OPEN ☆ If we were in a perfect world

[steponme]

Who: Shell Overlord (steponme) & OPEN
What: Catch-all Log, now with open prompts!!
When: End of April - Start of May
Where: Olympia
Warning(s): Awkward boners, violence



Fight Club | cw: violence, mind control
[For those who venture down to the see the underground fights, they might find a peculiar scene waiting for them. Standing in the arena and awaiting his opponent is Shell. But for those who know him, there's really no questions that he's not exact;y the fighting type. What's he doing there? Well...]

A. VS (Previous CR only please!)
[...it looks like he's your opponent today. He doesn't look very intimidating, not particularly dressed down beyond having taken off his jacket and scarf, and he doesn't seem to be holding a weapon of any kind. But something you might notice is that a good chunk of the crowd seems to be stepping back. You probably haven't seen what he can do yet -- but even the refferee looks a little standoffish, climbing up over the barricade to stand atop it, out of reach. But as for Shell-- well, he didn't expect to see anyone he knew here.]

...what are you doing here?

B. Domination (OTA)
[...it looks like his battle is about to start. If you're smart, and you've chosen to follow the crowd in sitting in one of the higher seats, then you'll only see the "battle" play out. Shell enters, and just as his opponent starts getting into stance to fight, he suddenly freezes and collapses to his knees. As Shell steps closer, the man starts to scream, pleading for it to "stop" -- whatever it is. Eventually, Shell leans down and whispers something to him, and he starts screaming for the refferee that he gives up.]

[But if you were curious enough to stay as close to the ring as possible, then you'll get to experience what those sitting in the higher seats can only watch: a strong sense of fear and dread seemingly emanates off the battle arena, causing those sitting closest to experience effects similar to the man in the ring. Some start crying, others scream, but most of them only stand and stare in petrified silence. Even the refferee seems affected for a few moments, taking far too long to end the match and give Shell the win.]

[And the moment he does, the heavy atmosphere disappears as suddenly as it appeared. But as Shell heads off stage to wait for his next match, for some reason, he doesn't look very happy about it.]


[ooc: Feel free to alter prompts as you see fit! Let me know in Prompt A whether your character will be effected by Shell's pheromones, as they have a 25% chance of failing entirely. Please note that if you choose to have your character sit too close in Prompt B, they will be affected as well. If you'd like to avoid that, have them sit further back!]

Comments

[steponme]

[There are a few non-descript bottles in the fridge, a few that look like the animal blood Shell drank from before... but what Shell grabs look far more clinical, a labeled blood bag like the sort you'd find attached to an iv at the sanctuary.]

I'm not going to microwave it, that would just cook it. I use a tea pot.

[Which he'll start doing, thankfully having done this enough times in his life that it's second-nature -- so the drunkenness doesn't impede him too much.]

It's easier to drink when it's warm... cause then I can drink it faster. It doesn't taste bad, but... I still don't like it.

[thetaintedsorrow]

Guess that makes sense.

[Blood has to taste better when it’s warm, right? Then it’s seems like it’s fresher, probably.]

Why not?

[Chuuya please.]

I could give you some when I’m sober. In a bag or whatever, for when I can’t be there for you to take some right from the source.

[steponme]

[He keeps his eyes focused on the kettle as it heats up, not turning to or even facing Chuuya.]

...I don't know how else to explain it to you. But...when I drink blood... all I can think about is where it came from. And the person who gave it to me-- were they in pain? Why... do humans have to suffer, just so I can live? It's not fair... I never asked to be born a vampire. To have to live like this.

[Ah. He's crying again.]

It was easier when-- when One was here. But now, it's... it's so much harder than before.

[thetaintedsorrow]

And I’m saying I’m not suffering when you drink from me.

[Chuuya can’t speak for other humans, but nothing about being fed on is terrible for him, at least. It’s not excruciatingly painful, nor does he think of himself as a victim. It’s simply helping out a friend.

But words never seem to get through to people like Shell, and so he slides up behind Shell and wraps his arms around his middle in as good a hug as he can manage when he’s not used to giving them. He’s also short enough that his face ends up in Shell’s back, but whatever.]

Nobody but you thinks you’re a bad person for drinking to survive, so cut it out with that.

[steponme]

[He tenses up when Chuuya hugs him, and never quite relaxes -- but he won't push him away either. With the way his mood is spiraling, he just doesn't feel like he deserves this comfort, nor these kind words.]

