🏯🌊 January 19-25, 2024 A week in fanworks celebrating Katsuya Jounouchi (a.k.a., Joey Wheeler) and Seto Kaiba. Art commissioned from mediocredoots. General graphics help from wahwahwashbear. 💜 About
💜 2026 Prompts
💜 AO3 Collection
1/19 - canon-divergent AU || shopkeepers AU
1/20 - crossover/fusion || soulmates AU
1/21 - fantasy AU || science fiction AU
1/22 - horror/supernatural AU || superheroes/mutants AU
1/23 - dystopian AU || modern AU
1/24 - omegaverse || historical period AU
1/25 - free day (aka Jounouchi’s birthday! 🎉)
2026 is the 30th anniversary of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series. Let's celebrate the many ways they could have lived (and loved) with an AUs galore!
If you're looking for inspiration and suggestions to get your creative juices flowing, check below the cut for some examples.
💙 Day 1
canon-divergent AU - canon except...
Gozaburo lived • Jounouchi won his duel again Yami Malik • different first meeting
shopkeepers AU
coffeeshop AU • flower shop/tattoo parlor AU • sex toy shop AU
❤️ Day 2
crossover/fusion
put them in your favorite anime, book, movie, tv show, or video game
soulmates AU
red string of destiny • first words your soulmate will say to you • other examples
💙 Day 3
fantasy AU
urban fantasy • isekai/litrpg • sword and sorcery
science fiction AU
robots and androids • space opera • cyberpunk
❤️ Day 4
horror/supernatural AU
vampires/werewolves/cryptids • eldritch horror • slashers
superheroes/mutants AU
anti-heroes • supervillains • tokusatsu
💙 Day 5
dystopian AU
post-apocalypse • the villains won • zombie apocalypse
modern AU
celebrities AU • sports AU • high school/college AU
JouKai Week for 2026 will run between Monday, January 19th and Sunday, January 25th, 2026.
💙 How does this work?
This event is open to anyone who's a fan of Kaiba and Joey.
A pair of prompts is provided every day. Feel free to pick and choose, or combine both prompts in your fanworks. You can make as many pieces as you want for any given day. Feel free to participate every day, or just on the days where you feel like it.
You can start working on your fills as soon as prompts are posted, but please do not post your finished works before the event starts.
❤️ What can I make?
Create whatever you're inspired to—fanart, traditional long-form fanfiction, poetry, crafts, mood boards, ship playlists, or headcanon posts.
The only stipulation is your work should primarily focus on Jounouchi and Kaiba. Otherwise, there are no restrictions on length or rating. Please keep in mind that it is common courtesy to provide ratings, warnings, and put NSFW or excessively long works under a "Read More" cut.
Go wild and have fun.
💙 Where should I post my work?
Wherever you want! While this event is run on tumblr, you're free to share your creations on tumblr, FF.net, AO3, twitter, etc. Mod will also reblog and share works that are tagged with @joukaiweek or #joukaiweek2026. Mod recommends doing both so your work doesn't get lost. Mod reserves the right to not reblog anything that does not fit the spirit of the event or is not properly rated/warned. Mod also requests you not share your finished creation until the day of the prompt.
We are hosting the first DRAGONFIRE Exchange dedicated to Violetshipping (Kaiba Seto/Jounouchi Katsuya).
This is a classic matched fanfic and art exchange, designed to be low-pressure and beginner-friendly.
📌 Submit 3 prompts, get matched, and create a gift for another shipper!
📌 All eras, AUs, and interpretations welcome!
📌 Receive your gift based on one of your prompts.
📌 First-timers absolutely encouraged!
🙏🏾 Thank you to @masaya90 for the banner art <3
🔥🐲
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤
🗓️ Sign-ups will open 01/25.
📖 6 weeks to produce: 600 words minimum for fic or one finished piece of art
💬 Mods are here to help every step of the way! Reach out to @apricotbone or @moonogre on either tumblr or discord for anything you need, or hit us up on our email [email protected]
👀 Check out the full rules, schedule, FAQs, and sign-up info here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/dragonfire_exchange/profile
💌 We invite you all to join the KAIJOU DISCORD for updates, check-ins, chatter, art share, and much, much more fun!
Check out the 📉 Violetshipping | KaibaCorp Internship Arc 📈 community on Discord - hang out with 111 other members and enjoy free voice and
Bet we’re gonna have a cute time on the exchange so pull up! Sign ups close tomorrow so I know all our last minute Violetshipping baddies need to sign up!! (No shade, that also includes me lol)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Have any questions you need to have answered before you commit? @apricotbone and I are here!
Also try the Discord server for hangs and general shenanigans (though you don’t need to join to participate in the event)
Hope to see all the amazing artists and writers for our community participate! 💜
Outlining some of my notes on this AU below-- this is heavily inspired by (though not an exact retelling of) the Swan Princess/Swan Lake.
Some Background
Jounouchi hails from a kingdom that neighbors Kaiba's, ruled by King Atem. The kingdoms have a generally good relationship with each other ever since Kaiba deposed his cruel father and ascended the throne.
The Yugang all live in and around the same provincial town. Shizuka and her mom live another town over, but are still in Atem's kingdom. Otogi and Ryou are the most well-off among their friends-- being sons of local Lords, they also have to travel farther to meet with them in town-- whereas everyone else is a commoner.
