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@rosetintedduelist
Indie RP blog for 𝓢𝓲𝓮𝓰𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓿𝓸𝓷 𝓢𝓬𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓮𝓭𝓮𝓻 from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Main Verse: Post-Canon AU + Crossover Friendly Multiverse & Multiship Semi-Selective No AI Allowed Mun is 30+ 18+ only
RULES | MUSE | VERSES | TAGS | PLAYLIST
CARRD
penned by @nyanbinaryrose
"...I'm sorry, have you tried reasoning with the man that has more stubbornness than a mule? I would love to see you try to convince him to go and get...As he calls it... 'some old fart's lame ass garbage'."
Mokuba's exasperation was quite clear at that point, and he just shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"God, it's like trying to reason with a twenty-five-year-old toddler in a toy store sometimes. If you think those tantrums are bad, just look at Seto when he doesn't get his way. And of course, guess who gets stuck on the cleanup and apology train afterwards. Because every time he throws a fit, some poor innocent guy gets fired and I have to send them a sincere apology and a pity basket that holds a million dollar severance package. I mean for land's sakes, sometimes I wonder which one of us is the older brother here."
Oh. Oh, that felt awkward. Surely... surely that wasn't how Leon felt as well, was it? About him? The comparison between the two CEOs and their younger brothers was hard not to draw, especially by the public. In the aftermath of the KC Grand Prix, Siegfried worked hard to protect Leon from scrutiny, even as court cases lingered and bad publicity continued to be broadcast. Due to his efforts, Leon didn't nearly have as much on his plate as Mokuba. But Siegfried often worried if Leon considered him a burden. He certainly felt like one sometimes.
"It's... it's not garbage," he insisted, trying to avoid his own anxious thoughts, but his words audibly failed to have their prior punch. "Gott, Herr Kaiba is the definition of new money... though I'm sure if your brother really knew how much his actions bothered you, he'd adjust his behavior."
Perhaps he was projecting. He knew if Leon complained like this to him- at least nowadays- he'd be on his knees in tears, begging for ways to make it right.
I’m being harassed at one of my volunteer jobs. This harassment started in January ‘26. This work means a lot to me but I have increasingly pulled back. Unfortunately months of name calling and bullying is taking its toll- all on top of my being disabled. I’m not eating a lot. When I am, it’s delivery because I’m too in pain and exhausted to stand for cooking. I’m down to $30 until the 1st of June from buying delivery+takeout. Cleaning is hard. My physical health is getting worse. My mental health is hanging on by a thread. I’m being vulnerable and asking for help. There are many ways to assist:
In person:
- cleaning
- organizing
- cooking for meal prep
Long distance/digital:
- Drag Performers: Buy a custom performance mix from me! Pay What You Can. Normally $20+
- Digital gift cards for UberEats
- Venmo or CashApp: @rosenriotdrag
- PayPal deadnames me but I will give it to close friends/mutuals upon request. DM me.
Thank you for reading.
Reblog if despite being silent for a while, you're still here
me???? the jealous type ???? absolutely, yes
What chess piece represents you?
White Knight
You are a White Knight, The ideal hero, the man of the people. As the only type of piece that can jump over others, you can easily get yourself in or out of a situation - always catching people off guard. Being a knight doesn't mean you have to be sworn to the crown, your first love is for the people around you, or maybe it's for yourself. Knights are known to be eccentric and known to bend the rules in their favor. Just be careful, for all your charisma, there is a limit to how far the truth will get you. Will you bend your morals just like the truth? Or will you stay your course, upon your trusty steed?
Stolen from: @luckbased
Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this!
Oh, lovely. Just about the last person he...Nope, nevermind he's going to curb that thought right there. After all, Siegfried's weird...Rivalry? Sex thing? He honestly didn't care enough to know... Didn't really involve him anyway.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever weird beef you have going on with my brother, kindly leave me out of it, please and thank you. I want nothing to do with that, if you've come here just to insult him that's fine. But I don't want to be in the middle, I do that enough with him and Jounouchi anyway. Whatever grudge you two have, I don't carry it and I want no part of it."
