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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[the man chuckles to himself at his new friend's lack of opinion.]

Oh, so it will be my fault when you aren't entertained, is that right?

[he does not say this accusingly so much as... teasingly.]

[he grins quietly at whatever is in front of him.]

It's always my policy when I travel, and it has yet to fail me. You can't blame someone for trying to be a gracious guest, can you?

[which is, of course, not a denial.]

You know, you'd be surprised.

[said with the tone of experience. customer service has its ups and downs, especially in the dangerous fields he's worked in. but now they are here and now, and he snaps the beautifully-lacquered fingers of his good hand as he gets an idea.]

No one can say no to food, though. Have you eaten yet?

[he's in the middle of considering whether or not to ask for examples of what his new friend is hinting at, but his attention is immediately distracted by the mention of food.

he can't hide the glint of eagerness in his eyes now; Tonic does not have a picky or shy eater on his hands.]

I haven't, actually. I am feeling rather starved, now that you mention it.

[upon a successful reception, the slender man claps his hands together in graceful delight.]

Good, good. That'll be the perfect place to start.

[so with a goal in mind, he leads them confidently around the cave, choosing to cut past the crowd and head directly for the back wall. it was difficult to see past the stage lighting, at first, but now that they're closer, there are holes in the cave wall here, too--each set with a tiny pinprick of light, a flickering candle. some are in colored holders, some simply left to melt all over the stone they've been set on. past some of those points of light are faces, some turned to talk to one another, some peering out and watching the crowd as it ebbs and flows below.

the tunnel they disappear under is strung up with small lights. many people walking past have their little glowing pendants out, and Tonic removes his own from underneath his high collar. it's an orange color, almost bright enough to be mistaken for flame. it also looks fairly well-made, about on-par with the one Robin carries around with him. the tunnel quickly curves around and turns into stairs, which have been very neatly cut and are easy to traverse.]

[it takes a moment for Tek to remember that he can actually contribute to this glow-necklace ritual and not just observe it, and he's glad that he has a cover-story to help explain the awkward delay. but the Capitol boy does remember to bring out his fancy light--finally getting the chance to show off the beautiful pink (enhanced by colored glass and accented with a crystal bead hanging like a teardrop) even if he is the only one who appreciates it. it makes him feel like part of the club, and the light is awfully pretty.]

[Tonic does glance over to look, giving Tek a smile when he sees the color and extra bauble on his necklace.]

That's a nice one. Love the bead.

[his own has no bead, but instead has twisting, dark iron caps that look a little like tree roots wrapping around the ends of the glowing cylinder. a couple, holding hands as they pass in the other direction, eye the points of light--the girl gives a soft "ooo", while the boy mumbles something to her about how expensive they look. he probably didn't mean to be overheard, but he also sounds a little drunk.

they're gone a moment later, though. Tonic keeps them moving upwards.]

[Tek can't help an appreciative, musing sound when he receives two necklace-related remarks in quick succession, and he waits another few paces before he remarks on it.]

...I'd been wondering if commenting on someone else's lodasphere was considered some sort of faux pas or not. I'd thought it might have been one of those things that one was expected to pretend not to notice. I'm glad to see that doesn't seem to be the case, however.

[this makes Tonic laugh a little, as it's an interesting thing to point out. he knows that Tek is from another city (allegedly), so he chalks any discrepancies up to a cultural difference.]

It's funny, but I think they've become sort of a... Almost a symbol of the person wearing it. It's a lot like... wearing a shirt with your King-sign on it, or carrying around your economic status, or some aspect of your personality...

[he rolls his eyes a little, though one of them has a harder time making a full rotation in its socket and just kind of darts clumsily from one side to the other.]

So people get weird about it. Sort of like they get weird about, oh, a facial disfigurement.

[he grins to himself, at that. the bad side of his face has no choice but to be pulled into the expression.]

Everyone's polite and pretends not to be looking... But a few drinks in, everyone suddenly gets curious.

[especially with the topic of facial disfigurements, Tek probably shouldn't be staring as much as he is while Tonic is speaking, but his attention is definitely more on his fascinating companion that it is on the passageway they're navigating.]

