knifemonopoly | IC inbox

[Ryou is aware of the tail wrapped around him, and definitely doesn't mind it. Being wrapped up in Atem is never a problem, especially when his scales are all shiny and new. Heh!

...Focus. He's been asked something.]

Of course! I wouldn't keep something that would make the house smell unpleasant, you don't need to worry. As for good uses...I'm sure some apothecary or business would buy a shed naga skin for their own purposes. Perhaps we could trade it for something valuable.

...But again, there's no need for something so complex if you'd rather get rid of it quickly.

[He's pretty sure monster parts should be worth something. Then again...maybe naga shed is common. How often do nagas shed? Hmm...]

[Trading or selling it like a rare item in a role-playing game...it's true it's possible they could sell part of it to a collector...it could make them money.

But selling it to a pharmacy makes Atem think about snake-oil cures, the kinds of things people put into traditional medicines. He'd have to vet the business, so that parts of him wouldn't be used to take advantage of trusting Bavanites.

...it also makes him think of the kinds of people who want to be involved with monsters. The people who approached him when he was a vampire, sweating and heart-fluttering, offering to let him bite them. He's not sure he wants someone sticking their face into his old skin like a girl's panties, or...or climbing inside it for weird reasons.

He shudders; Ryou will feel it.]

Maybe we could. I know people do buy monster parts! But we'll have to be careful who it goes to...

[Ryou does feel the shudder, and based on Atem's words, he can kind of theorize why. People are weird around here when it comes to monsters. There's...certain types they seem to like better than most, so maybe that's what Atem's worried about.

Ryou is in the fortunate position of not really having many people care for his monster type. He's just a shadow creature, what can he even do? Ooh he can possess people. Who even wants that?]

Well...if it takes that much thought, then maybe burning it is easier. Whatever you want, Atem.

[He affectionately kisses Atem's cheek. They're all wrapped up in one another, may as well, right?]

...For the record, I'm glad the shed's gone, because you look very nice now that you're out of it. Your scales are practically glowing.

[Atem seems like he could use a proper compliment after the ordeal, and Ryou's happy to oblige. His scales do shine quite nicely. All of him looks better without the dulled coating.]

How do you feel?

[He leaves behind weird images of people wiggling their back halves into his old skin to pretend they're snakes and get freaky, because the kiss to his cheek brings him back to the present, and Atem relaxes again.

(Ryou is also a little freaky, but in a respectful way, so Atem doesn't mind it at all. Ryou's type of fascination doesn't make him feel like all Ryou sees is the type of monster Atem is at the time, which is how it is with humans -- instead, Ryou liking the weird stuff about him makes Atem feel more comfortable with it, with himself.)

How does he feel? He runs a clawed hand over one arm.]

I feel good. Better than I have in a week! The new skin's a little raw, but it's like I've just come out of a really hot shower...

I'm glad it's gone, too. Thank you for looking after me!

[Because, really, Ryou had been a saint through the whole process. Patient with Atem's whining, attentive, doing research into what Atem needed, willing to put up with uncomfortable heat and damp...man, Atem's lucky to have him.

He leans in to put a brief but warm kiss on Ryou's mouth, one clawed hand coming up to hold Ryou's jaw. He's missed that, too, all this week.]

I don't know how this would've gone without you.

[But he knows it'd have been worse. Way worse. He'd have been blind, alone, anxious, with no idea how to care for himself or when it would stop.]

[Kisses are great, Ryou had missed them too. But he also accepted that Atem was too aggravated to do affectionate things with him while he was in shed. The most affectionate thing he'd done was wrap himself securely around Ryou and refuse to be moisturized because he wanted to HUG, and even that was petulant. But it's fine, because Ryou didn't care how petulant Atem was, so long as he got through this safely.]

Mmm...I'm sure you would have done just fine. You're good at everything, Atem. But...I would have helped you even if we weren't...you know, dating. H-heh heh. True friendship is evidently helping your roommate out of his own skin.

