Atem swam in a lazy circle in above the play structure while children played tag beneath him, and three palace guards stood at attention by the edge of the plaza.
Parents were giving the guards nervous looks, and Atem's irritation rose to an all-time high.
Please wait a bit farther away, you're attracting attention! Atem thought angrily towards the nearest Stealthsman, and the merman shook his head stiffly, his face impassive as he replied with: My orders were to stay within a spear's throw, and this is where I'll be, your majesty.
Furious, Atem dove down towards the structure, deciding he would hide from sight in one of the ship's large smokestacks.
Two children zoomed by, laughing and calling out to him. "Greetings, King Atem!"
Atem waved back half-heartedly and swam into the small tunnel, hating everything.
Supervised 'leisurely activities', supervised Sun-Time, supervised kelp harvesting, supervised everything! There was no reprieve.
A young hatchling was sitting with his arms around his tail, gazing blankly at the wall of the smokestack, and Atem drifted past him slowly before deciding to take a seat beside him.
"This is my secret hideout," the child said brattily, giving him a glare. "Tell me the password, or I'll have my invisible guards throw you out."
"The password is…" Atem raked his gaze up and down the boy's small form, taking in his light green hair, round eyes and pale skin. "Green."
"How'd you know?!" The boy cried, looking dismayed. "No fair. You read my mind."
"I did not." Atem said warmly, now wishing for some peace and quiet. "I'm going to sit here and not bother you. I'm trying to hide from the palace Stealthsman."
"Why? Is it a game?" the child asked, his eyes widening with curiosity, and Atem shook his head sadly.
"No. I just can't go anywhere without them."
They sat together in silence for a few moments.
Atem closed his eyes and sighed tiredly. Maybe he could pass the time here by thinking about Kaiba…again.
"King Atem…?" the boy spoke quietly, swishing some water his way which ruffled his bangs.
"Yes?" Atem opened his eyes, suddenly realizing he could ask this boy about human life spans. Young children learned about humans in school, didn't they?
"Is it fun? To be a king?" The child asked, swishing his tail back and forth underneath him. "My sister says it's not fun to be a royal, because you have to worry about many things."
"I do have to worry about lots of things," Atem said slowly, wondering how he could begin to ask the boy about humans. "I have to make sure everyone has enough kelp at the end of every moon cycle, along with other supplies."
"Well, thank you for doing that," the boy said flatly. "I wanna be a warrior when I grow up and learn how to fight. Can I serve under you as your warrior?"
"You may," Atem answered kindly, and he decided to just…ask. "Do you know how long humans live?"
The boy faced him with an excited expression. "Yes! We just learned about this two moon cycles ago. It depends on which region and what continent!"
"How about on the nearest continent, Japan?" Atem suggested, feeling a rush of excitement.
"Japanese Humans live to 85 years old," the boy declared, looking very proud of himself. "American humans, significantly less. Like…70. Kenyans…maybe 60?"
Atem blinked and felt all the air leave his lungs in a slow squeeze.
The boy scrunched his face up and scratched his head. "We had a huge test on all on the types of humans and how long they live. I think I got a good grade. I'm the smartest in my class because I'm going to become a warrior…"
Atem couldn't hear the rest of what the boy was saying, because a loud, terrible ringing had filled his ears. A crushing weight was growing in his chest, and his stomach was tight with anger and disbelief.
80 years? Only 80 years?!
"Yeah, it's really short," the boy said plainly, oblivious to Atem's distress. "That's why humans are so fickle. I heard that the longer humans live, the more bitter they become. Or something like that. Miss Ao says that's the reason humans start…"
Atem zoned out again, balling his hands into tight fists while his heart pounded thickly in his ears.
No. That couldn't be right.
Humans had to live longer than 80 years.
That was practically the life expectancy of a pet whale!
"I'm…sorry," the boy said sympathetically, inching closer to Atem and patting him on his arm. "Did your pet whale pass on?"
Atem shook his head with a great effort and swam silently out of the smokestack, biting back tears of frustration and anger.
He bobbed steadily before one of the Stealthsman and pointed into the smokestack of the play structure. "There's a child in there who wants to learn spearing techniques. Talk to him, won't you? The password is green."
