knifemonopoly | IC inbox

[...though Atem can smell the blood, smell the wounds, knows the prey's been brought down and it's time to eat it, he's used to thinking past the smell of blood. It's the impulse to chase he's not used to, that he'll have to learn how to manage, but now that it's just the promise of food...

...he turns to Ryou instead. Ryou's just been through something terrible. He's lost his eyes, and gotten them back -- he's used his Fourth power through the pain of gunshot wounds. It's Ryou that has his attention.

He wants to look at Ryou with his eyes, and as he crouches on one knee next to Ryou, he uses one clawed hand to bring Ryou's face up to look at him. His eyes flick to Ryou's ear, then back to his eyes, making sure everything's been healed up, been inflicted on the sobbing-for-breath soon-to-be-corpse on the ground. Red eyes meet yellow ones -- it can be seen, now, that the fur around Atem's eyes is golden.]

...you did it. You really did it.

[His hand strokes through the fur at Ryou's cheek and jaw.]

You brought my eyes back. Ryou...thank you!

[It's heartfelt, and it's proud. Atem doesn't like being blind. He wonders if the Fourth God knew...knew how much it bothered him to not be able to look after himself well. But Ryou used his powers to fix something even the Fog couldn't. It's an impressive feat.]

Are you okay...?

Edited 2022-05-18 02:01 (UTC)

[Ryou is surprised, honestly. He thought that Atem would want to devour the man, to regain as much strength as possible...but then again, the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that's absolutely silly.

Moreso when Atem thanks him, because of course he would. It makes Ryou's heart flutter, and involuntarily, his massive tail swipes across the ground once, then twice.]

I'm glad I was able to. I'm so sorry for the pain you had to feel, it was terrible, and I didn't even feel it for as long as you did...

[Ryou feels bad for any remnants of gore on his cheek fur, but...he also likes that Atem's touching his face. This was the whole reason he'd done this, so that he could fix what Elias had done, fight against the power of a god and show them that they can't keep hurting monsters without the monsters being able to help themselves.]

I-I'll be okay. I just...need to rest. [And feed.] That power takes a lot out of me, and that's the first time I've used it. I'm just glad that you have your light back, Atem.

[Ryou slowly leans forward, then licks the side of Atem's muzzle affectionately.]

[Atem doesn't care about the gore. He can wash it out of his hand-fur later. For now, he brings Ryou's face in close to his, so that he can run his chin over Ryou's nose and forehead. His own tail swishes back and forth behind him, slow and pleased. His other hand stays wound in Ryou's, but the one at Ryou's jaw wraps around his back.

He'll get to the guy on the ground in a moment. He wants to hold Ryou, first. Nuzzle his hair some. He's so glad...so glad to have Ryou.]

Amazing work. Really...you did very well!

[For it being the first time Ryou used his wound-transfer powers...it really is amazing. Ryou's amazing. Atem snuffs in his ear, his tail wagging. But, when he's contented his impulse to have an impromptu murder cuddle, Atem does pull back, and tilt his head toward the ground.]

So...shall we eat this guy?

[Ryou finds himself fully relaxing against Atem, letting out a pleased rumble from deep within his chest. His tail curls forward, the voluminous fur tickling at Atem's feet.

He's pretty sure that, even with the nearly-dead guy at their feet, he could stay this way forever, to be nuzzled and loved, and to love Atem back in return, eventually. His ear twitches as Atem snuffs into it though, and he can't help but smile a bit. It tickles.

...Oh.

Right. Dying guy.]

I think we should. Go on then, you took him down. You get the initiative here.

[He bumps noses with Atem for a moment, then after some thought:]

...The innards are best.

[Canine eyebrows go up. Curiously:]

Really? I wouldn't have thought...

[He lets Ryou go, and maybe it's best to leave the two werewolves be in their moonlit alley as Atem starts to sniff around the man's gut.

There's a sound of tearing cloth, and then tearing flesh.

They'll split him, taking the good parts for themselves -- and some home for their man-eating baby lion. It was a successful hunt.]

Why shouldn't I? A hairless Grumpus is either a newborn or really, really sick. I do appreciate the time I could wear cargo pants, but there's more fashion-minded folks back home that would actually love the extra clothes.

[It is an exceedingly normal day in apartment 806 for once, and Ryou has been busied blow-drying his fur out after a shower. It takes a least an hour to get anywhere near done, and longer still to brush out his tail, from tip to base.

