psychoshenanigans | GRATIA // PSL

The first thing he feels is the cold.

It permeates everything down here on the lower levels. What little warmth humans have made for themselves is greedily gobbled up by the stone walls that surround them on all sides. Despite the stirring of people in the streets, in their homes, and around corners, this place feels like a grave. A similar sense seems to loom over the heads of most who make their way through this deep, dark part of the world, hovering around them like a cloud of inevitability. No one has been outright sentenced to death, but they may as well be.

Upon waking, Tek will have found himself in a dark, wet alleyway. Attempts to orient himself reveal that he has been brought, somehow, to an impressively large network of tunnels that all lead, more or less, to three or four larger chambers. There is far more vibrant life above him somewhere, far, far above the layer of caves he's in now, and there is also a very deep, sluggish form of life somewhere far below his feet.

No one is coming to get him. No one follows him in his immediate vicinity--the few stragglers hanging around doorsteps and windows don't give him a second glance, or even a first one. The place is crowded, but not busy. Everyone keeps their heads down. The people are all dressed poorly, in rags and robes and bundles that suggest a certain level of consistent poverty all throughout the level. The buildings in these tunnels look man-made, either built from scrap or carved straight out of the rock of the cave, but the majority of the actual roads and cave walls seem to have been formed with very little help from human hands.

The place is lit with lanterns and dirty-looking florescents suspended high above in the cave ceiling. The air is thick and stuffy, the smell of mold and mud prevalent over even the smell of human stagnation. It would not be hard to drag someone off, and he gets the immediate feeling that if he did, it's unlikely that anyone would come looking for them.

What does he do?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[the way that Tek glances at the pendant again as it lowers, and then stabs his gaze back in Robin's direction, makes him seem a little like a cautious, irked predator. like some creature eyeing a tempting piece of meat lying in what it knows must be a waiting trap.

with an obvious pause, he's suddenly trying to judge a few different things here, and he is annoyed that he even has to do so.

he narrows his eyes.]

...And just what do you mean by that?

I mean it's pretty, and you should get it.

[realizing he's probably turning Tek off of the necklace entirely (which feels very familiar, even if their previous, nearly identical necklace incident has not quite sprung to his mind yet), he raises his hands up to stretch and shrug off some of his own judgmental air.]

I just think it's funny that the first thing you picked has vague religious connotations. And I've heard that those things are poisonous.

[the young man, who had been quietly observing until now, objects immediately:] No sir, that's a common misconception. That only happens around huge pools of glass--these are much too small to do anything.

Maybe I like poisonous.

[he could be speaking to either of them, as his eyes are back on the necklace. whether the boy is still hovering over it or not, Tek moves in to pick it up himself, holding it up to the light--getting a closer look and maybe tasting whatever energy it might have while he's at it.]

And just because you get twitchy around religious things doesn't mean anything. I think it's a lovely story.

[the noise Robin makes lands halfway between a laugh and a scoff. he rolls his eyes too for good measure--but his mischievous smirk only grows as he turns away. he'll put his attention on something else for a minute, give Tek the space he needs to make a decision.

the young man does not particularly want to fall into a conversation about religious preference, but he doesn't know how to approach the odd remark about poison, either. finding himself in an odd spot, he just relinquishes the necklace into Tek's beautifully manicured hands.

the necklace itself doesn't feel particularly interesting. whatever magical or energetic properties this thing possesses is very mild. it could potentially give someone a headache if they wore it for long enough, perhaps, but it is unlikely to cause any lasting damage or decay.

up close, Tek can see that the glass has hundreds of very, very small jagged lines inside of it that break up what would have otherwise been an unremarkable piece of glass. several flecks of lavender appear on his palm as the light passes through it, mixed in with whites and pale yellows and greens.]

[his inspection is a serious one, and not just to make Robin wait while he deliberates. he's letting a fully-loaded parade of pros and cons take a turn through his brain. it's a close deliberation.

eventually, his eyes flick up to catch the boy's. this is an important question.]

Is it expensive?

[were he born anywhere other than Up Top, this boy probably wouldn't have known how to answer. at the very least, he would have stumbled over the first couple of words before finding his pace.

but he was born into a family of second-generation surface-world jewelry makers, and despite his demeanor in the beginning, he answers briskly and confidently.]

Very expensive, sir. Not many would be able to afford such a rare piece in their lifetimes.

[then he folds his hands together, adding:] --Oh, did I mention yet that it comes with a gift box set with black opals?

[and said just as easily--befitting his station as a high-profile Capitoler, but fueled by the knowledge that Robin is listening and holding the wallet--]

I'll take it.

[the boy's mother should be very proud.]

[there's a small sigh from Robin as purchase kicks the wind out of his lungs, but he is now even more determined now to keep looking at earrings instead of letting Tek have too much satisfaction over his suffering.

the boy looks pleased, smiling wide and holding out his hand to take the necklace back.] Shall I pack that up for you, then?

That would be wonderful, yes.

[he relinquishes his new necklace, and as he does so, one question gets asked over his shoulder at Robin without properly turning to look at him. it's a question that both makes it seem as though he is considering further purchases (maybe Robin's defeated sigh didn't placate him enough), plays up the ruse that he is not from the area... and is a subtle warning clue to Robin that he may be asking for nourishment reasons instead of anything else.]

...What are the precious metals around here like?

GRATIA // PSL

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