[open-ish] pain is supposed to heal with time

[eaudevamp]

Who: Reign Fear (eaudevamp) & Friends/Anyone
What: Hostage/rescue aftermath
When: 24th onwards
Where: His home, the Institute, Thesa Station, Shades Darker
Warning(s): Sad vampire, mentions of death, self-inflicted pain/BDSM, possible smut?

[ It had been a few days since the hostages were rescued, but Reign didn't feel like he'd achieved much despite managing to save them with the help of other rescuers. It was a combined effort that should have been a success, but the group Reign was in didn't quite manage so. They had guessed the wrong location, and thus lost precious time to find the correct place. But that was done now, and the extremists either escaped or were killed/apprehended, Reign didn't care.

No, he truly did care, but he found it hard to actually do so when some of his friends had ended up as hostages. That, he could deal with, but not death. It was a strange and unfamiliar situation for him to face, and thus it hit him harder than he expected.

For the next few days, Reign lived his life almost like a literally zombie, looking like an undead (though he really wasn't). He mostly shut himself up in his home, spending a bit of time with his pet giraffe, Scorch, or dabbling in his perfume research and creation in an attempt to get his mind off the pain eating into him. Sometimes he replied to messages sent to him, other times they went ignored. And yet life still must go on, so Reign returned to the Institute to work, sometimes stopping by to look into a particular office in the hopes of seeing a certain demon. But it wasn't enough.

So when travelling up to Thesa Station was finally available, Reign headed straight for the pods, standing or sitting in front of one pod containing a blond man. Anyone who noticed would either see him crying, whether silently or wailing his heart out, or mumbling and telling his friend about the events that had occurred. However, the pain didn't lessen, and so at night, Reign would go to Shades Darker for a special event, a night meant for patrons to partake in some BDSM play in one of the backrooms decorated in a dungeon setting. He allowed himself to be blindfolded, his wrists bounded to chains hanging from the ceiling, shirtless and displaying strips of red welts from an earlier session. At least this kind of pain would numb him, even if only for a while. Who's next? ]

[[ OOC : If you would like a specific starter, hit me up at miershyk ]]

Comments

The Institute | 27th-ish

[meinwaifu]

[It was a strange experience, coming back from the dead. Particularly when you're not expecting it-- and even more so when usually you did expect it, but thought this time would really be the end.]

[But then it wasn't. And even now, Mephisto's not really sure how to feel about it all. Logically, he knows he's alive and (sorta) healthy, he's safe from such a thing happening again (for now), and no permanent damage was done against him (as far as he knows). But clearly his mental state took a pretty big hit.]

[But first things first: there are some people he needs to check in with. It would be easy to send a message, but... no. Messages could be faked. His phone could have been stolen, and then used to lure more people to wherever the remaining extremists were--]

[All things he didn't want to think about, honestly.]

[He's in his office right now, currently unsure whether or not it even is his office anymore-- did the natives think he died? Or did the Natha do something to undo the event in their minds? He's not sure which is worse... but the moment he hears the door open, he transforms himself into something smaller and out of sight.]

[Of course, regardless of how often Reign's been snooping in here, it'll be obvious that some things have been moved around and shuffled through when he checks inside. Will he investigate?]

[eaudevamp]

[ Every day, like some loyal puppy, Reign would check into Mephisto's office at the Institute. It was almost strange that the staffs still kept the place for the demon, as if he would return one day. And every time, he would be disappointed to discover that Mephisto wasn't in. No sight of that sharp grin or teasing smile, no tall hat to mark his presence, or even smell the familiar scent of research material whenever Mephisto was conducting experiments.

Today was no different. Reign was on his way home after his work for the day was done, and decided to poke his head in one more time, as if that would make any difference. He stepped in, closing the door behind him so as not to be interrupted; the cleaning lady had came by before and shooed him out.

He stopped at the desk, remembering with fondness the many times Mephisto had done naughty things to him, not that Reign hadn't initiate it before either. However, he did note that certain things were moved, shifted around as if someone had came in. Maybe the cleaning lady he saw earlier? Reign laughed, a hollow sound devoid of any humour, shaking his head as he rubbed his eyes. ]

Haha... This is getting ridiculous. I'm even imagining his scent now.

