Within Her Coils

by SuntoryAngel

This was the area that the team leader had told him about, the Great Sphinx to his left and a pyramid to his right. The warnings and lore he'd been told rang loudly in his ears as he took the first step off the paved path to slightly sink into the unsupported sand. Even the archeologist that he was, Atem could not have predicted what lay beneath that would change his life forever.

2. Chapter 2

I don't own YuGiOh!

RATED M FOR ADULT MATERIAL!

Within Her Coils: Crowning

Aged stone and immaculate pillars shone brightly in the soft lantern lights that illuminated the cobbled streets, showcasing large fountains where mighty figures from legend were waging war or slaying mighty beasts. People of various cultures or ethnicities often flocked this country for its exotic food as well as its exquisite artwork. Temples were ancient gods were once worshipped now attracted throughs of admirers for their culture and history.

The land of Greece was truly a sight to behold.

Yet a particular trio that had arrived earlier in the spring spent little time admiring the beauty. They had come on a mission and though it took four long months they had come out successful. If only the people in the bustling streets knew that above their heads within one of the palazzo's highest society areas was a being who would cause not only a panic but possibly raise the question of what else existed in the great wide world.

Though the electrical lights were harsh, peach scales glistened with each breath their owner took as she basked in the afterglow of a recently taken bath in front of the open window so that the fresh breeze would help her body to dry faster. Fair skin and scales were nearly glowing from the extensive care she had taken in ensuring every spec of dirt was washed clean of her being. One at first would think she be a beautiful foreigner who has come to admire the architect or possibly partake in the fine cuisine, judging from her fair skin and features, but if they looked a bit farther downwards they would notice something odd shifting beneath the dress she wore. And then they would spot the fact that instead of a pair of feet there was a small tail that shyly waved from beneath the hem. Measuring at a little over eight feet from the top of her head to the tail's tip, her slim frame allowed her to maneuver easily without taking too much space in the lent quarters but her companions still took the upmost care to not trip or accidentally step on her lower torso. "I can't believe it's been a year already." She hummed softly when a calloused hand that had been absentmindedly stroking her scales rested its palm flat so that the warmth of his hand was more spread out, a teasing smile raising her lips when looking between the two men. "Don't forget you both owe me big time for saving your butts."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The figure who sat closest who was polishing their recent treasure took a moment to point his cloth in her direction. "Hey, now, hold on a minute. Who saved who from that spear pit?"

"And who saved you from getting skewered like a kabob Yugi?"

He flinched as her hand rose, showing fingers that were keeping track of how many she listed off.

"Or the trap that nearly lopped off your head?"

The rag descended a few inches in the air when another finger rose.

"Don't forget how you nearly fell off that cliff."

"H-hey, that one I was totally prepared for!"

Slender brows rose. "So that high pitched scream was just for show?"

Yugi's cheek burned brightly.

"Oh, how about that swinging axe-"

"I get it, Anzu, I get it! How many pretty things do you want?"

A grin appeared as she rolled onto her back so that their gazes could meet, propping herself up on her elbows until a portion of her lower torso could take their place so she was resting comfortably. "By my count, I saved you sixteen times but I'll only make you buy eight."

"Twenty-two."

Both lavender and azure rose to hone upon the man who had been silently reading over a stack of papers. "You were keeping track?!"

Without eyes leaving the raised paper in his hand, he nodded. "It is only fair that Anzu receives her share, Yugi, and we would not have been successful without her aid."

"You're only taking her side cause she's your girlfriend."

"Jealous, are we?"

Reptilian cerulean rolled. "Not this again, you two. He's not being prejudice or anything and you know it." She moved forward across the carpeted floor until she was eye level with Yugi, her hand rising to cup his chin within its palm. The air that had been filled with light tease energy suddenly grew heavy with something much more sensual as she came to a stop inches from their noses touching. "Or is he right that you're feeling a bit left out?"

The young man bristled when the tip of her finger teased the sensitive underside of his jawline. "It's a no from me. Sorry, I'm just not into…you know."

Their exchange would have earned anyone's questioning glares, maybe even a few disproving objections, but neither came from the man who released the sheet of paper in favor for a pen as he continued working. So confident in his trust of her that he cared not of what others would deem "dangerous territory". Her society was much different than that of humans after all so he did not want to impede or intrude upon the customs she'd been raised with. As long as she remained by his side, Anzu could do as she pleased.

With a sigh, she turned her attention from the young archeologist to the idol he'd been polishing, a saddened expression filling her fair features. "Suit yourself." A giggle rose up her throat when a portion of her lower torso was looped by his foot then brought upwards so his free hand trailed across its scales. "Funny how neither of you can seem to stop yourselves from petting it. I'm not some pet, you know."

"We know but its just so pretty and still hard to believe that you're real." Yugi was relieved that she'd taken the opportunity to allow the change of subject and offered her the cloth. "See anything I missed? You're sight is better than either of ours."

Slanted pupils took a moment to dart across the golden artifact. "You did good, just missed a few spots around the diadem and the snake heads are looking a bit crusty."

Amethyst took a moment to watch with amusement at the pair working together to ensure the artifact was properly cleaned. The idol of Medusa was created with gold and encrusted with gemstones of various colors that had been sealed within several caverns littered with traps and obstacles. It was beautiful to behold yet for him it was the female who had made their travels and expeditions a bit more enjoyable that was the true treasure. He wasn't saying that Yugi was boring by any means but even family got tire of each other's company every once in a while and it was nice having someone they both enjoyed tag along.

She'd been the missing piece to their little party that they weren't aware they needed. Her charisma was often helpful when gathering information, especially when they came across a stingy librarian or official, but she never ceased to keep things entertaining. The innocent curiosity that Anzu showcased when they introduced her to something new was always refreshing no matter what was being shown. On several occasions the brothers had revisited old acquaintances or sites yet somehow she always managed to point out a handful of things that they'd missed the first time. In South America, for instance, she'd spotted a secret passageway entrance that they thought was merely a wall that they had passed multiple times. He himself was personally thankful of stumbling upon her clan's lair in Egypt. The fateful encounter had led to her being saved from the pressures of their society, their kind normally feasting upon human males once their mating orgy had completed to result their numbers growing. His own lonely heart had instantly grown attached to the lamia not for her exotic species but for the genuine pure heart that she often wore on her sleeve.

Neither would they have predicted how she would react in the face of danger.

"You deaf or somethin'? I said gimme all yer stuff so yer gonna get hurt!"

"You're the dumb one here." Yugi's words were supposed to come off as brave yet Atem could see that his younger sibling was struggling not to cave beneath the bandits' glares.

They'd been caught by surprise late in the night, a member of the local volunteer team had betrayed them for monetary gain once their excavation had been completed, which left them in this difficult predicament. Both had been woken to find the barrels of pistols and shotguns alike aiming inches from their noses. Why the bandits hadn't just killed them in their sleep the brothers never understood but they had become less confused when through the broken conversations surrounding them gave hints of why their lives had been spared.

