[OPEN] Bouncing Back

[soul_mods]

Characters: Open to the kidnapping victims, their visitors, and medics.
Location: Death City Clinic
Rating: Varies
Time: June 17th and 18th (if extra time is needed), all day
Description: After a return to Death City and resulting brief surgery to remove the amplification chips, patients are now under observation for the safety of themselves and others as they recover from the ordeal. Visit a friend!



It began with a sigh of relief when the chips were discovered late last night. Nurses and doctors moved briskly down the halls, sedating the maddened and prepping them for an easy surgery. One by one the foul chips are removed, contained for further analysis while their 'hosts' take their first real rest after a whirlwind day spent out alone with their own crazed minds.

By the morning of the 17th, the surgeons anesthesiologists are exhausted, wearily taking their time in the break rooms of the clinic to recover from a very long night of sedations and incisions, but after another examination, they were pleased to announce everyone was clean.

But the environment is tense. Most, if not all of those who were brought back had done unspeakable acts and are ordered to remain under observation just in case. Visiting hours arrives just after Morning Training lets out, allowing patients to see their friends and partners. But take note- each room is accompanied by a Shibusen agent keeping their eyes and ears open in case of trouble, but they won't disturb your visit or conversation so long as you keep things civil.


[ooc: Remember to tag yourselves in!]

Comments

[mieru_mienai]

Try as he might Yuugi can't help but laugh at the mental image, though he quickly lifts a hand to stifle the clear and pleasant sound, dropping back to lean his shoulders against the fence as well.

"I'd like to have seen that," he admits with a grin, his thoughts aligning with Atem's more than he realized. There's something a little wistful in his tone as he lets himself be drawn further into the relaxing calm of the moment. It's so easy, for now... The sense of companionship is different from anything he's experienced before, with the other Yuugi or any of their friends--even Jounouchi--but it's warm and deeply satisfying.

He tucks his arms behind his back and props one foot back up against the fence, lifting his eyes skyward as well and blinking against the bright light. If he could have followed Atem to that place of his memories, he would do so easily, right now.

[pregames]

"You could." Just like that, Atem is prepared to share it all with Yuugi. The arid sand cut cleanly by the glistening surface of the Nile river as it wound through the valley of verdant green. The two lands crashing together in sharp lines border by mud brick houses and bustles markets and most spectacularly of all, his city, Thebes of a hundred gates and the palace towering above it all. He wants to share the faces of his mother and father and all his friend and more than a few enemies. He liked to remember Egypt at her best but never forget it at her worst when the land was broken by the ravages of war, the heavens obscured by omnipresent shadows and the hopeless desolation that burned itself into their very hearts.

Those were the memories he was supposed to protect. But one by one the friends he’s made and the life he's lived here in death city chipped away at his resolve until the necessity of losing those memories became impossible to deny. A pharaoh was charged with upholding the truths of ma'at and that too wears at him. He's tired of juggling the many multiple causes that he never had a choice in accepting to keep them all safe. And he’s absolutely sick of hiding, no longer certain of even his own place in it all. At least if it's Yuugi, he knows he can trust him and he can finally have someone to confide in.

"It is inevitable if we are going to be partners." He looks to Yuugi from his place on the ground, expectant. "It’s up to you of course."

[mieru_mienai]

Yuugi's gaze is drawn back to Atem by the first words, wondering and a little unsure at first, but as realization dawns his eyes blink wide and his posture becomes rigid. Only for a moment though and then he breathes again, slowly, letting the words sink in, allowing that they might be real and not a figment of his imagination.

"You know I've wanted that since the beginning," he tells him quietly, not in reproach, once his tongue decides to cooperate with him. "My feelings haven't changed." They both know that isn't entirely true; Yuugi has changed, and what began as expectation and even some measure of dependence on his part has grown into something much deeper, much stronger in the time they've been apart.

Even so, has he really earned the right to stand as equals beside a king? Yuugi swore he would trust Atem's judgment regarding their partnership, resigned himself to it the day he gave the pharaoh his and the other Yuugi's deck, but now that he finally hears those words the timing takes him aback. He messed up so badly on the most recent mission, and yet...

And yet Atem's intentions are undeniably clear. His decision rests on far more than the events of the past few days; it's about everything that has grown between them since the day BREW brought them here. Yuugi knows him well enough to be certain that the pharaoh would not have said anything if he did not believe he had merit. Worth.

