Kaiba wrinkled his nose as he stepped through the door of Joey's apartment. It was disgustingly depressing. The paint on the walls were peeling, and there was only one light in the ceiling. The bulb was dim, casting a dry yellow glow over the ratty furniture, and he saw two crumpled futons stuffed into the nearby closet.
The kitchen was only three paces wide, and the bathroom was a tiny hole. The shower area was combined with the toilet…with no bathtub in sight.
"This is our home," Joey said proudly, and Kaiba bit his tongue so hard, he tasted blood.
"I can't be in here," Kaiba said stiffly, and he backed out of the door to stand in the hallway, his head spinning with nausea.
Damn. The sight of the dingy room made him sick.
"I mean, it's not like your castle or anything, but we're comfortable," Joey said angrily, offended by Kaiba's reaction. "And you don't have to tell me that one of your bathrooms is twice as big as our room."
"How long are you…staying…?" Kaiba gasped, leaning over the apartment hallway railing for air. "…On land? I can't believe two people live in this hole."
"Don't hurl," Joey said worriedly, noticing the color leaving Kaiba's face. "I'm due back at the end of the school year. I'm supposed'ta graduate."
"That's…five months from now," Kaiba breathed, pressing a hand tightly to his forehead as his vision pulsed white for a moment. "Mokuba is working on his thesis…"
"Yeah, I dunno if I'm gonna actually graduate," Joey said, shrugging halfheartedly. "Human school has been hard for me. I failed all my Warrior Entry written exams, so I'm hopeless."
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Kaiba muttered, finally managing to compose himself fully. "But you and your friend can stay on my property until you leave."
Joey's mouth dropped open, and he blinked incredulously. "Yo…seriously?!"
"Yes, seriously," Kaiba said impatiently, glancing into the dark apartment again before turning to walk away. "I won't let you have the TV if you have nowhere to mount it into the wall. Your walls look like they're about to crumble any second."
"Aw, thanks!" Joey grinned happily. "I'll pack my stuff!"
"Don't…bring anything filthy," Kaiba growled, rolling his eyes and waving his car keys above his head. "If you're only staying 6 more months, this better be the best 6 months of your life. Call your friend. We're going shopping."
Joey stood rooted to the spot, watching Kaiba walk farther and farther away. Was he misunderstanding?
Get in the car! Kaiba shouted mentally, already tucked into the driver's seat and buckled in. Just live in my guest house! Leave it all behind. It's all garbage.
Even my clothes? Joey asked anxiously, gazing at his open closet door. But I want my favorite shirts!
There was a cold silence in the air, so Joey got the message. He shut and locked the door to his apartment before hurrying down the steps to join Kaiba in the car.
Maybe this was one of those "random acts of kindness" Mahad had mentioned.
Either way, Joey was elated, and he wasn't going to question Kaiba's generosity.
Atem was bored and lounging around on his bed when he heard someone tap frantically at his door.
"Enter," he said dully, and the latch swung open after some fumbling. To his mild surprise, it was the purple Messenger.
The octopus zoomed across the room and hovered too close to his face, panting breathlessly, "He's not there, my liege! I waited an entire week! He's gone! The Pure merman with blue eyes wasn't there to receive my message!"
Atem sat up quickly, his throat constricting at the terrible news. "He can't be...!"
"Then perhaps would you like me to wait at a different location?" the Messenger squeaked, "or I could go back and wait another week. I saw Warrior Mahad pass me by and deposit a sack of scales into a rock. I had to hide from him!"
Atem bit the inside of his cheek, reminding himself that Kaiba had stolen this Messenger from Mahad. A different location would be better.
"I know!" Atem brightened up with an idea. "There is another private rock. It belongs to my warrior friend, Jounouchi. I will give you a map, and you should wait there instead."
"Very well, very well," the octopus said happily, reaching a small tentacle out to touch Atem's shoulder. "I will read the map now."
Atem shut his eyes and visualized Joey's map one more time, hoping he wasn't losing clarity because this was his third time giving it away.
