#atem headcanons

[talesofaduelist]

♡ + boredom

"When I'm bored...I find myself thinking back to duels. The strategists myself and my opponent used against one another. I find it is a great way to jog the mind as well as invent new strategies I would have otherwise never thought of before."

[vaseshippingformywholelive]

New Headcanon:

One time atem was taking a walk with mana. She was walking a bit behind him. Then mana accidently stepped on atem's cape.

He slipped and fell backwards, making mana fall too. Both of them did lay on the ground, looking at the blue sky above them while laughing so much.

[deejadabbles]

Heres some post-canon-Atem-stays-AU headcanons bc I will forever be in denial that the ending of ygo ever happened.

First off can we all address the fact that Atem would have an accent!?! He knows Japanese bc of Yugi but once he has his own body back, his muscles and brain are used to different speech patterns, therefore we get an accent! The first time the gang hears him talk and this (adorable) accent they're floored but love it, it kinda helps further cement that he really is his own person apart from Yugi (not that the gang really needs that but still).

I think this would also lead to Yugi asking Atem to teach him some Ancient Egyptian. He says it just because he's interested but really he wants Atem to feel slightly less alone now that literally no one else speaks his language.

Also. Contrary to what some (*cough*Kaiba*cough*) think, Atem knows how to work modern tech. Like, come on he shared Yugi's body for years, he knows how to work a phone and computer. Now, he may be a bit of an old man and prefer not to use some modern things, but he's competent at least.

(okay okay but can we entertain the idea of Atem making "back in my day" jokes bc he thinks it's funny and Honda n Jonouchi take to calling him "old man" and it's just a big running joke between everyone?? that'd be great.)

Another misconception I think Atem would prove wrong is that he actually doesn't have all too much trouble adjusting to being a "commoner" and having to live a normal, rather un-luxurious, life. Again, he spent years watching Yugi interact with the world and live in it as someone who wasn't royalty, or even rich, and did that with no context of his previous life.

So yeah when Atem returns to earth with his own body he doesn't like...expect to have everything provided for him, or be waited on hand and foot like some ppl expected since he was royalty. Sure, he may not actively think "oh, I have to get a job in order to live now" on his own (mostly bc I think he's just still amazed he's alive at all, a lot of things don't come to mind), but when the subject comes up Atem isn't astonished or taken aback by the idea or anything weird, logically he knows he has to provide for himself now and knows at least the basics of how to accomplish that in modern times.

Okay but seriously can we all take a minute imagining Atem getting a fast food or clerk job to get by until he figures out what he wants to do next. Jou and Honda thought he'd be too prideful to "stoop that low" as ppl say, but Atem's fine with it. If dishing out fries to shitty customers or ringing up cigarettes at a gas station ensures that grandpa and Yugi don't have to carry him through life he's fine with it.

That being said, I can see Atem just being...forgetful that he has to take care of himself sometimes. He's not ignorant of the modern world, but he also has his memories back now, so I can see him laying in bed for a good 10 min before he finally remembers "oh yeah servants aren't coming to dress me, okay lets do this". And sure he knows the basics of life from his time with Yugi, like cooking and doing laundry for himself. But there's times where he just runs out of clean clothes bc he forgot to do laundry, things like that, but hey that's stuff even us non-ex-royals do as Adults so that's okay.

My point is that Atem adjusts to the modern world and not being royalty really well. He's just a forgetful dork sometimes.

Okay but going back to my "Atem gets an entry-level job" headcanon. Now I'm thinking about Kaiba finding out that Atem got a fast-food job instead of coming to him for work. Next thing Atem knows Kaiba storms in (probably cutting the line because of course he would) and starts this melodramatic speech about how no one has the right to employ the rival of Seto Kaiba besides SETO KAIBA himself.

Atem, who was already chewed out by a customer for getting the wrong sized drink, is having NONE of this and is completely ignoring him, trying to serve the next customer in line. When all Atem will say to him is "sir if you wont buy anything please leave" the petty giraffe known as Kaiba slams a pile of bills on the counter ....this then leads to Atem matching his pettiness! You know that tiktok, it's basically that. Atem takes the entire stack of bills, looks Kaiba dead in the eye, and tells him to get his own chicken nuggets.

