#I will always believe Atem does give kaiba loving pet names

[bum-scum]

Prideshipping snippet because I want to. Im have a mini break from drawing to type this asap off the top of my head.

WARNINGS WILL APPLY! SEXUAL THEMES IMPLIED TOWARDS THE END!!! I REPEAT SEXUAL THEMES TOWARDS THE END!!

I cant do grammar to save my life. I failed English, so theres that. 🤣🤣🤣 ( past and peresnt tense, things dont make sense, etc).

WARNING AGAIN!! SEXUAL THEMES IMPLIES TOWARDS THE END!!!

Read away! I love these two.

----

Kaiba hates it when Atem gives him pet names. Anything of the sort crawled up his spine in a tingle, a little shock to the hesrt that made flips when Atem spoke out one of these "names".

"Oh darling, try not to worry. Mokuba will be just fine," Atem soothed him.

"My love, im sure you'll knock it out of the park," he'll encourage.

Or when things got heated in the bedroom:

"Mmmm...look at you, my incredibly fuckable husband of mine."

It all went under his skin. And he would growl eachtime Atem would call him these names.

Today, however, is different.

Atem didnt call him any names or being his cheerful self. He became stressed, moving franticly, trying to do all things at once.

This is what happends when he said yes to organise a day out with the geeks.

And honestly Kaiba missed the pet names Atem was calling him. It didnt feel like home, out of place and it annoyed him.

"Do I have everything we need?" Kaiba heard Atem mumble to himself.

Running out of patience, Kaiba sighed and slammed his laptop shut.

"Atem."

"Oh! Thats right! I need..."

"Atem." Kaiba growled.

"No they wouldnt like it-"

"ATEM!"

Atem stopped and looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Yes?"

"Could you for five minutes, take a break? You running around like a headless chook is getting up my nose. Sit down and relax."

Much to Kaiba's dismay, Atem resumed to his stressing about the hang out.

"I cant stop, Seto. Ive got to sort this day outing with everyone. I want to make this perfect. Its important to me."

Moving back and forth, passing by Kaiba, his blue steely eyes intently watching Atem move and getting frustrated by the minute.

It was time to take measures in his own hands.

Kaiba moved swiftly and caught Atem from behind his strong arms wrapped around his small partner, holding him flushed against him.

"You should really take a break. Stressing about this will do you no good, sweetheart."

"Did you just...Kaiba?"

A smirk of victory graced on Kaiba's lips.

"Why dont you take a hot bath, and head to bed? You've been working hard all day, my love. It would be a shame if you burn your pretty heart out, honey."

Now he knew why Atem took so much delight in calling him these names. It got Kaiba excited...

Too excited.

"Or better yet. How about I give you a full body massage? Let me take all your stress away, my gorgeous Pharaoh."

"Se-who are you? What have you done with my husband?"

Kaiba's annoyed expression now showed itself.

"Just get into the bedroom so I can fuck you, for fucks sake."

"There he is."

Kaiba rolled his eyes as he let Atem go.

Kaiba eyes trailed all over Atem's backside, seeing it sway and move.

"You've got ten minutes to strip."

Atem stopped midway upstairs, his smirk now evident and the stress forgotten.

"Oh myyy...How naughty of you, my sexy darling."

And there it is. Making Kaiba's heart jump with joy.

The pet names have come back.

[sage-nebula]

if i'm not late for the ship meme, wish, euro and thief!

You are never too late for anything, because I love you.

Wishshipping:

ship: ew / nonono / maybe / ship it / aww / otp / MY HEART / THE BEST SHIP IN THE UNIVERSE

 I think my feelings on Wishshipping are probably known to everyone in the entire universe at this point, but I will never pass up a chance to talk about them again because they are actually perfect. 

