hadriel_logs | I Chase The Sun, It Chases Me

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atem

I Chase The Sun, It Chases Me

Who: Closed to Atem and Yukari
What: Yukari finds a collapsed Atem.
Where: The spire where Atem became heartless.
When: Backdated to March 26th.
Warnings: Will update as needed.

Yukari happened to be out and about, having a restless evening. He seems to be having alot of these, lately. Trying to figure himself out and whatever restless feeling it is that sits inside of him. Not that he has a whole lot of luck with it. But he seems to be taking some satisfaction in his more recent interactions with Atem - he honestly hasn't wanted to kill since the war. Odd as it has been for him.

However, he certainly wasn't expecting to see Atem tonight. And even much less so, collapsed on the ground. Yukari's eyes actually widen.

"Atem-sama?" His voice is elevated, but not shouting. But he's quick to make his way over to the fallen Pharaoh. The first things he's checking for are signs of life - breath, heartbeat, ready to scoop him up at a moment's notice to get him to the clinic.

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It is as if he was just sleeping, there is no blood, not a single scratch on him save for the dirt on his face from where he landed. His pulse is strangely... there, nothing has changed, even if his heartbeat which is not there, not that it might be noticeable.

At first, he doesn't react ot the call, but the moment he feels hands on him, he stirs and opens his eyes.

"Yukari?" There is an inevitable pang of fear down his stomach when he sees him there, while he's disoriented and feeling strange, he does his best to ignore it. "Why are you... where..."

His eyes widen and he sits up rapidly, his hands quickly going down his chest, then he just, freezes, his eyes even wider than before maybe in fear or surprise, it's hard to tell.

Yukari blinks when Atem jolts upward. Those wide eyes and that frozen posture admittedly make Yukari's eyebrows rise up in both confusion and concern.

"Are you alright? Do you know where you are?"

Worried he might be disoriented, he holds up one of his hands with three fingers up.

"Tell me how many fingers you see, Atem-sama."

Health check. That definitely comes first.

For a moment it is like if Atem doesn't understand the language that Yukari is speaking, he just looks up at him with wide eyes as he keeps feeling his chest.

He absolutely ignores the questions and grabs that hand instead, driving it to his chest, where his heart should be.

"Can you feel that...?" There is nothing to feel, absolutely nothing but the fabric of his shirt against a void.

Yukari could jerk away from that hand if he wanted, been fast enough to move out of the way. But Atem is his King. And he trusts him more than the general populace of this city. So it's easy enough for Atem to grab onto it, and move it over his chest.

But, tonight is full of surprises, isn't it? The fingertips against the cloth feel that void and Yukari is dumbfounded for a moment.

How is Atem even breathing right now?

"It's missing. What happened? Who did this to you?"

He's trying not to show it, but the edges of his voice are bitter. The remaining traces of the murderous animal he is deep inside can be recognized if one knows how he speaks. He's thoroughly prepared to trash the Hell out of whoever did this. He can figure out whatever magic trick they did later.

Hadn't Atem been so stumped about what is going on, perhaps he would have noticed Yukari's biting tone, it doesn't quite surprise him, however, as the situation is nothing but strange. Having let go of Yukari's hand, he once again puts his own over his chest, for a second (perhaps one a bit too long for Yukari) Atem seems to be weighing his options, until he finally lifts the edge of his shirt all the way up his neck.

The view is... not only shocking, no (he glues his eyes on the square shaped hole in his chest far longer than he wished he had), it's grotesque to the point of being comical, which is why Atem scoffs in disbelief, what else can he do? He is clearly alive and well, getting mad will not get him anywhere.

"Law."

Law.

Well, that was all Yukari needed to know. It's actually very surprising that it's Law, but that seems to go on the backburner of Yukari's mind. No, the fact is that Law took something from Atem, and it isn't okay.

As soon as he gets Atem somewhere safe...

As if without thinking, Yukari moves to scoop up Atem and carry him to his house. This way, he'll know Atem is safe. He can keep an eye on him there, or even send Curufin to check on him.

"He... He wasn't himself." Atem is actually on the process to stand when Yukari moves to pick him up. He stops him from it.

"I can walk." At least it's what he thinks, which, he does. He stands by himself, as if nothing had happened, albeit he's hesitant. It this supposed to happen? To be, just fine? He scoffs to himself again and shakes his head.

"Why are you out here, Yukari? You'll get sick." The pot calling the kettle black.

"Whether he was himself or not is hardly the concern. Come with me, then."

Yukari will let him walk. But he's still taking you to his house, Atem.