Yeah, he wasn't having that. Not today, not ever really. He'd seen more than enough drama at this point to last a lifetime.
"His capability has nothing to do with his frivility. I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt him to go thrift shopping every now and then. Saves money and you can find the same exact things, just secondhand. But nooo, my brother HAD to have the fancy BWD Private Custom Built Jet."
Siegfried glided right past his chastisement. Why feel bad when he could discuss fashion? "I couldn't agree more! Even I partake of vintagewear. I've noticed your brother only wears new bespoke suits. No nostalgia! No homage to the fashion innovators of before! It's as disrespectful as it is wasteful. Tell him to get some vintage Armani- und then have it tailored to his preferences, of course."
"I swear...The more I look at our expenses the more I feel like I'm going to lose my mind. What the hell has my brother been spending this much money on and why do we need so many private jets? This is ridiculous..."
"Did you really think Herr Kaiba could be trusted with such finances? Money is a massive responsibility, of course it's too much for him to manage!"
(Nevermind Siegfried's own indulgent purchases. Not relevant.)
A devious smile. "If you find him incapable of handling the burden, maybe it's time for his younger brother to replace him? I always thought you to be the better Kaiba."
Not 100% the truth. Mokuba was hardly a factor to his grudge with Kaiba, except for that Mokuba could feasibly replace him. And what a better world that would be for everyone! According to Siegfried.
Odion sat silent and still as Siegfried spoke, but he didn't pull away from that gentle hand upon his face. Instead, he closed his eyes with a low sigh and leaned into the soft touch, a large hand coming to rest opn the one caressing the scars upon his cheek.
"I have survived much, I suppose that is true. But being worthy of praise is something I shall never be. At least not within this lifetime." He murmured honestly, in his mind that much was absolutely true. After so many years of being taught to value others while he himself sacrificed everything, such a notion was not an easy one to understand.
"I am not of noble blood like my brother or of high standing like you. You are still young, Siegfried, and as a result you have the opportunity to do something great with your life. I'm old and tired now, I've lived much of my life taking care of my family, especially my younger brother and elder sister. Yet now, they are grown and are living their lives to the fullest. I am no longer necessary, I have served my intended purpose. There is nothing admirable about a man with no purpose."
“Is that really what you think?" Siegfried looked the other man up in down in suspicion, before elaborating, "You really think that every human is given some finite purpose to complete, und if we do that before we’re fifty years old we- what? Just sit around und wither away?” He took on exasperated tone, “Und what if we stray? Or don’t complete it? Or what if your purpose is like mine, und it’s slowly killing you? What’s more important then, to stay alive or be useful?” He shook his head, as if gently scolding a child. “My apologies, Odion, but your ideas of what defines self worth are patently ridiculous."
Patently ridiculous, but he couldn't blame the man. His own ideas of worthiness often controlled him in similar ways. Still, while Siegfried had failed his purpose and was learning to live without it, Odion had resigned himself to a half-life after completing his. It was different, and for Siegfried, painful to watch.
"When people compliment me on my appearance, they will often belittle themselves, und say they 'could never dress like that'." He sighed. "My reply is always the same: that the difference between me und anyone else when it comes to fashion, is one day I decided to start dressing like this."
"Similarly, I think the only difference between you und your siblings is one day they decided to live."
Odion's brow furrowed slightly as he listened to Siegfried's words. Yet it wasn't out of anger or insult, but rather...Almost a look akin to confusion. As if the man's sudden conviction was something he'd never been shown before.
Seeing such anger, despite how well Siegfried was able to hide it at first, and on Odion's behalf no less...It stirred something deep within his chest. It was something he had never felt before, and despite what he'd have thought, somehow hearing that directed at him was not only new but at the same time slightly painful and confusing.