By some miracle, Yugi falls in love with King Atem and becomes his Prince Consort, thus the king also becomes close to Yugi's friends.
The Curse
Dartz is a nefarious sorcerer who wants to collect the souls of kings to increase his power. Luckily when the group encounters him he isn't fully prepared, so Atem's magic users are able to hold him off. Before he makes his escape, Dartz casts a last-ditch spell towards the King's beloved Consort as a punishment, but Jounouchi shoves Yugi out of the way just in time and ends up being struck instead.
At first, the spell doesn't seem to do anything since it's night time, but by morning Jou' turns into a dog! (I keep imagining him as a huge Irish Wolfhound with a unique golden coat.) His drunk of a father finds the enormous hound in Jou's bed in the morning and assumes his son snuck the beast in without permission. Enraged, he begins to beat the dog, driving it out of the home.
Dog!Jou' runs for his life through town, but no one has ever seen a dog that big before, so they're all terrified of him. There's hardly any time to lick his wounds; anyone he approaches either tries to hide or shoo him off. He can't bring himself to eat from the garbage, instead stealing scraps here and there off the plates of folks eating outside, and even those are hard to come by.
Limping and exhausted, Dog!Jou' makes his way to the marketplace by the afternoon in hopes of consulting a magic user he knows-- Marik. The Ishtar family has been studying magic for generations, in fact Marik's older sister works under King Atem, and she was there when Dartz had attacked. If Marik can't help him, maybe she could!
The crowds of the marketplace part for him-- everyone is terrified of what the haggard beast might do to them or their wares. Still, even with a clear path, Dog!Jou' is too weak to continue, and ends up collapsing from exhaustion... right in front of Prince Mokuba.
The Brothers
Mokuba had been given special permission to visit the neighboring kingdom by his older brother, the newly-crowned King Seto. He had paid a visit to King Atem on his kingdom's behalf, with the goal of smoothing over relations that were otherwise fraught with tension under his adoptive father's rule.
Everything had gone well-- Atem was open to forging a better relationship, even extending an invitation to both of them to return for an upcoming festival on the equinox! The King had also recommended checking out the marketplace before he goes back home, as their docks bring in a wide variety of unique imports. Mokuba knew his brother had wanted him to return home straight away, but... it couldn't hurt to take a quick peek, right? Besides, the King had recommended it, surely it would be rude not to!
One minute Mokuba is looking around the marketplace-- his security entourage on high alert-- the next minute there is a noticeable change in the murmurs of the crowd, and his guard is pushing him backwards. Mokuba cranes his neck to look beyond the wall of human shields at what has his guards and the crowd so troubled...
Oh! It's a dog... a huge dog, with a beautiful golden coat Mokuba had never seen before! Seto once told him during a hunt that an injured animal can be even more dangerous than an uninjured one, but this dog is moving so sluggishly... it doesn't seem like it could pose any real threat? It's not acting outwardly aggressive, either. In fact it seems to generally ignore the crowd... could it be sick? Why does no one come to help a creature so clearly in need of aid??
Suddenly the dog collapses and the sight tugs at Mokuba's heartstrings. He recalls the time he and his brother had spent on the streets, begging for their next meal or some money for clothes, before the late King Gozaburo had picked them up and reformatted them into his perfect heirs. He rushes forward without a second thought-- much to the dismay of his entourage-- surely he can do something for this poor creature! He announces that he's cutting his visit to the marketplace short, and instructs them to haul the dog back to their caravan to take home.
Once they arrive, Seto is pissed a Mokuba. He was supposed to come home right away, and the delay had made him worry! What's more, his brother had brought back some mangy mutt! Seto gave Mokuba a good talking to about approaching injured OR sick animals, and how dangerous it is to bring an animal across borders without confirming their health first-- what if the dog had been diseased!
Mokuba listens and apologizes, but still asks if there is anything their healers can do for him. Under the ruthless onslaught of his little brother's puppy-dog eyes, Seto relents-- under the condition the dog remains in quarantine until they can be sure it doesn't carry any illness, after that it will go into the kennel with the other hunting dogs. Should the dog survive, it will be Mokuba's responsibility to feed and care for it, not the other servants'. Mokuba agrees to the terms.
Privately, aside from his (justified) anger from being disobeyed, Seto is glad to give Mokuba an opportunity to take on a new responsibility. He knew Atem wouldn't harm his brother when he had sent him-- it was not in the King's nature to attack unprovoked-- but it was the journey there and back that had him worried. Lately Mokuba has been expressing interest in stepping up more, and Seto appreciates it, he really does, but... his brother is the only family he's ever really had. He wants him to have a proper childhood-- one unburdened by the stresses that come with being a royal, unlike what Seto had received under Gozaburo-- for as long as possible. Giving him a pet to look after would be an excellent compromise... his brother can be in charge of something at home, where Seto can keep an eye on him.
First Encounters
Jounouchi wakes up in the middle of the night mysteriously and miraculously healed! But he has few other mysteries to deal with-- just what the hell is with this curse he's got on him, and where is he right now?? It seems he's trapped behind some kind of magical barrier, meant to keep him sequestered to a particular section of the... barn? Large shed? He isn't sure. He decides to test the barrier by pressing a hand on it... and it goes right through.