[The guilt he feels for drinking human blood runs deep -- deeper than he could ever put into words, really.]

Even if that were true... it doesn't change the way I feel.

[And he knows it isn't. He hasn't met any discrimination for what he is here, not with how tightly he tends to keep it under wraps. But back home, he knew he was hated by humans. Even by One.]

I don't want to feed on humans, I don't... but I don't want to die either. So I will.

[thetaintedsorrow]

Do you think One would’ve wanted to see you like this?

[Chuuya doesn’t know a damn thing about One other than the fact that he was a human involved with Shell, but maybe this line of conversation will at least pull Shell out of spiral.]

Not wanting to die is one thing, but that’s not really living, either.

[Chuuya has always lived life as best he could since he was awakened from that research facility, and that hasn’t changed since he’d landed on Nysa. He only wishes that everyone else could do the same.]

I can’t force you to see things my way, but that’s my two cents.

1/2

[steponme]

[Chuuya's words do strike a chord -- even if it was a rather low-blow for someone already feeling at their lowest.]

["Shell... I hope you live a happy and healthy life. Even after I'm gone... I want you to be well."]

[That's what One said to him, even after learning the horrible truth about what the Blood Lords were doing to humanity. Culling and containing their population, all for the sake of profit...]

[What would he say now if he were here?]

[...]

[Would he even be here, even if he were awake? Would he want to be?]

[He never did figure out why he left.]

[steponme]

...what am I supposed to do? I can't-- I can't force myself to be happy with it when I'm not.

[He's spent so much of his life pretending it was okay, ignoring the truth that was right in front of him, ignoring the way humanity suffered at the hands of vampires. How can he possibly, in good conscience, go back to the way he was when he was ignorant?]

It was different, when One was still... a-all he had to do was hurt me, and everything-- all the guilt I felt would be gone...

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Way to go, Chuuya, you made the crying worse...

Despite the tears, it’s Shell’s words that give Chuuya pause, and he slowly begins putting the pieces together.]

Hurt you?

[Was this guy actually bad news and Shell just thought he deserved the pain? Or...]

Like how?

[He remembers Reign begging him to inflict pain upon him to help him forget things for a while, and if Shell and Reign are from the same world, and grew up in similar circumstances...

It all makes perfect sense in Chuuya’s mind, but he’ll have to hear it from Shell himself to confirm his suspicions.]

[steponme]

[There's a pause -- even his tears falling silent for a few seconds, as if Shell were holding his breath, wondering if he's said too much, or if he should say more. But he's already gotten this far. And perhaps somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows this is something he needs to address and face head-on. He might never move past it, otherwise.]

One wasn't like other humans. Pheromones... don't work on him. And when I found out, I-- I-I told him he could do whatever he wanted to me. So he became my master... a-and I was his slave.

[Maybe if Shell were sober, he'd be putting a little more effort into explaining their agreement properly. Surely on the surface, it looked terrible -- but there was far more to it than all that. What started out as hatred turned to love, each mutually supporting the other's pain through their twisted play.]

[But in the end, maybe that foundation alone just wasn't enough to support their love. And eventually, supporting the combined weight of their pain just grew too difficult for both of them.]

I let him hurt me... b-because I wanted it, to be punished... because when he hurt me, I didn't have to think about anything anymore. I didn't have to think about being a vampire or drinking blood... j-just my master.

[It's exactly what Chuuya thinks it is -- maybe even a little of both, even taking into consideration what Shell is leaving out. At the very least, it probably wasn't the healthiest relationship.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Much as Chuuya loves to talk and carry on, for now he stays silent and listens, even if he’s got some rather strong opinions on someone keeping another person as a slave. Sure it might’ve been voluntary on Shell’s part, but still, no one should be the property of anyone else, even if they asked for it. Right?

But the reasons behind Shell giving himself over to One completely are exactly what Chuuya had guessed, and honestly, is it really all that different from drinking away your sorrows? And yet Chuuya can hardly encourage that kind of thing, right? Maybe as play in the bedroom, but not as a relationship status.

Ah. He’s been quiet for too long. Time to try and not make himself sound like an ass. But first he’ll pull away and urge Shell to face him, because this is something that begs for eye contact, at the very least.]

Is that what you want? A master?

[Chuuya fixes his gaze on Shell, his stare piercing and intense.]

Or a friend?

