. He was taking his time processing the sight, and the informations he spewed at him. It was a tragic and abrupt death... It really wasn’t how, he hoped the man would have met his death.

At least, he was glad to hear it was quick... Even though, it destroyed his body. And now, he was stuck waiting for it to reform.

“You’re right, you’re dead.” The pharaoh broke his silence in a calm tone, as he dared to get closer to the other man. “Please, try to calm down it will only make the process worse for you.” He added as he found one of Kaiba’s hands beside his foot, then proceeded to gingerly place it in it’s rightful place.

Before he could say anything else, Mahad approached him with what appeared to be a leg. “Thank you, Mahad.” Atem spoke to his priest, as he did the same thing - and placed it in the right place.

“I’ll help put you back together Kaiba, try saving your insults for when the flesh starts reconnecting.” Atem responded in a cheeky- lighthearted teasing tone, despite the morbid situation they were facing.

In theory, the priest should attempt to try and prevent his king from doing this. It would stain his garbs, and he shouldn’t interefere in the process of a soul’s judgement. But as a friend of Atem, he didn’t do anything - instead he assisted them.

He knew how much his king valued the bond he shared with the man, that invaded their palace a long time ago. 

With the two limbs the they found, the flesh started to knit itself together once they were in proximity, ripping another scream from Kaiba's lips as soon as the nerves reconnected with the rest of the system.

"Atem, Atem--" a quiet hoarse, gasping growl came from Kaiba. If his hand weren't raw and sensitive he would have tried to grab the pharaoh by the neck and choke him.

"Stop. I don't know what the hell this place is, but I don't want to be here. Don't you dare start playing savior again, I don't--"

He was fine with it all ending there, in that cockpit. Mokuba was happy, and along in his life. The younger had been in Italy last Seto heard. And he was considered a genius among his field, the work recognizable, and most of all demanded, just as how Mokuba had always deserved. Kaiba, of course had unfinished projects. New invention and game ideas, several children programs he was in the middle of setting up-- things he wished he could have finished, but ultimately weren't a pressing need.

"Don't you get it? I don't want to be here," he hisses, his eyes screwing shut as his leg reattaches. He could almost cry from the pain alone, nonetheless of the gravity of what was happening.

"Don't condemn me to live, Atem. Or I swear I'll kill you myself." 

Atem brushed off Kaiba's threats, and ignored his words at first. Despite their weight, nature and even harshness the pharaoh didn't look bothered at all by them.

The same however, couldn't be said about Mahad who didn't take them all too kindly- those words struck a chord with him. The pharaoh quickly noticed it, and simply gestured for the priest to resume his search for any other pieces of Kaiba's body.

"You're in Duat, Kaiba." Atem began, while he watched over the other's flesh recompose before his eyes. "This is Osiris' kingdom, you are in his domain... The land of the dead, a realm that exists in-between the countless afterlives." The entire time he spoke, he used a calm tone all while trying to be as clear as possible to his acquaintance.

Even in his current state, Atem is almost certain that Kaiba won't listen to him, nor believe in a single thinf he just said... But that didn't seem to hold him back with his explanation.

"I'm not here to save you, Kaiba. And I can't really revive you... But I have come for you, because I have an offer to make you." Atem added, just in time when Mahad returned with another arm and a foot.

"Come with me, to my afterlife Kaiba... After your body is back to normal and you see the light, follow me and Mahad towards it." 

"I don't want to be in any realm," Kaiba spat. Finally, his skin started to heal over, and he forced down more sounds exclamations of pain.

After all of this, everything he'd done... He was tired. Continuing on in any way, whether it be in this limbo or in this afterlife Atem spoke of... it made Seto's voice want to close up in anxiety. What about his--he wanted no chance of running into them. Seto couldn't face them. Wouldn't. It'd be a worse punishment than his body re-stitching than dying over and over again.

"And if I don't? Can I finally stop, huh?" As his limbs solidify back to him he gives them a small stretch as blood clears from his skin.

Kaiba manages to push himself into a sitting position with a grunt. He'd expect that it would take a few moments more to be able to stand. All of which, he saw no point in. Why reform his body if he was dead?

"You realm is one of the people of your time, correct? I don't think a modern person from Japan would do well there anyway. Why would you even want me there? Don't kid yourself."

‘Kaiba, don’t... You don’t know what’s about to come.’

Atem could only think on those words, while watching over the other man return to his former glory. The pharaoh is in silence, hearing to everything that he spoke to him.

His soul’s trial was bound to begin soon... He merely hoped, the other would take this as an opportunity to try adn skip it.

Mahad became noticeably disgruntled, he made small gestures to his king in order to rush him- hurry him up so they could return to their safety. Kaiba would have to face everything, by himself.

“It’s my kingdom after all, Kaiba. But you won’t find any peace, around here... You’ll most likely end up as an wandering soul if you don’t leave this place.” Atem responded, while ignoring his priest’s signals at first so he could buy them some more time. “This isn’t a place for you, Kaiba. Listen to me, and do as I said... Follow us, please.” The entire time he spoke, his eyes never left his rival’s- he was staring deeply into those deep blue eyes.

For a moment, it was all that he could do... He found himself lost, within them... This feeling wasn’t new to Atem, he hadn’t felt like this in a long time.

Their peace however, came to an abrupt end when the pharaoh’s once serene- calm gaze shifted into one of fear. “Follow us, Kaiba.” It is all that he could say, before he rushed towards the golden gate that Mahad held open for him.

A bright and warm sunlight bathed Duat’s ground, and Kaiba’s body. Unfortunately, the gates closed without giving the new soul the chance to even attempt to get up. 

Atem still didn't get it. Kaiba didn't want to find peace, wandering would suit him just fine, it would be better than reconnecting with specific souls-- but before he could say so, the two were gone.

With a hiss, Kaiba finally pushed himself to a stand. There were few times he had ever seen fear in Atem's eyes. But he brushed it off, along with the ashes on his flight suit. "So much for the invination," he scoffed. Not that he wanted it, but he didn't stand a chance to make it through that door before he shut.

Might as well start that eternity of wandering now.