[He's joking about it of course, but it's better to joke than to admit to Atem that the humidity had contributed to Ryou passing out a few times. Shades don't do well in dampness, and anytime he used his powers...anytime he had to go intangible, it did let water filter through. Despite feeling sick for a fair percentage of the time Atem was shedding though, Ryou would have kicked up the humidity even further, for even longer, if he'd had to.

...He hopes he hid it well enough that Atem never noticed.]

I'm glad it came off so cleanly, for the most part! Now that it's over, you can use that shiny new tail of yours to hug me all you like, if you want to pay it forward.

[Well! That's bold, isn't it? Look, he's in a good mood. It's fine. This is the Ryou Bakura that Atem gets to see whenever he likes, right up until they start kissing or something, and then the boldness melts away.]

[...having heat vision only means taking extreme penalties to perception checks. He figured Ryou was asleep. For once, it snuck by him that Ryou was doing the thing Ryou keeps doing, which is putting himself last. He got away with it this time.

And -- heh! True friendship. Isn't that right. Atem absolutely believes Ryou would have helped anyone he cared about through something that difficult, because he's a good friend. Atem likes that about him! But...the amount of effort, the sacrifice of time...Atem appreciates what was done for him, and what it took to give it.

...then, Ryou makes a request. It's not quite phrased like one, but the implication's clear enough. He grins, a little wicked, a little warm, and he pushes Ryou backward -- forward for him, backward for Ryou -- onto the blanket pile. He doesn't move fast, it's not a shove -- it's playful, and he hovers the human half of his body about a foot above Ryou's torso, juuust out of hairsnake reach (though they're reaching down, giving it their best try), a hand still at the back of his neck.]

You don't mind, then?

[--as coils wind behind Ryou's knees and start to curl down his shin. It sounds like Ryou wants to be held, and Atem, even though his nerve-endings are still jumpy and new, wants to hold him back! This seems like a good situation.]

[Ryou can feel the shift in gravity as he's pushed back, and he's definitely surprised about it. He didn't expect Atem to call his bluff like that, and it's not terrible! But it is a little, uh. Exciting? He refrains from thinking too hard about unfortunate snake anatomy making this weird because as long as they don't get too involved, it'll be okay!

...Yes. Even when he's basically put in a request to be canoodled with, he's still going to worry about Atem's comfort. This is his life. This is how he operates.

Ryou smiles, though the way he does so edges on a smirk, because he can see the snakes reaching, but they're not even remotely the biggest thing on his mind. No, that's reserved for the coils slowly working their way around his legs, the hand at the back of his neck...basically any other contact.]

Atem...come on. You asked me to date you through a Ouija Board. I spent a week moisturizing you. If I minded anything about the situation, I probably would have said something about the humidity...or your grumpiness. Not your snake half.

[He reaches up, runs a thumb over Atem's cheek, and then curls his too-long fingers around the back of his head. He doesn't mind putting his fingers in Snaketown, but he does kind of miss Atem's normal hair sometimes.]

I love you. All of you.

[And he means that so sincerely and without innuendo that it's probably depressing, if saccharine.]

[They are both terribly aware of unfortunate snake anatomy and telling themselves it'll be fine. Depending on how good Ryou is at reading his face, at telling when Atem has a contingency in mind, Ryou might recognize that Atem's aware of this. But it's not worth stopping over, not after this week. They just won't get so involved it becomes a problem, Atem thinks, as he does absolutely nothing to slow down. He'll handle it.

Besides, Atem's still a little warm from a minute ago, from remembering the reshuffling of priorities, about how the kind of memories he wants to make before he moves on, and from holding Ryou's hand during a difficult part of the shed removal, and I love you, and a face in his neck. The trust and closeness are things Atem wants more of too much to shy away yet.

He'll just back off in time.

And, yes, he'd been grumpy. Atem really had been a monster this week, and Ryou has the right to call him out on it. But Ryou had been so kind, and so patient, putting up with the humidity and a true beast of a patient. Look at him? Ryou loves him? He's heard romance get called the dating game, and if that's true, Atem's won it. The thumb on his cheek pulls a smile out of him, softens his expression.]

Good. Because I'm really taken with you, and I don't want to wait until it's gone to hold you!

