psychoshenanigans | GRATIA // PSL

Entry tags:

robin,
tekhetsio

GRATIA // PSL

"The Archive", as people call it, is the single-greatest collection of written information in all of Skeleton City. It is a massive, multi-leveled cylindrical chamber filled with concentric rings of tall, imposing shelves made from wood, metal, and occasionally, the cave walls themselves. Large platforms are suspended on stone bridges above and below the main level, allowing for study spaces and the occasional, separated collection. The space is hushed, as these spaces usually are, with most of the sounds of shuffling feet or conversation reduced to muffled background static between the rows of soft binding and thin parchment. High up in the ceiling is a large, back-lit, stained-glass window, which casts the entire chamber in dim, gently-shifting colors.

Despite all this, it's actually rather boring. There are very few actual books in this library, and most of those are recently-written biographies, historical accounts, philosophical texts, or extremely repetitive business ledgers. The rest of the space is taken up by scrolls, loose files, and what amount to simple index cards. A significant chunk of the Archive is taken up by identification records and police procedural. You could probably look up any recorded crime from any day in the past three decades, but good luck finding simple field guide or a scrap of poetry. The only people who frequent this building are religious scholars, hired detectives, and the spies who actually know how to read.

There are treasures to be found, of course, interesting folk stories or old books that have been lovingly hand-copied by someone onto a six-part series of scrolls, but the effort is not worth the prize for very long. The Archive also has a significant lack of information regarding magic or the existence of monsters, which is why it has taken Robin so long to find anything even remotely relevant to his current plight.

He's still where Tek left him, tucked into a desk near the edge of the room, mostly out-of-sight of the main walking paths but not so hidden away that he couldn't be wandered-upon by another visitor. At this point he's amassed several stacks of old-looking articles, genealogy charts, and weathered journals, and has slowly progressed from sitting like a human to hunching over some written account with his legs crossed and his head propped up by a gloved hand.

He hasn't found the answer he was looking for. He has some ideas, vague scraps of information that he could scrape together into a cover story... But if worse comes to worse, he'll be going up against someone almost as smart as he is, so vague ideas will only buy him time. They won't fix the problem.

The big... dragon-shaped, magic-using, monster-attracting problem.

He's not actually confident on the causality of that last one, but his research into that has not gone much better than his research into a new cover story. He's very wrapped up in his own busy thoughts by the time his aforementioned problem comes looking for him.

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"What kind of trap," he asks--absolutely not meaning it, but having the decency to sound halfway believable anyway.

It's because Robin is playing with his hair. He'd probably be more interested in anything else happening in the world if there weren't nice hands doting on him right then. As it is, his halfway-believable tone is made a little less believable by the way he tilts his head against Robin's fingers like a needy cat. It's easy to see where his interest really is.

As it is, Robin is hardly offended. His own interest in the paper is quickly waning, as this pleasant moment with an affectionate dragon is far more valuable to him than a little personal intrigue. He looks back over at Tek, dragging nails lightly over his scalp wherever he leans.

"The spy kind, probably." The demigod says this with casual disregard, pausing just long between sentences to do a quick social calculation. "I think that someone is interested in meeting you."

Well, Robin's interest might be shifting away from the piece of paper, but in a matter of seconds, Tek's switches right back. In this peaceful moment, he could only be distracted by his very favorite subjects--himself being at the top of the list.

Tek opens his eyes and lifts his head against Robin's hand as his curiosity is piqued.

"...Oh? Are they?"

He had a feeling that would get him excited.

"Well, who wouldn't be?"

He drops the piece of paper on the nearby nightstand (a beautiful piece of furniture, by the way, carved from dark marble) so that he can wrap that arm around Tek, snuggling in close again, pressing their foreheads together. He doesn't go looking or anything, doesn't open himself up, either--he just wants their faces to be closer, no telepathy involved.

"With the way you find mischief, I'm surprised there isn't a longer line."

The statement is a little sardonic, but not as much as it should be. Maybe Robin is mostly over the thing that had them digging around a library for hours. Maybe having a good time really did the trick...?

Tek chuckles indulgently at all the snuggling and flattery. He conforms into the closeness, smiles near Robin's face, is generally obliging and appreciative of the whole affectionate atmosphere. For a few blessed seconds Robin has all of the dragon's precious attention.

