#set being down bad for kisara

[gwenkatana]

Cooking up some Priest Set and his mother headcanons based on research:

Scribes could go on and study to be teachers, physicians and priests. But you had to come from a family of scribes to become one. We don’t know much about Set’s mom so perhaps she was scribe who became a physician. A woman could become a scribe if she came from a family of scribes. Maybe that’s how she meets Set’s father? Physician in the war before the creation of the items? And that’s how Set is able to become a scribe, which would led to becoming a priest, then a sacred guardian of the millennium rod.

Ancient Egyptians wrote poetry including love poems. Set most definitely wrote some love poetry about Kisara. Waxing poetic about her blue eyes, her pearlescent white hair, fine as silk.

Scribes could add their writings in the ancient Egyptian version of a library called the House of Life. Anything added to the House of Life would be copied to the celestial House of Life of the gods. The library of the gods definitely contains some of Set’s love sick poems about Kisara.

[darkscorpiox]

What would Kisara be like as Kaiba’s lover

Warning: very, VERY long post, sorry 😅

Her qualities

First, Kaiba would never date someone unless Mokuba was comfortable with said person. So every characteristic presented below are the ones he would appreciate concerning the safety of his little brother.

Graciousness

Kaiba’s cynicism would make him question the integrity of someone’s intentions, so it wouldn’t be easy for Kisara to prove to him her genuine good nature. If she treats Mokuba kindly because she sincerely cares about him and/or because it’s the right thing to do, it’ll suffice for Kaiba to trust her to some degree (I guess to the level of Yuugi and his friends whom it took Duelist Kingdom and the Battle City Tournament before he started to accept them in his social circle…begrudgingly).

Determination

I don’t know about you guys, but I believe Kaiba has some respect, however small (not that he’ll ever admit it), for people who refuse to stay down (e.g.: Joey…at least in the Japanese version of the anime). In the anime, Kisara had run miles across a desert to find Priest Seto and save him from his father, showing how determined she is to help her loved ones, no matter whom or what she must go against, just like Kaiba for Mokuba. Said trait is tied to the next one.

Protectiveness

As the vassal of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she carries the power a young Seto wished he had had to not rely on corrupted people like his relatives and Gouzaburou to survive. Kaiba would have wanted her on his side, even more so if it’s for the safety of Mokuba. At the same time, though she can unleash her dragon whenever she wants to (at least in the anime), she doesn’t do so unless the need requires it, meaning when the people she cares about are put in harm’s way. For that purpose, Kisara gives her all, leaving literally nothing of the perpetrators of said position behind. Kaiba may not like being protected because it can be implied that he’s dependant on someone and thus, weak. At the same time, in the deepest part of his heart, I think he would be glad someone has his back without ulterior motive.

Devotion

Choosing to spiritually bind herself to the first person who had showed her kindness for three millenniums and continuing to do so no matter how deep said person has fallen speaks volume of her loyalty. For the Kaiba brothers who had been hurt, both physically and emotionally, by the people around them, Kisara’s unconditional support would have meant so much for them.

Her flaws

Many Kisara fans (me included) believe Kaiba should worship her like the goddess she is. However, it takes two to make a relationship work (or more if polyamorous). Kisara may appear more stable minded than Kaiba, but I believe she has her own set of flaws and issues.

Distrustfulness

Like Kaiba, Kisara had suffered at the hands of ill-intentioned people and while she chose to not turn her back on humanity (in the anime), she didn’t give her trust easily, not even to Priest Seto who had once saved her life. Her dragon is also another reason to distance herself from others. In these modern times, monsters are myths and cities more densely populated than millennia ago, so she would have to be careful about displaying her power. Not only the magnitude of civilian casualties and property damages would be astronomical, but if people found out about it, she would either end up ostracized (or more than before) or used by others (her beloved Priest Seto even being an example of the latter). What keeps her from developing a me vs. the world mentality and becoming a female Kaiba is her desire to believe in the good of others. Even if the entire world looks down on her, as long as one person good toward her exists, her faith in humanity won’t waver. It might take some time to warm up to others, but she is not bad enough to unleash her dragon on anyone just because of a lack of trust or because they made her unhappy. Only a dire situation requires her to do so (e.g.: a loved one in danger, the world being at risk). However…

Possessiveness

Dragons are possessive creatures (e.g.: treasure, princess), so I believe Kisara can display that trait to some degree. As someone who has rarely known kindness, if not ever, her whole life, she would become possessive of its source(s). I wouldn’t be surprised if her protectiveness of the Kaiba brothers would occasionally come off as that. I would find it ironic if Kaiba were annoyed by that when he wasn’t any better with his BEWD cards. Speaking of the Blue Eyes…

Self-degradation

Everyone knows Kaiba adores the dragon to the point of obsession and possessiveness. Maybe Kisara would have been relieved since most would have only feared and hated it. However, I think she would have also felt insecure on some level about it. How much of his feelings for her are because of her dragon? What if he only loves it and not her? While Kaiba is Priest Seto’s reincarnation, the latter was the one who loved Kisara, whether she possessed the Blue Eyes or not, while the former was attracted to its power only. In the manga, it is implied she has only known abuse her whole life, to the point of accepting death without any resistance when it seems like there was no way out for her. She also finds out that a “monster” resides within her and believes it is the reason behind everything going wrong around her, worsening her low self-worth. The one time someone has treated her with the bare minimum of decency has been to fulfill his agenda (or that has been the plan at the beginning). Just for that one act of courtesy though, she had given her dragon and thus, her life, her everything, to her. While Kisara is kind and selfless enough to care about others, some of that goodness stems from a lack of self-worth. I think this is her worst flaw. How far would she go for someone she cares about? We know she can kill for Priest Seto, so a lot. Kaiba would not be above taking advantage of her loyalty to achieve his goals. At the same time, Kisara possesses a sense of right and wrong, and wants Priest Seto to not succumbed to the darkness. If she is as determined to do the right thing as to protect her loved ones, then the relationship won’t be too imbalanced.

@kaibacorpdork @kisara-kaiba @sapphira-mydnyte​ @kisaraslover

[chemicalbrew]

saw you're tags from the post where i bag on arise but like. first things first i will say play it if you want! im not controlling anybody do what u want but i wouldnt reccomend buying and playing it bc i cant rationalize any price for it. abyss is a much better and more solid game.

my only praise of the game is that it looks pretty but in the way that a lot of games nowadays look with perfect clean maps and environments.

otherwise? arise is lacking severely to me. i'd describe the main story as "baby's first analysis on racism." it isnt a good analysis of racist societies at all and there are a few games where racism is a topic that comes up (like symphonia) and while it isnt handled the best in other tales games its somehow. worse in arise. the story arc for one guy in the party really is "you were basically a slave owner and part of this cycle of abuse bc u were forced to be but you didnt torture anyone so who cares!" and while he does end up abandoning that system and joining the party to turn on it...the flippancy about it gets me. the story also doesnt help itself by being very impersonal with all of the antagonists, which is a big thing in abyss and other tales that i enjoyed that is completely gone here.

the main party is also more disjointed feeling than in other tales games where a big part of going through the games is seeing the party get closer as time goes on and in arise they do kind of just get boiled down to a basic found family dynamic in the game itself. one character, kisara (the resident *sexy woman*) is essentially boiled down to being a mother and serving the entire party (and it doesnt help considering she is dahnan, which is the ensalved race in the game). there are some little moments of growth between the party members i enjoy but beside these little things it really is just a whatever cast to me.

tl;dr arise just feels like a mess that wants you to take it seriously when it is the weakest tales game ive played.

oh thank you for the thoughtful answer! I think I remember hearing somewhat similar sentiments when it first came out (looks pretty but the plot/characters are a clusterfuck, which for a Tales game is doubly worrying imo) but I was like 'maybe I'll look into it anyway' and, um. Years have passed and I'm chilling with Abyss instead

so seeing those tags just kinda confirmed my suspicions about Arise not really being worthwhile (since pretty much no one plays these games just for the battle system lol), and this ask was really helpful to receive!

It's such a shame when games just kinda. Actively go nowhere like that and set a bad precedent with only tackling issues on a surface level and falling into gross stereotypes

[kaibacorpbros]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER WELL CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER. ( REPOST DO NOT REBLOG ! )

NAME: Mew

PRONOUNS:  She/her or They/them

PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION: Tumblr IMs or discord - if we’re mutuals I 1000% prefer discord though because... ugh dumblr misbehaves a lot lol

NAME OF MUSE(S): Seto and Mokuba Kaiba. I also have some sideblogs with Diva/Aigami, Jounouchi, Kisara, Priest Seth, the ignis from YGO vrains, and two OCs Hermit and Riley!

EXPERIENCE/HOW LONG (MONTHS / YEARS?): im bad at math and years but loosely did chatroom rps in 2013ish but only started doing proper rp about 2 years ago I’d say!

PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED: chat rooms, tumblr and discord

BEST EXPERIENCE: Too many to say honestly? like everything there’s been some ups and downs but I have gotten to meet some awesome people that have become good friends and I’m forever grateful to rp for that.

RP PET PEEVES/DEALBREAKERS: Hoy boy alright buckle in. For one, I can’t only do oneliners. For crack or the like it’s fine but if that’s the only way someone rps I can’t.

Also can’t with people who have sporadic activity but each time they relaunch their blog(s) they start over and start a buncha new stuff yelling that they want attention and to do so many things only to poof and when they come back to rp they do the same thing all over again and you never/barely actually get to RP with them. On a related note because these things tend to go together--when someone is constantly remaking their blogs.

I also will politely bow out on people who’s main desire for rp is sexual and/or romantic ships. You do you, but that’s not for me I’m here to tell a story first and if that happens to include a ship cool but there are more stories than just people falling for each other and going on dates. Also on this topic people who overly post sexual things several times a day. It’s okay to have a sexual muse but idk man I really don’t need to be seeing all the lingerie they like and posts on their favorite ways to have sex and their kinks 5 times a day. This aint p*rn hub. Likewise if someone spams with romance posts their ship(s) and never shuts up about them and just constantly harps on how in love they are and nothing else

Big dealbreaker is when I try and set boundaries for my own comfort and someone goes off on me and tries to gaslight me into thinking that I’m overreacting or I have no reason to want to avoid a certain kind of content. Like, nearly everyone’s rules say they’re chill with tagging triggers for people or avoid topics in conversations if asked and etc and yet when you try and do that some people bite your head off. 

Another one is when rpers can’t be assed to do good research to 1) make sure they aren’t writing anything harmful or 2) just be?? generally respectful to the culture whatever your piece of media you’re rping in comes from? I don’t expect people to know everything about Japan, but idk maybe do stuff like google if Christmas is celebrated over there and if so how and also maybe a general idea of what their idea of death and the afterlife is like when the series takes place in Japan?? Just. Google at a minimum jfc.

FLUFF, ANGST OR SMUT: I’m a big sucker for angst and I don’t think that’s a secret 8) . The other two have other things going for them but man, I just like that emotional gutpunch. I like to watch muses break. Physically or mentally or both : >

PLOTS OR MEMES: Both! I like a mixture of stuff. Like usually I like starting something via memes but then plotting from there!

