knifemonopoly | IC inbox

[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.]

[Aaaah, it's backwards against their belly scales, aaaaah -- they react like a cat being pet backwards, and like Atem being slobbered on, which is to say, everybody's eyes go wide and twitch, and the snakes coil up protectively. They'll be good!! They'll be good!

#snegrets

Once Atem has a second to recover--]

Misbehaving snakes aside...I like being this monster type. You should give it a try, if you're curious...just be careful to do it in a rest period. You'll have to re-learn how to walk!

[He pushes himself up into the air, his body slithering around Ryou in a big, loose loop on the floor. Atem makes a full circle around the werewolf, not holding him yet, just threatening him with a cuddle.]

I'm not in any hurry to change back. I missed holding you with a snake tail, too!

[His hair-snakes uncoil themselves and lean forward with interest, tasting the air in Ryou's direction. Hugs? Hugs??]

Oh, yes. I usually try to time it out just so...doing a change mid-month is no good, and the only time that happened was when the other me called Mana to make me a vampire.

[Even as he makes conversation, Ryou can't help smiling as he watches Atem encircle him. His tail starts to wag again. If he's being asked for something, then the answer is clear: he steps closer to Atem's upper half, planes a hand down his chest softly, very nearly to where the scales begin.]

Just in case that this has a time limit...perhaps we ought to get in a good cuddle now. If you think you can deal with this body, the way it is.

[After all, Ryou's a little broader, definitely much furrier. Challenge accepted?]

[Unless Ryou pulls back, Atem's going to slither over Ryou's hand. As in, he's going to let Ryou start to take his weight, and wrap around Ryou a second time. His tail's midsection will wind up supported in Ryou's hands, if he has anything to say about it, and he'll end up behind Ryou's back, resting arms over Ryou's shoulders, around his back.]

You're right. We should see if this is the sort of ability that wears off after an hour!

[Playfully, his snakes wiggling their way into Ryou's hair, as Atem rests an arm and his chin on one of Ryou's shoulders:]

I don't have any objections to your current form. We shold wait it out together.

[How much of Atem's weight is Ryou supporting right now? As much as Atem can get away with putting on him, honestly. Ryou is warm like this, with his fur...]

[There are two things that are advantageous in this situation at present. One, Atem is not a terribly massive naga, compared to the usual. Two, of course, is that Ryou is much stronger as a werewolf than he'd usually be. All he has to do to make sure Atem doesn't knock him down at first is turn his arm, add the other for support, and let Atem do as he likes. His shoulders tense as Atem settles comfortably, though that's mostly because he's enjoying this.

He's...enjoying it a lot, and the snakes weaving into his hair, between his ears...that's hardly helping.]

Mmm...yes. I can do that...we can just...stay close.

[He's not struggling, but Atem would do well not to lift himself completely up off the ground and onto Ryou at this point. Not without some adjustment, anyway.

Ryou does the adjusting this time though, wrapping an arm around a coil of lower snake-body to support it, as if he's carrying a piece of very thick rope or something, and not a section of his impish boyfriend.]

I'm sure you could use the contact anyway. You're back to being cold-blooded, after all. Take what you like.

[It's said softly, unassumingly, but Ryou doesn't have to lower his tone and half-lid his eyes to be flirting. Atem should know better by now. It's a little funny though, since the last time Atem was a naga, Ryou really was quite shy.]

Y̵e̷s̴.̴.̴.̵

[From the sounds of it, Ryou's body heat is already having an effect: Atem's tone is relaxed, lazy, a little sleepy, and the loosening of self control has the whispers creeping back into his voice. The snakes are settling down, too, finding comfortable configurations. There's still the occasional curious tonguesniff, but mostly, they're quieting down.

Ryou is still a little furry and wolf-faced for Atem to feel like making a proper move, but it's nice, warm, wrapped around someone he loves.]

[Ohhh, Ryou's starting to kind of like that voice. The way Atem answers at that moment, it makes Ryou's fur prickle, and it makes him cant his head to the side and give a quick nuzzle, a slow, affectionate one that precedes the familiar rumble deep in his chest that comes out as a half-sigh, half-groan of contentment. Happy wolf. Very happy wolf.

Then, very carefully, Ryou starts to make his way to the couch. His steps are a little uneven, but he does alright supporting a whole naga for a quick trip. If Atem's tail is dragging, he might want to pull it up for a moment, at least until Ryou can finally sit. And if he's not impeded, after sitting, he lets out a slow exhale.]

I'm happy that you're here. I'm proud that you're strong. And...maybe it's a little selfish of me, but I'm also glad I can hold you better since the last time we were together like this.

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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.