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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[pleased with how his friend has settled right in, Tonic lifts himself off the ground and returns to entertaining his company. he gathers the folds of his dress out of the way before sitting, comfortably leaning both elbows on the table to gaze steadily at Tek. the kettle hisses softly as it warms.]

Essentially. She looks out for me, I look out for her.

[he tilts his head a little, now looking his friend over for all kinds of little details, not at all bothering to hide the fact that he is doing so.]

[he's still dressed nicely (of course), but he's in a much more comfortable outfit than he he'd been in at the party--partly to avoid standing out so much in the marketplace, and partly to facilitate any lounging or undressing (for clothes-shopping reasons, obviously) that may or not happen here. his makeup is classy, understated, neat. nails short and shiny and perfect. this is his casual look, probably.

and, of course, everything about the person underneath the clothing is absolutely flawless. it certainly hadn't been a trick of the light at the party.]

What a cryptic relationship. I like it.

[of course he looks perfect. after a moment of thought, Tonic sighs and shakes his head, giving up on his analysis in favor of opening up the containers on the table and scooping small piles of loose tea into his cup.]

You've been here for ten minutes and I already have so many questions.

[Tek laughs at that, leaning back from the table a little bit as he does so. the expression could almost be mistaken for a sheepish one, if he were actually capable of such a humble emotion.]

Do you really? [he covers part of his smile with a few fingers.] You hadn't had enough of my answers at the party?

Well, I can't argue that I'll probably regret my curiosity almost as soon as I indulge it...

[he puts a couple of scoops of loose tea in Tek's cup as well, without consulting him. it doesn't smell like much from here, but looks like a dried, grey tea with a small scoop of something resembling cocoa added on top. he returns the spoon to a small dish, and goes back to leaning his own face on one of his hands to gaze at Tek from across the table.]

But I really did have a lovely time

As did I. Believe it or not, it wasn't only the prospect of new clothes that lured me here for a visit.

[he's smirking down at the dry tea in his cup as he says it, musing over the memories of that night and the many possible, horrible answers that could come up today if Tonic asks the right questions. even with Robin now taking him to new places and introducing him to more people, none of them have been quite as much fun as this one has.

he glances up then, with a smile that is entirely unsafe.]

We don't need to wait for a game to ask questions. I know I have plenty that I'm curious about myself, and I'm very impatient.

[Tonic chuckles.]

That's true! Some people might even consider that a normal conversation.

[it's a little like being on a first or a second date, though he doubts that many dates start with questions like, "have you ever killed anyone". just as the kettle starts to whistle, he removes it from the small stove and uses it to fill their cups.]

But I'm flattered to hear it. Would you like to start?

[he laughs too, because--sure--they can pretend that any conversation they'd have could possibly be compared to "normal."]

I'd love to. Though, I suppose it's less of a question and more of a general statement of interest about this place. [shop? workshop? possibly a home?] I would love to hear more about it and what you do here.

My, my, where to start...?

[he seems tickled by the question, pressing his mismatched hands together while he thinks about what is important and what is not. the sounds of the market seem far away, pleasantly muffled in the comfortable room.]

Well, you may find it funny to hear that in visiting my storefront, you've also visited my warehouse, workshop, and home all at once. [the good side of his mouth quirks up in a funny little smirk.] Not a particularly luxurious lifestyle, I suppose, but I'm very fond of what I have.

Is it really? I suppose I'd made some assumptions, again.

[there's definitely some surprise there, but he seems fairly neutral about it. not too judgmental, at any rate.]

Well, it all is very you. It shouldn't be surprising that you would want to spend all of your time in this space.

[he does appreciate a lack of obvious judgement. he remembers Tek's various privileges very well.]

That, and property is very expensive.

[he looks thoughtfully up at nothing, curling his hands around his cup, tapping his lovely nails in a line down the side.]

The ironic thing is that this used to be a front for my other business... I only resold things that other people brought me. But then, business would get slow, and I was practically bedridden at the time, so I started sewing things together to stave off my own crippling boredom.