"Ye heard da rumors," one said to another while their leader shot them glares, "dat pretty one they got with dem would fetch a higher price dan any gem."

The double barrel of a shotgun tapped the underside of the other wild haired man's chin, earning a warning twitch of his upper lip when the archeologist narrowed his gaze. "Where da girl? Tell and you live."

Hands bound behind his back with a coarse rope that bit harshly into tanned skin, Atem payed it no mind as he readily met the vivid green gaze staring down at them. His lips parted but before a single letter could slip between them they stilled as from beyond the weapon wielders rose a shadow that easily towered over each member, blazing reptilian cerulean beginning to dance with greens. "Shield your eyes, Yugi, and don't open them for anything no matter what!"

A unified shout rose as a lackey followed his line of sight, all weapons instantly turning on the shape as it came forward but not a single bullet left the guns as each barrel slowly drifted downwards until they were pointed down at the ground. The flickering electrical lights powered by the nearby generator revealed the upper torso of a young woman clad in a halter styled top made of deep sea green fabric which proudly showed the pair of shapely mounds upon her chest that had a matching skirt tied lowly upon her curvy hips to display a toned torso. One of her hands rose to cup the leader's chin, slitted pupils locking upon his swimming own as one by one the jaws of the bandits hung. "Well, well, looks like I got here just in time."

The fine hairs across Atem's being rose into needle sharp points. Her tone was sensual, one that he was very familiar with, but underneath was a ring of anger that was reflected within the dancing spirals of her gaze. He was deterred from speaking by the subtle shake of her head, causing each bandit's head to follow her motions when she took a glance at each to ensure they were snared, the curl of her lip when finding them tied up adding more fuel to the flames of her anger. "I thought that man was acting strange so I followed then lured him alone so I could get it out of him what he was hiding." Sharp fangs appeared from between her full lips as they pulled backwards in a hiss, her lower torso shifting until each bandit present were gathered in a group before her.

Their gazes by then were completely taken over by the swirling watery blues and greens that were manifestations of her hypnosis in full affect, making him all the more glad he'd warned his younger brother to shield himself from the spell. Yugi was easily influenced so whenever Anzu's ability was used he was quick to protect himself from becoming snared. Atem though had a bit better luck but even he had his limits and soon closed his own eyes when the scene blurred then spun as an invisible force attempted to cause his gaze to meet her own.

It wasn't for several minutes of her speaking too lowly for them to hear did she give them the signal to open their eyes as she untied them both with shaking fingers. "I-I sent them back to turn themselves in to the authorities."

Amethyst and lavender snapped open at her quivering tone, both feeling their hearts clench painfully when finding her now calmed gaze filled with unshed tears. They gathered her in their arms as a crystalline droplet slipped down her cheek that was closely followed by countless others, commending her bravery and self control of not giving into the temptation to eat anyone.

Anzu had fearlessly used every weapon at her disposal to ensure they had survived the frightening encounter while surprising them with how strong her hypnotic ability had become. Nightmares had plagued her for days afterward, neither minding one bit of taking a break from their exploration to ensure their companion was receiving the comfort she needed. A few nights that meant they spent were tucked within her coils, which was far more comfortable beyond what one would expect, while other times it would be them taking an extra hour in the market for some leisure shopping instead of their typical necessities. Which was something that the brother's often needed to remember to take time for things that wasn't always tied to their work.

Atem's lips lifted in the corners to form a small smile at the pair when they raised their hands in victory of cleaning the idol. "Do not get too attached to it," he called while placing the final signature upon the document before him with a flare of his wrist that relinquished the artifact from their possession, "an official group will be here in the morning to seize it."

The subtly wagging appendage that had been resting across his lap stiffened as its owner's head shot upwards, wide cerulean eyes meeting the eldest of the wild haired archeologists. "Already? Can't we have it for just one more day, Atem?"

Yugi, the youngest who had been furiously polishing it since supper, sat back within his chair with a huff, lavender eyes shining with mischief as his brows wiggled. "Would be nice to bask in its glory for a little longer since it took us so long in the first place to get it."

"I know that look, Yugi, but the answer is still no." He blinked when noticing their companion had fallen oddly still, even when shifting the chair away from his desk the lamia remained in a transfixed daze with her azure eyes locked upon the emeralds that were the idol's. His hand gave a light squeeze to the portion of her tail still within his lap and stood when no reaction came even as his grip tightened to the point where she should've retaliated. The muffled sounds of his footsteps across the decorated carpet were more than loud enough to earn anyone's attention, the vibrations of his approach easily detectable to one such as herself, yet she still jumped when his hands fell to rest on her shoulders. "Anzu?"

Confusion filled her gaze as it met his own. "Sorry, what?"

"You spaced out there for a minute, you okay?" Yugi's brows furrowed with worry as her fair skin became flushed and pressed the back of his hand against her forehead, quickly retracting it with a yelp. "Ah!"

Alarm was steadily growing within the pair as the flush passed downwards until peach hued scales had darkened several shades to match darkened amber. They had yet to see her fall ill, one or the other was occasionally left in her care when they themselves were taken by a cold or sickness, and neither had any idea what a lamia's symptoms would be if they did. Atem's hand rose off her shoulders when the building heat rising beneath her skin grew too much even for him and cast a glance towards the idol when finding scales appearing across her upper chest.

The large green emeralds seemed to be glowing faintly, a ring of gold appearing with each labored breath that came from the lamia he held, something sparking deep within the gems that caused her to suddenly cling to him with a tight enough grip that it made him clench his jaw tightly shut to stop a grunt from sounding. Anzu was always careful to watch her strength so to feel the bones in his body begin to protest as her being slowly wound around him threw fuel on his concern.

He wracked his brain as he altered his hold and gasped. In some lore, the queen of Libya had an affair with Zeus that gave birth to lamias and other forms of naga when she was cursed by Hera; including Medusa who had snakes instead of hair atop of her head and a gaze to turn any she looked upon into stone. A faint bell rang in the back of Atem's mind as he looked from the idol back to Anzu as she flinched violently.

Her eyes that had been closed were now wide open to the point where they may just pop out of their sockets, the azure cerulean that he adored developing a thin mint hued ring around her slitted pupils.

"Cover the idol!"

Yugi didn't ask questions and quickly threw a spare blanket that had been draped over the nearby chalice over the golden artifact.

The effect was instantaneous.

All of the invading red that had seeped into her scales and skin receded like vines retreating from a poisonous weed killer. A haze settled over her azure eyes just before they drifted closed and he quickly caught her as she began to sway dangerously. "My head…it hurts…" she groaned while nuzzling her nose into his collar with a hum but gave no farther explanation.

