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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[it's probably a good thing that Robin says something as he's recovering. the first pass that Tek takes past the tree is rather aggressive--peering in to see where Robin has landed and grazing the thing with a wing enough to cause another shower of leaves and twigs.

but, the comment he catches as he drives by is a satisfying one. there's a pleased snarl, and the next loop seems to have a much lazier lilt to it. the third pass, as Robin is halfway clambered to the ground even has an upward curve that could be called showing off.

he's probably gloating.]

[for a second, on the way down, Robin thinks... is Tek really that pleased with himself, picking on someone a twentieth of his size? and then he almost laughs, because of course he is, and he knows that he's just going to continue feeding into it because it makes him happy.

and happy Tek is his favorite Tek.]

Laugh it up, friend. [he calls up through the branches, even though he's not sure how well Tek can hear him with the growing distance between them.] If I was my real self, you'd be in trouble!

[an empty threat. he drops to the ground, remembering a second later that--oh yeah--the land here is now blighted and dead and probably going to freak out the natives when they find it. oh well. he begins to peel off his coat and assess the damage, instead of caring about that other stuff.]

[Robin is down in the clearing by himself for a little bit, while there is every possibility that Tek is going to decide that he's not done stretching his wings, and just take off for the distant horizon. he is considering it. a long stretch of having only a small portion of his soul on this plane, jammed into a little fleshy body, always ends with him flying away and not touching the ground again for at least a few hours.

Robin should feel very honored that Tek is hanging around. there aren't even any other excuses around for Tek to try blaming it on--he's solely doing it for Robin.

not that he'd say anything about it, of course. after a minute or so of some last-minute exercise, he slows to a stall above the clearing and lets himself drop through the canopy as casually as a cat hopping off a countertop.]

[when Tek doesn't come down, Robin's worry begins to surface again. they're relatively small anxieties, little ripples in an otherwise still pond, but they're there. he'd like to believe that Tek likes him (or needs him) enough on this world to not disappear over the horizon... but he never knows for sure, and that's enough to bother him as he slowly picks splinters out of his clothes and waits for the dragon to finally have enough of flying.

it is a relief when he does land, and his kindness does not go unnoticed. Robin is sitting in the dead grass, at this point, mending his jacket with bare fingers and blood stitches. he watches the massive creature drop down through the canopy with a small smile.]

I think I've lost more jackets hanging around you than any other person I've ever known.

[the dragon takes his time in transitioning from flight-mode to being settled on the ground--he gives his whole body a shake to knock off stray bits of tree from his scales, shuffles his wings so that they fold nicely on his back, and finally pivots in a lazy circle near the edge of the clearing to curl up before crouching down.

and now, finally, he is ready to sit still for a moment and turn some non-violent attention toward his friend.

once comfortable where he's at, he lowers his face (longer than Robin is tall) down to address Robin at what seems like a conversational distance at this size. after watching him busy with his coat for a moment, Tek nods his head at him and rumbles a question that translates to something like 'why are you wearing that?' which could be in reference to the jacket (that he isn't actually wearing at the moment) or something else entirely.]

[Robin keeps glancing up at him, of course, because he's hard not to look at... though looking at him is its own surreal experience. he knows that Tek has been this the whole time (he thinks he even had a dream about it, once? he isn't sure), but seeing it in person is different than knowing it in the back of his mind.

he doesn't hate it. he doesn't entirely know what he thinks. it's just silly that it's taken him so long to finally see it.

those are the thoughts that Tek interrupts with his question. it takes Robin a moment to translate, and then another moment of surprise to work his way all the way through the ask. no matter how fluttery a feeling it gives him just to consider, his expression finally splits into a grin.]

Well, I didn't want to assume... Just because one person's done it doesn't mean it's an open invitation.

[he does put his coat to the side, though, and starts scratching something in the dead dirt with his finger instead. it's probably some sort of preparation for a form shift; Tek has seen him do this enough times to guess as much.]

...Unless it is? I guess I wouldn't know the etiquette for that sort of thing.

[whatever Robin ultimately decides that he feels about Tek's true form, it is at least easier to see the monster as the man that Robin knows so well the longer he sits with it. the exacting little tilt of the dragon's head, and the short 'heh' of voice in reaction to Robin's thoughts, are all very much Tek.

the sound of scales scraping over dead grass is surprisingly loud in the quiet clearing, as Tek flicks his pair of tails behind him. and this time, he makes sure to pronounce his words as clearly as he can through a more complicated phrase. it's still a little rough, but something about it being rude to wear a mask while everyone else bares their faces.

and Tek would know. he's something of an expert of ignoring that particular bit of etiquette.]