[Friend...it’s such a neutral yet powerful word, but Chuuya doesn’t think it’s a bad option. He’s not the type to call anyone that lightly, and only a couple of people have ever reached the status of “lover” with Chuuya. Like all things, bonds require time, and theirs is still a new and fragile thing.

Friend may not mean much to others, but it’s a word that carries some weight with Chuuya.]

1/2

[steponme]

[The silence almost helps. It's like a brief reprieve, so Shell can catch his breath and calm down just a little. He's already reached over to turn the heat off the stove where the blood he heated up still sits untouched. But despite blood being the reason they started on this conversation, he's already completely forgotten about it.]

[His eyes are still brimming with tears when Chuuya turns him around. In contrast to Chuuya's piercing gaze, his own is soft and tired. He's cried so much for One, even just in the handful of weeks he's been awake, and it already feels like he's cried enough to last a lifetime.]

[But Chuuya's question has his eyes widening. A master? Is that... is Chuuya offering?]

[He can hear his own words echoing in his head. "I only want to be hurt by you" and "I can't live without you"... words he said to One, back when things were painful and he was afraid of losing him.]

[And yet despite it all, in a moment of weakness, he actually finds himself considering it.]

I...

[steponme]

...I only have one master.

[...]

But I... I don't have a lot of friends.

[Before he came here, his only real friend was Reign. Even calling One his friend didn't quite feel right, their relationship so much more complicated than that.]

[And honestly -- he thought they already were. Maybe he should really learn to stop assuming that.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya can’t argue with that. Lingering devotion to the first person to ever really matter in your life is a feeling he knows all too well. The past can’t be forgotten so easily, nor does Chuuya think it should, but at least Shell is a step above the man he was when Chuuya had first found him on Thesa Station.

It’s simply one small step towards truly living.]

Well, you have at least two now. That’s not too shabby, right?

[Despite the soft, sad look on Shell’s face, Chuuya’s lips curve into that familiar roguish grin.]

You said you were hungry, right? I’m not leaving until you drink that blood.

[He’s probably not leaving at all tonight, honestly.]

[steponme]

[He sniffles, but even so, he manages to return that smile with a small one of his own as he nods. It's a little more sad than truly happy, but it's better than when he was crying his heart out just moments ago.]

Oh... r-right.

[He turns around again, taking a deep breath to calm himself down a little more. Everything about tonight felt so strange... was it because of the alcohol, maybe? Well, he'll feel better once he has some blood in him. He pours the glass (a wine glass because he's classy™) and takes a second to judge the temperature, before quickly bringing it up to his lips and drinking it down.]

[He wasn't lying before when he said he wanted to drink it down quickly, after all. But it also feels warmer sitting in his stomach this way, calming him down a little more. Strange.. usually drinking blood just made him feel tense and uncomfortable. What was different this time?]

...that feels better.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[It’s not one of Shell’s bright sunshine smiles, but it’s better than heart-wrenching sobs, that’s for sure.

Chuuya watches Shell drink the glass of blood with the same expression he would if a person was partaking of wine, nodding when the glass is quickly drained. He’s not gonna bitch about Shell not savoring it; he needs sustenance above all else right now. Flavor can come later.]

Good. Then let’s sleep.

[Time for Chuuya to try navigating the house while still slightly intoxicated.]

Where’s your room? I don’t wanna sleep on the couch.

[Such a rude, demanding guest.]

[steponme]

[He'd be savoring it if it were Chuuya's blood, probably. Or anyone else he knows and trusts -- but so far, Chuuya's the only one to have directly offered.]

It's down the hall-- last door on the right.

[As he follows behind him, he's just gonna start taking off a few layers. He wasn't wearing as much because of the fight earlier, but that still included a corset and suspenders because he's Extra™. Which he'll just kind of toss on the floor in his room.]

[...and then probably keep on stripping until he's just in his underwear, because drunk-and-at-home Shell doesn't have quite as much modesty as drunk-at-a-party Shell.]

...see, I knew you were gonna try and get into bed with me again.

[It's... it's an attempt at a joke, but it probably loses some of the humor when his eyes are still red and he's sniffling.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya should really stop making a habit of being everyone’s cuddle buddy, but what the hell, it’s a been a day for both of them, and Chuuya is too tired and drunk to be tsundere about it. He does have just enough of that fiery energy left to appreciate the sight of Shell stripping, though.