"I apologize, Anzu, I should have been more considerate of how it might affect you," he whispered lowly while tanned fingers brushed the chocolate hair that had fallen into her face, finding her skin still warmer than normal, "forgive me." Atem tightened his hold around her while giving his younger brother a nod; a silent signal that they may need to work fast if this was a developing illness. "Talk to us, Anzu, what do you need?"

"So cold…" Her hoarse whisper had been almost too faint for him to hear but the movement of her lower torso coming towards her core as if to protect herself from an invisible enemy was more than enough to convey something was happening to her they couldn't see. "…thirsty…"

"I'm going to go see if they have spare blankets," Yugi called while making a dash for the nearby door, "and I'll make a food run too. I think its been a day or two since she last ate so I'll grab whatever I can then come back as fast as I can." And the door closed with an audible click behind him.

Atem eased down to the floor where he could lean against the wall with her comfortably cushioned and curled into his being, his arms refusing to release her even as the temperature continued to rise. "I have you," he soothed when large tears seeped from between her eyes that were clenched tightly shut, "match your breathing with mine, Anzu, deep breaths now." The heart in his chest clenched painfully when she began whimpering, her coils twisting tighter into a single mass that threatened to pull him away from the wall. A glimmer of hope sparked as she seemed to hear his words, the quick gasps that had filled the air slowly matching his own level breathing, his hand that was resting upon her waist freezing mid motion when finding the cloud gray dress covering her being moist. If she truly had a fever than it was best to remove the clothing she wore to prevent whatever this was from worsening.

"Gah, I'm so glad I'm off that freakin' boat," she groaned while spreading herself out, a series of pops sounding when the full length of her lower torso was laid out before the pair as they began unloading their luggage and earned sympathetic glances from both as she disappeared into the washroom with a choke.

"Who would've guessed that lamias get seasick." Yugi chuckled while taking a moment to glance at the bottle of pills. "I thought these motion sickness pills would help but guess I didn't give you enough. Sorry, Anzu, we can try again next time."

A drawn out groan sounded after the sound of rushing water. "I'm never getting on one of those again."

"I have something that may help you feel better." Atem called, lowering his voice when her pale face appeared within the washroom's doorway, and offered her the bag he'd taken care to not wrinkle their entire trip. He new her attention had locked upon his offering when hooded cerulean grew wide. It was always amusing how even after all their shared time together he could still spark her curiosity even if it was something that anyone else would deem mundane. Inch by inch she slowly appeared from the adjacent room while keeping her stomach flat against the carpet until she came to a stop once raising the human half of her being so they were equal in height. A chuckle rumbled within his throat when she hesitantly regarded the bag he held. "It is not a prank, Anzu, it is a gift."

Her head tilted as he passed the bag, assisting her slender fingers with his calloused ones to venture inside until they brushed soft fabric. Their hands slowly drew out the hidden article and her expression became one of awe as cloud gray chiffon fabric spilled onto the floor. She'd seen several similar items within darkened shop windows and instantly retreated back into the washroom with a quick peck of her lips against his tanned cheek. Anzu reappeared almost instantly with a smile so bright that if it was any bigger they thought her face would split. The skirt was long enough to allow the lamia ample room to hide her lower torso, the bodice hugging her chest in a supportive yet modest way that allowed her assets to be showcased by the sweetheart lace neckline that were in the shapes of flowers with a slim brown leather belt around the curve of her petite waist to accentuate the underlying curve. Braided ribbons that matched her eyes were woven into the lace then gathered into a knot behind her head while some disappeared around her bustline where they came together in a bow resting against the small of her back.

Yugi whistled softly from where he was finishing setting up his personal workspace, nodding in approval as she spun. "Nice!" He blinked then turned to face his older brother. "Hold on, is that why you were talking to that seamstress merchant stall owner for forty minutes?"

"Indeed it was. I felt that it was something Anzu would appreciate and because it is a 'maxi' dress, she would now be capable of fully enjoying our travels with us." Atem looked proud as she threw her arms around his neck, nuzzling his nose with her own that was her favorite display of affectionate gratitude. "Is it to your liking?"

"Of course it is! Thank you so much!"

Lavender eyes widened as she enclosed his older brother in a tight embrace, hurrying to his rescue when her lower torso threatened to wrap itself so tightly around him that a bone would surely break.

He called her name softly, earning a low groan. "I must remove the dress."

"No…"

"Please, Anzu, if you are indeed falling ill I must clothe you in something else."

For a moment he thought she was going to still refuse but her arms slowly rose until they were reaching for the ceiling.

Atem quickly drew the dress's skirt upwards then over her head with great care so as to not jostle her and kept his eyes trained on her features that were shifting from pain to something he didn't recognize as the muscles within her neck appeared to tighten. Quickly shedding his own nightshirt, a pristine white tee with a low dipping "V" neckline, he quickly slipped it onto Anzu before her arms fell to curl against her chest. The lower portion of her torso took the brief opportunity to enclose around them both as if hoping to entrap the warmth his being was producing. A fine sheen of sweat slowly appeared across his tanned skin the longer she remained curled around his being but he would gladly remain captive within her coils as they gently massaged his being whenever she shivered. Her earlier spoken words were absolutely correct: she was ice cold to his touch. He readily wrapped his arms around her as she pressed the entirety of her human portion against his, softly whispering words he hoped to comfort the flushed lamia as she whimpered.

If the idol was causing this, how could they stop it? No matter how hard he wracked his mind no solution came to the well versed and knowledgeable archeologist as he locked his gaze upwards on the mirrored ceiling reflecting their images back. What was he supposed to do? It's not as if he had anyone to ask and the internet would literally be of no help since lamia's weren't considered actual living beings! They couldn't take her to the nearby hospital, where her existence would bring about only unwanted attention, but if they were to administer common over the counter remedies it may only worsen their friend's condition. A vet would be worse. He could literally imagine the expression on their face once finding a human girl attached to the impressive scaled torso! Any doctor, anyone else besides himself and his brother, would immediately report her to the authorities and she'd be taken away to either be an experiment for some scientist or locked in a cage so that biologists could study her from a safe distance.

Both would rather give up their own hands than to let anything like that happen to Anzu.

"You have one new message!"

Amethyst blinked as the air was shattered by a notification coming from Yugi's abandoned laptop sitting in the corner. Was there a chat window open that was the source? He made to dismiss noticing it, being as it was none of his business to who or what Yugi did in his spare time, until the notification sounded several more times. There was no way he could reach the computer yet he couldn't just let it continue to shatter the air with its insistent noise. "Computer, play notification."

A ding sounded, meaning that it had heard his vocal command. "You have new chat messages from 'Mazaki_DancerGurl'. Would you like to hear it?"

Atem's brow twitched. He would probably regret this but now he was curious since his younger brother had only shown little interest in girls at all. "Yes."

