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Ooh, may you describe what you think Jounouchi's soul room would be like?
Absolutely!
So, first and foremost, my interpretation of Jounouchi’s soul room is partially based on one of the sections in the piece Takahashi wrote to accompany The Hanged Man tarot card he drew for Jounouchi. Specifically:
“Even when he is bound by chains, hebelieves in the invisible bonds between people until the end. Exhibitingunexpected strength is part of his fighting style. Friendship and love cangreatly increase his strength. Even when the whole world seems against him, hecan stay positive like a mischievous boy. His childishness is also one of hisweapons.
“Becoming an adult means being tiedby many things and many tend to fix their worldviews then. But to overcome animpossible situation, you need to let loose your mind bound by “common sense”and think positively like a child. That is what Jounouchi does.
“What is in his pocket? A yo-yo? Apuzzle? A rare card gifted by a friend? Whatever the situation, there is alwaysa way out, however wild it sounds. Let’s look at it from the other side. Fromhis chaotic toy box, the Magician of Time might surprisingly spring out.”
As seen above, when describing Jounouchi’s determination to succeed and his refusal to give up, Takahashi compares it to a sort of innocence, or childishness. He didn’t mean childishness in a negative way here; he wasn’t saying “immaturity” as much as he was saying “innocence,” and even then, he wasn’t saying “naive” when he said that. In fact, just before the above quoted paragraphs Takahashi says, “Jounouchi adds cards received fromfriends or won from opponents to his deck without hesitation, not because hedoesn’t think about what he’s doing, but because he wants to believe in people.” It’s clear that Takahashi isn’t calling Jounouchi “childish” in a derogatory way, but rather that he’s talking it up as a positive quality in this sense—that he’s referring to a sort of innocent cleverness or ingenuity. Side note, but Jounouchi isn’t the only person that has that sort of childlike innocence in his soul/mind:
They are quite a pair of perfectly matched souls, aren’t they? ;)
That said, everyone’s soul room is different, and while this is never said specifically, I like to think that a person’s soul room is modeled after a location that they’ve experienced in life (and, to that end, that a person’s soul room can change over time, as they learn and grow and come to desire/feel new things; for instance, I doubt that Anzu always had a picture of a mysterious hero in her soul room, because it wouldn’t make sense for that to be there before she developed her crush on Atem). For instance, while the coloration of the tiles is different, the shape of the floor tiles suggests that Yuugi’s soul room could have been modeled after his bedroom:
Atem’s soul room is the vast labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle, because that’s where he has been stuck for the past 3000 years. Anzu’s soul room, meanwhile, is a ballet studio—perhaps modeled after the one she has practiced dance at since she was small?
To that end, I also like to imagine that “soul rooms” are not necessarily rooms; we see that Atem’s, for instance, stretches far and wide, through a wide variety of rooms, twisting passages, and broken off staircases. True, that may be just because of the Millennium Puzzle, but I would like to think that “soul room” is a bit of a misnomer; that’s what it’s called, but it doesn’t have to be a room in specific. It just has to be a space.
So, with that said …
I imagine Jounouchi’s soul room to be a playground—specifically, one modeled after the playground I described in the last chapter of Whispers in the Dark, which is the playground in his neighborhood that he always played at as a kid/frequented as a juvenile delinquent in middle school. That particular playground was somewhere nearby that he could take Shizuka to play when they were small, but still far enough so that they couldn’t really hear the shouting of their parents anymore when things got bad. At the same time, it was also just a decently cool place to hang out in junior high—somewhere that wasn’t bound to be crowded by other people, somewhere to chill out and relax and think—and as a result, while he’s not super attached to it, it’s one of those staple, security bubble type of places. It’s one of those places he takes for granted most of the time, that he doesn’t really think about, but that he has some subconscious sentimental attachment to.
Moreover, however, the playground also incorporates that childlike innocence Takahashi talked about in The Hanged Man tarot card’s piece—the same sort of childlike innocence that Yuugi’s playroom styled soul room displays. Whereas Yuugi has a room scattered with toys, Jounouchi has a playground with all sorts of different playground equipment: a swing set, a jungle gym, a roundabout, probably a climber. Just like playrooms bring to mind the thought of a child, playgrounds do the same thing. It carries that same sort of innocence and wonder, even if there isn’t a physical toy box at a playground like there is in a playroom (then again, there might still be a ball carrier, so there still could be something similar!).
That said, much like how we know that Anzu’s soul room couldn’t have been her exact dance studio, and much like how Yuugi’s soul room probably wasn’t exactly his bedroom (childhood bedroom or no), I imagine that Jounouchi’s soul room—that playground, wouldn’t be an exact carbon copy of his neighborhood’s playground, either. There would be some similarities—the swing set, for instance, probably only has the two swings, and they have metal chains. The ground itself is probably that same thick bed of gravel used to cushion kids who fall off the equipment, while still being a little sharp and rough simply by nature of being gravel. The climber and roundabout are probably both metal, and rusted. The jungle gym is still plastic.
But even if the equipment is roughly the same (although I don’t think there is an actual climber at the playground in Jounouchi’s neighborhood, but I’d have to re-read that description from the chapter), there are personal touches as well. For instance, in the top tower of the jungle gym—hidden from sight, but still there all the same—there’s probably a framed photograph of Jounouchi’s family from when he was younger: His parents, himself, and Shizuka. Once upon a time that photograph sat out in the open on the jungle gym, and once upon a time the frame was in tact. But now it’s in the tower section, hidden from view, and the glass has been broken, the photograph wrapped down the middle. Both halves still sit in the frame, but it’s obvious that it’s broken, much like how his family is.
I imagine that each “section” of the roundabout would have something different on it, to represent the different parts of Jounouchi’s life—the different parts of his life that he struggled with, the different parts of himself that he struggled with, and the different choices that he made. For instance, a yo-yo and pack of cigarettes might be on one section. Turn the roundabout, and on the next section you’ll find a Domino High school uniform. Turn it again, and the next section would have a digital pet toy and Monster Fighter figures, and so on and so forth. As time goes on, Duel Monsters cards would be added, probably scattered all over the roundabout, and things like the cigarettes would probably be tossed off and to the side. (The yo-yo is maybe stashed under the roundabout, because he’s a bit salty that Hirutani ruined yo-yos for him and doesn’t want to completely get rid of them just yet. >_>) At the very center of the roundabout would be another framed photograph, this tine wholly in tact, and this one features Yuugi, Honda, Anzu, Bakura, and Shizuka. No matter which way you turn the roundabout, they are always at the center of it. They’re that important to him.