But that one, single question hit him harder than anything he'd been asked before ever had. What of him? A sharp pang twisted within his chest, eyes closing as his lips pressed together in a thin line. And for a long moment, he said nothing.
"...What of me indeed..." he finally murmured, knees bending as he sat heavily down upon the floor with a low sigh. Yet despite the slight insult to his younger brother, there was a silent look of exhausted defeat upon his face, brought by so many years of knowing only how to act as a catalyst for the wishes of those within his family. He barely paid any mind to the soft stinging within the corners of his eyes, nor did he attempt to stop the silent droplets from making their way down his face.
"My brother is free now, of the heavy burden he once carried. The secrets held within the tombs have served their purpose, as I have reached the end of mine. My purpose was to protect him, along with the secrets engraved upon our skin, yet now that he has been freed from the burdens of carrying such a secret, I am no longer needed. I suppose the truthful answer to your question is that my worth is as desolately empty as the tombs in which we once resided."
"No! No, that's not true! Odion, I..."
Siegfried rushed to where Odion sat on the floor, kneeling down beside him. A gentle hand came to rest on the older man's shoulder.
"I too know what it means to be defined by someone else. My own life was only worth something to my parents if I defeated another CEO..." He sighed and corrected himself, "If I defeated Seto Kaiba."
He hadn't said the man's name in so long. Ever since the Grand Prix and the aftermath of his actions there, the name "Seto Kaiba" only served as a memory of his defeat, of his failures. It always had, but before, there was the ability to turn his feelings of failure into spite and obsession. That wasn't an option now, and so the words "Seto Kaiba" barely left his lips.
"But I didn't defeat him. I lost. I cheated. I was... I was never going to be Seto Kaiba." It was equal parts liberating and awful to say aloud. "Und... it never should have been asked of me."
It was hard to blame a parent, let alone both. Siegfried could be angry at their actions in a vacuum easily, but to condemn patterns of parental behavior meant acknowledging to some degree, that his upbringing had been a waste. That there was some alternate version of him out there who was a healthy adult, loved, unconditionally at that, and now it was his burden to mourn that life.
Siegfried moved his hand from Odion's shoulder to his face, gently caressing the scars there under his thumb. His touch quickly became wet- there was no separating Odion's scars from the tears running down his cheeks.
"You never should have been asked to be anyone other than yourself either, Odion. Look what's it done to you! You speak of yourself so poorly, as if to make yourself small or insignificant. You know you are spectacular in my eyes, ja? Your actions are worthy of praise. From others, und from yourself. Allow yourself to brag: You're Odion Ishtar! Und you've survived a life that would shatter most."
"Starting off by jumping into the deep end. I like the way you think."
Odion chuckled softly as he spoke, though if it had been a few years ago he'd have been quite taken aback by such a question. But nowadays, he didn't mind in the slightest, after all it was bound to come up sometime.
"The scars on my back were caused by my father. I was not his by blood, in his eyes I was raised only to be a servant within the family, however I was always determined to become a Crypt Keeper. It was something I had always wished for, however when my younger brother was born, by birth right it was he who was to inherit that title. He wanted no part of it, in fact he dreaded spending the rest of his life within the Pharaoh's tomb, and many times I had begged to take his place, to spare him from such a life. My father did not take kindly to such a thing, and so I was beaten until I bled many times."
A soft sigh left him then, it was still a bit of a sour subject for him but not one he held any hatred towards. Instead, he held only the silent regret that he himself had not been able to carry the pharaoh's secrets upon his back in Malik's place.
"As for the scars I carry upon my face, those I inflicted upon myself. After Malik was forced to go through the initiation process, one he never wanted in the first place, I carved these scars upon my face as a promise to always protect him. An act of loyalty, and one I have always worn proudly, even now I hold no regrets about carrying these scars. I only wish I could have been the one to bear such a heavy burden so that he would never have gone through what he did."
