knifemonopoly | IC inbox

[Ryou is, of course, hesitant to be himself again. But he asked for this, so he couldn't procrastinate just because of his own self-destructive thoughts.

Quietly he shifts, floats closer, and the darkness melts back, features become more defined as he forces himself back to the very solidity that he'd fought to maintain. Something...something he could do. Something he couldn't live without.

His tail loosely settles against Atem's shin, and he presses their foreheads together, his eyes closed. He couldn't be any closer if he tried at this point, and this...it's where he belongs.

Here with someone who cares about him.]

I love you.

[He does. And he would whether Atem bit him or not.]

Heh heh.

[No, he respects that, too. Tell him how you really feel! But Atem sobers quick.]

Right...so, neither god's someone to depend on, for power.

[He'd suggest Mana, but he doesn't know how many coins she has...if she's not thought of it yet, it's probably not an option. The musical power probably cleared her out...so, are there other options? Ryslig has some magic inherent to the place. But the last time she encountered it, it went bad...]

[Still in close, their noses nearly touching:]

I love you, too.

[He slides a hand up Ryou's neck, brings the other around to an arm, to support.

Tendrils wrap around Ryou'd waist, in case his legs give out.

Then, Atem moves his face away from Ryou's, lets his mouth drift over Ryou's throat. It's familiar territory now, he knows every inch by feel, and he finds one of the usual places with unhurried gentleness. He opens his mouth, slow enough to be a caress, then bites down. Twin fangs break the skin with care, with only the violence that can't be avoided, prying their way into a vein, permitted instead of forced.

And, he drinks.]

[Ryou is already accustomed to the prick of pain that comes with the initial bite. It makes him wrap his arms around Atem securely, and he flinches because it does hurt. But soon enough, he relaxes. It's fine. The sensation of Atem drinking his blood would usually prompt Ryou to count backwards. It's ritual. It's just what they do, so Atem knows when to stop.

...He's too distraught to do it this time. He remains silent, letting the calming effect wash over him and mask the bad feelings with comfort.

Atem's observant enough, Ryou's sure of it. That's why he doesn't say anything, he just lets Atem continue, his body slowly relaxing. He does start to lean pretty hard after a few long moments, his eyes slipping shut.]

[Atem knows what to look for. Even without the countdown, he knows how Ryou's heartbeat feels when it's calm, knows that he can't drink from Ryou so long that he can't support himself. So, between the moments when the heartbeat in both their chests slows and when Ryou will no longer be able to hold himself up...

...Atem stops.

He never wants to stop. But when he's feeding from a monster, it's not impossible to keep his mind, and Atem wants Ryou to stay alive, to not be weakened badly, more than he wants Ryou's blood, or even his heartbeat.

So, he pulls his teeth out of Ryou's neck as gently as he can, and holds him close and steady.]

Better?

[He asks, close by Ryou's jaw.]

[Ryou's tail maps a pathway along Atem's leg, coiling lazily down his thigh, past his knee, like a snake. Ryou doesn't mind that he's practically stooped down to have accommodated Atem, because it gives him more of an excuse to lean and seek comfort.

Wait.

Right. Atem asked him something. Does Ryou feel better? Hmm...he feels heavy, for certain. Heavier than usual, but ultimately, the warm, comforting calm that's washed over him is very much good.

No more vengeance. No more spite. Just the two of them, close and warm and loving.]

Mmm, yesssss...

[The s passes his lips with such laziness that he extends it, almost like a hiss, but without the venom usually associated with such a sound.]

I'm so...grateful for you...to be able to touch you. I don't care...if the others hate me.

[He murmurs the words quietly, like a secret.]

You shouldn't.

[A hand strokes through Ryou's hair.]

Making yourself unhappy...that won't make what they're going through any easier.

[This is mostly true. It won't fix their intangibility and identity issues.

It might give them vicious satisfaction, in a vengeful sort of way, to make sure everyone is unhappy in the same way as they are...

...but Atem's not going to allow that. The other monsters don't get to take what Ryou does have, what he's sacrificed a frankly immense amount of potential power for, away. They don't get to destroy other people's scraps of happiness, found against the odds in a horror setting, because they're sad too.

The tendrils gently nudge Ryou upright, towards his bed.]

Leave it alone. Come to bed.

Edited 2022-03-12 18:01 (UTC)

They seemed so...upset at me...

[Ryou isn't angry anymore. He's just...sad. Sad for them? Sad that they all dumped their hatred on him? Sad that he's still weak and susceptible to terrible things?

...He's not sure. He's just sad. And worn out. But he does feel a little better, so when he's nudged, he straightens up slowly, raising a hand up to rub at the corner of one eye. Reluctantly, his tail unwinds from Atem so he can take a few exhausted steps back, then turn to his bed.

The laptop is still there.

His tail prickles and his gaze sharpens. The laptop starts to float, hovering off to the side only to flop unceremoniously on the ground with what's honestly a satisfying clatter.