Going with the idea that a soul room can “change” over time, I imagine that it would manifest itself in the form of weather in the case of Jounouchi’s soul room. During middle school, things would always be overcast and stormy; not necessarily actually raining, but just very dark, very bleak, closed off. He hated himself, you know—he didn’t have hope, there was no sunshine, no light. But after meeting Yuugi, and after turning his life around, sunlight would start to break through, things would brighten up, and by the time high school is done with it’s considerably brighter and more open. Even though most of the playground equipment might still be rusted, the sunlight makes the entire place seem more warm and inviting. It feels much more like a childhood playground that you would actually want to play at, rather than an abandoned, dreary, run down sort of place. (And when he’s well into adulthood and happier than he’s ever been, it’s very bright and sunny. Much more bright and pure.)
There could be other assorted things around, too. Maybe bandages used to wrap bruised or broken knuckles tossed over by the slide. A pair of super nice shoes tossed up over the swing set pole, dangling by tied laces. When he’s an adult and has his job at the radio station, no doubt you’d find a pair of DJ headphones set up somewhere, whether on the roundabout or up on the jungle gym.
But overall, I imagine it to be a playground, much like the one Jounouchi used to play at as a kid (and takes Yuugi to in the last chapter of Whispers). The weather reflects where he’s at in life, and the items scattered around do as well, but that’s the idea I have for his soul room in my headcanon all the same. ^^
✩ Wishshipping (I'm not sure if this is for EVERYTHING, but if not, then specifically the 'Home' ones)
(It’s for everything, don’t worry.)
Disagreements:
Who is more likely to raise their voice?
Honestly? Both of them. Jounouchi is the one you would expect to raise his voice more quickly, and he does tend to raise his voice pretty easily whenever he’s feeling particularly emotional about something (and this goes for good emotion, too—he’s one of those people who will naturally get louder the more excited/joyful he is about something). But that said, Yuugi is absolutely not a stranger to yelling when he is upset, and we see this repeatedly in the manga (as early as the first chapter!). So if they’re arguing about something, Yuugi is just as likely to raise his voice and yell as Jounouchi is.
Who threatens to leave but never actually does?
Neither. Whenever they have issues (as rare as that is), it’s important to both of them that they work it out. Additionally, neither one is the type to threaten something they’re not going to follow through on. Jounouchi is too honest about his thoughts, feelings, and intentions to try and be manipulative like that, and Yuugi knows (even if he would never explicitly say that he knows) that Jounouchi is tetchy about being manipulated due to past experiences (and that Jounouchi has lingering abandonment issues due to his mother walking out on him when he was young), and so he would never threaten that, either.
Who actually keeps their word and leaves?
N/A, for reasons explained above.
Who trashes the house?
Again, neither. Jounouchi is way, way, way too proud of what they have to ever destroy it. He grew up in poverty, and after his mother moved out, his apartment was a trash-ridden hellhole in every room save his own. He and Yuugi have both worked hard to get where they are, and Jounouchi in particular feels that he clawed and scratched for every inch of it. He would never, not ever want to destroy that. It means way too much to him.
And as for Yuugi, well, he’s just not the type to get violent like that. He also quite likes what they have, even if it isn’t as meaningful to him as it is to Jounouchi (because while the Game Shop had its moments of financial difficulty, Yuugi was never too personally affected by that), and so he doesn’t want to destroy it either. Plus, as mentioned, he’s just not a physical person. Throwing temper tantrums that destroy their home isn’t in his nature.
Do either of them get physical?
I’m going to say this as emphatically as I can:
NO.
Jounouchi knows first hand how awful physical abuse is, and as we saw in 343 chapters of manga, he would never raise a hand to Yuugi like that. Never. (And yes, I do mean 343, because he never physically assaulted Yuugi in the first chapter, either; he tried to goad Yuugi into hitting him, but he never once raised a hand to Yuugi.) Yuugi, on the other hand, hates fighting and physical violence, and even if he didn’t, it’s similarly out of character for him to ever try hitting Jounouchi. No matter what they argued about, neither one would ever try to hit or even shove the other. Suggesting otherwise is grossly OoC for both of them. (Like, seriously, I cannot stress how much the idea of hurting Yuugi would make Jounouchi ill. The mere idea would sicken him, he would never.)
How often do they argue/disagree?
Very rarely. Their opinions/views/feelings align on most things, honestly, and we see this in canon as well. Honestly, in canon, the biggest things they ever truly disagree on are when one of them starts to lose faith in themselves, at which point the other speaks up to encourage them. Otherwise? They tend to agree with each other on most things and get along spectacularly. So when they are romantically involved, actual arguments would be pretty rare, and easily sorted. They have excellent communication, which makes that sort of thing a non-issue.
Who is the first to apologise?
They usually apologize around the same time. It depends on what the argument was about, to an extent, but they’re both pretty quick to own up and apologize when they did something wrong, and neither one of them is content with letting an issue sit between them.
Sex:
(Keeping in mind that all of these answers apply to when Jounouchi and Yuugi are in their mid-twenties and up …)
Who is on top?
It depends on what mood they’re in and what they’re doing that night. They switch it up pretty regularly.
Who is on the bottom?
See above.
Who has the strangest desires?
Yuugi, but Jounouchi is usually up for whatever ideas Yuugi brings into the bedroom.
Any kinks?
Yuugi entertained the idea of a bondage kink once, but that didn’t go over so well due to issues Jounouchi has with being bound and restrained (and honestly, Yuugi wasn’t married to the idea, so he legitimately was not that upset that it didn’t go anywhere). Jounouchi is also very good at giving Yuugi sensual massages using various oils (and, believe me, Yuugi is very into receiving them). I imagine they role play sometimes as well, though sometimes they get too into the story/play wrestling and forget about the actual sex part.