His arms crossed over his chest, his fingers digging into his skin as he held himself- equal parts to comfort himself, and to hold himself back.
He spoke, his tone forcibly even, "Perhaps you're lucky that your scars add an air of mystique rather than ugliness; perhaps you're lucky too, that I am of my own inclinations und find beauty in strange things."
He was shaking with rage. It was a rare feeling for him, and it threatened to overtake his body like a illness for which he bore no antibodies, no defenses. Loyalty was one thing, and in fact, it was something Siegfried knew well, but not like this. He'd given up many things for his family, his legacy, but his looks were never one of them. Call it vanity, but to Siegfried, the impression one made on the world meant everything.
Odion was beautiful. Siegfried didn't find his scars detestable. He couldn't deny their artistic value, the way the carvings on his face followed the structure of his cheekbones, the way the ripped flesh of his back highlighted the twitch of every muscle. No, what was detestable was how they got there.
There was little to be done about Odion's father except hope he was dead for whipping his own child. The other matter was more pressing: To Siegfried, Odion's careless disregard for himself was possibly the ugliest thing about the man.
His voice raised, despite himself. Despite years of media training and etiquette classes alike.
"I know you feel your actions were in service to your family. I've made similar choices. But if you say I need to escape this, then what of you? Is your skin not worth the same care und keeping as your brother's?!"
🗣🗣🗣 free youtube premiere of the national theatre the importance of being ernest announced!
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(I was blocked before I could respond. Not that I really wanted to.)
Let's talk about The Missing Stair.
The phrase was coined by blogger Cliff Jerrison in a 2012 post on a blog about BDSM and kink. Regarding a known predator in the community, he said:
People had gotten so used to working around this guy, to accommodating his "special requirements," that they didn't feel like there was an urgent problem in their community. They did eventually expel him, but it was after months of it being widely shared knowledge that he was a rapist. [...] I think there were some people in the community who were intentionally protecting him, but there were more who were de facto protecting him by treating him like a missing stair. Like something you're so used to working around, you never stop to ask "what if we actually fixed this?" Eventually you take it for granted that working around this guy is just a fact of life, and if he hurts someone, that's the fault of whoever didn't apply the workarounds correctly.
The Missing Stair applies to all kinds of toxic behavior, not just predatory or abusive behavior. Any person that needs to be sidestepped can potentially become a Missing Stair.
When I first came into this RP space, I followed everyone who looked 'cool'. I was very aware problematic RPers existed. But every attempt to search for information on them either resulted in vagueposts or callout blogs so full of hyperbole it was impossible to tell truth from lie. This is still the case.
This creates the Missing Stair mentioned above: Veteran RPers know the drama, but newbies do not. Information is siloed, and cannot be adequately further researched. This leaves newbies in the vulnerable position of often befriending abusive people unknowingly, and facing condemnation or grooming depending on how they proceed. They can only act on the way that "problematic" people treat them, as they have no other information. Attempts to uncover the truth by asking people directly can result in allegations of the newbie being a spy, or worse, retaliation. At best, it results in a mess of he-said-she-said allegations that newbies then have to sort through.
I have now been RPing on this account for almost 2 years. I'm not a veteran, but I'm not a newbie, and I am consciously choosing to not longer perpetuate The Missing Stair like those who've come before me. This post has screenshots and it says names precisely, so that way it is searchable and verifiable. I only wish to arm people with info so they can make an informed decision. I also hope to inspire other people to make similar, detailed, measured (<- take note callout blogs) posts in the future when they encounter poor behavior. I think younger me might have be able to avoid @sweetcolbaltblues if someone had done that.
First things first: I acknowledge I should have blocked rather than responded. It's my understanding that messaging after an unfollow is considered violating a boundary by many tumblrfolk, and I agree with that take. I was just caught off guard as the message occurred only hours after I unfollowed. As I said in the screenshots, I personally don't track these kind of things. It shook me up, but I still should have blocked in response rather than yielding ground.