"I'm hardly concerned with illness. Even if I die, I'll come back." Besides, he's pretty sure this is some other thing regarding the Gods. What isn't their fault these days? "Besides, I don't think the deities would let this kill us. Not alone, anyway."

He's not worried in the slightest about it.

"That's exactly the concern, Yukari." It's obvious he's more worried about Law than about himself, at least, it might be evident in his tone.

"That's also not the point..." He mutters under his breath. To treat death so lightly will never be something he can do, he doesn't know what the soul goes through during that process, he doesn't want to find out either.

"If that is your concern, then I will confront him on it." Not that he wasn't planning to anyway, but this helps make the excuse.

"Are you actually worried for me, then? One could say the same of you. Speaking of which, why were you wandering around at this hour?"

He's a little mad that Atem was attacked. They started training, but... of course it wouldn't be enough for Atem to defend himself. He'd like to reprimand Atem, but really... it's not too much of his fault, is it?

"I suppose we should consider it passable that you weren't hurt even worse."

"Don't go near him. He'll probably kill you."

Atem wouldn't say that he was exactly attacked... But that was the issue, right? Points of view.

"... I was looking for him." He knows it was a stupid move from his part, but he was worried about his friend! It's all his fault this time, Law had warned him beforehand afterall.

"He didn't want me dead, if that's what you're implying." Even in the paranoia, Law had kept Atem as a friend in his mind, that spoke volumes to him. Probably not much to Yukari.

"He'd need to be able to hit me first. Resigned from my old ways, I may be. But I am not so rusty of a mercenary that I would let myself be struck so easily."

A huff.

"Well, I suppose that's something worth noting."

It means more than Atem might think. Yukari remember his own attacking encounter. He had actually wanted to kill Atem back then. Even if the beauty of the moment stopped him, and Law managed to step in before the finishing blow.

"I'll go easy on him. I don't plan to kill him."

Just mostly rip him a new one.

"Have you ever fought him?" There is some mocking skepticism in Atem's voice, he just really thinks that Yukari is not a match for Law, for as good as Yukari might be, the pirate has some incredible abilities.

"Don't, Yukari..." Atem stops and faces him directly, his tone serious. "Don't touch him." Little does Yukari know that he would do the same for him if the tables were turned, not that Law would go after him or anything, but who knows what this place might bring them.

"As a matter of fact, I have. He didn't get to lay a strike on me, but I could say the same went for him. He was particularly spectacular at blocking every one of my blows. But that was without abilities, his or my own."

Cocky? Maybe just a little. But he is confident he can at least land a blow in some manner, especially if he uses both of his Auras.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't? You expect to continue living like that? With a void in your chest?"

"Because you need to stop with the violence, Yukari. Give people the benefit of the doubt."

Atem brings a hand over his chest at the reminder. It sure feels weird but he's alive and well, the words that Law said to him as he took his heart out still resonated in his mind, he was sorry, truly so.

"I know my heart is safe. I will talk to him when this is over, or are you too blind to see this is the so-called gods doing? It's bound to end at some point.

Yukari's eyebrows raise up with the statement of giving people the benefit of the doubt.

"Isn't that what you did, and yet here you are."

He opens the lock to his house, leaving the door open for Atem to go in first.

"You'll be staying with me until this blows over. At least here, I shouldn't have to worry about anyone finishing the job. In exchange, I won't go after Law."

Just maybe send him some really nasty messages.

"But that's the rule: you're not to go anywhere unaccompanied. You will be guarded by myself or an Elf. They can come check on you."

Edited 2018-04-05 18:55 (UTC)

Excuse you, Yukari. What?

Atem has to stop before going in his features hard as he looks at Yukari. In exchange? Does he think he's making him a favor by not hurting his friend?

"No."

"You clearly can't be trusted to stay put when you're supposed to. What if he had done worse? What if you ended up dead, Atem-sama?"

Yukari's voice is stern and unwavering. He's not having this shit right now. Atem's safety overrides Yukari's desire to obey whatever order Atem has to give.

"This is no joking matter. Get in the house. Stay out of harm's way."

Even if he had died, he wouldn't have blamed Law, it would have not been his fault. But Yukari's words hit another nerve entirely, he had promised he'd take care of himself; he had to stop doing these things, he wasn't physically fit to deal with people like Law or Yukari, or so many others there.

"... Take me home instead."

He crosses his arms and gives him a bit of a defiant look, all right, he needs protection, but, on his terms.

Like a stubborn child. Yukari had half a mind to throw him into the house himself. But he supposes he can reach something of a middle ground. After all, he's escorting him back home.

He turns back around to lock his house back up.