Setting aside the fact that they were designed to be perfectly compatible (even down to their zodiac; it’s clear that Takahashi put thought into it, and he specifically picked Yuugi to be a Gemini and Jounouchi to be an Aquarius, which most zodiac sites rate as being “soulmate” level of compatibility), we actually see just how well they work together, how much stronger they are together, how they build each other up and support each other throughout the course of the manga. We see them come together after a rocky start in which Jounouchi originally bullied Yuugi (though, notably, never saw him as weak and grows offended at the thought that he’s bullying a weaker person---like, he knows Yuugi is shy and quiet, but he doesn’t equate that to weakness), and though they have a few hiccups in the beginning (like Yuugi saying he doesn’t believe there’s an idol at the school and Jounouchi storming off in a huff---Jounouchi isn’t really angry, but Yuugi worries that he is because they don’t know each other very well yet), we see just how quickly they gel and mesh together. By the third chapter, Jounouchi is already so loyal and attached to Yuugi that when he notices Yuugi seems to be feeling down, he gets very passionate about showing support and being there for him, urging Yuugi to share his burdens so that he can help. By the eleventh chapter, when it seems that Jounouchi has returned to Hirutani’s game of his own volition, Yuugi is the one to feel in his heart that Jounouchi hasn’t changed and that he just needs help, something that even Honda doubts until Yuugi offers his support and encouragement. (And note: I’m not dragging Honda here. I’m just saying that Yuugi and Jounouchi’s bond was already so strong that Yuugi wasn’t giving up, and that it’s notable when you look at how Honda was ready to give up, confused and hurt as he was about it, despite having known Jounouchi since junior high.) And we only see them grow closer from there. We see that Jounouchi is the one to offer speeches of support in both Death-T and Duelist Kingdom. We see that he’s ready to stand in the midst of a raging fire with Yuugi, even as he internally pledges that he refuses to let Yuugi die. We see Yuugi not even hesitate when it comes to giving Jounouchi the prize money so that Shizuka’s eyesight can be saved, and he also takes off the Millennium Puzzle so that Atem cannot interfere and take over during the pier duel, giving it to Jounouchi as he prepares to sacrifice his life to save Jounouchi’s own. (Only for Jounouchi to turn right around and attempt to sacrifice himself to save Yuugi instead.) The night before the Ceremonial Duel, Yuugi seeks out Jounouchi so the two of them can talk, because he wants to confide his plans for the Ceremonial Duel with someone, and Jounouchi is that someone. And during the Ceremonial Duel, Jounouchi is the one who wholeheartedly believes in Yuugi’s ability to win, internally urging him to show Atem his strength. Their love, support, and belief in one another is unparalleled. It never falters, wavers, or comes even close to breaking. They are always first in line to support and encourage the other. Even Atem doubts Yuugi (during the pier duel), but Jounouchi never does. Hell, Jounouchi offers to fistfight Atem if Atem makes Yuugi feel bad or insecure again, and while that offer is a bit shortsighted (it’s still Yuugi’s body, Jounouchi), the intention is plain as day. Jounouchi is Yuugi’s #1 fan, and likewise, Yuugi is Jounouchi’s (well---he might need to wrestle Shizuka for top spot, admittedly). Neither one of them will stand for the other doubting himself. Neither one of them will ever stop believing in the other.

Along with that, we see just how much they genuinely love and enjoy each other’s company. They don’t just cry on each other’s shoulders when needed---they laugh and play together, too. Yuugi introduces Jounouchi to Duel Monsters, and when Kaiba is an elitist asshole who refuses to play with them “until [they] collect 10,000 cards,” Yuugi calms Jounouchi down by promising him that they can still play together. They go to the arcade together, and while one might expect Jounouchi to get upset that Yuugi easily aces all the games that Jounouchi himself struggles with, he doesn’t. He just smiles and is so, so amused and fond of the fact that Yuugi is so instantly good at every game he touches. They play Monster Fighter together and, again, genuinely enjoy doing so. Jounouchi is really good at putting together garage kits, and Yuugi tries his hand at one after he sees this, and so on and so forth. Yuugi allows and encourages Jounouchi to be the super mega nerd he always has been deep down (yet hid because that’s not something that would have been seen as “cool or manly” in middle school), and likewise, Yuugi is never afraid about sharing his new interests with Jounouchi, because Jounouchi will be just as excited as he is (and again, we see this, time and again---look how excited they both got at having their digital pets mate, with none of them giving a thought as to how that wording sounded). Even when it comes to less savory interests, such as how they’re both big pervs who watch porn together (and yes, together, this was confirmed in the Millennium Book), well . . . those are interests and activities they share. They have fun together, and love each other’s company not just for the support and strength they find in each other, but also in that they have genuine fun together, without being shamed or teased or embarrassed about it. Yuugi and Jounouchi can be (and are) themselves around each other, 100%, and that’s beautiful.