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: Longer! as I said about the not being able to do oneliners thing. Buuuut of course if whatever is happening between the muses is a light or funny thing of course it will be shorter and I think that totally has its place and is good because sometimes I don’t have the braincells to do bigger replies lol.

BEST TIME TO WRITE: Nights are now my day with my job but even before that I always did better at night lol

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): We have some things in common yeah! I think it’s natural to like characters that you have some things in common with, because like acting it helps you portray them better. Like how when an actor becomes a parent for the first time they tend to start wanting to play characters who are also parents.

Tagged by: @sakurarisen thankies Poms :D

Tagging: @lightyourpyre @kingofblueeyex and you!

[h34vybottom]

Arise's combat system is so fucking garbage. Characters pivot off enemies often, thanks to there being no LMBS, and there's a massive lack of cohesive artes. Most physical artes have some obvious chains, especially into altered/combined artes, but those longer artes don't mesh w/ a game full of enemies that don't stay comboed and eventually every single fight is a boss fight where you can't stagger, proper stagger not Arise stagger, anything and have to rely on small, fast arte like Majinken, Kagerou, Tempestas, Hienjin, Senkou, Hyourou, Kogahazan (lol), Terra Divide, and Rondosenpuu. You can use longer artes on the reskinned, endlessly recycled mobs, but by post-game, that stops being as feasible because they start breaking out of combos like it's Berseria. It's kind of funny that Majinken is the best version of itself in Arise, Majinken Souga doesn't run in a singular line, it splits into two different directions. Unless you're fighting a large enemy, Majinken Souga is next to worthless and costs 2 souls that could be used by two Majinken instead, which guarantee a hit both times. Kisara doesn't work in Arise and her blocking gimmick (We're at the point where basic mechanics like blocking are a fucking gimmick) barely functions and feels more like spamming the dodge button works better than timing her blocks. Kisara's artes send her running fucking everywhere except to the enemy. She has such a hard time hitting anything center, including artes she has that directly shoot her to the enemy. All of her artes, even Kogahazan, an arte that should be impossible to fuck up, are so hit and miss in every single situation. Her boost strike is worthless for a majority of the game except three boss fights, one of which becomes a regular encounter directly after being a boss (They don't scale the HP down btw, it's still a full ass boss fight but they permeate a bunch of maps). It's just hilarious that they created a character w/ a bunch of artes that are supposed to hit around her, but she can't even hit anything because she barely functions. She was only added to the game to be fanservice for straight men and it shows. Rowe/Law has Berseria-itis, all of his ground artes besides Rondosenpuu send him jeering off enemies and lead him into the side of enemies instead of actually attacking them head on. He's the monk but he can't even monk properly, it's embarrassing. Rinwell's physical artes are so bad, she barely gets to do anything besides shoot orbs and splash water around. She's worthless up close and her best arte is Hyourou thanks to being homing and multi-hit. Rinwell's only salvageable because her late game spells are pretty decent and Hyourou is really good and keeps her away from most attacks. The split between aerial and ground artes structurally doesn't work. There's no reason to make a distinction between each, especially not in Tales of, where aerial combat is regularly present and artes work in both ground and air (Unless individually specified otherwise, like in Hearts). Aerial combat itself just doesn't really work, it's hard to keep enemies juggled in the air thanks to how little you can actually do in air. There's so few aerial artes that actually hit the target, even Shunjinken, an arte that is two hits forward, goes off center and barely hits the target. The best you can do is max out however many regular attacks the character you're playing as has, throw out whatever keeps the character relatively in the same position, and then shoot yourself out of aerial. This works best for Alphen, but characters like Rowe/Law and Dohalim have such a hard time doing anything. Kisara has quite a bit of aerial potential, but her artes are so fickle and often just fling her around and back to the ground. She doesn't even start off w/ aerial artes, which everyone else already has by the time she's introduced and doesn't get a full aerial move set till much later (Which locks Shishisenkou to aerial?????? Why??????????).

gathering my thoughts for a video script i'm writing have fun (p1)

[duelistkingdom]

safe place

Summary: kisara kaiba has three secrets and she's decided that anzu mazaki is the best person to tell them to.

Rating: T

Ships: Anzu Mazaki/Seto Kaiba

request from: @nafarsiti

Warnings: trans girl kaiba (gender bend, basically)

read on ao3

consider supporting me on kofi / 600 followers requests

Out of all the things Anzu was expecting to happen today, being cornered in the hallway by Kaiba was not one of them. Kaiba, who was tall, intimidating, and extremely pretty. “There’s something I need to tell you,” Kaiba had said, her voice husky as ever. The type of voice that sent a thrill down Anzu’s back. “But not here. Can you… er… hang out after school?”

She was even more surprised to have agreed and now, standing in front of the Kaiba’s mansion, she wasn’t sure why she had. All she knew was that there had been something in Kaiba’s startling blue eyes that had made her say yes. The last time she was here had led to a strange set of circumstances that she wasn’t entirely sure if she forgave Kaiba for. Some days she was sure that she had and other days, she felt the prickling anger underneath. Kaiba had, after all, tried to kill Yugi. “What do you want, Kaiba,” Anzu said, doing her best to avoid noticing the grandiose living room they stood in or the depths of Kaiba’s eyes. “What could you possibly have to say that couldn’t be said in school?”

For once, the normally intimidating Kisara Kaiba looked rather small and nervous. “Uh,” she stammered, a bright red blush creeping across her cheeks. “I guess I’ll start with that… you seem to be… a good secret keeper. So… can I trust you three secrets?”

This surprised Anzu. She did not think that she and Kaiba were close enough for her to consider Anzu a confidante. However, it was a sign of friendship. And as far as she was concerned, Kaiba needed a friend. “Sure,” Anzu said, softly this time. “You can trust me.”

“I was born Seto Kaiba,” Kaiba stumbled out, looking even more vulnerable than before. “I changed my name to Kisara when my parents died. My adoptive father was rather cruel about it, but I think I was… less threatening to him like this. He wanted to keep… well, all of it a secret.”

Kaiba averted her gaze and Anzu didn’t understand what she was trying to say. Somehow, it didn’t seem right to pry further than what Kaiba was willing allow. “Okay,” Anzu said softly, figuring that support was what Kaiba needed. “I’m… guessing that’s secret one. What’s secret two?”

“I’m…,” Kaiba said and this clearly was harder for her to say. For a second, it seemed like Kaiba might vomit rather than confess whatever secret she was holding in. “I’m a lesbian.”

“Oh,” Anzu said. “Well, uh, I’m bi, so. You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone that. I know that coming can be scary. But.” Anzu’s brow furrowed. “Why tell me these things?”

Kaiba looked even more scared than before. Again, Anzu had to wonder what could possibly be so bad that it could scare Kaiba. “Because,” Kaiba said, taking a deep breath, as if to steady herself. “Because I’m… in love with you.”

The words hung over them and Anzu blinked slowly as the words sank in. In love with her. It was almostt abstract to think about. Anzu had not once imagined she’d ever have a shot with someone like Kisara Kaiba. Kaiba was modelesque tall, rich beyond her comprehension, and absolutely impossibly gorgeous. “Me,” Anzu squeaked, a bright red flush creeping across her face. “You… what?” And then Anzu began tripping over her words. “Not that I’m against it! It’s just… you could have… why me?”

“Because you’re brave,” Kaiba said softly as she took a step forward, reaching to cup Anzu’s cheek. “And you’re not afraid to speak your mind... You made me feel safe enough to be honest with you… and you’re gorgeous. Why wouldn’t I fall for you?” Kaiba’s gaze was intense and Anzu felt she might crumple under it. “I… I would like to take you on a date. May I?”

Anzu nodded, her eyes flicking down to Kaiba’s lips. “You can kiss me too.” And when Kaiba took Anzu up on that offer, Anzu decided that this was the best possible place to be.

[theforbiddenpriestess]

The Pharaoh & His Princess

Ten |

A New Baby

"Anippe, just what are you doing?" the man yelled.

"I'm trying to see Uncle Seto and Aunt Kisara's new baby!" the princess replies from above.

"Get down before Mahad sees you!"

Anippe pouts, "Shada, please, can I go in?"

Shada shook his head before extending his arms so Anippe could jump into them.

"Sorry princess, but the rules are clear. You cannot enter Priest Seto's chambers unless his approval or the Pharaoh's."

Anippe crosses her arms as she lets out a scoff.

"Come on now, jump," Shada says.

Anippe just stares at Shada's wide-open arms and prepares to jump from her high position before she hears the chamber doors open.

She rapidly changes her position so she can jump inside the chamber before Shada's strong arms whoop out of nowhere and grab her.

"No! Let me go! Please! I want to see the baby!" Anippe yells as she struggles against Shada's arms.

"Well with all that ruckus you're causing, I don't think I'll let you in."

Anippe stops what she's doing and turns to her Uncle.

"Seto!" she beams.

He just raises an eyebrow at her.

"Can I please please see my new cousin? Please?" Anippe begs.

Seto sighs as he pinches his nose bridge.

"Fine, you can enter. But under one condition."

Anippe glows in happiness as Shada looks at Seto, uncertainty.

"You are on your absolute best behavior. Kisara is still tired from giving birth and your cousin needs to sleep. Meaning you are silent as a cat. Understand?"

"I give you my word as princess of Egypt," Anippe replied dead serious, making both Seto and Shada speechless.

For a moment Seto just looked at her eyes and she looked back at him, firmly.

Seto's face broke into a small smile.

"Very well. Come along now."

Between Shada and Seto, Anippe quietly marched inside the chamber and took notice of Kisara's form. She was silently sitting on the bed holding the new family member in her arms.

Servants and midwives rushed out of the room while others stayed at the end of the room, silently for instructions.

Kisara perks up at Anippe's visit.

"Hello Princess, are you here to meet your new cousin?"

Anippe nodded, "Indeed I am."

Kisara gently turned the baby in her arms so Anippe could see its face. A baby boy was gently sleeping in her arms. His sleeping face, snuggled to her chest. His soft breathing and sudden coos.

"He's your new cousin, Astennu." Anippe heard Seto say.

The crowned princess could only stare at the new baby.

He had soft brown hair, just like Seto. His skin tone was a mix between Kisara's pale skin and Seto's tan skin. But, what color were his eyes?

"I see you beat me in meeting the new family member." her father's booming voice announced.

Entering Seto's chamber with a small smile, Atem nodded at his daughter before settling his attention on Seto.

"I am proud of you both. Now you will know the best gift of the gods, parenthood," he said, strolling over to his daughter's side.

"Hiya Papa," Anippe whispered with a huge smile. Atem looked down at his four-year-old summer princess.

"I thought we were going to come to visit your new cousin together." Atem pouted sarcastically.

Anippe blushed in embarrassment.

"Oops, I forgot."

Both Atem and Seto chuckled before going back to looking at Astennu.

Shada rolls his eyes, knowing Anippe was trying to look innocent. Somehow Anippe noticed Shada's little stunt which made her stick her tongue at him. Shada looked offended.