But as soon as he took almost three steps, something grabbed him by the ankle, and yanked him right into the ground.

~~~

What occurred after that could only be described as dramatic irony, or some would even argue poetic justice of the highest caliber. Seto had never been so afraid in his life. Or even in his death.

It started with a mob of people with faces he couldn't make out. But they all wanted his blood. He'd managed to defend himself against a few, but quickly became overwhelmed. Blades jabbed into him, and right as he was sure it would be too much, they all seemed to drop into liquid. Almost like oil.

It grouped together, reformed, and took the shape of a beast with too many conflicting features for Seto to classify it. Something akin to a immense frakenstein of deadly features that caught him easily almost ripping off a newly formed leg in the process. He screams. But Seto freezes when the claws grip his throat, all to similar to too many years ago. But still Kaiba digs in his heels, still fights and claws at the monster to no avail as his vision starts to fade. Ever stubborn. If he had to be snuffed out completely, it would be under his own terms. He couldn't just give up.

And yet the more he struggled, the worse it got. Was he on fire? Surely not. But everything burned, burned, burned--! 

Him and this ugly creature of his own making were in deadlock. And then he heard a familiar voice. One that should been long gone. Telling him to give in, to obey.

He wouldn't. Couldn't. Never. Seto would protect himself, for no one else would. Because this was a threat and he needed to eliminate it. A gaping maw threatened to devour him. All he could smell was blood--this would be his end.

No, he didn't want his essence to die to this--thing. Something that had no place here, a remnant of the past.

Blue eyes fly open at the beginnings of a realization. This was something of the past. He may not know all the rules of this realm in between... but something like this couldn't be real. Right?

Some old words of advice came to him.

Let it pass you.

Right as the grotesque creature's teeth were about to clamp down on his head, his hands fall from their struggles. A sense of calm seemed to wash over him.

"You are just memories."

The creature melts into the ground, dropping Seto  a good ten feet in the process, a cry echoing the void as once more the loose leg reforms, the rest of his pale skin still littered with unidentifiable wounds.

"W-What the hell was that?" And was it over now? Or would something else come back again? Could it be over, couldn't he just be done?

‘You can’t intervene in it, nor try to stop it... You must leave him to face those things all by himself.’ Atem had been scolded by his father, and other members of his court as he waited for the chance to return to Duat. Of course he wouldn’t follow him, even if he did it would only be postponing the inevitable. All of this, only caused Atem’s fear and anxiety to brew and grow strong within the back of his mind.

He needed to have faith, and believe that Kaiba would make it through his judgement. The pharaoh felt immense pain on his chest, to a point he could barely breath as he waited. In the meantime, this gave him the opportunity to delve into some of his thoughts, and even questioned himself what was truly making him feel like that.

The pharaoh couldn’t stop thinking of their encounter in Duat, the way his former rival was found and especially those words. ‘Why am I doing this? Why do I refuse to listen to him?’. The man would think on this subject, until the door to Duat opened once again.

Light and warmth return to the realm, the turmoil was over. The afterlife’s door opened, and allowed the pharaoh back into it.

“Kaiba!... Kaiba!”

Atem exclaimed as he dashed into the realm, this time he is all by himself. He could see him, Kaiba made it through- his soul was worthy of peace. The pharaoh immediately felt relieved- like a weight had been liften from him, and happy as well. Tears formed in his eyes as he approached the other man, he only stopped when he pulled the tackled him- wrapped his arms around him into a tight and warm embrace.

“Kaiba, you’ve made it... You did it...” He spoke in a low tone, his voice was cracking as a sobbing noise could be heard coming from him. “Kaiba... I was worried, I... I...”

“I love you, Kaiba.” 

By the time light entered this odd void, Kaiba had struggled back to his feet. Almost in waves his injuries healed over again, but this time with no pain, and much quicker, restoring his body to it's state right before the crash, flecks of gray in his chestnut hair and all. Before he could shield his eyes from the harsh change he was slammed into by another person.

Atem.

What in the world was going on? He was about to ask so, when the pharaoh's last words smacked him in the face like hitting the water from fifty feet.

"You came back..." he managed to say eventually. Why was Atem crying? Why those words? Seto didn't understand.

"What the hell was that thing? Is it gone?" He may not be entirely sure what it was, but it all felt so final. Something in him felt different, or so he thought, but the logical side of his mind knew that could all be in his head. Which then prompted him to ask a different final question. Before it would have been 'Why do you say that? You'd better not be trying to manipulate me into changing my mind.'

Now it was plain and simple, "I don't understand."

Atem's hold onto Kaiba is firm, extremely tight as well while more tears kept running down his cheeks. He fell silent upon hearing the other's words and looked up at him, it was then he noticed how different the man looked from the last time they saw each other.

The white hair was the first thing the pharaoh noticed on him, he aged- he grew older. Whereas Atem, remained the same - not a single thing about him changed. Slowly he picked up on other signs of Kaiba's state, when he died.

It took Atem awhile, until he found his next words to say- in the meantime he could only quietly sulk as he tried to maintain a coherent train of thought due to his emotions. "... I love you..." Atem repeated faintly, as he looked back up at the other. "Your soul has been judged... You were put through a test... And you managed to get rid of your package. Kaiba, you're ready- you can come to the afterlife and find true peace..." The pharaoh tried to explain, but the pain on his chest had returned...

He was happy for Kaiba, but now he feared he wouldn't be reciprocated nor would be followed to his realm.

The look in his eyes, gave out his anxious state and the fear was crystal clear on him. "Kaiba, I..." A knot in his throat formed right there, which prevented him from completing that sentence. The pain that he felt, only caused more tears to form and run down his cheeks. 

It was hard to register the things Atem was saying, and Kaiba's disbelief in any sort of form of judgement and afterlife wasn't helping either. A large part of him thought Atem must be confused due to his near 'second death' or whatever, that it was just something the pharaoh said in the heat of the moment.

There was always this odd connection between them, and Kaiba never doubted it. In fact, Atem was one of the few people he could connect with in life. Since his departure, things had smoothed over the slightest bit, partially from their duel as well as Seto's talks with Yugi, and to Atem through Yugi.

But all that aside...

"'True peace?'" There's a quirk of his lips at that. "I've never thought there's such a thing for me. As I tried to enunciate before--" When he was still in pieces, "--I'm tired, Atem. I can't... keep doing this. I got rid of whatever that thing was, but I wanted my death to be it--for everything to turn to nothing."

His expression seemed to be one of someone twice his age at that moment. He'd thrown everything into life, for that was all he had some control over, the only thing he cared about. He'd used it all up in the mortal realm. Kaiba managed to pull away slightly from the king, now examining the sleeves of his perfectly unsinged flight suit. He hoped he hadn't hit anything important with that crash, or anybody. But there shouldn't have been many people there that late at night anyway. He didn't envy whoever was put in charge of the cleanup though.

"Whatever that creature is may be gone but... who else is on the other side of that light Atem? Because if there is any truth to theological studies there are several I don't want to see--can't see again." He runs a hand through his bangs with a sigh. He'd rather get mauled by that creature than have to face them. 

The knot in his throat was still strong as ever... He knew all too well, how this wouldn’t be easy. But he couldn’t give up on it, not on their bond and his feelings for him.

By now his kohl was in shambles due to the tears that kept running down his face, Atem listened closely to Kaiba’s words. Everything he spoke- that came out of his mouth, was so incredibly painful to listen to. He averted his eyes from the older man, now his gaze landed onto the other’s hands.

They were so much larger than his, on top of looking noticeably rough around the edges. His gaze remained fixated on them for a long and quiet moment, as he tried to muster up the courage- the power to undo the knot in his throat that has been preventing him from voicing - responding to him.

Eventually he reached out for Kaiba’s hands, and dared to hold them firmly. The pharaoh gave them a reassuring light squeeze, as his gaze finally returned to his face. There is a comforting smile on his face, he was trying to convey to the other- how there was nothing for him to be concerned about. That he could trust- believe in him, their connection- bond.

“...You can trust on me, Kaiba...” Atem finally managed to utter out, as his hold onto the other’s hands tightened up. “Beyond that door lies my kingdom...” His voice trailed off softly, he gives another light squeeze. “Please... Come with me, Kaiba... Rest with me, in my world...” 

My kingdom.

Kaiba still tensed at the touch. He'd like to blame it on the fact of only reforming a little while ago, but a deeper part of him knows after all these years and trials there was still lasting damage.

But the main matter was that this beyond was Atem's realm. Ergo, assumedly, his parents couldn't get to it. A realm of existence that was far from unappealing. The look in the pharaoh's eyes was reassuring. But there were still two vital questions Seto wanted to know the answer to before he decided whether or not to go into that light.

"Two things. Just answer two things for me, Atem. One, what happens if I don't? If I stay here do I disappear eventually? Two, what about Mokuba? He's still young, I don't want him waiting all alone if he ends up this void as well eventually. What if he starts looking for me and can't find me?"

At the end of the day, Seto was still a logic-based person. Gods, would Mokuba have even heard of his demise by now? Was he crying? Seto had planned for his untimely death long ago, Mokuba should be getting Seto's last message to his little brother soon.

"Please. I need to know those two before I can decide anything." 

Atem quickly nodded his head- in agreement to answering his following questions, despite everything he felt in that moment- he just can’t give up on Kaiba. All hope isn’t lost... He can do this. The pharaoh tells himself, as he quietly tries to clear his throat before he tries to respond.

Might as well start with the shortest and easiest one, out of the two.

“There’s something you need to understand about this realm... Actually, the same can be said about others. Time flows at a very different pace and speed compared to the one you came from... Does it feel like one a few hours have passed at best, Kaiba?” The pharaoh asked then paused for a moment, but he didn’t give him a window to respond. “I imagine at least a few years in your brother’s life, have already passed... Depending on how long his life turns out to be, he might arrive here at any given moment. Regardless of when or how he arrives, his soul will find his way to you... There’s no doubt about that.”

Another pause came, now it was time to address the most complicated one of the bunch. He could lose everything, if he isn’t careful with his following words.

“... You’ll not vanish, there’s nothing for you here... This isn’t a realm meant to last, it’s only a stage of transition... A connection... If you don’t leave this place, you become a wandering... No, a doomed soul who’ll never find peace or be able to rest... Doomed to wander the nothingness between the countless realms, unable to ever get in them...” Another pause. “... This is the worst thing, that could happen to anyone. It’s worse than failing your soul’s judgement...”