He squares his shoulders and stares ahead, and something changes. The veneer of a simple, kindhearted yet awkward schoolboy falls away entirely; for a rare moment, as the awareness of Atem's estimation swells within his chest, his appearance almost does justice to his substance. "I want us to be partners."

[pregames]

When the declaration falls on his ears, there’s a smile tugging at his lips that must have been born of the same sensation now tugging at his heart. It swells to fill the place where, for a brief moment, doubt still lingered with the shadows that stuck to Yuugi like a leech ever since their regret laden return.

They can't have that. In spite of Yuugi’s acceptance he wants to ensure that the past never returns to eclipse their bonds. They need a fresh, pristine slate to begin a new chapter in their friendship.

“Come here.”

Realizing they have more than just words to rely on now, Atem reaches for Yuugi’s hand, brushing his fingers and intertwining them even as he struggles to find his feet again. They should be on equal footing for what comes next.

A hot summer breeze stirs the rooftops, the sun saturates the cloudless sky and Atem catches and holds Yuugi’s violet eyes captive as he reaches out tentatively to brush his soul.

[mieru_mienai]

Yuugi blinks at the instruction and returns to normal, just a well-meaning teenager again as he obligingly takes Atem's hand and provides the counterweight needed to help him to his feet. And then--

He almost sighs contentedly at the careful touch of Atem's soul, but manages to keep the sound to himself. His response comes so easily it's as though he didn't even require thought, gently dropping his own barriers away without yet pushing for anything more than that. Even without him doing so, however, the tingle of pleasant anticipation is easy enough to sense along his wavelength.

It's different--resonance for the sake of itself. Without a goal in mind, without an enemy to fight it reminds him even more of the every day connection he had with the other Yuugi, and yet with Atem it is still so very, very different.

[pregames]

For a time, Atem is content to immerse himself in the harmony of their near perfect bond -- at least he can’t imagine it ever working better than this. He closes his eyes and the barriers crumble, stripped away and discarded on the floor, the remnants of his being vulnerable to investigation.

Yuugi, who was an ideal host is no less cordial nor accommodating as a guest, even with the promise of untold memories beyond the threshold.

His soul, the labyrinth with its dark crevices and winding Escherine stairways ending in hollow portcullis, remains, but it gives the impression of something whole, with every facet just out of reach. Behind every door resides a story, some of them radiant and comforting as the sun warmed sands of their setting, other’s ring crisp and clean, balancing the feather light scales of his own heart. Tucked away in back recesses were the heaviest doors shrouded in twisted, vines full of thorns that torn apart from the inside out.

Atem still has to beckon him inside, folding him in all the feelings of these past few weeks. The confusion, the uncertainty, the turmoil bleeding into an ever increasing respect and even affection. Acknowledgement of what they struggled through to get here and a desire to offer something up in return, the only thing he really has that is worth it. Himself. What Yuugi will find within that soul, above all, in profuse abundance, is acceptance.

[mieru_mienai]

Yuugi assumed he was ready--they've done this once before, after all--but he was wrong. This time is nothing like before, and when he finds himself drawn into the warm folds of that unconditional acceptance there is only one possible reaction. The first hot tears spill down his face before he even has a chance to blink, a choked sound working its way from his throat.

"Sorry! Sorry," he stammers hastily, lifting his free arm and dragging a sleeve across his face, struggling to pull himself together as soon as the outburst hits him.

But it isn't a simple thing. Every gift Atem has given him today is more precious than the last, and such openness, such trust, such regard--all of it hits Yuugi so strongly and now, after all that has happened between them, there can be no question that every trial and every disappointment required to bring them to this moment has been more than worthwhile.

"Th--thank you." Despite his attempts to regain his composure, the--unplanned--expression of his overwhelming appreciation comes out strangled with emotion, his hand grasping his new partner's more firmly than necessary but he doesn't realize.

[pregames]

Atem feels the response more than he sees it and registers it. It causes a stubble ripple, like a pebble dropped in the smooth surface of a pond and it catches him off guard momentarily. That is until he sinks backs into the depths of their connection, reaching out gently to pick it back up again. The capacity of Yuugi's soul was vast and he filled it with so many emotions but he would have time to explore that later, without one important one bubbling up.