[The snakes at the back of his head apparently agree; they're cuddling up to Ryou's hand. Atem leans down for another snake-tongue-surrounded kiss; as he does, the end of his tail curls itself around Ryou's shin. It's not the safest move as far as snake anatomy goes, but as long as Ryou doesn't start making soft little sounds or start with the please thing, he should be fine. He'll lie down next to Ryou in a minute, and it'll be fine. Just like all those other times they slept close and nothing happened. It'll be all right.]

[If Ryou had any idea that Atem was thinking of himself in such a derogatory fashion, he might actually apologize for his comment because he didn't mind Atem being grumpy. If he was dying to get out of his own oppressive skin, he'd be grumpy too, more likely than not (if he wasn't fascinated by it anyway). But alas, he doesn't know, so he just focuses on the now.

And the now...is pretty darn great. They're here, together again, with nothing to think about but each other and lord help him, Ryou has definitely been excited to be close to Atem again, without the stress of the shed wearing on both of them. He's pretty sure that as long as they stay here, everything will be fine.]

Heh...haha...that's very...sweet.

[Unfortunately when he's kissed, he can't help the little hum, but it's more relief than anything else, and it's brief.

It's just his way of saying I missed this, while they lose themselves in one another, and his fingers settle comfortably between the snakes and his clawed toes twitch a little, before curling inward.]

Edited (close your brackets, kitten) 2021-09-24 03:29 (UTC)

[Holding! Holding someone feels wonderful. Why on Earth did Atem put it off this long. He might miss being able to hug like this, a bit, when he's back to normal; it just feels so good to him to hold someone with his whole body. It's satisfying, and safe -- like nothing bad could possibly get at Ryou with Atem here.

But the weather's going to cool off, soon, and the nights will be longer, and this form won't be as good for the weather as his vampire one. He'll miss his heartbeat...he'll miss feeling at home with himself, even if part of it is weird...

Arms wrap around Ryou, to go with the tail, and Atem settles down beside him, once the kiss breaks. Ryou's getting pulled very close, under Atem's chin, and hands slide unhurriedly up his back over his shirt as Atem breathes a contented sigh. Breathing, too, he'll miss breathing.]

You're the one who's sweet. I can't believe it, sometimes...

[I love you, all of you. Nothing he's shown Ryou has been rejected. One by one, the doors in the dark, impossible maze of his heart have been opening, and instead of being afraid of the dark and the traps, Ryou's accepted them for what they are. Atem isn't uncomfortable with being himself, but...it's nice, showing someone you care about who you are, and being loved for it.

His snake-tail squeezes Ryou lightly. Whatever he's thinking about, it's nice.]

Edited 2021-09-24 16:31 (UTC)

[Ryou loves feeling so thoroughly enveloped like this. Atem's usually much smaller than he is, but this circumstance makes it so that he's larger, and therefore more easy to curl up against, even if Ryou is the heat source.

Having Atem's chin on his head makes him feel very secure and warm. It's as simple as that. Not that the snake half doesn't make him feel secure. He's happy...and he's not in terrible pain, which makes it even better.]

Mmm, heheh. It's...h-hard to believe that I would be able to hear you say these kinds of things, actually. That you'd think so fondly of me.

[...Why does he sound fit to cry? He doesn't feel like crying, because crying is a sadness thing, or a release of one's tension. But he doesn't feel tense, he feels relieved!

Ryou presses his face against Atem's chest, not caring that there's no layer of clothing separating them. His hand migrates from the snair, lowering so his fingers can settle comfortably against Atem's back, holding him close, just like he's being held close.

Sometimes you want to be so close to someone that you can hear their heart beat. Sometimes you just need to let your emotions wash over you, because processing them is way too hard.]

You're perfect.

[He doesn't even have any real reason to say it but Atem needs to know. He is perfect.

After saying it, Ryou presses a kiss right to the center of Atem's chest, slow and warm, a loving gesture that lingers.]

[Ryou knows better than anyone how imperfect Atem is. Not that Atem doesn't think he's hot shit -- he absolutely does, he's amazing -- but, if he were perfect...then, Ryou and Yugi wouldn't still be here.