"Kisara," Anippe began, turning away from the priest so she wouldn't be scowled for her rude behavior.

"Why did you name him Astennu?"

Atem shot Seto a cheeky look whereas Seto sent him a death glare.

Kisara giggled.

"Well princess, contrary to Egypt's traditions and your parent's custom, I didn't name our son. Seto did. He'll answer that for you."

Seto coughed nervously, making Atem and Shada grin at his suffering.

Anippe turned to her uncle, intrigued at his response.

"Well you see, Astennu means god of the moon. Just like your parents named you after goddess Anuket, Astennu is named after Khons."

"Why?"

"Er, well."

Seto sighed before crossing his arms, and rocking them side by side like he was holding a baby.

"When you were an infant, you couldn't stop crying one night and no one was there to attend to you. So I rocked you back to sleep under Khon's gaze."

"What does that have to do with his name?" Anippe pressed but was silenced by her father.

"He's getting there, be patient. Continue."

"Well before I entered your room, I was dead set on not having kids. I lost my mother in a village fire and was abandoned by my father until reuniting with him a couple of years later. I did not have a good childhood. However I met Kisara and just like me, she had a horrible childhood. Yet, she wanted children to give them a life she didn't have. Unlike me, who was traumatized by being a failure of a parent. I was scared and unsure if I could grant Kisra that wish."

Kisara smiled tenderly at Seto.

"But when I held you, Anippe, and rocked you back to sleep, I talked to Khons."

Atem smiled softly.

"Watching you sleeping, how you held onto me, I knew what Khons was trying to tell me. That I had to let go of my fears and embrace my new life. That life with a child wouldn't be so bad."

Seto chuckled, "Here we are now, four summer years later."

Seto stopped rocking his arms and smiled at Anippe.

"That is why he is named Astennu. To honor the god who allowed me to see beyond my fears and flaws. However, I would like to thank you too. For teaching me that I can be a father."

Anippe smiled at Seto's words.

"I'm happy for you."

"So am I," Seto replied with a smile.

Suddenly a horrid sound rang across the room.

Young Astennu was wailing for immediate attention.

Anippe cringed at how his screams pierced through her ears.

Atem coughed before picking up Anippe.

"Well, we've been intruding for a while now. We'll come by again tomorrow. This time together, right Anippe?"

Anippe nodded.

"Goodbye, and thank you!" Kisara managed to say as the midwives tried calming Astennu down.

Before stepping out of the room, Atem leaned over at Shada, and whispered in his ear, "Can you bring the gift I have for them from the room next to my chambers?"

"Yes my Pharaoh!" Shada replied before sprinting out of the room.

As the Pharaoh and Princess walked down the palace's hallways, the little girl couldn't help but hear the rapid whispers of the staff. The excitement in the palace was everywhere. Everyone was thrilled with the arrival of the new baby.

Once Anippe and her father were a good distance away from them, they found Mahad and Isis in one of the spell rooms.

"Ah, I assume you met the new baby," Isis spoke with a gentle smile.

"Yeah! He was so tiny! It was super exciting too!" Anippe exclaimed eagerly.

"Everyone in the palace is excited to meet the new baby." Mahad chuckled.

Turning to her father, Anippe asked, "Was my birth this exciting Papa?"

Both Isis and Mahad became silent, watching how Atem tried keeping his face expressionless.

Anippe felt her father tense.

Isis suddenly scooped her from her father's arms.

Before Isis could begin to walk away, Atem slowly leaned over and kissed his daughter's forehead softly. Refusing to meet her curious eyes, Atem's lips turned to a small melancholy smile.

"The day you were born, is a day Egypt will never forget." is all he managed to whisper to her before Isis began to walk away.

"Come Anippe," is all Isis whispered.

Anippe turned back and frowned at the scene unfolding in the spell room.

Mahad was embracing her father as if he was trying to soothe him.

But why?

It wouldn't be till a few years that Anippe would learn the truth of the day of her birth.

Note(s):

In ancient Egypt, women had the full right to name their children as they carried them. This is why Kisara doesn't answer Anippe's question, as Seto named their child.

This week’s adventure was inspired by one of the artworks done by @siosiri

[lorei-writes]

Radio Call: The Original

Mitsuhide x MC Angst Post-Apocalypse AU

There are some innocent things that do divide humans - pineapple on pizza, the existence of spiders, this spice that tastes like soap if you got unlucky on genetic lottery... Fluff and Angst don’t seem to fall into this category, even though some have strong preferences regarding those.

“Unfortunately”, my dear friend R does have a strong preference for angst, and it’s her birthday, so I pulled out everything I had on hand >:3 Happy birthday, you angst-loving creature! I hope it hurts in just the right way! It is not a game, like the last year... But I do presume it completes the trilogy, so it’s angst to the power of 3.

Warnings: major character death (implied), death of the lover, deadly illness, swearing, needles, reoccurring nightmares (mention), swearing, food

The city was quiet, not even rats coming onto the empty streets. Planks covering most of the displays, it appeared nobody remained in place, old signs littering the pavement every now and again – not that it mattered, no cars driving through the lanes just regardless. A helicopter flew somewhere high above him, most likely nearing the old town square: evacuation, probably one of the last transports. Tomorrow, tomorrow he… He wouldn’t be there anymore. Clenching his fists, Mitsuhide slowed down in his steps. Did he really want to go? He couldn’t tell.

Mitsuhide watched, for seeing was all he was capable of. His hand pressed against the glass pane,  he didn’t dare avert his eyes from the room, his gaze falling onto the figure resting over the bed. He wished it was sleep, that it was peaceful – yet it wasn’t, her skin having turned the shade of light plum purple. Her chest heaved weakly with each breath, her fingers twitching as she struggled to grasp onto the sheets, as if clinging to dear life with what energy she had left…

Mitsuhide watched, for seeing was all he could do for her at the moment,  the monotonous beeping of the machine being more jarring than lulling or otherwise soothing. Perhaps he allowed himself to wonder: why of all people her? Why then? Why did they survive for so long, if it was all meant to end like so? His nails scratched against the glass, new questions flooding his mind at a much too great pace. Was there any reason to begin with? Was a reason even necessary? It didn’t seem to be, at least not if it was her of all people.

Mitsuhide watched, for he couldn’t hear, the commotion behind his back turning to mere whispers. He just stood there in place, a single unmovable object by the side of raging river of people, few remaining staff members evacuating alongside patients who still had a chance. Tough decisions, he thought – and among the lucky ones, there wasn’t her. His lips pressed into a thin line.  

It quieted down eventually, silence consuming all sound. A pull on his sleeve – and for a moment, for a mere moment he looked away, almost immediately cursing himself. A nurse stared at him sympathetically, their lips curling into a half-hearted smile. “It’s late, mister Akechi. Go home.” “It’s the last day. What will happen tomorrow?” “The power will be cut off. So…” “You’re going to give her the shot?” Mitsuhide asked, his gaze wandering back into the room. A moment of pause. “Yes,” the nurse replied finally. “It’s better than letting them die slowly.” Mitsuhide winced internally. ‘Die’, he grew to hate the word. “I see,” he almost hesitated. “Could I hold her hand?” “I’m afraid it’s not possible. The room is contaminated.” No reply came to his mind. Silence was his acceptance.

Mitsuhide stayed to watch, for it was all he could do for himself.

***

Live, live, live, live – Mitsuhide had enough of the nightmares, enough of her face and of everything, of everything lost reminding him of itself. There was no place of escape, each desolate corner and greyed street having seemingly been marked by her presence, his heart skipping a beat at each return, still hoping to see her welcome him. It had to be a mirage, a lie, a… A dream he got tired of dreaming, day by day hoping he’d wake up from it and get to speak with her again.

Mitsuhide opened his eyes to the white ceiling, morning light falling inside through the window. He turned onto his side and groaned, sleeping on the couch having proven to be rather harsh on his poor back. Slowly, he pushed himself up and opened the cabinets, his hand reaching for a can of red beans almost on instinct. Absent-mindedly, he opened it, and without as much as draining it or putting its contents into a bowl, he began to eat. Having finished his meal, he took his coat, the door soon closing behind him.

The city was quiet, not even rats coming onto the empty streets. Planks covering most of the displays, it appeared nobody remained in place, old signs littering the pavement every now and again – not that it mattered, no cars driving through the lanes just regardless. A helicopter flew somewhere high above him, most likely nearing the old town square: evacuation, probably one of the last transports. Tomorrow, tomorrow he… He wouldn’t be there anymore. Clenching his fists, Mitsuhide slowed down in his steps. Did he really want to go? He couldn’t tell.

Commotion rose above the square. They’ve been waiting for hours, for far longer than it took for any other transport to arrive – and yet, nobody came. “They left us!” “Motherfucking…!” “Mommy, I’m scared.” “My sister was in the last one!” “My son!” “They couldn’t have...Could they?” Mitsuhide sighed. Perhaps indeed, he was meant to stay. Slowly, he got up, odd sort of acceptance washing over him. “Where are you going?! They may still come!” somebody called after him. Without thinking much, Mitsuhide turned around. “They will not. Who did they leave? Elderly and few adults, children. It’s the time of tough choices, they may say – and sacrificing us seems to be one of them. I do not know about your intentions, but I do not plan to die just yet. City will provide only for so long.” “Oh, look at ya, a fucking smartass!” another person chimed in. “Indeed. Whoever wants to live, should collect what resources they have. We should set off before the collapse.”

Mitsuhide walked away.

***

Mitsuhide pressed the recording button, cough ripping through his lungs. “I hope this tape made it to you safely, Nobunaga. We shall meet again when the last wave is over,” he forced out of himself.

The day was warm as he stepped out of his tent, wind seemingly trying to embrace him, or to at least make it more bearable, each step being more draining than the previous one. Slowly, he dragged himself to the very edge of their settlement, empty streets reminding him of something he had seen before – as did the choked down cries, somehow identical to the shriek of his nails against the glass. All things end, he convinced himself. All had to end.

The border came into his field of vision, few people standing there, backpacks waiting by their legs. “Please, do leave this in the point I’ve told you about,” Mitsuhide asked.

It was a warm day as he retreated into his tent. As for the night… The night, he couldn’t tell. All things end – and some do so fast.

Tag list: @datenoriko, @nad-zeta, @tsubaki3192, @missjudge-me, @ikemencrossedmyth, @nuttytani, @thesirenwashere, @milas-imaginarium, @kisara-16, @yukas-clover, @alerialumina , @cheese-ception , @iamryxx, @cottonfluffballofdoom, @ozziegrl71, @mineko811 , @briars7 If you want to be tagged under my future works, let me know (any way works)! ^^ Also, if you have some preferences (for example: you’d rather not be tagged under some series, etc.), please, tell me.  If you don’t want to be tagged anymore - please, do not feel bad about it, just say so :)

[jenivi7]

First Lines Tagging Meme

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE TAGGED IN THIS TWICE!  Thank you @ink-flavored and @clyde-side !! (I almost just did this on my own too because I love babbling about my own fics...)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

Now pinned and under a cut because it became a really long, really good introduction to me and my stories! 

Hello!