So then, are you a few drinks in? Or do you just have a different definition of "polite?"

[he seems delighted about it in either case.]

No, I'm regrettably sober, dear.

[he does not seem to mind being stared at. and with how he continues to talk, it's possible that he prefers the staring to the alternative.]

I just believe in giving credit where credit is due. Life is too short to pretend you're too good for everything.

[as they reach the top of the stairs, the cave opens up into a long hallway, and the smell of food wafts in to meet them--meats, primarily, many of them fried, along with hints of salts, herbs, and some other tangy scents that mingle in the air.

to the left, there is a long line of food carts selling all kinds of things. people are calling out orders and handing down packages, plates, paper wrappers full of treats, and hungry party-goers take their things to the right side, which is a confusing-looking series of steps and ladders that lead to various levels of seating in front of all of those multi-leveled windows that could be seen from the outside. there are so many lights strung up in criss-crossing bands along the ceiling that some taller people have to duck to not run into a wire or bump their foreheads into a bulb.

Tonic will immediately lead them off to the side, so as not to block the doorway.]

Well, what kind of foods do you like? Any automatic "no"s?

[Tonic's outlook is one that Tek agrees with wholeheartedly, but he doesn't get more than a hum of agreement before they reach the very distracting next floor.

Tek could be having the most riveting conversation with the prettiest person in all the land, and he would still get sidetracked by the scent of good food. he isn't shy about taking a moment to simply inhale and bask in it before answering.]

I'm known to be something of a carnivore, but I can't think of anything that I wouldn't be happy to at least try.

Mm, in that case... I'll get a few things, to save us the time.

[he taps his chin, starting to plan his orders in the same way that a chess player may plan their next few moves... he loves food himself, but he is also very cost-conscious. he wouldn't be where he was today if he blew all of his money on every little convenience that came his way.]

You can find a seat, if you like. Top row's got the best view in the house.

[in case Tek doesn't know what he's talking about, he also tilts his head in the direction of the windows.]

I'll see what I can find.

[and he doesn't mind striking out on his own for a moment, if only because it saves him from having to navigate the minefield of figuring out who pays for what, especially when both parties are intent to juggle both social etiquette and thriftiness. in Tek's case it's more of the fact that Robin is his main source of spending money at the moment, but the effect is the same.

so, he departs and heads for whatever will get him to the fabled top row. he misses having a bird's-eye view on the world, so he will take the business of finding a seat up here very seriously.]

[it does take a bit of extended spacial reasoning to figure out the best way to get to the top. there's a ramp that leads up, switch-backing a couple of times, but there are also several offshoots that lead to dead-ends, and several more offshoots that will just loop you back in the direction you'd come.

but the difficulty in getting there is balanced with the fact that very few people are keen to make the trip all the way up. the tables here are rudimentary, just outcroppings of rock in the middle of two carved shelves where pillows and blankets have been set out for people to sit. there's a woman bundled up in rags at one table, sipping something from a glass as she gazes thoughtfully out the window, and there are three well-dressed individuals huddled around the far table in the corner playing some kind of card game... but otherwise, Tek has his pick of the rest. each has a candle lit in the middle of the window, waiting for someone to come fill the space.

as he sits down, he can hear cheering and applause lifting from the stage just on the other side of the wall. he can also hear what is unmistakably Sarah asking the crowd if they're ready for a fucking party, to which the answer is unanimously yes. the stage fills with more music, bass-heavy strings and some smaller, higher-pitched string instrument that Sarah seems to play with surprising dexterousness, but the leading attraction is the synchronized dancing that starts up on the platform. quick footwork, perfect timing, exciting costumes--it's the kind of thing that Robin would fawn over, whenever they'd gone out in the past, no matter what world they happened to be on.

but it sounds odd, from this side of the cave. the bass comes in, but most of the other sounds are pointed away from this wall, and are heavily distorted by the cave by the time they reach the window. the music takes on this almost dream-like quality, seeming more distant and muddied than it really is.

before long, Tonic appears again--expertly holding no less than six different dishes between his hands and shoulders. everything smells delicious as he begins to put them down on the table.]

All right, hope you weren't kidding about feeling starved.

[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...]

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