"Yuugi"

He leans forward till they almost touch only the sun warmed surface of the pharaoh's crown separating them. He squeezes back, without flinching, letting up and certainly not letting go.

"You don't..." have to thank me is what he as about to say when he stops himself short. Dismissing his gratitude would be akin to dismissing all the feelings his partner is experiencing now, the very same ones that strike a chord deep within his soul

"It's your fault you know." Overwhelmed by a sense of something that was equal parts pleasing and heartrending, it's all Atem can do to slip back into the familiar banter.

[mieru_mienai]

Yuugi draws in a sharp breath and gives the slightest shake of his head, not enough to disturb the touch between them but enough to express his feelings.

"N-no way, I just--"

He can't believe it, that the feelings surrounding him now and filling his heart to the brim are a result of his own actions; it's just too much to credit to one person, especially a person who stumbled along every day struggling to meet his own expectations and falling short far more often than he cared to admit.

The humility is so deeply ingrained in him that Atem can't miss it, and Yuugi can't hide it, but even so he tries not to linger on those thoughts, pushing them hastily to the back of his mind and moving forward instead. The labyrinth of Atem's soul is still open to him, and he won't minimize the offer or disregard the opportunity.

The door he chooses is light, the memory inside a pleasant one, and he has the impression that if he pushed at all that door would swing open for him easily but he doesn't go so far, simply reaching out to lay a hand against the warm frame.

[pregames]

If it were possible to share a laugh through their connection he would. Instead, so deeply submerged within their entwined souls, Atem delivers a pulse along their wavelength, in time with their beating hearts that is equal parts amusement and pleasure and reassurance. Yuugi may be the humble one but Atem had enough pride to share.

The door he chooses parts with ease, giving way to someone’s private quarters, sumptuously decorated in bright colors and gauzy linens that filter the sunlight streaming in through a wide veranda.

Though it was midday, the heat enough to draw out the sound of cicadas, there’s a pleasant breeze in the air that carries with it a strange sound, half whining, half hiccuping, unmistakably that of a child crying.

"Che. You just had to pick something embarrassing." Atem’s voice, that of his disembodied partner, rings out, far less bothered than the words let on.

At the far side of the room, lounging upon an ebony couch strewn with plush cushions, resides a young woman who could not possibly be more than a few years older than Yuugi himself but she holds herself tall and proud and wise beyond her years. She’s clothed in a fitted shift with broad straps that modestly cover her breasts. Gold jewelry catches the light just so and sets her arms and collar and head alight like sparks of a falling fire. Beneath her crown, not the heavy headdress of Nekhbet but a delicate circlet of stars , she wears a wig made up of hundreds, maybe a thousand smooth tiny braids that sway from at her hips with the slightest movement.

Her very essence is so striking that she dwarfs the small figure bent over her lap though the familiar shock of hair is unmistakable. Tiny hands cling to her dress which is damp with tears and, on closer inspection, stained with flecks of red.

[mieru_mienai]

Yuugi steps into the memory and it's like walking into a dream, vivid, but happening all around him; he knows he isn't a part of it but that doesn't leave him unaffected. Rather, he is immediately entranced, hearing Atem's comment but barely registering the meaning of the words, while every detail of the room and atmosphere burn a vivid picture in his mind.

His attention is quickly drawn to the source of the crying and for a moment he's speechless.

"Your mother...?" he manages, speaking softly so as not to interrupt the memory, though the question needs no answer. The identity of the woman is made more than obvious by the regal tenderness in her expression, and those tiny fists curled so tightly in her dress.

She's beautiful, and Yuugi is indescribably moved by the sight of her. In another time, another place, his hands grips Atem's with even more intensity and his throat grows tight with feeling.

[pregames]

"The great royal wife, Iusaaset" Atem replies fondly, giving Yuugi a name to put with her youthful face.

Though their voices carry sonorous in the cavernous space, the scene remains undisturbed save for the persistent crying of the prince. His mother motion to a pair of attendants who materialize out of the shade, dressed simply in pleated white tunics, but not so plainly as to appear amiss in the palace. They produce a shallow bowl full of something dark and viscous along with a pile of clean linens, presenting them reverently to the queen.