They are best friends, absolutely and undoubtedly and unreservedly, but that’s precisely what makes the notion of them falling in love---and especially the notion of Yuugi’s “I love you” being romantic, which it could have been due to the context and strong language used---so perfect. Your romantic partner should be your best friend, and Yuugi and Jounouchi are, inarguably, each other’s best friend. They could easily build a life together, and given all of the build-up they have in (manga) canon, it’s more than simple to see a logical progression following where they do. They are perfect. Undoubtedly so.

Euroshipping:

ship: ew / nonono / maybe / ship it / aww / otp / MY HEART

I’m not nearly as passionate about Euroshipping as I am Wishshipping (though then again, that’s a tall order for any ship), but I do still like it, and it’s about the only ship I really like for either Kaiba or Bakura.

I mean, I still view Bakura as pretty much aromantic/asexual, possibly demiromantic/demisexual. And I view Kaiba as demiromantic/demisexual, with a very low sex drive. So even just in terms of romantic/sexual compatibility, I think they work well together because Bakura’s asexuality and lack of desire for sex won’t be a big deal for Kaiba, who also has a low desire for sex most of the time and as such isn’t very interested in that anyway.

Outside of that, though, I do think they really do work well together. Bakura doesn’t have the history with Kaiba that the others do (namely Death-T), and as such he, as he points out himself during Duelist Kingdom, doesn’t have the same level of vitriol and negative feelings for Kaiba that the rest of the members of the squad do. He recognizes that Kaiba has done some bad things in the past, but Kaiba’s apparent love for and desire to rescue his little brother Mokuba makes Bakura feel inclined to give him a chance. I think that, in terms of giving Kaiba that chance, Bakura would be the best candidate. He has already shown the willingness, and he doesn’t have pre-existing bias to complicate that willingness the way the others do. He’s also far less easily provoked by baits and taunts than the others are, which means that Kaiba’s abrasive personality really isn’t likely to bother him very much. Although Bakura is a shy person (and more timid than Yuugi ever was, tbh), he’s also got a hell of a lot of inner strength, and so I think that he would be able to navigate and deal with the times when Kaiba might get short or snippy. And without someone getting defensive and shouting at him, Kaiba would be able to take the time to realize that what he said was perhaps not the greatest, and thus would be more likely to apologize for it (in his own way). Lastly, Bakura was a big brother himself, and so I think that he would make a great secondary big brother for Mokuba. He’d fit right in.

On top of Bakura being a good fit for Kaiba, I also think Kaiba is a good fit for Bakura. Again, aside from Kaiba’s own sexuality jiving well with Bakura’s, Kaiba is every bit as introverted as Bakura is. While Bakura does wish to be part of the squad and often feels as if he has to self-isolate (at which point Jounouchi kicks down his door and says “NAH”), the truth remains that Bakura is still happy to spend time at home, designing his TRPGs or else writing letters to his deceased little sister (ouch). Kaiba, too, is pretty damn introverted, and so the idea of spending time at home playing games with another person (or else watching a movie, et cetera) is one that’s going to sound far more appealing to him than going out and doing things. This is especially true since Kaiba is the type who likes to fixate on one person and lavish attention on them; this was always a problem with Atem, because Atem was sharing his body with another + wanted to spend more time with the squad than he did with Kaiba. But Bakura, while he does love his other friends as well, does need someone who will pay him more special attention, and Kaiba is definitely the type of person who is attentive enough to be able to do that. At the same time, as extra as he can be at times, he tends to show affection in more subtle ways; this, too, fits well with Bakura, who I think is the type to appreciate gestures over grand, embarrassing displays and overt flirting.