Atem’s hold onto the other tightens once more, as his eyes stare intently into the other’s deep blue ones. “So I beg you, Kaiba... Please, come with me... Everything will be alright, listen to my words... You can trust on me...” 

Years? How could that have possibly... he had only just died! At Atem's explanation, Seto even glanced around, just to ensure he hadn't missed Mokuba in the chaos. Though he breathed a sigh of relief at the king's insistence that his little brother's soul, spirit, or whatever would be okay. He supposed that wasn't proof but... the pharaoh had certainly been existing in the realms beyond for quite a while, and Kaiba had no way to fact check him.

"An endless march through nothingness, huh...." He very much didn't want to go through similar motions of the darkest moments of his life again. If Seto's only two options would have been this Duat or void he would have still taken that over risking seeing the two faces of the people who's disappointment would shatter him. In his mind, that was inevitable if they were to ever meet again. A sarcastic chuckle falls from his lips. "Heh. Somehow being mauled alive still seems like the worst out of the two."

The squeeze prompts him to refocus on his rival again. Kaiba's expression is perfectly neutral as he weighs his options. Begging? Atem didn't beg. No, he only ever fought tooth and nail at each of their clashes for what he believed in. To say it caught Seto off guard would be an understatement. And after such an admission from before, he didn't know what to make of it. To Seto, it seemed largely out of nowhere. But he supposed that must have to do with being a part of another 1% demographic.

But Seto never doubted that Atem was one of the few people that managed to connect with him on some level, when nine out of ten chairs were empty. There wasn't too much Kaiba had left to lose, he died after all. But there was something to gain. He could always seek something else out if he couldn't find some semblance of peace in the kingdom of the pharaoh.

He took a deep breath, and with a whisper,

"Okay... I will. Don't make me regret this, Atem." 

Atem fell silent, his heart is racing at a deafening pace- if he doesn’t pay attention to Kaiba, he might end up missing out on the things he say and responses.

Now it was all in the other’s hands, there is nothing else that he could-- Did he hear that correctly?

The pharaoh’s expression changed on the spot, his eyes shot widely open as he quickly looked up at the other man. He is coming with him- he will follow him. More tears welled up his eyes, but he quickly wiped those out using his arm. A few faint grunts and huffs escaped him, he needed to say something back- utter out anything. But all he finds himself capable of doing in that moment, was to just smile back at him.

His facecheeks were slightly flustered up, he was overjoyed with the answer he had just received. The pharaoh gave him a slight nod with his head, as he stood and led Kaiba towards the afterlife - warm light.

His hold onto the other’s hand doesn’t diminish in the slightest.

“Just walk into the light, Kaiba... Close your eyes if you have to, listen to my voice... I’m here...” 

Kaiba's focus was on following the pharaoh. He certainly didn't want to be left behind to face whatever creatures were in this realm. One foot in front of the other, it was simple right?

And yet there was still this niggling in his gut. He glanced over his shoulder. No Mokuba. Hopefully he'd be okay. Atem, Yugi, and all them seemed to care about him before, he doubted he would just kick his spirit to the side.

Seto had Atem's word. As they stepped into the harsh light, Seto's nerves flared up, but he forced himself forward, not losing his grip on the pharaoh's hand.

And just when it seemed his eyes would be seared inside and out like all those years ago--something washed over him as soon as he stepped past that barrier. All the anxiety that had been bubbling in his gut being soothed. There were two familiar presences. But Seto did not panic like before. The feeling was gentle, not overly neutral, nor positive.

The sound of something heavy falling, and echoing on the ground could almost be heard.

They say nothing, and it's better that way. It was for his sake. They knew this is what he needs, that even appearing and offering to come with them would weigh him down with baggage once more. So they say nothing.

There's a non-existent kiss to his hair, and a hand on his cheek that he could almost swear were real before they were gone.

The message is clear.

When he could see again he was met with Atem's kingdom. He glances around on instinct, but there was never any sign of their presence. His boots sink into the sand, and now he was regretting dying how he did, a flight suit was good for keeping engine fire out, not desert heat.

Seto opens his mouth, as if he were going to comment on what just happened, and then closed it.

"Well... I suppose you should give me the grand tour."

[bastetwastaken]

Hey, love your writing. For the prompt thing would love to see no.5 :) Yugi jealous yey.

Again, sorry it's taken me so long to get this one done! Work and life got in the way :(((

I love a jealous Yugi, give me all the jealous Yugi. I struggled with this, but only because I could legitimately write an entire book of Yugi being jealous...and that's kind of what my Demon AU is turning out to be...

So I'm sorry it's short, but I tried to be strict on the length of these so I could answer every one I got. It's sweet and hopefully you like it. Thank you for your lovely words it means a lot <3

5. "Wait a minute, are you jealous?"

Enjoy! <3

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

“Did you have a good day?” He asked as he looked up from the sofa. 

“I did.” Atem said happily. “It was great.” 

Yugi watched his boyfriend shrug off his jacket and kick off his shoes and he smiled. Moments like these still filled him with joy, just knowing that Atem was there, that they were together, it was the best feeling. 

“I’m glad.” He said as Atem turned to face him, walking further into the room to join him. 

“It was really nice to see the city.” Atem told him, a fond smile on his face. “Jou showed me so many things. We went to the arcade for a while and played that fighting game you used to like, then we took a walk down to the docks and Jou bought us ice cream too. The sun started setting whilst we were there and it was the second most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Yugi nodded along with what Atem was saying but he couldn’t help the feeling creeping into his mind. The feeling of irritation that Jou had taken Atem to the places that they liked to go together. It shouldn’t matter to him, he was happy that Atem had friends too, that he didn’t have to rely on Yugi constantly like he once did. 

But…He had wanted to take Atem to watch the sunset at the dock, he’d thought it might have been romantic and it annoyed him that Jou had taken him there and he’d seen it without him. 

“Wow.” Yugi said once he realised he hadn’t responded. “Sounds like a date rather than a day out with your friend.” He tried to keep his tone light, but he may have sounded a little more irritated that he wanted to. 

Atem laughed and sank down onto the sofa next to him. 

“Yeah, right.” He laughed again. “Jou’s a great guy but I’m afraid my heart already belongs to another.” Atem said as he flopped down on his back, his head in Yugi's lap. 

He knew Atem was only teasing him, but the words grated on his nerves anyway. He hummed and shrugged as he reached out to run a hand through his boyfriend's hair. Atem sighed and closed his eyes. 

“I really did have a great day.” Atem said. “My only regret is that you were busy and couldn’t join us.” 

“Yeah.” Yugi breathed out. “Work is awkward sometimes. Believe me, I’d much rather have been there with you.”

Atem opened his eyes and looked up at him, his lips pulled into a smirk. Yugi sighed and looked toward the TV. 

“Wait a minute….” Atem said. “Are you jealous?” 

Atems voice was light, teasing and Yugi refused to look at him because he knew Atem would have the biggest grin on his face now, he knew that he’d never let it go. 

“What?” Yugi let out a forced laugh. “No, of course not.” He kept his eyes on the TV in front of him, anything to avoid Atems stupid grin. 

“Oh?” Atem moved to sit up, turning to face him and leaning closer. Yugi could see him out of the corner of his eye but he remained stubborn. “Then why do you look so mad?” 

“I’m not mad.” He said quickly. 

“Hmm.” Atem leaned even closer. Yugi could feel Atems soft laugh against his cheek. “You don’t need to worry, my love, my heart is yours.” Atems lips brushed his skin lightly. “It always has been, and it always will be.” He added in a whisper. 

Yugi tried to hide his smile, not wanting to give in so fast to Atems beautiful words. He sighed when Atem kissed his cheek softly, his breath caught when those lips dropped to his neck, soft kisses trailed slowly over sensitive skin. 

He laughed when Atem stopped his kisses and instead licked the side of his neck. He batted his boyfriend away and leaned away from more licks. 

“Okay.” He said, laughing when Atem followed him as he shuffled away. 

Atem smiled as he leaned close to Yugi again, eyes moving down to Yugi's lips as he climbed into his lap. 

“I love you.” Atem said seriously, his hands resting under Yugi's jaw. “I really do.” 

“I know.” Yugi breathed out a laugh, mirroring the way Atem was holding him. “I love you too, and that’s why I’m jealous.” 

“I knew it.” Atem teased. 

Yugi would have argued back, but Atem had already closed the distance between them and when Atem was kissing him he couldn’t ever think about much else. 

[kaibacxrps]

Introducing your partner

Discord thread with @kaibacorpbros / @indioragod ! CW: scandal.shipping.

It was one of his several returning trips since the first time he knocked down the doors to Atem's realm. They had gradually grown a little less arduous, but there were still plenty of bugs to work out with such a jump. Thus, a big reason why he brought along Diva. And besides, if he were getting the help of the ex-Plana member, he should probably at least know that the goal Seto had originally employed him for wasn't just some vague, unreachable dream.

But gods, it was nice to talk to Set again. He'd taken some time alone with the priest to update him on what had been going on in his and Mokuba's lives.

Except... one detail.

The detail they ran into at the end of their stroll. Wait, how long have we been talking? Diva must have gotten impatient and sought them out. It would have been hard to spot, for someone who hadn't grown to know him better, but Kaiba noticed how Diva's fingers were slightly curled and his posture a bit stiff. He was sure if he poked into the vitals the tech he was wearing was monitoring he'd find an increased pulse.

"I was looking for you. I ran into your rival, Seto."

Oh. That was it. Seto cleared his throat. "I see. Well, I'm sure he was glad to finally meet you." The CEO moved on from that point before Diva could say any more. Best to just introduce him, even though he didn't know the two had already run into each other.

"Erm, Set this is Diva, he--" 'Tried to kill me' probably wasn't the best way to introduce him. Or say he once turned into a big rage monster and did kill him, albeit briefly.

"He's a friend helping me improve the Dimension System and set up some way to communicate other than travelling all the way here each time." 

It was always a pleasure to receive Kaiba in the afterlife, at least for Set it has always been like that. How could he not? They have been through a lot, and have found a way to stay in touch - something that went against all the odds.

He felt so relieved to still be part of the brothers lives, albeit in a very restricted way. But it always felt nice hearing, what those two have been up to.

Meanwhile, he has been going through a lot lately as well. However, due to the nature of those things and out of fear of Kaiba's reaction, he would keep them a secret... For the time being. Thank the Gods, Seto never had any interest in his culture and costumes, otherwise he would be able to tell something at his first glance on him.

The priest slowed down his walking pace until he stopped, when Diva showed up. They didn't need any introductions, this was obvious in the way they exchanged glances.