Huh. Guess whoever was in charge of him messed up big time, but Jounouchi isn't going to dwell on it. He needs to find a way home, and fast-- his friends are probably worried sick he didn't show up at either of his jobs today! Quickly he walks through the barrier and finds the door is locked. Thankfully after enough poking and prodding he finds a loose board along the wall and is able to shimmy out that way.
Right away he notices the difference in the atmosphere-- it's chillier than he would expect, even at this time of night. Also the architecture of nearby structures have steep sloped roofs, like those found in more mountainous regions. Was he spirited away to the mountains somehow? Dammit, how the hell is he supposed to climb down a mountain in the middle of the night..?? He can barely see, but it looks like there might be a town further ahead of him, or maybe a large estate... maybe someone there can help him get home!
Just as he starts to make his way towards the lights in the night, he hears the sound of enormous wings beating through the sky above, and his blood runs cold. Even without the moonlight, there was no mistaking the silhouette of a dragon-- a silvery white one at that, which stood out against the dark night sky! Quickly Jounouchi scrambled towards the treeline for some coverage... if dragons are here, then that means he's not in the Western mountains of his home kingdom, he's in the neighboring kingdom to the East! Nicknamed "Dragon Country" for good reason..!
Kaiba is doing a late-night patrol with one of his BEWDs, which alerts him to something suspicious in the woods. He decides to fly down for a closer look. (BEWDs are exceptionally rare, and he has three of them. Not only are they a point of pride-- even his father had been shocked to learn he had acquired them-- but it also served as a poignant reminder of his legitimacy as a royal heir. In their kingdom, there are old legends of dragons choosing their ruler; it is said that if a dragon judges someone and gets acknowledged, then they have a right to the line of succession. Of course, if you rear a clutch as Seto had, the dragons will naturally be familiar with you. Regardless, it had helped ease the more conservative minds when Seto had presented the fruits of his labor.)
The dragon flies right towards Jounouchi, who decides his best bet is to run and hide further into the woods. He has no idea from that distance if the dragon has a rider, or if it's just a giant curious lizard, but he doesn't want to stick around to find out. He lucks out and finds a stream, using that to cover his tracks. Eventually he comes across a cave, and hides out in there.
He doesn't know how long he waits in there, but it feels like an hour or more. When he goes to peek his head out of the cave to look and listen for any signs of the white dragon, he suddenly feels hot breath on the back of his neck-- very hot breath, accompanied by the smell of brimstone. Slowly he turns his head to glance back over his shoulder, only to find two large red eyes staring back at him. He yelps in terror, apologizing as he flees from the cave, not wanting to become a sleepy dragon's midnight snack.
Seto had to dismount his BEWD and leave her at the treeline, as the forest was too dense for her to navigate comfortably. He had been tracking the blond stranger they had spotted from the sky, following his footprints until they'd ended at the stream. Whoever they were, they were smart enough to use evasive tactics, but not smart enough to account for everything up his sleeve. In time Seto is able to figure out they had gone downstream, and slowly makes his way in that direction, looking to pick the trail back up. Suddenly, he hears someone shout, and he quickens his pace towards his target.
Jounouchi bursts out of the trees into a clearing that eventually drops off to become a cliff. As he catches his breath, he tries to take stock of his surroundings, wracking his mind for any geography lessons he can recall from his younger days. Water from the stream becomes a small waterfall, but before him lies a vast valley, with no ocean in sight. He has no idea where in Dragon Country he is, but he knows he's not facing a cardinal direction which leads home. Great.
Just then, someone else bursts from the trees. "Found you." says the man, his sword drawn. "Who are you, and what are you doing in these woods?" "Uhh," says Jounouchi, holding his hands up in a placating manner, "I just escaped from being held against my will. What are you doing in the woods?" The man just glares at him, ignoring his question, "Who was holding you prisoner? And why?" "I dunno, on both accounts. Seriously, I just woke up and saw a dragon coming for me, so I ran into the woods. Is that really so hard to believe?" "Yes." The man sneered. "Why did you scream a few moments ago?" "I did not scream! I just got a little spooked by a... a..." "A what?" "A d-dragon!!" Jounouchi shouts, pointing to a large looming figure behind the man.
Seto feels the ground beneath him tremor a moment too late, and whips his head around to look up at the beast behind him. His eyes widen in surprise. "A Red Eyes Black Dragon..." he murmurs to himself. He shakes off his shock, quickly sheathing his sword and fumbling for a magic tool-- any magic tool that will help him subjugate a REBD. He curses himself, pulling out a measly amulet; if he had been more prepared he would have brought his bow and magic arrows, but those are back with his BEWD. But he has to try-- he'll never live it down if he doesn't at least try to capture such a rare dragon in this chance encounter.
In his kingdom's culture, BEWD have stood as symbols of Protection, while REBD have been symbols of Might-- akin to a warrior's shield and sword, respectively. Throughout the kingdom's history, only the most exceptional rulers in the royal lineage have been claimed by either a BEWD or a REBD, and Seto has fantasized about having both, to truly rise above the rest and secure his spot on the throne-- quelling the doubts that have continued to chase him even after deposing his father...