[even though it's only a short shadow of a story, Tek still gratefully settles into the role of "audience." he may enjoy talking about himself, but listening to someone tell their own tales is a genuine love of his.]

Is that what you meant when you'd said you "fell" into it, or was that something else?

Oh, that... [he looks back down, still half-smirking.]

No, that was referring to my literally plummeting hundreds of feet into a pit filled with rusted-out machinery. That was where I lost my leg. I'm told I shouldn't have survived the fall at all.

[casually, he takes a sip of tea.]

But that was the turning point for a lot of things.

Oh.

[Tonic can enjoy the satisfaction of having successfully surprised his enigmatic new friend. his eyebrows go up, and he covers the startled smile that forms a full second afterward.]

I see.

[oh, Tonic loves the reaction, as evidenced by a deep, satisfied chuckle. it's not as though he's completely over the incident himself, but this makes it a lot more fun to talk about.

he leans forward playfully, smile pulling at both sides of his face.]

I'm curious, would you say that I have very good luck or very bad luck?

Neither. [he answers easily and unwaveringly, like he would at any time, in any world. he busies casually with his tea as if there couldn't possibly be an argument on this point.]

I would say, perhaps, "unfortunately unique in circumstance," but luck has nothing to do with it.

Wow. Not even a little hesitation.

[Tek must have some strong opinions on the subject... but Tonic remains just as pleased as before, lifting his cup closer to his mouth.]

But I like that. I've never really bought into the idea of having luck anyway.

If it had been luck, then it could have been anyone falling into that pile of machinery. But this person had already had half of their face eaten by acid, they then survived another round of terrible odds, and had just the sort of skills and unique outlook to turn a pawn shop into an entirely singular gallery of oddities while stuck suffering inside of it.

[he shrugs over the glass that he's warming his hands with.]

Doesn't sound like luck to me. And it makes for a much better story.

[though his demeanor is still casual, he listens very attentively to Tek's explanation. he's never been particularly interested in philosophy, but hearing his life framed by someone else, in this particular way, is very flattering.

at the mention of a better story, he makes a curious sound, absently swirling his tea around in its cup. his reply does not come immediately; he has to let a couple of strange thoughts congeal.]

Mm. [he rests the good side of his face on an open palm, sighing almost begrudgingly as he gives in to being completely and utterly charmed.] You sure know how to flatter a guy.

[if it makes Tonic feel any better, Tek looks entirely pleased with himself at that response, and he chuckles. don't worry, he's not actually that charming.]

I just use honesty very well.

Disgusting.

[half-muttered into his hand, fondly. but too much of this will make him look soft, or like he has a want that can be exploited--so he elects to put the conversation back on track.]

Do you have any other questions about the shop? I do plan on dressing you up, later.

[and Tek doesn't want to seem too hungry and complimentary, so he goes along with the topic shift without hesitation. he even finally takes a sip of his tea as they move from one line of conversation to the next.]

Questions--not that I can think of. A general excitement to go exploring and be dressed up--yes.

Ah, I'm so glad...

[the tea is a little strange, some blend of mint and another earthier, smokier taste. it would be bitter if it weren't for whatever Tonic scooped on top of it, which leaves each sip with a surprisingly smooth, almond-like aftertaste.

Tonic gestures around to some of this things, having one last opinion to validate before they move on.]

This place is built to be explored, so please--it's so much more personal that way.

Well, the last time I explored on my own, I gravitated towards some... problematic items. So, if you have any guidance to offer, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

[besides, he's extremely curious to see which things are some of Tonic's favorites here, or that he would choose himself for Tek to try on.]

Mm...

[while Tonic would normally be thrilled to give guidance, that sticking point from earlier catches his attention again and does not let it go. logically, he should drop it... but his gut is telling him to dig in harder, and at the end of the day, following his gut is the only reason he's still alive.]

I know I said I'd pretend it didn't happen, but may I ask you a question about it anyway?

[Tek can say no. he doesn't want to intrude in a way that will spoil the now-pleasant conversation. still, he fixes Tek with an intent stare, clearly set on mulling it over whether Tek agrees to talk or not.]

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