[the clear pronunciation does seem to help Robin follow along a little quicker. he copies one of the more important words the same way that he used to, years ago now, repeating the sound to himself quietly a couple of times until his mouth knows the shape of it, and then a couple more just to commit it to memory. he has yet to use this language much with Tek, but he'd like to keep it alive in case he needs to.]

Then I apologize for being so inconsiderate. My bad.

[the circle he's drawing isn't complicated, he just needs to keep the worst of his energy from spilling over everything. it isn't because he's afraid of being noticed, at this point (their ship has long since sailed, on that one), it's more because he doesn't want to douse Tek with it while the other is being relatively nice.

so it isn't long before his human form glitches away and a stooped, skeletal figure sits in its place, pale and tall and already ducking its head to find what had previously been eye level with Tek.]

[once they are finally (after how many years now?) two honest creatures looking at each other's faces without any pretty lies in the way, the dragon breaks out into his version of a grin. he hums--a deep, horrible croon--and sits back with satisfaction.

he's still leaning down enough to be fairly close to his smaller companion, but they're not eye-to-eye. he wants to be able to get a good look at his bizarre, skeletal friend, while also not looming over him too badly. he can fall back into that stance at any time, after all.]

[and Robin is usually more timid, more skittish in this form of his, so it isn't a bad thought. but the demigod only stares timidly up at Tek for a moment (at least, he probably does... it's hard to tell, with those large, all-red eyes of his), before he suddenly lets out a big, sharp-toothed yawn in nine different voices, and stretches his bony limbs up towards the sky in a tall stretch.

he smiles, thin and wide.]

You're much easier to see, like this.

[the dragon can't imagine what he means, so there's a curious sound as he kind of... looks down at himself, briefly.

he doesn't know whether the "this" that Robin is referring to is his own new form, or Robin's. of all the senses that change when he switches between forms, sight is the least of them. but he does know how he takes in other things differently when he's like this, and the thought makes him curious.

almost hesitantly, he lowers his face toward his friend. looking, sensing, smelling for differences.]

[ah, this doesn't seem that strange to Robin at all--he holds his arm out, hand relaxed, to at least extend the invitation for Tek to come and investigate. in the meantime, Robin can see patterns of things all over the other, threads wound and knotted from years and years of existing... but they're satisfactorily spread out, now. the pain that Tek has felt in his life is an understandable size, for one so big.]

It's hard to explain, but you just seem more like... yourself.

[he laughs at himself, the sound of a child's voice particularly easy to pick out among the small chorus.]

Well, of course you do. What a stupid statement...

[he gestures vaguely with his other arm, stretching it out to the side.]

And my, ah... Peripheral is wider. Different eyes.

[so he literally has an easier time getting all of Tek in the picture at one time.]

[as Robin explains, Tek takes the opportunity to flick his tongue out to give the air a little taste--which, unlike snakes and a few other mundane reptiles, is not something that dragons make a habit of doing often. it's only in special instances like this one, and hunting, that they deign to do so.

but then Robin explains about his eyes, and Tek immediately responds to the prospect of increased attention by straightening up, tossing his mane of spikes, and flaring his wings a little. just to show off, while Robin has such an encompassing view of him.

of course, there is a healthy dose of sarcasm about it, as Tek is far from beautiful in this form. every scale and mossy fringe, the rainbow of bruised colors across his hide, his whole twisted frame, is made to be as repulsive and cadaverous as possible.]

[it makes Robin laugh, a genuine one in which his own voice is the one that comes through clear. Robin doesn't laugh often in this form, so Tek should consider this something of an achievement.]

You're very impressive. [Robin picks his words carefully, spreading his long arms as widely as they'll reach.] I've not seen many things your size that aren't buildings.

[he has no idea that other dragons are much, much larger than Tek is... but his statement would still be true. something about the thought finally makes him shift where he's sitting, moving to crouch and lean forward on his hands. it's much more comfortable than the way he'd been crunched up.]

[it's a good-sounding laugh. he immediately decides that he likes it, and it makes Robin's usual way of laughing make much more sense. and he'll take "impressive" as a compliment. it's at least an honest statement.

he regards Robin as he rearranges, seeming interested any time the demigod moves around, as if there's more he might see.

and when he next comments, it's not an easy translation. the last word has gone through a lot of changes over the centuries between Tek's usage of it and how the much more technologically advanced denizens of the underground tended to use it. it'll take a bit of figuring, but the best meaning of the phrase that Robin can eventually work out is something like, 'you don't look like your pictures'.]

[Robin listens, tilts his head in thought. past his bangs, the pale, slowly-changing circlet of markings that live in the demigod's skin are barely visible.]