Next thing we know Atem's managers are trying to pry them apart because Kaiba hopped the counter. There are nuggets and fries everywhere, someone threw a large coke, the customers are filming. It's a big mess.

OMG imagine the headline "Local billionaire has melt down at McDonald's"

Okay, moving on from that, sorry I just had to get that outta my head.

Once again I'm going to drive home my "touch starved Atem" headcanon by saying that Atem actually likes not being royalty in his 2nd life because Yugi and his friends aren't afraid to show him affection. This boy craves touch so much and is loving the fact that no one thinks it's offensive to hug him. Atem's the type that once he's comfortable with someone, welcomes hugs for every hello and goodbye. He's also known for putting his hands on shoulders and sometimes playing with hair (only if the other is comfortable with it of course!).

The hair-playing thing is because he has these precious memories of brushing and styling Mana's hair when they were younger (and once or twice being able to beg Mahad to join their hairstyling sessions). Now he loves doing it because he equates it with affection and unconditional friendship. He especially loves playing with Ryou's hair since it's so long and soft, and even bought Ryou these tarot card themed hairpieces just so he could style his hair with them.

After experimenting with alcohol a bit, Atem finds that he likes some wine cooler-type drinks but sometimes he'll crave a beer, since that was the drink of choice in ancient egypt. He weirds ppl out though because he prefers them warm, cold beer is too harsh on his sensitive teeth and he's just not used to it. Also, it took a long time to find a beer brand he likes because most aren't up to the quality he had "back in his day" lol.

At first Atem only knows how to cook basic things (again, what Yugi knows) but he soon realizes that he enjoys cooking. He gets a Pinterest account just so he can save recipes he wants to try (he starts saving other things though, he likes aesthetic boards and interior design!). The whole gang ends up loving this because he cooks meals for them sometimes and they're so good! While they're still in high school he makes Bentos for everyone about once a week and it's the highlight of their week <3

He does get a bit sad though, when he tries to recreate meals from his culture and they just don't taste quite right.

oKaY I WAS going to go on about what career I think Atem would eventually pursue, but they got really long and this is already long so I'm going to put them in their own post. All I'll say right now is: college student Atem and later, professor Atem.

That's all for now, expect more in the future though because I will never not support Atem stays AUs <3

[the-lost-pharaoh]

{I’m putting this out there right now... I want to have an RP where Atem needs a cuddle buddy for winter. If he’s already moved into your house, he WILL be snatching all the blankets. He’ll occasionally apologize like the gentleman he is, but... he can’t help it. He’ll be super embarrassed when you ask if you could cuddle him. But the flustered young Pharaoh will act as cool, calm, and collective, while internally butterflies are going crazy.}

[blackstonesandtrapnest]

Helloaasaa, Aaaa request are open (excited dance) or please, our goddess, could you do? Yami's Fluff Alphabet (๑ ♡ ⌓ ♡ ๑)

Sure I can do that :) Sorry I took so long on this request! It took quite a while to make! I hope you enjoy this Sweet Anon!

Activities (What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?):

The sky's the limit with Atem and he'll do damn near anything with his S/O in his free time! But his favorite activity hands down with his S/O is dueling as one would expect. Nothing makes Atem happier than dueling with or beside his S/O!

Beauty (What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?):

Physically Atem's favorite feature about his S/O is their eyes. They never lie to him and he can see right down to his S/O's soul. Personality wise Atem loves his S/O's tenacity and toughness and admires it to the point of flat-out simping! He thinks it's gorgeous when his fabulous man or woman goes off on someone and doesn't take shit from anyone, not even him!

Comfort (How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?):

Atem's first extinct is to ask his S/O what's wrong but he's smart enough to know that it only makes things worse. Instead he'll immediately rush to his S/O's side and start holding them, not even speaking unless he deems it necessary. Actions speak louder than words after all. If Atem's S/O is having a panic attack, he immediately knows what to do since he has many friends who suffer from anxiety.

Dreams (How do they picture their future with their s/o?):

This is something that Atem won't think about unless you ask. He prefers to live in the present and is just trying to get through what's happening right at the moment. Not to say that Atem doesn't picture a future with you at all but he just doesn't see the utter importance of it.