Lastly, they have a lot of interests in common. Obviously they both love playing games, but they both love designing games as well. Kaiba runs KaibaCorp, and Bakura designs TRPGs. They both have scrupulous attention to detail, because Kaiba won’t allow his company to release a product unless it’s perfect, and Bakura hand-designs all of his TRPG figures so that they look dead-on accurate. On top of this, they both have similar tastes in horror and the macabre; we know that Bakura, in his own words, “loves grotesque things,” and Kaiba’s flair in Murder Mansion shows a definite affection for horror and slasher films. Bakura’s tastes may be too extreme for the squad, but they’re not for Kaiba---and likewise, I think Kaiba would appreciate having someone to watch horror films with, considering the fact that I bet they’re not really to Mokuba’s taste.

So while I’m not super passionate about it, I do think this is a really good pair and that they have a lot in common. They deserve more appreciation, for real.

Thief:

ship: ew / nonono / eh / maybe / ship it / aww / otp / MY HEART

I really don’t see this one, sorry. :/

The “nonono” mostly comes from the fact that the only way it could take place is if the Spirit of the Ring was possessing Bakura, thereby removing Bakura’s bodily autonomy and consent. This is the same issue that I have with reciprocated Atem ships; outside of an AU where Atem and/or the Spirit of the Ring have their own bodies, it’s extremely unfair and downright disturbing to Yuugi and/or Bakura to have their bodies taken on romantic (and potentially sexual) joyrides. Even if they said, “yeah, that’s OK,” they can’t give the OK to literally everything that’s done while the spirits are in control. And while Atem is thankfully considerate enough of Yuugi to never do anything untoward while in the driver’s seat, we know from canon that the Spirit of the Ring does not feel the same way toward Bakura. He was removing Bakura’s agency long before Bakura even realized he was there, and afterward has since made it a point to either steal control, or else emotionally manipulate Bakura into handing the keys over. It’s not healthy, and I can’t feel comfortable shipping the Spirit of the Ring with anyone while he has to use Bakura’s body to make the ship work.

As for the “eh,” I just personally never really saw it. The Spirit of the Ring and Malik have fewer interactions in the manga, and the interactions they do have mostly just revolve around their deal. Aside from the Spirit of the Ring going from 0 to 100 real quick (within the space of four panels he goes from “oh you have a Millennium Item I see” to “I am going to murder you right here in broad daylight if you don’t give it to me”), they never really show interest in each other outside of the Spirit of the Ring wanting Malik to hand over the Millennium Rod, and Malik wanting the Spirit of the Ring to help him defeat Yuugi. The closest you get is that Malik does go to the Spirit of the Ring after his split personality takes over (in a bid to save Rishid), but even then, the Spirit of the Ring makes it pretty clear that he’s not doing this for Malik’s benefit. He really doesn’t give a damn whether Rishid lives or dies. He seriously just wants the Millennium Rod. Malik will take what he can get, of course, but I think it’s pretty apparent that the Spirit of the Ring really doesn’t care about him, and I think that what Malik does by going to him is more a show of desperation than anything else.

The anime does, I think, give them more interactions and ship tease, though, and The Abridged Series takes it up to eleven. I think I do ship it in the Abridged Series, mostly because Martin very blatantly wrote it in there, and I liked how he had them bickering like an old married couple. It was cute. But insofar as canon I don’t really go for it, personally. It’s just not really my thing.

That said, some of the art is goddamn gorgeous. I will give it that.