Who’s dominant in bed?
Neither in the way this question means.
When it comes to “dominance,” both of them are equally so, in the sense that mentally/emotionally neither one feels that they are being “dominant” or “submissive” over/to the other. They have an equal partnership, an equal relationship; they both “call the shots” as much as the other one, and when they do have sex, it’s about their bond, and how much they love each other, much more than it is about any sort of “roles.” Jounouchi never submits to Yuugi, and likewise, Yuugi never submits to Jounouchi. Their relationship isn’t like that, isn’t about that, and they’re both too independent to ever slot into “roles” like that.
That said, Jounouchi is perfectly fine with letting Yuugi take the “lead,” in the sense that if Yuugi has an idea/wants to do something, there’s a high probability Jounouchi is going to let him do it, because he wants Yuugi to be comfortable/enjoy himself, and also because he knows that he’s probably going to enjoy it just as much, so why not? There’s also the fact that Yuugi can be more rough without risking hurting Jounouchi, whereas Jounouchi is conscious of the fact that he’s physically stronger than Yuugi, and wants to be careful because of that. So in that sense, Yuugi tends to be more forward/tends to be more rough, whereas Jounouchi tends to let Yuugi steer things if he wants to. He doesn’t always want to—again, depends on how they’re feeling/what they’re doing—but if he does want to be the one climbing “on top” (whether so to speak or literally), then Jounouchi tends to let him.
But again, it’s not about “dominance.” Jounouchi doesn’t see letting Yuugi taking the lead as “submitting” (because if he did, he wouldn’t do it—Jounouchi is not a submissive person by any stretch of the imagination). And likewise, Yuugi doesn’t see it as him “dominating” Jounouchi. They’re equals, always and forever.
(And I feel like this was the most rambling, confusing explanation, but I hope it makes sense all the same, orz.)
Is head ever in the equation?
Yep.
If so, who is better at performing it?
Yuugi, but Jounouchi is always ready to return the favor (though he’s honestly better with his hands, so “returning the favor” isn’t always tit-for-tat same action).
Ever had sex in public?
Yes, and the riskiest place would have to be in Jounouchi’s sound booth at the radio station. It wasn’t penetrative sex that time, but still. (It was Yuugi’s idea, too, the little rogue.) Thank god no one picked up on it, honestly.
Who moans the most?
Jounouchi, for sure.
Who leaves the most marks?
Yuugi, for sure. He’s so mouthy.
Who screams the loudest?
Jounouchi once again.
Who is the more experienced of the two?
Mmhh, kind of Jounouchi, because he had more informal bouts of fooling around with people before he and Yuugi became romantically involved, but those people were all women and it honestly never really went farther than “second base.” They both had a lot of learning and experimenting to do when their relationship became romantic/sex entered the equation, actually.
Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’?
I find this distinction to be so funny because it sounds like the kind of distinction a teenager would make, but if we’re going to go that route, then I’ll say this: Whenever they have sex, it’s always about their bond. All of the poetic ways of describing it, of saying “it’s a way to express how you feel, physically” — that’s them. Yes, they have a lot of fun with it as well, and obviously it feels good, but when they make out or have sex, it’s about expressing the bond between them, about expressing how much they love each other in a way that’s different from how they typically go about it. So if I had to pick one of the two above options, I would say “make love,” but I think they would both laugh at how cheesy that phrasing sounds.
Rough or soft?
Jounouchi is, perhaps surprisingly to some, quite gentle and tender with Yuugi in bed. Part of it is that he wants to make sure he doesn’t accidentally hurt Yuugi, but part of it is also just that he loves Yuugi so much that, subconsciously, he just tends to be more tender with him. Feather light kisses peppered down Yuugi’s neck and chest, caresses down Yuugi’s back and thighs—that sort of thing.
Yuugi tends to be more rough/forward, but even then, he’s not rough rough, either. Again, neither one of them wants to hurt the other. But then again, Yuugi has more of a habit of sucking and biting, of gripping hard and pulling close—so he does tend to be more rough than Jounouchi on the whole. They balance each other out, and guide each other into being more rough/gentle when need-be. (Again, open communication: Neither one is afraid to give instruction/tips, and they both know that’s welcome/encouraged.)
How long do they usually last?
Umm … being ace, I’m honestly not experienced in how long is average or what, haha. So I’m going to say they last for however long they need to during that particular bout.
Is protection used?
They used it far more often in the beginning of their relationship. They should use it all the time, and they know this, but they also know they’re both clean and trust each other not to cheat (and that is trust well placed), so sometimes they forget the condom, whoops. (Don’t worry, though: If they’re having penetrative sex, they always, always remember the lube.)
Does it ever get boring?
Nope. Again, it’s about the bond, and if they do want to mix things up, they can work various kinks/role playing/games into it. “Boredom” isn’t ever really a factor with them.
Where is the strangest place they’d have sex?
I mean, the recording both in the radio station was a pretty big one. I also imagine they once had a quickie in an airplane bathroom (Jounouchi’s idea, this time), because they wanted to be able to cross “join the Mile High Club” off their bucket list. (Guys … seriously … behave yourselves …) So, both of those things happened.
Family:
Do your muses plan on having children/or have children?
Nope. Jounouchi has a lot of hang-ups surrounding the idea of having kids (with the biggest one being that he thinks he’d be a bad father/is afraid of being a bad father and would end up with his kids hating him just like how he grew to resent his old man), and Yuugi, likewise, has never really been big on the idea of having/raising kids, and feels he doesn’t really have time for children anyway given his work hours (additionally, he knows without Jounouchi having to say it that Jounouchi is not big on the idea of having kids, and given that Yuugi would be at work most of the time, he would feel bad sticking Jounouchi with the lion’s share of child-rearing when Jounouchi is uncomfortable with the idea to begin with). By the time they talk about it they’re in their forties, so it’s kind of too late, and so they’re just the Really Freakin’ Cool Uncles to their friends’/sibling’s kids.
Since the rest of the questions in this section were about children, they are hereby irrelevant, so …
Affection:
Who likes to cuddle?