But neither of the men get much say in what happens next. While Jounouchi is looking for a place to run, he's suddenly... being picked up the dragon?!? The other guy looks to be in the middle of some incantation, but the REBD doesn't stick around for long to hear it. Before Jounouchi can wrench himself free of the REBD's hold on his shirt, the dragon has taken flight... right off the edge of the cliff!! (This time Jounouchi really does scream.)
'Dammit.' Seto thinks to himself. He whistles a command for his BEWD to come collect him. This isn't over yet-- his arrows have better range and mana anyway, the REBD shouldn't be able to get too far...
Meanwhile Jounouchi is yelling at the beast to put him down! Right now! But the REBD thinks that's silly-- the forest to too dense to land in! So it keeps flying away. Eventually Jounouchi is able to peel his eyes open enough to catch a glimpse of the clearing he had woken up in, the one with structures featuring sloped roofs. He points and loudly asks to be dropped off over there-- at least that way he can get back to where he started. The dragon appears to understand and starts to veer in thar direction, when a magic arrow suddenly whizzes past! It's the man from before-- and he's riding the white dragon Jounouchi had been hiding from! He knew his hunch was right..!
Seto continues to shoot arrows at them, but the REBD evades each one. But when the blond's shirt rips, the man plummets, and the dragon follows after him. It's actually good for Seto-- in a split second he can determine where the dragon will be next, since it's chasing a target. Of course, if his mark lands true, the dragon won't be able to save the falling man... but Seto isn't averse to making sacrifices as needed.
Luckily the REBD swoops under Jounouchi in the knick of time, and Jou' grabs on to it's spikey neck for dear life. They narrowly avoid the magic arrow, but now that its cargo has a better hold the REBD is able to fly even faster to escape their pursuers, using the dark night sky to its advantage. Finally, the lose them-- Jounouchi is deposited back in the fieldn and the REBD flies off from whence it came.
The sun is starting to rise, and while Jou' is exhausted from his harrowing night he is undeterred from his original plan-- he sets off towards what he now realizes is a castle and the surrounding town in hopes of finding someone who can help him get home. And maybe a new shirt that isn't torn to shreds.
Once he gets closer to town he overheards some guards talking to each other during their the early morning shift change. The night patrol reported a suspicious blond stranger in the woods... everyone needs to be on high alert today!
Oh fuck. Nobody's gonna help him if they think he's some kind of an outlaw! Should he approach the guards and explain himself...? Or would that just result in being thrown in jail?? Before he gets a chance to decide, the curse is activated and Jou' is transformed back into a dog! Dejected, Dog!Jou trudges back to the shed he had came from, at a loss of what else he can do in this state.
After using his nose to knock the loose board away and squirm back inside, he tries to go back into the quarantine area and finds that... he can't! Oh crap. Maybe the person who made the barrier specifically made it for a dog and not just... anything in general??? That would explain why he could pass through as a human. Heaving a large sigh, Dog!Jou' circles around like he's seen so many other dogs do, and settles in as comfortably as he can. Whatever happens next, he'll do his best to be ready.
Dog Days (And Nights) - these are quick/disjointed lol
Part of Jounouchi's curse is that he can't talk about being cursed while he's in human form. His body literally doesn't allow it. Also, if he spends too much time as a dog, he may forget too much of his humanity and remain a dog forever.
Kaiba is going bonkers between his paranoia over the blond stranger and the urgency of the REBD sighting lol.
Mokuba dotes on Dog!Jou', and even though he had initially agreed to let him sleep in the kennels, somehow the dog has wormed his way into sleeping in the castle, much to Seto's dismay. The younger Kaiba brother (and some of the staff) have taken to calling Dog!Jou' the "Little Prince", since he's so spoiled and goes almost everywhere Mokuba does.
Jounouchi isn't exactly a genius, but he's a helluva lot smarter than an average dog ought to be. Dog!Jou' weirds people out for some of the antics he gets into. (Like how the magic casters are still confused how the dog ended up outside of quarantine lol)
Jounouchi learns the REBD has acknowledged him-- whatever the hell that means-- after sitting in on some of Mokuba's lessons in dog form. Later he learns the REBD can see through the spell, and recognizes him regardless of his form. Armed with more knowledge of dragons, he starts to meet up with the REBD somewhat regularly in the evenings when he can sneak out of the castle. Little does he know, Kaiba is keeping a close eye out for the REBD.
Kaiba keeps running into the Blond Guy, and it initially pisses him off. He pisses Jou' off too-- why the hell did this guy fire arrows at his dragon? Eventually Jou' discovers that jerk is the freaking King (and Mokuba's older brother!) No wonder he thinks he can do whatever he wants!!
Eventually things come to a head when Jou' gets sloppy and doesn't fully shake Kaiba off his trail before he meets with his REBD. Kaiba attempts to subjugate the dragon, but it's able to dodge at the last moment with Jou's intervention. That, of course, pisses the dragon off, and it moves to attack Kaiba. But Jou' comes between them to put a stop to it-- now that he knows who Kaiba is, he couldn't bear to see Mokuba lose his brother over his stupid ambitions. The REBD escapes the encounter.