Then, and only then, does he take a seat at the edge of his bed. The same hand that had rubbed at his face a second ago moves instead to cover the bite mark, to make sure it's not bleeding too badly.]

[The clatter is satisfying.

Fuck that machine and everyone on it.

As he climbs onto the bed beside Ryou:]

Not your problem.

[Tendrils come out, to slide around Ryou's waist like an extra hand, to wind around one of his knees.]

You can't figure out being a shade for them. They've got to do that themselves. Just like you do.

[You can't meet anyone else's win condition for them, he remembers. That had been good advice.

When Ryou's hand comes away from his neck, Atem looks at it, sizes up how badly it's bleeding.]

Lie back. I'll clean the bite.

[Ryou nods dimly, then lies back. It's not necessarily that he isn't taking Atem's words on board, it's more along the lines that the bite's starting to get to him. That's what he wants--the calm, unthinking haze that comes from being bitten by his predator boyfriend.

They're all predators, to be fair. But Ryou's powers don't have a practical application--well, except for one.

One that upsets people and which he feels is wasted on him.

Not going to think about that though. Just going to lay back, behave for his boyfriend.]

I hope it's not too bad. Didn't mean to make you work...

[Or make him potentially leave. Noo, he wants to keep Atem close. Fingers lazily travel along the tendril around his waist, a vague indication that he wants to stay wrapped up in it.]

Don't worry. It's no trouble at all.

[And Atem...well, what he does is, he climbs up so he's straddling Ryou's torso, a knee under each shoulder. He can reach the nightstand from here, where they keep minor first aid supplies, and it's easier to get to the bite at the same time.

His tendrils stay right where they are, and Atem reaches down to hook a finger in the collar and unbuckle it, so that none of the antiseptic he's about to apply gets on it and makes the leather smell.]

[There's just...one problem with all of this.

At any other point in time, Ryou might be able to remain objective, or maybe even make a snarky comment about how Atem had decided to reach over him.

But with the calm settled over him, placating him? Nah, this is very interesting to him. So while Atem had tried not to make it horny earlier, Ryou is...not doing that. Sorry, sir, but that's a tail winding around your thigh and the tuft of it teasing just under the hem of your shirt.

There's no art to any of it. But it is nice to have the collar taken off.

(Ryou Bakura this is not the time)

Ryou's free hand reaches up, and he very lazily runs a thumb across Atem's cheek.]

[ Truthfully... Riley does have an amount of coins. A nice amount. But Mana's never really been a sound option. Most of the times she's gone to her, her requests have backfired to a ridiculous level, so Riley isn't really comfortable, going to see her.

She will. Out of necessity, she will. ]

I don't even really want power, in a like...traditional way. I just...want him to leave me alone.

[A little inhale. Oh? Oh, Ryou wants to get frisky about this? Not that Atem minds, but...]

Ah...ha ha. Don't get impatient! First aid is important.

[This is not scolding at all. It's purred, and Atem pushes his cheek, catlike, against Ryou's hand before returning to his work. Atem lays the collar aside and pulls out a clean cloth, swiping the antiseptic around the bite, doing his best to make it sting as little as possible.]

I'm not the kind of guy who'd bite you, and then just leave it alone...

[Unless, you know, they're doing something else, and Ryou doesn't want to stop and deal with it. Which, his wishes get respected.]

It's okay...I'll heal anyway--ngh!

[The tail tightens around Atem's leg as the antiseptic stings at his skin. Honestly, he's still such a baby, but the reaction doesn't last forever...because as much of a baby as he is, when he's feeling flirty, he tends to ignore a lot of his pain.

Or maybe, he uses it to cope. Who knows?

Either way, he isn't interested in stopping what he's doing over a bit of burning, so he decides where he wants his hands now would be at Atem's waist, tail tip still flicking up under the hem of his shirt. It glows yellow, even as it slips completely below the shirt and tickles along Atem's lower back.]

Kiss me...

[It's not an order. It's a request couched in his soft tone, almost to the point of whining.]

Let me feel you. All of you.

[Because he can. Because he would never give it up.]

[A dark flush appears in Atem's cheeks, darker than when he's fed on human blood. Ryou's is shadowy, even when he's solid...it looks more like a bruise than a blush. A breath in, then out.]

You're making it very hard to finish what I'm doing.

[He puts the cloth down on the nightstand, and leans over Ryou, one hand bracing himself against the bed. The other takes hold of Ryou's chin, playful and warm. It is very hard to resist requests when Ryou gets like this. But, if Atem doesn't, he'll get blood all over his pillow until the bleeding slows down...can he pull away from bumping their noses together long enough to get a plaster on?]

You know I can't deny you anything...

[Ryou doesn't care about the blood. He cares about being intimate with Atem. This is the part of the bite that's almost out of his control...except that he's aware of the feeling it gives him, the calmness, the pliant nature, and, well. The friskiness. He lets himself fall into it.

Everyone on that post was terrible. He doesn't want to think about them, even though he knows he'll go back and read all of the other messages. Right now...he is interested in bracing one elbow against the bed and closing the distance between their lips. He's getting that kiss, even if he has to go the rest of the way for it, because whether he's trying to forget the network or not, they're allowed to be close like this, right? Atem wants to be close to him...just as much as Ryou wants to be close.]