"Got it!" the octopus squeaked, and it dashed away quickly, leaving behind a trail of thin white bubbles.
Atem sighed and threw himself back down on his bed.
It was looking like his entire century-long punishment was going to be spent in bed, thinking about Kaiba.
Isono stood by the door and bowed as Kaiba stepped inside, followed by two strangers carrying armloads of shopping bags and shoeboxes.
"Welcome home Master Kaiba," Isono said, sweeping his gaze over the two young men, taking in their plain clothes. The one with messy blond hair grinned and his friend bowed his head respectfully.
Were they Master Kaiba's…friends?
No, we are not friends, Kaiba growled in response, and Isono nodded stiffly.
"Oh! Master Kaiba, something came for you while you were out," the manservant called after Kaiba's shadow disappearing up the grand staircase. "I left it on your desk."
Tristan shifted the stack of shoeboxes onto his other forearm, straining with effort. This human's house was huge! And he was being treated like a pack mule.
Hey, are you okay? Joey asked, slowly coming up the stairs behind him with a groan. Don't worry. He's not gonna hurt us. He says he wants ta' help.
See, you keep saying that, and I don't believe you man, Tristan rolled his eyes, following Kaiba down a long hallway and into another enormous room.
Kaiba spotted two boxes sitting on his desk, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.
Perfect timing! He crowed, rushing over to slice the tape off the packaging with a long nail.
Tristan thunked the shoeboxes down onto the floor and patted his brow, sending Kaiba a thought.
What's in the boxes?
Kaiba raised his head and rested his hand on the top flap, smirking, "Wait and see," he answered quietly.
Joey entered the room and slid the shopping bags off his arms, rubbing the red idents running up his forearm, "Man! Those are heavy."
He stared at Kaiba, who was methodically setting out sheets of metal on his desk, then threw himself down on the couch, yawning.
"Whassat?"
"The answer to all of my goddamn problems," Kaiba whispered gleefully, reaching into the second box and pulling out small cubes of steel, setting them in a neat row across his desk.
"Dice!" Tristan smiled, recognizing the shape. "Dude, I have a friend who loves that shit."
Duke would love to meet this guy, Tristan thought to himself, watching Kaiba pull out a marker and begin writing on each cube and every sheet of metal.
"Now, both of you stand here," Kaiba said firmly, gesturing for the men to come closer, and his body tingled with excitement at what he was about to do. "You first, Blondie."
"Can I just watch?" Joey asked airily, shutting his eyes and propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Make Tristan do it."
"Fine, you." Kaiba pointed at Tristan and then gestured at the metal on his desk. "Pick one and hold it in your hand."
Frowning, Tristan obeyed and approached the desk, scanning it quickly and choosing an unmarked silver cube.
He weighed it in his hand and glanced suspiciously at Kaiba.
What the fuck was this? Fucking weirdo!
Kaiba heard this thought and snatched the cube out of Tristan's hand. "That didn't work. Try this one."
He placed a second cube into Tristan's outstretched hand and waited, listening intently. There was nothing but silence.
"What are you thinking about right now?" Kaiba asked fervently, daring himself to feel excited, and Tristan shrugged. "Nothing? Man, I'm hungry…"
Idiot! Kaiba fumed. His brain is just empty.
Tristan bristled at this.
"Hey! I heard that!" He said loudly, letting Kaiba snatch the cube out of his hand and place yet another one in his palm. "What are you doing?"
"Maybe it needs to be sheets of metal, because…. thoughts could be waves," Kaiba mused, grabbing the cube out of Tristan's hand and holding a sheet of steel in front of the warrior's face.
"Hey, say something," Kaiba urged, staring at his own distorted reflection in the metal sheet, and he heard Tristan insult him.
"Crazy madman."
"No, send me a private thought, you dolt," Kaiba growled, and he held his breath, waiting.
Okay uhhh…. Tristan turned to give Joey a frantic stare. Dude! What is up with this guy?!
"Are you doing it? I don't hear anything," Kaiba said furiously, beginning to lose his patience. "Do I need to tell you what to say?"
