Welcome to the Jungle [Open]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Who: Chuuya (thetaintedsorrow) & you!
What: May catch-all! Featuring adventures in Khalo village and Flona Cove.
When: May!
Where: Various!
Warning(s): Possible NSFW, but it’ll be marked.



I. Chuuya in Wonderland

[After hearing the news that Khalo Village had opened up to visitors for the first time in centuries, Chuuya had decided that it was something he definitely needed to see. Who knows if he’ll ever get another opportunity to explore the place? Visiting new places and experiencing the culture there is always fun, so he might as well go while he can!

Of course that means he’ll have to smoke fyrra, the weed that allows those who aren’t full-blood Khali to enter the village without falling into a deep slumber. It’s pretty much just fancy weed, and Chuuya feels slightly more relaxed after smoking it, but it’s definitely not as good as booze. It does, however, allow him to enter the area around the village, and so he does, not expecting anything to go awry.

So of course he ends up stepping on a large purple mushroom and shrinking down to the size of a thimble. Shit.

Luckily he’s still able to use his gravity manipulating ability, and he’ll climb up the nearest tall tree while waving his arms and shouting in a tiny voice to the first passer-by he sees.]

Oi! Over here! Hey!

II. Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi? [Probably NSFW, Closed to CR]

[Once Chuuya actually reaches the village and obtains the antidote to return him to his normal size he’ll need a break to relax, and what better way to do so than to visit one of the many smoking lounges? According to the locals, regular fyrra is available here, as well a strain that causes “an even higher elevated mood, as well as increased sexual desire and heightened sensation.”

Sounds fun, right? Chuuya already has a head start, lounging on a rather plush looking couch in a black silk robe that resembles a kimono. He seems to be in a good mood.

Care to join him?]

III. Flying High

[Temporary flight potions are readily available in Khalo Village, and Chuuya will excitedly encourage anyone who comes along to drink one so that he can have a flying buddy at long last! Will you take him up on that offer?

Oops, he’s already tugging on your arm!]

C’mon! It’ll be a blast!

IV. Tame the Beast

[The Taming Fields are an area near the village where beasts that the Khali have tamed roam free. Chuuya can’t help but wander over to one of them, a rhinoceros-like creature covered in moss with flowers on its horns (called a Mossley by the Khali), and try his hand at petting it. The creature seems docile and friendly, and it leans into his touch.

According to the locals, Mossleys are drawn to two people with positive emotional bonds, and enjoy laying between them. Will you be one of those people? Or does Chuuya grate on your nerves?

Grinning, he waves over the nearest person to share in the experience.]

Ever seen anything like it?

V. Beach Episode

[When he returns from his excursion to Khalo Village Chuuya will be itching for a trip to the beach, and you can find him on the shore soaking up some sun, in the water swimming around, or enjoying a cocktail in the shade.

However, said cocktail isn’t your run of the mill booze; it’ll turn him into an exact copy of whoever approaches him! How bizarre!

Will you hang out with him on the beach or engage in some silly clone shenanigans?]

Wildcard!

[Have something you wanna plot with me? I’m over at arcanestardust! Don’t be shy!]

Comments

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Oh Atsushi, you sweet summer child...]

Yeah, sure. [A chuckle.] I was thinking more along the lines of training them to use in a fight. Just in case.

[Not for fun or sport, but self-defense.]

I rode on a pegasus once. You should try it sometime, if you haven’t.

[The Mossley seems to be going wherever it likes, and surprisingly another one comes up to it and rubs its horns against the one they’re currently mounted on.]

These guys are just gentle giants, looks like.

[colorature]

_{[It's strange, that he looks just like her, but it's something she can set aside for now as she moves to do as she's told, carefully bringing her feet toward the shoreline. As soon as she places a foot down, expecting it to be submersed, she finds herself balancing atop the water's surface. Don't mind her as she loses her shit.]}

Uwah?!

[gekkajuu]

I'm sure their size could be an advantage in a fight as well.... but then, they're probably not bred for their fighting skills.

[How likely is it that the ones breathing too much fire got put on a sideline after repeatedly setting houses on fire?]

Truth be told, I'm not that confident with anything that flies. Not that I haven't considered it.

[Ohno the Mossleys loving on each other... Too cute.]

They're adorable. And to think they grow flowers!

[thetaintedsorrow]

Guess it’s different when you have an ability like mine.

[Heights have never bothered him, because he can always effectively break his fall as long as he reacts in time. This pays off in the form of being able to pull of neat stunts without breaking a sweat.]

Heh. Maybe we should let them do their thing.