Both! But Jounouchi is definitely the cuddlier of the two. He’s always throwing at least one arm around Yuugi. Not that Yuugi minds (and Yuugi will happily curl against Jounouchi’s side), but all the same.
Who is the little spoon?
Yuugi most often due to Jounouchi’s tendency to just throw his arms around him, but Yuugi is also just as likely to wrap himself around Jounouchi when they’re laying in bed at night, and Jounouchi is pretty happy with this arrangement, too. It really just depends.
Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places?
So far, Yuugi has racked up the most points in this area. Again, the romp in the recording booth was his idea. Yuugi, please.
Who struggles to keep their hands to themself?
Jounouchi, but more in the platonic sense; he doesn’t struggle to keep his hands to himself in an inappropriate way because he knows when/where Yuugi will be comfortable with certain things. Likewise, Yuugi knows when Jounouchi would/would not be okay with being groped, and he respects that. (So in other words, the romp in the recording booth was Yuugi’s idea, but it was still wholly consensual. Yuugi just started it.)
How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable?
‘Til the sun burns out, honestly. They’re perfectly comfortable curling up with each other, always.
Who gives the most kisses?
Yuugi probably edges out ahead on this one. Again, he’s quite mouthy, and loves kissing. Jounouchi likes kissing a lot as well, and will kiss the top of Yuugi’s head all the time, but Yuugi probably initiates the most mouth-on-mouth kisses.
What is their favourite non-sexual activity?
Playing games! All kinds of games. Duel Monsters is an obvious one, but they also own a ton of video games (and, in particular, have always bought the matching pairs of Pokémon games since it first came out), a ton of different board games, love going to the arcade, make up random games on the spot (well, Yuugi is best at that)—all kinds of games. They also really like watching bad B movies and making commentary on them as they watch, and they’re also into a lot of the same anime/manga series as well. (Though they have different favorites. Yuugi will always and forever hold Dragonball in a special place in his heart, whereas Jounouchi’s favorite will always and forever be Rurouni Kenshin.) They are also both deeply fascinated by Detective Conan, mostly because it seems to have been going on forever and is showing no sign of stopping. It’s like a soap opera but in anime form, almost.
Where is their favourite place to cuddle?
The couch, honestly. They had a somewhat small couch in their first apartment, which meant they were usually sprawled over each other in some way, shape, or form just so that they could both fit (okay, to be real, Yuugi was pretty much always sprawled on top of Jounouchi so that Yuugi wouldn’t get crushed), but even after they got their condo and their much, much larger sofa, they still really like cuddling on it. They’re just comfortable that way.
Who is more likely to playfully grope the other?
Could be either one! See a previous answer above for more details.
How often do they get time to themselves?
They live together, so honestly, pretty often! Although it can be hard with Yuugi’s work schedule; being a game developer means that he has to work very long hours sometimes, which can be hard. But they both have weekends free and, again, their nights are their own, so it’s not hard for them to find alone time together.
Sleeping:
Who snores?
Neither one snores regularly, but they both snore at different times. It usually depends on whose allergies are acting up at the given moment, or if one of them is sick.
If both do, who snores the loudest?
Again, it depends! But Jounouchi tends to be louder.
Do they share a bed or sleep separately?
They share, definitely.
If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart?
Cozy up for sure. Jounouchi is a serial sleep spooner; even if they start out not spooning, Jounouchi will routinely roll over in his sleep and just spoon Yuugi without waking up to realize what it is he’s doing. Thankfully, Yuugi doesn’t mind a bit. Additionally, if one of them has a nightmare, the other usually wakes up (not necessary because the one having the nightmare was loud, but just because the other one knew), and cuddles are pretty much always in order at that point, for comfort.
Who talks in their sleep?
Jounouchi is the more likely culprit here. It amuses Yuugi to no end.
What do they wear to bed?
Yuugi has a few pairs of pajamas (shirts + pants), but as he slips into adulthood (or rather, once he and Jounouchi become romantically involved) he starts caring less and less about dedicated pajama sets and usually just goes for a pair of pajama pants (which are always too long because pajama companies just cannot make pajama pants in a decent length for short adults, honestly—and trust me, I speak from experience here) and one of Jounouchi’s old t-shirts. (Because they’re comfortable and they smell like Jounouchi, which are two pluses. ♥)
Jounouchi, on the other hand, tends to just wear a pair of comfy sweatpants and that’s it. That said, after Yuugi takes open notice of Jounouchi’s scars, Jounouchi pulls on a tank top the next night—but when Yuugi questions it (which he does pretty much immediately, because that’s weird, Jounouchi never sleeps with a shirt on) and he explains that it’s because the scars seemed to upset Yuugi so, whatever, he doesn’t mind sleeping with a shirt, Yuugi tells him that’s really not necessary (“I hate that you got hurt, but they’re a part of you, and there’s no part of you that I mind seeing”), and so the tank top doesn’t even last the night.
Are either of your muses insomniacs?
No, because—as Jounouchi has told Yuugi many times—choosing to stay awake to play games does not equal having a chronic sleep disorder. (Yuugi says they can agree to disagree and Jounouchi just rolls his eyes.)
Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside?
Nope. Neither one needs them.
Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side?
As described above, Jounouchi is a serial sleep spooner and Yuugi likewise enjoys wrapping himself around Jounouchi.
Who wakes up with bed hair?
The thing with Yuugi’s hair is, it’s so wild that bed hair isn’t really noticeable. Jounouchi’s hair, on the other hand, has chronic bedhead syndrome. It sticks up everywhere. Like, you think it’s a shaggy mess normally? Oh buddy, you haven’t seen him when he has just woken up. It’s very messy. (Yuugi, however, finds this look to be very attractive, so … morning make out sessions/sex aren’t exactly an oddity on the weekends, to be honest.)
Who wakes up first?
Jounouchi for sure. He’s the “early to bed, early to rise” type. Yuugi, on the other hand … is not. Not unless he absolutely has to. (And to be honest, his job requires him to be in earlier than Jounouchi’s, but Jounouchi’s just an early riser by nature, so.)
Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other?
Jounouchi! Again, he’s up earlier than Yuugi, so while this doesn’t happen every day, it’s also not too uncommon for him to make breakfast and bring it back to bed for them to enjoy together. In this instances, Yuugi really doesn’t mind being woken up.