Another ding sounded. "Action confirmed. Message reads as follows: 'Guess I was worried over nothing, evidently it was just shedding and I came back home in time for the best part. Never thought that their mating time would alter so much though. Has she gone through hers yet?' End of first message. Shall I continue?"

"Yes!" So much hope was within that singular word but he didn't care one bit. Whoever this was, this stranger his younger brother had met online, may just be the Hail Mary they needed right now.

"Next message: 'If not, just a heads up, she might eat everything in sight. You wouldn't believe the mess I found in the kitchen when I got home. Everything was gone including the special edition snacks that I'd been hiding. He was really pale when I left and wore more layers than normal so that should have been my first sign. The huge appetite was the second but I didn't discover that until I got back.' There is one remaining unread message. Would you like to hear it?"

Slightly blind sighted, he could only sit in silence for several seconds. Whoever this person was may just know something about what was happening to Anzu! "How" was a question that could be answered later though and he gave the command for the program to continue.

"Final Message: 'I kid you not, I'm so wobbly that I can barely walk. Thankfully he's strong enough to take me where I want/need and that giant python of mine even insisted on buying replacement groceries. So sweet of him! Guess that remote job he snagged is proving helpful already. You said you and your brother are archeologists, so does that mean she tags along with you guys wherever you go?' End of messages."

That little spark of hope within Atem's veins grew as he tightened his hold on the Anzu. There was no mistaking it. This person who about lamias. "Computer, compose new 'Chat Message'."

"What would you like to say?"

He took a moment to nibble his bottom lip and exhaled with relief when the door opened with a swing to reveal a gasping Yugi who was nearly buried beneath the mountain of blankets he carried. "Good, you're here! Send a message back asking for their source to tell us everything they know about what occurs around shedding for lamias!"

Lavender blinked in confusion, brows furrowing for a second, then tossed the blankets to the floor with a disapproving frown.

"Do you truly wish to get into the argument of the messages or the fact you revealed her existence in the first place to a complete stranger?"

"Fair." He instantly took a seat in front of the laptop, fingers furiously typing away across the keyboard for several seconds then fell still as they anxiously awaited an answer. "I can explain, actually, she's kind of in a similar situation as you with the whole partner being inhuman." An excited smile lifted his lips while pivoting to face his elder brother. "Did you know that a male lamia is born every few millennium?"

Atem's upper lip twitched when she shivered violently. "As fascinating as that is, Yugi, I think someone needs to gain a bit more focus upon our current situation."

"Right. Gush later, worry now."

Another ding sounded that earned mirrored expressions of hope.

"Okay…according to her partner, female lamias can shed several times a year depending on their health. The healthier and more mature, the less frequent being as their developed hormones better adapt to-" Yugi gulped loudly, face becoming a grimace, "-trigger mating sessions when ready to conceive. First the female will coil herself around their designated source of heat then proceed to lure unsuspecting prey with their gaze…their scales can become more vivid and appear across their human torsos…" He suddenly stood upright as if the chair itself had electrocuted him, a deep dark red blush filling his face as he hurried about the room gathering his things.

"What is it?" Amethyst narrowed when his younger sibling didn't answer. "Talk to me, Yugi, do not make me middle name you."

The suitcase he'd been stuffing closed with a snap and flashed Atem a knowing smirk as he walked towards the door. "I'm going to find myself another room because it seems like you two are going to be quite busy for the next week. You just focus on Anzu for right now and I'll make sure that you guys get enough food so that she doesn't accidentally eat you or screw you to death. There's some in the kitchenette but shoot me a text, if you can, so I can get you some room service. Have fun!"

"Hold on a minute. Did you just say 'week'?! Yugi, don't you dare walk out that door!"

The "Do Not Disturb" doorknob hanger was removed from the inside one facing the room, placed upon the outside one with flare as he waved while closing it. "I'll check on you tomorrow, big brother! Try not to tear the place up too much!" Then the door swung closed with the click of the lock.

A retort rose up Atem's throat but it became a choked noise as sharp objects trailed the length of his neck, immediately making him forget his anger and finding it replaced with thrill as her breath wafted his skin. All of the information he'd heard in the last few minutes rang loudly within his ears when glancing downwards to find that her peach hued scales had become vibrant rose with each scale ending in a faint gradient of tiger orange. The breath he was in the middle of taking was stolen from him as her coils suddenly constricted, the ghost of her whisper sending electricity shooting through his veins as her lips met his jawline in a series of brief kisses.

"I'm so cold…" she whined while shifting upwards to that their noses were brushing, hooded cerulean with pupils alternating between relaxed and slits ensnaring his gaze as the mint ring he'd spotted earlier reappeared. All conscious connection he had to his body was nearly severed when finding growing need rise within those shifting gemstone waters.

He nearly stumbled when she suddenly retreated from him, pressing her entirely against the farthest wall away from him, her hands planting themselves over her eyes. "Anzu?"

"I'm sorry…I don't know what's happening…" she writhed, hands falling to scratch and paw at any scales that were within reach and causing him alarm when they began to bleed. The wild haired man was instantly across the room, hands taking gentle but firm hold of her wrists while pulling them away from her lower torso, and led her away from the wall as she shivered violently. "No, don't-"

"It will be much warmer with the blankets and with me, Anzu, do not be afraid." With slow steps, he led her towards where the mountain sat in the center of the room and only after securing her other wrist in a single hand did he draw the first sheet around her shoulders. Amethyst remained honed upon her clenched eyes even though he felt her lower torso shifting and found that the tail was assisting in gathering the rest into a sort of makeshift nest around them until they were nearly enclosed within a strange cocoon. "There, now, isn't that much better?" He soothed softly while releasing her hands and trailing his own across her being. The oils of his hands had often proven helpful in soothing any itch that her scales developed but he was still a bit shocked when thin patches of membrane were peeled away from her being in wake of his hands. The first patch was removed with little knowledge of what it was doing to the lamia, a mistake he quickly hurried to remedy by kissing away the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "Forgive me, Anzu, I shall take better care with the next."

Her head shook, the flush of her skin darkening as she moaned softly, then slumped in his hold as she slipped into unconsciousness.

The first two days were spent with her slipping in and out of deep slumber within the makeshift nest with the occasional visit from Yugi who always brought more food than Atem thought was necessary until it had literally disappeared before their very eyes courtesy of the scale covered hands that snatched every last morsel up then deposited the plastic or paper wrappings once consumed. Both brothers spent little of their earnings on frivolous or unnecessary things since they were hardly home anyway and she rarely ever requested that something be purchased so they were more than happy to accommodate the shocking appetite she was suddenly plagued with. Though the idol had been removed from the room courtesy of the private security group sent by their client, her condition did not lessen or improve until the third day.