"Alright, fine. I will escort you to your home."

Driving anything else into that might make Atem more defiant, so he'll bring up extra protection later. Right now, he just wants Atem inside. And if it's in his own home, so be it. He'll take him there.

“Thanks...”

He follows, albeit, in silence. It’s a little uncanny how Yukari managed to remind him of home, when he used to just do the same, try to do things alone, go to dangerous places where no pharaoh should go, how Seth would reprimand him so much for it. It’s strangely nostalgic.

Yukari keeps the silence, for the most part. Unsure of what to say. He's pretty much already said all he needed to - Stay protected and quit being irresponsible. It does hardly any good to keep driving the nail into the coffin, especially when Atem is at least cooperating to some degree. He's not the sort to constantly repeat himself, either. Once his foot is down, it's firm and he won't budge. But he doesn't make a point to reprimand. Not at all. So, silence it is. Until Yukari can level his head a little.

Atem is safe. Mostly. A missing heart, but still breathing. Besides, Yukari himself wasn't a better person than Law was. Not by a long shot. Yukari would have killed his prey, no questions asked. At least up until recently. But it remains that it was Atem who was attacked. He would hardly feel any different than if it were Curufin who was attacked.

Wait... Curufin?

He must be imagining things. He wants to protect Atem because he's his King. That's got to be it, right? But when Yukari tended to Curufin's concussion, it was just because Curufin was interesting, right? It's been so long since then. He shakes his head. There's no way that this is the same. He's just comparing two incidences that have nothing to do with each other.

"If you need help, you can call me. It is what I'm here for."

Yukari's voice comes out surprisingly gentle, even to him.

There isn't really much more to say, though Atem doesn't seem to mind either. To be able to spend time with anyone in silence is already a blessing. Atem never expected he'd feel that kind of comfort around the other man, until now, of course part of him may never forget that day, but trust has to start somewhere.

Yukari's tone doesn't go missing, being so different from the way he had spoken to him just a few moments earlier.

"Thank you. I will."

He knows Yukari is supposed to follow his orders, but it's... nice he still offers his help regardless.

Edited 2018-04-08 21:17 (UTC)

Yukari nods as they continue. Seemingly leaving it at just that. He waits until they reach Atem's living quarters. He doesn't expect it to be extravagant, all things considered. He's not certain that Atem would hoard a large house all to himself as Yukari has. No, he's almost sure he wouldn't. He'd likely prefer company, or even not to withdraw something someone else could use for it's more intended purpose. That seems to be the kind of person Atem portrays himself as, in Yukari's opinion.

"Do you live with others?" he asks anyway. He's curious to if they can be trusted.

In truth, Yukari wouldn't be wrong to assume Atem would prefer the company of others, but initially, he actually looked for a huge place for himself only, merely because of what it represented to him, the space and the solitude was familiar; it didn't mean it was okay. But now, they arrive to a rather modest house, something more attune to Yukari's perspective of Atem.

"With Barry. Barry Bluejeans." He's not sure if he knows him or not, but Atem would trust him with his life. He, however, doesn't state that this might be a temporal arrangement, as much as it'd pain Atem see his friend go back to his wife, he'll still push him to hurry the hell up at it. Yukari doesn't have to know.

"Bluejeans," Yukari muses back. Well, that's definitely a... different name. But who is he to judge. Worlds apart and all that.

"I see. And is he... stable for you to be around at this time?"

He really doesn't want a repeat with Law. Because, honestly, Yukari trusted Law with Atem. Gods' influence or not, he didn't think Law would really let such a thing cloud his judgment. It worries him.

Yes, Yukari, Bluejeans does wear blue jeans.

"He is." No, he's not, he's gonna be having a mild nervous breakdown at the view, but, "He's a good person." So is Law... Huh. But it's needless to say that Atem has trusted people with more than questionable background before, Yukari probably being a good example of it, but that's not about to change.

"It'll be fine." He says with a reassuring smile.

"Alright." Yukari turns away from Atem, before glimpsing back. "I'm trusting you. Please take care and carry your weapon at all times. I suggest even keeping it in or by your bed, within arm's reach."

Seriously. He doesn't know how he's going to take it if Atem ends up even worse off.

After making sure everything seems to be in place, he'll take his leave if Atem needs nothing else.

The advice is so ironic, coming from Yukari still, but Atem knows he means well. If only to soothe the other, he nods, but the truth is, he's being doing as told already, for a while now.

"You too, take care, Yukari." He means it, and not as an order if the softness in his voice can be heard, and with that, he goes into the house.

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I Chase The Sun, It Chases Me

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