The way Kaiba described Diva however, was humurous in the priest's eyes but at the same time pretty telling. Kaiba and friends?... Give him a break

"I see- oh don't worry about any formalities, Seto... Those aren't needed around here." A brief pause came in right afterwards what he had just said. "So... There won't be any trouble then? You'll be able to stay here for longer, right? It would be an honor, to have you for supper. I even went ahead, and have for it an animal I hunt earlier today."

As soon as the words left the priest's lips Diva shot a look at Kaiba. Do not.

But of couse, implication between humans was flawed, and even if it weren't Seto likely wouldn't have said no simply because he got to see Set so little.

"Correct, we should have..." the HUD glowed to life in front of Kaiba's eye, showing the status of the duel dimension machine. "A few more hours at least."

"Kaiba, what about that project?" Diva tried.

"Oh, it'll be fine. I got a lot done on it yesterday." With that dismission of Diva's concerns it was settled.

"We'd be greatful to stay for a meal." Seto gestured that they would follow the priest. "What did you catch by the way?" Not that Kaiba was much into the sport, but he knew Set took pride in it. And everything, seemed to ignore Diva's growing tension. One, if they got found out. Seto hadn't told the spirt yet--at least not that Diva knew of. Two, to add to the awkwardness he's pretty sure now that he met Atem, that some of the Pharaoh's attire was following a certain custom that Set's attire was also following.

Kaiba must not know what it meant.

But Diva just offers a polite smile, "I thank you for your hospitality then."

“Oh, you’ll definetely like it! This is something you most certainly, can’t find anywhere in Japan.” The priest pointed out with bright smile on his face, as he led the way and purposely ignored Diva’s obvious discomfort. Set couldn’t help but wonder, why that was the case. But he simply pushed those thoughts aside, so they wouldn’t waste anymore time around.

Every second counted, in these brief visits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atem had joined their reunion a few good hours into it, Mahad alongside with some other guards stood by as they simply followed with their tasks- duties. His bond with Kaiba was used as an excuse, for him to join them in it. “I simply wish to catch up on the news, straight from you Kaiba.” The man said, as he sat on the floor alongside them.

Set followed it with a slurred laughter, as he took another swing from his cup of beer. The priest laid sideways, in a very laid-back position as he kept smiling at his guests.“Anyway, as I was saying. I look back on my time at that boarding school with Kaiba, and what comes to my mind is those kids funny accent.”  Another laughter left him, as he sipped once more off his cup.

"It's just British English. I mean, I talk with one when using English by default unless I'm dealing with Americans." While it was true, it was obvious that there was no malice by Seto. Then, imitating a welsh accent, "Just be happy I didn't got to school with the Welsh or the Scottish," he joked in English.

Meanwhile, Diva's eyes discreetly glanced between the pharaoh and priest. Yes, he definitely wasn't seeing things. Of course, he knew it was a different set of customs back then, but he also highly doubted Seto knew.

More importantly though...

"You didn't tell me you went to boarding school," Diva said, keeping most of his attention on his food.

"It's in the past. And besides, it largely slips my mind." There was a shrug from the CEO as he adjusted how he was sitting. It had been a while since he'd eaten in such a way.

Diva decided to drop it for now, bringing his attention back to the priest. "Either way, that does sound like a wild time. It must have been a culture shock to be thrown into a new setting while you were still tied to Seto." 

“One day I found myself in some large and fancy looking mansion seemingly all by myself, and the following one I’m suddenly surrounded by kids about the same age as Seto. So I’d say, you’re right about that.” The priest responded in a slightly slurred tone, as a chuckle soon followed his words. The man fell silent so he coul take another swing off his drink.

So far, Atem was extremely quiet. It may not be the first time he heard most of those stories, but he pulled an act that gave off that impression. The pharaoh chewed on his food, as his gaze shifted from his lover priest to their living guests. “Set got to experience a lot more that your world had to offer than me, I only got to travel to America once and it was... Well...” His head shook to the sides, in an attempt to convey that things weren’t exactly what anyone would consider to be a vacation- without saying anything else.

However, he was soon interrupted by Set as he went ahead and named a few of the nations visited. “United Kingdom, France, Italy, America, Germany... Of course, Egypt! I was never truly sure, what to expect whenever we headed out.” Another chuckle left him.

While his spouse spoke, Atem shot a brief glance at Diva- and he noticed something felt off in the way he was staring at him. It didn’t take long for him to piece things together, as he was reminded of the fact that hailed from Egypt as well.

At this point, it was impossible to hide things from Diva... At least Kaiba, still seemed to be oblivious. Hopefully, he should be smart enough to not point out the obvious- between him and the priest.

“What else do you wish to know about Seto, Diva?” Set teased, while he poured some more alcohol for himself. 

There's an air of awkward silence from Kaiba at Atem's words. It had certainly been far from a pleasant time for him either--not that he'd ever admit it to the pharaoh. Though, the CEO was starting to slightly worry that Set was getting a little too tipsy for such discussions.

His suspicions were confirmed when the priest volunteered up information to Diva. Ugh, he never should have brought him along.

Diva, on the other hand, was brought out of his scrutinizing of the pharaoh at Set's question. "Well, if you're offering..." his voice was quiet and polite, but Seto knew that tone meant trouble.

"Then I suppose I'd like to know if it's even possible that he acted like he had a worse stick up his ass back then. For I was lucky enough to met him later and skipped most of that."

"Diva, I will poison your food and leave you here."

A chuckle left the ex-Plana. This dance was a repeated and well-practiced one. "Sure you will. And then it will simply be more awkward when you return again." 

There was a brief moment of silence between Atem and Set, as they exchanged brief looks with one another while the duo bantered with the other. Then, both men broke into a fit of laughter, which only served to sustain and confirm Diva’s statement.

Atem wanted to say something, but Set got ahead of him before he could even muster anything. “Oh, it’s very possible! After I introduced myself, and he became aware of me. It was nearly impossible to take over the body, I just couldn’t swap places with him!” The priest spoke while laughing, as he remembered those times so vividly.

“And the first time I met Kaiba... I had to rid him, from a bad influence that had clearly taken over him... And I’m not talking about Set.” The pharaoh added.

“All that did, was to get me an earful from him right after it.” The priest pointed out, as he sipped on his cup. “Well, I never said anything about what would happen afterwards, now did I?” The two followed it with another brief chuckle.

“Trust me, he has improved a lot since I got to know him... He changed a lot over the years, Diva. I’m happy for him.” Set added, then went ahead and emptied once more his cup. 

"Oh forgive me for  not wanting to just rent my body out on a whim," Seto shot back. Though the conversation quickly moved on, and he was unsure whether to feel insulted or touched by the end of it.

So instead, he did the totally socially acceptable thing and decided to stare at some odd fruit laid out before him that he didn't recognize.

"Really now? The great Seto Kaiba can change after all. I supose my timing was lucky then. Well except for when we first met--"

Seto cleared his thoat to cut that statement off. He didn't want Set to strangle someone today. Especially a live someone.

"You know Set, be careful. At that rate you're gonna pass out before the end of the meal," Kaiba said with a nod to the flavored gross liquid. 

“Seto, I’m no longer in your body,” A hiccup interrupted Set’s slurry words, as he covered his mouth for a moment before he resumed talking. “I know very well how much I can take of this.” The man even gestured with his hands, as he took another sip out of his cup in order to prove a point.

“There’s no need to be concerned about, he tends to drink a lot more whenever he is with the others...” Atem pointed out in a calm tone, he had more to say but his drunk spouse interrupted him once more. “By the way, I’ve got a question... What’re you two anyway? What’s Diva to you, Seto? You know I won’t buy the friendship answer.” Set asked, it was very easy to tell how intoxicated the man was.

The pharaoh quickly fell silent, as he shot a glance at him then back at the guests. Now that he put some thought into it, Kaiba didn’t really explain his ties to Diva. Sure, he may have informed him that he was simply giving the CEO a helping hand in his work... But it didn’t quite suit, what most expected from Kaiba. 

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, shooting a disbelieving glance. High tolerance or not,  drunk people weren't fun for Kaiba to deal with. Too much and it was hard to get intelligible conversation out of them even if they weren't flat out passed out.

But the gazes of the two immediately made Seto and Diva freeze before exchanging a glance. While Diva expected such a question to come up, he wouldn't have guessed it would have been asked so... directly. But Kaiba instantly responded with sarcasm."What, is it so hard to believe I have some friends nowadays? When you spend so many hours working together it's kind of impossible to not get along on some level."

For a moment Diva didn't respond. The plan had been for Seto to introduce him to the people here honestly, along with helping with the experiments side. But the ex-Plana could see Kaiba was most likely acting on instinct.

"It is true we are friends. It took a while, certainly after well... some difficulties over the past but we eventually got there. And..." he trailed off, carefully keeping his eyes off Seto. Best to leave it to him in his own time, if he wanted.

There was just the noise of Seto taking a sip of his own drink for several seconds. "And... weendedupgivingdatingatry." The words were spat out fast as Seto would read a monster's effect and his gaze snapped back down to his own food. Gods, why did he ever want to do this? Set and Atem would just laugh at him. 

Atem and Set quietly listened in to Kaiba’s words, the priest was still sipping on his drink and the pharaoh held onto his cup. At first the answer given to them sounded reasonable, and expected from him even. As such both men didn’t react to what they heard immediately.

Set broke his silence as he stopped drinking for a moment, so he could speak “Oh, I see. So a lot has changed after all...” His voice trailed off, while the lips approached his cup- it seemed like he didn’t care about what had just come out from Kaiba’s mouth.

However, those words finally hit him.

First, the priest’s eyes shot widely open as he spat- choked on his drink and put aside the cup. A coughing fit ensued, as Atem attempted to help him out by giving his back light taps. It was in that moment, Set proceeded to sit up as he tried to muster out any word.

“Excuse me? What did you just-- say, Seto?” The priest asked between his coughs, while he desperately tried to clear his throat. The pharaoh was at a loss for words, he didn’t feel like he was in a position to even say a word about the matter.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Set reassured his partner, as he waved off Atem once he could talk normally. “Come again? You? Him? What-- Since when?” The priest’s gaze shifted between Diva and Kaiba, he didn’t seem to be angry- rather shocked and appalled at the bombshell. 

For a moment, both Seto and Diva thought they had safely flown under the radar, or perhaps Set was being kind and trying to not make a big deal of it to scare them off. But it turned out to be a delayed reaction. The reaction could have been better, but they supposed it also could have been much worse. At least Set didn't die from the shock.