What is their favourite sleeping position?
Jounouchi will usually sleep on his stomach or sprawled on his back (until he does to sleep spoon Yuugi again, anyway). Yuugi’s likely to be curled up on his side.
Who hogs the sheets?
Yuugi for sure. Jounouchi’s more likely to all the covers off in the middle of the night, to be honest.
Do they set an alarm each night?
Yes. Yuugi especially needs it, and Jounouchi got used to it after relying on one to get him up for his paper route all those years.
Can a television be found in their bedroom?
Perhaps surprisingly, no. That said, the type of bed they have is one where they have drawers beneath it, and those drawers are filled to the brim with board games. (You’d think they’d store clothes there, but no.) So if they do need pre-sleep, non-sexual entertainment … trust me, they have plenty.
Who has nightmares?
They both do. Jounouchi’s are usually more specific and detailed—things pulled up from his memory, albeit sometimes with his subconscious altering them (such as the recurring nightmare he has where he dropped Yuugi’s key on the pier before they were both pulled under the ocean’s surface, thus drowning them both). Yuugi’s are usually more vague; they do incorporate things from his past experiences, but more so through symbolism and metaphor than a straight up recollection. His dreams have always been more about the symbolism than specifics.
That said, as mentioned above, they both comfort each other after nightmares, always. Here’s an example of that.
Who has ridiculous dreams?
Again, Yuugi’s dreams tend to be more along the absurdist, symbolic style, and so he often feels that his dreams are weirder. Jounouchi is the one who has the more specific dreams of weird scenarios.
Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed?
Jounouchi for sure.
Who makes the bed?
Neither. Their bed is always mess, because they subscribe to the “we’re just going to mess it up again later anyway, so why bother?” philosophy. They do still wash their sheets and blankets, of course (well, Jounouchi does), but they just don’t make the bed, because what’s the point?
What time is bed time?
Jounouchi is usually asleep by midnight at the absolute latest. He usually falls asleep around 10pm. Yuugi will stay up until 3am or 4am if left to his own devices, but given that he has to be at work by 7am or 8am, Jounouchi usually persuades him to go to bed at around the same time Jounouchi himself does, for his own health and sanity.
Any routines/rituals before bed?
Aside from hygiene rituals, not really.
Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up?
Yuugi for sure. The fact that he tends to drool in his sleep, and that sometimes Jounouchi will greet him with a bright smile and, “Good morning, drool face” upon waking doesn’t really help matters. (Yuugi’s not really mad about being called drool face, but he’s just generally grumpy first thing in the morning anyway, and so his typical reaction is just, “ha ha, that’s funny,” at which point Jounouchi does just laugh because, honestly, he thinks it’s cute how Yuugi’s all grumps in the morning, and knows he’s not actually pushing too far, anyway.)
Work:
Who is the busiest?
It honestly depends on how you define “busiest.” Yuugi has deadlines to meet and has to put in a lot of hours, but at the same time he usually has one, maybe two projects he’s working on at a time. Jounouchi, on the other hand, has his radio show five days a week, usually has a few Let’s Plays he juggles at once (with at least one new video released each week), routinely goes to different events to offer live reporting on them (whether it’s a concert, a gaming tournament, whatever), and helps out with the video/sound editing at the station as well, as needed. So even though Yuugi has to spend the most amount of hours actually at work, whereas Jounouchi only has to be at the station for his show Monday through Friday, Jounouchi puts in just as much time to his career. He just has a bunch of different things that he handles, versus one or two dedicated projects at a time. (Which is how he prefers it, honestly; Jounouchi needs the variety in his work, or else he gets bored and miserable. He loves his job for a reason.)
Who rakes in the highest income?
According to my research, the average salary for a radio host is ~$40k (~¥4,356,105), while the average salary for a game developer is ~$64k (~¥6,969,769). Granted, apparently sports announcers can make up to around $90k (and I imagine that reporting on games/entertainment would fall into that), and Jounouchi would no doubt be in for some serious raises due to all the extra work he takes on, and likewise, game developers can end up making around $100k, so at some point their salaries might even out, but at the start of their careers especially, Yuugi is probably raking in the higher income by a decent amount. (This is something that someone uses to try and make Jounouchi feel insecure about his relationship, in the, “What do you bring to the table? Certainly not money considering how much more he makes than you” kind of way, but that’s another story for another time.)
Are any of your muses unemployed?
Nope. Jounouchi has been employed at various jobs since he was ten or eleven years old (and remember, this is canon). Yuugi got hired practically right out of college.
Who takes the most sick days?
Yuugi, because it’s a struggle to get Jounouchi to agree to take a sick day. Jounouchi is rarely sick as it is, but even when he is, he insists he isn’t.
Who is more likely to turn up late to work?
Yuugi has more of a habit of oversleeping, but Jounouchi usually makes sure he doesn’t, so it’s typically not an issue.
Who sucks up to their boss?
Neither. Jounouchi doesn’t suck up to anyone, employer or no, and Yuugi likewise would rather earn merit through his work than through sucking up to anyone.
What are their jobs?
Yuugi is a game developer at an indie (or at least, it starts out indie, but ends up becoming a reputable third party developer, by and large thanks to Yuugi’s work/successes) video game company called MalleaBoundary Games (so named because the founder combined the English words “malleable” and “boundary,” i.e. the boundaries (of what we can do, of what’s realistic) are malleable, and as such possibilities are endless). As mentioned, they primarily make video games, but they also have quite a few board games/peripherals that go with their games thanks to ideas that Yuugi had, so—much like Nintendo—they end up creating all sorts of things. Yuugi ends up becoming quite famous over the years, along the lines of Miyamoto Shigeru in terms of achievements.
Jounouchi is, primarily, a radio host at a radio station, but his radio station ends up becoming more of an “entertainment station” over the years. They still primarily have their radio broadcasts, but they also have videos posted on their website that include video blogs taken at events, live streams of events, video game Let’s Plays, blogs, et cetera. Jounouchi produces much (if not most) of this content (in particular, the Let’s Plays are all his, as are most of the video blogs/live streams). Jounouchi ends up becoming quite popular and famous himself (whether it’s people following him for his show, or his vlogs, or his Let’s Plays), to the point where he has to have two separate Facebook pages: One that his fans follow, and one that he uses to keep in touch with his actual friends. (He also has a ton of Twitter followers. Like, thousands and thousands of Twitter followers. Damn, Jou. Damn.)