She had emerged from the nest with heavily shadowed eyes, pale skin that had a sickly undertone, and with dull scales that were nearly gray and peeling in large sections. It was on that day that she managed to crawl across the floor to where Atem had fallen asleep within the large chair to wake him by placing her cracked palm against his cheek. To say he was alarmed by the sight of her was an understatement but he quickly forgot it when seeing her tear filled gaze. A warm bath was drawn to help soothe the cracks and soften the peeling scales, also to wash away the dried blood that had appeared within the deeper cracks between scale sections.

His motions were always attentive to the responses she gave but no matter how gentle he was each earned him a whine or arch of her spine. In the end he had managed to remove the smaller patches along her shoulders, arms, and the few on her face despite the slow process. That meant he was left with the much larger ones upon her lower torso. Like pulling off a sock, he folded back the upper pieces that had crept up her curvy waist and moved in time with her exhales.

A tremor wracked her being once the first foot had been freed of the crusty outer shell, her cheeks tinting pink while attempting to hide them within the towel she clung to that was draped over the tub's brim. "J-just do it in one pull, like ripping off a bandaid," she gasped while craning her neck so their gazes could meet, "I can't take it…when you go so slow…"

"I don't wish to harm you, Anzu." His right hand took a moment to pet the top of her damp head, earning a soft hum. The small pile of discarded scales beside him had become nearly pure white now they had become separated from her being but the more he removed the more those beneath on her being were slowly returning to their normal peach hue.

"I said do it." Her resolve were shown within the flash of sapphire within haze filled eyes as well as tone that rang off the tiled bathroom walls as she extended her lower half as far as it would go so he could do as she requested. The lamia sent an appreciative smile when he relented with a sigh and she fiercely bit into the towel in preparation for what was to come.

Atem, on the other hand, was not prepared one bit.

Off came the shedding skin in one long piece as he practically sprinted the length of the room and along with it rose a muffled but still hair raising scream from the female who became stiff as a board with eyes rolling backwards into her skull. He was forced to duck as the tail retracted like a whip to coil itself around her upper half when she slipped farther into the tub's depths until just her face was visible above the misty water's bubbling surface. What words of comfort could he possibly say though when he had no true understanding of what she was feeling? An idea came to him when her tears ceased after several minutes. "Anzu," he called gently and earned a grunt, "would you care for a rub down?" The man readily collected her within his arms when she rose out of the water and carefully carried her into the adjacent room where the nest waited once pushing the button that would empty the water. A swipe of his hand snatched the bottle of triple moisturizer that was her favorite scent then settled within the nest's center with her resting against his front. With generous amount of the white substance, he began working on her neck with adaptive fingers when finding knots beneath her flushed skin until every inch of her being was relaxed and the air ripe with the scent of mandarin oranges.

And thus the fourth day closed with her falling into a fitful slumber within his embrace.

The fifth went on uneventfully with the lamia remaining within her makeshift nest while he conversed with his younger brother or catch up with acquaintances who randomly chose that day to call and chat with the archeologist. He however spent most of the day simply listening as she slumbered while performing extended research upon the idol in hopes of better understanding what was happening. Anzu was not one to talk in her sleep yet here the female was carrying out conversations with him that would have earned anyone else's amusement. Atem found it most informative and learned more than he ever imagined possible.

Teanna, her mother, had been queen of their clan before Vivian who had attempted to ensnare him. She'd also fallen for a human male and upon her refusal to share or consume him she was challenged then exiled once defeated in battle. Alone with no support from clan or partner whom she had assisted in escaping the gruesome death of being drained dry of blood then portioned off by limbs to the others, the former queen birthed and raised Anzu until passing away from sickness that was the result of a lacking diet. Such a sad beginning yet here he was comforting the lamia as nightmares plagued her with a sense of pride of how she had come to be here.

Before the midnight hour that welcomed the sixth day, he was woken by a series of clicks from the sole entrance to the suite that were followed by the telltale creak of window shutters closing. It was still too early for Yugi's visit and no one else had a key to their room. House cleaning wouldn't ignore the sign that had been placed upon the outside doorknob, so who was within the room?

Unless…

"Anzu?" His legs swung over the side of the couch he'd fallen asleep upon and stood when no answer came from the nest a few feet away. It was completely dark within the room, no light from the outside could penetrate the curtains that had been drawn closed and even the crack beneath the door had been snuffed by something. A deep inhale through his nose brought with it the heavenly scent of honeyed peaches with an alluring hint of pomegranate that was new to his nose. "Anzu?"

Hands cupped his face, turned him slightly, and clung to his sanity as best he could when finding a pair of oceanic eyes swimming with greens as her slender fingers caressed the planes of his face. They were the sole things that his human eyes could see thanks to the faint waves of energy that radiated from around her reptilian pupils so of course he couldn't look away from them as they caused his mind that was still waking up to steadily grow blank. The soothing blues ranging from cobalt to sky sent cooling waves through his being that coaxed every muscle to loosen while the faintly pulsating tea tree green and glittering emerald prevented any conscious thought from forming as he struggled to grasp words. He wanted to ask if she was alright, if whatever had been ailing her had passed, but all the letters of the alphabet he knew were swept away by the dancing of colors before him. "I'm sorry for waking you," she cooed softly with a sultry tone so silky it made the sheet he'd been using at night feel like coarse sandpaper as her voice lured him deeper beneath the cooling waters within her gaze, "you can go back to sleep."

Her words rang like a bell in his mind, crystalline tones seeping into every inch of his consciousness until they had nearly lost all meaning as she coaxed him to tilt his head with a brush of her nose against his own. Reflex and the invisible draw her gaze had on him combined with the lack of conscious awareness caused his head to follow the same motions whenever hers rose or fell in a circular pattern. His body's natural function of breathing ceased until they had matched her own; the faint breaths of hers that lingered with the smell of sugared fruits she'd eaten soon causing his to synchronize with them. Curiosity rose for the briefest of seconds as she eased him backwards until the faint registration of the couch impacting the backs of his legs. Was she trying to convince him to go back to sleep so she could deal with whatever else was happening to herself?

"I was just feeling a bit hungry is all, Atem, so go back to sleep and I'll join you in a moment."

Had she just read his mind? No, that wasn't one of her abilities that he knew of. Did she just say she was hungry? Something deep within the confines of his fogged mind rang a warning bell that it may not be food that she required as the tip of her tail lightly pressed against his pelvis to encourage him to sit. "I can make …something for us to…us to…" Thrill slipped down his spine as a ring of mint appeared around her pupils, sending another wave of pleasant bliss coursing through his veins when the weakest of protests rose up his throat when the appendage pressing against his pelvis rose to loosely wrap itself around his shoulders. The sensation of her scales against his skin caused the rest of his sentence to become forgotten and dissolve into a deep throated hum as he reflexively craned his head to give it more ample room to move upwards if it chose.

Her supple lips teased his own by impulsing them to part as if the words themselves were coming from him. "You do look good enough to eat," she admitted almost too softly for him to hear as her tail teased the length of his exposed throat, "but I mustn't…so tempting though..."