"Hush, my love." She admonishes the prince with more love than could possibly be contained in a single voice, lifting him from her lap and taking one of his arms in hand. Turning it over reveals a number of deep, bloodied scratches all along the length. Immediately the child scrubs his face with the back of his hand, reduced to sniffling, only to whine again when one of the servant girls begins to apply the salve.

"Now do you understand why we told you not to tease Beset’s litter?"

"I wasn't... trying... to hurt them." Atem protests in between sobs.

Iusaaset taps her chin thoughtfully. "And how was she supposed to know that?"

Atem winces as the cloth is wrapped tight around his arm, though the knowing tone his mother takes with him makes him feel just as bad. He hated to disappoint her. "I dunno."

Gripping his small hand gently, providing an steadfast anchor against the pain, Iusaaset, runs another hand through her son’s hair. "Exactly. She was only trying to protect them. What do you think I would do if I caught someone trying to hurt you? Or worse, your father?"

"He would punish them." The young heir sounds a great deal more dejected as he admits to it.

His mother only nods in response, knowing the lesson has been learned. In the absence of his crying, a pleasant stillness begins to creep into the room, the very same essence that drew Yuugi to the door in the first place.

[mieru_mienai]

Yuugi draws closer to the mother and her son, unwilling to miss a single word of their exchange, sinking into the memory as though he were completely at home there.

In a way, he is. To see Atem at a time where his greatest concern was, apparently, an overprotective cat... Yuugi loves it. If he could reach out and ruffle the boy's hair tenderly he would, put his arms around the little prince and hold him here for just a moment longer in this place where life is simple and the harshest lessons are learned not far from the safety and comfort of his mother's lap.

That's impossible, of course; Yuugi is merely an observer here. However, his emotions still thrum clearly through the connection of their souls, strong as his feelings always are--and, as they often are, gently restrained and redirected in such a way that doesn't quite impose on his partner, doesn't distract or take away from the scene before them. He settles delightedly into that pleasant stillness, still not saying a word, just watching as lightness and tenderness and appreciation fill him almost to the bursting.

[pregames]

"ATEEEEEEEEEEEEM!"

Like the sudden shattering of glass, the moment is lost, and chaos given form is allowed to pour in through the hole left in its absence. A young girl, no older nor younger than the prince himself runs into the room, barreling right through the spot Yuugi was standing as though her were nothing at all.

"Ate... ah... I mean..." Upon recognizing her esteemed company, as though the thought had never crossed her mind that the Queen would be within the Queen's chamber, the girls with wild hair and clear eyes straightens and sketches a formal bow. She wobbles a little on her toes, filled to the brim with words that come tumbling out before she tips beneath their weight.

"Your highness!"

Atem makes sure to scrub his face of the last of his tears. Letting his mother see him cry was one thing but it wouldn't do to appear red faced and weak when a friend was around. "What do you want Mana?"

"You're late! And Mahaado promised to start teaching us magic today. You have to come. Isn't that right your majesty?" She appealed to Iusaaset, suddenly, eliciting muffled laughter from her attendants. Mana could bring life back to an entire tomb with all the energy contained in her small body.

The queen herself even smiles. "Is that so? I think that sounds like just the thing to take care of a few cuts and bruises, don't you?"

"Yeah!" Mana interjects without waiting for for her friend, seemingly oblivious to his previous predicament.

Atem is slower to come around, dragging his feet and fumbling with one of the seams of his bandages even as his mother nudges him towards the younger girl, who takes his hand, deliberately reaching for the uninjured one.

"It'll be fun. I promise."

Like the spirit of his namesake rising at dawn, a gradual bliss infects the hawk in the nest and his fingers intertwine tightly with hers. "I bet I'll figured out my ka before you!"

"Nuh-uh!"

That was all the queue Mana need to tug at his arm, leading them both past Yuugi and out the door, chattering all the way down the expansive palace halls.

Iusaaset remains seated in their wake, still poised as the young women begin to tidy up around her although the vision begins to blur at the edges, obscuring them, narrowing, tunneling until only a mere portrait of the queen remains with any clarity.

"Take care of him." She calls after the children, long after their echoes diminish, her voice resounding through the phantom standing right in front of her. Her voice is honeyed, thick and sweet as it melts into the distorted air around them. Just before the memory blinks out, she lifts her head, her braids shifting to frame her face and her dark, deep set eyes meet Yuugi's.