The next time they meet at night, Jou' talks to Seto to get clarification on why he wants to subjugate the REBD, and Seto explains the lore. Jou's decides that if all he needs is for the dragon to be friendly towards him, that he can introduce them. But before that, they should introduce themselves to each other first! Jou' tells Seto to call him "Joey" (he uses an alias because he doesn't want to cause issues for Atem and Yugi down the line, should everything blow up in their faces he doesn't want to be traced back to his homeland...), Seto says "your majesty" is preferred, but "Kaiba" will do.
Days go by as Mokuba spends a ton of time with Little Prince, and Seto spends many nights with Joey and the reluctant REBD. Seto starts to notice the odd timing of his meetings with Joey, as well as their locations... why always at night? How does he keep getting so close to the castle? He also is starting to realize Little Prince is not a normal first pet, for one thing he's way too independent, to intelligent. He's not a normal dog. And is Seto going crazy or does the dog's soft brown eyes look a bit... familiar? It's hard not to notice when he practically stares into your soul... yeah no it's probably too many sleepless nights. He's definitely thinking about brown eyes too much... and blond hair... and infectious laughs... hm...
Not long after the first night, Jounouchi is declared missing back in his home town. Atem makes travel arrangements to consult with Pegasus-- who has experience in revelatory magic-- to see if he can figure out what's happened to Jou. Once Pegasus reveals he was cursed, Ishizu and the Ishtars set about doing research on the type of magic Dartz used in order to reverse it. Ryou lends access to his own family's library of the occult, in case it could be of any use.
When the crew figures out the spell and how to counteract it, they pay a visit to Kaiba's kingdom. It's not meant to be hostile, but it kind of comes off as such when the neighboring king Atem rolls up all like, "You have something that belongs to us." Lol.
By this point Kaiba has probably started piecing things together, though hasn't shared his theory with Mokuba since he doesn't have concrete evidence. So Mokuba thinks Atem is here for his beloved dog, and yeah, sure, he picked him up in Atem's kingdom... but if this dog was so precious to him how come he was so beat up and wandering the streets??? Mokuba found him, fair and square!
Kaiba offers to host the visitors for the night so they can sort this out, to Mokuba's dismay. Atem agrees. While the feast is being prepared, Mokuba refuses to do his lessons for the day, instead staying glued to Little Prince's side. Yugi approaches Dog!Jou', who obviously recognizes him, making Mokuba even more upset with the realization that Little Prince might really belong back in Atem's kingdom.
Dartz learns Jounouchi was claimed by a dragon, thus his soul could actually qualify for his needs. He decides to take a gamble and abduct Dog!Jou' in order to lure Atem to his lair. If Atem hasn't realized who the dog is, then Dartz can harvest Jou's soul anyway. If Atem shows up, then he'll kill two birds with one stone! (Seto is not on his radar because of how he came to power... Dartz is an ol fuddy duddy like that.)
Of course it's not just Atem who rises to the call to action, Seto wants in too. He's going to rescue Joey, or Katsuya, or whatever the hell his name actually is, cure his curse, and finally get some straight answers from the man. Seto actually goes back to the REBD when the gang doesn't have a way to track Jou', because dragons are supposed to have a unique sense of where those they have claimed are-- it's how Seto was able to train his BEWDs to retrieve him. He approaches the REBD, hoping to convey sincerity and urgency as he explains they have to find Jounouchi... and the REBD allows Seto to ride it to lead the search. (Of course when the kingdom sees this everyone goes nuts-- cuz from their eyes he actually fucking did it, he got acknowledged by both BEWD and REBDs!)
Everyone teams up to save Dog!Jou, and thankfully the sun goes down so he can have a bit more agency at the end. He's able to defeat Dartz alongside his friends while riding his badass REBD, destroying the evil sorcerer's lair in the process.
As they fly back to the castle, Seto hitches a ride sitting behind Katsuya on the dragon. He teases the blond to get him to look back at him, and when he does he steals a quick kiss. Before Katsuya can fully ask "W-what the heck was that?!" the sun rises and he turns back into a dog. Seto chuckles seeing him sprawled awkwardly across the dragon's neck, far from the picture of grace, but he makes sure the "Little Prince" is held securely until they reach their destination.
The Ishtars have met the gang at Seto's castle, since time is of the essence. Jounouchi is cured! They ask him how he feels and he's a flurry of emotions-- physically fine, glad to be human again, grateful to all his friends, fucking tired from their harrowing battle but also pissed off at Seto for kissing him so suddenly when he knew the sun was gonna rise--!!
As the Yugang get their privacy, Mokuba and Seto have a talk. Mokuba confesses he's happy for Jounouchi, but selfishly he's sad that he's lost his furry friend. Seto validates those feelings; it's totally normal for him to feel that way given the circumstances! Though Seto tries to put a positive spin on it-- perhaps now he can try getting to know Jounouchi as a human, as well as his other friends? (He'd feel much better about Mokuba traveling to visit Atem if he knows there are more people willing/capable of looking out for his little brother while he's there, perhaps they could even help to escort him...)