This is what he's finishing up at the moment, now that he has a little bit of time to himself to do so. Grooming is a lot of work! He doesn't like foisting it off on Atem...even if sometimes, he has to get help raking out his shed from the back. Today's not a big undercoat maintenance day though, not when he'd gotten so little to come off his arms, chest, and even his tail compared to the start of the month.

So there he sits, one leg crossed at the ankle over the other as he brushes his tail out across it. Maybe he'll even get to vacuum up before Atem can see the mess!]

[Atem strolls in.

Something's different about him. Did he change his hair? Get a new shirt? Or is it the big fuckoff cloud-gray cloak that's floating around his shoulders, billowing in a breeze that isn't there, disappearing in wisps at its frayed, misty edges?

His voice is different, too.]

R̶y̸o̷u̵?̶
̸
̸D̶i̵d̷ ̶y̸o̶u̷ ̴g̷e̴t̴ ̷i̸n̶ ̷a̶ ̶f̶i̸g̸h̸t̶ ̴w̴i̴t̶h̸ ̷T̴y̶b̶o̵l̷t̷?̸ ̵T̷h̷e̸r̶e̵'̵s̷ ̴f̵u̶r̷ ̸e̶v̵e̷r̸y̸w̸h̴e̷r̷e̴.̶.̵.̴

[Saying incredibly normal things with a weird otherworldly echo, nbd.]

[...So no, he won't get to vacuum before Atem returns. Oops. Well, it's fine, he absolutely hates the vacuum like this anyway

(too loud no no no bark bark bark bark)

so maybe with a little support he won't feel so anxious about it.

Things would be just as normal as ever if not for that voice. Ryou immediately looks up, his ears turning forward and golden eyes wide. He's heard Atem's voice do strange things--like as a naga, or even in night form as a werewolf--but this...this is different.

It commands respect, at least Ryou feels so. More importantly...that cloak. What's going on with that? Atem hadn't had that before, surely he couldn't have...had a meaningful chat with the Fog, and...]

...S-sorry, uh.

[...Nope, that's it. No other words yet. He's kind of staring. Give him a minute.]

?̵?̷?

W̸h̷a̷t̴,̴ ̵t̵h̵i̵s̸?̷

[Atem pulls at the fabric, which is almost normal where it wraps loosely around his neck, even though the parts further from him never quite seem to stop moving.]

Y̷e̴a̶h̷.̴.̷.̷I̷ ̵d̴i̷d̵ ̵i̵t̵.̷ ̵ [As he goes on, the whispers start to fade out.] I made it to the final level.

[There. Now he sounds normal again.]

[Ryou's eyes stay wide. So...he had done it after all.

The brush is set aside, he gets to his feet and brushes a few stray bits of fur from his lap before moving closer. He doesn't say anything at first, he just leans in, his nose twitching as he sniffs at the fabric that doesn't quite behave like fabric near the ends. Then, he wraps an arm around Atem and holds him close, nuzzling into his hair.]

Good. I'm glad. You've served Her more than enough to deserve this much, and...it's good. Now people will know better.

[He sounds happy for Atem, very happy! Even if his words are soft and reverent, respectful.

Atem is one of very few priests that Ryou could bring himself to respect, after all.]

[....he leans into Ryou, his ears brushing against Ryou's face, and closes his eyes.

He lets out a heavy, tired dog-sigh. One of his arms wraps around Ryou, too, and his tail swishes back and forth, once.]

I hope so. I gave up a lot to get here...we both did. But we need to survive here however we can...

[He snuffs against Ryou's hair, over his shoulder.]

And now everyone knows I'll do what it takes to make sure of that. No one hurts you again and gets away with it. Ṋ̴̾o̶̙͠ ̴̲͑ỏ̸̩n̸̤͘ė̴̫ will see this and think it's wise!

[He bumps his head against the side of Ryou's -- not quite batlike, not a scent thing, but seeking out touch. The strange effect behind his voice goes in and out, like a faulty radio -- it seems to be tied to emotion and self-control.]

You did give up a lot...and now, you don't need to give up anything else.

[Ryou can hear the exhaustion in that sigh, and it makes him bring his other arm up, holding Atem even more tightly. Not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough to assure him that he's here, he'll always be here.]

That's flattering...but remember, I'm here to protect you too. Whatever it takes. What you've done is at a level that...I couldn't hope to achieve. But that's alright.