Equal (Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?):

Atem likes to think that he's the dominant one in the relationship when in actuality, it's a pretty even split. But there are times when Atem will have to give or take more and vice versa which he has no issue with.

Fight (Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?):

Fights with Atem are definitely gonna happen whether you want them to or not. Atem has pride for days and he can be a total prick at times so he needs someone who doesn't hesitate to put him in his place. Atem's way of fighting is playing the long game. He will NOT back down and he WILL push your buttons to the max! Atem isn't as merciless as he once was so he is definitely willing to forgive his S/O unless the fight was about something severe. In that case, Atem is gonna need some time before he can even think about making up with his S/O.

Gratitude (How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?):

Atem may seem like a brat but he's eternally grateful for everything that his S/O does for him and is fully aware of said things. Atem hates being taken for granted and he wouldn't dare dream of doing the same to his S/O!

Honesty (Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?):

Atem is pretty reserved so yes he does have secrets. He especially has a lot of skeleton booty in the closet but that's probably the only thing that he'll share with his S/O.....if they ask. Atem's reserved nature comes with one that values privacy. He keeps his cards close to his chest and finds it quite fun to be mysterious and hard to figure out.

Inspiration (Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?):

Atem has definitely changed since getting with his S/O! One of the main ways is that he's learned to pick his battles and to sometimes accept the loss and move on. Atem's commitment and trust issues have also been overcome and he's become more grounded and less fickle as a result.

Jealousy (Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?):

As hypocritical as it may seem, yes Atem does get jealous and he can be childish when dealing with it. Being the former player that he was before getting with his S/O, he's no fool when it comes to how other people can be when it comes to relationships. Game recognize game! If you can't avoid the person that Atem is jealous of, then he'll make your relationship known using PDA that he normally wouldn't do. Under normal circumstances, Atem will make his jealousy known and if you call him out on his hypocrisy, prepare yourself for an argument! A jealous pharaoh is not a good pharaoh!

Kiss (Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?):

Of course Atem is a good kisser! He's had lots of practice over the past 5000+ years after all! His first kiss with his S/O was romantic and passionate and it happened in the rain which made for an excellent atmosphere!

Love Confession (How would they confess to their s/o?):

Atem would talk to you in private and he would just be honest and upfront about how he feels before asking you out on a date. Short, sweet, and to the point!

Marriage (Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?):

Atem acts like he doesn't wanna get married but he does. Deep down inside, he truly does. He just denies it because of past heartbreak. Once Atem knows for certain that he wants to marry you (which will definitely take a few years), he'll propose to you in front of thousands of people after he wins a big dueling tournament and of course the crowd (and the paparazzi) will go wild! Your marriage with Atem will be one hell of an adventure and it'll have many ups and downs but it'll all be worth it in the end because Atem will treat you like the King/Queen you are!

Nicknames (What do they call their s/o?):

Atem's most common nickname for his S/O is "My King/Queen". Atem will also shorten your name if he can to make things more personal between you two. Other nicknames Atem likes to use will be Honey, Darling, and Sweetheart.

On Cloud Nine (What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?):

Atem's behavior when he's in love starts to change pretty quickly so it's obvious to people who know him. He changes his phone and computer wallpaper to a picture of you, he has your number in his phone as " My King/Queen", and he's 100% loyal to you! No flirting with other people and he rejects any and all offers for dates/flings. Atem's love language is Acts Of Service so he expresses his feelings by doing things for his S/O and sacrificing his time to do said things. To him, actions speak louder than words and he wants to make his feelings for you as clear as possible.

PDA (Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?):

Atem is very upfront about the relationship but only in a subtle way. He doesn't like drawing unneccesary attention to himself and he doesn't wanna embarrass his S/O either. Atem will only share info about his S/O if they want him to. He prefers to be more verbal when it comes to PDA. His physical affection in public isn't much but it speaks volumes. The most he'll do is wrap his arms around you and give you lingering kisses on your cheek and neck. Hugs and kisses are only reserved for hellos and goodbyes.

Quirk (Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.):

Being 5,000+ years old gives Atem a lot of intelligence so if you wanna know things about various times in history, he's got your back! He also knows lots of random trivia and is very good at game shows like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!

Romance (How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?):

Atem is definitely a romantic guy and he'll pull out all the stops to make his S/O happy! He's pretty cliche when it comes to romance. Candlelit dinners, roses, walks on the beach, the works! Atem tries to be creative but in the end, the tried and true methods work for him much better!