...And after that, once there's enough of a pause for him to do any thinking at all, Tek's gaze does eventually slide past Robin and back toward the nightstand. He manages not to sound hopeful about it, in case Robin was only teasing him, but he has to ask anyway.

"Does it really have something to do with me?"

Gods, he really likes being this close to Tek. He likes being surrounded in the smell of him. Likes being able to feel him against his whole body. Likes being trusted enough to keep him there, even if only for a little while.

Even when Tek's attention starts to wander again, Robin finds it cute... Even if the dragon doesn't sound hopeful, the fact that he approaches with a question and not blatant self-assurance is a little endearing in and of itself.

"Again, unless I'm being paranoid..."

Which he could be. That was never not on the table. He gives Tek a quick peck on the cheek, nearly the side of his mouth, before putting a little bit more space between their faces again. He's got a broad, easy smile.

"But, come on. It's too much. A map to some hidden, magical artifact, conveniently on the back of an article about a brab'ja that no one would have bothered reading until about a week ago? Someone's fishing for information about you, at the very least."

There's a horrible little twinkle in his eye as this is all presented to him, looking flattered as if Robin had set the game up himself. Robin couldn't have gotten a better reaction if he'd gone out of his way to intentionally orchestrate a fun little surprise for him. A potential game of cat-and-mouse, all about him? How romantic.

"Do you think there are more of them?" He glances up at Robin's face in his quietly-building excitement, before looking over at the nightstand again.

"Though, I suppose if they had been fishing, and they hear about the disruption at the library, all they have to do now is go back and see which of their lures have gone missing."

Not that he's actually concerned, of course. His fingers drum one or twice wherever they're resting around Robin's side. "...Do you know where it leads?"

Robin had been so worried about Tek, earlier. A month ago, he could barely stand the thought of the dragon talking to anyone other than himself, for fear of Skeleton City turning on him. He's probably going to regret this, later, feeding him all of these things that will only make more trouble for both of them when the consequences finally come back around... But selfishly, all he wants in the moment is to be the center of Tek's attention.

If they can be like this for a little longer, well... Fuck it, the King of Eyes can get all the information he wants. Robin'll arrange a whole Gods-be-damned tea party for the three of them. What does he care, if it means that Tek will be happy with him?

"I don't, but I know who will..."

He reaches up, over the backboard, and tugs on something on the wall... It's a thin cord, one of a set of three, strung between two small holes about a foot apart in the stone. Something on the other side of the holes jingles lightly, probably a bell.

"We'll go find Vincent after lunch."

Or maybe it's dinner, at this point. Who knows?

Perhaps unfortunately for everyone involved, Tek is just as inclined to reward Robin's behavior as Robin is to indulge it in the first place. They're both in good moods, and that can only spell disaster down the road. If they'd been feeling like their more usual antagonistic selves, the fires would at least be started quickly. The regret for this one is going to have time to simmer and build before it finally falls on them when they're least expecting it.

So, for now, Tek kisses his companion on the cheek. The only thing that could possibly make him any cuter is if he'd do something about the smirk creeping across his face.

"...How mad do you think he's going to be?"

Getting a kiss on the cheek is so cute that it actually loops back around into disgusting, and it shows on his face--a slight wince, as if it physically pains him to be on the receiving end of this much attention.

(The honest truth is that he's just as disgusted with himself as he is with Tek. The both of them must look appallingly precious. It's so nice that it kind of hurts.)

It's a good transition into his thoughts on Vincent. "I don't know. Pretty mad."

But he doesn't seem all that bothered by it. He looks up, briefly, his attention going to some far off point that may or may not even be there.

"But he's always mad about something, so. It'll be fine."

Tek loves the wince. His sneaking grin only gets wider while he gazes affectionately at the disgust on Robin's face. The answer about Vincent only adds to it.

"He's so lucky to have you as a friend."

And with that, he finally leans up and away to put some space between them, rolling back toward his side of the bed... but he really only gets so far as to look comfy and inviting. He's not going to overtly ask Robin to follow him, but it's clearly there in his warm expression.

It might have something to do with the fact that he assumes someone will stop by soon to answer that bell.

"Funny, he tells me that a lot..."

His response is light (and equally sardonic) as Tek starts shifting around. He watches him, wondering where he's going, wondering if the dragon is already getting antsy to go on to the next part of their adventure...

But when it becomes clear that he isn't, he's just settling back down and inviting another round of attention, Robin lifts himself up with a bright smile and wastes no time following his friend to the other side of the bed.