The guard frowned at him in confusion and Atem addressed the other two men, his voice shaking with distress. "I'm going home. Escort me back to my room. I've had enough…"
Of everything, Atem finished mournfully in his mind, swimming off towards the palace without waiting for the men to follow.
Letting the tears run quickly off his cheeks, Atem palmed them off his face, not caring that he was littering gemstones over people's rooftops.
He needed to renegotiate the terms of his punishment with everyone and beg for forgiveness harder than ever.
Kaiba bent down to inspect the array of lipsticks displayed before him, and all three of his chemists bowed proudly.
The women were so excited, they talked over one another and finished each other's sentences.
Kaiba nodded absently, only half-listening, because he could hear their thoughts in-between all of their voices.
"So, we've finally managed to find a way to incorporate the liquid…"
Mr. Kaiba looks handsome as usual today, no, his skin is glowing. It must be the serum. I should start using it more every night. I've stashed some for myself.
"…It gives the color a good sheen too!'"
Some gay men have really good taste in makeup, but I'm not sure Mr. Kaiba knows what he's doing here. It's not my place to suggest the colors…is it? No one will wear this bright neon-green lipstick! Maybe a clown….
"The sheen wears off after the first few applications, but it is very moisturizing…"
Perhaps we should stick to colorless and odorless. Everything here doesn't look like it belongs to the Kaiba Corporation brand. But I had so much fun making these! I hope he approves!
"Very waterproof, as you asked. It only comes off with an oil and a light scrub."
For blowjobs in the shower with his boyfriend, probably.
He's having sex in the pool with lipstick on, probably.
Mr. Kaiba wants a lipstick that will withstand vigorous kissing perhaps?
Kaiba grit his teeth and felt his blood boil while his ears burned with embarrassment. Was this really what his chemists thought of him? Gay? And promiscuous?
"I've been using this colorless one as a balm every night before I go to bed…" the middle chemist was still speaking, now more to her co-workers than anything. "Look at my lips. Aren't they soft? My husband says it's like he's kissing a new woman."
I hope he takes the hint. Colorless balms are the way to go. I personally wouldn't buy any garish Kaiba Corporation makeup.
"Make it a balm! You can sell the balm and the serum together!" The first chemist said excitedly, grabbing the tube of balm from her co-worker and tapping the end with her finger.
People might think that Kaiba moving into the cosmetics industry is a power-hungry move. Money-hungry too.
"Stop that, Yoko-san, that goes directly on my mouth!"
Omg this bitch did not just snatch that from my hand! I made it especially for myself!
"I'm wearing gloves!"
This bitch is so stingy, always stashing and making things for herself using extra materials.
"You're wasting it by touching it!"
I will kill her where she stands if she doesn't give it back, right now. I'm a pregnant woman and my pregnant rage knows no bounds!
"Yoko-san…Imako-san, please, we are giving a report," the third chemist said anxiously, and her thoughts were the faintest of all.
These two are so difficult to work with because they're always secretly fighting about something. This week, it's going to be about this lip balm. Ah…I wanna quit, but the pay is good here….and Mr. Kaiba is nice to look at. Too bad he's gay.
"Okay, I understand." Kaiba said, stepping back and folding his arms across his chest.
All three women quieted, staring at him apprehensively.
"The lipsticks are not going to be for sale," Kaiba said evenly. "I take it you have left over batches? Use it all, and I'll take everything with me. These are going to be a gift."
The women's mouths dropped open slightly, and Kaiba winced when all three of their thoughts jumbled together in his consciousness.
Wow! I WAS WRONG! HE'S NOT GAY?! Who is she?!
Such a generous gesture?! For a woman, perhaps?!
HE'S GIVING A WOMAN AN ENTIRE COLLECTION OF LIPSTICKS?!
"And...!" Kaiba said, a little louder than he'd intended, "I want to begin testing the liquid on animals. Someone do the paperwork and bring in some rats. I'll be conducting those tests personally."
Cruel!
Those poor rats, but I'm sure it'll be for a good cause.
He's a murderer in secret! Thank god I don't have to touch rats.
"After the batches have all been used up, I'm splitting you three up into different departments, and you'll each be working on something new," Kaiba said calmly. "Send an email when everything is done. I'll come by with a truck."
