d | a december catchall (open & closed)

[damnpire]

WHO: d & others
WHERE: the stygian hellscape
WHEN: month of december
WHAT: mistletoe kissing, winter cuddling, soulmates(?), spoon threatened me with a good time, trying to make francy stop being mean to rosa, inside d's door maybe
WARNINGS: dr...ug use...? (looks at silco and frowns), possible blood drinking, a claude date, dallisto, laurent's foul and grumpy mouth, problematically kissing heewon, dimitrid being depressed having to hold hands and kiss

OOC plotting post

Comments

[midway]

[ The response is kind of surprising, since D seems like he would be popular? Hubert certainly wasn't, but D isn't nearly as sinister, and from what Claude can gather people do tend to like the beautiful, mysterious, tragic types.

Or maybe he just hasn't had much opportunity.

Whatever the case, Claude tosses the apple to the wind and leads D over to where a few others are dancing. As much as he would like to start moving around the dance floor to the beat of the music, he gets the sense that D might appreciate a... slower start. So he settles his free hand on his back and leads him into a quicker, sloppier waltz. ]

Do you not dance often?

[damnpire]

[Don’t litter. He frowns about the littering even if it’s biodegradable.

He also frowns about how this is going. Is this punishment for my Chinatsu? Claude gets them only several steps into the clunky, fast waltz, and D stops so suddenly and solidly in place, he makes Claude stumble (but he doesn’t let go).]

I’m a vampire hunter, not a dancer.

[Fluidly, he switches their positions so he can lead. He starts again, this time more gracefully and more in tune with the music and everyone else.]

[midway]

[ For a second, Claude thinks that D's about to storm off with how abruptly he stops dancing, and he has to wonder what exactly he'd done to earn his ire since D hadn't initially rejected the offer to dance.

But apparently, he just wanted to exert dominance. Claude prefers to follow along to his own steps, but he falls in line with D's steps, since he's the one who troubled him for a dance—it's only polite. ]

People can be more than just one thing.

[ He looks amused. ]

It's part of what makes them interesting.

[damnpire]

[Claude was simply going too slow and treating him too carefully.

What’s nice about it is, regardless of how much D insists he is just a hunter, he knows how to dance. And it seems to be a knowledge of ye olde European dancing no less.]

There was only ever one thing for someone like me.

[midway]

[ His expression softens then, glancing momentarily away in thought. It shouldn't be an unexpected admission, but still one that irks him to hear. He almost wants to insist that that isn't really true, but restrains himself. While there might be some similarities in their histories, they are not quite the same.

So he switches gears, questioning. ]

You didn't have friends or companions?

[damnpire]

[Very matter-of-factly, he says:] No. [But there isn’t any sorrow to it.

As if he has simply accepted the idea he cannot have friends.]

There isn’t any point.

[Which makes it seem like he is trying to spare himself from having to see others die.

But really it’s to spare them from regretting their ability to age, to keep them from resenting his curse.]

[midway]

[ Claude could ask if D wasn't lonely, but that should be hypocritical. Sometimes you are alone and it's fine.

Anyway, that was then. ]

Even now? You mean you and Felix aren't all buddy buddy in the basement?

[ It is Felix though... ]

[damnpire]

[The irony is he is human enough to feel emotions even though he rarely shows them, so he does, in fact, feel lonely.

A burden he must shoulder…]

He is amiable. [Crazy to hear someone say this about Felix.] But I don’t believe we are considered friends.

[midway]

In your defense, I don't think Felix considers anyone a friend.

[ Except maybe his blade.

Claude isn't a stalker though, so he doesn't know who else D keeps for company, and for a moment he keeps silent, just enjoying the dance (and more importantly, the warmth that comes with it).

Eventually, ] There are plenty of people here. There must be others?

[damnpire]

[Not minding the silence, D is also quiet when Claude doesn’t fill the void.

He continues to dance, though, finding it strange Claude has so much insistence on this for someone like him. Maybe Claude and Left Hand would get along in teasing him about mundane things… Tragic.

He refuses to say sweet Jonas has told him they were friends.]

You’re awfully concerned. Are you trying to be my friend?

[midway]

[ Claude just looks at D, confused. ]

What would I need a friend for?

[damnpire]

[He just looks right back at Claude.]

Then for what reason do you think I need one?

[midway]

[ Now they are in a staring contest.

There's silence until Claude eventually whispers, ] I was kidding, D.

[damnpire]

[They are because he just keeps staring in that stoic way of him, unbothered and the fact he is indeed staring.]

It sounds like you may need a friend.

[Claude. Friendless. Cliendless. Maybe Claude is too shy to ask for friends… He can tell Cedrik and Jonas. They will gladly be Claude’s friend.]

Surely there must be others. There are plenty of people here.

[midway]

I have friends.

[ Well, that's a lie. He doesn't. At least, he thinks he doesn't? He's not sure, and now he's confused.

He shakes his head, trying to wrangle the conversation back to his point. ]

I was only trying to say that I'm sure there are many people to whom you're more than just a vampire hunter.

[ He squeezes their joined hands. ]

You seem like a great dancer to me.

[damnpire]

[Oh yeah? Name five friends then. Don’t run. Don’t throw stones in a glass house.]

…

[Is Claude flirting with him?]

Couldn’t the same be said of you still?

[midway]

[ He's not flirting? Stop assigning Claude slut? ]

I never said I wasn't a good dancer. In fact, I'd argue it's one of my hidden skills.

[ Smiling, he spins them around. It's not exactly graceful, but he doesn't step on D's toes at least. ]

[damnpire]

[This is flirting. This is how Claude continues to get into relationship trouble at every turn.]

You know that isn’t what I meant.

[Willfully obtuse. But he doesn’t sound irritated, and he doesn’t press any actual answer.]

Perhaps you can be someone else’s friend even if you don’t need anyone to be yours.

[midway]

Maybe you should be more straightforward about asking me to be your friend.

[ He doesn't think that's what D was getting at, but it's fun to tease him. At least it seems like D isn't the type to get easily annoyed. ]

[damnpire]

[WHY!!! Stop being a little gnat about everything. Maybe his Shadow will come out and maul Claude one day. Drinking all of Claude’s blood will teach Claude not to tease him.

Annoyingly to me, D does not seem bothered by any of it.]

If it alleviates all of the concern you have for me, then I would allow it if you asked.

[midway]

[ D is the annoying one? Don't assume Claude wants to join his harem? ]

I'm not asking for anything.

[ He smiles peacefully, soaking up the warmth spreading through his limbs from the proximity between them. He might wish the best for D, but he's never been much of a coddler. ]

I'm just enjoying the dance.

[damnpire]

[Now he’s being used greedily. Damn, Manwol deserved better…

D doesn’t say anything more to spare them from circling again in argument. This is maybe the same as when Sims get the single minus sign after having a conversation.

He leads Claude onward, steady but not too fast.]