Unnecessary and overly wordy introduction/personal musings: I love opening lines so much. When I worked at a bookstore, I used to open books and hardcore judge them on their first lines. I had barely any free time to read at that point so if it didn’t grab me in the first line or two, I put it back. The first Harry Potter book is actually in my pile of really good openers. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” (Subtle alliteration, HELLO??) So I'm super excited to see if my own first lines come even close to the standards that I apply to other people lol. MY OWN MONEY IS ON NO. I have the feeling that I'm so frantic trying to get the story down on paper before the good words disappear from my head that I'm not actually paying attention to the first line. BUT LET'S SEE, SHALL WE.

So just straight up going backwards, I've written and posted TWO BRAND NEW THINGS after being away from fandom almost entirely for 10+ years! They're drabble length but they're shiny and new! <3 (All available fics are linked!)

1. Tango:

She teaches them to dance so that they can dance with her but when Atem gets that mischievous smirk on his face and pulls Yugi into his arms, their bodies spark and the dance floor smolders at their heels.

(The fic is so short that this is a full 1/5 of it but actually, I think I crammed all the good stuff right into that first line. This already might be my favorite. Like it says there in the line itself, Puzzleshipping.)

2. No Betting:

Anzu sat at the kitchen table writing carefully calculated answers onto sticky notes before attaching them to a fourth-grade math worksheet.

(Peachshipping! This one doesn't pop off until about line five so here's the rest of that bit:)

She had the same arrangement with her spouse as most parents had. When the kids were good they were hers. When they were bad, they were his. And when they were winning at games because they picked up rules with uncanny speed and read their opponents with more insight than ought to be available to a child, they were definitely, definitely his.

3. If you wanted honesty that's all you had to say (working title):

When he realized that the figure sitting under the game shop display window and smoking wasn’t Ryou, the physical body response was as though it had discovered a coiled snake not two feet away.

(This one! It's a NEW half finished(?) WIP. I actually started this one before the drabbles but wanted to finish before posting it. Then it got out of hand, then work got out of hand, then I started a couple more projects and well. I keep putting words on it though and eventually there will be a Kleptoshipper that turns into Puzzle and Tender for your reading enjoyment. Also, fair warning - don't use song lyrics as a working title. Every time I look at the document I get the song stuck in my head.)

Now we have polished up reposts of old stories for their move to AO3, where I'll basically keep my master archive. Not full re-writes but I fixed a bunch of typos and awkward sentences and they're much stronger for it. Most of these are from a pairings contest way back when so LOTS of different pairings and lots of AUs!

4. Human:

It was like a bad noir, the thought crossed both of their minds.

(Scifi AU, Rivalshipping. That one's not bad for a first line. Actually no link at the time of writing cause the re-edit is going up in like, a half hour? an hour? a half day? It's my next project after finishing this, finishing up the edit and posting it on AO3. Now with link!)

5. Blood:

Fingers through midnight black hair, whispers in his ear, touches that sizzled along the skin, awakening nerves and senses. 

(Dungeonshipping, Pegasus x Otogi, vampires AU. Oh that’s a nice first line! <3)

6. Crazy for You:

The keys are too large and too heavy for the doctor more used to more modern facilities but she doesn't say anything, just follows the orderly as he pulls the large door open.

(Manipulashipping, Anzu x Marik, Psychward AU. Still one of my favorites from that era. Big bold warning though, THIS ONE CONTAINS NON-CON)

7. Finality:

“What are you doing here?”

“Saying goodbye.” Bakura’s translucent arms swept across the graveyard. “Is this not an appropriate place for it?”

(First two or so bits of dialogue as the first first is a generic question. You can tell this is one of the really old ones just by that but it's a sweet, sad little Tendershipper that still has a special place in my heart.)

8. Pieces of You:

Glitter caught the light, leaving shimmering trails in the air as it got everywhere.

(Glittershipping, Anzu x Kisara. Another one that's special to me. Kisara is my girl and my first writing muse. <3)

9. Cambodia:

“It was summer of fifty three...”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, it can't have been fifty three. You might be that ancient but I'm not. It must have been sixty three.”

(Jiishipping. Yes. Sugoroku x Arthur. HEY, IT CAME UP IN THE RANDOM DRAW FOR THE SHIPPING CONTEST OK. And my writer's brain hasn't backed down from a challenge yet... Another one that takes 4 lines to pop off but it's a good start. Actually, here's the rest of the bit just because I cannot get enough of these two bickering:)

“What do you mean it must have been sixty three? You don't even know what story I'm trying to tell.”

“Am I in it?”

“What?”

“So you're deaf now as well as daft? AM I IN IT?”

“Of course you're in it, y'old coot. Don't know why I'd tell a story without you in it when both grandkids are sitting here.”

10. Coffee and Cigarettes:

"Cigarettes and coffee? That's not a very healthy lunch." 

Mana crossed her legs and took a refined sip of her own coffee even as her company was not. 

(Mischiefshipping, Mana x Thief King Bakura. Oh this one I'm actually sad that it doesn't immediately sparkle in the first line cause it's one of my absolute favorites of everything I've written. And I think it's the only time I've ever written Mana but I LOVED IT AND HER. Oh no! I lied, I've written her at least one other time though I don't think that one quite captures her sheer chaos energy like this one does.)

11. A Million Missed Chances:

Somewhere along the line, someone made a choice.

(This one. THIS ONE. I think this is by far the most epic idea I've tackled. I still don't know if the sheer scale of the thing came across in the actual fic but in my head it was massive and I remember pounding away at my teeny tiny laptop late at night because the whole thing hit me maybe a day or so before the story was due for the pairings contest. We only had a week to write each fic and my really good ideas never came to me before the very last minute. T.T Conquestshipping, Mai x Valon.)

12. A Fear of Falling:

She drove.

Like she always did when something bothered her.

(Oh the first chapter on this is also one of the really ancient ones. Like one of the very first things I wrote. That first chapter really shows its age and is a little shaky but the others are better and the last one is what fits into the chorological order here. Polarshipping, Jou x Mai. One of my very first ships. Probably THE first actually <3)

13. What Our Creators Make Us:

"Well, well." The match flared, scattering dark shadows until it was blown out and the only light that remained was the red glow from the cigarette end. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

(Psychoshipping, Marik x Spirit of the Ring Bakura. With a bit of Bronze, Angst and Tender in the follow up. Old but I'm ridiculously proud of it, hence it's place in the master archive. Ahaha you can tell how old it is though by how clever I think I am. I thought it was funny to make my audience figure out who was talking and not reveal the characters for a good fourth to third of the fic. Ahhhhhhh. Sorry about past me.)

14. A Revolution of the Spirit:

It wasn't fair.  It just wasn't.

That they were close was understandable (you don't get much closer than sharing headspace) but that even now, after deals were made with gods, endless arguments, compromises and the ultimate guilt trip that he had only been a teenager when he willingly sacrificed himself for all of humanity, things she had only half seen and only partly understood even though they had all been there to witness, that even now Atem continued to invade Yugi's personal space as though he belonged there got on her nerves.

(Woah Nelly! That third sentence should probably be three, four and five. Even if I just split it in half we'd continue the pattern of things popping off in the fourth line. I think that's one pattern that's emerging! A really good bit takes me about four lines to set up and deliver! Oh, the challenge was Revolutionshipping, Anzu x Atem, but the fic is actually Spiritshipping, Anzu x Yugi x Atem.)

So confession time, I haven't been out of fandom completely, I just hadn't written my own standalone stories in a very long time. There are a few (ok ok more than a few) long-running rps that @miss-moberg and I have been adding to on and off over the years. I can't resist throwing in a couple of these.

15. Cafe!

The door shut behind them with the soft click of the latch and the exhale of a breath long held.

(This opening line was from December of 2020 when we rebooted a very old Prideshipper and that is a damn good opening line if I do say so myself. I can definitely see the difference now between the newer works and the older ones. I've gotten better, she's matched me pace for pace and eventually something will be finished, I'll work up the courage to ask permission to post it and the whole internet will get to see how brilliant the two of us are together.)

16. Treasure Hunt!

"Ryou, I think you're going to regret letting me tag along on your adventuring this time."  Yugi didn't bother turning away from the airplane's tiny window to see if his seatmate was paying attention.  He was more thinking out loud with his friend playing the role of a convenient sounding board.  "Because I think this trip is the only thing I'm going to talk about ever again."

(One more from RP because it's got that fun, four line punch that we've discovered is a pattern for me! Opening entry is from 2017.)

Also, in truth, my count is a little off when I say I'd been out of fandom 10+ years. I've been away from YGO for that long but I did spend a brief stint in Homestuck where I read a ton of fanfic, flirted with a couple group RPs and even wrote a tiny bit. 9 years without writing a new fic isn't as impressive as saying ‘over a decade’ but it is a little more accurate.

17. What You Will:

In the land of fair Illyria, along a small, sandy stretch of its rocky shore, a ship has come to ruin and one lone woman lies still as death among broken wood.

(The beginning of a Homestuck/Twelfth Night crossover that I'm still determined to work more on someday. It's only got a single chapter but it's magic though now I'm concerned about not being able to recapture that. Not a bad first line though. The style is so different it took me reading it a couple times before going, oh yeeeeeah, that's pretty good!)

18. Relentless:

You pull him to the deck and then across it by the remains of his shirt. Let him say one last goodbye. His ship pillaged, his crew murdered, his hands bound behind his back and at your mercy.

Funny word, that. Mercy.

(The first line is pretty decent but there's that four line combo again! Five but I could basically fix that with a comma. Featuring the troll ancestors Mindfang and Dualscar because every time Hussey introduced new characters they were instantly my favorite.) 

19. Black:

There is dark and there is dark and there is dark and then there is black. She is black. Licorice and coal. She is hate and resentment and everything that tastes bitter, the kind of black that coats the tongue like oil, drips down the back of the throat and keeps going.

(Oh wow. Am I allowed to say that about my own work? A Terezi/Vriska drabble that I'm putting as much here as I think I can get away with because it's so good that it fucks me up a little going back and reading it.)

And here it gets tricky because I think the more recent of the old, old fics are in the Drabbles and Shorts collection on ff.net and I can't see a post date. So I'll just pick a good one to end on.

20. Two Princes:

It was inevitable as the rising of Ra's chariot after a long night, as the flooding of the river banks every spring, and Atem always knew that Yugi's kiss would be as warm and gentle as the evening breeze in the summer that brought relief from the scorching day. It was.

(How about the final honor going to more Puzzle/Blind? This probably has the strongest first line of its era. Actually I'm not sure when it was written. It was just hanging out in my writing folder and, thinking about it, I probably wrote it when I was fading from fandom the first time around but still trying to hang in there. No wait! That’s too sad, we can’t end on that! Lets add one more to the list for the sake of personal narrative!)

21. Linger:

The world doesn't need him anymore. It doesn't need his sword and it doesn't need his pen.

(A tiny Princess Tutu afterward that I wrote for myself. Nice one-two punch in the opener. Also it rounds out the personal story that accidentally developed here with a line later in the fic, "Words, however, never stray far from a good writer..." Like, wait, stop. Past me, how did you know T.T)

Did that take a sudden emotional turn for anyone else or was that just me. Can I offset that a little with an honorable mention? Let’s do that while I collect myself. Here’s one more.