I'm saying it! Tristan cried angrily, giving the metal sheet in front of his face a vicious middle finger. Put that thing down! Do you wanna tell us what you're doing?
Kaiba blinked rapidly, hearing nothing but his own heartbeats in his ears.
H-Holy shit.
He'd been right!
I love it when I'm right! Kaiba celebrated privately, lowering the sheet and making eye contact with Tristan, and his mind was flooded with angry thoughts.
Dude! What is your problem? Can you be nice for like, two seconds? You—
Kaiba raised the metal sheet over his face, and Tristan's thoughts were cut off instantly.
He waited five seconds before lowering it excitedly with a grin.
…been abandoned by your pod because you're so—
He raised the sheet, and blissful silence rang in his ears.
He lowered it again, just to double check, and sure enough…
How old are you, anyway? No one has had a Mark like that since—
He raised it again and stared gleefully at it.
This was it! This was the answer! Thoughts were indeed waves and could be blocked by sheets of metal.
Then how are they conducted through the air? Kaiba wondered.
A hand appeared in his vision, snatching the sheet away from him. and Tristan glowered at him hatefully.
Kaiba frowned, noticing that the merman was almost nose-to-nose with him.
"What is your freaking problem?" Tristan growled, and Joey waved sleepily from the couch. "He's just does that man, leave him alone."
I don't know if I should share it with these dolts, Kaiba thought cleverly, and both men perked up instantly, glaring at him.
"Share what?" Joey and Tristan said in unison, and Kaiba smiled genuinely for the first time in years.
"See for yourself," Kaiba said, reaching out to angle the metal sheet in Tristan's hand, making solid eye contact with the brown-eyed merman. "Listen closely…"
You don't know how long I've been working to solve this puzzle, Kaiba thought determinedly, moving to raise the sheet higher until it blocked his face from view.
You can't hear me, you can't hear me, you can't….
He pushed Tristan's hand lower, making eye contact again.
…hear me, now you can hear me. Now you can hear me, now you—
Tristan's eyes widened the moment Kaiba's voice disappeared from inside his head, and he broke out into a cold sweat.
He rapidly raised and lowered the metal sheet, hearing bits and pieces of Kaiba's voice echoing in his mind.
Now you c—
You can hear me… now you ca—you…hear me now…now you—
"H-Holy fuck!" Tristan jumped back and held the metal sheet in front of him with wide eyes, "Joey! Come here!"
"I would assume…something is transmitting our thoughts," Kaiba said, picking up a couple of the cubes and tossing them in the air before catching it expertly in his hand again. "Now that I know what material to use as a blocking mechanism, a transmitter will be easy to find."
Joey's mouth dropped open, and he bounded off the couch, prying the sheet out of Tristan's hand, "Think something!"
You're stupid, you're ugly, you're stupid, Tristan chanted, and Joey jerked the metal sheet violently up and down in front of his own face, his eyes wide with wonder.
you're ug—you're—st—ug—yo—you're—ug—st—you're…
"Wow," Joey breathed, lowering the metal sheet and staring at it curiously.
…stupid you're ugly you're stupid you're ugly…
"I got it!" Joey said loudly, fanning the sheet in front of Tristan's face. "You can shut up now."
"How come this doesn't work?" Tristan asked curiously, wrapping his fist around one of the metal dice.
"It's too concentrated…probably," Kaiba frowned, "I haven't figured out what the transmitter is, so shut up and sit down. Let me think."
Blood pounded excitedly through his ears as Kaiba entertained the possibility of being able to send Atem a thought from above water.
"Hey where's your dining hall?" Tristan asked obnoxiously. "Give us some food."
"Down on the third floor. Go bother the man wearing a white hat," Kaiba rolled his eyes and gave the two men a dismissive wave. "I'll call you up here again when I need you."
"He has a chef!" Tristan crowed, and Joey mimicked him happily. "He has a chef!"
"Just…get out!" Kaiba groaned, feeling a headache pounding behind his ears, coupled with another stray bubble of nausea. These two were insufferable!
