psychoshenanigans | GRATIA // PSL

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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?

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[Tek hovers between the choices of several similar tables that each have windows that he considers reasonably sized, until one particularly colorful candle holder makes up his mind for him. he initially can't tell from this distance if the thing really is made up of two different colors of glass, or if it's just partially broken and showing off the candle behind it, but he appreciates the aesthetics of it in either case.

and once he's settled, he just begins to really settle into the pleasantly-muted soundscape filling this place when, once again, the scent of food pulls on his attention.

what he sees when he turns from the window is far beyond what he'd been expecting. he finds himself so shocked at the bounty that Tonic is hauling in (despite two half-working limbs) that he can't help but let an old curse from another world slip out of his mouth.

after a second or two to recover from his surprise, he moves to help the plates make it to the table safely.]

Unless you have some condition that requires you to consume an inordinate amount, you're either trying to bribe me or lure me into a stupor... and I don't think I mind in either case.

[there's a moment where Tonic considers denying it... but the sound of his response quickly turns from the start of a word to a much more guilty, drawn-out syllabic noise.]

Maybe a little of both, if I'm being honest. I do hope you'll think of this and spare me the blame when we inevitably run into something you don't like.

[maybe that will be the food, or maybe that will be a later part of this adventure--but whatever the case, it means free food for Tek. if he caught the swear in a funny language, he isn't saying anything about it.

he is a little busy with the food, though. for someone with a bad arm and leg, he's pretty good at laying out and handing over heavy dishes. he also starts pointing at dishes once the last few are being settled on the table.]

Okay, let's see if I can remember... [he rattles off the names of all of them, which essentially amount to: a pile of fried potatoes with some sort of gravy and sprinkles of dried meat, dumplings that contain both mushrooms and "bat", a soup filled with another mushroom-based meat substitute and large, puffy noodles, an entire small roasted animal called "mutt" which may or may not just be some kind of dog, and a tray with two sizzling bowls filled with a mix of grains, vegetables, thin raw meats, and a still-transparent egg with a pale yolk. he points out that the bowls are very hot, so be careful.]

And this... [he points to a board with several, mismatched cups sitting in round grooves along the length of it, each one filled with a slightly different-colored liquid.] I don't know if you've any interest in alcohol, but these are usually a pretty solid go-to for tourists. You can sample and decide which ones you like.

[Tek's eyes are gleaming. everyone is lucky that he somehow remembers to keep his teeth at the same mild points they'd started as, and not slip into the weaponous needles that he prefers to eat with.

Tonic will never have a more rapt audience as he explains each dish, Tek mentally tasting and imagining and forming his plan of attack. he's silent and intently focused until they finally reach the flight of alcohols. he shifts gears a little, because this he can at least address quickly, and then they can get right back to what matters.]

Ah, yes. I happen to have an extremely high tolerance for alcohol, so I tend to drink more for taste than anything. Perhaps a sampler is exactly what I need.

[he is very pleased with himself, that same crooked smile on his face even as he finally lowers himself stiffly down into the seat across from Tek.]

Good to know. Whatever you don't like, I'll end up finishing.

[there are some small plates set aside as part of one of the dishes... Tonic takes one of these for himself, looking hungrily over the table himself.]

And don't worry yourself with etiquette for this one, babe.

[as he says this, he reaches for the animal carcass and deftly cracks one of its legs off with his bare hand and a sudden flick of his wrist. his smile only widens, reaching across both sides of his mouth into what could almost be mistaken for a normal expression.]

Eat up!

[somewhere between his new friend's subtly gleeful demeanor and "honest" table-manners, Tek finds himself hit with a surprising pang of nostalgia. it's a wistful feeling that quietly follows him to each of these foreign worlds, but it usually goes unfilled. it's a rare day that something actually fits and reminds of things long gone.

he smiles a little too fondly, but it's luckily aimed at the spread of food before him.]

...This reminds me of growing up, actually. I've missed big, carefree meals like this.

[once his sleeves are tugged up and out of the way, he has no reservations about serving himself up a plate of goodies with his hands.]

Really, etiquette gets in the way of so much, especially around good things. The more extravagant the setting, the more reservation one is expected to show while indulging in it. It makes no sense.

[Tonic spends some time picking at his torn roast-leg first, holding it securely in his less-maneuverable left hand while picking it apart with his right like a bird picking at a carcass. he has no qualms about cracking open the joints to get every little piece he can, or pulling little bones out of his mouth if it means he gets to eat everything around them.

he can't help talking with his mouth full--between a bunch of dead nerves and the speed at which he devours his food, he doesn't have a lot of choice.]

Mm, I'm beginning to see why you'd be hanging out down here.

[his food is just two clattering leg bones and a small pile of shards before long. he reaches for something else. he appears to be a methodical eater, finishing absolutely all of one portion before moving onto the next. one of those hot bowls.]

But I agree. Big meals are one of life's few delights--eating them should be, too.

[they're a nicely-paired set of vultures, waging a systematic and brutal war on the banquet in front of them. once Tek finishes off his sampler plate to try a little bit of almost everything (the soup is getting neglected, for now), he starts with one dish and attacks it head-on before moving onto the next one. especially with permission demonstratively given by his host, joints and tendons and the occasional small bone are getting worked open and sheared through with sharp teeth in distressingly little time.

for the most part, Tek agrees with only wordless murmurs as he eats, but there is a moment while moving from one dish to the next where he has a chance to glance up at his charmingly ravenous companion and actually speak.]

I will admit that I am a little surprised, however. Upon first glance, I had pegged you as someone with... more genteel inclinations.

[who knew that a voracious beast was contained in such a pretentious-looking shell.]