Still, you know now that when @sweetcolbaltblues says "no hard feelings either way", she is lying. You know now that she extrapolates based on her own biases- at no point did I ever condemn her for the company she keeps, in fact, I had empathy for her situation, and yet she assumed I was attacking her. You know now that she crashes out. You know now that she places the blame for her lashing out onto the person she's lashing out at. According to others who've looked at her blog for me to verify I was blocked, you can click and see she'll make vagueposts that don't relay the full situation. (I was provided screenshots in case these posts are deleted, and will add them to this post if they are).
You can take this knowledge, and do whatever you wish with it. You can ignore it, you can act on it, that's not my business.
I have no desire to engage with @sweetcobaltblues after how she's responded to me. As such, I have blocked her. I'm sure she has her story to tell, and in another timeline where she didn't come at me like this, I might have listened to it. But now, I can't be assured she won't attack me further, so it isn't worth me exposing myself to more verbal abuse.
All I know is if I do have RP partners who tried to run her out of the community, this exchange doesn't convince me they were wrong to do so. This is unacceptable behavior for any person and I don't think this behavior should be tolerated in any community. That said, I do hope @sweetcobaltblues can control her emotions better eventually because I genuinely want people to enjoy rp, but I think that privilege comes with improved behavior.
Finally, I hope me talking about this openly and plainly helps a newbie out in the future.
"You are correct, I have survived much over the years. But very well, if I must prove myself to have no secrets, then by all means. I'm an open book, ask away." Odion chuckled a little, standing up fully, arms easily opening in a gesture that said, 'go ahead, give me your best shot'. Yes, Siegfried was young and somewhat immature yet, after all he had lots to learn still. But the older man didn't overly mind the change in subject, quite the opposite actually. It felt good to see that defiant spark. If he could help serve as a distraction, then by all means he was happy to provide it.
"Ask me whatever you'd like. I may have held secrets many years ago, but not so much anymore. I'd love to see you try and prove me wrong."
Siegfried swung his legs over the edge of the chaise lounge and stood. Now upright, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied Odion with a cautious gaze.
Where to begin? Siegfried had so many question that good manners had taught him to bury. He hesitated for a moment, his mind buzzing with questions, wondering where to start. It was the same wall he always ran up against when starting a new project with too many options. Normally he’d work tirelessly, eliminating inefficient strategies and figuring out logistics before deciding on a plan. But this wasn’t a business project or scheme.
Against all odds, he pushed through his paralysis, almost blurting out:
”I want to know where you got your scars- the ones on your face… und the ones on your back.”
"Such things come with time, Siegfried. I'm old, I've nothing much left to lose in life and as such I don't have much of a need for secrets. You, on the other hand, are still very young hand have much more riding on your shoulders. There's a very big difference between someone like me and someone such as you, who has the world's weight upon them."
Odion's voice remained gentle, calm, the same as it always was. What he spoke was the truth in his own mind, he felt he had much less to lose than the younger man who looked...Mentally and physically drained beyond belief.
"Having secrets has nothing to do with bravery. It has everything to do with survival. Those who have such high stakes within their lives have a very valid reason to be distrusting and you are no different. You are young and lack life experience, that much is true, but a coward you definitely are not. Everyone has secrets, but some weigh more heavily than others."
Siegfried visibly pouted as Odion spoke. He still disliked the way Odion spoke about himself: “old”, and having “nothing left to lose”. But now, Siegfried disliked the way Odion spoke about him even less. He was young, true, but he was a Schroeder son at any age. His circumstances would not simply change in time.
Perhaps it proved Odion’s point about his immaturity, but Siegfried found himself attempting to turn the tables. He loved the spotlight, and yet being under Odion’s scrutiny often felt like standing within meters of the sun.
“I refuse to believe you are without any secrets. You said it yourself: it has everything to do with survival. Und you are survivor as well, are you not?"
