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

[hybrid_prince]

He sighs in frustration. "My grandmother's responsible! I don't like this either."

And what is he supposed to do about that.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Right," Atem exhales.

"And here I thought for a moment we were flirting."

[hybrid_prince]

Wait, they were? Well fuck.

"I'm sorry. I haven't... I'm out of practice. I haven't really been flirting in about two years now."

And clearly it was not a bicycle for him.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"It's alright," Atem laughs, glancing away. "I've never really had a chance to do much flirting myself."

[hybrid_prince]

"Seriously?"

Teddy seems confused by that. Atem is, objectively, beautiful. The guy should have had plenty of chances to practice.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Life for a future pharaoh doesn't give one much freedom... and neither does war," Atem says with a simple shrug.

[hybrid_prince]

That is very true. And Teddy understands that quite a bit. He takes a deep breath and nods.

"I guess I haven't had much either."

[millenniumpharaoh]

"It seems like you might have had some," Atem says, thoughtfully and then shrugs.

[hybrid_prince]

"Perhaps once," he says. "I grew up on Earth, until I was taken by the Skrull. To lead the empire. And it... It's been hard. It's been isolating I guess. My grandmother definitely doesn't help."

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem nods, some of it is hard to really grasp the enormity of but he can understand being taken from your place, being isolated... Things had finally worked out for him before he ended up here. But he has decided there’s no point in blaming the other for that.

“At least, perhaps, we can figure out things together then.”

[hybrid_prince]

"Perhaps," he says with a smile as he finishes up his own bit of fruit.

"Do you want me to go see if someone's got some sleep clothes to get you into?"

Because he didn't think Atem would want to sleep in formal robes.

[millenniumpharaoh]

“If you think clothes to sleep in are necessary,” Atem answers with a slight incline of his head. Of course he had no plans of sleeping in formal robes either way.

[hybrid_prince]

"They are pretty common," Teddy says with a shrug. "At least where i was raised on Earth."

Though New York and Egypt are the the same at all and he does get that part.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Do you prefer them?" Atem questions.

[hybrid_prince]

"I mean, not really? New York can get really muggy. So when it's cold I would just keep sleeping more or less in my underwear only and then pile on blankets. Seems to get the heat built up under the covers better too."

But here where people could walk in? It felt... vulnerable.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"It's more comfortable without them to me," Atem says. "But I will wear some if you would like me to."

[hybrid_prince]

Well that is fair. Teddy frowns as he looks to the bed, layered in many covers.

"Perhaps you should just focus on making yourself comfortable. It is not as if I cannot adapt as needed."

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem nods, licking his lips briefly.

“Do you would not be opposed to me sleeping naked then?”

[hybrid_prince]

"No, it would be fine," he says, but he is blushing just a little bit.

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem notices the blush but he doesn’t comment and instead he stands and starts to undress since it is time to retire to bed.

[hybrid_prince]

Oh. Um... Teddy's hair actually seems to grow out some, shielding his eyes from Atem for the moment. Just a bit.

"You can, um, you'll sleep under the sheets?"

[millenniumpharaoh]

"Are you so opposed to seeing me naked already?" Atem asks, having caught the way the other is definitely taking measures not to be looking at him.

[hybrid_prince]

Listen, the fact that Teddy's not blushing is entirely because of force of will and shapeshifting, not because he doesn't feel embarrassed.

"It's... personal. Seeing you like that. Would be personal. An invasion of privacy."

[millenniumpharaoh]

“If you don’t look how will you know that I’m too your liking anyway?” Atem questions, raising a brow. “Is your culture very particular about nudity as well then?”

He’d noticed it when he was in Yuugi’s mind but in his own culture the naked body isn’t particularly shameful or all that personal.

[hybrid_prince]

"Yes, Americans are raised to be very leery of it," Teddy says with a blush.