Compelled by both his breathless breathing and the sensations cascading over his being in time with the glowing pulses her eyes were producing, his eyelids that had steadily grown heavy with each wave of color fluttered as if straining to remain open. Whatever she was about to do made the heart in his chest hammer harder and louder within his own ears as the tail's tip rose up into his hair to press against the back of his head to tilt it slightly and was given a moment of clarity when their gazes broke by means of her face nuzzling into the side of his neck. What exactly was she about to do?

"Mine."

Adrenaline shot through his system like a lightning bolt a split second as her name left his lips then everything went white as he failed to pull away before fangs buried themselves deep within his neck.

From within the blinding light came a voice that was unmistakably hers yet it was vastly different from any tone or timbre that she normally used.

"Lust for me…satisfaction is found only within me…"

Each syllable rang like a bell that caused him to vibrate slightly,

"…lust for me…for pleasure awaits within me…"

Almost like a song, it caressed his being like invisible feathers laced with high inducing softness,

"…lust for me…desire can be found with me …"

Fingers trailed across body, teasing and encouraging him to fall,

"lust for me…only for me…say only my name…and lust for me…"

By the time he'd come out of the strange high, a coil had wrapped itself around his hands that had risen as if to push her away, effectively moving them above his head where they were confined the the couch's back and found her settled between his legs with their hips lightly brushing while she soothed the puncture marks with her forked tongue. Each swipe caused his being to throb with want until she leaned back so that their gazes could meet. He should have been concerned with the near drugged expression on her face if it weren't for the way she swayed slightly from side to side. The motion combined with the radiant colors swimming within her gaze made the slight pain in his neck seem little more than a slight bug bite as he was soon floating within the swirling seas that were her eyes.

"Delicious," she purred softly with hands falling to rest against the waistband of the night bottoms he wore, "and I can't wait for more."

The words coming from her lips were spoken so sensually that he for a moment didn't comprehend them until his pants had fallen a few inches. Something was wrong though. He was consciously aware despite the pleasant numbness within his mind and humming body that begged for more of her touches yet he couldn't find the strength to break her lose hold. Every cell of his being wanted to submit to her influences, for her to do as she pleased with him, while the other wanted to question if this was the final phase of what they suspected she was going through. Ecstasy wracked his being when the tip of her tail gave his throat a series of light squeezes as his member was freed inch by inch courtesy of her slender fingers that ghosted the base of his shaft. "An…zu…"

Her gaze steadied for a moment, giving rise to confused cerulean as she blinked for a moment as if waking from a dream, her motions pausing. Mortification filled her as she quickly released his hands but what she didn't expect was that he instantly brought her upwards and sealed his parched lips over her own. As if she were a life giving spring he readily sunk beneath the slowly shifting colors that had nearly come to a stop when she pulled away. The archeologist's calloused hands soon found their way to her hips where they encouraged her to arch into him as the blood in his veins roared like a hungry inferno. He'd said her name is such a needy tone that it threatened to throw her for a loop if not for the pulse of desire that wracked her being. Forked tongue and lips parted from his own as she retreated slightly, causing the man to attempt to follow if not for her tail that was wrapped around his throat to breath a single word into his ear: "Again."

A tent instantly formed within the drifting man's pants at her whisper and quickly answered with a breathless gasp of her name, his reward the return of her forked tongue slipping back between his lips as he gasped from the rush of arousal that came the moment her name left his mouth. Pressure gathered within his lower abdomen as she hummed deeply, the subtle vibrations sending light waves of electricity through Atem as his body practically begged hers to move against it. There had been a few times in their travels where he had accidentally sampled something from nature that would cause a strange drug-like high but this made all of those seem weak as lust hazed amethyst eyes threatened to roll when her tongue slipped along his tongue's length to tickle the inner depths of his throat where it tangled with the hoarse croak of her name.

Seeing saliva beginning to drip down his chin, her lips quickly swiped them then before either could comprehend what was happening instinct had taken over the lamia to tighten her tail around his throat the moment their gazes met. The result of his sudden cutoff from oxygen caused his mind to instantly snap and body to stiffen as his hands were once again gathered within a coil above his head, sweatpants quickly disappearing with a telltale rip that left him bare as the day he was born. Within the choke that rose from his throat also went his sanity as the dancing blues and greens within her gaze ensnared him farther as the gentle swaying of her body against his fueled the fire within his veins that roared with desire.

A near audible bell being struck by a pendulum sounded as amethyst completely gave way to the swirling soothing hues that sourced from the lamia's eyes as she took a moment to smirk with pride down at her prey while loosening the hold her tail had upon his throat so he could speak, the ring of vibrant mint shifting to glittering gold that was instantly mirrored within the dancing hued within his own gaze. "P…pleasure…" he gasped as her hand drifted down the center plane of his chest, nails lightly tracing patterns across his tanned skin, to hover over his straining erection. "Lust for…" Desperation filled his voice as his hips rose off the couch in hopes to meet her fingers. They were so close their heat caused his member to twitch with anticipation. "…lust for you…desire only you…"

With a purr, Anzu slid down his bare body until her chin rested in the position of her hand, earning a slight tilt of his head before a strangled cry of her name shot up his throat in response to the slow enclosure of her lips around his most sensitive body part. Full lips first teased the head by alternating between suckling lightly as if it were a sweet candy that should be savored. They rose in the corners, splitting like a Cheshire grin, when his hips attempted to slip the impressive manhood past her lips with a deep groan.

"So impatient," her voice rang within his mind like a crystal bell, the tail tip that had been fondly caressing the side of his face shifting so that it was instead tracing the outline of his fluttering lips, "and though I appreciate the praises I suggest you quiet down or else we'll be discovered by someone unfavorable."

The mixed impulse to apologize, to beg for her forgiveness, and plead for more pleasure were effectively halted as a squeeze was given to his throat. Lips now fully gaping like that of a fish, the tail easily slid inside the warm cavern that was his mouth and earned a noise of surprise as it followed her tongue's earlier path until it was settled over top of his own. Initial shock gave way to wanton desire as it trailed outwards with its tip teasing the sensitive flesh until it had followed as far as it could reach outside of its home's boundaries where it coaxed it into a wet yet intricate dance. Saliva coated scales stimulated his tongue in ways that left him forgetting to breath as it fell into rhythm as the subtle squeezes that were delivered around his throat, anytime a noise too loud for her liking was quickly silenced by the appendage diving back into his mouth with a flash of gold within her gaze where it encouraged him to suck upon it instead.

A blush appeared within her fair cheeks as the sensitive scales were caressed by his hungry tongue then massaged by his lips that encouraged its motions. Soft hisses and purrs of approval slipped up her throat that stimulated the flesh she teased with light kisses. She was more than aware of how skilled he was when it came to their private pleasures, often rendering her to a blissful mess with just his fingers or mouth alone, and if he kept up those motions she soon would be as lost in the ecstasy as he was.

