Seto Kaiba (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
firstrateduelist) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
kittensinboxes2025-05-13 02:56 am
firstrateduelist) wrote in kittensinboxes2025-05-13 02:56 am
Dear Friend, Across The River [Rivalshipping Mer AU]
It was odd to crave after the sky, when you held no claim to such, was it not?
It didn't stop Seto from yearning for it, however. The glow of the moon entranced him and pulled him to the surface quite often, reflecting off of his markings as he broke past the waves. He was careful, always, to break the water's surface at night, where none could see him.
After all, who would be out at midnight to catch sight of a sea dragon, reclined upon a rocky outcropping to gaze into the entrancing light of the moon, puller of tides, silent deity that called to this one child in particular. Mokuba was probably right to warn him from this behavior. Their pod had strict rules regarding fraternization between humans and dragons, which all boiled down to "don't". As the strongest in the pod, Seto was expected to challenge its current leader, and this behavior put his stake under question.
He had no such interest, however. He knows what others think of him, expect of him, and he has no interest in fulfilling their expectations or guesses for what he might get up to. Wasn't it enough to be under the claw of said pod leader, forced to obey by hook or by crook?
The man spent an immense amount of time trying to quash the look of rebellion in Seto's eyes, expecting that it would lead to a coup. After all, he had no children of his own, and the royal line would thus perish with him. Seto didn't care either way: the royal blood was thin and weak. In need of replacement. Maybe one day it would come about that he'd assert himself. After all, the rakes along his flanks still stung something awful. He'd love to pay Gozaburo back for the favor someday.
For now, he tilts his head up to the sky, long slender neck held in a loose curve of repose as he hummed contentedly with the waves, his markings gently glowing in indeterminate patterns.
As his scales dried in the air, the snout drew in, shifting back into something more akin to a human, but for the finlike ears, the glowing scales beneath his eyes. Because his hindquarters were submerged, his lower half remained fully draconic, the thick, bulky tail ready to propel him if needed.
His song is hums and trills directed at the moon, a tribute to the beautiful sky. It's midnight, beautiful midnight with its placid sky, dark as the depths. He's glad to know he's alone, at least.
It didn't stop Seto from yearning for it, however. The glow of the moon entranced him and pulled him to the surface quite often, reflecting off of his markings as he broke past the waves. He was careful, always, to break the water's surface at night, where none could see him.
After all, who would be out at midnight to catch sight of a sea dragon, reclined upon a rocky outcropping to gaze into the entrancing light of the moon, puller of tides, silent deity that called to this one child in particular. Mokuba was probably right to warn him from this behavior. Their pod had strict rules regarding fraternization between humans and dragons, which all boiled down to "don't". As the strongest in the pod, Seto was expected to challenge its current leader, and this behavior put his stake under question.
He had no such interest, however. He knows what others think of him, expect of him, and he has no interest in fulfilling their expectations or guesses for what he might get up to. Wasn't it enough to be under the claw of said pod leader, forced to obey by hook or by crook?
The man spent an immense amount of time trying to quash the look of rebellion in Seto's eyes, expecting that it would lead to a coup. After all, he had no children of his own, and the royal line would thus perish with him. Seto didn't care either way: the royal blood was thin and weak. In need of replacement. Maybe one day it would come about that he'd assert himself. After all, the rakes along his flanks still stung something awful. He'd love to pay Gozaburo back for the favor someday.
For now, he tilts his head up to the sky, long slender neck held in a loose curve of repose as he hummed contentedly with the waves, his markings gently glowing in indeterminate patterns.
As his scales dried in the air, the snout drew in, shifting back into something more akin to a human, but for the finlike ears, the glowing scales beneath his eyes. Because his hindquarters were submerged, his lower half remained fully draconic, the thick, bulky tail ready to propel him if needed.
His song is hums and trills directed at the moon, a tribute to the beautiful sky. It's midnight, beautiful midnight with its placid sky, dark as the depths. He's glad to know he's alone, at least.
no subject
He should have seen this coming. He should have absolutely seen this coming, but like an idiot, forgot the man on the couch was a fucking dragon and not the combination of an anxious man and a cat. He was a feral creature! A dragon of the sea!
A man that could and would kill him if he wanted to! What was he thinking?!
Yuugi's hand flew to where he was bit, clamping down on it just enough to stem the bleeding, but...ouch.
Shit.
Did you expect this man to be angry, Mister Dragon?
Did you expect his kindness to fall away?
Did you expect retaliation?
Yuugi's response?
Nervous laughter.
"Ah...h-hahaha...I uh. I deserved that. S-sorry."
Skittish, but not afraid. Nervous, but respectful.
...Until he saw...
"Wait. Your wound is...Shit, I'm so sorry!"
no subject
But the blood tingled on his lips and tongue in a way that felt strange. He had, initially, been sitting up, but slumps forward slightly as that strange feeling spread throughout his body, a bit at a time.
