Zypher: told ya this wasn't going to be your little mermaid tale~ as i looked at the prompt list, these two connected just as i hoped for and this was another labor of love to hopefully see an installment later down the road. just need to figure out the direction im taking in terms of conflict. but aside from that, enjoy~
warning: mentions of drowning, death [but not really...keep reading to see what i mean~]
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Day 9: The tale continues as Yugi is faced with a life-changing decision. To join his surprising siren suitor, the human body must die in order to be reborn to the sea...
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All there was before him was an expanse of blue. Beautiful, clear blue. Where...was he...
Oh! There's something swathed in darkness. It's pretty large...he hoped it wasn't some sort of shark. He wanted to swim away, return to the surface but his limbs felt like lead, body left to stay adrift in this beautiful, beautiful blue. Then...he saw it.
Smiling, scarlet red.
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Atemu swam around his prize with a smirk. Up close, Yugi was simply divine. Delightful ivory skin paired with a lovely set of violet eyes that shone like amethysts. Pretty, unruly locks that swayed in the water, a style so similar to his own but could be considered tame in comparison. Petite body with slender arms and legs, little Yugi was a perfect consort. Now, he had been one to hate a figure decked out in precious stones and decorations as reminders of the old life he escaped but as he looked over Yugi, he was already determining what he wanted to take from his personal collection to decorate his mate.
"You will look so pretty in emeralds and silver. Or maybe sapphires and bronze. I have so much to use and all the time in the world to make you prettier. Sirens back home would be so jealous and it would please me so to see their so-call pretty faces scrunch up to one so much better that I would love to kiss." Atemu hummed as he moved about. How eager was the siren to claim his prize but this slow method of drowning made this a painful wait. He relished the sight before, his enthralled prey lost to his voice, adrift and succumbed to pleasure from his enchanted music. But now, he wished the effect of death took Yugi quicker so he can weave his spells and magic. Only when the body dies and the soul is freed can a siren guide one towards new life in the ocean. And Atemu was impatient. Very impatient.
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"Seto, what the hell is goin' on?!"
Jounouchi had plenty of questions but was sure to get half answers from his boyfriend. Since Yugi had disappeared, the blonde was kept from following multiple times by the brunet and was tired of it! His best friend was fucking drowning and Seto acted like he didn't care! If it weren't for the fact he knew Seto knew something, he would dump his ass so fast and get back to saving his friend before he came up with nothing but bones. Having to make up with some form of explanation when he returned him to see his grandfather and mother is something he wasn't looking forward to doing.
Jounouchi was sure telling them that their son and grandson died becoming fish food to a siren was going to be one, unbelievable, and two, thrown into the nuthouse. "Please Seto..." Jounouchi begged and Mokuba couldn't take it anymore. The pain in his eyes was too much. Katsuya was like another brother to him and he was just scared. He didn't understand what was going on, just that the locals were right in their stories about Atemu who clearly never kept himself a hidden presence when hunting. This had more than a fair share see him emerge and disappear from the shores of the boardwalk. "Katsuya-kun...Yugi was chosen by our cousin." Mokuba whispered and both turned to look at him. "Yer...cousin? Mokie please don't joke..."
"It's true!" Mokuba cried before looking to his brother with a pleading gaze and Seto sighed. The blonde was spun around to face the other and, gazing into sapphire eyes, the blonde felt calm. Damn the brunet for having that effect on him. But it was necessary, Seto thought, knowing the following story he was about to tell will not pan over well. However it was time he knew and if he lost Jounouchi...seafoam didn't sound like a terrible end in comparison to keeping the secret for this long.
Atemu owed him big if he got his mate to believe him and not panic but should seafoam be his end, he will be a damnable vengeful spirit attached to his cousin.
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Yugi continued to coast on the blissful feeling of floating, haunting melodies echoing in his mind, leaving him peaceful as blue stretched as far as the eye could see. But even for all the peace felt, something felt...wrong. Like this wasn't right. This wasn't a dream, was it? He remembered getting up that morning. Having breakfast with...someone. A blonde head appeared, that was...Jounouchi. Another head of brown and one of black. Seto and...Mokuba. They were friends and...they were on vacation. By the oceanside. Yugi remembers. A soft exhale spilled past his lips and from it were bubbles. Bubbles? Was he...underwater? But...if he was underwater then...
Atemu's head snapped up as Yugi convulsed where he floated, a rush of bubbles escaping a seized throat. His thrall broke?! There was no way but that's beside the point. The siren wanted Yugi to go peacefully, go without pain of knowing he was losing air and dying. This wouldn't do and set him back a few steps. Swimming towards him, his languid form coiled around him, rough scales and silken fins touching tender flesh as scarlet eyes gazed into panicked violet. But his gaze didn't bring Yugi solace to his situation. A shame. Atemu sighed, gills fluttering in annoyance. He won't give up but for now, he would have to withhold his desires.
