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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[he was about to say something, maybe start arguing, but he freezes mid-syllable the moment an abrupt giggle skitters out of his guest.

he looks down at the man's fingers, and then back up at the rest of him... and then it's Tonic who has to cover his mouth so as not to laugh right in his friend's face.]

I think you're... [he has to lean back, trying to keep his volume under control...] Babe, I think it's working.

No...

[he still sounds so disbelieving about it, even though he's actively fighting a grin that is having far too easy of a time getting past his control. he has to physically flatten his fingers over his mouth to keep a handle on it.

...but then that strikes him as funny too, and another loose giggle stutters out of him.]

Yes...

[he practically hisses with glee, clutching briefly at his side to get his own giggling under control. he can't believe this is happening, he got someone to play with him, in a way that no one else has ever been able to.

he finds it very intimate, even if it's also completely ridiculous--and he quickly springs to work trying to anchor the situation down somewhere where it can't spiral away from him. he reaches forward, plucking that cup from Tek's hand before the man can spill it. the dragon will barely have a moment to realize something is missing before Tonic takes the free hand in both of his, holding is securely between them.]

Just get it out, sweetheart. [his smile is a wide one, looking up at Tek from where he's crouched, nearly laughing again.] You'll pull something if you're not careful.

Edited 2019-01-22 04:24 (UTC)

[the cup disappears from his hand and he watches Tonic's whole reaction--his little, gleeful machinations--with slightly widened eyes over his fingers. the expression is mostly all him and not directly due to any drug that he's on, however. this whole thing is just so surreal and actually happening...

it all falls apart when Tonic takes his hand, though. his face, that instruction... it all adds up to what Tek's sure is the stupidest thing that he's ever been a part of.

ridiculous.

now that he doesn't have to worry about spilling a cup of tea, he crumbles to the side as the absurdity hits him all at once, toppling him onto the cushions next to Tonic and just... laughing into them. he gives up.]

[oh, this is wonderful. watching his guest crumple into a pile on his floor, laughing right alongside him, he thinks that even if he never sees Tek again after today--he won't have a single regret. it was all worth it.

(okay, maybe a little of that is the drugs. but the shape of the feeling is real, even if the details are a little hazy.)

he lets Tek settle down for as long as it takes, occasionally leaning over to grab another cushion, pulling them around himself a little like a bird piles twigs into a nest. he never lets go of that hand, though. that's his, now. ]

[he doesn't feel all that different, he keeps telling himself. it must be his imagination... but he's still giggling, and the fluttery feeling of giggling just makes him laugh more. it's a useless, giddy feedback loop.

it takes him a minute, but he finally evens out the compulsive chuckling enough to get a handle on himself. he turns his head enough to speak and send a helpless glance over at the one responsible for this whole thing.]

...This is stupid.

[and Tonic has a crooked smirk waiting for him, sweeping his arms dramatically through the air.]

Welcome to what the rest of us do all day, darling...

[despite the physical strain of a laughing fit, it feels very relaxing, down there on the floor. Tonic's carpet is surprisingly plush, with a subtle, swirling pattern. his pillows don't match, but they're comfortable. and the thumb that's brushing gently against the back of his hand leaves a light, pleasant sensation behind it.]

Are you still feeling clear, though? No trouble thinking?

[he seems to be asking this out of genuine interest--though whether it leans more towards concern or scientific inquiry is debatable.]

Oh yes. Everything in here is just fine. [--he says, pointing his free hand at his own head.]

It's everything else that isn't getting the message.

[or, more like each piece of the rest of him has its own agenda, off doing its own thing. his eyes are busy marveling over details, his face is appreciating this pillow, his hand is melting under Tonic's fingers. he knows his ribs should be feeling the effects of all that laughing, but it's more like they were made of water and the laughter had just floated out of him with hardly an effort. it's not a chaotic mess of sensation, but it is different enough to be distracting, and that fact alone is occupying a lot of Tek's attention.

it's new. and it has been a while since something new has happened.]

[he comes from a world where everyone's at least tried something... and most of them, including himself, started too early. the web of spies loves that kind of thing. nothing keeps people coming back to them like a free board and a chemical dependency.

so to him, Tek's inexperience is so... cute. with as worn and jaded as he is, it's endearing to see that there are still a few new things to be explored in the world.]

That's fine. You'll get the hang of it soon...