[A low noise of amusement rises from his chest as he angles his head, takes a moment to gently nip on one of Atem's ears while he's up here...before murmuring in amusement:]

I'd rather obey you than Aunamee anyway.

[They could use the levity of that statement. Leveling up doesn't have to be somber...right?]

[He snorts, indignantly.]

I didn't do this to make you listen to me.

[With wry mischief:]

There's much easier ways to get you to do what I say than ascending to priesthood.

[Illustratively, Atem tugs on the collar around Ryou's neck.]

Though they don't give me any extra powers...they're a lot more fun!

[Ryou huffs against one of Atem's ears, then gives it a pointed nibble. Still not enough to hurt, but enough to feel chastising. Which is honestly hilarious, since he's not the wolf that wears the proverbial pants in this house. But still!]

There's no need to brag, you know.

[Which sounds pouty, and is thoroughly disregarded by his tail, which wags idly.]

But I hardly think now's the time to worry about that, is it? Aside from the, ah. The voice...

[Ryou sounds a little more than intrigued by the voice, actually, but nope. No. Not lingering on that part yet. Atem just teased that he has new powers, as he should!]

...What did She give you? Or...do you prefer it to be a secret? It's okay if you do.

[That ear chewing is very sassy, you know! It makes Atem want to bite back -- there's a whiny little sound that's a little like a chuff but with voice, indignant. He'll bite Ryou's snout if this keeps up -- a playful little opening and reaching of his jaws in that direction gives it away. He'll bite ya!! He'll do it!]

Mm, I haven't decided yet who I'm going to tell...

...but, you'll find out soon enough. It's useful! If it works how it should, I'll be able to use it in many situations...and, it's safest to test it around someone I trust, in case there's a catch.

[He's sure there will be one, one way or another, something he didn't predict.]

Stand back.

[...he bumps Ryou's snout with his own once before backing away.]

[The reach isn't missed, of course. Ryou swaps to a quick swipe with his tongue, an apology lick for overstepping, then he nods, taking a few steps back--

Oh. Nose bumps. Nice!

--and gives Atem the room he needs, to do whatever he needs to. Ryou is very curious to see what power the Fog bestowed on Atem. It has to be something big.]

If it's a power you've taken on, I have no doubt it would be very useful.

[Definitely a compliment towards Atem's intelligence, and not to the Fog's power. He might be a little indoctrinated, but he still believes more in Atem than anyone else.

So now...let's see it. He waits patiently.]

[He's not actually tried this yet, is the thing. He knows it's not the standard priest power, and he knows what it's supposed to do, but he doesn't know what it'll look like, or how painful it'll be.

So, Atem stands on the balls of his digitigrade feet, in their living room, and takes a deep breath. It can't be that different from swapping to the undead-form, right?

He holds a clawed, furred hand up in front of his face, and lets his breath out.

The breath comes out fog. The fog brushes through his fingers, which turn briefly to fog themselves, before reappearing with different claws, with skin instead of fur. The change travels smoothly up Atem's arm: werewolf flesh turns to fog turns to skin, first up to the wrist, then to the elbow, then to the shoulder.

If Ryou's sharp and recognizes the claws, he might be able to tell what Atem's turning into before the change reaches Atem's head and makes it obvious: the fog coalesces into a couple dozen little snakes, their eyes milky-white and fogged for a moment before clearing. Their tongues taste the air with interest, curious, trying to collect data. Atem's eyes are fog-white, too, mist swirling in the space between the lids -- but those clear, as well.

His left arm changes at the same time as his torso; his legs disappear and are replaced with tue trunk of a snake's body, all the way down to a sistrum rattle-tail, which lets out one musical tone before Atem stills it.

It only takes fifteen, twenty seconds at most -- Atem wonders if he can force it faster, with practice -- before Atem's seated on his tail in front of Ryou, looking like he hasn't looked since August. The cloak still rests on his shoulders, sways gently over the coils of his tail. Atem looks himself over, pushing himself up and twisting in the air to get a better look at it all. The snakes look with him, peering at the red and black scales, the cloak, the rattle.]

H̷u̵h̶...that didn't hurt at all.

[It takes a moment. Ryou's seen these claws before, of course. But he's far more entranced with the way Atem is transforming himself than even what he's transforming to. The way his skin shifts to the very fog they serve, then remakes itself in a different form. It's...beautiful, really.

But he does figure it out by the time fur gives way to skin, all the way up to Atem's shoulder. He remembers those hands, those claws, and how they felt. And when the snakes bloom from where Atem's hair had once been, Ryou already knows what's going on.