Later Mokuba and the gang see Seto and Jounouchi fighting flirting, and Yugi privately remarks to him that he thinks King Seto is also looking forward to getting to know Jounouchi like this, to which Mokuba barks a laughs and agrees. 🤣
A huge thanks to everyone who participated in JouKai Week 2026! Whether you made something or liked and reblogged other people's works, you helped make this year's event a success!
Check out this year's "Daily Digests" to catch up on entries you might've missed:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
If you like something, don't forget to let the creator know! Comments and reblogs are a great way to help a community to survive, grow, and thrive. <3
The AO3 collection for 2026 will remain open for submissions until Feb. 25, 2026. Late entries are both welcomed and encouraged on AO3 and tumblr! If you tag @joukaiweek on your tumblr posts, it will be reblogged here to share with everyone.
💜💜💜💜
And if you're still hankering for more violetshipping, check out Dragonfire, a new fanworks exchange modded by @apricotbones and @moonogre. Sign-ups are open now until Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.
We are hosting the first DRAGONFIRE Exchange dedicated to Violetshipping (Kaiba Seto/Jounouchi Katsuya).
This is a classic matched fanfic and art exchange, designed to be low-pressure and beginner-friendly.
📌 Submit 3 prompts, get matched, and create a gift for another shipper!
📌 All eras, AUs, and interpretations welcome!
📌 Receive your gift based on one of your prompts.
📌 First-timers absolutely encouraged!
🙏🏾 Thank you to @masaya90 for the banner art <3
🔥🐲
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤
🗓️ Sign-ups will open 01/25.
📖 6 weeks to produce: 600 words minimum for fic or one finished piece of art
💬 Mods are here to help every step of the way! Reach out to @apricotbone or @moonogre on either tumblr or discord for anything you need, or hit us up on our email [email protected]
👀 Check out the full rules, schedule, FAQs, and sign-up info here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/dragonfire_exchange/profile
💌 We invite you all to join the KAIJOU DISCORD for updates, check-ins, chatter, art share, and much, much more fun!
Check out the 📉 Violetshipping | KaibaCorp Internship Arc 📈 community on Discord - hang out with 111 other members and enjoy free voice and
What better way to celebrate than by creating more Violetshipping content together!
💜 Sign-ups for the DRAGONFIRE Exchange are officially OPEN today! 💜
ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕍𝕚𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟞!
The DRAGONFIRE Exchange is a classic matched fanfic and art exchange dedicated to Violetshipping (Kaiba Seto / Jounouchi Katsuya). It’s designed to be welcoming, low-pressure, and perfect for both longtime creators and first-time exchange participants.
You submit prompts for the kinds of violetshipping stories or art you want to see. You get matched. You create a gift for someone else who loves the blorbos as much as you. And in return, you receive something written or drawn just for you!
📌 Submit 3 prompts you’d love to receive.
📌 Get matched with another Violetshipper.
📌 Create one gift based on their prompts.
📌 All eras, AUs, tones, and interpretations welcome.
📌 First-timers are absolutely encouraged.
In the spirit of our boy's birthday, submit whatever version of these two lives in your head rent-free.
🙏🏾 Huge thank you again to the amazing @masaya90 for the gorgeous (and hilarious) art.
🔥🐲
𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤
🗓️ Sign-ups open today: Sat 25 Jan 2026
📝 Sign-ups close: Sun 08 Feb 2026, 09:30 PM CET (08:30 PM UTC)
✍🏽 Assignments due: Mon 23 Mar 2026, 09:30 PM CET (08:30 PM UTC)
🎁 Works revealed: Tue 31 Mar 2026, 09:30 PM CEST (07:30 PM UTC)
🎉 Creators revealed: Tue 31 Mar 2026, 09:30 PM CEST (07:30 PM UTC)
Minimums: 600 words for fic or one finished piece of art.
💬 Mods are here to help throughout the event. You can reach @apricotbone or @moonogre on Tumblr or Discord, or email us at [email protected].
👀 Full rules, schedule, FAQs, and the sign-up form are here:
https://archiveofourown.org/collections/dragonfire_exchange/profile
💌 Join the KAIJOU DISCORD for updates, check-ins, brainstorming, art sharing, and general yapping!
Check out the 📉 Violetshipping | KaibaCorp Internship Arc 📈 community on Discord - hang out with 118 other members and enjoy free voice and
A high schooler tragically slain by a local street gang after crossing their path one too many times. He had been in Jounouchi's class, though he didn't have any friends. Seto had a reputation of being a rich, snobby know-it-all who got special exemptions from the school to accommodate his schedule as the son of some big executive. It's because of said schedule that he had left school early that fateful day, and ran into the thugs who would ultimately take his life.
Before he had died, Seto cared about only one thing: securing a future for himself and his beloved little brother Mokuba. He had been in the process of a hostile takeover of his abusive father's company to ensure they would be able to live without him in their lives, though he never got to finish what he started.
Now as ghost, Seto wants vengeance-- he wants the criminals who cut his life short to pay, and he wants to ensure his brother is well-off without the influence of their abusive adoptive father. However, he quickly learned he is bound to the school grounds, thus unable to check up on his brother's wellbeing...
Jounouchi Katsuya - Human
A high schooler in way over his head. Troubles at home had him turning to the streets to vent his frustrations and seek camaraderie. Started hanging around a local gang and they've been asking him to do more and more petty crimes to prove his loyalty.