But Atem doesn't want to think about things like that. He wants to think about how Ryou and the blankets and pillows all feel soft against his new skin, though every texture is distinct and unique. His chin settles into Ryou's hair, and his coils shift a few inches, slithering forward, feeling.

The last half a foot or so of his tail curls around Ryou's ankle when he's kissed. Atem draws a breath. Mmmm he's not wearing anything and that was on bare skin, he's gonna have to be careful, he is still warm, this is the restless feeling he had before but didn't identify until it was too late...

...but also, Atem doesn't want to let being scared of what might happen if things get heated force distance between them. Not when he's feeling this much comfort, and affection, and appreciation, and also being around Ryou means that anything bad had to go through Atem to get to him, which feels good and right and the way things should be. So, he doesn't back off; instead, his fingers trace little circles and other irregular, random patterns over the back of Ryou's shirt, across his shoulders. His hands want something to do, and this seems okay. He hums!]

You're a romantic.

[It's a light tease, an affectionate accusation, softened by the warmth of his tone and even further by the noses of the foremost and longest snakes sticking themselves into the top of Ryou's hair.]

But it's true! I'm very fond of you.

[That's punctuated with another shift in the coils, one that's obviously settling in, making himself perfectly comfortable.]

I can tell. You've got me all wrapped up, after all.

[He hums it against Atem's chest, and he doesn't really care all that much about whether he's putting them in danger of snanatomy. This is what he'd wanted since before Atem started shedding, and he is going to have his cake and eat it too, dammit.

Besides which, the fingers tracing patterns across his shoulders and back are pretty nice, and he wouldn't discourage Atem from that at all. That and the hairsnakes burrowing into his hair have Ryou half a second from humming again, though this time he stops himself. He can't stop the goosebumps that travel down his arm though, tingling pleasantly down his skin.

He shifts, to look up sideways at Atem without really dislodging him. It doesn't matter if he sees him or not, it's the thought.]

Hm! I'm the romantic...but you're the one whispering sweet nothings, holding me close? Is it going to be like this all the time?

...B-because I don't mind it.

[You've got me all wrapped up does -- something, to him. It feels, against all logic, despite how sweet it is, a touch like dirty talk; there's something playful in the way Ryou phrased that, (something that, weirdly, makes Atem think of bodice-rippers, of oh no, you've got me, what are you going to do? but that's probably reading too much into it, he decides) and...the feeling it's giving Atem makes the bottom drop out of his stomach again.

Ryou won't be able to see slit-pupilled eyes dilate, going a little wider and a little darker; however, this close, he might be able to tell the difference between how Atem breathes when he's settled in for the long haul, ready to hold his boyfriend and maybe sleep, and how Atem breathes when he's thinking about getting that boyfriend all wrapped up and how pleased Ryou seems about that, and pushing back what his three-chambered heart is telling him is very, very right about this.

For a split second, Atem considers backing off.

But hasn't he wasted way too much time already holding back and second-guessing? Didn't it make them both miserable? He's been out of it for a week.

He can trust himself to walk the line between going after what he wants, and too much. No. He's not stopping.

Careful saying things like that!

[He backs up just enough so that he can get in front of Ryou's line of sight and look in his eyes. A clawed hand takes hold of Ryou's cheek, a thumb running over it.]

If you let me, it just might be.

[And Atem's entire tail pulls Ryou up and in for another hairsnake-y kiss, like how you'd pull someone in with your arms, only it's a limb wrapped around the entire body. He knows kissing while holding Ryou like this was how it got weird last time, but he's looking for it now, so, it'll be fine. Definitely. It's worth it, for how good it feels! He won't have this tail that much longer. He won't be able to hold someone the same way by tomorrow. So...]

[Indeed, Ryou has no idea the extent his words have affected Atem initially. He's just comfortable, sharing his own set of sweet nothings because after a stressful time, they could definitely use it.

It's not until he starts to notice the shift in Atem's breathing pattern that he considers for probably the hundredth time that maybe he's pushing his luck. Is this going to turn out as uncomfortably as it had before? Does he care?