[They seem to be acquainted with one another, snorting and gently rubbing their horns together until a shower of petals falls at their feet.

Chuuya pats the Mossley’s side.]

Daifuku would have a blast climbing on these guys.

[notwagging]

[ well, that gets him to stare blankly past Chuuya for a moment, before shaking his head and remembering where he is and who he's with. ]

Sure! Maybe somewhere in private, or at least where people might not be surprised seeing someone as cool as me out in the open.

[ because he knows that his form can terrify people not used to it. on the other hand, he also gets about twice as many pets. ]

I. Chuuya in Wonderland

[cassus]

[ While luminous and invitingly colorful, the sizable fungi reef acting as protective barrier around the whole of Khalo's village is apparently not all it seems. Dazai is fortunate that he religiously does his research before placing himself in any situation, paying close attention to the rumors and guidance of Wyver locals who care to spill stories or the occasional legend about Khalo's many mysteries.

Considering that the place has likely harbored all manner of both wonder and horror ( including the carnivorous flora he's spotted, munching on unlucky natives ) for as long as it's existed, it's no wonder that Dazai is given forewarning enough to at least be cautious. His step is light when entering the perimeter, unhurried as he picks his way through small pathways free of anything that may either be alive or home to something that is. A fallen tree is a sufficient bridge to coast through the sea of neon fungus, which he certainly has no plans to abandon.

This much is written in stone, at least until a familiar but miniaturized voice breaks his focus. Dazai doesn't need to hear it twice to know, deep down within the very marrow of his bones, that it's one that could only ever belong to Chuuya himself. True, there exists the chance of something pulling that familiar lit and depth of a telltale voice, belonging to someone important, straight from his memories in order to lure him into the jaws of danger.

So it speaks volumes that he heeds Chuuya's cries without second-thoughts or hesitation, regardless of the possibility his attachments are being used against him. The tree trunk kept beneath feet as his passageway to safety is abandoned, but held within his periphery as Dazai picks a footpath through the mushroom maze, guided only by Chuuya's voice. ]

Either the mice here have learned the art of imitation, or someone's improved your voice by leaps and bounds.

[ Dazai's gaze holds aloft, searching the surrounding woodlands for the stature of someone he could recognize if nearly blinded. And yet Chuuya's familiar form never appears where he expects it to. Instead the flailing limbs, miniaturized with a teeny-tiny voice, catch his attention enough for Dazai to glance Chuuya's way. ]

And here I thought you couldn't get any smaller!

[ Realization dawns instantly, making sense of the squeakiness of a little voice which typically commands in it's sultry depth. Chuuya's shrunken size is clearly a result of something in the forest, which Dazai is just as likely to befall if he's not careful. All the more reason to be cautious as he ensures his feet are firmly on solid ground, with soil and grass but nothing more beneath them, when he steps closer. ]

I like your cute new look, Chuuya. [ A soft chuckle, trying to lighten the potentially dire situation's mood. ] I must say, It's your best self-improvement to date.

[ No matter what Dazai says, or perhaps only because he can mask away the offer behind ridiculous taunts, a hand extends directly beneath Chuuya's tiny feet. Dazai won't touch him, for fear of deactivating his partner's ability, and risking sending Chuuya tumbling free from his perch. Better for Chuuya to take the step down himself, with full knowledge that he'll be without his powers once it's done. The fewer surprises the better, when he may need a microscope if Chuuya takes a dive and shrinks even smaller. ]

[gekkajuu]

And catching the flowers, too.

[He can just picture Daifuku trying to catch all the petals in that flower shower.]

I really should bring him, next time, but I didn't know if it was safe, let alone how the Khali would react to him.

[Giving the Mossleys some privacy seems like a good idea, so Atsushi climbs off, giving the animal a gentle pat.]

Thanks for the ride.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Unfortunately Chuuya never thinks to research the local flora and fauna before going somewhere, because back on earth concrete jungles were the norm, and thugs with weapons were much more of a threat than nature. So here he is, even more tiny and angry than usual, and it doesn’t help that Dazai is the one who finds him, because of course he’s going to tease him about it. At least he’s got a surefire way out of here now, right? Right.]

Ha fucking ha. Laugh it up.

[Chuuya grumbles, glaring at Dazai’s hand but not hesitating to jump into it. He’s so huffy about this, but at least he doesn’t have to worry about being stepped on or snatched up by a bird anymore. He sits cross-legged in Dazai’s palm and crosses his arms with a huff.]

The Khali should be able to fix it.

[Maybe. He hopes. He can’t stay like this forever.]

Take me to the village.