Honorable mention: Ryou and the Thief

There was a storm gathering and too much magic in the air. Much more than occurred naturally and magic at this level was never a good thing.

(I can’t have a list of things I’ve written without having Ryou and the Thief on it. If you click on this one though, BEWARE, it’s old, it’s silly and it has a ton of explicit gay sex that… would be written very differently if we were handling it today I’m sure! This is the first RP @miss-moberg and I ever did together and our excuse to Gemship and Puzzleship turned into us running the boys through a whole adventure based on the Osiris myth. It’s the longest thing I’ve ever completed and I’d still consider it kind of my legacy.)

And that’s the last 21(+1!) stories that I’ve written! 

The clear winner of best first line for me is 15. Cafe! It’s short, elegant and manages to contain a whole mood even without the context of what’s going on and who’s involved. (Spoilers: It’s Seto and Mokuba making an AU escape from Gozoboro.) Close second is Tango, the most recent story. It’s neat to see just how much better I’ve gotten and also really cool to see that even if the first line itself doesn’t contain a punch, it’s usually because there’s a nice, strong idea being set up and delivered in the first four lines (or so). What a pleasant surprise!

AND WOW, this whole tag thing didn't need to be so long! Or personal! Seriously, if you get this tag from me the challenge is only to list the first lines to 20 stories and maybe try to draw one or two conclusions from them. You all thought I was joking when I said I loved talking about my own writing! But actually, I guess it’s fine like this as I ended up using it as a way to re-introduce myself. Like, "Hey, I used to live here a long time ago and oh my god I love what you've done with the place!" Rather than being someone who's just popped up out of nowhere a few weeks ago to creepily bother all your best of the best creators so....

^///^ Hello!

Thanks for letting me ramble!

Tags! I think I've seen most of the authors I follow do this already but on the off chance you haven't been tagged yet: @elexica (checked your blog to see if you'd already done the tag and saw that you're another person returning to writing fanfiction after 10+ years. Same! Hello!!), @danieco, @draconicmaw, @nedjemetsenen (has someone tagged you already?) and two shots in the dark, @miss-moberg and @edmondia (I'm so sorry you two. T.T Please feel free to block me forever.) And please, anyone else who wants to babble about their own writing! Do this, it was so much fun. <3

[gwenkatana]

Kisara in ancient Egypt wearing wigs so she can blend in. Set preferring her long natural silver white hair. Being down bad for her divine beauty.

[rakkiankh]

Millenium World breakdown! I'm going to be heavily comparing it to the manga since unlike all the previous arcs I've covered, it was actually in the source material.

Pros:

Mahad and Mana have been vastly improved on from the manga, especially Mana. Turning them into Atem's childhood friends made a world of a difference when it comes to both stakes for the arc and getting the point across that Atem was his own person with people who loved him. Personally I would of liked if they'd gone a little farther in that department so that the next arc would make more sense for Atem deciding to move on, but its a vast improvement from the reason the manga gave so I'll gladly take it.

Thief King Bakura was by far the most entertaining character for the first two thirds of the arc.

Removing Yami Bakura just running around Egypt at the same time as TKB by doing the Honda Takeover definitely helped make the arc slightly more coherent.

Mana and Mahad weren't the only ones expanded on. Almost all the priests were improved upon in the anime. Isis and Shada each got some good moments, and even if their personalities weren't really expanded past the cookie cutter loyal default, at least they got to both do things no one else got to do. The only two exceptions are Set (which I cover later) and Karim, who only has 'I remembered he existed this time' as an improvement over his manga version.

Set and Kisara's thing doesn't come off as creepy and forced as it did in the manga. They definitely needed to have some chemistry between the two to be any sort of believable, but adding the flashbacks of them saving each other in their childhood and him being against the underground fight is a vast improvement over the what-the-fuck decision kt made of having their only positive interaction being he isn't racist, immediately followed by him kidnapping her, locking her in a dungeon, forcing her into underground fights, and then having her decide she's willing to give up her life to be his eternal servant. Yes the manga was That Bad.

The anime made the the Set vs Atem fight take place before the Zorc fight instead of after, which really helped the flow of the story and fixed a major manga plot hole.

Cons:

So I already made a post about how Set and Atem's relationship was hinted at for 3 seasons only for them to not have a single bit of history between them ever shared, and any dialogue they have is just blind loyalty from Set's part. This isn't the only problem I have with Set's portrayal though.

The Set vs. Atem fight also go shafted, and while the manga did still keep the fight that again, was hyped for three seasons, as a 'he's mind controlled thats why they're fighting' fight, at least they had an actual fight. I blinked watching the anime and it was over. And when they finally had a chance for him to step up to the plate and be important they shoved him out of the way and gave that role to Kaiba. And they expect us to think Set is the logical choice to lead Egypt when Shada got to do more for the plot than he did.

Aknadin felt forced in the manga but even with more screentime they managed to make him worse in the anime. He's very whiny.

There were several times where the main characters we are suppose to be rooting for defended massacreing Kul Elna by stating 'it's okay because everyone in that village was evil' qnd that is just so wrong on so many levels.

On the same note they also decided to defend Aknamkanon's actions despite the fact he definitely should of held some responsibility for ordering the massacre of an entire village that included the murder of innocents and children. I know they might of felt they should cut down on any nuance for their child audience to understand but this is not the kind of thing that should be cut down that way.

Bobasa was nothing but a fat joke for 99 percent of his screentime and it was incredibly painful to watch.

Even with the improvements to Kisara she still barely had any character. I understood characters like Shada and Isis being a bit flat, but considering Kisara is such a big deal she barely gets to do anything

Additional:

Zorc's design is so fucking stupid. Not counting it for or against the arc though because they still managed make him able to be taken seriously... in close up shots

How much of TKB is TKB? Between Zorc and the angry spirits of Kul Elna possessing him, how much of it is actually him. Especially with the scene of when Yami Bakura leaves his body and he doesn't know what's happening before he turns to sand... I feel like regardless of if he was completely innocent or he was aware of what was going on to some extent that this opens up some interesting ways his character could be taken in aus where he's given a second chance.

Final Verdict:

In some ways Millenium World is my favorite arc. It has all my favorite characters in it, Ancient Egypt was the civilization young me latched onto when I was younger, and it's what led me into looking into this series to begin with.

Which is why it absolutely infuriates me that it has some great potential that got absolutely shafted in every single version.

I'm giving this arc the same verdict as DOMA: it sucks and should of been rewritten.

DOMA is still worse than this arc though.

Next up is the ceremonial duel! Not looking forward to this.

[arsnovacadenza]

Day 1-  “I could use something to wake me up”

Ao3 Link  : Here

Made for @kissmetwicekissmedeadly‘s Napoleon Birthday Prompt 2020

“I could use something to wake me up.”

"S-stop moving." Napoleon groaned as he fought to keep himself from falling off the bed. "You big lump of—"

His next words were cut off as a giant furry head nuzzled against his head. The former emperor attempted to push her away, but Cherie responded by bumping her nose against his forehead.

So much for catching sleep this weekend, Napoleon mused. Out of all the inane things he expected after waking up as an undead, he didn't expect to fight against a white tiger for space in his own bed on a Saturday morning.

One of the perks of living in a mansion specifically for old-men-turned-vampires was sleeping whenever and however long he desired. But now he was starting his (second) life anew in his own house, independent of Comte's generosity and Sebastian's service.

It was a decision with its own consequences and drawbacks, but it was one he (they) were willing to make. And one of the sacrifices he had to make was hours off his sleep schedule, now that he was taking odd jobs here and there with random work hours.

Last week, Comte recommended him to one of his bourgeoisie friends as a bodyguard. His task was to accompany the nobleman's daughter, who planned to visit a newly wedded friend in the countryside.

At first, Napoleon found it peculiar that the father would appoint a bodyguard instead of a regular chaperone to attend to her daughter. But then again, money was money. He set off to a quiet village just a day away from Paris, where the daughter joined another flock of wealthy young ladies.

He found out as he tailed the group around for an entire week.

The charming lass, for one, had a pleasant countenance. What he didn't expect was the girl herself telling him about her worries about not finding a perfect bridegroom despite being old enough to wed. That was what led her father to hire Napoleon so that she could brag about bringing along a handsome flow to her friends. But she changed her mind after somehow sensing that Napoleon was spoken for (how she noticed, he didn't bother to ask).

The young woman also proceeded to provide him with (frankly detailed) accounts of her persisting troubles, all derived from (surprisingly) her lack of amour propre. Her revelation awakened a brotherly affection within Napoleon, and he solemnly swore to protect and tend to her needs throughout the entire stint.

And then she caught wind of a local festival taking place during her stay, with competitions and promises of meeting prospective bachelors. She then proposed to her friends to join the fun, which led to various hijinks and Napoleon spending the remainder of his tenure chasing after the rowdy bunch of girls.

For the first time in eternity, Napoleon found himself back to his old schedule with a meager four-hour sleep. He never thought about whether vampires could grow dark circles under their eyes. But he must have looked haggard to the father upon collecting his payment.

"My rascal of a daughter must have run you ragged to the ground to the ground. Get your due rest, lad!" were the exact gentleman's words.

With great delight, he came home to Jean and their cottage, looking forward to a full week of rest and some, ahem, catching up with his long-forgotten companion. The night started promising, with Napoleon indulging in much-deserved sleep within Jean's solid embrace.

In fact, he felt so energized the next morning that he made advances towards Jean, who pulled Napoleon against his chest without complaint as they sunk into the mattress.

Jean, it seemed, had missed Napoleon as much as he missed him while he was away. Later, Jean would tell him that even Cherie sensed her master's loneliness. The tigress (who was waiting for her own enclosure to finish) followed him everywhere around the house, occasionally pouncing on and bumping his hand with his nose.

(Napoleon never once expected that he'd someday live in a house with a full-grown tiger roaming around. But neither did he anticipate meeting the venerated Jeanne d'Arc and discovering 'she' was male.)

(Or developing an amorous relationship and eventually living together with said man.)

Cherie herself was an agreeable pet. Years of Jean's nurture and human companionship turned her into the quintessential housecat if it wasn't for her humongous bulk and her potentially dangerous strength.

She'd curl up at Napoleon's feet and lick the back of his hand when he offered it to Cherie. Even before Napoleon's temporary employment, she settled on the floor next to Jean's side of the bed, playfully lapping her master's finger whenever he reached down to pet her.

And like any pampered housecat, Cherie grew a habit of sleeping next to Jean on the bed, taking over Napoleon's side in his absence. The latter only noticed it in the middle of the second night when he felt a paw prodding his back and a sudden weight collapsing on top of him.

In the end, Napoleon surrendered and moved to the couch outside despite Jean's pleading. Eventually, it became a routine for Jean to kiss him awake in the mornings and let him rest on the bed, which he had to share with the behemoth of a creature.

Which led to Napoleon's current predicament.

He blinked awake and stared at Cherie's pale snout. At least she wasn't yawning and treating him to a sight of her maw.

