#u r singlehandedly getting me through exams anon

[astralmaenad]

Hey so I was reading through your fics again and I was wondering: how do the five boys, all who have dealt with soul crushing loneliness/isolation in one form or another for an extended period of time react to suddenly living in close quarters with 4 other people? (5 counting Mokuba!)

Hello anon. Oh boi this is going to get long and sad. 

Firstly, idk what exactly u mean by isolation bc imo all of them have been there in one way or another. Maybe it wasn’t the puzzle or nothingness, but it was sth. I will aim for a comprehensive answer but if you had sth more specific in mind, feel free to hmu again. I am dumb and my brain is full of Cold War politics atm (help me). So… w that said!

They all have nightmares. Some more frequent or more violent than others. Atem dreams of emptiness and confusion and anxiety. Seto dreams of his demons. Mahaad dreams of the darkness and his memories with Atem and Seth and his sense of self slipping away. Yuugi, before getting Atem back, used to talk to himself and get no answer. And Seth… Seth is so deep in ptsd idk where to start tbh. The most prevalent tho is his fear of being alone (and also falling short where it matters). And when one of them has a nightmare, all of them get it. They are no strangers to it. They might share (Atem) or they might keep it in (Seto, Yuugi) but they always end up under a very warm cuddle pile and w Mahaad sacrificing his energy to guard their sleep w soul magic. 

Now, individually… Atem honestly cannot get enough. He might be tired, he might not want to talk much, but he will almost always be in the same room as a minimum of one bf. He will kiss them and touch them in small ways any chance he gets, just for the contact and reassurance. 

Mahaad doesn’t actively avoid being alone, but he reassures himself by taking care of them whenever he can. He just has to care for someone (that is doubly true for the time they spend in the afterlife before their resurrection, and a lil afterwards, when Atem and Seth are the most fragile). Generally, he will put them first and operate on auto until it is settled and he is alone and then and only then he might allow himself a breakdown. But he is most at peace when he knows his boys are okay, and that very soon includes Seto and Yuugi. 

Seth. (there is… a lot to unpack here) Seth is having the toughest time, before even moving into the mansion. Now, 5 people as is, is not a lot for him. In fact, u might even say it’s more peaceful compared to a palace where he is held in close scrutiny for everything he does. Esp before his death, with the political unrest and war (his time would fall in an Intermediate Period for Egypt if you’re familiar) and the pressure to produce an heir before he was killed or dethroned. I hc he had to deal w a lot of fabricated rumors and scandals –bc he seemed eccentric even to them– that he so did not deserve for all he did for Khemet. He is starved for contact, which has resulted in him being very tactile. He won’t stick as close as Atem does 24/7, but he clings in his sleep and literally cannot get enough of someone touching/holding him. He must be able to hold onto his partner during sex (spoiler: bc of the pressure to reproduce, the scrutiny, the women thrown at him and his self inflicted celibacy, the first time things get steamy after they rejoin and he realizes this is real, he cries on his partner and then end up cuddling instead.) He cannot sleep (undisturbed or at all) alone. 

Yuugi is a lil overwhelmed to have Seth and Mahaad in the house at first. Not bc he doesn’t like them or they are too packed (it is a mansion) but bc he is unsure of how to act around them. Esp bc he is the only one who can’t understand or speak their language. They try tho, and through the bond Atem keeps as much of a constant translation stream as he can. Which, rly, is Yuugi’s fave time bc he can’t get enough of being able to reach over and feel Atem on the other end once again. He will be jetpacking at least one of them during sleep, altho he prefers to have at least one bf on either side, and has been known to switch it up after the 3am bathroom break just to get a bit of everyone. 

Seto is a lil more difficult. It’s a lot for him, more so bc he traps himself into various imaginary scenarios where he is left behind and Atem rides off into the sunset w Seth and Mahaad even tho Seto has an active role in their resurrection. In short, it feels like an entire army in his head. He is already familiar w Yuugi (rivalshipping will be established by the time Atem is resurrected) and he clings to Atem like a man starved. He grows accustomed to Mahaad first bc he is a balancing force, and lastly Seth bc they are too similar and clash the most and it scares him. But ultimately, he thrives at having the attention of 4 bfs. Do his self-isolating all-nighters stop? No. But now they come w warm tea and snacks left by his keyboard when he wasn’t looking which isn’t half bad. 

Mokuba is honestly the biggest wild card. He sees Seto exhausted and knows he has been reckless and risking his life and for what? He gives them a hard time at the start, and says some hurtful things to Atem. But they get it resolved, and he sees that from a point on they are good for his brother. And as much as he might not like it, perhaps the only way for Seto to let himself happy. Mokuba and Seth keep tip-toeing around each other, bc he low key creeps Mokuba out as a concept and Seth did not account for Mokuba in his plans, but they make it work. They got this. 

Thank u for the question, anon. Plz let me know if sth doesn’t make sense. What i’ve posted is like 0.01% of what i have planned out and idk what’s happening any more. *crying emoji*