Finally, freedom from these two!
Thank…GOD! Imako-san has been showing up in my nightmares.
I need something new, but I'm going on maternity leave soon….
"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," came the replies, and Kaiba didn't bother to answer. He was already halfway to the elevators, desperate to get away from the harsh truths people were spewing from their minds.
Hiding in the safety of the elevator, Kaiba breathed a tight sigh of irritation.
So, people thought he was gay?
Is it that obvious? Kaiba fumed, and he decided not to think about it further.
He was going to see Atem tonight, and thoughts of an evening in the sand with the beautiful merman was what kept him sane throughout the day.
"Mana!" Atem called, sending out solid thought-waves at the same time, racing through the long hallways of the palace, his panic rising steadily. Mana! Where are you?!
"She's in the infirmary," a maiden called to him from afar as she swam by with her friend, carrying ceramic vases in each of her arms. "I saw her there moments ago, my king."
Nodding in thanks, Atem changed course and swam rapidly towards the infirmary, still biting back angry tears.
He had to be absolutely sure. He needed to double and triple check his sources regarding human life spans.
If Seto Kaiba only lived to 80 years, did that mean they would never see each other again?
Atem bobbed nervously at the doorway of the infirmary, seeing Mana and the head nurse hovering over the incubators, watching eggs hatch.
A nurse waved at him and smiled warmly, welcoming him in. "My king! What brings you here today?"
"Human life spans," Atem said instantly, and the entire infirmary grew quiet. Even the mer-people in the beds stopped mid-conversation to stare at him.
The head nurse drifted away from the incubators and approached him steadily, bowing, "My king…let's speak in private."
Atem nodded and followed her into a singular pod and waited for her to draw the edges closed for privacy.
"How are you doing, my king?" She asked gently, reaching forward for his hands, and Atem willingly placed them in hers, feeling his body heat up instantly as she began to examine his vitals.
"I'm stressed, angry, and trapped in my own kingdom," Atem answered truthfully, and he received a sympathetic look in return before she released his hands and looked very worried.
"I-I'm afraid…your impotency still has—"
"I don't care about that anymore," Atem raged, interrupting her and knowing he sounded rude. "Please tell me everything you know about human life spans."
"A strange request," she replied, her cheeks reddening, but she obliged. "Humans on the shore closest to us, Japan, live to about 80 years. It depends on which continent and which region. Of course, it also depends on what the human consumes throughout their life, very similar to your pet whale, Jin, remember?"
Atem swayed on the spot, his body and mind numb with sadness and horror. So it was true. Humans lived only as long as whales…in the best-case scenario.
"Mana told me some of what happened on shore during your captivity," the head nurse said, sounding very kindhearted. "Please don't blame yourself. You returned alive, and that is what matters."
"But the human…I'll never see him again!" Atem managed through gritted teeth, growing cold all over with dread. "I didn't even get to say thank you or goodbye."
"The human will think very fondly of you for the rest of his life," said the head nurse, unaware that her words were causing Atem more distress. "Perhaps we could—"
"I came here to speak with Mana, thank you." Atem cut across her shortly and pushed his way out of the pod.
He felt like screaming and never stopping.
He wanted to cry and cry.
He wanted to punch through a thousand stone pillars.
And most of all, he wanted to be warm, in Kaiba's arms, listening to his thoughts inside his mind while they sat on the sandy beach.
"Mana…" Atem breathed, pulling her away from the eggs and leading her out of the infirmary, out of ear-shot. "I need you to go on shore for me and send him a message."
Mana's eyes widened and began to glitter at the edges with unshed tears, "Y-You want me to…talk to the human, Seto Kaiba, in your place?"
"Yes." Atem said firmly, trembling with determination. "I can't just disappear. I promised to see him."
"I'll get in trouble for helping you!" Mana cried, pressing her hands against her cheeks tightly. "You want to me deliver an item, or a message?"
"Both." Atem glanced around frantically and pushed Mana towards the end of a deserted hallway for more privacy. "The next time you go to shore, you must tell him of my predicament. Tell him, that I will still be waiting for him, and that he better still be there for me when I surface."
"I…I'm scared," Mana whispered. "Mahad arranged for a guard to swim with me to shore. Do I dismiss the guard? But I want him to go with me!"