"Gattiva zitella," he flicked her whiskers. "Are we competing for the right to be at Jean's side, now?"

In response, she extended her tongue and brushed it across Napoleon's face.

Cursing, he shot out of bed and caught sight of Jean standing near the end of the bed, chuckling quietly.

"Well," Napoleon wiped his face with the sleeve of his nightshirt. "That's one way of getting me to wake up."

Notes:

amour propre: self-esteem (French)

Gattiva Zitella: bad girl (Corsican)

And this marks my last entry for the Napoleon Birthday Prompt 2020 from kissmetwicekissmedeadly on Tumblr!

tagging: @kisara-16, @thedollarstoresatan, @delicateikemenmemes, @ikesensrandomninjagirl24​, @ashavazesa​, @hokkaido-fox​, @nuclearwinterexe​, @lulu-the-hedgehog​, @longingkisses​, @weird-profiterole​, @nafeary​, @thesirenwashere​, (please notify me through DM if you wanted to be tagged in me upcoming Jeanpoleon works)

[quebracabeca]

@kaibacorpbros​ has sent: ⚠️ mafia 

Send ⚠️ for a headcanon about my muse in an AU. [Accepting]

// I have yet to write his Mafia AU info but: Atem became a father a good few years, after Set. In fact, I dare say that Yugi and Seto’s age gap is of 5 years from one another. It’s likely that Kisara was already dead, by the time Atem showed up with him.

Similarly to Set, Atem’s son is the product of an affair. However, No one really knows who the mother was, and so Atem essentially raised Yugi by himself (obviously with the assistance of caretakers/nannies)

Yugi is being prepared to become Atem’s successor, and he should be the prime example for Seto of what NOT to do or be around his “uncle”. Yugi and Atem have a similar conflict as Set and Seto, however, Yugi isn’t as lucky as Seto in that regard. And over time, he is forced into that position regardless of everything. Yugi ends up becoming just as bad, if not worse than Atem later in his life. But that is something, that only Yano is bound to witness down the road.

[vanisketches]

Priest Seth or Kisara?

@shinayashipper

SEND ME A YU-GI-OH! CHARACTER [Accepting, only DM cast!]

Before anyone decides to ask- I’ve only watched the anime. I’m not well versed, in what happens on the manga! I’m fully aware how different, things can get from one source to another. I just want to make that clear! <3

Priest Seto

Why I like them/why I don’t: Me, a sucker for Ancient Egypt stuff, and loves Kaiba: eYEZOOMS. Set grew on me, after I began writing him on another blog!! I love drawing paralles and comparing him to Kaiba. Out of all the MW’s characters, he was definetely a golden nugget! Mind you: I’ve only watched the anime, I’m well aware of the differences found in the manga (which, I have yet to read). I like his anime version, I’m not so sure about his manga counterpart however- his obsession with Kisara there just leaves me... All in all, I like this character a lot. I’d love if we ever got to see, what his reign was like!

What I like about their appearance: NGL the first time I looked at Set’s design, I felt like it was jarring and looked silly. It eventually grew on me, and I got to learn new stuff about that time period’s clothes. So that was nice! We don’t talk about early/BC’s arc design of Set, however... And I’m aware of forbidden memory’s priest Seto, to which I say... I gUESS IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?: N/A, since the different names come from the community trying to tell him apart from his modern counterpart :P. I personally stick to calling him Set, bc that’s how the God’s name Set is written in my language.

OTP: I literally made this up like at the start of the month. Rose C. Rosenkreuz (the Seto from the ps2 duelist of roses game) & priest Set [kudos to @obsessedwithyugioh for indulging it with me JKBDSBDS] . I also enjoy priest Isis/Set and Mahad/Set.

NOTP: Corrupt TKB/Set. I don’t care what people do for their fanarts, I honestly couldn’t care anyway less what ppl’s takes on a ship may be. I already have a distaste for Bakura in general, so that doesn’t help anything. But I sure don’t like seeing subjects such as r*pe, kidnapping, etc being romanticized. On top of seeing the “uwu TKB did nothing wrong” attitude. I’ll just take my leave, and chill somewhere else.

OT3: Ah man, I don’t really have one? I guess I’d be down for the idea of a Set/Isis/Mahad ordeal.

Favourite card they use: Set doesn’t use a card. But man I still feel like Duos, should have been turned into a card. C’mon Konami.

Favourite moment they were in: All the flashbacks of Set’s life, as a commoner. Especially when he frees Kisara!

Least favourite moment: I haven’t even read the manga, but I can tell u I don’t like the way Set talks about Kisara and obsesses over her. KT plz don’t...

Would I fuck, marry or kill them: N/A

Kisara

Why I like them/why I don’t: KT plz don’t write female characters. Man I feel bad for KT, and all the time crush he was put into by his editors. And I would love to have seen, Kisara as an actual character. I want to like Kisara, but 90% of time time I forget she exists (It’s just as bad as Bakura rifp). Unfortunately, she isn’t in a good condition as things are, and tHE LEAST WE TALK ABOUT THE MANGA-

What I like about their appearance: It’s simple, then again you look at what commoners used to wear around this time and she isn’t exactly that unfit looking for the time period. It serves it’s purposes I guess, I have no complaints or praises to give. But I must say how her TCG counterpart design, is a huge improvement <3

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?: N/A

OTP: Poor girl only has one ship, so I guess Set/Kisara goes here. It isn’t one of my favorites for Set, but it’s the only one I have for her.

NOTP: N/A. Poor giRL has nOTHING ON HER.

OT3: N/A

Favourite card they use: She is the card......

Favourite moment they were in: The flashback to Set’s youth, when she is saved by him then burns down his village with her ka.

Least favourite moment: The whole MW arc manga.

Would I fuck, marry or kill them: N/A

[jocelynhealy]

Oh Look, More Atem Stays AU

- Atem suffers from PTSD from being trapped in the puzzle.

- He can’t do mazes to this day because of the trama he suffered.

- Ryou May not miss the Thife King exactly but he does feel bad for not being able to help him more like Yugi had done with the Pharaoh.

- When Joey heard that Ginzo came to life and terrorized a bunch of students he put that shit in a box and buried that thing.

- Growing up, Atem struggled with magic and summoning. Being around people like Mahad and Set was pretty difficult for him. It just came so naturally to them, but Mana and Mahad kept encouraging him, that even if he was a late bloomer he’d excel and raise above all of them.

- If you think Gramdpa would exploit the fact that both his grandsons are world famous duelists for monetary gain, than you are 100% correct because that’s exactly what he does.

- Atem: Why is it that every time something happens it’s always you three?

Jaden: Laughing like a clueless idiot

Jessie: Smililg nervously

Cazz: #100%Done

- I subscribe to the Atem Has Dreads Headcannon. It shall be fact!

- Yugi ends up being taller than Atem by a whole three inches. Atem gets teased often for this.

- Though Atem tends to shy away from talking about his and Yugi’s sex lives, he’s definitely not shy about the act itself. Ancient Egyptians were known to be pretty enthusiastic about such activities, Atem not excluded.

- Yugi is no innocent angel by any stretch of the word. Let’s not forget he was trading porn with Joey on the regular back in high school.

- Yugi is a Disaster Bi. Atem is a Distinguished Gay. Kaida’s an all around mess with a dragon fetish.

- Jaden had no idea being gay was a thing until he met Yugi and Atem.

- “Wait a sec, you’re telling me a dude can like another dude and that dude can like him back? Holy cow, the last three years suddenly make a lot more sense!”

- “Mr. Yugi, there’s a demon living inside my head.”

“Yeah, puberty be like that sometimes.”

- All of Atem’s students know he and Yugi are dating. The two of them are painfully obvious, despite trying their hardest to keep it on the down low. The kids have all unanimously agreed to just play dumb and pretend not to notice.

- The students of Duel Academy were all pretty excited when they first heard that the Yugi Mutou was spending every weekend on the island, however the novelty of it all wore off a few months later after they realized he was only interested in undressing their teacher with his eyes. That and, you know, actually undressing him.

- Jaden was actually the first to know about Yugi’s regular visits month ahead of everyone else. He then proceeded to forget to tell anyone and assumed they all already knew.

- The modern day Kisara is a Russian American that came to Japan to teach young children English. She first met Kaiba through Atem. Alcohol has no effect on her. She is very sweet and very, very scary.

- Yugi and Atem have sort of unofficially adopted Jaden because by the gods does that kid need constant adult supervision.

- Weevil and Rex never did regain their past fame. Rex went on to become an artist whose work would featured in many museums and books about dinosaurs, and even designed a few cards. Weevil however remained bitter and never really got over his losses to Yugi. It’s not known how he’s doing, even Rex lost contact with him over the years.

- Mokuba occasionally joins the group in Monster World campaigns. His character is a curtain elven princess with mistic powers.

- Mokuba grows up to be a sneaky devil of a business man. Where Seto just intimidates others to get his way, Mokuba uses a silver tough to convince you to take the deal, and that it was your idea to start with. Seto is very proud, but naturally never shows it.

- There isn’t an orphanage or children’s hospital in Japan that isn’t secretly funded by Kaiba Corp.

[cartoonus-maximus]

“My Mate”

a YGO DM αlpha/Ωmega-verse au

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As some of you may remember, I started an alpha/omega YGO thing awhile back (as in ‘well over a year ago’) but didn’t have a cohesive story in mind for it. So now I’m trying again for the recognizable story angle, and we’ll see how it goes.

☑ more about this au | ❌ the fic | ☑ fic progress notes

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Part 1: Missing Pieces

or “how Yugi and Atem found each other”

Summary: In a world where people are born as alphas and omegas, a small group of people start their journey of mating, love, and marriage – not necessarily in that order.

Rating: M (for language, implied sex, discussions of biology)

Warnings: male/male pairings, male/female pairings, mild and censored swearing, references to past child abuse, everyone has bad parents, references to sex and sexual actions

Ships/Pairings: Blindshipping/Puzzleshipping (Atem x Yugi), Gemshipping/Tendershipping (Bakura x Ryou), Azureshipping (Anzu x Kaiba), Bronzeshipping/Eclipseshipping (Marik x Malik), Polarshipping (Jounouchi x Mai), Ribbonshipping (Honda x Otogi x Miho), Apprenticeshipping (Mahad x Mana), Mizushipping (Set x Kisara)

Chapter 1

first half written: 6/20/2018 – 6/25/2018

second half written: 10/12-13/2019

. .

Having a mate and being someone's mate was an idea that permeated the society around Yugi Mutou. Even with how society had shifted and evolved, with people who married out of convenience or for money, and with people who fell in love and lived with people they weren't mated to, the concept of being mated and sharing your life with your natural mate left such a strong footprint on the culture. Books and songs and movies were written about how beautiful and simple and necessary mated relationships were supposed to be, filled with pretty ideas and saccharin words.

Yugi wasn't sure how believable most of those stories really were, but he'd be lying if he said they didn't fill him with a sense of emptiness and longing.

“Mister Mutou!”