Who stresses the most?
I’d say it’s about equal, though over different things. Yuugi’s job is more stressful by nature, especially since this is the first real job he’s ever had, whereas Jounouchi has been employed since he was an actual child. Jounouchi, however, does tend to stress more over finances, even when they’re both comfortably financially stable and it’s not as much of an issue anymore. He’s still constantly checking their bank accounts to make sure they’re okay for bills and things, and gets nervous if they drop below a certain amount.
Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations?
They love their careers! Of course they have their bad or stressful days—everyone does, even at a job you love—but they both found the perfect careers for them and could not be happier, honestly.
Are your muses financially stable?
Definitely. Jounouchi especially makes sure of it.
Home:
Who does the washing?
If we’re talking about laundry, Jounouchi. Yuugi hates doing laundry, and will procrastinate it for as long as humanely possible, and that is something that never changes, so Jounouchi just does it so that it gets done.
Who takes out the trash?
Whoever notices that it needs to be taken out first, although Jounouchi will handle it if it’s particularly bulky/heavy for whatever reason.
Who does the ironing?
Let’s be real, they don’t even own an iron. (Yuugi’s mom does eventually find out and buys them an iron/ironing board because she is so appalled, but those items never get used pretty much ever.)
Who does the cooking?
Both! They actually enjoy cooking and baking together, but both will cook on their own, too.
Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying?
Neither, actually! Jounouchi had a head start on cooking simple things due to his home life growing up (if he didn’t cook for himself, no one would once his mom left), but Yuugi was a pretty adept learner, too. Neither one of them are ready for, say, Gordon Ramsay to judge them, but they’re still pretty adept in the kitchen. The stuff they make tastes good, anyway.
Who is messier?
Yuugi, definitely. Jounouchi is pretty conscious of having a decently clean living space because he doesn’t want his home to ever become the trash heap that his dad’s apartment was. He’s not a neat freak, by any means, but he makes sure that trash is in the trash bin, food isn’t left out, et cetera. Yuugi, on the other hand, can be more careless, especially since his mom always picked up after him growing up, so he never really had to think about that sort of thing before. So he’s definitely the messier one of the two, for sure.
Who leaves the toilet roll empty?
Both of them. Eventually they just give up and stack the toilet paper on the back of the toilet/on the sink next to the toilet.
Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor?
They have a “laundry corner” where they toss their clothes once they move into their condo. So … both, haha.
Who forgets to flush the toilet?
Neither, because neither one of them is that disgusting.
Who is the prankster around the house?
Mm, neither, really? They don’t really play pranks on each other, though they do have games/challenges, like, if they happen to lose something, whoever finds it first gets to choose where they go out to eat that night. That sort of thing.
Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere?
They don’t own a car, haha. But each of them has a habit of losing their house keys at different points.
Who mows the lawn?
Given that they live in a condo, this isn’t an issue they have to worry about.
Who answers the telephone?
They each have a cell phone, rather than a house phone, so it depends on which of them gets called.
Who does the vacuuming?
They take turns, unless one of them spills something. In that case, whoever spilled the thing has to clean it up. =P
Who does the groceries?
They go grocery shopping together, of course!
Who takes the longest to shower?
Yuugi, because it takes a lot of shampoo and conditioner to clean his hair, good lord. Aside from that, it’s also not uncommon for him to space out thinking about things while showering.
Who spends the most time in the bathroom?
It all depends on what they’re doing in there, honestly, but Yuugi probably takes the most time to get ready. Again, his hair requires a lot of up-keep.
Miscellaneous:
Is money a problem?
Nope, or at least, not a serious one. Prior to Yuugi graduating from university, Jounouchi was the sole breadwinner, and so finances were a bit more tight and they had a few more arguments over money (because Yuugi would want to buy any and all new games as soon as they came out and did not know how to manage a budget, whereas Jounouchi—coming from a background of poverty—is keenly aware of how important a budget is). But once they both have salaries money is really not an issue, so even arguments over that pretty much tapered off.
How many cars do they own?
None! They live in Japan, so this really isn’t necessary, haha.
Do they own their home or do they rent?
Once they buy their condo, they are homeowners. ♥
Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside?
Nope! It’s true that Domino is near the ocean (it has to be because of the pier), but their condo is not down by the docks, so the answer is still no.
Do they live in the city or in the country?
They live in Domino City, only of course.
Do they enjoy their surroundings?
Absolutely! They both love Domino City, and in particular, their condo is their dream home for sure.
What’s their song?
It’s not their song in-universe because they are Japanese and wouldn’t be familiar with it, but My Best Friend by Weezer is the perfect Wishshipping song and I defy anyone to tell me otherwise. It works no matter whose perspective you imagine it from, and even the genre/type of music is perfect, damn. It’s just perfect, for real.
What do they do when they’re away from each other?
They both have their separate careers, so there is that, first and foremost.
Aside from that, Jounouchi will go hang out with Honda or some of his work friends, or, if Shizuka is in town/available, go spend some time with her as well. Yuugi, likewise, will hang out with Bakura or visit his grandpa, or, if Anzu is in town/available, spend time with her as well. (And of course Jounouchi can also hang out with Bakura and Anzu, and likewise Yuugi with Honda, but I imagine that Honda is the first person Jounouchi hits up when Yuugi’s not around, and likewise, Bakura is first on Yuugi’s list when Jounouchi isn’t available, especially since Anzu’s career takes her global and as such she’s not always in the country, much less in town.)
Aside from other friends, they each have single player video games that they’re into that they like to play. Jounouchi likes to play his guitar. Yuugi likes to browse various sites on the internet and/or wander around Domino to get new ideas for games. Jounouchi works out sometimes, too. You know, different things. They just live their lives.
Where did they first meet?
High school, in the first week of first year, of course.
How did they first meet?