Support (Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?):

Move over Tea! Atem's the #1 cheerleader in this bitch! Whatever your goals are, he'll support you and make sure you achieve them no matter how long it takes! He believes in you to the fullest and he wants you to be the best version of yourself!

Thrill (Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?):

Atem lives for the thrill! Without it, your relationship with him is doomed. Atem gets bored easily so he's always looking for ways to spice things up between you two and he would appreciate it if you do the same as well. Variety is the spice of life and Atem wants to live it to the fullest with his S/O!

Understanding (How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?):

Atem tries to know his partner the best he can but there are times when he'll fall short and misunderstandings will be had. This is where communication comes in. As long as you explain yourself to Atem, he'll be quite empathetic and understanding, especially if he's been through the same thing himself.

Value (How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?):

Atem's relationship with his S/O definitely means a lot to him but that doesn't mean he's willing to give up everything he's ever known to be with you. Yes Atem will give up his player days and be 100% faithful to you but that's the biggest change you'll get. Atem's not giving up anything else that makes him happy. Your relationship is worth a lot to him but he's not an idiot and tries to balance things as much as possible so his priorities are kept straight.

Wild Card (A random Fluff Headcanon.):

Atem likes it when he and his S/O wear similar or even matching clothing. Especially if it's spiky and/or leather-based! He wants his S/O to always look good!

XOXO (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?):

Atem loves affection especially in private! You'll definitely be getting many kisses and cuddles from him! Atem prefers physical over verbal affection but he'll deliver the latter just as well. He knows how to lay on the charm and make his S/O feel like the most important person in the world with the sweet words flowing out of his mouth!

Yearning (How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?):

If Atem has to be away from you for a long period of time, he'll definitely miss you but he's not gonna die without you. He'll keep in steady contact with you but he won't smother you either. Atem respects his S/O's space and doesn't want them to feel that way.

Zeal (Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?):

It may not seem like it but Atem is a true ride or die kind of guy! He'll do anything for the sake of your relationship and for your sake in general! To give an example of what kind of lengths Atem would go to for you, if you're ever down on your luck in any kind of way, he'll literally give you his entire savings account if it would save you from financial ruin! That's just how loyal Atem is to you! Just don't take it for granted or you'll regret it!

[deejadabbles]

Hey I just want to tell you how I love your writings!! Since you write Yami and Yugi so well how would you think they would react when their s/o would get jealous. I mean they're fairly famous duelist so they would probably have a lot of fan girls/boys? This question doesn't let me fall asleep the past nights!

Aww thank you so much anon!!! You’re so sweet <3 <3 <3 

I hope these headcanons are what you’re looking for and they help you sleep better tonight haha.

Yugi

Okay so, Yugi has two modes when his s/o gets jealous: flattered and concerned, and I think whichever he feels is dependent on the situation and exactly HOW his s/o is jealous.

On the lighter side, if s/o is just acting a little huffy/annoyed about all the fans trying to flirt with him, then Yugi will actually be pretty flattered. 

Think about it, he's spent most of his life with little confidence, always being told he's not a "real man" or something to that effect, and even had some moments where he feared that Yami/Atem outshone him in the "I'm a charming handsome love interest" department. So to think that his s/o is jealous like...at all, yeah, it kinda gives him a confidence boost to know his s/o loves/wants him enough to be irked at all the fans stealing his attention away.

He actually won't say that unless a deeper conversation about jealousy comes up, and on the outside he'll usually just laugh it off, quickly excuse himself from the fan(s), take your hand after giving it a light kiss, and pull you away for some alone time to set your now annoyed mood at ease <3

Now, on the more angsty side of things, if his s/o was genuinely upset or acted insecure, Yugi is devastated.

He'd be worried that he did something to cause the insecurity, that he made s/o feel that way, and worry about that makes him so upset with himself!

He'd ask for the two of you to sit down and talk about why you're upset like mature adults (Yugi wants emotions to be expressed freely in relationships), starting with an apology on ever making you feel that way and assuring you that you're amazing and no one could steal him away from you <3

Atem

Honestly….Atem is confused someone save this poor child. He just doesn't understand what there is to be jealous about. 