Well of course he cares about Atem's comfort! And yet...part of him can't help but want to encourage Atem. Past his ditzy, somewhat sleepy behavior is a young man who wants something else, and it's getting hard to balance out concern for Atem's comfort levels and the personal wants of Ryou Bakura.

Which, by the way, Atem is not helping with, because when he backs off and they make eye contact...Ryou's practically mesmerized. He leans into Atem's fingers, smiling softly, and he's about to make a sassy comment back when he feels the pressure of Atem's tail shifting and manipulating him upwards. Then they're kissing and the snakes are all up in his business as usual, but they're playing second fiddle(s) to the main event himself.

Ryou shudders a little, something that probably translates across Atem's whole body, snake tail and all, but it doesn't stop him from kissing back, with interest. Long, spindly fingers shift, from Atem's lower back upward, gripping his shoulder and pricking painlessly against bare skin as he settles. He doesn't need words to convey himself--which is for the better, since he's not going to be the one to end the kiss.

...Vaguely, he thinks to himself that he's going to miss being wrapped around like this, where his legs and body can't quite move and yet he doesn't mind. It's thrilling. It's...kind of intriguing, how much it interests him.

[Walk -- or slither -- along the line that's just enough, not too much. That's the key. That's what he's got to remember as hands go up his back, reminding him he's not wearing any clothes, and when he opens his mouth in the kiss, a blue forked tongue brushing Ryou's lips before slipping into his mouth. His heart still beats slower than a human's, but Atem tries to keep it from going too hard. He stops the kiss for breath, to manage how into it he is -- okay, checked in, he's good -- and to put another kiss on the side of Ryou's mouth and murmur.]

I'm going to miss it...

[The tail, he means -- he communicates what he's referring to with a squeeze of the part of it that's wrapped around Ryou's knees. Going to miss that! Going to miss that feeling a lot. Atem drifts up to put another kiss on Ryou's face, a little further up his cheek, letting the words be a buzz against weird thank-god-Ryou-cares-this-much-about-being-solid shade skin.]

...I really liked sleeping like this!

[Third kiss, to the temple this time, and fingers slide around the back of Ryou's neck.]

I'll have to figure out something else, for when I don't have a tail anymore.

[All the snakes that can reach are nuzzling contentedly, but because of where Atem's face is, there's a very real risk of a nose boop. That is to say, one of the snakes...might boop the tip of Ryou's nose with its little snake chin.]

[Ryou's into it, every single little bit of their current situation. Where Atem is tempering his reactions, Ryou's doing the opposite because he can't help himself, he wants this, and whenever he's presented with the simple idea that he, somehow, is at the forefront of Atem's thoughts...it's a heady feeling. It gets his face flushed, his eyes half-lidded, and a smile curving up the corners of his lips, just in time for Atem to pull away and kiss one side.]

Mm, me too. Even before we were like this...I loved sleeping with you. You didn't always start warm. I helped made you warm...and then we were warm together. It was...always nice.

[He allows himself to enjoy the attentions being lavished upon him, his mind absolutely checked out. The only thing running through his thoughts was 'yeah, he's right. what can we substitute once he doesn't have a tail?'

...And then he's pulled from his thoughts by one of the yellow snakes poking at the tip of his nose, causing him to blink in surprise. It was one thing when they were smoothing themselves across the edges of his face, into his hair, but something about that one snake...it gets Ryou to smile.

No. It makes him laugh, a quiet but joyful peal that he can't quite stop because it's funny, it's cute, it's also very much an extension of Atem and Ryou will never stop being charmed. He shakes his head a little once he's regained control of himself, deliberately nosing at the rogue snake.]

Whatever happens...I don't care! [He's still smiling, perhaps a little too pleased with this situation.] Snake, vampire, anything you might become! Even if you ended up a slime I'd let you hold me, as close as you like.

[Now it's Atem's turn to have a schmoopy shade wrap a hand behind his neck and pull him in for a soft kiss. It's brief and bears no untoward purpose. Despite still definitely being a teen for at least one day more, with all that entails...he still has it in him to ignore his wants for his needs. And he needs to love Atem chastely.]