[ Nonetheless, Reign swallowed down the tears that threatened to make its usual appearance, and got to work organising the items on the desk, returning some of the books back on the shelf, walking around and probably moving waaaaay too close to where Mephisto was currently hiding. ]

[meinwaifu]

[...he's not sure how he feels about this. It's hardly the first time he's been mourned -- he was worshipped as a god once upon a time. But seeing it from someone he knows on a personal level, in combination with his last memories of hearing Reign sobbing by his bedside, leave him feeling oddly unsettled. Was it because he was allowing himself to grow too fond of Reign? Revealing too much of himself and letting others into his heart?]

[His immediate instinct is to flee, lest he have to face these strange feelings head-on. But ultimately, it's the sound of that soft, pained laugh that instead has him coming out of hiding--]

[As a dog.]

[He hops up into the chair of his desk and props his front paws up on the desk proper, tail wagging as he barks cutely up at Reign.]

[eaudevamp]

[ Under normal circumstances, the appearance of the cute and fluffy dog would have Reign fawning and cooing at the creature. But right now, Reign didn't even seem very fazed by the dog suddenly popping out from under the desk.

He blinked, uncertain as to how he should react to the sight. Then he chuckled, taking the seat opposite where Mephisto usually would have sat, and propped his arms on the desk, a smile tugging on his lips. ]

Why, hello there, young fella. What are you doing here? Did you cause all this? [ He waved his hand at the mess, almost laughing hysterically at the absurdness of talking with a dog. There was one thing Reign noticed, though, and that was the scarf around the dog's neck with its familiar polka-dot pattern. ] Do you belong to him? You must be lonely as well, huh?

[ He reached a hand out to scratch behind the dog's ear, lips now pulled into a wry smile. ]

1/2

[meinwaifu]

Not as lonely as you, it would seem.

[???? The dog speaks????]

[But he'll only let Reign think he's gone crazy for a few seconds. Because in the next instant, there's a familiar poof of smoke from where he dog was sitting--]

[meinwaifu]

[And now in its place sits Mephisto, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk and his chin in his hands. Unlike the last time Reign saw him, there's no blood nor traces of rot, and both of his bright green eyes are looking back at him.]

[...also, Reign's probably still scratching him behind the ear, if he didn't pull his hand back.]

Long time, no see... Reign.

1/2

[eaudevamp]

[ Reign just... stared at the dog.

A talking dog.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, when— ]

[eaudevamp]

[ That familiar poof of smoke, and an even more familiar face, had Reign struck speechless. He wasn't dreaming, right? Mephisto looked as he was since the last time he saw the demon, all healthy parlor and without a hint of injury or wound on his person.

Yeah, his fingers were still scratching the dog—now demon's—ear.

Give him a moment.

And then Reign stood, knocking the chair back, as he climbed over the desk and tugged Mephisto close to him, arms wrapping around the demon tightly. There was so much he wanted to say, wanted to ask. What happened. How did Mephisto come back from the dead. Was this real? He wasn't dreaming, right?

But all that came out was a choked cry as Reign buried his face in the crook of Mephisto's neck, the demon's name coming out muffled. ]

Thesa Station

[notsolomon]

[It was hard to ignore the dust up that had gone on. It was chilling actually, to think that you could be so endangered just by living in this place. William had done what he could, though ultimately his own efforts had contributed very little in the end.

There were a few people involved int he mess who he was concerned about to say the least, but when he finally came across one it was entirely by accident. He'd come up to Thesa station to look at the pods, wondering if he could find someone he knew. He had failed every other time he'd tried and this time was seeming to be much of the same.

So when he saw Reign there, he sighed after a moment.]

This is where we first met, isn't it?

[eaudevamp]

[ If someone had told Reign that those who died on Nysa had the chance to be revived through Natha technologies, he may not have been so upset about the death of his friends. But his mind wasn't in the right place, and even if he knew now, would still feel slighted over the fact that they received help so late.

Right now, Reign was sitting in front of Shell's pod, sniffling softly until he heard a voice. He glanced up, recognising the familiar face. ]

William! [ He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and stood, sheepish smile forming on his lips as he nodded. ] Y-yeah, it is. Funny how this time it's you who come across me.

[notsolomon]

[The crying was obvious in the man's eyes, but William wasn't about to up and say anything. Not yet anyways. He knew how delicate such matters were.]

Well, there's about a fifty-fifty chance of that, now isn't there?

