aethcreus

[aethcreus]

aeturnumnsyt​:

The sun was bright overhead, Ra’s rays shining down on their spot in the garden. A dazzling gold cast down around the small spot of shade they had managed to find beside the pond. There was a strange sort of familiarity between them that Atem had not realized he was missing until it was there beside him. He’s not sure if the feeling is from Seto himself, or just a face familiar to the new him, someone who knew him as something other than Pharaoh. It had surprised Atem just how much he had been yearning for the companionship, and the electricity of a duel. 

Another surprise had been just how much he had missed this. The cocky smirk, that self satisfied glint in their eyes even as their life points dropped to zero. That taunting smile, goading Atem on every step of the way. His bones ached, limbs still sore from the effects of the Crush Card as every beat of his heart sent a pulse of pain through his body, and yet he couldn’t help but stand there, chest heaving with exertion and a wide smile on his face. It had been fun, dueling again. The battle had been close, and duels here worked differently than they did in Kaiba’s realm, but Atem couldn’t bring himself to regret a single second of it. Smoke drifted across the limestone tiles beneath their feet as the images that Kaiba’s duel machine had created faded away along with their life point indicators. The golden light from summoning Ra had long since disappeared, and Atem was met with yet a third surprise. Without the light of the machines or the towering form of his monsters, for the first time since he had come to Aaru the room seemed…empty. Dull, in a way, despite the intricate carvings on the walls and the beautiful colours of the painted graphics. 

Lifeless.

And now here he was, three days after Kaiba’s not so surprising appearance. Tanned fingers dip into the bowl between them, delicate digits wrapping around one of the dates that lined the wood and bringing it up to his mouth. 

“You know, I believe this is the longest we’ve gone without arguing, Kaiba.” His voice is light, teasing as he pops the date into his mouth.

The breeze is hot and arid, and the specks of sunlight that manage to force their way through the canopy of palms overhead are warm on Seto’s skin. He nurses his goblet of beer, piercing blue eyes lingering not on the complexities of the holograms projected before him from his headset, but instead on the warm crimsons across from him. Though he had discarded his modern clothing rather easily in the heat of this ancient desert city, he could not bring himself to put away the technology that linked him still to the realm of the living. 

The device sits on his brow, a crown of his own making, and periodically lights up with information about his vitals, the world around him, and the tenuous link he keeps with his own dimension. It was easy now to brush it aside, and by pressing a button on the clasp on his wrist, he could minimize it and ignore it. As it once again lights up with an incoming status message from his ship, he brushes his fingers across the gauntlet and banishes it to the side of his vision - he will deal with it later. 

His return is not something he wants to think about just yet. 

“Believe it or not, Atem, I can be civil when I wish to be,” Kaiba snorts, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips. He cannot remember the last time he laughed so easily, breathed so easily. Every moment of his life he has spent chasing something - a future, a title, an ideal, a king - but for the first time he has time to breathe. Even though he had failed to beat the pharaoh once again, a part of him feels... content. It is astounding and confusing and it has his mind feeling a mess, and in some ways he does not know what to do with himself. He is still figuring that part out. 

He will probably be figuring that part out for a while. 

“I’m sure it will not last long. After all, you have yet to tell me why you called me here.”

[aethcreus]

Closed starter for @aeturnumnsyt​.

Time moved differently in the spirit world. It had not been apparent at first. Many more things had claimed his focus - the heat of the sun blazing overhead, the glaring brilliance of the shining, burning sands beneath his booted feet, and the stinging of the wind whipping at his cheeks had been far more easy to focus on, after all. 

Seto had not spared a thought for the consequences of his choice until long after his arrival in this place called Aaru, settling into the chambers provided by the pharaoh who had once again defeated him in a duel. He had thought he would not be able to bear it if he were to lose to him once more. He had thought he would not feel complete until he defeated him once and for all. But here he was, a mere three days later, comfortably sharing the man’s company beneath the shade of the palms in the gardens and eating dates from a gilded wooden bowl that lay between them. 

The modern technology that he had brought with him seemed to work just fine, but in spurts. Yesterday, when he had contacted Mokuba, it seemed that two days had passed in the mortal world. But on the first day, an entire week had gone by. Time seemed to be inconsistent and slow, and Seto knew that he could not long stay in this realm without repercussions. He could not leave his brother or his company alone for long, no matter how much he trusted Mokuba to handle it in his absence. 

For now, however, he felt inclined to remain. He crossed his legs and leaned forward, an uncharacteristically relaxed expression on his usually cold visage as he listened to the pharaoh relate a story of a hunting trip from his childhood. In his hand was a chalice of warm Egyptian beer, and his pale skin glittered with golden adornments - he had soon been made to give up the clothing he had worn from the modern world. The clothes were strange, but not altogether unfamiliar. A part of him knew what it was like to wear these clothes, after all - a part of him who stalked these very halls and gazed at him with unwelcoming blue eyes whenever they passed each other by. 

[aethcreus]

❛ It is right to seek peace for the dead. You and I both know there is no peace for those who live after. ❜ (aethcreus, Priest Set).

Song of Achilles Starters || not accepting@aethcreus

Atem’s eyes burn with tears unshed, but he refuses to let them fall. He doesn’t respond at first, letting the priest’s words hang in the air. What did Set expect him to say? That he had failed his people? His kingdom? That he had no idea how to save anyone when he couldn’t even save the one who had needed him most?