One day they ask him to ditch class, which he wasn't too keen on, but he does it anyways in the hope of gaining their approval. He soon discovered the guys were looking to rough up another kid at his school that day, which didn't sit right with Jounouchi. He left, not wanting to be involved-- but he didn't report it, either. Later he learned their target was Kaiba and the guys ended up taking things too far, killing the poor rich bastard. Jounouchi has felt awful about it ever since.
Three months after Kaiba was killed, and Jounouchi has been existing as a sort of anti-hero for the school. Other kids steer clear of him since he's still seen as rough around the edges, and he gets into enough fights that the teachers tend to loop him in with the delinquents, but he does his best to look out for others now-- even if it isn't always appreciated. It's this quality that catches Kaiba's attention...
First Meeting Possession
After another fight, Jounouchi goes to the old sports field bathroom to clean up. Most folks avoid the place due to the creepy atmosphere (it's rumored that was where Kaiba was killed) so it gives him a bit of privacy and a chance to clear his head. One minute he's splashing cool water on his face, the next he's looking in the mirror and into the eyes of someone standing behind him...
'Wait... Kaiba?? Is that really Kaiba?' Jounouchi thinks he's losing it for a moment. The longer he stares the less translucent the figure is-- sure enough, that's definitely what Kaiba looked like. 'But he's... he's supposed to be..??'
Slowly Kaiba reaches out towards Jounouchi's head, and his fingers appear to phase through his skull. "This will only be a moment." Jounouchi hears Kaiba say-- Kaiba's actual voice!?-- before everything goes black.
For Kaiba, the sensation of having a corporeal form which is not his own is jarring, to say the least. It takes him a moment to understand how to use his puppet's muscles, as well as remember to breathe. The energy he uses to overtake the blond is tremendous, more than anything he's ever tried, but it isn't too long before he has total, complete control of Jounouchi's body-- now it's time to test his theory.
He marches his puppet over to the boundary of the school grounds, a threshold he hasn't been able to cross since he died. One step over the line and... nothing happens. He takes another step. Then another. And then Seto keeps walking, down whatever street is closest-- he doesn't even care where he goes because it worked. All he had to do was possess the body of someone else, and he now has a means to leave!
While occupying Jou's body, he is confronted by a couple young delinquents affiliated with the gang the blonde used to be in/that killed him. Seto puts his puppet to good use and thrashes the underlings, who run off to tattle to the higher-ups. He's glad his hunch was right, as Jounouchi is plenty strong enough to get the job done.
Frustratingly, it seems Seto is the one who is not strong enough. The longer time he spends away from the school and the further he is from the boundary, the weaker he becomes. After the fight, he quickly heads back to the school and manages to make it over the line just in time before his grasp on Jounouchi's body falters.
When Jounouchi comes to he's out on the field, not in the bathroom as he had previously been. And he's super exhausted... did he just sleepwalk or something..??
The Proposition
Kaiba consults another spirit-- one much older and much more powerful than he is, who is attached to a former classmate named Ryou-- how is it the ancient spirit can come and go as he pleases? He isn't even originally from Japan...
The spirit explains Ryou carries a cursed object around, which the spirit is bound to. Anywhere the host of said object goes, the spirit goes.
However, he mentions knowing of another way to bind a spirit to a host-- one that does not require reliance upon an object, which can be easily lost or change hands over the years. The downside of course is that any spirit bound to a living host will not continue to exist for generations, as their soul will be directly tied to the lifespan of the mortal's body. Regardless, Kaiba wants to learn this method, as he has no intentions of seeking out another puppet-- he's wasted enough time as it is. The next day, the spirit possesses Ryou to bring a book to school which contains the appropriate spell.
Kaiba manages to corner Jounouchi when he's stuck on cleaning duties after school, scaring the daylights out of him. He proposes a deal: Jounouchi allows him to use his body, and in return Kaiba will use part of their time to forward him money from the off-shore accounts he had kept secret from his father.
Jounouchi refuses, still only half-convinced he isn't having some sort of psychotic break. He can't trust Kaiba at his word, they barely even knew each other when he was alive! Besides, why can't Kaiba pick literally anyone else? That Mutou dude in his class seems like a nice guy, he'd probably be willing to do him a favor...
But Kaiba basically threatens him, saying he'll just take over Jounouchi's body anyway (the blond doesn't have to know about his limitations.) Jounouchi, feeling the pressure, agrees to help under two conditions-- 1) Kaiba makes good on his promise to pay him, and 2) Kaiba possesses him during the midterms and finals to ensure he gets good grades.
Kaiba is pissed off by that bold request-- seriously? You want a ghost to take your exams so you can coast through school without a care in the world?!? But it's fine. He agrees-- only because, unbeknownst to Jounouchi, once the spell is cast he will be piloting his puppet permanently, and he never had any intention on fulfilling his deal from the start. The only thing that matters is reaching Mokuba.
The Ritual
Jounouchi sneaks back to school in the middle of the night, and together they start to go through with the ritual as it's written in the book. Again, he questions why they even need to do all this-- couldn't Kaiba just possess him like last time? But Kaiba waves it off, explaining this ritual will ensure he is powerful enough to accomplish both of their goals.