The sudden call of his name made the omega male jump in his seat, his eyes growing wide. His head snapped upright as his eyes swiveled away from the Tetris game on his phone and landed on the angry face of Mr. Yin. “Yessir!”

“I know my class isn't the most exciting time period of your day,” Mr. Yin said, his frown deepening as he spoke. “But please, try to pay some sort of attention to the lesson instead of your phone.”

“Yessir.” Yugi shrank a bit in his seat, but didn't put his phone away quite yet. It wasn't his fault this class was boring. And anyway, he always did well on the homework and tests, so what did it matter how much attention he actually payed to the lecture?

Anzu nudged him after the lesson began again, leaning over from her seat beside him to look over his shoulder at his phone. She whispered to him under her breath, making sure the teacher couldn't hear her. “Tetris? Really? You really like all kinds of games, don't you?”

Yugi nodded, trying hard to ignore her scent. Anzu was an alpha, and the scent was pungent and almost overwhelming when she was this close to him. Sometimes Yugi thought, if he didn't meet his natural mate sometime soon, he might lose his mind a little and ask if Anzu would accept him as her omega. It wouldn't be too out of the ordinary or anything – while most lower class people waited to marry their natural mate, unmated marriages were becoming more and more common all the time.

He moved the colored blocks across the screen, smiling when several rows of blocks vanished. “Well, I haven't found any games yet that I didn't like. Besides, anything is more fun than listening to one of Yin's lectures!”

“Fair point!” Anzu bit her lower lip and grinned.

“Hey, keep it down!” Someone hissed from behind them. Yugi turned his head back a bit, just enough to see Honda's irritated face. Miho sat beside him, holding up a hand to hide her grin. “I'm already repeating this stupid class – I don't want to have to repeat it again!”

“Alright, alright,” Anzu answered, smirking a bit as she turned back to face the teacher. “Don't get your panties in a twist, loser!”

Honda scowled at the back of her head, while Miho giggled silently.

The four of them made for a very well-rounded group, Yugi thought. Between them, they had all the gender bases covered.

Yugi Mutou was an omega male. His body was built to be short and compact, with hips as wide as a females. His body gained weight instead of growing muscle mass, and, while he had all of the same physical characteristics of any other male (growing facial hair, an adam's apple, and the appropriate equipment to impregnate others), he also had a female's womb and a high amount of estrogen. He experienced menstrual cycles every month, as well as the following heat cycles that came with adulthood; during his menstrual cycle, Yugi wanted nothing more than to eat his favorite foods and lay in bed all day, converting his sleeping area into some sort of a personal nest, while during his heat cycles Yugi would himself desiring nothing more than to find an alpha who would get him pregnant. It was a characteristic that had been built into his people by nature itself, as a way of ensuring the continuity of their species, and it could only be combated by the wonders of modern medicine.

Similarly, Miho Nosaka was an omega female. Like Yugi, she had the ability to bear children and high amounts of estrogen, and her body was built to be soft instead of muscular, and she too experienced both menstrual and heat cycles. Unlike Yugi, she didn't have any of the physical characteristics of a male, but instead had all the characteristics of a female: breasts, lack of facial hair, long legs, and a small waist. Omega females like Miho only had the ability to bear children, and did not have the ability to impregnate others.

On the other end of the spectrum was their alpha friends. Alpha males, like Hiroto Honda, only possessed male physical characteristics and the ability to impregnate others. His body produced more testosterone than estrogen, and he didn't have a hard time developing muscles. If anything, alphas were built to defend their family from any dangers they would have encounter in the past, like rival families or wild animals, and it was a trait that still remained even in their modern society. The other trait of alphas was that they experienced their own regular body cycle called “the rut cycle.” Their rut cycles came with adulthood and usually only came once a year, often around the alphas birthday, and lasted for one or two weeks. During these cycles, the alpha would be driven to take their spouse or mate over and over, impregnating them and making sure their species continued. Like the omega's heat cycles, the alpha's rut cycles were mostly a nuisance in modern society and often had to be handled by way of medical suppressants.

And then Anzu Mazaki (who Yugi definitely didn't have a crush on or anything) was an alpha female. She was tall and strong, like Honda, built to attract a spouse and defend her offspring. Her body was built with both a womb from which she could bear a child and the necessary equipment to impregnate her future mate, giving her both menstrual cycles and rut cycles. She had breasts and long legs and a small waist, like Miho, and all in all she struck a perfect balance between the softness of a female and ferocity and strength of an alpha.

If Yugi wasn't so determined to try holding out for his natural mate, he would jump into Anzu's bed in a heartbeat.

A mate was something nature provided. Every omega had an alpha, somewhere out there, and every alpha had an omega. Nature created perfect pairs who were mentally, emotionally, and physically compatible with each other, pairs who could create offspring together with minimal health defects or disabilities. While this concept was seen as outdated by some, and society was moving away from the concept altogether, it was still the default. Most adults still sought out their natural mate and married them and settled into families with them, and the majority of these relationships worked out for the benefit of everyone.

Yugi didn't have a lot of experience with mated couples. His parents had died in a car accident when he was young, and he'd lived most of his life with his widower grandfather, so he didn't have much first-hand understanding of what it truly meant to be with your natural mate. None of his friends had found their mates yet, either, and the bulk of his knowledge about it came through cheesy movies and obnoxious pop songs.

“Hey!” Miho asked suddenly. “Are you going to the fights later, Yugi?”

With Mr. Yin's lecture wrapping up, the omega male gamer turned around in his seat so he could properly face his friend, grinning widely. “You bet! Jounouchi's got work at his other job, so he won't be there today, but Bakura says he's going to be in a three-way fight later, against Malik 'the Shadow Twin' and Panik 'the King of Darkness.'”

Honda snorted. “Malik 'the Shadow Twin,' Panik 'the King of Darkness,' and Bakura 'the Demon of Darkness?' I smell a theme.”

“Yeah! And they're holding it later tonight, after it gets dark,” Yugi continued excitedly. “They're going to wear glowsticks and glow-in-the-dark paint, so it should look really cool!”

“Ooooh, that sounds awesome!” Miho sounded just as excited. “You wanna go together? We could pick up food on the way!”

“Sounds good!”

Honda frowned at the lilac-haired woman next to him. “Don't you have homework to do?”

“Don't be such a buzzkill, Hiroto! I wanna go see Bakura's fight!”

“You could come too, Honda.”

The alpha sat back his seat and crossed his arms, still frowning. “You know I only go to those things to cheer on Jounouchi. If it's just Bakura, I'm not going! I'm not cheering on some school dropout who thinks he can spend the rest of his life scraping by on a scrapper's wage and doesn't put any effort into bettering himself!”

While Yugi didn't want to admit it, Honda really wasn't wrong in saying what he said. Most of the Arena's entertainment fighters were uneducated, and took this job because it didn't have any education requirements. They staged fights against each other for the entertainment of large crowds, and they only made barely enough money to support themselves.

Even so, Yugi made a point to watch as many of Bakura's fights as he could, doing what he could to support his neighbor and childhood friend.

“Fine.” Miho poked Honda in the temple with the eraser end of her pencil. “Be a stick in the mud. But Yugi and I are gonna go out tonight and see our friend kick butts with glowsticks!”

Yugi stood up to gather his things, smiling to himself. Honda and Miho weren't natural mates by any means, but given how close they were and how much they behaved like a married couple so much of the time, they may as well have been.

“What about you, Anzu?”

The female alpha sighed, glaring down at a textbook from a different class she was in. “Sorry, guys. I've got a 10 page paper to work on.” She smiled brightly at them, winking. “Maybe some other time.”

“Oh, okay. Good luck on your paper!”

“Thanks.” She fixed Yugi with a look as the small assortment of friends headed out the classroom door. “And make sure you actually do your own homework instead of getting sucked into another game.”

Guess he'd have to put off that Warcraft quest he'd been planning to chip at. “Yes, o mighty alpha of mine. I hear and obey.”

“Oh, shut up!” She smacked Yugi lightly on the head with her stack of notes, making him laugh aloud.

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Across town, far away from Yugi's mind but not so far away in location, a young alpha male was standing in front of a mirror, glaring at his reflection. He was preparing for a party.

But Atemukannan Sennonda was no regular alpha male, and this was no regular party. Atem was born into a family of wealthy, elite Upper Class folk, in a long line of Upper Class folk. He may as well have been the son of a king; he'd never had to perform physical labor a day in his life, all but literally born with a golden spoon in his mouth.

It wasn't that Atem had never had any hardships at all. His mother had died when he was a child, leaving an open gap in his family, one that had never been filled; Father had never remarried, and Aunt Isis had been the maternal figure for both Atem and his sister, Mana. Atem was also the oldest child, and, as first alpha, had been named the heir apparent to his father's estate, finances, and family business. The company had been in the family for generations, and it was expected that Atem would take over when he was old enough, same as his father had taken over from Atem's grandfather before.

Because of his status as heir, Atem had never had much of a childhood, at least not in the traditional sense. His growing years had been spent pouring over academic papers and writing essays and attending public venues, while his sister had been allowed to run and play outside. Atem studied mathematics while Mana made friends; no one ever thought to ask the children's opinions (as no one had ever asked their opinions when they were children), but it was plain to see that, while Atem had a whole impressive and fully planned future laid out for him, Mana had the freedom to do whatever pleased her.

Atem sighed and straightened his tie. As used to wearing suits as he was, the one he was wearing now was quickly proving to be extremely uncomfortable. It was tight and stiff and terribly, ghastly formal, and it made him feel like he couldn't move his joints properly.

The suit was special, and bought for a special occasion. Specifically, for tonight's party.

Atem's engagement party.

And three words had never before in his life made him feel so trapped.

As of two weeks ago, Atem was engaged to Ryou Shirohara, the omega son and only child of Rusu Shirohara, one of the Sennonda family's business partners. Both families were wealthy, the Sennonda built on old money and the Shirohara built on new. While marrying into the Shirohara carried no prestige with it, it carried the promise of an alliance, space to expand, and money to be gained. It wasn't so much a marriage as it was an investment.

Atem couldn't say 'no' to the union. He didn't know how. Questioning his father's decisions for him had never been his place.

When the two young men had been introduced to one another and their fathers had told them about the engagement arranged between them, Atem hadn't been able to respond. He'd wanted to argue and scream like a child and run away, but he found he couldn't; instead, he stayed rooted to his spot, agreed like the obedient son he was, and hoped fervently that Ryou was a brat who would hate him and fight their fathers about it.

But, of course, he wasn't. Ryou was a model omega from a wealthy family: demure and soft-spoken and wholly dutiful to his father's word. Ryou had silently appraised Atem upon their meeting, and had then smiled and nodded his assent, his sweet face sealing a noose around Atem's neck.

… That image wasn't the best to be thinking about while fixing a tie, Atem thought to himself. And perhaps it wasn't so much a noose as it was a leash, but the image remained much the same.

Tonight's party and what it represented did nothing but make him feel like a dog that would be paraded around for show before being chained and fenced into a yard.

.

.

.

The party went as expected. Business associates that Atem had never even heard of before were there. Extended family members were there. Ryou's father had some sort of speech or something that Atem couldn't even hear over the sound of blood rushing through his ears.