[He’s grateful that Dazai didn’t just leave him on his perch, but he’s being difficult about showing it.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

There’s a risk, but he might enjoy it.

[But much like children, pets require a watchful eye, not to mention getting a tiger to smoke sounds not fun. Though maybe animals aren’t affected by the sleeping spell like humans are.

Chuuya climbs down as well and lets the Mossley go on its way.]

That was fun.

[But the sun is setting soon, and they should head back.

Chuuya gives Atsushi a grin.]

You want me to teach you how to smoke some fyrra?

[thetaintedsorrow]

Sure thing.

[Chuuya glances around. There’s a rather large cave nearby, one filled with little tide pools that sometimes attract little sea critters. No one seems to be occupying it right now, so Chuuya will just head in that direction for now.]

Let’s see just how big you get.

[Chuuya won’t be frightened, no matter how Keaton’s other form looks. He’s fought actual Cthulhu, after all.]

Does this place work?

[cassus]

Oh? Look who's still convinced he can order people around...

[ Of all Chuuya's concerns, the impending threat of fowl or feet may have been easier to manage in the long-run than facing an obstacle like Dazai. With his ability in play, Chuuya at any size is still capable of relying on his fail-safe of brute strength, to beat back any other opponent. However, the dynamic is entirely different with Dazai. Not only is his prior partner less likely to relent with a show of force, when that only invokes an elevated urge to tease, but the very instant their bodies make contact all hope of ability usage is gone in an instant.

Chuuya should sense that, however he perceives the effect of No Longer Human seeping into his skin and sapping away the comforting hold of his powers. It's something Dazai has no say in, whether or not he prefers it's impact upon others and the specificity of it's usefulness within Chuuya's life.

Sapping Chuuya of his ability-born strength can be a life threatening thing at the wrong moment. While not the worse of all possible examples, this situation is dangerous enough. Whether Chuuya fully realizes it or not, he's trusting Dazai to keep him elevated above the threat littering Dazai's feet below, and more than that, to not drop him by accident or otherwise. In fact, should Dazai decide to tilt his hand this way or that, or even flip it over for no other reason by a whim, Chuuya would be sent plummeting Earthward.

Relative to his height, the fall might as well be stories high and ultimately devastating. ]

A certain pipsqueak might want to use his manners and say please.

[ Very very carefully, Dazai uses his freehand to reach forward and merely touch his index finger to the top of Chuuya's teeny-tiny head. It's meant to ruffle his hair beneath the protective covering of his hat, but if it ends up being more of a condescending pet - well, who is Dazai to be blamed for how a simple touch can translate down to scale? ]

Unless he wants to live out his days as my pocket-pet, making a bed with lint and living off crumbs?

[thetaintedsorrow]

[There’s always the telltale feeling of his ability being disabled when Dazai first touches him that leaves him feeling so very strange, as if a vital part of him is missing, but it always passes quickly. There’s an unspoken level of trust between them after all these years, and Chuuya doesn’t hesitate to place his tiny, fragile body in Dazai’s hands. Dazai could’ve killed him hundreds of times over by now, so why should he worry?

In the end he’s placing his life in Dazai’s hands, as he always has.

The poke to his head serves to rile him up considerably, and he pushes on Dazai’s finger with two tiny hands with a grumble and a huff.]

Like hell.

[But since Dazai is here, and is the only one that can help him, Chuuya probably shouldn’t be too grumpy at him. It takes a lot for Chuuya to say please though, so he’s just going to cross his arms and sit there for a moment, huffy as ever.]

As if you wouldn’t put me in a jar and keep me like this if you could.

[cassus]

You make it sound like I couldn't get away with it. [ A wry smirk. ] And I already prefer you pint-sized enough to consider the idea.

[ He's not a five year old with a found frog that's destined to wind up succumbing to a very tragic end, forgotten within a week's time or less! Dazai can think outside the box, or mason jar in this case, and come up with a more suitable home for Chuuya. ]

How about I put you in a tiny glass bottle, with holes poked in the lid, and wear it like a pendant?

[ Since the ardent affections of that nudging finger have been rebuffed, Dazai withdraws his hand in order to tap at the center of his chest. If Chuuya hadn't taken the time to visualize it yet, Dazai is more than happy to force him to fathom living out his days, dangling from Dazai's neck, on display for everyone to see.

From the outside it sounds like a cruel scenario, where Chuuya plays captive to Dazai's prisoner. But this is an all too familiar song and dance between them, with both parties well aware that Chuuya won't ultimately end up at Dazai's mercy.

At least not permanently. For the duration of day? That's to be determined.