Bringing himself closer, clawed fingers grasped Yugi's chin, forcing him to still as weeping violet begged for him to be freed. Atemu would grant his wish this time but he will not lose out on his prize so easily. Yugi was left still in Atemu's embrace, eyes wide even as they stung viciously from the salt water around him, rough lips touching his own and cutting off the inhalation of more water into his lungs that already felt heavy with water. An arm came to wrap around his hips, pressing his smaller form closer to the other before the movement of the strong tail propelled them towards the surface.
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"So lemme get this straight...my boyfriend, the Seto Kaiba...is actually a siren from the deep sea that came above, live life as a human and saw me, plain Katsuya Jounouchi as a fittin' mate." Seto nodded. "Then Mokuba, a tinier siren, knew all this but was so happy because you were ta tell me any of this." Now Mokuba nodded. "So now, while we're supposed ta be on a stress free vacation, yer cousin, also a siren, is makin' goo-goo eyes at my best friend who is currently givin' me a heart attack cause he was dragged underwater ta die so he can be one of yous?" Both nodded. Jounouchi was left to be silent for only a second before the predicted explosion came from the blonde. He ranted and raved, cursed and shouted and both brothers had to cover their ears from the noise before Seto looked to the threatening finger pointed at him.
The other knew he treaded on thin ice and it was about to make itself known when a splash came from behind. They turned to see Atemu and Yugi surfacing, Yugi absolutely pale but color was starting to return to his face which was still engaged in the deep kiss Atemu held over him. This did not make the blonde any happier. "Get yer guppy hands offa him!" Atemu pulled away in complete offense as he glared at the blonde. Guppy hands? Guppy hands?! Who the hell did this loud ground dweller think he was talking to?! But the chance of a verbal spar between human and siren was halted as the body in Atemu's arms coughed and gagged, expelling sea water in rough upheavals, the siren adjusting him so that the rest of the water could get out of his system. Scarlet looked into sapphire and Seto knew the ritual had hit a snag if Atemu had to surface.
Jounouchi went to march, rather swim because of the distance that gave him no solid ground to stand on, towards Atemu who bared his teeth at the blonde which led to Seto grabbing him by the board shorts he wore and dragged him back and down underwater. "Settle down." The blonde sputtered and wiped his face free of water before glaring at the brunet, a promise that they weren't done either but will deal with the matter of his fish boyfriend after Yugi was safe. On land. Where he belonged. Yugi's vision began to clear, heavy breaths leaving him as he drew his head up to see Seto, Mokuba and a very irate Jounouchi looking towards him or...
Following their gaze, Yugi looked up and squeaked only slightly when he saw the familiar face looking down to him. Smiling scarlet met his eye but for all things considered, as handsome the man was, he couldn't ignore the mouth of teeth that weren't human or the gills around the collarbone fluttering weakly in the open air, clearly not much of a threat if the siren holding him was in no danger of asphyxiation. Mokuba could tell this will need an explanation and sighed, deciding to take on the position of mediator.
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Yugi's mind was an absolute mess by one too many means. He was disoriented, pumped full of so much information that he didn't even know where to begin on the list of complete oddities to hit over the span of a week. Sirens were real, that was the biggest thing to hold his attention. Next was the matter that Seto and Mokuba, two that he thought were human, were also sirens. Further still on that same tangent is that they were related to the current issue that was to be addressed immediately. The issue that still held him in his arms and kept a distance from Jounouchi who was still an angry ball of...well...anger. What to do now? Yugi was stumped. "So," The smooth baritone began, making Yugi jump as he looked back to Atemu. "To see that my cousin isn't a pile of seafoam, it goes without saying that you still care for him despite his deception." Atemu spoke and Jounouchi grumbled that he was still on thin ice until this entire matter was settled. "What do ya want with Yugi?" Jounouchi demanded and the answer was simple enough.
Atemu desires him to become his mate and live with him in his grotto and the expansive territory that came with it.
Yugi swallowed, knowing full well such a decision was a huge life changer and that he would be leaving so much behind. Atemu clearly didn't want to take on the same path Seto took to stay with Jounouchi by living on land. Though it was said they didn't lose their siren forms, a bit of factual telling that any siren that decided to live with the "ground dwellers" was an insult to sirens as a whole. While Atemu didn't carry weight with an abandoned title, he didn't care much for land. Jounouchi had his arms crossed, still rather peeved by the situation and knew he had a long talk awaiting him once they got back inside. He should despise Seto for these secrets and even further, the fact he knew a damn siren, practically cousins, and was completely alright with giving up his friend like he was some item. But even for all that, a part of him still loved the arrogant bastard, he just needed to know his family history for his sake.