Atem's a bit oblivious to the fact that he's a celebrity and EXTREMELY attractive. It never even crosses his mind that people might "steal" him away so hes just confused by his s/o's jealousy.

He'd ask you questions trying to get to the bottom of your jealousy so he can "fix" it but he doesn't really understand that its just a basic emotion most people have and it can't really be fixed per se.

Atem remains clueless and oblivious….until he experienced jealousy for the first time himself. He sees Duke flirt with you and all of a sudden he's just like "....oh….OH! Now I understand!"

After that he usually does subtle things to help curb your jealousy. When a fan starts fawning over him he'll gracefully dodge their compliments and questions and instead talk about "his wonderful s/o" or subtly mention you, stuff like that.

On another hilarious note, Atem also gets mega flustered if someone gets….bold with him. If someone so much as touches his arm flirtatiously or grabs his hand, he turns beet red and just yells (rather loudly) that he loves his s/o, or just calls for you like a kid yelling for his parent.

Also, if this is Pharaoh Atem we're talking about and you show signs of being jealous, he’ll lavish you in gifts as a way to show you that you’re his one and only. He’ll also put aside some extra alone time with you between duties but he first defers to the gifts, mostly because he loves spoiling you in general and also wants to show anyone who might be inciting this jealousy that he’s already got a lover he still devoted to. (example: buying you lavish clothes so you’re basically a beacon saying “I’m the pharaoh’s” when you’re wearing them)

Also, here’s a bonus! Since I write a lot of poly-ship stuff, I wanted to make sure those who like my Atem x Reader x Yugi stuff got some headcanons! The above still applies, these are just to add a bit more “poly” flavoring to the subject, so to speak.

Atem AND Yugi

So let's say this is a “Atem stayed and has his own body now” AU. Yugi still has all the fame attached to being King of Games, and now you have Atem with his good looks, ties to famous Yugi, and who’s making a name for himself as a duelist in his own right. Yeah, they’re both going to get a LOT of attention!

Yugi is the first to notice your jealousy (again with Atem being oblivious), he quickly brings it up to Atem, and together they both decide to set any worries you have at ease.

They both increase how often they mention you in interviews, on social media, and to any fans who approach them. They also become more affectionate in public, holding your hand more often, kissing your cheek more, doing less to hide the adoring looks they throw your way, calling you some cute pet names, all of it leaves little room for argument on just how in love they are with you!

Also, much like in Yugi’s headcanons, if they sense that you’re actually upset, insecure or anything like that, they’ll sit down and ask you to talk your feelings out with them honestly so they can address them with you. They’ll do anything they can to set your insecurities at ease and, along with increasing how often they show affection in public, they’ll increase how often they cuddle you and tell you they love you all in an effort to show you how devoted they are <3

[ygospamproduction]

This just in: Modern!Atem would live in the poncho cape.

I have discovered the truth.

[ygospamproduction]

I notice Atem has his own lovely red eyes in your fic- and I was wondering if you were inspired by the toei anime for this? (I also really like that aesthetic choice :D)

Why thank you, anon! And definitely, my preference for Atem-Wine-Red and Yuugi-Plum-Purple is a toei influence… partially. It’s also heavily from the manga! Or rather, some of the manga: Nothing is a bigger continuity issue in YuGiOh than the revolving door of characters’ eye colors. But, while the official release did seem to eventually settle on a matching red-to-purple color palette for both (with Atem’s seeming more horizontal while Yuugi’s is vertical??), they still played around HEAVILY with colors, and Atem being red/heavily red is definitely a staple. 

And honestly, if I had to pick another color/give them matching eyes to help explain people mixing them up more early series, I’d go with the manga red-to-purple mix… it’s just such a pain to describe in fics! How do you even make that a passing description for someone? It’s very unique and not easy to sum up clearly. 

But I did try to give a little nod to it in chapter seventeen with Yuugi noticing more purple in Atem’s eyes when he’s wearing his glasses, so there actually is a bit of a mix, it’s just not very prominent. (Kind of like that first picture with Priest Set?) But either way, I love their eye color differences and the idea of the color changing when they shift control, be it from full purple to red, or just a faint hue tinge. It makes me think of a tanzanite gem shifting colors when you tilt it in light.