Whooping and cheering, Joey and Tristan jostled each other playfully out the door.
Kaiba sighed tiredly and sat down behind his desk, hearing Isono waiting by the door faithfully.
"Hey, tell the maids in the guest house to prep the rooms, and have them unpack these bags," Kaiba called. Without waiting for a reply, he flipped his laptop open and began typing away furiously, checking the properties for each of the steel sheets he had ordered.
The answer was in the steel.
Atem swam glumly through the halls of the palace, extremely bored and restless.
He passed the infirmary where Mana and Serenity were hovering over the egg incubators and sighed sadly, deciding to swim over and greet them for the lack of better things to do, but he was stopped by the medic.
She bowed prettily and gently grabbed his hands, smiling. "My King. How are you these days?"
Atem nodded silently, feeling his body heat up as she began to scan his vitals.
"I've been—"
"Oh! Thank Ahti!" The medic cried out so suddenly, Atem jumped, startled.
"Come, come here," she cried, dragging Atem into a private examination area with unexpected force, and she drew the kelp curtains closed with a firm swish!
"You've recovered!" The medic whispered happily, positively glowing with relief. "I was right. You had nothing to worry about. Your impotence was caused by shore sickness! And since you're young, you only needed a decade to recover."
"What a relief…" Atem said, his heart thudding tightly in his throat as he tried to draw a breath, but his chest was strangely tight.
"You're in great health!" She beamed, giving his hands another reassuring squeeze. "What's this I hear about you meeting and mating with a warrior from another shore? Does he want to come by for a screening? Perhaps one or both of you will be compatible for egg bearing—"
"No, no thank you," Atem said, vehemently shaking his head. "I'll be leaving now."
He dove out of the exam room and ran nose-first into Mana, who threw her arms around him in a lung-crushing hug.
You're cured! See? Everything is fine! She thought privately to him, and Atem felt his insides curl with embarrassment and shame.
It seemed news of his impotency had traveled around, because Serenity was blushing happily at him too.
"Thank you, Mana. Now please leave me alone," Atem said heatedly, his ears burning with fury as he pried her arms off his body, and swam rapidly for the exit, trying to quell the horrible churning inside his stomach.
That had been humiliating. There was no escape.
Nothing in his life was private anymore, and everything was dark without Kaiba to make his days interesting.
There was no escape.
Or…perhaps there was.
What was stopping him from swimming up to the surface now?
Joey, Tristan, Duke, Anzu, and Mai…all his friends were currently at the surface. Why was he the only one stuck down here watching eggs hatch with Mana and Serenity?
Invigorated by this idea, he sped through the palace, right out the front gates without addressing any of the guards who shouted after him, asking if he needed an escort.
Fueled by a mixture of desperation and fury, Atem swam straight up through the edge of the hemisphere, zooming past another row of guards who immediately began chasing after him, sending him frantic thoughts.
"Your majesty! Where are you going?"
"King Atem! Please come back! You can't leave the city!"
"Call for backup! Call Warrior Mahad!"
Gritting his teeth, Atem tucked his hands at his sides and beat his tail rapidly behind him, using the techniques he had learned from Joey to get him through the water faster.
If he wanted to outswim a warrior, he needed to be faster…especially if they were going to be calling on Mahad, who was one of the fastest swimmers on this side of the ocean.
Very determined, Atem was fueled by the sounds of the warrior's thoughts growing fainter and fainter the farther away he managed to swim.
Freedom! Atem smiled gleefully to himself, and he could see the warm glow of the sun breaking through the water above him.
It had been a decade and few years since he had journeyed the distance to Kaiba's shore, but Atem had gone through the map in his head so many times while trapped in his room, it was stamped permanently into his mind.
Shore was so close; he could taste it.
Kaiba was within reach!
Excited, Atem pushed himself harder, determined to see Kaiba's handsome face twisted into one of shock, and then…his eyes would soften, and he would smile….
As he continued to swim upwards, the water grew clearer, brighter, and the air was thinner…so thin that his lungs began to ache.