"Don't," he says, but his tone is hazed, his gaze distant. Blue eyes seemed to glow more brightly, his pupils slitted so narrowly that the blue is about all Yuugi would see. "Don't...patronize me."
He licks his lips, swallows hard. A mistake. The blood...it's like fire down his throat, little that it was, and it makes him dizzier than the wounds ever could. Before he can think of his next move, Seto lets out a low snarl and loses balance completely.
...Because his right arm was no longer human, and no longer proportionate with the rest of his body. It was a smooth-scaled foreleg, full-sized with talons, fin and all.
Human blood did this?! How...?
no subject
Wait. Shit, what the fuck was that?! What, what, what?!
Fuck, he had to think. He was getting a full-ass dragon in the middle of his living room and he didn't have space for him?! And this was from biting him! Did dragons biting people make them just. Transform into full-size? The burger and the fish didn't make him do it, so the common denominator was...
...Him.
Him?!
no subject
"Ghh! Why isn't--it listening?" he hisses in aggravation as his talons snag against the floor. It's like he's in water again, but the effects are faster. The human blood he'd ingested had caused this, and he's not sure yet if he has control over the boost to revert back!
"I need--I need a moment," he growls, glaring at Yuugi as if it's his fault. Maybe it is, partly, but Seto was the one who had swallowed the blood, that tingling sensation on his lips should have been warning enough.
no subject
That meant it wasn't transforming back, despite him wanting to...
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck, this could be bad. But that's fine, it was just them! In this apartment! In the middle of the day! Nothing weird here, just two dudes in the apartment dealing with one of them being a dragon! Nothing...
...
Off about a loud knock at the fucking door shit shit shit--
"Hide!" Yuugi hissed. "My room. Down the hall, first door on the right! I'll see who it is!"
The door knock was getting louder.
"Yuug? You in there?"
F U C K.
no subject
And then there's the knock, which makes his earfins flare and the scales on his face and draconic limb glow bright in alarm.
"Hide?!" he snarls, but not so loud as to be heard. "Hide how?!"
Nonetheless, he does his best to try and backpedal his way into the indicated room, all the while dragging the massive limb that he couldn't yet reduce down to a manageable size. The scales scrape against Yuugi's floor, and Seto winces at the discomforting sensation of the massive edges being rubbed the wrong way.
But if there's anything he doesn't want to face right now, it's a human whose motives he hasn't yet ascertained. And if Yuugi seems concerned, then he should be ten times that!
It takes him too long, but he does eventually make it out of sight. And without too much blood smearing on the floor, at that.
He'll betray you, his mind whispers cruelly. He's trapping you so that when he tells his comrade, they can both strike you down.
But if he does...then Seto will be ready. He'll defend himself.
no subject
Shitshitshitshiiiiiit.
Okay, this was fine. Totally fine! He just had to think through this and get Jonouchi outta here as fast as possible! No big.
"Yuug?"
Shit, the doorknob was rattling!
"You all right in there?" Jou asked.
"Yeah!" Yuugi said, "You just caught me in the middle of--"
He swung the door open.
Stopped.
Stared.
He was not expecting the shit-eating grin, he had to be honest.
"Jonouchi...?"
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But he is listening, ear pressed close to the door.
...What did the new human assume that Yuugi was doing, he wonders.
no subject
Yuugi blinked.
"I'm sorry--"
"I mean, clearly there's something going on you don't want me to see, right?"
....
Okay, what.
W h a t--
"So, who's the guy?"
"What guy? There isn't a guy--"
"C'mon, the guy you brought home last night? Pops Tanaka said he saw you with some drunk stud walking towards your apartment--"
Fuck. Someone saw him?! Shit shit. But if it was from that distance, then they thought he was helping a drunk guy instead of an injured man, so...
He could spin this. Yeah.
He could do this.
"I just wanted to help him out and get him on his feet since he wasn't feeling well! Yeah! Nothing weird about--"
"Him fuckin' you?"
The mortified scream that came out of Yuugi's mouth could wake the dead.
"We're not-- that's not--I--"
"Holy shit you are, I was just kidding--"
"I am not--"
no subject
What the hell is--WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GUY SAYING?!
Seto's scales have never prickled quite like this before, but the actual insult he feels at the mere insinuation that he'd be fraternizing with a goddamned human makes him have to suppress a growl. Does this creature show no decorum?! Does it understand privacy, even?!
"Rrrrrrrgh...!!"
Shit. That was audible.
no subject
Shiiiiit.
Yuugi bit his lip.
"What... was that?" Jou asked.
Shit. Think, idiot!
"Oh, uh...roleplay! We like to pretend we're dragons and roar and stuff. Pretty convincing, huh?"
Don't eat him, please.
Oh, good. Jou seemed... convinced. Perturbed, but...convinced.
"Ewwwww, okay, I did n o t need to know that."
"You asked!"
no subject
The useful part of this is that his foreleg shrinks back into something useable as the magic finds a different home. The less useful part of this is that he still can't quite make all the traits leave in general.
Also, he probably shouldn't thump his tail, but he can't help it, he's aggravated!