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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[Tonic glances over in the middle of unzipping his shoe just to see what Tek is doing at his arm, but once he confirms that it’s nothing but a cruel-spirited pat (or so he thinks), he huffs and goes back to taking his boot off.

Tek has been around long enough to have a pretty good idea of how much Tonic should feel poisoned, and what he gets doesn’t really fit. it’s not just that Tonic is far more sober than he should be, given the amount he quickly ingested... it’s that the aforementioned poison doesn’t seem to be there much at all. it can’t be that Tonic somehow didn’t drink it; Tek watched him do it, unless the man is secretly a wizard with sleight of hand. but his body can’t have processed it in this short a time, either, because there are almost no signs that Tonic is suffering from the normal hangover that would come from something like that. it almost seems like the alcohol is just... disappearing from his insides, and it isn’t magic.]

Okay. [he puts his boot aside, revealing a black stocking.] My question. What did you do to your eyes?

[Tek is settled back again by the time that Tonic finishes removing his boot, arms folded behind his head, quietly mulling over the information he'd just gleaned directly from the other man's system. he hardly bats an eye when the question is sent his way, almost as if he doesn't realize that it's meant to be part of the game.]

Nothing.

[Tonic was just settling back himself, and he fixes Tek with an odd stare.]

Nothing?

[...whether it was the answer or the quickness with which it was given, that was not what Tonic was expecting to hear out of this round.]

Nothing.

[though, he may be beginning to look a little self-satisfied now.]

Huh.

[Tonic wants to claim that Tek is lying, because he doesn't really know what to think otherwise... but he's also still invested in not losing, so...]

Truth.

[even though Tonic has guessed correctly, Tek still has that little smile on his face, so it may be because he simply likes his own eyes.

at first, he acknowledges Tonic's win by sitting up to begin unbuckling one of his own boots without comment. but, after a moment, he feels he should maybe offer a freebie and give some explanation. nothing in the rules against that, right?]

It's a family trait. Though, I've learned it's easier to just let others assume that it's some kind of fancy cosmetic procedure.

Huh. [Tonic repeats the sound from earlier, stretching out the foot that no longer has a boot in it.] That's interesting...

[his eyes are fixed on Tek's hands, though. watching the other man's fingers work at the buckles as if there was something to be gleaned out of it.]

I suppose it's possible.

[whether or not he necessarily believes it is up in the air, but he gives another half-smile of his own.]

Another question, then. My other foot is getting hot.

[Tek mirrors the expression as he frees himself from his first boot and adds it to the pile. and maybe he really is feeling like he needs to offer some sort of appeasement, because he also goes a little easy with his own question.]

How about you tell me something about yourself instead.

[Tonic can have all the control here.]

Something about myself, hm...?

[that's almost worse than being asked a question. there are a lot of things he could talk about. a lot of tidbits that don't really amount to anything, truth or lies. Tek definitely threw him an easy one. the next one will probably be harder.

he reclines against the pillows in quiet contemplation... until he starts leaning over in Tek's direction, his smile becoming a little mischievous. or, half-so.]

"Tonic" is my actual given name.

[oh no. well, Tek gets his wish. the mood is definitely shifting.

he'd been eyeing Tonic a little warily as he got closer, but the expression changes to one of vague dismay when Tek is finally presented with the puzzle. of all the things that he had been wondering and going back and forth in his head about...]

...You're lying.

[but he absolutely does not sound sure about his decision at all.]

[Tonic draws back, trying valiantly to keep his expression straight... but he can't for long, that composed smile breaking back into a laugh.]

You're right, darling. It's a nickname.

[you caught him again, and he obediently starts unlacing his second boot. once fully unzipped, he has to squirm around a little to get his leg in a position where he can take the boot off.

the foot underneath is in a black stocking just like the other one, but something about the foot is... well, it isn't quite the same shape as his other, normal foot, and it flexes at the ankle and uniformly at the toes, but otherwise doesn't seem to be very mobile as he stretches it out to match his other leg.

Tonic uses this as an excuse to put both arms back on the perimeter pillows, making a small show out of lounging there. he'll even cross one leg over the other, knowing full well that Tek's attention is going to be sticking in that direction.]

All right, I want you to tell me something about yourself now.

[Tek absolutely does not try to hide his sigh of relief when he wins. he also doesn't hide the fact that he is observing Tonic's weird leg when it's (partially) revealed. he won the right to do so, fair and square.

and then it's his turn to think again, and he returns his arms to the folded place behind his head as they'd been before. just two creeps lounging together while they scheme on the best ways to pleasantly pick each other apart.

when Tek finally comes up with an idea, he looks over with a grin. he's got a good one.]

Ah! I'm one in a set of triplets.

...Huh.

[another perplexing statement. Tonic gives Tek a good, long stare with this one, trying to find any hint in his face or his posture or his attitude that might betray whether or not this could possibly be true.

triplets are extremely rare in a world where infant mortality is all too common... but if they're going to be anywhere, they're going to be with some weird rich family up in the Capitol. and that would be such a spectacle, such a family affair... might be enough to bring one of those siblings down here, where mommy and daddy can't track them down.]

...True. [but he doesn't sound fully confident of his guess, either.]

No, that one is a lie.

[and he waits just long enough for that fact to sink in and to be able to observe the beginning of Tonic's reaction to it before he holds up four fingers.]

It was quadruplets, actually. It was an unbearably competitive childhood.