Concerned, Atem slowed down, and before he could properly understand what was happening, an invisible rope caught him around the neck and was choking him, dragging him firmly back down into the water.
Frightened and angry, Atem kicked out, thinking he had been caught in another net, but there was nothing around him, and the invisible noose was getting tighter and tighter, so tight, his vision was fading into white.
Opening his mouth to let out a silent scream, Atem grabbed fruitlessly at his own neck, feeling nothing but his own bare skin. The golden neckplate he wore had detached in his struggle and was sinking into the depths below.
Gasping for air one last time, Atem's vision faded to black just as he heard Mahad's deep voice calling his name, echoing from behind him, and the king blacked out for a moment, going limp in the water.
Mahad zipped through the water and expertly caught Atem as he was sinking rapidly.
"Atem! Please wake up!" He cried frantically, clutching Atem's body close to his chest while swimming back down into deeper waters, terrified by the claw marks running up and down Atem's neck and chest.
He was bleeding so much; the water was turning murky around them.
Spitting hastily on the wounds to seal them, Mahad kept swimming back down, his heart thudding fearfully inside his chest.
This was all his fault. Damn…Damn!
The one moment he had left Atem alone….
Atem cracked his eyes open and saw his own blood clouding the water around him just as he felt Mahad's arms tighten around his body.
"Atem! You're awake…thank god…."
Atem opened his mouth to speak, but his throat burned, so he closed it and sent Mahad a faint thought.
What…happened?
"Your pact activated," Mahad growled, his brow furrowed with deep concern. "You can't rise to shore because you agreed to the century-long punishment, which is part of your duties as king."
Atem blinked slowly, his vision fading in and out again as a painful pang seared through his heart at these words.
But I…didn't sign…or bleed in agreement to any of that! The king protested, feeling the water grow warmer the deeper they got. Please don't bring me back home, Mahad. I can't…live like this….
"I must bring you back, Atem," Mahad said mechanically, his stomach churning with sympathy. "Everyone saw you leave, so I must show that I've brought you back safely—Atem!"
Mahad gave the king a frantic shake. Atem had grown heavy in his arms and was unconscious.
He's losing too much blood! Mahad realized, terror-stricken.
He dove downwards with more urgency and barreled through the hemisphere guards, shouting in a booming voice, "Make way! Medic! Alert the medic!"
Damn you, Seto Kaiba, Mahad growled darkly, his fins aching from effort as Atem grew heavier and heavier in his arms.
This was all that damn merman's fault.
The sooner Warrior Jounouchi returned with information about Kaiba, the better.
"So…. This is the infamous 'private shore'," Tristan rolled his eyes while pacing the beach, counting each of his steps until he reached the end. "It's only 2,000 strides long!"
Kaiba folded his arms across his chest and said nothing, his feet sinking into the sand the longer he stood there, watching his two new companions inspect the beach.
"It's big enough!" Joey shouted happily, running into the water and jumping up and down with excitement. "The rock looks so different from up here. Hey, let's fight!"
"With what?" Tristan cried, picking up a small shell. "With these? Let's play that game where you throw it in a hoop! Who wants to draw the circle?"
"Fight?" Kaiba's interest was piqued, and he strode towards the water, watching Joey give an oncoming wave a magnificent kick. "With…spears, right?"
"Yep! Got any?" Joey asked, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, walking back into the beach house.
Tristan's mouth fell open as he watched the CEO walk away.
"You're kidding me. You're telling me this guy has spears…on land?!" he cried incredulously, giving the sand a violent kick.
He's Undercover, whaddya expect? Joey shrugged nonchalantly, rising out of the water and shaking himself off. If you ask, he probably has it. Scary but cool, right?
"Just plain scary," Tristan muttered, gazing out over the horizon and squinting in the harsh sunlight. He had only just met Seto Kaiba this morning, and he was already learning so many terrifying facts about him.
Seto Kaiba had the ability to block thoughts.
He lived in a giant castle with many servants who did his bidding.