Yugi breathed a shaky sigh as he looked between his friend and the siren that was determined to not allow him to leave. This was a harrowing predicament. On one hand, Yugi had to give credit that he was eye-catching enough for a siren, of all things living, to find him attractive. His methods of proving such was manipulative and scary but knowing nothing of sirens except their voices were made to attract people to their demise, Yugi was sure what is considered normal human courtship did not apply. A shudder ran through his form as he thought back, a watery demise Yugi didn't think about and he was sure Atemu had used his voice more than once to coerce him towards the deep. Shaking his thoughts of that matter, the other hand held the thought of friends and family. His grandfather and mother would know nothing of this until Jounouchi went to tell them and he was sure that following a mythical creature, becoming his mate and living freely in the ocean where coming to land would be nigh impossible was not what they would want their only son and grandchild to make of his life.
Jounouchi rubbed his temples as he took in a calming breath. This was not how he wanted his summer to go. He wanted to have fun with his boyfriend, his little brother and his best friend. He didn't want to be in a whole predicament of sirens, mates and the idea that his friend had to physically DIE just to be with one. When did life get this complicated?! A glance to Seto was the number one answer. A groan left the blonde as he rustled hands in the mussy mop that was his hair. "A'ight...A'IGHT! I hate this, I really do because YOU two!" He motioned to Seto and Mokuba. "Are gonna tell me everythin' I need ta know! As much as I hate this...I can't be mad at ya. Ya kept me in the dark fer the sheer reason of me reactin'...well...just like this. And ta be completely honest, I just can't stay mad at that face either. Mokie, please dun sit here lookin' like yer 'bout ta cry." Mokuba sniffled and nodded. The raven haired boy wasn't trying to cry to make the blonde feel guilty of their predicament with hiding their siren secret from him, just terrified about what could've happened to Seto.
He didn't want him to become seafoam but if Katsuya made the call and broke up, Mokuba knew his brother would accept the fate to follow. Even if it meant Atemu would become his new parental figure and had to leave the life he led on land once Seto was a part of the sea. Yugi smiled a little that his friend had settled down a bit despite the circumstances presented. Jounouchi always had a weak spot for siblings no matter what the case could be. And if something were to put Mokuba at risk of being alone in some way, he'd take responsibility. "And you," The blonde motioned to Atemu next who sneered at being addressed so rudely, holding Yugi closer to him. "Sorry bud, but we humans never took kindly ta kidnappin'. I dun know how ya guys play the courtship dance but we do things differently. Dates, romancin', the whole deal. Gift givin' and flowers but dunno if good things like that are readily available."
Atemu huffed his annoyance as he already proved his worth to Yugi with the treasures left for him. "He accepted every one of my gifts that I left for him on shore. They all came from my esteemed collection gathered over years of scouring old shipwrecks and gathering oysters." Yugi gasped as he looked down to the golden medallion that rested around his throat with care then looked back to Atemu as he continued on that even the first accepted gift was enough to tell him Yugi was interested and signed his life to Atemu into becoming his mate. Jounouchi was about to argue that it wasn't enough when Yugi finally spoke up. After all, in the end, this was his decision whether Atemu liked it or not. If the siren had his way then Yugi would be unwilling and unaccepting towards the situation forced upon him without his knowledge. The words that Mokuba imparted onto him before was clearly in regard to this very moment. Whether he was willing to accept Atemu as his mate.
There was still so much to understand and accept about it, learning ways of the siren and if he was willing to give up life on land for a life in the deep blue. "Atemu, was it?" The siren looked down and nodded, adjusting Yugi so that the smaller male was facing him. Yugi could feel himself getting lost in those scarlet hues but shook his head, running his fingers light over the siren's arms and steeled himself for what he was going to say. It isn't often that such a chance would present itself and Yugi would take Mokuba's word that Atemu truly meant no harm. Likely he was just a desperate soul looking for someone perfect and managed to see that in him. Just a bit rough around the edges in terms of being in love. Yugi spoke calmly to the siren, telling him that he was flattered that the other was so interested in him when he felt like he was nothing special.
Atemu was aghast at such a thing and Yugi chuckled to that. At least the siren was surprisingly generous. "I see what you desire and again, I'm flattered. But I know nothing of your customs except the stories made to scare us. If you're truly devoted to having me as your mate, we're going to do this right. Get to know each other and learn. I can't wisely be mated to a siren blindly without knowing what the stories and myths don't share." Atemu grunted in annoyance but it was only fair and a just request. Since his thrall failed before, he'll allow himself to cater to such a request this time if it meant gaining Yugi to swim at his side. Give me but a week to decide, Yugi told Atemu as he swam back to Jounouchi, Seto and Mokuba. During that week they will meet during the day to simply talk and get to know one another properly and at night, Atemu was welcomed to serenade without the alluring pull that would drag Yugi from bed and into the ocean.