[Tonic looks amused by that statement, now chopping up bits of runny egg and thin meats with nothing but the wide knife that came mis-matched with the tray.]

Thank you, I've worked very hard to appear as though I think I'm better than everyone else.

[he peers up from where he's daintily pulling apart small shoulder bones, a smirk on his face.]

Do you not?

[the thin man laughs.]

Oh, of course I do. Are you kidding?

[he chuckles again, almost a snort as he navigates a scoop of grains and egg towards the good half of his face. it's always tricky, not spilling foods like this...]

[he considers politely letting his eyes fall elsewhere while the man navigates his own mouth, but he's getting the feeling that doing so would actually be more of an insult in this case. so, almost experimentally, he makes no such consideration. he'll gnaw the cartilaginous end of a bone with sharp teeth in the meantime.]

Ah, good. You almost made it sounds as though you had some other humble intention under there, and I would have had to argue you.

No, no. Sorry to confuse, darling.

[he waves his hand, glancing up towards Tek--and picking up the fact that he is being watched. if it bothers him, he hides it well, continuing to take bites of his food unhindered by any open observation from the other.

Tonic is pretty good at eating, but... every once in a while, something seeps out. he's quick to wipe at the dull side of his mouth when something spills. in fact, after a while, Tek could pick up that he just subtly and habitually wipes at the side of his mouth every thirty seconds or so as he eats, just to be safe.]

So, why the sharp teeth?

[the question comes a little out of nowhere, no more or less pleasant than anything else they've been talking about.]

[he's finding just as much amusement with himself as he is with Tonic himself, musing at how many little things he's finding charming about the man. the compulsive minding his mouth while he's eating in order to fit in with polite society--it's really not that far from what he himself and others like him have had to do when adapting to sharp teeth in a short mouth. he's doing much the same thing right now, only on a lighter scale.

and at the question, he smiles to show off those teeth--after wiping at his mouth again, of course.]

Because I'm a predator. [said with easy honesty.]

[well, Tonic seems just as charmed, laughing during one such instance of wiping off his mouth.]

Fair enough! Asked and answered.

[he gives an easygoing shrug as he reaches for something else, one of the meat buns... and one of those sample drinks, too.]

[with the first question being set forth into the world, and watching his friend finally reach for one of the glasses waiting for them, it seems like a good time to lean into a conversational direction that he'd been waiting for. he lets a few beats of comfortable silence pass first, but he is still skipping a few steps in order to get there.]

...What else would you like to know? Or, should I make a show of taking one of those drinks first.

[being asked point-blank what he would like to know is enough to make him pause. this is where most people would probably pretend to not be interested--but Tonic stares right directly at him with a contemplative hum, taking a big bite out of his pastry-food while he thinks.

still in a very good mood, though. he seems a little intrigued by the fact that the question was asked at all.]

There's a great deal that I'd like to know. [a beat, then:] But a lot of it has to do with Robin, and I'm loathe to speak his name at what is otherwise a very nice dinner.

[he's a little sharpened up now, leaning forward in his seat compared to a few moments before. dropping a bit of pretense is one of his favorite, exciting little games to play, and his partner has shown signs of possibly being the same way.

however, he settles right back again to laugh at that, and does reach for the nearest drink, out of a habit that isn't actually his.]

That has been the exact thought looming over my mind as well.

[it's inevitable that the demigod is going to drop like a bomb on their conversation at some point, and Tek is both amused and disgusted at the fact that they both know it.]

[and, at seeing Tek is also in agreement with how this is going, Tonic gestures widely with a beautifully-manicured hand, both eyes going wide.]

Right? This is-- [and then he sighs, sounding like he's halfway between laughing and suffering:] I am so sorry. I really was having a lovely time.

[Tek laughs in a similar breathy, sad way.]

It took him no time, did it? He's not even here, and has still somehow managed to both ruin our conversation and become the star of it.

[they're already there, so commiserating will just have to do. Tek takes sip of his drink in honor of their new misery... but immediately makes a face and pushes it back toward the board. that one is not a winner. he can't even pretend to like that one.]

Ugh, he has a way of complicating everything.

[Tonic was starting to settle back, arms crossed in frustration... but seeing Tek's disgust with his own choice of alcohol quickly prompts him back to lean over the table, pick up another glass, and put that one down in front of his new friend.]

Try that one. [he takes a sip of the old one himself, barely reacting to the taste, partly because part of his tongue isn't very good at tasting anymore.] I really hate him.

[he accepts Tonic's advice, sampling the next one more carefully. it turns out to be considerably more palatable, so he can at least feign halfway enjoyment of it. the little glass gives him something to look at as he makes his way through this particular topic.]

That is a very simple word for discussing such a very messy person.

Messy, yes.

[Tonic nods and frowns at the thought. he remains leaning over the table, invested in what Tek has to say in the same way that Tek had been so thoroughly interested in the potential of informational exchange earlier.]

Tell me, I'm curious. [again, he really does hate to ruin this nice dinner with talk of one of his least favorite people... but this is the whole reason he agreed to show Tek around to begin with.] In your experience, does he has a problem with, oh, pathologically wedging himself into other people's business, no matter how unwelcome he is?

[Tek just smiles down at the little glass in his hand. he may have made a fuss about Robin's inevitable ruining of their conversation, but... really, he has been relishing the chance to make a dent in Robin's secretive little world. for once, he's excited to talk about someone other than himself, and the sentiment is almost entirely malicious.]

Tell me... which do you pay more attention to: the dog peacefully sleeping by the fire, or the one barking loudly and destroying all of your favorite things?

What, you're saying... [Tonic nearly laughs again, disgusted.] ...That it's just for attention?

[Tek gives a little shrug and sips his drink.]

I don't know. Is there anything else that he wants from you?

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