Damn... [at his apparent defeat, Tonic's fist instinct is to wince, even if he's still hanging on for the follow up he knows must be coming. however, he never could have guessed that the number would go up, not down.

so he stops dead in the middle of moving an arm to pick some article of clothing, staring in open surprise.]

You're kidding. That can't be true.

Believe me, I often wish that it wasn't. [and the grimace over the subject of his siblings seems honest enough.] And with three perfect, charming, upstanding children all eager to step into my family's legacy, you can imagine how much energy they would bother spending on a fourth.

[but he sighs and brings his arms around to drop to his sides.]

But that wasn't a fair one at all, was it? [he leans forward to begin to unbuckling his remaining boot, unless Tonic stops him.] My other foot is also getting hot.

[Tonic is only human, he had no chance of guessing. he makes a face as he tries to accept this as reality, his expression somehow even more dramatic with how only half of his features really follow along.

but he doesn't think he's lying. he laughs, still surprised, as Tek admits it was mean and goes to remove one of his own pieces of clothing. shaking his head, Tonic reaches forward to pull off one of his socks (on the good side, the boring side).]

I can't argue you, there. Didn't even occur to me that that could be possible...

[his foot looks nice, for a foot. his toenails are painted black. he goes to set his one stocking by his jacket, and starts rummaging through his jacket pockets while he's there.]

Hey, do you mind if I smoke? [he glances up at Tek to catch any reaction, heading off the first smart-ass comment he can think of:] That's not one of my questions for the game.

[well, he gets to catch Tek making a face over the idea, and then Tek can't pretend that he didn't.]

How bad does it smell? [a beat.] That is also not one of my questions.

I don't think so.

[Tonic removes a carton of cigarettes from his jacket, holds it out towards Tek, in case he wants to inspect them. even from here, they have kind of an earthy smell to them, like cloves or sage. they actually smell a lot like Tonic himself. the package they're in looks a lot nicer--black with silver embellishment--than the kind that Robin normally carries around.

again, with that crooked smile:]

But I don't want to offend. If you aren't a fan, I'll just wait.

[he does want to inspect them, thank you very much. just enough to judge exactly how much he'll hate his clothes smelling like them for a while.

however, they're close enough to incense for him to find it tolerable. that's the sort of thing that he doesn't mind so much. so, he hands them back with a little shrug.]

Who am I to deprive my lovely host of a little bit of joy? Go ahead.

[he takes back the carton with a small chuckle.]

That's very kind of you.

[one cigarette comes out of the pack, and he props it between his lips... but he doesn't bother lighting it, yet. he just kind of moves it along the good side of his mouth, like he's using it to think.]

So, do you have another question for me? [he wiggles his toes, just on one foot. the other remains stationary.] Or is there anything you'd like to do to get more comfortable, darling.

[that last sentence doesn't really come out as a question, more as an invitation.]

Edited 2018-11-01 03:18 (UTC)

[he chuckles in a rueful way. the invitation makes him wish that he too had a vice to fall back on. he does have his pitfalls and indulgences, of course... but none of them seem particularly suitable for present company. not yet, anyway.

however, it makes him think of something else entirely, which leads him onto another thought. the mental path continues on for a minute or so, until he reaches his next question.

he doesn't ask it as if it's part of the game, however. aside from the sideways glance afterward and the touch of a smirk that goes with it, it could have been an honest question.]

What do you think of me?

[with all this waiting, he still hasn't lit his cigarette. he pulled out his lighter, waited, flicked it a couple of times, waited again, all the while patiently watching Tek with the kind of vested interest that a predator would normally have in their prey.

maybe he was thinking of the kind of questions he could ask to stump his opponent... or maybe he was considering what Tek might ask him next, because it doesn't take him more than a few seconds to answer, very pointedly:]

I think you're boring.

[and then he continues watching.]

[Tek prides himself on being a very smart, savvy creature... but there are some pitfalls that he will always fall into. he must have been expecting Tonic to continue to play nice, to indulge in their game full of unspoken etiquette and intrigue, because he's visibly caught off guard by the answer.

he happens to be looking off somewhere else when Tonic responds, but the other can still see him blink and pause, and watch the slow way he inhales as the words sink in and flood his brain. even if it is a lie, even if it had just been some lightheated joke, the insult sticks.

you don't say things like that when you're playing a nice game. that's not how you play.

when he turns to his opponent again, his smile spreads like a knife leaving its sheath. he's working to keep a hold on the expression, but it still edges into a sneer. its all he can do to keep his teeth from becoming sharper.]

You're lying.

[it almost sounds like a threat.]

[this was a calculated risk. Tonic was not ready to give Tek the satisfaction watching him mull over how much he does or does not like him. if he told the truth, well, there'd be nothing for Tek to chase anymore. Tonic would look easy.

if he lied, obviously, he'd lose... but protect a lot more than just whatever secrets are under his clothes. and his risk paid off. he's discovered a very interesting crack in the armor.

but he didn't mean to make him mad, genuinely, and he isn't above backing out if it means it will keep him from getting murdered by some potentially very dangerous stranger. he smiles too, a wide one that grabs at both sides, but only on accident. his brows also furrow up, a little apologetic.]

Yes, of course. [and then he leans back from where he had been unknowingly tensing, shaking his head, breaking that eye contact now that he has what he wanted.]
Sweetheart, you're already one of the more interesting people I've ever met.

[hopefully that's enough of an apology for now. he diligently starts undoing the ties that hold his sleeves together in the front.]

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