Given that neither Jounouchi nor Yuugi had to introduce themselves to each other in the first chapter, I’m guessing their first “meeting” was on the first day, during class introductions. They probably took notice of each other, somewhat, but didn’t make any real attempt to talk to each other. It’s likely that Honda and Jounouchi swiping the Puzzle box was their first real interaction.
Who spends the most money when out shopping?
Yuugi, definitely. Even as an adult keeping a budget is not one of his strong points.
Who’s more likely to flash their assets?
Hah, neither? I really can’t see either one of them flashing in public, honestly. Clothes only really come off when appropriate (like, at the pool or something).
Who finds it amusing when the other trips over?
Neither. They’d be more concerned with making sure whichever one of them tripped was all right.
Any mental issues?
Mmh … nothing diagnosed/official …
Jounouchi struggles a lot with his self-esteem, and we see this repeatedly in canon, throughout the series. While there are plenty of moments where he presents a lot of bravado, it’s often an overt display in order to cover up the fact that he doubts himself and his abilities in the extreme. We see this most often whenever he is presented with an actual or perceived failure. Jounouchi is quick to tear himself down, whether it’s because he feels that he failed his baby sister because he can’t pay for her insanely expensive eye operation (despite being a sixteen year old paper boy), or whether it’s because he feels like he’s too stupid to figure out a riddle Atem presented to him immediately after it was presented, or whether it’s because someone used dark magic to literally mind control him into trying to kill Yuugi and it took him the better part of 40 minutes to break it. Jounouchi will flay himself (figuratively speaking) for things that he had no control over, for things that are not his fault. He will call himself stupid, worthless, rotten … and again, this is canon. We see this in black and white, on the page.
The thing about this is that it is an insanely difficult thing to overcome, particularly because Jounouchi’s issues in this area—which are tied into a guilt/shame complex, emphasis on the guilt when it comes to things like the responsibility he feels toward Shizuka and/or the pier duel incident—are extremely prominent in victims of childhood abuse, which Jounouchi canonically is. (However much people try to argue it for whatever reason, his father is canonically an abusive alcoholic. Then there was everything that happened with Hirutani, and while their relationship was never romantic, that doesn’t stop it from being a toxic/abusive friendship—well, “friendship,” but you know what I mean.) In fact, people who undergo abuse and/or trauma in childhood are sometimes diagnosed with something called complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. I’m not saying Jounouchi does have C-PTSD (it’s impossible to diagnose him, honestly—we don’t have enough to go on and I’m not a psychologist besides), but I am saying that he definitely has marked signs in canon of abysmal self-esteem and guilt complex issues, both of which are hallmarks of abuse victims, particularly those who are victims of childhood abuse. (Likewise, the shame/toxic masculinity aspect comes into play in situations like in the fic linked way at the beginning of this, wherein part of the reason he was willing to go along with the bondage despite how uncomfortable it made him was because he felt ashamed of himself for having an anxiety reaction to it—like he was being less of a man, and also failing Yuugi/letting him down. That’s all tied into the issues he has due to his past experiences, though fortunately Yuugi picks up on it and reacts accordingly.)
Additionally, while this is just headcanon/speculation, I do still feel that he has some understated abandonment issues due to the way his mother abandoned him. He went six years without ever knowing the reason why, and (in my headcanon, because we were never given canon on this) learning the reason didn’t make things any better. Jounouchi had believed that his mother did love him when he was young, but even if she did, she still walked out on him. That’s tied up into a host of other reasons which make his young adult life pretty complicated for a while, but the bottom line is that he does have some low-key abandonment issues, hence why he gets stressed/upset and thinks that Yuugi wants to break-up with him when Yuugi starts acting distant/upset in that one fic. It’s not that he thought Yuugi didn’t love him, or that he was insecure, but … well, his mom had loved him beforehand too, right? And then somewhere along the way, she stopped and left. So, if it happened before, with his own mother, then … (Of course, he had nothing to worry about, and he learned that quickly enough, but given his history, it’s understandable to see why that would be a concern for him given that he had nothing else to go on in terms of why Yuugi was acting so distant and weird.)
Yuugi, meanwhile, doesn’t really have any issues considering the fact that his childhood home life was much happier. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if he and Jounouchi both had some form of PTSD, to some degree or another, given all the nonsense that happened in-series. I mean, they both almost drowned at the pier. Malik put them both through horrific Shadow Games in the Battle City finals. Then there was everything in the Memory World arc … I mean, we’re supposed to believe they’re fine, and perhaps for the most part they are, but they definitely both have nightmares, is all I’m saying. They definitely have nightmares.
Who’s terrified of bugs?
Neither one of them is terrified of bugs, but Jounouchi has a very low tolerance for bugs being in the house (because again, he grew up in a constantly trashed apartment). Unfortunately, Yuugi has a habit of leaving food out, and so sometimes conversations like this happen:
“Yuugi, come on, again? This is how we get ants!”
“So what if we do? They’re just ants, it’s no big deal—”
“If ants are no big deal to you, then why don’t you just go and live with Haga, then?!” Silence for a minute as they stare at each other, and then, “Okay, sorry, that was out of line, I didn’t mean that.”
“I know you didn’t.”
“I don’t want you to go live with Haga.”
“I know you don’t.”
“But can you just stop leaving empty soda cans out like this? Ants are a bitch to get rid of and I don’t want to deal with it, and neither do you, trust me on this.”
“Yes, okay, I’ll try harder to remember—”
“Can you do more than just try? Can you promise me that?”
“I promise I will do my best.”
“If we get ants, you’re dealing with them.”
“I know.”
“Is that ‘I know and agree’ or ‘I know you will end up dealing with them anyway and I won’t have to’?”
“It’s ‘I know the ants are not going to be a problem for long even if they are a problem for a time, and I love you, so please stop freaking out about the soda cans when you’re really just upset because your laptop corrupted your video file and erased all the work you did on it.’”
“… Okay, fine. You’re right. You win. I am just pissed about my garbage laptop.”
“I know.”
“And I love you, too.”
“I know.” This one is said with a smile.
“But I am still serious about the soda cans, because Yuugi, I swear, the ants—!”