[Ha ha, a slime...? That's generous! As endearing as Atem's found the only slime he's met so far, he's not certain he'd be up for prolonged cuddling with one, but apparently, Ryou is. That makes him laugh, into the kiss -- only, it's the lower-register laugh, the one that slips out of his second set of vocal cords when he's trying to keep his usual set a little more tightly controlled. He returns the kiss while it lasts with warmth and fondness, and pushes their foreheads together again.]

Really? None of it bothers you at all?

[The seam of his second mouth splits open. A much bigger tongue flicks out and licks the underside of Ryou's chin, light and playful, before retreating.]

[Look.

He was about to say that it doesn't, because when not considering their dietary needs, most monsters intrigue him! But then Atem has to do that. And honestly the laugh was almost amusing enough on its own without the addition of the tongue. But here we are, or more specifically, there it is.

Ryou snorts, then tries to look away because that is the most unattractive sound to be making when you're that close to someone you care about.]

Pfffh, one tongue was enough, now you're just being complicated!

[He sounds about...11% serious. He is not even serious about it being complicated. To the contrary, Ryou finds his fingers slowly traveling from Atem's neck to his jawline, tracing just below the seam. He's not trying to trigger the mouth to open again or anything...not at the moment.]

...But no. This doesn't bother me. It's very cool, actually. Did you...ever really get used to it? It seems like a lot of extra sensory processing.

It's only something I notice if the mouth is open.

[--the touch to his jaw is nice. Atem's eyes fall half-closed, and the snakes close to Ryou's hand run themselves over it lightly, relaxed and trusting.]

The rest of the time, it just feels normal...like how you don't think about how the inside of your mouth feels unless you're using it.

[Atem's voice sounds relaxed, too. He's not thinking too hard about what he's saying, for once -- he's not sleepy, but all this nice touch is doing something to his filters.]

It used to be hard, to get it to open at all...

[Look.

He was about to say that it doesn't, because when devoid of their dietary needs, most monsters intrigue him! But then Atem has to do that. And honestly the laugh was almost amusing enough on its own without the addition of the tongue. But here we are, or more specifically, there it is.

Ryou snorts, then tries to look away because that is the most unattractive sound to be making when you're that close to someone you care about.]

Pfffh, one tongue was enough, now you're just being complicated!

[He sounds about...11% serious. He is not even serious about it being complicated. To the contrary, Ryou finds his fingers slowly traveling from Atem's neck to his jawline, tracing just below the seam for now.]

...I wanna see if my head fits, Atem. I might not have a chance to do it again.

[It sounds demanding, but it's actually more along the lines of a request. A stupid, weird, ultimately sleep-deprived request from a young man who has absolutely no self-control at this time...but a request all the same.]

You--

[Let him get this straight.]

You want to put your head...in my second mouth?

[Just so they're clear about what's being asked.]

Yes. I want to see if it fits. But only if you're okay with it. I trust you, and I don't think you're going to bite me!

[No seriously, he's all trust when it comes to Atem. And he really, really wants to see if his head fits in there before Atem transforms back. It's a perfectly normal request!

~~no it isn't ryou what the fuck~~.]

[Ryou, what.

What.

It.

It should be fine??]

Okay....the fangs in that mouth aren't venomous, but they are sharp!

[He takes a hand, presses the seam of his face. The lower jaws begin to part.]

So, if you get stuck, it's okay to go intangible to get back out.

[o p e n i n g . . .]

[Rou doesn't immediately respond, because he's watching Atem basically peel his own face open, and that is...very distracting. How wide does it go? He's pretty sure he's going to have to wash his hair afterwards but if he can stick his head into Atem's mouth, tangible or intangible, he's gonna do it.]

...Oh. Right, yeah.

You know, you're lucky you didn't shed any of your fangs while you were shedding the rest of you. Venomous snakes do that too.

[Just a fun fact while he waits for Atem to quit opening his mouth. Hey uh. Seriously, how wide does it go...?]

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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.