"Erm... well even that's a bit tricky. Kind of two months?" Kaiba wasn't sure the exact number of days though with the nature of all that had happened. "Though in the middle we kind of took a bit of a break er--"

"There was a small fight. But we sorted things out eventually," Diva added.

Kaiba was trying his best to not make eye contact with any of them. He wasn't even sure if he was embarrassed or stressed or both.

Diva still had a calm air about him outwardly, but a good part of him was wary of the uncertainty of what would happpen next. 

One of his hands ran along his throat, as he was still recovering from his coughing fit. Meanwhile, he took his time to process and put some thought into what had been shared with them.

Due to his young appearance (he somehow, seemed to be about the same age as Kaiba), it is easy to forget that he was an actual father in his lifetime, and despite everything it was obvious he and the CEO shared a bond of that nature. “Dating,” Set uttered out, while he was still thinking on anything to say.

Dating in his time period, didn’t come anywhere near to what is commonly found in the 21st century. Set learned that, very quickly.

“Uh...” Atem tried to fill in the awkward silence in their meal, as he also bought Set some more time to think before saying anything back to them. “Congratulations? Kaiba? I would have never-” Yet again, he was interrupted by his partner.

“Expected something like this out of you... That’s all, mostly.” Set responded in a calm tone, while his gaze landed on Kaiba. Anger is nowhere to be seen on him, it truly seemed like he meant what he had just said.

Either that or the alcohol was still doing it’s magic on the priest.

The priest completely disregarded Diva’s presence, his attention was full on Kaiba who was clearly fighting his own inner demons amidst it all. “Does anyone else knows about this? Or... Am I the first one, Seto?” 

"Wow, what are you trying to say?" But the side eye was directed at Atem. "Trust me, we didn't expect it either." But Kaiba did expect both of them to be knocked of guard at the mere thought. The word Kaiba and dating didn't exactly go together.

Diva remained silent, leaving it up to Seto on what to disclose and what not to.

"Mokuba, of course. I mean it's kind of impossible for him to not figure something was up. But we've kept it out of the news and gossip. But you're the first one outside of that."

He figured it was also best to be that way, given the nature of their relationship and Set's role in his life.

"You know, we just don't want people all up in our business just because we're dating." Because boy, woud that be a PR headache. 

Set remained in silence the entire time Seto talked, despite his intoxicated state he seemed to have an attentive look on his face. His gaze was fixated on him, and it remained there even for a little longer. However, he had little to no self-control while under the influence of alcohol.

The priest proceeded to pull Kaiba into a tight hug, then bursted into a laughing fit as he repeated the same words “You’re dating! You’ve found someone, Seto!”. It seemed like the man was pretty content, with the news.

Mahad had to look away, this was just pure humiliation - he was cringing at the sight (even though, he also found the scene to be hiliarious).

Atem on the other hand, had to hold back his laughter at the scene his spouse caused. Even though he has heard most of the stories, Set had to share about him in regards to Kaiba. Seeing something like this was still a first time to him. 

The next pause was tense, for a moment Seto was worried about the priest not approving of Diva, or perhaps the topic of his sexuality would come up with his seemingly lack of incantation in that area before.

But no, somehow it was worse. No, somehow Set had morphed perfectly into the embarrassing dad.

"Please gods, let me die." He struggled to worm out of the embrace, color rising to his cheeks as he shoved at Set to no avail. He never should have broken the news while the priest was drunk!

"Atem stop laughing! I'll kill you!" Though his glare at the king quickly switched over to his significant other. "Diva, don't just sit there, help me!"

The ex-Plana was barely hiding his laughter behind a hand. "Oh, come on Seto, I think he's taking it quite well. And I'd prefer to not get in the middle of family matters." 

“He’s right, especially when it comes to Set. He takes this matter, very seriously.” Atem pointed out with a cheeky grin on his face, as he couldn’t hold back another row of laughter from him.He joined Diva in simply watching over Seto try to handle Set, on his own.

The priest stayed like that- clinging onto Kaiba for just a little longer, until eventually his pharaoh went ahead and managed to free him from the drunk man’s embrace. He was still yelling- exclaiming, repeating the wonderful news as some of the guards and Atem managed to gingerly lay him on the floor.

“I believe he has had more than enough for the night...” His voice trailed off, as he removed his cape and threw it over his spouse’s body. Who laid there on the floor, the alcohol had finally hit him hard. A few more nonsensical words left the man, at least he seemed to be quite happy- cheerful in a way.

When he did that, it revealed he wore an almost identital outfit to what Set had on himself. This detail would likely go unnoticed by Kaiba, but it might be further evidence to what Diva had observed on them so far.

“Once again, congratulations Kaiba. I wish you both happiness together... But I feel like he’s done for the night, you two can take your leave if you’d like. I’ll let him know, you said goodbye.” 

"Oh you think?" More sarcasm spat from him once Atem finally pried the priest from him. He really should have been counting Set's drinks. A useful thing to keep in mind. But at least he finally stopped embarrassing him this way.

With a huff Kaiba stood. "When he wakes up with a headache, tell him that's karma." Despite how prickly he was acting he didn't mean any true misfortune, but gods Seto almost wished Set just didn't approve of Diva.

"Come now, don't kick someone while they're down," Diva said as he stood and gave a polite dip of his head to Atem. "Thank you for the... evening? If time works that way here. We're almost out of time anyway," he said, noting the data on his duel disk.

Kaiba gave a nod. "Until next time, I suppose." He didn't have much more to say to Atem, so simply started to walk out with Diva, who now took the CEO's hand.

"Did you see what they were wearing?" Aigami whispered.

"What? Is now really the time? Coordinate your duel disk first--"

And a moment later the duo vanished in a swarm of dark particles.

[deejadabbles]

A Thousand Songs (Atem/Yami x Reader)

Chapter One: We Are Broken

One /// Two /// Three /// Four /// [Five Coming Soon]

Summary: You knew that you and your band could make it big. Not only that, but stay together while doing it; the five of you were family, after all. The only problem was that despite all your musical talents...none of you were particularly good at lyrics. After years of struggling to put out your first full album, the solution finally made himself know in chance meeting on an empty stage.

Rock Band AU, Atem x Reader, gender neutral reader.

A.N.  Woo look at me, starting a new series before I finish my current ones. Don't hate me I have the attention span of a squirrel! I know band AUs are pretty cheesy but I don't care, this idea has been floating in my head for awhile and it's super cute okay?? I was also going to wait to post this until all the chapters were done but I couldn't control myself anymore. These chapters will be much shorter than my usual length so hopefully that means I can update faster??? I won't make any promises but I'll try. Anywho, I hope you guys like fashionable, sensitive Atem because that's who'll be featured in this fic <3 The reader's gender is never mentioned but I will admit I tended to lean more towards songs sung by women in this, I don't really think that matters though (I have Atem sing songs originally sung by women so...). I really hope you guys like this series and I'll love to hear your thoughts <3 Also: @ohyema​ This is the series I told you about all that time ago lol

I am outside

And I've been waiting for the sun

With my wide eyes

I've seen worlds that don't belong

My mouth is dry

With words I cannot verbalize

Tell me why

We live like this

The crowd was small, as always, but it was enough. Anyone hearing your songs was enough for now, or so you told yourself week after week. You felt Yugi’s eyes on you as you leaned away from the mic, plucking the cords of your Stratocaster for the brief solo and you looked to your left to see him smiling at you; always the positive optimist, the sun that shone on you and the rest of the band.

You flashed him the briefest smile in return before turning back to the mic. If you closed your eyes, got lost in Anzu’s keys, Jou’s steady beats, and Honda’s strings, you could almost pretend you were playing in front of a packed venue. One full of fans solely there to hear music, and not just a dozen or so patrons who enjoyed the music as a backdrop to their late-night drinks.

Keep me safe inside

Your arms like towers

Tower over me

You could have sworn you heard another voice in the crowd join yours as the chorus came. Ah, so there was an actual fan in the crowd.

Cause we are broken

What must we do to restore

Our innocence

And all the promise we adored?

Give us life again

Cause we just wanna be whole

Your eyes fluttered back open for the briefest second and through the smoky haze in the room, you saw that someone at the bar was holding up their phone, camera aimed at the stage. That managed to make you smile, at least you had someone’s attention.

Lock the doors

Cause I'd like to capture this voice

It came to me tonight

So everyone will have a choice

And under red lights

I'll show myself it wasn't forged

We're at war

We live like this

“Are you guys on SoundCloud or anything? Cos that was pretty awesome!” asked a young man who looked barely old enough to be in the bar at all.

You were just helping Yugi pack away his turntables, having finished your set and wishing the small crowd a good night. The young man was with two others, all of them looking enthused as they stood at the base of the small stage. The girl even giggled when Honda winked at her.

Yugi, as usual, was the one to speak up and pulled out a small leather folder from his back pocket. “Yeah, we are actually! We also have a youtube channel,” he pulled cards from the folder, black cardstock with your band’s name, logo, and media accounts scrawled across it in gold text. He handed one to each in the trio, smile still bright on his face, “Check us out if you get the chance, we’re trying to put out a new album this summer, so we should have plenty of new songs to listen to soon.”

With a few ‘cool man’s and ‘awesome’s, the trio wandered back to the bar, the one who had spoken already pulling out his phone with the card in hand, and the girl waving at Honda over her shoulder.

“You know you shouldn’t get their hopes up,” Anzu whispered as she set her keyboard case at the foot of the stage, “Two songs does not an Album make- we have no clue when we’ll actually have it out!”

“Well,” you chimed in, clicking one of Yugi’s several cases closed, “Maybe telling new fans to expect more from us will finally light a fire under our song-writing-asses.” When Jonouchi opened his mouth, that cheeky look on his face, you held up your hand to silence him, “And yes, I know I procrastinate too much, I’m to blame too.”

Yugi lifted two of his cases- and answered after Jou jumped in to take the heavier of the two, “I still think all of us should take a week's vacation, lock ourselves in our studio and work on the album together. Only getting together a few times a week is what’s really killing us I think- we can’t get into a creative groove!”

You and Anzu exchanged a look, knowing full well that neither of your bills would appreciate the week's loss in pay. Still, maybe it was something that you guys could find a way to work out. Then again, there was another idea that had been brewing in the back of your mind for a while now, and you weren’t sure if it was really something that the others in your band would go for...like, at all.

“I don’t know, a week probably wouldn’t even be long enough,” Honda chimed in after slinging his guitar case over his shoulder, grabbing an amp in the free hand.