[The same person as before, he thought as he looked at the pod, making a mental note to remember this location from here on out. It would be useful if he ever needed to find Reign in the future.]

It's almost kind of nice in here though, isn't it? Much more peaceful than things have been lately.

[eaudevamp]

You're certainly right.

[ Reign laughed, the sound light but tinged with the undertone of sadness. He tried not to let it show so obviously. ]

I'm just relieved that we're now able to come up to Thesa Station. It's definitely much more peaceful than being down there.

[ His lips quirked into a wry smile, his voice just a tad bitter. But no, he didn't want to bring down such a dour mood on William. ]

Here to visit a friend again?

[notsolomon]

It's also nice to know that we have a place to hide out. Though I'd rather it not come to that.

[He sighed to himself, still not sure how comfortable he felt with things returning to "normal." It was hard to just settle down when you knew what violence people were capable of here.

But he suspected that Reign wouldn't want to dwell on that. Though was dwelling on William's own disappointments any better?]

Attempting to at least. I have yet to find any of them. Granted, those idiots wouldn't die even if you threw them in a volcano. [A dry laugh.]

[eaudevamp]

[ Reign could only hum and nod in agreement. He did enjoy life on Nysa, whether it was in Olympia or Wyver, though he wished he could visit the latter place more often. After all, he had friends who lived there as well.

William response had Reign chuckling, remembering how the other man said something similar about the people from his world. ]

Now this makes me wonder if there are such volcano that we have yet to discover.

[ There weren't any in Olympia or Wyver, but Reign was sure other lands may have it. ]

I would love to meet them some day.

Shades Darker

[thetaintedsorrow]

[There are plenty of bars to drown his sorrows at, but tonight Chuuya might be looking for something more than just a stiff drink. Perhaps that’s what leads him to Shades Darker, to one of those back rooms; a chance to give or receive a bit of pain to take his mind off of his failures. He couldn’t save Dylas or Atsushi, couldn’t do a goddamn thing to fix the shit that had gone down, and he simply doesn’t know how to deal.

So he’ll just partake in both of his vices at once; alcohol and sex.

What he’s not expecting is to see Reign bound by chains and shirtless, his back red and raw from various tools. Chuuya is immediately filled with concern, and he rushes to Reign’s side before peeling off the blindfold blocking his eyes.]

Are you all right?

[eaudevamp]

[ All Reign knew was the burning pain on his back, seeping through his skin and into his bones. It numbed him, but wasn't enough to take the true pain away from him. He didn't care who it was that whipped or flogged him, only relished the sting and thud hitting his back. There were tears behind the blindfolds, crying for himself, for the friends he lost, for those injured and still trying to heal.

But he was also aroused, erection hard and tenting against his trousers, which only made Reign feel even worst about what he was putting himself through. But it was a punishment he was willing to receive. What would others say that he got aroused from pain?

The brief lull of break gave Reign some time to catch his breath, sweat pouring from his forehead to mix with the tears streaming down his face. His back, which previously only had red streak marks, now sported a few darkening bruises and possibly a cut or two. Deep in his headspace, Reign barely realise what was happening around him, and even when the blindfold was suddenly removed, it took him a while to register who it was before him, speaking to him. ]

Chuuya? What...? What are you doing... here? [ His startled expression gradually morphed to something between a mix of arousal and confusion. ] Are you here to punish me too? Please punish me. I deserve it.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[As much as Chuuya understands the need for release in the form of pain or pleasure (or both), the idea that Reign is doing this to punish himself doesn’t sit well with Chuuya. He can’t even imagine how things went down with the rescue groups, but he’s not stupid; there were no doubt injured and deceased among the hostages, and someone as kind as Reign can’t have taken it well. Much like Chuuya, he probably feels like he could’ve done more, and it really does break Chuuya’s heart.

His eyes drag over Reign’s exposed chest, and he flinches when he sees a particularly nasty looking cut. Reign looks gorgeous like this, but Chuuya would rather not inflict any lasting damage...]

No. I’m not. Why are you doing this, Reign?

[eaudevamp]

[ Chuuya certainly had experienced deaths before, of his subordinates, or those he knew well, close to him. It wasn't as if Reign was going to compare who had more experience when it came to the dead, but Reign hadn't gone through such incidents on a personal level. Humans died easily, they were so fragile. He just never thought someone as powerful as Mephisto, a demon no less, would be able to escape Death itself.