[he flops back down next to Tek, onto that pile of pillows he'd gathered for himself... he lets Tek's hand go in favor of stretching all three of his limbs out (carefully, there still isn't a lot of room in here) with a satisfied sound.

when he settles, he sprawls an arm out lazily towards Tek, leaving it dead on the ground. he closes his eyes, half-smirking up at the ceiling.]

Just feel it out for a while. [a short laugh.] It's not like I've got anywhere to be.

[again, he does that cat thing. he'd seemed content to remain mostly curled in a semi-protected shape, only peering out at the world with one eye while he slowly comes to grips with his new, slightly-different reality. but then the motion of a hand flopping down nearby hooks his attention in an instant.

he turns more onto his side, enough so that an arm can slither out and pluck up Tonic's hand from where it lies. it's a beautiful limb and the thought occurs to him that Tonic's skin and shiny nails and slim finger bones might feel different and wonderful right now. there's just something so appealing about the thought that he follows it without a fight.

daintily snatching up Tonic's hand, he's immediately bringing it close to his face and curiously running fingertips down the back of it. this one is his now.]

[well, he'd left his hand there in case his guest might want it. he just hadn't been expecting it to get snatched up so soon.

so his fingers flinch a little and his eyes pop back open and he turns his head to see what the other man is doing... not that he cares for long, with the attention warming all the nerves on the back of his hand. he's very okay with watching someone examine his hand, especially someone as pleasant to look at as his friend.

Tonic does have one very nice hand. up close, there are lots of little scars on his knuckles from accidents with knives and experiments he really shouldn't have gotten on his fingers, but most of them seem old, healed-over and soft now that Tonic only has one good hand to take care of. his nails are very shiny, like black beetles... except for one, which is glittered with the same flakes that are around his eyes.]

[whether it has anything to do with the drugs or not, he feels like he has permission to essentially ignore the person attached to this arm for right now. he presses lightly into finger and wrist bones, smooths over scars, turns the hand over and curls the fingers so he can look at all of those beautiful nails together at once.

and he is finally beginning to relax. sights and thoughts and details freely filter in one side of his mind and out the other, and he's content to just let that happen for a minute. at least trying to not stop and get hung up on on every tiny difference. and he manages a good minute or two of quiet observation before he thinks of anything important enough to say out loud.]

...So, nothing truly looks different. I think. I just care about it more... or care about dismissing it less.

[it's technically a statement, but he looks over at his companion for verification. it's a science moment. he's learning.]

[he normally gets hung-up on people touching his hands for too long... even if it was his idea, if too many moments pass, he starts to feel like either feel like coveted property or a science experiment. it isn't so bad with his guest, though, and he absently notices himself noticing. it's very easy to just relax his hand and let him look.

Tek's words are very nice, after the silence... literally, his voice sounds like velvet, Tonic feels like he could listen to him for hours. he nods, a little distantly, before the rest of him catches back up.]

You've got it. It won't show you anything that isn't there.

[he flexes his good fingers a little bit in Tek's hand, momentarily focused on the experience of having tendons and bones. those wrist scars of his are just visible under the cuff of his sleeve.]

Just opens up what is there to... further exploration, I suppose.

[he's in the middle of running a finger over Tonic's single gilded fingernail (which is very far from either coveting or experimenting, at least. that's just appreciation of some fine craftsmanship right there) when Tonic restores life to his hand and flexes his fingers. and Tek is more than content to watch it animate, tracking the graceful motion of tendons... until he notices those wrist scars again.

he'd almost forgotten about those. with a little murmur of pleasant surprise, he goes to roll the other man's sleeve down a little bit, so he can see. not even thinking to ask permission... which is--again--questionably not related to the effects of the drug.]

[the scars on his wrist are intentional, shallow, and many. he has not taken care of them like he has the ones on his hand, nor does he particularly want to. but they are old, and they are faded, and at least it is clear that he has not made any new marks in years.

the alchemist continues letting his friend do whatever he wants, even if this is one of the other reasons he doesn't like people looking at his hands. he flexes his fingers again, wary of the attention even in his altered state.

but he doesn't pull away. part of him finds it... flattering?

no, no... he just finds it funny. funny that he's letting this stranger look at him however he wants to when they've only really met up twice. it's better than being looked at by people he's known for years. he chuckles, suddenly, finding just enough irony to be able to ask another question.]