"Just once, please," Atem implored, grabbing her hands and giving them a tight squeeze. "Remember our pet whale, Jin?"
Mana nodded tearfully, her pearl tears clinking onto the hallway floor gently.
"Humans only live as long as Jin," Atem said shakily, unable to imagine it. "My human, Seto Kaiba, will wonder about where I've gone…for the rest of his life! I still have so many things I want to tell him. I'm going to try to get Solomon to shorten my punishment. I want to visit him at least once every decade."
"Then…I wish you luck," Mana breathed, squeezing Atem's hands tightly in return. "What item am I bringing?"
Atem blinked rapidly, also trying to hold back tears. What item would have enough meaning, enough to keep Seto Kaiba's interest for decades on end?
Nothing.
The concept of waiting decades to see each other was too daunting.
"Atem…don't cry," Mana said reassuringly, already crying herself. "I-I really am sorry. I'll do it for you. I'll go see him for you as many times as I can. Maybe twice…I don't know. I'm really scared of surfacing."
"I know you are frightened of going up there, but I need you to go at least once." Atem swallowed thinly, his mind racing for something to give Seto Kaiba…something with immense meaning….
My earrings! Atem reached up and unhooked them slowly from his ears, his head spinning as he realized what he was about to do.
"Take these," he said, pressing the gold earrings into Mana's open hands, and her manicured fingers closed over them tightly with disbelief.
"Your mother's earrings?" Mana whispered incredulously, and Atem nodded.
"My mother's earrings. Give him these, and he will know that I am speaking through you."
Mana shook her head frantically. "These are your dearest possessions! I've never seen you without them. You can't give these to him! Someone will notice!"
"Find him and give them to him." Atem insisted, looking deeply into Mana's panic-stricken eyes. "You must, do you understand? My dearest possession is going to a person closest to my heart. Please, Mana… I love him."
Mana clutched the earrings so hard, the hooks dug painfully into her palms and she nodded solemnly.
"I will surface alone, and I will deliver your message along with these earrings," Mana said softly, bowing her head and suppressing a hiccup.
"What are you two whispering about?"
Both Atem and Mana jumped in surprise.
Atem whirled around angrily, seeing another member of his court floating behind him. His royal ambassador, Shada.
He hovered awkwardly before them, the tattoos on his face looking darker than usual.
"You've returned from American waters!" Mana bobbed her head politely, hiding Atem's earrings behind her back smoothly without missing a beat. "Welcome back, Shada. You've got a lovely tan…."
"Yes, now leave us alone," Atem commanded, grabbing Mana by the arm and leading her down the hallway towards his room. "Good day, Shada. Debrief us later, we're busy."
Mana threw a nervous glance over her shoulder and gave Shada a careful wave.
Shada stayed where he was, slightly confused.
Why had the atmosphere of the palace changed so drastically since he had been gone?
Deciding to ask Mahad, Shada swam off towards the warrior's room. After swimming down several long hallways, he approached Mahad's door and gave it a firm knock.
The warrior answered right away, looking tired and stressed. "Ah, Ambassador. Welcome back."
"Mahad," Shada said urgently, pressing his hand against the door to keep it open. "Has something happened? There's a chill…."
Mahad shut the door to his room behind him and whispered, "Yes. Atem was captured by a human, and this very human sits on shore, awaiting a delivery of dead scales tonight."
Bewildered, Shada followed closely behind Mahad as Mahad switched to thoughts as they swam through the palace.
"A despicable human. Forced Atem to mate with him for his freedom, and now our poor king believes he loves the human like a Mate."
Shaking with disbelief, Shada swam right out the palace gates with Mahad, absentmindedly accepting the staff that was handed to him by the door guard.
"Good, keep yourself armed." Mahad said darkly, switching back to speaking normally. "I'm off to collect dead scales from all the salons. I know you've just returned from a long journey, but would you perhaps like to accompany me to deposit the scales on the human's private rock?"
Shada nodded wordlessly, understanding the full gravity of the situation. He had just come from dealing with American Humans on the opposite shore, and the experience had been grueling.
Even though he was tired from his long swim, he was loyal to Atem, and was willing to do anything to keep the kingdom safe.