Jou nodded as you all started filing out the bar’s back door, “I’m still thinking that gettin’ together every single night until the album’s done is the best way to go, even if it’s just for a few hours!”

This was the usual road the song writing debate took, or at least, how it usually went the past month or so, and soon enough the topic came to a standstill, as it usually did.

After loading up Jonouchi’s truck with your equipment, Honda gave the suggestion of stopping for some burgers at the 24 hour joint down the road, a common ritual after your monthly gig at “The Bandit’s Den”. As usual, Jou parked in the space best visible from the front windows of the dinner, and the five of you were glad to find that not another soul sat at the tables.

After settling at your usual booth and ordering, Yugi actually splayed his hands out on the table, looking rather determined. “You don’t start work until seven tomorrow. Right?” he asked you.

“Yeah?”

“I think we should take another trip to the station.”

You actually had to repress a sigh at that. Yugi was all about trying to trigger inspiration for songs, and the “station” referred to an old train station on the outskirts of town. You guys had discovered it long ago and were eager to use it in a music video, but were waiting for the perfect song to go with it. Sure, the old giant clock and brick stairs were a perfect setting, but it had only sparked a line or two of lyrics, nothing to make a full song.

Out of the five of you, most of the lyric writing fell on your’s and Yugi’s shoulders, with Anzu, Honda, and Jonouchi giving occasional input. Since you were the lead singer most seemed to think you would be the natural lyric maker, but the truth was that, despite your talent in singing and playing the lead guitar, lyrics just weren’t your forte. You’d had some luck when teaming up with Yugi, his emotional maturity helping you work through the written expressions, but that only went so far. Yugi also tried things like this, exercises and field trips in the hopes that it would spark creativity.

“How many times have we been to the station before, Yugi?” you asked, “I just don’t think it’s the oracle of inspiration we all hoped it would be. I still want to film there some time, but I don’t wanna take time out to visit it again, I’ll just get annoyed when it doesn’t lead to anything.”

Yugi’s set expression seemed to blink away, replaced with something almost like guilt, “Okay, I was just trying to think of something to get our inspiration flowing…”

Now you’re the one who felt guilty. “I know...hey maybe we could try something new? Like we could go some other place or try some different way to spark our heads?” you suggested, trying to sound positive.

Yugi’s eyebrows lifted in interest, but he was cautious when he asked, “Like what?”

“I…” you trailed off when your mind came up blank. It remained blank even as your eyes trailed over the entirety of the empty dinner as well as the dark scenery outside. A growl of frustration left your throat as you face planted on the table, “I don’t know!”

You heard Yugi giggle as he reached out and patted your head. Beside him, Jonouchi said, “What you need is some brain food! That’s sure to help some ideas come- ah! And here’s our feast now!”

Even though the food was good, kick-start your brain, it did not. If anything the meal just made you more sleepy, even as you guys chatted over the next hour before paying the tab and piling back into Jou’s truck.

Like always the next stop was the studio, the home and hideaway for you and your friends. For a small-time band whose biggest fame was on Youtube, all of you were actually quite proud of your studio. Yugi’s grandfather owned a few rental properties, and since the building wasn’t fitting for a residential space, nor in a part of town that would serve a shop well, he had agreed to give you guys the small building in exchange for help around his game shop every week.

Working together to make the space your own was some of the best memories you had with your oldest friends; going to second-hand shops to gather fitting set pieces, saving up for the sound dampeners so you could record your songs without paying a big-time studio, setting up the back room with tattered old furniture and a mini-fridge that was sure to break down any day.

The only thing that beat those days were the times you actually spent in the studio; rehearsing, recording your few music videos, spending downtime together writing new music on lumpy bean bag chairs and worn rugs (and definitely getting distracted by each other every ten minutes).

The night was late enough that no one bothered the five of you as you unloaded the truck, and soon enough all of you were taking your usual spots in the back room (Anzu sprawling out on the battered chaise, Jonouchi and Yugi filling up the loveseat, Honda falling onto a pair of beanbags, and you plopping down in the hammock chair).

“Alright you guys, I’m just going to come out and say it,” Anzu sighed after a few moments of hanging off the arm of her seat, “We need help writing our songs.”

You actually sat up as straight as you could in your chair and peered over at her- had she really just said what you had been thinking of saying for weeks?!

When she saw your look, something like panic colored her face as she waved her hands, “Not that I don’t think you’re a good writer! The songs you came up with were awesome! ...But-”

You waved off her concern, the hard motion causing your hammock to spin a little, “No- no, Anzu, I totally agree! I just didn’t know if I should bring it up...”

Even if you hadn’t thought of it too, Anzu had plenty of reason to think you needed help. In the whole four years since your group had started the band, from the first days sitting in class drawing up logo ideas, you had only written six original songs- and that included the two that were meant to go on your new album. You had gotten by with relying on covers to fill out your live sets and media accounts and making a host of excuses for the lack of originality.

“You really think bringing in another bandmate’s a good idea?” Honda chimed in, eyes narrow as he leaned back in his beanbag chair.

“Yeah, we don’t wanna end up like half the other bands out there,” Jonouchi chimed in, seeming to subconsciously pull Yugi closer to his side, “you guys know the only reason our band works is because we get each other- we’re family! We can’t just bring another person into that, it’ll ruin it and maybe even break us up!”

Yugi put a hand over Jonouchi’s, “Hey hey, slow down, don’t you think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves? First of all, bands hire ghostwriters all the time, and they don’t always join the band. Besides... I don’t know, if the person’s really cool, would it be that bad to have another member?”

“We could always have them ghostwrite for us for a while, and if we like them, then talk about letting them join,” you offered, and were glad when everyone seemed to contemplate that with at least some positivity. “But that brings up the issue I think we’ll have, I’m not sure we can find someone who fits with our style all that easily. Like Jonouchi said, there’s a reason all of us work well together.”

It was true, all of you brought something to the table, something more than an instrument. The five of you had slightly different tastes, all of it coming together in something that wasn’t quite punk, not quite rock, not quite pop or even metal, and that’s what worked to your advantage. You wanted to prove that different sounds and styles could come together in harmony and appeal to listeners all across the spectrum. Not fit into a genre-labeled box that only fans of said genre would even bother listening to.

Eventually, Anzu gave a shrug, “We won’t know until we try. Why don’t we put the word out and see what happens?”

“We can still work on our own, and if we don’t find anyone who fits, we didn’t really lose anything besides time,” Yugi added, and that pretty much settled the matter.

Tomorrow the search for a new member of your team began.

[dxmichelle]

The 12 Days of Fic-Mas (Day 4): The Visit

Summary: Yugi travels to see an old friend.

The only one who knew he was going was his grandfather. If he told his friends, they would just insist on making the journey with him, and in any other situation? Sure, the more the merrier. But this time, he wanted to go alone. And if he had to see the disappointment on his friends’ faces, he would have given in out of guilt in a heartbeat.

He met the Ishtars at the airport, and held the strap of the bag on his shoulder a little tighter. They didn’t talk much on the long drive other than idly catching up with what everyone else was up to.

Yugi was surprised that they didn’t drive to the site of where the Millennium Items were laid to rest, though, he did remember the tomb entrance did collapse after Atem passed through the doors to the afterlife. Nor did they go to the place where he and the others, with Shadi’s help, entered the Millennium Puzzle to help Atem save the world. Again.

Instead, they stopped at the entrance to a nondescript tomb.

“Is this it?”

“It is,” said Ishizu. “Will you need a guide?”

Yugi shook his head. “I don’t think so. …In a way, I’ve been here before.”

Marik handed him a torch and stepped back. “We’ll wait here for you.”

“Oh,” said Yugi, “Well…I might be a while.”

“It’s fine,” said Ishizu. “Be careful, and take as long as you need.”

Yugi took a deep breath and started the journey down. It took less time than he initially thought to get through the first chamber, and was surprised at himself that despite not remembering where all of the floor traps were located, none of the giant serpent statues along the walls shot their poisoned needles.

Were all of the darts deployed by visitors in the past? By the tomb keepers that had come through recently? Was he just lucky?

Or…a fleeting thought passed through his mind. Was his presence detected, and he was allowed safe passage?

He waved the idea away. The magic was gone.

Wasn’t it?

Yugi continued onward, down the stairs and into the next chamber. The passage maze along the chasm was exactly as he remembered it, though the armed statues weren’t in the same places.

He stole a glance behind him. The spike wall was naturally reset. Knowing where the pressure switch was on the floor meant he could pass without activating it, alleviating the need to hurry across the pit.

Yugi looked down at his feet and then across the field before him. The first statue was about ten paces away. He hesitated a moment and then inched his right foot forward, drawing it back almost immediately once he saw the sword-raised arm of the first statue shift ever so slightly.

Any lingering idea that the traps would just let him pass instantly dashed.

Good to know, he said to himself. They still work.

It was a wonder the tomb keepers managed to get through that room at all, knowing the cargo they carried at the time.

Left foot forward, one step at a time, until he reached the other side, and onwards through the next room. Grandpa had mentioned how his guide through the tomb had betrayed him here along the bridge all those years ago, and somehow he was saved by the Pharaoh’s spirit, though he didn’t realize it at the time.

The far end of the chamber housed an empty pedestal, but Yugi’s focus was what sat just behind it.

Grandpa had made it sound like no one else had managed to get this far into Atem’s tomb before he did, so Yugi only had to wonder where this particular artifact was actually found. Was it earlier on in one of the smaller chambers? Or in another place entirely. Ishizu never made mention if tombs to any of the other members of the court were found.

Shifting the bag off of his shoulder, Yugi set it on the ground beside the pedestal and sat down on the floor of the room, staring up at the massive Tablet of Memories. He reached into the bag and pulled out the small golden box that once housed his Duel Monsters cards, and more importantly, the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.

He placed it carefully in his lap and looked up at the carving of Atem on the tablet, forever poised in battle.

“Hi Atem,” Yugi began, “It’s…it’s been a while.”

He sighed. “I know that you can’t really hear me. That’s okay. I know that you’re out there, in your Afterlife. I just wanted to talk. Grandpa said he used to do this sometimes at his father’s gravesite. And, well, this is the closest I’ll have to doing the same thing…. I won’t stay too long – I know you’re finally at peace now, and don’t want to disturb, but I thought I’d just give you a quick update on things, in case you were interested…”