Turning back to steadfastly walk only where his feet have fallen before, Dazai takes slower steps on his return. Much as he'd love to not show any signs of care, it'd do him little good to wind up in the same situation out of recklessness or rushing. This keeps up until Dazai can relocate his makeshift bridge, but instead of scaling it to walk across, he merely sits atop one of the trunk's many branches. ]

Maybe I'll just stick you in a fish-tank and you can build a home of twigs and moss.

[thetaintedsorrow]

I’m not a goldfish, you bastard.

[Much as Chuuya grumbles and complains, he actually doesn’t mind being held like this, if only for the feeling of being completely surrounded by familiar warmth. It’s something he could grow used to, if only he wasn’t laughably small.

When Dazai begins walking Chuuya finds himself holding onto his pinky; no gravity powers mean no anchoring himself to Dazai’s palm, which means he might accidentally tumble off on accident.

But then they stop moving; and Chuuya stamps one tiny foot in a huff.]

What are you doing?? Take me to town so they can fix this!!

[He’s none too fond of being this small, even if being held isn’t terrible. He’s fought most of his life to be taken seriously in spite of his height and pretty features, and this just feels like a slap in the face for all that effort.

That being said, there’s not much he can do until Dazai decides to move again. Which makes Chuuya start trying to climb his arm.]

C’mon, what are you waiting for??

[cassus]

How right you are. 'Goldie' wouldn't suit you at all.

[ The way Chuuya absolutely clings to him for dear life, situation and size not withstanding, is something Dazai could grow rather fond of much too quickly. It's to such a degree that he's honestly disappointed when those itty-bitty hands release him. The clutching hold is replaced with a tiny body scaling him like a skyscraper, which ought to be so much worse. ]

Red, though. Now that's an appropriate name for my feisty new pet!

[ But it very much resembles the situation of someone's pet rodent scampering up their body, presumably to get within closer proximity of their beloved owner. Ah, Dazai absently wonders if they feel the same sort of fondness that works itself through and in between the space within his ribs, while he watches Chuuya crawl into his line of sight. ]

Too bad you're not a little bigger. [ A hum. ] House cat sized, maybe.

[ Soon as Chuuya flees the safety of his palm, Dazai religiously shadows him with it; cupping the shape of that hand over and around his old partner as he makes a journey skyward. It's almost instinctive to shield him like this. And Dazai doesn't expect any of this to feel natural, yet he's automatically altered limbs and even a posture that curves to cushion any potential tumble that may befall Chuuya with the wrong step. The gesture is made all the more profound in how it occurred all without so much as thinking the action through, as he always does, without fail. ]

Why, I'm sitting back and enjoying the scenery, short-stack. [ Or pacing himself. ] It's quite a walk. Are you going to squeak the whole time?

[gekkajuu]

[Given the Khali's taming prowess, they may not even want to keep animals out. Then again, with the different humanoid species, can they afford to be picky with their spells?

Poor Daifuku smoking, though...]

... I guess I should learn in case I want to come back here, huh?

[He's really not that eager about smoking as such, but this is a different world, and with it being a means to an end, he can deal with it.]

[notwagging]

[ the cave certainly feels like a pretty hidden spot, save for the creatures that might get an eyeful of Something in a few moments. as he is led by Chuuya, his tail doesn't stop wagging until they're finally out of sight, and he pulls out the Beaststone from somewhere inside his shirt. ]

Yeah. You sure you're okay with this?

[ because hey, just because Chuuya fought Actual Cthulhu doesn't mean he's ever seen anything like The Fluffiest Keaton. ]

[thetaintedsorrow]

No harm in it, right? If you wanna then let’s head to one of the lounges.

[It’s not like Chuuya is in a hurry to head back to Olympia. This little trip has been far too enjoyable for him to want to bail so soon.

It’s not far back to the lounges, and Chuuya gestures to the bowl of fyrra placed on one of the tables.]

Go ahead. I’ll tell you if you’re doing it wrong. How’s that sound?

[thetaintedsorrow]

[Stroke his ego it does, and Chuuya doubles his efforts to bring Shell over the edge. He reaches up to grab Shell’s wrists and guide both hands to his hair to give him something to hold onto as he swallows him whole over and over again without the slightest hint of gagging. Blue eyes fix on Shell’s brilliant green ones, pupils blown wide with lust as he wordlessly encourages Shell to come right down his throat.

One of his hands wanders between his legs to grip his own cock and stroke himself off in time with every bob of his head.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

Pretty cool, yeah?

[His ability is the hypest shit, okay? He’s delighted by her reaction.]

Not even Chiropterans can walk on water, huh?