And they had only just begun.

"Lusssst for me…" the song he'd heard earlier echoing within his mind as consciousness threatened to abandon him, "…only for me…"

Slitted pupils flashed with mint as inch by inch she swallowed him until her lips met the fine ebony pubic bush at his base. The overemphasis of the "s" was a habit that occurred whenever she slipped back into old mannerisms but it was rare enough that it spurred the ecstasy wracked male farther into the throughs of desire. Her forked tongue had spiraled itself around him, the girth and length enough to make even those upon the statues of forgotten gods to seem inadequate, and hallowed out her cheeks with a deep inhale that filled her senses with his masculine musk. Another flash, this time gold, caused his expression of bliss to become filled with something near animalistic as a wonton moan rose up her throat, causing it to vibrate against the flesh within it, earning a deep baritone growl from the man whose gaze swam with lazily looping oceanic hues. Slender arms crossed beneath her breasts so that they were gathered beneath his member then had them take the place of her lips when she tantalizingly released him with a pop.

"…dessssire only for me…"

His breathing, which was already labored and unsteady, grew heavier with each bob of her head. Their gazes interlocked but the pulsating of colors steadily grew quicker as she herself felt heat pool within her core. It would not be long before she herself would needed tended. She was a patient lamia though and knowing that this man could withstand her stamina only excited her more. Lashes fluttered with each wave of gold that radiated from her slitted pupils, earning a twitch from the cock that was her toy, and gave a squeeze to his wrists when they faintly twitched. He was lean built, an aspect that she admired as much as his cunning wit and quick analytical way of thinking, yet she could never get enough of feeling him put that hidden strength to use. The feeling of his muscles shifting beneath sweat slicked skin the color of her favorite treat, a perfectly toasted marshmallow, was almost more than she could handle as faint light sourcing from the coming sunrise exposed his glistening body to the ravenous female. Every ripple of muscle, droplet of sweat that trailed down the planes of his being, even the dark blush that was rare to ever grace his tanned cheeks fueled Anzu's desire for the man. The sun had risen higher now, casting him within her faint shadow as she came closer so that his body's natural warmth filled the space between them to better help her stem off the lingering chill from the night.

"…lussst for me…cum for me…"

Instantly, the moment those heavenly soft mounds enclosed around him, his hips rocked fervently as arousal rose like a raging typhoon within his being that caused him to wildly buck and groan with rising pitch from around her tail that had hurried to quiet him. Her lips and throat readily swallowed whatever portion of his length that was left exposed, using her saliva to better lubricate and allow him easier movements as he thrusted. Oblivion swallowed him whole as her lips clamped themselves around his shaft's base when the taste of salt tickled her senses and eagerly feasted as thick white ropes coated the inside of her mouth. She suckled greedily until he ran dry and smirked to herself when finding him still hard even when releasing him to clean whatever she'd missed.

"Delicious." She spoke with such a sultry dark tone that it raised the fine hairs across his body until they stood upright. It left no room for argument as her vibrant multihued scales sensually caressed his bare body as he teetered on the dangerous edge between dream and reality. The taste of him lingering upon her tongue stoked the fire that had grow within the lamia as she withdrew until coming to a stop with her face inches from his own while lifting him from the couch by the tail still wrapped around his throat until he was standing in the center of her lower torso's coils where he was led to kneel. A saliva dripping tail tip slowly unwrapped itself from around his neck to trail downwards until it found the junction between his legs, earning a hiss from between his teeth as it teased his length.

He caught whiff of honeyed fruits just a split second before the juicy scent of pomegranate permeated his senses and his freed arms latched themselves around her, hands taking firm hold of her backside while his mouth hungrily fell upon her slit.

Their gazes remained locked as her slender fingers combed through his wild hair, sighing and humming softly in approval when he did something favorable. It was not often that one would see the strong willed archeologist show such eagerness but she could not deny that the sight of him devoting so much energy to pleasuring her with his tongue as he began humping the smooth scales of her underbelly was burned within her memory. Such an erotic sight farther fueled her inner lust, compelling her to wrap him tighter within her coils that caused his hips to quicken when the massage of her body surrounded him until only his head could move freely. The hands tangled within his tresses tightened as she began to grind herself against his face until a ringing cry spilled from her lips that was answered by one of his own as the tail tip that had been pumping his member succeeded in bringing him to another climax that caused white to spill across her peach hued scales.

"So messy and such a waste," she softly scolded while lifting the portion of coils up to where she could reach, making show of cleaning each scale that had traces of his milky substance with her forked tongue, "something so precious and delicious should be savored."

The lamia did not expect an answer, let alone a reaction from the swirl eyed man, but she did not voice or raise objection as up through the pulsating colors rose determination a heartbeat before he sealed his lips over hers. Honestly she was not surprised in the slightest that somehow through her power he was capable of acting without her suggestion. Atem had excellent leadership instinct and there were times where others submitted themselves from the sheer alpha-like energy that he emitted. Their individual tastes intermixed, shivers passing over the other's spine as subtle feminine sweetness was met with salty masculine as tongues entwined, colors within their shared gaze slowing as he lowered her to the floor where she was rolled to lay flat on her stomach with a few of the blankets to cushion the sensitive mounds upon her chest. Flexibility was one of her strong suits so it was easy for her to crane far enough back that her head rested upon his shoulder as he settled above her with legs on either side of her hips.

Her mewl of desire was drowned by the hungry lips which captured her own as his member teased her opening with slow rotations of his pelvis. Lidded reptilian refused to close despite the rush of hormones that spurred her to take control once more, that she was supposed the one who commanded him to do as she pleased, but the desire pulsing through her veins was growing too much for her to ignore. The portion of her torso that was thickest, which was where the human thighs and backside would be, was easily lifted by the built man to allow him better access to her weeping slit.

Calloused hands slipped around her until his palms collected as much of the fleshy mounds they possibly could and earned a tremor of her being as he massaged them in time with his hips. Nipples became erect in the wake of his fingers, firming when they were pinched or tugged, the sweat coating his body helping her newly developed scales to move as they moved in unison. He fully accepted her upper half by means of one arm wrapping along her bust line, freeing the other to drift downwards where skilled fingers drew a shrill cry from Anzu as fingers slipped inside. "T-tease," she whined as they massaged their way until they found a certain little spot that made her being vibrate with ecstasy with each brush of his finger, "A…A-Atem…oh…"

In one swift thrust of his hips, he was completely sheathed to the base earning a chorused exclamation of pleasure from the interracial pair. Care of being heard became no concern to either as after a few more snaps of their hips both came with violent shivers with gaping mouths connected by thick trails of saliva. "…lust for…you…" he growled, the arm that had been around her bust line rising to bury his hand within her chocolate hair so that their lips met more while emphasizing each word with a gentle thrust, "…Anzu…only you…"

She quickly rolled onto her back with him still inside and forced him to rest back against her coils with a devious smirk raising her lips as his arms secured themselves around her waist. Without her even asking he assisted in her grinds of slow lazy circles that were in time with the circulating colors she was producing. "Oh, I think I quite like this view." Her motions paused, earning a near desperate expression to cross his handsome features when she refused to move for several seconds that dissolved into one that was open mouthed ecstasy when she slowly rose upwards until just his tip was left inside. "Again."