He ran a finger along some of the etchings on the golden box. “It’s been…two years now. Grandpa is doing okay. Moving a little slower, but at his age, I can’t blame him. He went off last year with Professor Hawkins to oversee a dig in South America. His last hoorah before he officially resigned his archaeology hat and settled down in the shop. We were all worried, of course. You remember the last time he went off, and we had to save him from that weird pyramid. But no, he came back safe and sound, and more than a little sunburnt.

“Joey is doing great! There’s something new starting soon. A dueling “Pro-League” and he’s almost got himself a sponsor. It’s not set in stone, not yet, but so far it looks promising. And he could use the break, with him out on his own now.

“Téa is off in New York studying dance. We weren’t able to go visit her, but she brought back a recording of the production she was in. She didn’t have a large part, not in this show, anyway, but it was really cool to see! It’s really exciting to see her living her dream!”

“Tristan’s been helping out at his dad’s factory. He’s saving up to open a garage soon. I think he takes more care of his bike than himself, if that makes sense. But at least he and Duke have stopped fighting over Serenity. …At least I think they have. We don’t see her around too much. She still lives with her mom, and they recently moved a little further out from Domino. She hasn’t come back to Domino since the Battle City tournament, but I know Joey took the train up to see her a few months ago.”

Yugi leaned back, his hands pressed against the cool floor, trying to think of who he hadn’t mentioned yet. “Oh! Kaiba and Mokuba have opened up their second Kaiba Land park! It’s just like the first one, just a little smaller. I made sure to get on the crazy coaster, just for you.” He smiled at the memory. Atem hated that ride. “The one where the Puzzle almost fell off while we were upside down. That one’s at the new park, and it goes faster. It’s great!”

Yugi shifted one hand back front to open the golden box, and then stopped. “I know you’re wondering – but no, Kaiba still hasn’t beaten me yet. I don’t know if he’s getting discouraged – ludicrous, I know – but he doesn’t take part in tournament duels all that much anymore. Téa thinks he’s too busy, and I have to agree with her. There’s a lot on his plate now. But if I had to guess, I think it’s because you’re gone. I mean, I’m still here, but you were his real challenge. I’ve noticed that if I’m not dueling, he’s not dueling.”

Yugi smiled up at the tablet. “I know you’re going to ask too – I’m fine. A bit lonely at times. You would think that wouldn’t be the case, if anything, we’ve all gotten closer over the years, even if some of us aren’t always at home. But…it’s like something’s missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it…”

He narrowed his gaze up at Atem’s profile. “Don’t go blaming yourself for leaving though! Your soul deserves to be at peace after all those years of being trapped in the Puzzle and having the weight of the world on your shoulders! I…I just got so used to you being here, that sometimes it still takes a little reminding that you’re not sharing thoughts anymore.”

Yugi waved his hand dismissively. “But enough about that. I have some exciting news for you. I don’t know if you remember, or if I was considering it before you left, but that strategy sphere game? I made a mockup of it. Mokuba was all over it, showed it to Kaiba, and there’s a real chance that he might put it into production. I’m heading to Kaiba Corp next week and the two of us are going to sit down and play it.”

He laughed. “It’ll be a bit weird, to be sitting around at a table with no cards or fancy dueling holograms. But it’ll be nice. I’m looking forward to it. I have a feeling he was going to move forward with it even without playing it himself, but sometimes he’s still hard to read.”

Yugi kept going, rattling off the news of anyone and everyone that they came across. How Mai was dueling again professionally, but still hadn’t returned to Domino yet, to Joey’s dismay. What Rebecca was up to now that she was just about finished with college. How Duke’s shop was faring, and that Mako managed to get his boat after years of saving from his job at the aquarium….

Finally, Yugi looked down on the golden box, and he frowned slightly. “…And with that…brings me to my visit. I don’t know if you were aware, I mean like truly aware, but ten years ago today, Grandpa gave me this box full of puzzle pieces…”

He leaned back against his hands again. “I think…if child-me knew just how much utter chaos we would get into by putting the Puzzle together, I’m sure I would have buried this box somewhere in the back of the shop where it would never get found. But then…I wouldn’t have met you. Joey and I wouldn’t be friends – maybe – and…well, you’d still be trapped.”

“Speaking of friends…” Yugi tilted his head, still focused on the box. “I’ve sought all sorts of advice about this…. Joey and Tristan – they think this is a mistake. Haven’t been able to talk much to Téa over it, but I was surprised Kaiba was on my side. We talked for a long time actually. You’d be surprised….”

He shrugged, and then hoisted himself up off the floor. He hesitated, a moment unsure, before carefully placing the golden box on the empty pedestal.

“We think it’s best that the Egyptian Gods remain here, watching over this place. I know that the Shadow Games are gone now, and so are the Millennium Items, but as the most powerful cards in existence, I don’t want anyone trying for them anymore. Too many people got hurt trying to collect them. And I don’t want to risk someone finding a way to bring all that magic back.”

Yugi folded his arms across his chest.

“I know, Pharaoh. This is a really big decision. I didn’t come to it lightly. And I know we always kept our cards in this box, but I think…giving the Gods their proper resting place in a way puts them at peace too….and I think, after all this time, they deserve it as well. And I don’t see a better place than here. They were yours to command, after all.”

Yugi removed the lid to the box and glanced inside. Four cards lay along the bottom.

“There’s something else…I told Pegasus what had happened. With the last Shadow Game, and how you moved on. I…also consulted him about what to do with the God Cards…and he was of the same mindset as Kaiba. Anyway…he made us something.”

He pulled the fourth card from the bottom. “I told him about your past, and about a week ago, he came to visit – I know, Grandpa nearly had a heart attack when he showed up at our door. But he had a special card for us. It’s made to work alongside Dark Magician, and I’ve put it in my deck. But he made another one, for you, so in a way we’ll still be connected, even though we can’t communicate anymore.”

Yugi cradled the card close to his chest and looked up at the tablet again, his heart heavy. The other reason for his visit...and it hurt to think about it.

“…I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to come back here. Marik said the tomb keepers who moved the tablet down think some parts of this place are a bit unstable…it may not be safe for much longer…”

He was honestly surprised that the Ishtars let him down in the first place. 

“I was shocked then that they decided to put the tablet here, but I suppose, now that your mission is complete…there’s no need to keep it anywhere else. Pharaoh Set created it to bring you home, after all. Or so I think – that’s what Ishizu believed. And…a part of me was thinking…maybe it is best to let it all fade away.”

He sniffed suddenly, and wiped away the tear forming in his eye. “But, you know? Despite everything that’s happened since I finished the Puzzle? I’m grateful for the chance to have met you, and I’ll really cherish the time we had and the adventures we went on. Time will move on, memories may fade, but you will always be my dear friend.”

Yugi smiled, and looked down at the card in his hands. Palladium Oracle Mahad. He gently placed it back in the golden box and replaced the lid before turning back to the tablet, taking a long sweep over the entire thing, committing as much of it to memory as he possibly could. The Puzzle at the top with the Gods, the Blue Eyes and Dark Magician, Set and Atem…all the way down to the worn, jagged edges along the bottom and the cartouche where Atem’s name used to be.

“Good-bye Pharaoh…rest well.”

[vivinightingale]

Hanahaki disease and Star tears head canons part 1 of 3

Hanahaki Disease: An illness born from one sided love, where the victim's throat will fill up with flowers. They will then begin to throw up, or cough up the petals. In serious cases the flowers themselves. There are only two ways to get rid of the said disease. If the person the victim loves loves them back (strong friendship isn't adequate enough) or through surgery. If neither work the victim will suffocate on the flowers resulting in death.

Star Tears: The Sparkly star-like tears, accompanied with twlinking sounds. It's a disease that is caused by unrequited love. The only cure for these glimmering tears is for the love to be returned;  however, if they are not then the light from the shining stars will blind the victim. 

Flowers mentioned: 

Tulip: Love and, Confidence 

Sunflower: Adoration, Loyalty 

Hydrangea: Emotion, Understanding 

Rosa Rchardii: and ancient Egyptian rose. (usually a sign of purity)

Lychnis

(I will be making Yami and Atem two separate identities because i believe what he use to be back then is different from what he is in the present day)

~Pharaoh Atem Hanahaki Disease:

If the Pharaoh had the disease:

He wouldn't know what hit him. The day he saw you with Mahad he felt his body temperature rise and his heart beat quickly. He never felt something like this before so he thought he became sick. How close to the truth the young Pharaoh was. 

Because you were training under Mahad you saw the young pharaoh quite often, and as time passed you even became friends, chatting like the two of you have known each other for years.

However the closer Atem got to you the more his body began to change for the worse. He woke up one morning in a coughing fit till eventually he coughed up a single white density petal. Confused, he called for the best physicians. 

When they examined him they couldn't give him a straight answer no one has ever seen something like this. So in desperation everyone turned to Mahad. Hoping that his magic could either cure the young king or give them answers.

“My Pharaoh, what you have is a  rare disease Called Hanahaki.”  recovering from his last coughing fit of blood and Tulip and sunflower petals. “What is the meaning of this disease?”

When Mahad tells him of the disease he feels his stomach drop when he hears the word death fall from his lips. Panicked Atem asks him to get rid of the disease. When that is also explained to him he begins to have an idea who has caused this disease.

He takes days to come to terms if he should say anything to you or let Mahad remove the flowers with his magic. However before he could act on any of it you caught him in the garden coughing up blood and petals from various flowers. “Are you okay my pharaoh?!” as you rush to him he panics slight and tries to turn from you but you were quick enough to catch him.

When you see him in this state you start to panic and ask him what happened. At first he tries to avoid your line of questioning, but you were persistent till he finally told you.

“I have a disease called Hanahaki...one sided love…”  you looked at him shocked. The Pharaoh loved someone who didn't love him back? How can that be? Everyone loves him!

Before you could ask him who he looked at you with those beautiful amethyst eyes that held both concern, and something else you could place. “It's you…” he turned his head and began to cough more blood petals more than before. 

Despite his coughing fit you hugged him from the side as tears sprang to your eyes “I love you Atem, i have from the day we met and i truly got to know you.” 

It took awhile for the flowers to be fully cleared up, but with you at his side he made it through.

Afters years of courting you he married you and together the both of you ruled over his kingdom in perfect harmony.

If you had the disease:

There were rumors of your great healing magic, so naturally the pharaoh and his court heard of you. You were then taken under the wings of Mahad so you could harness your healing powers. That's when you met the Pharaoh, and that's when you knew you were in trouble.