[gekkajuu]

[Well, here they are... Atsushi is going to have to do it now. He appreciates Chuuya's guidance in advance, but doing this with someone looking over his shoulder still puts the pressure on.]

Um... Should I just roll it up..?

[DO THEY USE PIPES?! Or just set fire to the contents of the bowl and hang over it?? Real questions.]

[thetaintedsorrow]

[It’s much harder climbing up Dazai’s sleeve without his ability, but he does manage, shielded by the protectiveness of Dazai’s hand. It’s something he hadn’t expected, something that fills him with a sort of warmth he realizes is dangerously close to fondness, but he’s not about to get all mushy about it as he perches himself on Dazai’s shoulder like some kind of tiny parrot. This way Dazai can hear him loud and clear as he huffs and complains about this current state. He deserves it for all the short jokes, after all.]

As if I couldn’t still kick your ass if I was cat sized.

[He’s confident that he could kick Dazai’s ass at anytime, in any state. Except this one. But only because he’s lacking his ability. That’s the only reason!!! Even tiny kicks from Chuuya would hurt! And yet the desire to beat Dazai to a pulp has lessened considerably since he’d learned the truth of Dazai’s betrayal, and he can’t exactly be ungrateful for being plucked out of the forest, where any little thing could spell his doom.]

You’re enjoying this.

[Chuuya reaches up to tug on a lock of Dazai’s hair, pulling it just hard enough to get his attention..]

I can’t do anything useful when I’m this tiny, so I want to fix it. ASAP.

[cassus]

Oh, but you misunderstand... I'm not afraid of you at any size.

[ The issue here is that Dazai can't touch him, let alone indulge in his urge to poke and prod in amusement at a miniaturized version of his partner, without the very real concern of doing him considerable harm. Being thimble-sized means that even the wrong brush of a thumb or sudden shift in his shoulders could either break an arm or send Chuuya soaring. And whatever their threats may have been to one another in the past, promising to dole out damage or fates far worse than those, Dazai has no intention of ever following through. The fact his ever-vigilant hand continues to play chaperone by shielding Chuuya upon his perch is proof enough of that. ]

It's a little difficult to fully appreciate your shrunken state when you're this microscopically small.

[ The tug of his hair is given all the notice it needs, urging him upright and back onto his little log bridge. But not without putting on a performance of a little laugh or two. In the back of his mind there's concern, muddled with a heady mixture of various other feelings revolving around Chuuya's present state. But among those is a sense of protectiveness he didn't plan on finding himself feeling today, coupled with the adoration that comes with knowing something more defenseless and dependent actually needs you. ]

You're right, at least. It's been a while since I had you in the palm of my hand.

[ Even though he's facing forward in his trek towards the village, Chuuya should be close enough to watch the thoughtful grin spread over Dazai's face. No further works need to be spoken, nor any actions given, for it to be apparent what's on his mind. The smirk uncoils itself right alongside thoughts that both suggest an upper-hand and other activities that didn't always rely upon blackmail. ]

I wonder if the antidote only returns you to normal. Or if they'll make you a couple inches shorter, if I pay extra.

[thetaintedsorrow]

One sec.

[Chuuya produces the pipe he’d used earlier from his inside coat pocket, very similar to the kind you see in those old Japanese folktales. He stuffs a bit of fyrra in the end before lighting it and handing it over to Atsushi.]

Put it to your lips and inhale like you’re taking a deep breath. Little half puffs are just gonna make you cough.

[thetaintedsorrow]

[If Dazai outright called him defenseless and dependent Chuuya might just kick him with those tiny little legs, but right now he’s too focused on getting himself back to normal. Chuuya hates feeling powerless like this, but it’s not the first time he’s been completely at Dazai’s mercy, either. He doesn’t feel unsafe, just irritated that he can’t even walk anywhere on his own right now. It’s made worse by Dazai’s shit-eating grin and teasing comments, and Chuuya yanks a strand of his hair much harder this time.]

The peanut gallery should stay silent, because they’re not funny.

[Chuuya tries to settle in as Dazai starts walking forward again, pulling his tiny knees up to his chest.]

And I guess you just got lucky, not running into any problems.

[If he sounds a little bitter it’s because he is. It seems like Chuuya is the one who keeps falling victim to ridiculous circumstances lately, and he keeps having to rely on people to assist him. Maybe one day he’ll be the one doing the saving. Maybe.]

You have plenty of reasons to fix this too, you know.

[Chuuya can’t exactly provide any kind of company like this, aside from the kind you might lavish on a particularly tiny pet.]

I really gotta learn some magic.