"Good man." Mahad bowed his head in respect and dove down towards a tiny sea-shell covered rooftop of a salon, leaving nothing but a trail of clear bubbles behind his tail.
Kaiba sat on the beach, gazing out over the pink and orange waters as the sun set steadily over the horizon, casting its warm glow onto the sand beneath his toes.
He sighed irritably and inched closer to the waves, wondering if Atem was angry with him.
A thought occurred to him, and he bent forwards to inspect his own toes, checking for webs. Kaiba dug them deeper in the sand, relieved that his toes were all still separated.
"Atem!" Kaiba called, hearing his own voice echo emptily up and down the deserted beach, and he let out another sigh.
A faint buzzing was coming from afar, and Kaiba scanned the beach, thinking it sounded like his phone was ringing. Was it ringing?
His phone had been left on the desk inside the house because he wanted to avoid getting it wet.
Slowly rising to his feet, he walked back towards the property, wishing Atem would hurry up and show his face already.
Underneath the water, Mahad popped his head up and Shada followed suit, taking a loud gasp of air.
"Quiet…" Mahad muttered, scanning the shore for a human figure and seeing no one. Strange. Very strange indeed.
"Stay on high alert, Ambassador." Mahad said stiffly, heaving the sack of scales over onto his other shoulder, eyeing the large house on the edge of the cliff. "Just because he isn't present doesn't mean he isn't watching. He may have set a trap—"
"Just toss the scales on shore and be done with it." Shada growled, beginning to feel his exhaustion in the tips of his fins. "I'll do it."
"No, come with me. There's a place he carved out of the rock for us." Mahad replied carefully, and both men dove down beneath the surface again.
Shada swam hurriedly after Mahad, barely able to keep up. His companion approached a rock bed protruding from the shore, and to Shada's rising amazement, there was a tiny crevice dug out in the center, along with shiny steel hooks hanging in a row along the inside.
His skin crawled strangely as he inspected the deposit slot.
This human, whoever he was, was extremely intelligent. Dangerous.
Mahad was right to be cautious. Something also felt off about this delivery system.
"Done. Now, we leave," Mahad growled, tucking his spear at his side and kicking off the rock.
"Wait! Warrior…" Shada leaned his ear against the rock, pricking his ears up keenly. "Do you hear that?"
Mahad froze on the spot and bobbed gently underneath an oncoming wave and also perked his ears up, listening intently.
There was the rush of water, and the wind above their heads, the quiet whisperings of fish swimming along shallow waters…and nothing else.
"I don't hear anything, now come, let's leave!" Mahad insisted, eager to head home, but Shada shook his head stubbornly, keeping his ear pressed against the rock.
There was a constant, high-pitched electronic whine coming from the rock. Either that, or it was coming from somewhere on shore, and Shada recognized this sound instantly. It made his hair stand on end, because it meant there was a camera nearby somewhere, or some type of recording device that was always on.
"I need to check this rock, and the surface above it." Shada said gravely, and Mahad opened his mouth to protest, but was too late.
The bald merman had already popped his head up on the surface, his tail beating energetically beneath him, keeping him buoyant.
What do you see? Mahad hissed frantically, and Shada held up a hand under the water, gesturing for silence.
Shada glared intently at a black camera wedged visibly in the rock, the tiny circular lens staring him right in the face.
I was right! Shada growled, lifting his spear out of the water and weighing it in his hand. It had been a while since he had speared something from this distance.
"Oh, let me do it." Mahad surfaced too and stared at the ominous surveillance camera sticking obviously out of the pale rocks. "That…cretin."
"Can you hit it from here?" Shada asked, and his question was already being answered as Mahad balanced his spear in his palm with practiced ease.
Tensing his muscles, Mahad hurled the spear with vicious force, aiming just above the tiny camera, making sure to account for gravity taking the point of his spear downwards.
Shada's mouth dropped open as the camera shattered instantly when the tip of the spear knocked it clean from its mount, leaving nothing but a sad scrap of metal hanging out of the rock.
"You are a top warrior indeed!" Shada praised, and Mahad trembled with victorious fury. "But…your spear. Shall we work together to fetch it?"
"Leave it." Mahad sniffed, sinking back beneath the water's surface quickly. "He can have it…to stab himself through the neck."