He had a second house on the property, one which he and Joey had currently moved into, and it had been stocked with food and entertainment prior to their arrival. Everything Kaiba did was methodical.
He had also somehow managed to turn slugs into a liquid and administer them via syringe.
What else about this guy am I gonna find out today? Tristan growled to himself, giving the sand another vicious kick.
Kaiba hefted both spears in his hands as he made his back down to the water's edge, and Joey raced at him excitedly, prying one away from him, gazing at it in awe.
"You are one of our Warriors! I knew it!" Joey cried, turning the spear over and staring at the triangular royal insignia at the base. "…Wait. This has Mahad's seal on it."
"What?!" Tristan yelled, sprinting over the sand towards them to also take a look. He grabbed the spear from Joey and sure enough, Mahad's name was engraved underneath the royal insignia.
"Did you…win this in a fight with him?" Tristan choked, feeling the metal burn his palms the tighter he squeezed it. "What about the other spear? Is this your personal weapon? Or do you prefer using the Trophy Spear you won from Mahad?"
He snatched the other weapon out of Kaiba's grasp with force and inspected it, his blood running cold when he noticed it was numbered and branded with a Hemisphere seal.
"This came from our guards!" Tristan cried, and Joey stood very still, his mind churning with confusion.
"You liar!" Joey growled at Kaiba. "You said you didn't have access to a Moon Pool! Otherwise, how would you have gotten one of our Hemisphere spears?"
"Atem left it here," Kaiba said defensively, crossing his arms. "And the other one was thrown at me. I don't know how you people fight with these things."
Tristan blinked, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. "What?"
"I have no clue," Kaiba enunciated, "How you fight—"
"He's lying, Tristan. Let's go," Joey said, giving Kaiba a cold look before stalking off down the beach.
Tristan stayed where he was, and he slowly handed Mahad's spear to Kaiba, and he kept the other one, backing away several feet down the beach.
"Throw it at me!" Tristan yelled, thinking he would test Kaiba anyway. "Aim for my chest like you want to kill me."
Kaiba curled his fingers around the spear, feeling barbaric.
That's the last thing I want to do! Kaiba replied, rolling his eyes. Let's start by throwing this at something that isn't alive.
"Nope!" Tristan tapped his chest and raised his spear in defense. "Live targets only. That's how you get serious. Besides, I bet you can't even hit me from over there."
Fine, Kaiba snarled. He planted his feet apart and deftly hurled the spear at Tristan without a second thought, making sure he aimed a bit higher to account for the gravity taking the point downwards.
Tristan's grin slid off his face the moment he saw the sharp point zooming towards him at full speed. He yelped, dodging it hastily and slipping clumsily in the sand.
Kaiba let out a bark of amused laughter, his confidence returning in a rush. That had been too easy.
Joey stood silently knee-deep in the ocean water, rocked by another oncoming wave as he watched the scene before him.
That…had been the most practiced and intentional throw he had ever seen.
Do it again, but farther away! Joey challenged, suppressing a shiver. My turn. Tristan, move.
"He was actually trying to kill me!" Tristan cried, clambering over the wet sand and letting Joey stand in his place, watching his blond friend take a few more long steps backwards and wave his arms at Kaiba.
"Alright rich boy, hit me from here!" Joey yelled, raising his fists tauntingly. "Yer weak!"
Sighing, Kaiba walked to pick up the spear from the sand and returned to his original position, carefully analyzing the distance.
A throw from above would not work. He didn't have enough momentum to carry it through the entire distance of the beach. He would have to skim the spear horizontally somehow…almost as if it was an arrow.
Fine, this is a bit challenging, Kaiba muttered to himself, weighing the spear in his hand and wondering if he would make it. Did fish powers include enhanced strength? Time to find out.
Kaiba stuck his foot out and drew a line in the sand. Then, he backed up several paces, rocking back and forth on his toes and controlling his breaths. Steady…Steady….
His body was the bow, and the spear was the arrow.
Plain and simple.
Tensing, Kaiba raced across the beach, keeping his weight on his toes as he leaned into the throw, crouching and sliding across the sand. He released the spear from his hand at the last moment and let the entire weight from his slide carry the weapon forward through the air.