The first thing he does is lean down to kiss him, of course.

As Robin follows and meets him there, Tek hums and gives his whole body a lazy, grateful stretch--before finally letting his arms fall again to settle around his partner's shoulders.

He's so comfortable there, somehow still warm and soft from sleep, conforming to Robin and drawing him in. It's as if he has forgotten all about that little bell. He's made of nothing but pure contentment, tempting Robin to stay right there forever, where it's just so nice...

Robin has not forgotten about their little bell, but he does not particularly care. He is pretty sure that Tek has also not forgotten about it, but he knows that, if anything, he's just going to get a kick out of someone walking in on them while they're busy snuggling up on each other.

So he starts to kiss the other's neck, trailing from jaw to shoulder in a line of comfortable, soft touches... And it's somewhere around him moving to the other side that they hear the telltale sound of their door unlocking and opening, and a (familiar) bored-sounding voice soon follows.

"You rang for room service."

It's the desk clerk from before. His statement probably should have been a question... But it sure doesn't sound like one.

Clerk? What clerk? Tek must not have been able to hear the poor man around the happy little murmur that he purrs into the side of his friend's neck.

If someone is going to acknowledge the clerk, it's not going to be Tek. He's too busy shifting closer and letting his hands wander down the sides of Robin's body...

"Sir..."

They sound so over it. Maybe he's used to this kind of thing. Maybe years of serving politicians trying to sneak in mistresses and expensive hookers has just deadened him to this kind of thing. Or maybe he just knows Robin. Always a possibility, around here.

Robin finally looks up, grinning lazily, shifting to find some way to prop himself up without actually moving away from Tek.

"Oh, yeah. Hey, we're hoping for food. There's that place around the corner..."

He'll go on to explain exactly what he's looking for and how much of several different kinds of foods he's hoping to get, and the clerk does a very admirable job of nodding and ignoring everything going on around the person talking to him.

Both Robin and the clerk have clearly been through this sort of situation a million times... so Tek can do whatever he wants while the two of them are busy, he figures. He won't really be interrupting anything.

With that thought in mind, he lazily ignores the fact that Robin's attention is divided by another person in the room. Cozying up to every bit of Robin's body that isn't propped up away from him, he happily (and liberally) lets his doting hands wander lower...

You know, if Robin knew that all it took for some intimate attention was an audience, he might have warmed up to the idea a long time ago. He doesn't care what this guy thinks of them, nor does he care when his voice stumbles at the sudden, handsy distraction.

But he does finish whatever it was he was saying, and the clerk gets paid enough that he does not roll his eyes or make any other disapproving faces in front of them. The man's exit is swift and graceful, with a professional nod on his way out.

Which is good, because Robin laughs almost as soon as the door is closed, deep and mischievous while he continues looming over Tek.

"Are you having fun?"

It's not his fault that Robin is slow to catch on to good ideas. He does make sure to reward him for finally coming around, however. Whatever he can do to encourage these sorts of things in the future--especially when he doesn't have to go find someone else for it. As soon as there is any sort of hitch in Robin's demeanor, he quietly doubles down on his attention until their unwilling audience finally makes his exit.

The clerk is gone and Robin's attention is swinging back down to him, and he can't help but immediately chuckle along. His grin is wide and teasing, almost daring, as Robin looms over him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh," he mutters, not sounding even a little bit genuine, "And I suppose no one's ever told you it isn't polite to go grabbing people in public..."

That said, he leans down and starts biting at the other's neck--not very hard, more of mindless gnawing to pretend to express some kind of irritation. Really, it's mostly an excuse to get close to Tek again. He has to do something in response to that teasing grin of his.

"Some very boring people may have mentioned it once or twice..."

And Tek fails at playing along with Robin's mock-irritation by looping his arms around his companion's back and hugging him closer. He wants to be covered by the other as completely as possible--using him like a big, heavy blanket. It could almost be mistaken for a hug if he wasn't so slinking and sly about it.

"...How long do you think it will take for the food to arrive?"

For no reason in particular.

Well, Robin isn't exactly about to put up a fight, snuggling down against his friend after only the slightest invitation is extended. He's more than happy to drape himself and get comfortable again. He smiles against the other's neck.

"Mm, I don't know. Half-hour. I'm sure he's not in a hurry."

And neither is Robin, apparently.

Edited 2019-04-13 06:00 (UTC)

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GRATIA // PSL

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