What do you think of those? [and then he laughs again, letting some tension out of his shoulder.] I suppose it's not much, compared to having half a face.

[even though Tek hadn't asked permission, Tonic's laugh is reassuring. maybe even encouraging. so, he doesn't hesitate long before he runs his fingers along the texture of the marks--always in the direction they run and not across them.]

I know many people who have them. [--even though that doesn't seem like a real answer to Tonic's question by any conventional logic. he's still formulating an opinion, maybe. gathering his thoughts.

that is, until another one of those thoughts ends up being funnier than it should be as it comes at him from the side, and he laughs too.]

...Has Robin ever seen them?

[it isn't a very good answer, but it puts him at-ease all the same.

and having fingers run over his wrist is incredibly distracting; it isn't long before he starts fidgeting, trying not to giggle as nerves light up in unexpected places. it's almost feels ticklish, and the only reason he's eventually able to settle is because he sends his fidgeting impulse straight to his remaining set of toes.]

Mm... I think he...

[and then he has to think about it, past the distracting sensations and through his admittedly somewhat-foggy memory of the couple of times they've been close. and after a considerable pause, he suddenly laughs, clapping his bad hand to his mouth to catch the sound.]

...I don't think he has.

[at least half of his face is set into a lopsided grin behind his fingers.]

[the sudden laugh is surprising enough to briefly pull Tek's attention from where he's (maybe now intentionally) drawing ticklish lines over his friend's wrist and palm. looking up to his face, automatically matching the crooked grin, he can't help but wonder exactly which part that Tonic finds so funny. maybe he'd regret it if he knew. but, either way--]

Good. He gets so weird with things like this...

[--says the guy still caressing another man's scars.]

He would, wouldn't he. Fucking creep.

[--says the guy letting another man caress his scars, while high, in his backroom drug-den.

but his focus moves back to Tek again anyway, and his grin turns into more of a comfortable smile while he thinks of how nice this is compared to everything that has to do with Robin. and then he giggles again, just kind of... aimlessly entertained by this whole thing. or maybe his wrist still tickles. it could be both.]

[it is pretty funny. Tek echoes the laugh before he can even think to stop it, and then giggles again when he thinks about how much he keeps laughing. is that a common symptom of their current affliction, or has the world always been this funny to him? he has a feeling that it's mostly due to his own horrible personality, but the fact that his mood is buoyant and easy enough to let that laughter actually out is strange to him.

while his giggle is still trailing off, he compulsively brings up the hand that he keeps bothering, pressing a kiss to the backs of Tonic's pretty fingers.

...and immediately makes a surprised noise.]

Oh. My mouth. It feels like...

[he trails off, though. he needs a minute to find the perfect word.]

[the kiss is certainly a very romantic gesture... and he would have been more enraptured with the thought if not for the sudden distraction. a very welcome distraction, though. Tonic looks excited, shifting around to lay more on his side.]

Like what?

[he tries brushing the backs of his fingers over the other's lips... you know, to help him think of a word.]

[and Tek might have gotten lost in thought, pondering over the fading feeling and drifting away in the search for words, if Tonic hadn't helped speed the process up. Tek's eyes suddenly blink open a little wider as fingers brush over his mouth and surprise his nerves again.]

Mm! [he's figured it out, and he's absolutely sure about his judgement.] Feathers.

Feathers... [Tonic repeats the word, half of his face absolutely glowing with fondness while the other half stares on in mild admiration.] That's perfect...

[he holds one side of his face, as if smitten.]

I should find you something to taste... And we could light candles...

[oh, he's so thrilled. he even contemplates finally getting up, looking around at his surroundings for anything that would be fun to put in front of Tek.]

[Tek doesn't look like he's exactly ready to spring to his feet, but he does finally stretch out where he's at, which is almost the same thing for him. he remembers the rest of his body, stretching out bones and muscles and everything else that feels just a little bit different now. just a little bit more.

it leads to a pleased, boneless sigh a moment later, as he conforms to the cushion pile like water again.]

...You do need more pillows in here. Have I mentioned that before?

I can't recall.

[he says this pleasantly as he gets up, tucking his leg underneath himself and folding up the length of his dress so that it won't drag along the floor.]

I'm not used to having more than one person back here, so they haven't exactly been a priority...

[and then he half-slithers his way across the room, maneuvering himself around the tables with surprising dexterity until he reaches the shelves he's looking for.]

But I can keep an eye out.

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