“I always thought I would be mad when he died. That anger would be my response, fury at whatever had decided to take him from me.” His gaze drops to his hands, the skin stained with a dark red that was still slick on his fingers. He feels nothing, only a cold emptiness, as if the warmth had been sucked from his world. When Heba died, all things beautiful and bright had died with him, and Atem could feel the pain of their absence like a limb had been severed from his body. 

“I did not expect it to feel so empty.”

[aethcreus]

260419

> Art blog | Doodle tag | Ko-fi

[aethcreus]

Me, remembering that this blog exists... So like this post for a starter from Mahaad or Seto? They’re all I really have muse for right now...

[aethcreus]

D a r k   M a g i c i a n

[aethcreus]

12 yo me: Wow Kaiba is so cool I want to be like him! 

Me now: kAIBA HAD A FUCKING JET THAT LOOKED LIKE HIS FAVORITE MONSTER FROM _A TRADING CARD GAME_ WHAT AN ABSOLUTE NERD

So yeah I started playing duel links and the nostalgia is so good

[aethcreus]

quick sketchy thing - just an idea I had watching some Yugioh with friends.

lazy me used some way to big and rough brush because I don’t use Paintstorm very often and didn’t want to struggle with brush settings…

[aethcreus]

[aethcreus]

“A friend is someone who knows who you are, where you have been, accepts what you’ve become, and still allows you to grow.” @ Seto -Pharaoh

Shakespeare Inspired Starters // accepting. // @thepharaohisdead-longlivetheking

“ Friends... friends are something I have little use for, Atem, “ he scoffs, rolling his eyes and resting his chin on his hands. “ I appreciate the concern...  somewhat. But again, that is not what we came here to do. Whatever bonds I may have now are with Mokuba, and perhaps with you. Our rivalry means something to me. Defeating you means something to me. “

“ If that is all, we should return to our work. “

[aethcreus]

D a r k   M a g i c i a n

[aethcreus]

[aethcreus]

“What’s done cannot be undone.” For Mahad.

shakespeare inspired starters // accepting. // @namelessatcm

The magician levels his master with an impassive look that softens slowly, and he eventually nods. It has been a long, long time since he has felt the urge to speak. For as long as he can remember, he has been the man’s silent protector. He cannot remember his name. He cannot remember knowing his name. That life is lost to him now.

But there is still an innate need to come to his aid. His life belongs to him, to his vessel, and it does not matter if he cannot remember what came before. He knows his purpose. He knows his duty, and only for him will he come.  

“ I know, “ he says simply, his voice a bit gravelly from disuse. This form... even though it is not his true form - that is held in the realm of spirits - it still holds the properties of his normal body. “ It cannot be undone, and it should not be. What happened, happened. Wherever you go, I follow. “

[aethcreus]

“The meaning of life is to find your gift, but the purpose of life is to give it away.” for Mahaad

Shakespeare Inspired Starters // accepting. // @starcrossedking

“ I agree, “ he says softly, running his fingers through his sleeping apprentice’s hair. She’s completely out of it, breathing peacefully with her pretty, long lashes fluttering slightly with the onset of dreams. “ There is nothing more important than passing on that which we know best... “ 

“ When did you become so enamored with bits of wisdom, Per’a’ah? “ he asks, eyes flicking up to his king while his fingers continue to pet the sleeping girl. “ I have never known you to dispense advice so freely. But... in this case, I like it, “ he says with a small, teasing smile. “ She is a worthy apprentice - a natural prodigy, given that she learns some restraint. When I am gone, she can carry on my legacy, and my master’s before me... And she can also look after you and yours. “

[aethcreus]

“I wish the stars would hide their light so no one can see the darkness inside me.” @ Mahaad -Pharaoh

Shakespeare Inspired Starters // accepting. // @thepharaohisdead-longlivetheking

Mahaad looks over to where his king sits, his fingers moving slowly over the golden surface of the pendant hanging around his neck. It is dark in the garden, the glimmer of distant candles the only sign of civilization.

It is tranquil here. They are out on a series of couches surrounded on all sides by lush vegetation, shielded from the eyes of the courtiers and priests and mages who would watch his every move. Here, Atem can relax. Here, he does not need to be pharaoh. Here, Mahaad can be his friend again. 

“ Per’a’ah... “ he murmurs, never able to drop that last barrier once more. No, that had gone up permanently on the day of his coronation. “ The mistakes of your forefathers are not your own. “ Calling them mistakes is treason against the god-kings of the past - blasphemy even. But for him... he will risk his eternal soul to ensure that his friend is not lost to the darkness his father planted inside of him. 

“ You are not responsible for the actions of your father - no matter what the thief may say. There is no darkness inside you. You have done no wrong. And even if there was... we all have some inside of us. You are not responsible for the sins of your family. “

[aethcreus]

Excerpt from the「YGO unofficial fanbook　LOG LOG」

[aethcreus]

“Even villains smile.” @ Seto -Lucky

Shakespeare Inspired Starters // accepting. // @someluck-allskill

 “ What do you want, Wheeler? “ he asks, his voice cold and careful and utterly emotionless. His eyes glint like steel as he stares at the other with disdain, entirely not happy to meet him while out for a quick coffee. There are times when even his office grows too stuffy. 

“ Why do you have to inflict your ridiculous philosophy on me even here? “ he asks, looking down at the shorter duelist for a moment longer before his eyes flick back up to the cafe’s menu, seeking their blends for the cup of black coffee he needs to kick his ass into gear. “ I am not your villain. I have done nothing to you - lately. Keep testing my patience, and that may change. “