Atemu agreed with a reluctant air before he was gone into the ocean and the rest decided to get out as for Yugi and Jounouchi, one who should be in bed resting after nearly drowning, were getting pruney skin and needed a long hot shower. "Don't think you're gettin' away without explainin'. We got a long talk ahead of us." Jounouchi grumbled as he looked at Seto who huffed but nodded. He still had to count his lucky scales Jounouchi didn't take the decision on leaving him to become seafoam.
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So it was said that their tale found a peaceful end as Yugi and Atemu met at the rocky outcrop that was their first unintentional meeting. Yugi got to know the world of the sirens and of Atemu's history for as much as he was willing to share and Atemu got to know every little bit of his future mate. Yugi had to admit having a siren for a suitor was a strange affair but growing close to the other revealed he wasn't truly a malicious sort, just out of tune when it came to genuine love. Atemu knew desire well enough as it came with the territory but love? Yugi may not know much on the subject itself but even for what little he knew, he knew more than Atemu would. As promised, their days were spent learning and at night, just before Yugi went to bed, he would hear the telltale hymns from Atemu out at sea. They weren't made to summon him to the sea but were peaceful serenades. Blissful songs that awash Yugi with warmth.
He sung with pride, knowing it was his voice that Yugi hears and each one held promise of what will be if Yugi agreed. Love. Safety. Pleasure. Atemu promised it all and more should Yugi take the proposition and by the third day...
He agreed.
The small male told his answer to Jounouchi who was distraught but with as little tears shed, he accepted Yugi's decision and made sure his last days on earth were the best he could ever ask for. The blonde knew he wasn't losing a friend, just a part of his existence to the agreed excuse of a boating incident where he drowned. A fitting excuse for what is to happen for Yugi to join the sea. "I'll miss you, Jounouchi. Take care of yourself and for me, don't give Seto a hard time. This new world we learned exists is hard to believe but you got to hand it to him, he sacrificed the sea to stay with you. Give him merits for that." Jounouchi chuckled and nodded, having told that once he learned enough, he forgave him but promised to kick his ass if there was any other secrets he left out. Just knowing that a siren who lost love becomes seafoam terrified him and for all the hell Seto gave, the blonde couldn't let that happen.
Not just for Mokuba but for his own heart that would weep once he realized too late his mistake if he jumped the gun that day. With all things settled down and goodbyes given, the end of the week had arrived.
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"We'll come visit ya when we can, Yugi." Jounouchi promised as he stood before the petite male. Yugi smiled and moved over to him to give him a big hug. Take care of yourself and lead your best life, Yugi replied, the blonde smiling wide behind his tears as he returned the hug tight. Stepping back, violet eyes turned to Seto and Mokuba, both a mix of emotion but shared the same sentiments. Seto was passive about it but his eyes read for Yugi to take care of his cousin while Mokuba was more vocal about it. Yugi promised that Atemu will be well in his care, turning when he heard a splash from the ocean behind. Atemu was waiting. "That's my cue. Take care, guys and I'll see you on the other side." Yugi spoke, smiling softly before deep baritone of his newfound mate began to call him with its haunting melody.
A summon to the sea that will become his home and Yugi followed its call willingly, swimming out towards Atemu into deeper waters as the siren smiled warmly behind his sweet enchanting song. He swam around his prize once before arms came to slide around his waist. With one final wave towards his cousins and the blonde that he finally accepted as above a nuisance, Atemu dragged Yugi into the depths of the sea, ending the human life of Motou Yugi by peaceful drowning entangled in his loving serenade to new life.
Atemu never had a sweeter meal and savored every inch of his beautiful morsel...
He would be reborn into a gorgeous siren...
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The tales of the sirens are great and many, all harboring the same warning for sailors and people alike. Never let yourself be entranced to their songs as they will pull you under with their sinful melodies...
But even for all the warnings in the world, no one was safe from the threat of them. Especially now in a case where a harmonious duo were powerful together, dragging prey into their shared grotto as the image of scarlet and violet were all they saw in the thralling haze of perfect bliss as their bodies were torn apart to feed them.
"Atemu, I'm hungry. Can we go hunt?"
"Of course, my precious one. The boardwalk is alive with fresh meat. Attract someone good with your pretty voice."
A smile met his praise before a lavender tail with indigo rings propelled the small form, the shine of the golden medallion catching the faint sunlight as he swam. The siren was quickly followed by another that kept pace with him with leisure swipes of his own obsidian tail speckled in gold.
Atemu was pleased by the perfect mate he had in Yugi now. A fine predator with a voice so stunning that together, they were unstoppable in their bewitching serenade. Atemu wouldn't have it any other way.