Such loathing, Shada thought mildly, diving back under the water to follow the warrior. That had been mildly uneventful. Even though this human was intelligent, Shada had a feeling everyone was overreacting to this human's antics.
Humans loved their electronic toys. The camera was not malicious, but probably more of a safeguard.
Back inside the house, Kaiba stared dumbfoundedly at the missed call notification.
His hearing had somehow improved, because he had heard…no, he had felt his phone ringing. Something in the air was conducting the signals enhancing his senses. Or it was something in the scales he was ingesting that made the air feel different?
Hitting re-dial on the unknown number, Kaiba pressed the phone to his ear, counting the rings.
A soft-spoken male voice answered the other end, sounding very tired.
"You've reached Dr. Marik Ishtar of the Ishtar Fertility and Family Planning Clinic. How may I help you?"
Kaiba frowned, pulling the phone away from his ear and wondering if he should hang up. What the fuck? A prank call?
"Hello?" The voice on the other end echoed thinly and Kaiba was about to hang up when the voice said his name.
"Ah! Mr. Kaiba, is it? I thought I had the right number. I apologize for not leaving a message."
Thoroughly confused, Kaiba held the phone up to his ear again. "Who are you and how do you have my number?"
There was an awkward pause on the other end before the reply came calmly, "You…left it with us, after sending us a fluid sample."
Oh…fuck. Kaiba thought nervously, remembering that he had sent Atem's semen sample to another private lab because he had been too embarrassed to have them run tests on it at his own lab.
But he didn't remember the lab having this strange foreign name?
He was sure he had sent it to a Japanese lab.
"I don't know what game you're playing, Mr. Kaiba," the voice continued, now sounding slightly irritated. "Perhaps you have too much time and money on your hands, but we don't appreciate being pranked."
"What?" Kaiba breathed, thinking he was the one being pranked now. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," the doctor said, now beginning to sound cold. "I don't know how you managed to get such a large amount of dolphin sperm, but if you continue to send us samples of it, we will file a harassment claim."
Kaiba's mouth dropped open and grew weak at the knees.
Dolphin sperm…?! WHAT?!
"Thank you, and have a nice day," the man said, and the phone clicked off in his ear.
Reeling with disbelief, Kaiba bent over his desk and rode out a dizzying wave of nausea washing over him for a moment.
Great. The nausea was back, and Atem was apparently a dolphin?!
Which means I've had dolphin cum in my ass? Kaiba spiraled wildly, feeling a delirious laugh threatening to explode from his chest.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a splash and a ripple beside the rock at the beach, and he jerked his head up, leaning over his desk to gaze out the window, just in time to see a second spear lying haphazardly in the sand.
Weird. Was Atem throwing spears at the rock for fun now?
Racing out of the house, Kaiba dashed onto the beach, his lungs burning strangely with each breath as he approached the silver spear on the ground.
He turned around to inspect the water's edge, seeing nothing and no one.
Weird?!
Kaiba whipped his head around to see what the spear had hit, and his blood ran cold with fury when he spotted the pieces of his surveillance camera scattered everywhere.
So this was why Atem hadn't surfaced in two days? He had spotted the camera and thought it was offensive?
Alright fine, fine, there will be no more cameras, Atem! Kaiba thought wildly, turning around to face the crashing waves lapping at the shore, and he waited for a response.
Nothing.
"I'll get rid of the camera!" Kaiba said loudly, scanning the surface of the waves, listening for the tell-tale splash and the hint of a red tail, but there was no response.
It seemed Atem had left.
"Fine! Be that way!" Kaiba shouted, hearing his own voice echoing dully back at him up and down the empty beach. You better show your face tomorrow then!"
And with that, he stormed back into the house, deciding he would pick up the pieces of the camera later.
It was getting harder to breathe for some reason, and every beat of his heart was painful.
Cursing internally, Kaiba decided he would drink a second vial of scales before he went to bed tonight, because he was starting to feel sick again.
Author's note:
Atem finds out the horrible truth about human life spans.
Shada makes an appearance
Kaiba gets a weird call and still feels sick.
edited by: setokaibaes/marshmallons
see you next week for the next chapter!
-ugli