The pain was like a distant twinge to Reign. He could feel the sting of the cut whenever a brief wind brush against it, but it was a welcoming kind of throb that resonated in his groin. Chuuya's question had Reign's brows furrowing, truly in confusion now. ]

Why? Because I've been bad. I couldn't save them all, so I need to be punished.

[ He answered in the most matter of fact tone. From somewhere behind Chuuya, a patron came up, voicing his displeasure that Chuuya was interrupting his session with Reign. ]

If you're not gonna participate, might as well step aside and let a pro do it.

[thetaintedsorrow]

What? It wasn’t your job to save them all-

[Oh, this person has just picked the wrong ginger to fuck with right now. Chuuya whirls around, all righteous fury as he glares daggers at the patron. Maybe Chuuya is interrupting business, but this is his friend, and Chuuya can’t just sit back and let him be abused by some sleazy asshole, whether Reign agreed to it or not.]

You have five seconds to fuck off before I knock your teeth out.

[He seems pretty upset.]

[eaudevamp]

[ Unfortunately, the patron underestimated Chuuya, thinking that his larger and bigger physique would mean he could easily win in a fist fight. After all, he was more than twice Chuuya's height, how was he going to lose? ]

Oh yeah? You wanna go at it, huh?

[ But Reign was having none of it. He knew the rules of the brothel here. No matter who was in the wrong or who started it. You fight, you're kicked out. ]

Chuuya. Chuuya!

[ The chains holding Reign upright jangled as he tried to move closer, though whether Chuuya heard Reign's pleading voice was debatable, not when the patron was clearly cajoling Chuuya into a fight. If this really happened, the fault will fall on Reign for having been the cause. He didn't want to lose this job. ]

[colorature]

<sub>[If there's one thing Diva doesn't appreciate, it's being ignored. Reign has been doing exactly what he said he wouldn't do. He's ignored her messages and hasn't come when called. So, naturally, there's only one way to set such a thing straight - go to where he lives and kick down his door.

Well, she didn't kick it right off...but the hinges are smarting something terrible and he might have to get a new lock...it's debatable.]</sub>

REIGN!

[eaudevamp]

[ Reign had been in his bed, not doing much and merely just laying there like a dead corpse. Well, corpses were already dead, but he may as well be dead.

But the loud thump against his door, and that voice screaming his name had Reign's thoughts snapping to consciousness. He slowly pushed himself up and off his bed, shuffling over to the door and finally opening it to the sight of his very angry queen. ]

Oh, Diva. It's you. Hold on a moment. Let me get your blood supply.

[ That definitely said much when he didn't even refer to Diva as "Your Majesty", though it was evident that something was wrong with Reign, what with him sporting heavy eyebags and looking like a zombie.

He turned toward the kitchen, leaving the door open for Diva should she want to enter. It likely wouldn't be the only thing to surprise her, because if she stepped in, Diva would be greeted by a miniature giraffe trotting over and glancing up at her curiously. ]

[colorature]

_{[Oh, she steps in, but she doesn't give the strange, four legged, spotty creature any mind. Reign isn't...normal. He doesn't look normal. He looks tired. He isn't treating her the way he should. He's ignoring her.]}

I'm not here for blood!

_{[She stomps her way inside, following him to the kitchen, a whirlwind of emotions, confusion and anger being the two main ones that take hold of her.]}

You didn't come when I called!

[eaudevamp]

[ Scorch seemed disappointed upon being ignored, but seemed to sense that this stranger wasn't in the mood for it, and thus returned to his spot at the cushion beside the couch.

Reign was confused for a moment as to why Diva was angry, and then it clicked in him. ]

Oh... I'm sorry, Di— Your Majesty. I've been a bit... busy. [ To say the least. Nonetheless, Reign retrieved the bottles of blood and placed them on the table, along with the book of flowers he'd promised last time. This was bad, Reign realising that he'd broke his promise with Diva. ]

I truly apologise. It's just that... [ He shook his head. ] Never mind. You shouldn't concern yourself with me.

[colorature]

Shut up! I'm here because I will concern myself with you if you won't concern yourself with me.

_{[Yep. That's how it is. The blood and book on the table do little to appease her as she moves right up to him, grabbing his chin between a thumb and index finger.]}

Hey! Look at me when I'm speaking to you!