Tristan froze on the spot, watching Kaiba's feet bring up a magnificent spray of sand as he glided effortlessly into the throw.
The spear shot through the air at a terrifying speed, aiming to strike Joey's thigh. Cursing, Joey threw himself to the side, his elbows burning as he skidded painfully in the dry sand.
His heart nearly exploded out of his chest as he stared where the spear had landed…right where he'd been standing.
"Oh…my fucking god," Tristan breathed, rushing over to help Joey to his feet and glaring angrily at Kaiba. "You are a fucking liar!"
"That was the first time I've thrown anything!" Kaiba fumed, growing tired of the baseless accusations. "It's fucking science!
He watched in frustration as the two men ignored him, conversing privately in their thoughts with their heads together, so he strode across the beach to pick up both spears before heading back inside to stow them away safely.
Why was he trying so hard to prove himself anyway?
It wasn't like he had anything to gain from it.
Sighing heavily, Kaiba gazed up at the sky, watching a few clear wisps of clouds pass by overhead.
What was Atem doing now?
Atem cracked his eyes open. His body felt like it weighed a thousand tons.
He glanced around, realizing he was housed in a healing pod in the infirmary, and he closed his eyes tightly again when he heard voices coming his way.
It sounded like Mana, Mahad, and Solomon.
"He was just fine a moment ago! I didn't know he was going to do that!" It was Mana's tearful cry.
"I was supposed to be with him," Mahad's gruff voice sounded concerned. "It was a good thing I caught him when I did."
"Clearly, the punishment wasn't a good idea. Isis was right." Solomon's sorrowful whisper. "What's to stop him from doing it again? My boy will kill himself at this rate!"
"Warriors from shore will be returning soon," Mahad said quietly. "I have to see what they know about Seto Kaiba before we break any pacts."
Atem opened his eyes, his heart racing with excitement at Mahad's words. Did this mean they would consider lifting his punishment so he could see Kaiba?
Keeping very still, Atem saw the shadow of the nurse hovering above him in the pod, and she spoke quietly, dismissing everyone. "Please leave, and let the king rest now. He is conscious but still needs two moon cycles to recover from the blood loss."
"Two moons?" Solomon asked fearfully, pointing his staff at Atem encased in the cloudy, green cocoon. "How injured was he?"
Mahad shook his head sadly and swam towards the door, his shoulders heavy with guilt as he answered the old man.
"He was bleeding from ten self-inflicted scratches down his neck when the pact activated at the surface."
Mana gasped and pressed her hands to her mouth, dashing out of the infirmary, biting back tears of sorrow and guilt.
Solomon watched her go and shook his head sadly, his white hair floating around his face as he did so.
"Watch him closely," he said gruffly, before following Mana out the doors, and Mahad swam after him glumly, leaving nothing but a stiff, horrible silence inside the infirmary.
Atem drifted off into a medicated slumber, fully aware of how much pain he was causing his entire family. Perhaps this was the way to do it. He would just make everyone worry, and they would have to let him surface to see Kaiba sometime this century.
Pleased with this plan, he let the drowsiness overtake him and fell asleep, wishing for romantic dreams with his beloved human.
Author's note:
Wow atem is turning into a desperate asshole, worrying everyone around him.
Kaiba is super good at all things merman! He's having trouble being human!
PERSONAL UPDATES!
1. i am aiming to finish writing an original novel (uwuwupuowuouw) by the end of this year! so please consider following me on tumblr (uglifish) / insta (prettiugli) / twitter (prettiguli) or discord (ugli#7509) to follow the progress! I will be learning lots on the way and i think i should share what i learn because there are so many ways to go about doing this. As always, i appreciate your support and hope that you'll join me on this journey of growth..but fr im so scared tho help please lmao
2. i am hosting a 'write this in your own style' challenge for VALENTINE'S DAY 2020! please click here to see the prompt!
giant thanks to taedae for the sharp edits :D
bigg big hugs,
Ugli