"Yeah, you know me! Working miracles around the clock," Jounouchi joked. It seemed like his luck was on his side lately. He really did work hard for this— going over new strategies, playing up against strong opponents, and upgrading his deck with flashy new cards that made sense for his playstyle.
It wasn't just a numbers game. He was proud that he was representing himself in the way he dueled.
Though when the conversation unintentionally turned back to Kaiba again, Jounouchi flushed. Of course Siegfried had noticed. The man had an eye for fashion. Jounouchi wrung his wrists behind his back nervously.
"Oh, uh... just a friend!" Friends didn't suck each other off (most of the time) but it was an innocent question. He didn't have an honest answer, and he sucked hard at lying. He'd still try, though. "You might've heard of him, Otogi Ryuuji! The creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters."
That was plausible enough. He slipped his hands back inside his pockets, relaxing a smidge.
"I'm doing all right. Think people are more interested in gossip than my dueling, to be honest. High society types make me kind of nervous. No offense, Siegfried. I'm blending in as best as I can, I guess."
"Oh, of course I know of Otogi Ryuuji! Strange though, your attire doesn't seem like something he'd style at all." If Siegfried thought on it longer, he might have realized Jounouchi was lying. Instead, he took the lie at face value. "Well, give your fashionable friend my regards. He's incredibly versatile."
Siegfried nodded in time with Jounouchi's admission. He leaned in with a hushed voice, "Can I tell you a secret?" He didn't wait for a reply. "I don't enjoy the politics of these functions either. I'm much better at one on one conversations, or being the center of attention. A large gathering like this means balancing a lot of big personalities, und if I'm honest, I don't take kindly to that. I don't like to make myself smaller for the comfort of others."
He leaned back up to his full height and took another sip of his drink. "I don't expect you to excel here, for what its worth. I was taught this from a young age und I still take losses in this environment. It's a lot of pressure, und not what you signed up for." His tone was even, lacking judgement. He didn't see Jounouchi as lesser, just simply less skilled in a department he lacked in as well.
@rosetintedduelist
Lavish galas weren't his thing. But he did suppose he deserved to be here— having won his first big tournament. To be honest, he didn't think he'd get his first taste of victory so fast.
It's all a bit daunting, the attention.
He came waltzing in wearing a black suit and a red bowtie, with a white dress shirt underneath it all. The shoes he picked out were also stylishly black.
He did not come here knowing how to dress the part. Someone had helped him. Seemed like it worked out in the end because the fake smiles plastered across everyone's face felt less fake than if he had showed up in a T-shirt and jeans.
"Siegfried!" Jounouchi called out, sliding towards his benefactor with palatable relief. "Enjoying the limelight?" He elbowed the other man and smirked, lifting his glass up for a toast.
Siegfried promptly, almost instinctively, raised his own glass to meet Jounouchi's, the 'tink' resounding in the air between them before he took a sip of his wine. There was a faint blush on his face, though he retained all his faculties. A result of his heritage: his pale skin flushed easily, even as he remained relatively sober drink after drink.
"But of course! In fact, I feel like that question's better asked of you than me. I was raised in the limelight, und while it isn't new to you, I assume it's less familiar. I do hope you're enjoying this. You worked hard for it, after all." Normally he'd take offense to the elbowing, but his mood was too elevated to be put down by Jounouchi-isms. "Not only did you win your first tournament as a sponsored duelist, it seems whatever you said to Herr Kaiba had an effect. I haven't received an email from Kaiba Corporation or it's CEO since. You're a miracle worker," he joked, a smirk on his face.
Siegfried's eyes glanced up and down Jounouchi's outfit for the event. It was clearly not Jounouchi's style, though he wore it well. "...Und perhaps you're not the only one. You're immaculately dressed tonight. Not that I doubt your ability to 'clean up' but I'm interested who helped you. They have impeccable taste. Maybe you could introduce me? I do love a bespoke suit."