Wait...is that a corset?? He knows Shell dresses a little old-timey, but still. Well whatever, Chuuya will strip down to his underwear too, and without a hint of shame about doing it. There’s plenty of scars littering his body, some old and some just beginning to fade, but that doesn’t make him any less gorgeous.

But he’s not actually trying to show off as he crawls into Shell’s bed with a huff.]

Yeah, yeah. Now lay down or I’m taking the whole bed for myself.

[steponme]

[.....]

[Yeah, Shell's nowhere near drunk enough not to gawk a little shamelessly at Chuuya's body. He only ever got to see One undressed completely the one time, and while Chuuya certainly wasn't on his level, he was still fit and muscular...]

[He catches himself when Chuuya speaks up, nodding as he quickly shuts off the light and climbs over. Thankfully he can see just fine in the dark, so no awkward stumbling over Chuuya's body to lay down next to him.]

R-Right!

[...but who's gonna snuggle up next to who first is the question.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Good. Admire his hot bod, Shell. It’s truly a sight to behold. Not that Chuuya notices once he’s wriggled under the covers.

The answer to that question is Chuuya curling up next Shell on his side, much like a cat would to a human it’s taken a liking to. His leg brushes over Shell’s as he gets comfortable, as if he’s not just made himself at home in someone else’s bed.

He’s silent for a moment before curiousity gets the better of him.]

...why the corset?

[He’s caught a glimpse of it before, but hadn’t thought much of it until now.]

[steponme]

[He can't say he minds the closeness. As soon as Chuuya cuddles up beside him, Shell finds himself doing the same, draping and arm across Chuuya and hugging him closer. Vampires might not like the heat, but a warmth like this wasn't that bad.]

[He was prepared to just drift off to sleep like this, but...]

Hm? It's just clothes... fashion is a little different back home compared to here.

[...]

[Gonna just reach over and give his collar a tug tho.]

...why did you take off everything except your collar? Do you belong to someone?

[HE SOUNDS LIKE HE'S ASKING THIS WAY TOO SINCERELY but it's a joke.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Chuuya, meanwhile, seeks warmth like he has none of his own, and it’s all because he’s gone most of his life without the kind of closeness required for it. It’s nice, being able to let his guard down just a little, even if the fact that enemy organizations out to destroy the Port Mafia no longer existing means that the Port Mafia itself has ceased to exist...]

Everyone dresses differently here.

[He’s seen all manner of outlandish outfits since arriving on Nysa, so a corset is actually pretty tame.

...

HUFFFFF. NOW HE’S DEFINITELY NOT TOO DRUNK TO BE TSUNDERE. Look at him sputter and blush as Shell tugs on his collar!]

Like hell. I wear it because I like it.

[How true that is remains a mystery...]

I can’t find another one like this on Nysa, so I never take it off except to bathe.

[He tosses a leg over Shell as revenge. Now he’s trapped!]

Besides, you’re the one who mentioned masters, not me.

[steponme]

[You know, draping his leg over him like this is a lot more intimate when they're so dressed down. But Shell isn't shying away from it, a strong part of himself craving some intimacy right now... really, that's usually what he's been missing more than anything. It's not like he and One were always just rough.]

I was just asking cause I was curious... did I make you mad?

[He leans his head down closer, pressing his forehead against Chuuya's -- a close, intimate move, but they were already pretty damn close right now. The light shining in from the window is dim, but his voice makes it clear he's smiling.]

Sorry... don't be mad, okay?

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Learn what a tsundere is, Shell, sheesh.

Chuuya’s huffiness dissipates almost instantly when their foreheads touch, and despite not being even a tad bit ashamed of his near-nudity, Chuuya blushes at the sudden, intimate contact. It’s nice, of course it is, but now he appears much more vulnerable than he’d intended.]

...fine.

[His voice is a soft murmur as he fights off the desire to let his eyelids slide shut and fall asleep just like this.

...actually, he thinks he will. Eventually. He’s far too comfy to move.]

...I’m glad. That you’re drinking blood again. I know you’re not, but still.

[steponme]

[The vulnerability is probably not helped by the fact that Shell can see that blush on his face perfectly. Which has his own face flushing, the smile on his face growing just a bit more -- even as Chuuya proceeds to bring up his least favorite subject.]

[There's another apology on his lips, prepared to apologize for being such a headache and for worrying him. But he pauses, and instead redirects it.]

Thank you... for worrying about me.

I know it's still gonna be hard, but... as long as I have friends like you looking out for me... I think it's gonna be okay. Cause I'm not alone anymore.