Atem...he's changing into a naga. He...doesn't need Mana to do this anymore? Ryou feels a prick of envy, but it doesn't last, because he can't bring himself to envy what Atem has, what he's worked so hard for, made sacrifices to do.

The whole time that he's transforming, Ryou's tail is wagging steadily, if slowly. Back and forth, back and forth. Once it's over, and Atem's made his comment, Ryou steps forward again, and there's a smile on his face, one that reaches his eyes and makes them glitter.]

You...you're magnificent. Amazing. That really is a great power.

[And then he bumps Atem's forehead with his nose.]

It didn't even take long. I'm sure this would be very helpful in a difficult situation.

[Claws of a different sort, a different shape, thread through the fur at Ryou's cheek and jaw, affectionate.]

That's the idea! I have access to all of the monster abilities I've ever had...all of my powers, at any time.

[He doesn't know about the limits yet. He'll figure them out.

The snakes sniffsniffsniff at Ryou. Thpthpthp!! It's Ryou!! Ryou is important, beloved, for exploring, for being with.]

I'm calling it the Monster Shuffle.

[atem that's not cool it sounds like dance move

one you absolutely cannot do as a naga, you have no feet for shufflin]

H-hahaha...that's pretty clever!

[Ryou laughs, perhaps a little more than he means to, because the snakes are cute, and he missed them more than he thought. He doesn't mind being sninvestigated again, after so long.

It's enough that he has absolutely no critique to give for the whole "Monster Shuffle" thing. He couldn't say that he would have thought of it either, to be quite honest.]

I suppose that means that every time you pay Mana to change your form, you're just adding to your deck. It's a useful ability, and one that's clearly been thought out.

[He's very impressed. He will never not be impressed with his extremely smart boyfriend. What a guy!]

That's right. The longer I'm here, the more changes I undergo, the stronger I'll get...

[He sobers a moment, the snakes slowing in their investigation of Ryou's furry canine face.]

It should help to offset the damage I'm taking, and how it stacks, too.

[One of the snakes, fully breaking the somber mood, goes right for Ryou's ear. Thhhpt!]

[Ryou can definitely tell when the mood shifts. His immediate reaction is to lean in and lick Atem's forehead. Sorry, he knows only one of them is a wolf now, but he's just gotten so comfortable being a wolf that this is his solution.]

You can only grow more powerful. People will be right to fear you at last, Atem. And if they fear you, then you're doing Her will, which should ingratiate you to Her other priests. It's a win-win si--iiighhhh!!

[Ryou's head twitches to the side when one of the snakes ruins everything, his ear twitching madly. Oh, come on, not again! He bets it was the same snake as months ago too!]

[--!!

Whoops.]

Terrifying.

[It's a tease.]

These guys...they might ruin my reputation again. If it turns out to be all for nothing because a couple of snakes don't know how to behave...

[They're flicking their tongues and rubbing their chins over Ryou's forehead again. Shameless.]

[Ryou, in revenge, suddenly swipes his tongue across the snakes, licking them from belly to jaw. Dummies. Sorry Atem, he has to enact vengeance somehow!]

They're awfully endearing, except for the one that seems magnetically attracted to my ear. But I guess I could see your concern. Still...being a naga has benefits. You can petrify people, or hypnotize them with your tail. Maybe I should try this monster type out sometime.

[He's not even remotely joking--he'd temp to naga just to see what it was like for him, relative to Atem. Ryou gets a bit of enrichment from the temporary changes, because as a monster enthusiast, why wouldn't he? The animalistic monsters seem to work fine for him.]

For now though...I think I'd just be content to spend time with you like this. You give very good hugs.

[...Listen, he knows that Atem's a priest, and that he worked hard for it. He doesn't discount that at all, and in fact will laud Atem more than he'd probably care to hear, just because Ryou really does have faith in him, and wanted this to be something that would give Atem security that he'd lost since January.

But he also really likes the idea that Atem can just wrap around him while they sleep again, and that this time, they won't have to worry about Ryou's injuries. It's absolutely selfish, sure. But all the same.]

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i had to use this icon for maximum evil man-eating energy

oh my GOD, cursed. Anyway cw cannibalism.

<PunnyBone>

Post-Second Fog, evening time. SHOW OFF YOUR TRUMP CARD!!

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cw nsfw/bdsm implications

B O N K for atem

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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.