"Lust…for you…"

The lamia sunk down an inch as her forked tongue caressed his quivering lips, slipping her tail's tip around his throat once more and delivering a squeeze that increased with strength when he obeyed her command. It was a kink of his to feel her scales around his fragile neck and often drove him wild so she knew exactly what she was doing to the usually reserved archeologist as his pulse quickened against her hold. "Go on."

"…pleasure in…you…"

Two more inches of his manhood disappeared within her flesh.

"…only you…Anzu…"

Pride filled her as the man beneath attempted to bring her down by force. Desire had long since flooded her mind and veins to the point where pure instinct was the only thing left yet even it basked in the glory of his neediness as her tail tip paused in its tightening. He looked so desperate laying there with eyes so glazed that the colors swirling within them to blur and mix. The sight alone made her hormones rage.

Enough teasing.

A fierce squeeze was delivered to his throat, earning a choked exclamation, a blissful expression crossing his features as she impaled herself upon his length. Her flesh massaged and swallowed everything that his length offered until the pair of equally impressive testicles met her scales. His name fell from her lips as she rode him wildly, unhindered as her own sanity snapped as their hips fully met with thrust of his pelvis. Slender arms threw themselves around his neck where hands buried themselves within his tousled hair as fair lips met tanned ones in a sloppy but passion filled kiss as his hands took firm hold of her fleshy backside where they assisted in quickening their rise to euphoria.

White light consumed them both as their climax wracked across their beings, the mixture of their juices spilling as they fell into blissful slumber within each other's hold.

. . . .

It was as the golden sunlight crept across the carpet with the clock's chime of noon the next day that a soft knock sounded, the lock clicking closely followed by the subtle creak that was a door opening. "Hey, you up?" A young man with lavender hued eyes peeked in, slowly venturing inside when no answer came. He of all people did not want to interrupt anything but the front desk had said the room had been quiet since he'd last visited so maybe it was safe to assume that the whole thing was over. "So I did some looking into that stuff you told me about with her mother and I think the idol must have triggered some sort of transformation shift from common lamia to queen. I wouldn't be surprised if Anzu has any physical changes or-"

The shutting of the door behind him caused Yugi to stiffen, eyes wide as they searched the seemingly empty room. A faint hissing drew his attention to the left and was met with curiosity filled cerulean peering through the cracked door. "Oh, just you," she sheepishly smiled, "sorry. Thought you were an intruder."

His lips lifted into a smile while taking a moment to survey her appearance that he could see. Her scales were practically shining like gemstones in the minimal sunlight whenever she moved. Were her eyes seem a bit more slanted in the corners? He mentally shook his head as her head tilted to the right. "Seems like that theory might be right. You look a bit different than normal but it's a good 'different'. Looks like you're feeling better too."

"Still a bit on the hungry side but yeah, I'm almost back to full strength." She twisted her torso ever so slightly, inviting him to follow, as she retreated towards the adjacent room. "I bet you're worried about him, Atem's in there. Don't worry, he's in one piece and perfectly fine." Slender brows wiggled when he sputtered. "You thought I was gonna eat him, didn't ya?"

"I-I knew that!" Yugi bristled while entering the bedroom, narrowing his gaze through the sudden loss of light to spot a familiar head of wild hair peeking out from the covers. "Damn, Anzu, you sure he's alive?"

Behind him appeared a mint ring around reptilian pupils as she slowly closed the door behind herself, her forked tongue that slipped out to moisten her lips.

Lavender clenched shut as no answer came but something did brush the top of his head, recoiling as if she'd struck him. "No you don't!"

Her tail tip trailed up his chest to cup his chin as she came closer. "Can't I show you my appreciation for bringing us food?"

"Not in the way you're thinking!"

A deep rumbling chuckle sounded. "After all that it still appears you have plenty of energy to spare, Anzu, but perhaps you should resist the urge to tease Yugi for the time being." Yugi's eyes opened when a squeak sounded, the appendage falling away from his chin, and held back a snicker when finding her blissfully purring courtesy of his elder brother gently brushed the pad of his thumb under her chin where a new patch of scales had appeared. "I was curious as to what all the noise was." Atem nodded in greeting while adjusting so that she was resting back against the bed where she sighed as his hand retracted. "I agree with your earlier voiced theory. Seems like her abilities have grown in more ways than one."

"You really think so?" Curtains were thrown open with a flick of her tail, momentarily blinding the two men, their eyes widening when finding the lamia's fair skin decorated with crimson tribal designs that reminded them of braided vines that were the same color as the eyeliner-like ones accentuating her eyes that were more tilted in the corners than before and giving them more allure. Long hair cascaded like chocolate waterfalls to pool at their feet except now there were hints of cinnamon highlights within that brought warmth to her slimmed facial features. She glanced between the pair with growing unease, hands absentmindedly smoothing the maxi dress's skirt covering her being. "Do I really look that different?"

"Anzu, you are as beautiful as ever." Atem assured with a fond smile as he sat beside her, fingers fondly tucking the long tresses behind her ear. "I know how you favor going to the salon, so I shall reserve you an appointment later today since you prefer your hair shorter."

Yugi's lips parted then closed when noticing something odd on his brother's neck. He didn't have any tattoos yet there was no denying the tribal styled choker band looking mark almost too faint for him to see clearly. Maybe it was a bruise?

Cerulean followed lavender and her expression became shameful. Slender fingertips lightly trailed across the strange mark, gasping as it shifted to rest behind his right ear where it became a snake eye that had a flower bloom within the place of its pupil. It was pretty in a way and at least in this spot it would be inconspicuous but it refused to obey any order that she gave it to disperse or vanish. "I'm so sorry, Atem, it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to get rid of it."

"As a queen, it's only natural that you mark your chosen mate so I guess this lets others know that he's taken." Yugi whipped out his phone to take a photo of the mark then showed it to his elder brother who studied the picture with awe. "Looks like you're bonded for life, pal."

Lean arms enclosed around her waist, easily lifting her from the bed so that she was seated instead upon his lap as he fondly smiled. "As if I would desire or wish to be with anyone else." Rose tinted Anzu's cheeks as she hummed softly, turning her head to trail the tip of her nose along the length of his, both chuckling as Yugi audibly gagged from the background but they knew he did so in light fun as he watched with a grin.