The longer you stayed in the palace with Mahad you grew closer with him and the pharaoh. The closer you got to Atem the more your feelings began to grow, and the more they grew the more sure that it was just you having these feelings.

The more time passed with the feelings inside of you, the more you began to feel the scratches in your chest till eventually you coughed up a single petal. The petal of a sunflower.

You tried your best to hide these petals from everyone else, until one day you were caught coughing up the petals by Mana. I fear she alarmed her master Mahad who then was quickly by your side with her.

“You know what this is right…?” wiping the blood off you look down “Hanahaki….the rare disease caused by one sided love….”

You were well aware of the effects of the disease and what would happen if you didn't get rid of the flowers, and honestly you contemplated if sharing your losing feelings was worth the trouble.

You took days to contemplate your situation. With disease getting worse it was harder for you to hide them. So eventually during a meeting the Pharaoh caught you coughing up the petals of sunflowers, tulips, And Rosa Richardii. Panicked, he dismissed the meeting and asked Mana to take you to your chambers. You tried to struggle against it but Atem was having none of it.

After a few hours alone in your room the Pharaoh came in with a frown etched on his face. “How long have you had this disease?” 

Once again you tried to avoid him and his line of questioning but atem was not giving up. You were special to him, and did not want anything to happen to you. 

“I've….had since the day we met….”

It took him a minute to realize the implications of your words. When he realized it he took your hand gently in his and kissed your knuckles “The let this disease haunt you no more”

Overwhelmed by feeling you hugged him tightly as he wiped away every tear, and that's when you knew everything was gonna be okay.

~Yugi Muto Star Tears:

~If Yugi had the disease

When the boy first spotted you was during the Duelist kingdom, at first he thought you were a good duelist and was immediately interested. The more time you spent with him the more his feelings towards you grew.

With these new feelings came some problems. When he was around you not only did he get nervous, clammy hands, and short of breath but, on top of all of that he began to cry star tears. The twinkling sound echoed off the empty room as Yugi tried to wipe them away.

He went for months trying to conceal these tears from everyone, but eventually he was caught one night by his grandfather.

As yugi sat in his room trying to wipe away the tears his grandfather came into his room. “Yugi? Is everything alright?” as he walked in and saw the state of his grandchild.

Mr.Muto quickly went to yugi “oh no...the star tears..” as Mr.Muto wiped away the tears he began to tell yugi of the side effects of this disease. He couldn't lose his sight! Not now! Now when the battle city tournament is so close!

Frightened, he turned to his grandfather for advice. “Your best bet is to tell this person how you feel and hope they love you back.”

Yugi didn't like taking chances, but what other choice did he have? He could lose his sight before the battle city tournament.

So with a hastily written note he asked you to meet him at the game shop at the end of the day.

After school yugi rushed home and paced around his room, he never expected to tell you like this. It felt forced, but what other choice did he have?

When you arrive at the game shop Yugi’s  grandfather shows you up to Yugi’s and knocks softly on his door. “Yugi...Your friend is here for you.” 

When you enter his room there you see Yugi standing in front of you crying uncontrollably, as bright stars that twinkle fell with his tears. “Yugi….” you muttered.

He looked off to the side as he explained the disease to you, and the side effects of it. You gasped and covered you vermouth afraid what this could mean for your friend and his upcoming matches. “Then you need to tell this person Yugi! We can't lose you!” he gave you a sadden smile “Thats what im trying to do right now.”

Your eyes widen as you slowly walk towards him, he looks off to the side feeling unsure of himself and how the outcome of this will be. Until you hugged him tightly. “I love you too.”

The star stopped flowing but the tears didn't. He was happy that not only did he not lose his eyesight, but he got the greatest gift of all. You love. 

If you ended up with the disease: 

You noticed Yugi during one of your battles during the duelist kingdom. He was simply observing you but something about the boy caught your eye. So after the battle you introduced yourself to him.

As the competition continued you grew closer with Yugi and his friends, but more importantly Yugi himself.

Even after the duelist kingdom you were close to the group of friends and yugi, However as time passed you realize that you had more feelings for Yugi then friendship .

That is when the disease hit you, as you sat on your bathroom floor tears and twinkling bright stars flood your eyes. Not knowing what to do you stayed home that day wiping away tears.

Worried Tea, Duke, and Bakura stopped by your house since you haven't answered your phone all day.They knocked  and when no one answered they walked in to see you on your floor stars and tears running down your face. 

Worried they all huddled around you. Looking closely, Bakura examined your tears and stars “Star tears….” you looked at him questiongly. Bakura explained the disease and the effects it has on you. Scared to lose your sight you asked Bakura how to cure such an aliment.

When he tells you how to prevent it, you get more anxious. You have to tell yugi how you feel. What if he doesn't accept then what? You go blind for the rest of your life?

Tea tries to calm you down telling you everything is gonna be alright, that they will figure something out in the meantime. They all stay with you trying to comfort you till it becomes late. Once they went home and you were alone you sent a text over to Yugi telling him to meet you at your house tomorrow.

You stayed home the next day as well anxiously waiting for yugi to come over. When he finally did you were both relieved and scared.  

When he saw the state you were in he was quickly at your side questions what happened. When you told him he looked perplexed

“The only way to stop these tears….is to tell you that i….love you and you return these feelings.” Yugi was quiet for longer than you are allowed to admit. “If you don't fee-” before you could finish your sentence you left soft lips on yours 

“Then i don't want to see you cry ever again okay? I'll be here to wipe them away” More tears fell down your face as you hugged him tightly  knowing you were in the safest arms in the world.

~Yami Yugi Hanahaki disease:

If yami had the disease:

When he laid eyes on you he felt like he had seen you once upon a dream. When he shared a body with Yugi he tried to fight these feelings knowing they couldn't lead him anywhere good. You were with Mako after all.

After everything, you, him, and the group his feelings for you never faded. At first they were nothing but a nuisance to him till he finally got a body of his own.

After he got a body of his own was when the flowers began to grow in his lungs. Tulip, sunflowers, roses, and hydrangea. That's when he knew….he knew there were only two ways this could end.

Yami became distant and it worried everyone, so out of worry Yugi, Joey, and Tristan psyed the former Pharaoh a visit. When they got to him, and they saw the state he was in they knew something was terribly wrong.

“I cant…” he mumbled through blood and flowers. “I can't tell them….them and Mako…” worried the boys looked among themselves before Yugi spoke up. “There is another solution..”

When Yugi mentioned surgery Yami was startled. So he either dies from the beautiful petals, or….lose all feelings for you. He couldn't bear the thought of either, but he had to do either. So in the end he chose to lose his feelings.

After the surgery he was never the same. The two of you slowly drifted apart, and unknowing to him it hurt you more than any physical wound. After High School you went with Mako to the sea always wondering what happened to Yami, but never getting your answer.

If you got the disease:

Love can hit you at any moment, and it chose to hit you when you first laid eyes on Yami and his new body. You wanted to tell him how you felt but you had your suspicions that he held feelings for tea.

Unfortunately for you, you were right. Not long after he got his body Tea and him hit off really well, and the two of them started dating not long after. That broke you more than anything.

The flowers began to flow through your lungs and out your mouth along with your blood. The same pain that was tied to your lungs was tied to your lungs. You skipped many days of school effectively worrying your friends. 

So Bakura, Yugi, and Joey went to your house to check on you. When they say you in tears, blood and petals running out your mouth. They knew things were serious. SWhen you explained the symptoms to them Bakura looked at them with worry.

“Hanahaki the one sided love disease…I've read about it in some medical books it's a rare disease, but very much real...” 

When Bakura explains the disease you grow more and more anxious. You couldn't tell Yami how you feel, and ruin not only your friendship,but his relationship with tea. “I-is there anything i can do?” When Bakura explained The two solutions you became afraid. Lose feelings or lose your friends.

In then you got the surgery, after the surgery not only did you lose feelings for Yami but you lost connection with your group of friends. Before graduation you moved away without telling anyone leaving behind your hurt friends, and a confused and hurt Yami. 

~Joey Wheeler Star Tears

If Joey had the disease:

As much as Joey likes to believe he suave when it comes to the ladies that is far from the truth especially when it comes to you. His mind goes blank, he stutters, and he can't help to get red in the face.

He knew he couldn't act on his feelings however you were already with Duke there was no way he could get in the middle of that. You were so happy…

It didn't get drastic till he began crying star tears. They were too bright and unbearable. He wanted it to stop. He called up his friends one by one seeing if anyone knew anything. Yami was the one who seemed to know more.

“They are called Star Tears. Those tears are more deadly then you are aware of.” When yami explained the disease to the Blond. When it was all explained to him he knew he was screwed.

There was no cure for this disease unless he confessed to you,and you returned his feelings. You were with Duke already so there was no way for the two of you to end up together.

He knew what he had to do even though he didn't like it...So for days he waited for the tears to stop the stars to blind his vision. He didn't like it, but he also didn't like ruining your friendship with him. 

Eventually he became blind to the world around him, it was difficult, but eventually managed. Though he could never see anyone ever again he was still happy to know that you were happy by Duke’s side.

If you caught the disease:

God where you helpless, whenever you say joey you knew you were doomed. That man may be an idiot but you loved him dearly. The only problem is he was with Mai and you knew you couldnt compete with her.

So from the side lines you watched as her and joey held googly eyes with each other, secret kisses, and hand holding. It hurt you to see them like that, but you had no other choice. You didn't have the heart to say anything.

It hurt your heart to see it but it got worse when the star tears began to flow. They got worse and worse as time went on,but you couldn't understand why. So you contacted a doctor. When you told him of your symptoms he told you of the disease, and the side effects of it.

“I'm afraid there is no cure for it, unless your one sided love is returned” 

Panicked you hung up the phone. You couldn't tell Joey how you felt that could ruin everything, besides is a fifty-fifty chance that Joey would return your feelings anyway. 

Your only choice was to wait. So that's what you did. You waited, crying the blinding tears until eventually it did take effect on you. Your sight slowly faded along with your tears leaving you in nothing but darkness.

Your friends tried their best to help you with your new predicament, but no one could help you through the loneliness you felt in the dark. 

~Request are open~