As the spell is cast, Kaiba can feel his soul slowly attach to his puppet, like a shadow being sewn to Jounouchi's body with thread. Soon after the ritual is complete-- finally!!
He takes Jounouchi's body over right away, intending to get to work on his plans that night... only to find the blond's incorporeal form floating right beside him.
What the hell?! Why is Jounouchi still here?! Kaiba thought he was basically trading places with the blond's soul... just what exactly was this spell supposed to do?!?
At least Seto isn't as fatigued when he takes his puppet off school grounds. He also doesn't automatically bounce back to the school once he exits Jounouchi's body-- better than nothing, he supposes.
The following day, Kaiba confronts the ancient spirit during Jounouchi's class. It's super distracting-- from the blond's POV, Kaiba's ghost (whom he can now see all the time) is yelling at nothing next to Ryou... is there another spirit in the room right now??? The conversation is one-sided, so Katsuya doesn't pick up on everything, but he does catch the fact Kaiba had intended to do more than just borrow his body for a few hours here and there... which royally ticks him off.
Kaiba is also not happy-- turns out the ancient spirit played a stupid trick on him. Not only is he now stuck to Jounouchi like glue, he's also got a ticking clock added into the equation. If he doesn't accomplish his goals sooner rather than later, Katsuya's body will die-- taking Seto's soul with it. This is because the ritual allows him to essentially borrow time from Jounouchi's lifespan, and if he sticks around too long the blond's life will be cut short as well. "Did you really think you could re-enter the mortal realm for free? There's always a price to be paid, boy, so be sure to make good use of your time-- for both your sakes."
Miscellaneous Notes
Atem can see Seto hanging around Jounouchi, and realizes the two are bound to each other, flagging it to Yugi. Armed with that knowledge, Yugi finds a moment to speak with Jounouchi when they're both alone in the locker room after gym-- asking bluntly if Jounouchi is aware that Kaiba's ghost has been hanging around him. Katsuya is shocked, thinking Yugi can see him too, but Yugi quickly explains that his own spirit buddy told him. Jounouchi is now seriously wondering what the hell is wrong with this school.
Atem can see Seto when they're outside their hosts' bodies. Likewise, Yugi and Katsuya can see each other's incorporeal forms while their bodies are being possessed. Basically if you're piloting the body you can't see other spirits, but if you're out of the body you can (the exception of course being that if you're bound to a spirit you can always see them.)
Seto likes that Atem has a twisted/angry side, like himself. He also enjoys playing games. Leave them alone for too long and they kind of want to watch the world burn-- Jou' and Yugi have to reign them in.
Unlike Yugi and Atem's relationship, Jou' doesn't call upon Seto-- Seto does what he wants. Jou would prefer Seto left him alone lmao. He's so salty about losing a part of his lifespan to this asshole.
The longer Seto has been bonded to Jou', the more powerful they become. Well, mainly Seto, especially while he's possessing Jou's body. Eventually he can do telekinetic stuff like manipulate physical objects or levitate Jou, even outside of school. He's envious of Atem's mind crushing ability, as it would come in handy when dealing with people who get in his way.
Eventually (since walking right up to his old house mansion didn't work) Seto tries to get Jou' closer to Mokuba by making him enter the upcoming KC duel tournament-- "Oi I just play DM for fun! I'm not a pro or anything!"-- since Mokuba seems to be carrying on Seto's vision for the game. Before entering, Kaiba uses his telekinesis to swipe Yugi's grandpa's BEWD in the hopes that using the card in the tournament will get his little brother's attention-- which it definitely does.
Though he loses to Atem/Yugi, Seto/Jou' successfully gets closer to Mokuba, who finds his split personality weird but chalks it up to being a kind of funny "Jounouchi" thing-- it's charming in it's own way. That side of him that comes out when he's really locked in reminds him of when his late brother would obliterate his DM opponents...
Thief King Bakura does go after Yugi for his puzzle/other Millennium Items that crop up every now and again, but Seto basically does his best to ignore him and his schemes unless Jou' specifically begs him to act to save people or he has to save their own ass. Of course he moment he steps out of his own lane and does something to fuck with Mokuba, Seto would be like "Jounouchi. We're going to kill Bakura."
Jou can't get a moment of privacy... this leads to horny moments 👀 Imagine Seto possessing him and making Jou's soul watch as his own body does super lewd things, or Seto instructing Jou' through some kinks... that voyeur 👀👀
New Fanfiction: Your body betrays your true feelings (5613 words) by Alecto
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Tags: Post-Canon, Aged-Up Character(s), Catboys & Catgirls, Cat Ears, Getting Together, First Kiss, JouKai Week 2026
Summary:
Jounouchi gawked.
Kaiba twitched. Well, his ears and tail twitched.
Because he had those now.
He pinched his own forearm. The sting informed him he wasn't dreaming.
"You're a catboy," he said, voice thick with disbelief.
For @joukaiweek 2026's day 7 prompt: free day
I sadly didn't finish the smutty part of this fic in time. 😔 Sorry, I couldn't give you a catboy to rail for your birthday, Jounouchi. To everyone else, I hope you still enjoy this!