....

[His face turns serious. She doesn't want power, she just wants to be left alone...

...but that's not true for Atem.]

I suppose that's why I'm keeping mine.

Okay, okay...

[He murmurs it against Ryou's mouth, pushing him back down onto the pillow. The tendril around Ryou's waist tightens, an affectionate squeeze, and his hand goes to Ryou's stomach, sliding lightly and unhurriedly up it to Ryou's chest.

They're going to kiss, for now. Atem doesn't have to worry about the bite mark. It'll heal, and it's not his job to override what Ryou's asking for, to do what Atem thinks is best...he respects Ryou enough to listen to him, to give what he wants weight.]

[ Very, very slightly, her eyes widen. ]

You...want to stay in it? Even though it wasn't your choice?

[Yes, good...

Ryou knows...he'll get tired long before this gets too far. But it's been so long, he's been bedridden for the better part of a month already and he misses being able to react. So he can't help arching off the bed just a bit as he feels Atem's fingers skim along his solid skin.

He did work for this. He did earn it, and although his mind is in a haze, he can accept that much for now. He'll kiss Atem until he's breathless, his tail shifting from bright yellow to a softly pulsating blue as he coils it around Atem's side, below his shirt.

Ryou wants to stay alert. He wants to be awake...but the glow in his eyes is dimming, he's tired. So tired...he almost murmurs an apology when he has to break away from the kiss, but then he thinks better of it and instead says:]

Thank you...I'm always so happy with you...

Yes.

[Atem likes the roof. It's a good place to talk...an unseasonably warm wind is blowing over his face, playing through his hair.

Yugi's hair, technically. This body's not his, it's borrowed, even if the borrowing is permanent....

....and he's taken pretty shitty care of it.]

I want to be left alone, too....and, I'm afraid, nothing's protecting me the way I am now. My monster powers aren't enough...

[Atem rubs his neck, where the silver needle had caught it. It's not just that, either...there was Faramir, impaling him on sight.]

...and my reputation isn't, either! What were those traps even for, if they didn't deter other monsters from doing things like Fabius did?

[Mentioning it obliquely is safe. He keeps the tremor out of his voice with an iron grip, but there's emotion: what was it all for? The people I used the traps on, what did they suffer like that for, if it didn't even work...?]

I have to take a different approach.

[Good....news? He's retiring the torture part of the torture basement? One or two hell-game machines could always come out of retirement, of course. But the dust covers he put down in December are staying on, for now.

Bad news, he's throwing in with the Fog.]

Edited 2022-03-17 12:37 (UTC)

Good.

[Ryou deserves every bit of happiness he gets. Everything he can snatch out of Ryslig's jaws, keep for himself, he should have...

...and then the power goes out. All the lights flicker off, the heater grinds to a halt, and from the living room, there's a confused lion-squeak.]

[When the lights go out, Ryou blinks a few times, his glowing eyes of some benefit, but they remain relatively dim, only glowing a little brighter out of surprise. His tail flickers back to yellow, and it's much brighter, like a snake wrapped around Atem's body.

It takes a moment, but it shifts back to blue again as Ryou tiredly sighs and wraps an arm around Atem's shoulders, gently pulling him in as close as possible.]

To hell with it. Don't need lights.

[He's gonna stay right here, not care what caused the lights to go out in their apartment, and spend time with the person he loves. Fuck this, fuck that, fuck everything. The only concession he will allow is if Tybolt moseys himself into the room with the indignance of an irritated housecat, but he rather doubts that'll be too much trouble.]

[He's not exactly a phlebotomist, admittedly, but he's demanded to learn how blood draws work at the clinic all the same. You never know when you'll need to know, or when every single doctor in Bavan will disappear due to some fucking calamity, or whatever.]

[The point is: he knows how to do this well enough, and hums in appreciation at Atem's know-how, nodding at his clenched fist.]

Of all the aspects of my monster form, I appreciate the prehensile vines most of all.

[Something else he doesn't get to have as a vampire! Annoying. But Atem's got his back, apparently — and with the visual of the vein to focus on, he can do his best to ignore the smell. Inserting the needle is easy, removing the elastic is routine, and as the draw begins, he exhales slightly, relieved. It was the right thing to do, coming to Atem right away, as awful as it felt, and still feels. He'll be able to keep better control like this than if he'd waited.]

[Not perfect control, though. By the time the vial is full, his expression is pinched, brow furrowed, as though he's rapidly developing a migraine. Which is more or less correct. His body and mind are having very different feelings about what's happening here.]

Is one enough to start with, do you think? I should have asked before, sorry.

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i am so sorry cw; flirting?

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they're flirting,

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, PLAYER1. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 10.11.0.0.01 * PLAYER1 has joined 10.11.0.0.01 <PLAYER1>** If you're looking for someone you knew as Yugi before June, you've found him! It's Atem, leave a message.