“Yes, Katsuya, I know.” And this one is said with a sigh, though still with an exasperated smile to go with it as Yuugi clears another level in the game he has been playing the entire time they were talking.
Who kills the spiders around the house?
Jounouchi, especially if they’re considerably huge, because at that point Yuugi feels personally attacked. (He can handle little spiders, but massive ones? Nope.)
Their favourite place?
Well, they’re both very attached to their condo, but the Kame Game Shop is also very special to both of them.
Who pays the bills?
Jounouchi, because as established, he’s much better at maintaining the budget.
Do they have any fears for their future?
There is a time, after Yuugi realizes his feelings but before they are together, when they are both stressed about the future because of their feelings and how unclear/uncertain their future together is, for a myriad of reasons. But once they are together? Not really. Any problems that arise are ones they can handle together.
Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner?
Hah, neither, really. Fancy dinners (at least of the traditionally fancy type) aren’t really their style. They prefer to celebrate special occasions by doing other things.
Who uses up all of the hot water?
Yuugi. Again, his hair is very high maintenance.
Who’s the tallest?
Jounouchi, and it isn’t even a question. He’s got a full ten inches on Yuugi.
Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other?
Both! Though Jounouchi has more of a chance given that Yuugi takes a longer time in the shower.
Who wanders around in their underwear?
Jounouchi will wander around in his boxers, no problem. Yuugi sometimes will too, though.
Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio?
Jounouchi, for sure, and he’s got a nice enough voice to back it up. Yuugi, on the other hand, is very self-conscious about his singing, so any singing he does is more of the “under his breath” variety.
What do they tease each other about?
Well, Jounouchi does affectionately tease Yuugi by calling him “drool face” some mornings, and they both like to banter back and forth while playing games with each other, and they can get teasing in other ways as well (such as Yuugi teasing Jounouchi about the number of push-ups he did, for instance), but it’s always affectionate like that. They never tease each other in a serious/mean way.
Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times?
Neither! While they have different fashion senses (quite different, in fact!), they both love each other’s fashion sense because … well, it’s who they are. The only time Jounouchi ever really questioned Yuugi was when Yuugi wore his school uniform on a Sunday, but otherwise? They love each other wholeheartedly, and that includes each other’s taste in fashion.
Do they have mutual friends?
Only of course! Anzu, Honda, Bakura, and Otogi are the primary mutual friends, but then there is also Shizuka (Jounouchi’s sister, technically, but also his friend and Yuugi’s friend as well), Mai, Rishid, Isis, Malik (kind of, anyway), Kajiki, and Mokuba. That’s not even getting into how Jounouchi is also casual friends with Yuugi’s university friends (Shiori and Kisugi), or likewise how Yuugi is at least acquainted with some of Jounouchi’s coworkers from the radio station. Their friend network is vast and ever growing.
Who crushed first?
Yuugi realized his feelings first, so the pining definitely came from him first. That said, it’s not entirely accurate to say he fell in love first, mostly because they likely fell in love at around the same time, even if they didn’t realize it.
Any alcohol or substance related problems?
Nope. Jounouchi won’t touch alcohol with a ten foot pole, Yuugi very rarely drinks (and when he does it’s very little), and neither one of them will touch drugs for any reason.
Who swears the most?
Jounouchi for sure, though Yuugi is no stranger to dropping the occasional “damn it” or “hell” on a regular basis, either.
29.) two characters who I think should interact more
MOKUBA AND SHIZUKA. Though in this case it’s more like interact at all.
I still think it’s ridiculous that we saw zero interaction between them in canon. It’s especially egregious when you consider that the anime had ample opportunity by inserting that ridiculous Noa filler in the middle of the Battle City finals, but they instead took the time to once again have Mokuba hold the distress ball and “further” the invented love triangle between Honda, Otogi, and Shizuka. Imagine if they had instead taken the opportunity to have Mokuba and Shizuka go through the virtual world together. Mokuba, if he had his manga personality, could have tricked one of the Big Five members into playing CapMon against him instead (“Oh? Why won’t you play it with me? Scared you’ll lose to an eleven year old?”), and he could have helped Shizuka along as well since she wouldn’t know how to play. There could have been a cool segment where they first arrived and figured out that it was virtual because Shizuka would notice the sound of the wind rustling through the tree leaves looping (because remember, she spent most of her life going blind, she would be able to recognize minute sound oddities like that), whereas Mokuba would pick up on the draw distance—he would notice how things in the distance suddenly popped into sharper focus when they took a certain number of steps forward, but then unnaturally blurred when stepping back, whereas Shizuka (given that she’s only been able to see for a couple of days by this point) wouldn’t pick up on that right away. They would have been able to tag team like that, with no romance arc necessary, and it would have been great!
But no, we were deprived, and it’s a crime because if you’re going to introduce pointless fillers to break up the climax of an important plot arc, then the least you could do is use that pointless filler to give us something new with regards to the characters. This would have been something new—it would have been something great!—but we were denied. And we were denied it in the manga, too, and I know that there was a much shorter passage of time in the manga (no fillers, after all), but we couldn’t have even had a conversation between them? We couldn’t have had Mokuba trying to console Shizuka after Jounouchi was killed, or had her ask him questions about the games, or have him showing off to her because the battle ship is the Kaiba Corp battle ship and that means it’s kind of his, even if it isn’t really? Like, one conversation between them is not asking much, I don’t think. Just some interaction would have been great, but no, we were denied.
Bottom line, I think there’s a lot of potential to be explored there, and I think that their personalities mesh together quite well. Unfortunately, all potential interaction is left to the imagination given that we were deprived in canon, but … well. That just gives us a bigger sandbox to play in, I suppose, so it’s not all bad. =)
21. a ship that I like, but wouldn’t want to make canon
Peachship tbh, on its own--under a set of pretty specific circumstances--I can enjoy this. But the idea of it becoming canon, taking canon thus far and characterization into account, is really more of a bastardization of the plot and motivation of everyone involved. Anzu never had a crush on our Yugi (we know who she liked and it wasn’t him), Yugi rarely showed interest in her that was anything more than a physical attraction. Their friendship was wonderful and developed, but there was no romance there, the last manga chapter was the nail in the coffin for this ship.