He hated it. He hated every second of it.

He didn't know most of these people, and he actually liked very few of them. He hated talking in front of people, and the wine was doing absolutely nothing to settle the butterflies that filled his stomach. He hated the suit he was wearing, and the stupid fake smiles on the faces of near strangers, and the stupid fake smile that he knew was plastered across his own face, and the unnaturally polite words that rose unbidden from his throat whenever anyone spoke to him, and Ryou...

… Actually, Ryou's presence was one of the few things he didn't hate about the event. If anything, Ryou was acting like something of an anchor, occasionally touching Atem's elbow or shoulder and smiling and talking to people when Atem seemed at a loss. It was like he'd been trained as the perfect host in his growing years. Belatedly, Atem realized that, as the omega son of a wealthy alpha man, he probably had.

As much as Atem didn't want to agree to an arranged marriage – it felt like nothing but another bar in the walls of his societal prison – he couldn't bring himself to attach any negative feeling directly onto Ryou. His fiance was very kind and had a sharp mind and a lovely face, with striking white hair and blue eyes, and he had a very gentle disposition. He would be what many would consider the ideal omega husband; at very least, Atem thought he would make a good husband.

Still, Atem's thoughts and eyes wandered across the banquet table to where his sister was seated. Unlike him, Mana was already married. She had met Mahad at school abroad, and the two had recognized each other as their natural mate in an instant. The pair had been engaged within weeks, each being the youngest child of a wealthy family; Mahad's father had been delighted by the prospect of his son marrying into such a high-standing family and Atem's and Mana's own father had willingly agreed to the marriage. 'Anything for his baby girl,' after all.

Despite his own disposition against marriage, Atem couldn't help but see Mana's relationship as a sign of his sister's freedom (she had gotten to choose her spouse, after all) while his own was a sign of the shackles of his life.

Feeling ill, he politely excused himself from the table, promising to return shortly. He had no intention of returning at all.

He escaped down a hall. The celebration was being held in his father's home, and Atem had grown up inside these walls – he knew them inside and out. It didn't take him long to reach his favorite part of the house from his childhood: a window seat with a view over the garden. Reaching the window, he opened it, feeling the cool night air on his face.

Standing in front of the window, Atem looked out over the garden, being careful of taking deep, even breaths. The moonlight reflected off the pond, illuminating the silhouettes of trees and hedges.

Atem didn't know how long he stood there – two or three minutes, perhaps – when there was a hand on his shoulder from behind. Turning, he found Ryou gazing up at him worriedly.

“Are you... Is everything alright?” Ryou's voice was pitched slightly lower, and his words were suddenly uncertain.

“I'm fine, I just... needed some air.” In the back of his head, Atem realized that he and Ryou were no different from one another, and that they were both guilty of hiding their true thoughts.

Ryou stood silently. Despite being trained to read people's intentions, Atem was unable to get a clear reading on his fiance.

“Ryou?” he asked cautiously.

“... Yes?”

“I know our marriage is a practical one, but how do you really feel about me?” Perhaps a stupid question, but he needed to know. “Do you like anything about me?”

The omega pursed his blue-stained lips, his lower lip pouting slightly in a way that almost made Atem want to kiss him. “What kind of a question is that?”

“I'm just... curious?”

“Well,” Ryou finally relented. “You seem nice enough, I suppose.” He paused, his voice lowering a bit. “I like your eyes.”

Atem frowned, surprised. “My eyes?”

The omega looked away suddenly, and when he tried to speak again, his voice had an awkward shake to it. “They're red. I mean... I like red eyes...”

This time, Atem really did kiss him. A chaste, taboo kiss that left Ryou's lipstick slightly smudged, a smear of blue across the alpha's mouth.

“I like your eyes, too,” Atem said, catching Ryou's hand in his own at their sides and giving the thinner digits a squeeze. He took a step back. “Go back and rejoin the party. I'll talk to you again tomorrow.”

Ryou gave him a questioning look, but didn't say anything. Nodding once, he stood up straighter and walked back down the hall, disappearing from view.

Almost as soon as he was gone, so was Atem, the alpha slipping out through the open window.

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.

.

Atem had often climbed down the trellis before, as a teenager. As an adult, he'd moved out of his father's house and had his own penthouse apartment, deeper into the city, and as such hadn't had to use his means of escaping his family home in some time. But, he was a small frame for an alpha, and, thankfully, was still light enough to climb down the same way he had as a skinny boy.

Escaping the estate and the party that was to honor him, the alpha made his way back into the heart of the city, walking the whole way on foot and shedding as much of the suit as he could as he walked. The tie came off first.

He walked quickly, with a specific destination in mind – the Arena. Sitting among the screaming throngs of fans in the bleachers and watching the fights was the only way he'd found to really relax.

How was he supposed to stay as a stuffy party when there were fights to be seen?

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.

.

At the Arena, Yugi was enjoying himself, waving his fist in the air and cheering the fight along with the rest of the crowd in the bleachers.

The fight was impressive and fun to watch, with the three competitors attacking each other while covered from head to toe with glowstick bracelets and luminescent body paint, makeup, and even nail polish. They looked like fish of the deep sea in that getup.

After the show, Yugi and Miho went down to 'the Underneath,' a part of the Arena's structure that was built underground, below the main fighting pit and audience seating. Part of the Underneath connected to the fighting pit floor, with platforms and trapdoors that could allow the fighters to make dramatic entrances or stealthy escapes. But the area Yugi and Miho were headed for was the community dressing room, where the props and costumes were stored and where the fighters would be after a performance. A security guard was stationed at the door, but, since Yugi and Miho both came regularly and were easily recognized, he just nodded at them in greeting and let them walk right in.

Upon seeing their white-haired alpha friend across the room, Miho grinned broadly and took a running leap at him, nearly tackling him. “BA-KUUU-RA! You looked so cool!”

“Wha-?! The fuck?! Get off me, woman!”

Miho giggled and stayed right where she was, her arms and legs wrapped around Bakura's neck and waist from behind. “Hmmm... I don't think I will.”

“Why, you--!” Bakura turned and leaned suddenly, threatening to fall backwards on top of her, just barely managing to shake her off. “I'm too tired for your stupid games.”

“Aw, what's the matter?” Another voice cut in from behind Yugi. The omega jumped and spun around, finding himself face-to-face (er, more like face-to-chest) with Malik Ishtar, one of the men who'd been fighting against Bakura not ten minutes ago. The strong scent of 'alpha' surrounded him like a cloud, assaulting Yugi's senses and rendering him unable to think for a second. ���Did little Bakura get worn out?”

The white-haired alpha glared up at the tall, tan male. “Shut your stupid face, Ishtar.”

“That's not very nice, Bakura,” came a second voice. This time, a tall, tan, omega male appeared on the other side of the group, making Yugi and Miho both jump and turn around. The omega was almost identical to Malik, with the only obvious difference between them being their eye colors – Malik's eyes were dark gray, while the omega's eyes were bright fuschia. While Yugi had never seen the Ishar Twins up close before, it was very clear that this man must have been Marik Ishtar, the other half of the set.

The tan omega opened his mouth to say something else, but he cut himself off when his eyes fell on Yugi and Miho, the other two omegas frozen in confusion.

“Oh my Ra...” An excited grin grew across his face. “Bakura, you never told us how pretty your friends were!” He stared appraisingly at Miho's ponytail, his eyes following the length of the cascading lilac locks at they traveled down her back. “I love your hair! It's beautiful! It's such a lovely color!”

“Um, thank you?”

The tan omega suddenly turned to Yugi, peering down at the smaller omega. “And your eyelashes are gorgeous! Are they natural? They're so luscious and thick!”

“Marik,” Malik interrupted, moving to stand behind the omega and wrapping his arms around his doppelganger's waist. “I think we're scaring them.”

“Took you long enough.” Bakura made an apologetic face at Yugi and Miho before gesturing toward the Ishtars. “Yugi, Miho, this is Marik Ishtar and his mate, Malik.”

“'Mate...?'” Yugi blinked, realization setting in. “You mean, you're not really twin brothers?”

Marik chuckled and held up his hand and one of Malik's, showing off a set of gold wedding rings. “Yeah, we get that a lot. It's normal for natural mates to resemble each other, but we've always looked so much alike, most people assume we're siblings.”

“People always think we're twins,” Malik added. “And it doesn't help that our names happen to be so similar. So our personas for the Arena are inspired by the concept of the good twin and the evil twin.”

“I'm the good twin,” Marik clarified, batting his eyelashes and flashing Yugi and Miho an eerily angelic smile. “Usually we fight in the Arena as a pair, but the manager has been doing a lot of themed fights these past few weeks.”

If he was being honest, Yugi didn't really care about their fighting personas – he was much more interested in learning how the two met, and how they realized they were mates, and what being married to your mate was really like, and would any answers to those questions possibly help him with finding someone himself and finally be rid of his 'single and lonely at night' status?

… His menstrual and heat cycles were about to start, weren't they? Why else was he thinking so much about this?

Before he could ask any of those questions, though, Malik suddenly pulled a phone out of Marik's pocket, peering at it over his mate's shoulder. “Hey, it's getting late. We should head home.”

Not waiting for an answer, he carefully slid the phone back into Marik's pocket and then scooped the omega up in his arms, throwing him over his shoulder.

“Malik, put me the fuck down right fucking now!” Marik's voice carried quite a ways, even as Malik was carrying him off. He paused just long enough to flash a charming smile at Yugi and Miho and bid them farewell before continuing. “'Bye, Yugi! 'Bye, Miho! Maybe I'll see you some other time? MALIK--!”

Bakura sighed and rolled his eyes. “Finally. They're gone.”

Yugi frowned, disappointed that he couldn't get any answers. He glanced at his own phone. “They're right, though. It is getting late.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let me hit the shower and I'll walk you two home.” Smirking, Bakura set his hand on top of Yugi's head, ruffling his multi-colored hair. “Okay, shrimp?”

Yugi frowned and tried to slap his friend's hand away, to no avail. He hated being made fun of for his lack of height. Bakura knew this, of course, and carried on with it anyway. “For the last time, I am not short!”

“'Course not. You're tiny. That's waaaay different!”

The white-haired alpha ducked into the shower room, laughing while Yugi glared after him.

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.

They dropped Miho off at her home first before heading to the apartment complex that both Yugi and Bakura lived in. Yugi had barely walked through his apartment door and kicked off one shoe before someone was knocking on the door.

“Forgot my keys,” Bakura explained when Yugi opened the door. “An' Kisara's at work and won't be home 'til later. Mind if I crash here?”

“It's fine.” Yugi knew his grandfather probably wouldn't mind, since it was just Bakura. “I think Grandpa's asleep.” His eyes lit up. “Wanna play a game before bed?”

Bakura smirked as he kicked off his shoes. “Only if you don't mind getting your butt kicked.”

“Oh, yeah? Just try it!”

Before too long, the pair had fallen asleep on the floor of Yugi's bedroom, sitting in front of his gaming station on the floor, game controllers in their hands. Their heads were leaned back against the bed behind them as they slumbered, and there they stayed until morning.