Welcome To The Fold

[hybrid_prince]

"We do it so they feel hope for the power their people can attain."

That was what Emperor Dorrek had been told when he was a teenaged prince and found himself expected to take the first member of his imperial harem. One person of each people of the empire, on the idea that some day he would choose his consort from among them, would sire a child and heir upon them. It was his duty, and the people's they ruled would know they were close to power through the subject who might one day rule next to him.

The problem with it all was that Dorrek found the whole thing repugnant. Most of those given to his 'imperial consorts' were women, which was a problem for him. Which made every instance of these moments in the court tiring. Here he sat, upon his throne, awaiting the presentation of the newest offerings for his harem. He would have to choose one to take into his family, someone he would no doubt eventually send back to the others, trying not to feel disgusted by the whole process.

"You are before his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Dorrek-Vell. Kneel before his splendor and know you are close to greatness," his herald calls out to the assembled and Dorrek tried not to yawn.

Comments

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem takes in the information and sitting cross legged with his hands pressed down against one of his legs he does look incredibly young too and probably incredibly small. He feels a hint of doubt but he simply closes his eyes. He recalls the sacrifices made by those who believed in him. Almost his entire court. All the faith of his modern friends, rivals. His fingers curled and he couldn’t let doubt take hold. If Dorrek could not see a way then Atem would have to hold the hope. He will see that Atem is not easily swayed. He’s also not stupid.

“It is worth striving for better is it not? If you truly… want a better fate. You would rather cast my offer of partnership aside? I might be human and I might not know everything but I do understand politics and vipers in my midst.”

[hybrid_prince]

Yes it is. He wants a better fate. He wants to make the Skrull better. He wants to be allowed to fall in love and have a partner on his own terms.

"Stop downplaying humans. I don't hate humans!"

That one was annoying him. The guy needs to get that much.

"I just want to protect people. I want there to be less suffering. The Skrull could help with that."

[millenniumpharaoh]

“Then work together with me,” Atem says. If their priorities could align it could work.

[hybrid_prince]

Dorrek groaned and moved to flop back face down onto the bed. This guy is a fucking broken record.

"If you can go three days without starting a fight and increasing the size of the 'assassinate me now' on your back, we'll talk. I can't begin to justify moving you to the harem for at least two months after all."

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Fine," Atem says simply and his eyes move back to the view.

"Will I ever get to see home again?"

[hybrid_prince]

"I don't think either of us will," Dorrek says mournfully into the exceedingly plush bed.

Not unless they succeed. Which Dorrek hasn't even signed up for.

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem swallows down the ache in his throat and chest as he looks at the other's form.

"What else do you want me to do aside from be quiet?"

[hybrid_prince]

"I'm not asking for quiet, I'm asking for less rebellious statements," he says with a sigh. There's nothing wrong with that.

Though other than that he's got a lot to think about he supposes.

"Tell me what you like, so I can try and provide. You should be as comfortable as I can make you."

[millenniumpharaoh]

"I'll do my best but honesty is a vice of mine."

Atem says and sighs. He should try and be more agreeable if he wants the other to work with him but he doesn't think he's being unreasonable.

"I like games," Atem says after a moment. It is his favorite thing, dueling specifically but that's probably not an option here. "Other than that... I haven't... thought about it in a long time."

[hybrid_prince]

"I'm guessing games doesn't include dueling with laser scythes. Which isn't my favorite either."

Still, he rolls onto his back. There's a lot to consider here.

"Foods, clothes, the whole of that."

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Mostly cards," Atem sighs again and he can only hope that at least he'll get his deck back if not the duel disk. It's not as if he can duel alone anyway.

His eyes are still settled on the other.

"I get a choice with clothes?" He raises a brow. "I like fruits... and... pizza."

[tighnauri]

Tighnari's ear flick when the other's attention seems to stop on him. He supposes that he does stand out a bit with his tall ears and his tail.

"Tighnari."

[hybrid_prince]

"You won't find good pizza here," he sighs. "But we have a lot of fruit you'll never have experienced before, so that's good."

Skrull weren't always the biggest on meats after all. But he could make that happen too.

"And you get some choice in clothes. They'll still dress you in a way to flatter you to my eyes, and you'll be in imperial colors."

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem nods and honestly he’s not that needy especially when it comes to that sort of thing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

[hybrid_prince]

"Well, as they don't know what I like, given all the women that have been thrown at me, I really don't know. But the colors will be purples and greens," he says with a shrug. "I can't get them to drop the color scheme."

[hybrid_prince]

Not one he has heard the like of before.

"You don't seem to be a normal human," he says, considering the one before him. "Why are you here?"

[millenniumpharaoh]

“I suppose it could be worse,” Atem says quietly. Though, he will miss the colors he’s most comfortable in. He doesn’t bother to complain if the other can’t do anything about it there’s no point.

[tighnauri]

”I’m not,” Tighnari says simply and raises a brow. “I would say it’s for the same reason that all the others are here.”

[hybrid_prince]

The Emperor rolls his eyes, clearly not impressed with the answer.

"You are not like the others, and to my knowledge Earth does not have multiple species. So either you don't belong here, or our intelligence was wrong."

And someone needed punished in the latter case.

"That is the explanation you must give me."

[hybrid_prince]

Yes, it really could. It could be pink and teal. Teddy at least looked good in purple and green.

"I could request some black. It might not look bad against your skin. They'd care about that. Are there styles I should hint at preferring on you?"

He'll work with this guy the best he can.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Have you seen the carvings of what pharaohs wore in ancient times?" The other had mentioned spending time on Earth.

There's a small smile. "However, spending time in more... modern era, I mostly favored wearing black tanks. I liked my collars and chunky bracelets," Or really they were Yugi's but that would be complicated to explain.

[hybrid_prince]

Well, yes. Something like a skirt and a collar.

"At least back won't be too hard of an ask. But they won't like things that could be used as weapons."

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem sighs, and then lifts his a shoulder. "Better than nothing," he says.

[tighnauri]

Tighnari sighs. “You didn’t ask how, you asked why,” Tighnari points out. He contemplates the answer to, how, though he doesn’t fully understand it himself because he’s not exactly from Earth, hasn’t heard of it before.

“They must have stumbled upon something that brought them to Teyvat long enough to decide they had to bring someone here for your... harem.”

[hybrid_prince]

Yes, he supposed that was true. Though neither of them had to like it.

"If I leave you in here to order food and clothing for you, do you promise not to try and blow anything up?"