Mm. Are those the ones I showed you a long time ago...?

[back in the Tower... it almost feels like lifetimes ago, even though it was almost yesterday in the grand scheme of his long life. he stars moving, padding slowly closer to Tek, and then a bit to the side, as if wanting examining him from a different angle.]

You kind of look like yours. Much scarier in person, though.

['Horns,' he confirms. and again, Tek reacts to Robin moving around as if the demigod is inciting his prey drive. his head slinks low from stooped shoulders like a vulture, snaking closer and following Robin as he goes.

of course, Tek has seen Robin like this before, but only under circumstances that were considerably less than ideal. this is the first time that they're all choosing to take on these forms, and have no immediate threat pressing down on them. he can take his time here, and he can have a little fun with it.

Robin calls him scary, and the dragon opens his jaws to bare his teeth, flaring out the spines running down his neck for extra effect.]

Oh, yes. [Robin barely moves, doing little more than blinking (though that, in itself, is a bit of an event with how large his eyes are and how infrequently he seems to do it).] Very threatening.

[Robin hasn't had much fun in this form, over his many years of isolation and self-pity. he doesn't laugh much, he doesn't relax. even if he were not alien and horrifying and deeply insecure, he wouldn't exactly know what to do with himself to have fun around a normal person.

but Tek is the farthest from a normal person he's ever been, right now, and it reminds Robin of things from a very long time ago, when he and his siblings would tumble through the forest together, testing limbs new and old, chasing and wrestling and laughing with each other until the sun dipped below the horizon.

Robin smiles again, before quickly and suddenly scampering straight for some part of Tek that looks easy to climb.]

[this is exactly what Tek had been hoping to provoke out of his strange, spindly friend. it's also something rooted deep in his past--from the very last days spent in his world before he was cosmically exiled from it, all the way back to a childhood spent in a swamp, tumbling around with little monsters just like him. it's what he'd been unwittingly hoping for from the moment he first dive-bombed Robin in the trees.

...even so, when Robin suddenly skitters at him, the dragon lurches backward and straightens in surprise and vague alarm. like a cat that hadn't been expecting the spider it was hunting to suddenly run into its fur.]

[perfect, Robin easily finds a place even with that lurch backwards, and pretty soon the dragon has a bizarre, spindly creature climbing up his shoulder with ease. he's built for this, light and thin and a lot quicker than he looks.

he's laughing, though. not very loudly and certainly not at Tek, just giggling in that strange, multi-faceted way of his in the thrill of the moment.]

[Tek goes from straightening up and away from the creeping threat on the ground, to suddenly hunkering forward as Robin finds a higher purchase on his scaly hide. a shiver runs through him, his wings ruffle uncomfortably. it makes his skin crawl, honestly.

grumbling loud and low (but not shaking Robin off just yet,) the dragon cranes his head around to watch the demigod crawl on him, and maybe threaten to pluck him off with lightly-snarling teeth.]

[oh, he knows he's on thin ice. even in this form, Robin knows that he shouldn't test Tek too much, or else this bizarrely nice interaction that they're having could end in resentment.

but he's just so easy to climb, and Robin cheerily pulls himself up by some spines and nearly swings himself up onto the dragon's back once he's near the top. once there, he tries to keep his skittering to a minimum, merely holding on to a spike with one hand while the rest of him crunches back down.

he presses his other hand down against Tek's scales, smiling very fondly.]

I've decided. I like this one.

[he does not look up at Tek's face as he says this, despite the dragon's face being so close and potentially very threatening.]

[whether Tek finds any of this endearing or not, he does issue a low warning growl like the distant rumble of thunder.

continuing to loom over Robin as well as he can while the other is clinging to his back, the draconic version of the phrase 'enjoy it while it lasts' is at least very easy to recognize when he hisses it at him.]

[Robin's heard that one plenty of times. he hums contently, daring to run his hand over the scales in front of him. it's a little like petting a massive, occasionally spiny snake.]

Have we already forgotten that I got scraped off into a tree? I think this is fair.

[the cadence, at least, sounds a little more like he usual Robin. he's playing, and Tek can tell.]

[Tek growls something about deserving it, and then--as he's beginning to turn his head back around the right way--another shiver ripples through his skin. there's a good chance he can't help this one. he may be covered in scales and spines, but ticklish is still ticklish, especially when you're not used to carting around crawly little passengers.

so, the shiver that begins low on his back travels up and becomes an uncomfortable twitch to the side at his shoulders... and apparently proves too much to fight, as the twitch rolls right into the dragon violently shaking out his hide, wings and all. just a big animal compulsively trying to dislodge a pest.]

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