Prisonstuck VIII, continued from LJ

[badpirattitude]

[For someone who claimed he didn't need to rest, the Psiioniic has been sleeping for a long time.]

[Dualscar supposes a manic episode like he had earlier could really take it out of a troll, not to mention the fight in the prison the day before, and being a prisoner, and before that on the run, and before that a slave, and everything else running backwards through the Psiioniic's entire miserable life. Besides all that, living with him, Dualscar, can't be easy, even if it's only been a day, and he half-expects the Psiioniic to ask him to be returned to the prison when he wakes up.]

[Dualscar hasn't slept at all, not really. He can doze in a recuperacoon, but to really sleep, he needs to be underwater. There's nothing physically preventing him from sleeping on land, but for the mental tick that forces his gills open an hour into sleep and leaves him gasping painfully for breath a moment later. He knows well enough why that happens, but he pushes it away every time it creeps into the corners of his mind, nibbling at the edges of his sanity like a longtailed squeakbeast. Either way, he's still curled around the Psiioniic, spooning up behind him while he sleeps, and waiting for him to awake.]

[Waiting, and thinking about all they spoke of the day before.]


polariity

[What, go back to a prison and away from this glorious library? Dualscar, please. You underestimate the Psiioniic's utter nerdery.]

[You also underestimate his affection for you, but that's okay. In all honesty, he isn't quite sure of its depths either. A part of him that still has reservations about this whole thing- which is a rather large part- isn't sure he wants to know.]

[As awakening comes to him, he's aware of the presence still at his back. It's comforting to have that again- someone being there. All this time around other trolls has left him with this need for someone, anyone, to be there.]

[Gently, just to show he's awake, he guides one hand down to lay over Dualscar's.]


badpirattitude

[Either that or he underestimates his own appeal. Dualscar knows he's good at blackrom, but anything even faintly red and he's completely lost. He's spent most of the time while the Psiioniic slept convincing himself that he's irreparably screwed up everything.]

[But then the Psiioniic puts his hand over his, and Dualscar makes a soft, surprised sound. Before he can overthink it, he curls his fingers through the Psiioniic's, joining their hands together.]


polariity

[Funny, sounds like every other moment of his life, too.]

[As the slime warms around their fingers, faintly, he wonders what this makes them. He half knows, half doesn't. They've never said anything to one another about it, just awkward steps with neither of them knowing the way.]

You're alright?

Comments

[polariity]

[If Dualscar cares to use his nose, he'll notice the smell of oranges is still rather strong in the library, and the trail leads to one of the tall ladders in the rows. Quite a few books have been placed in careful stacks near the bottom, and Psiioniic's voice comes from somewhere up there in the shelves.]

...I haven't had orangeth in a long time.

[badpirattitude]

[Dualscar does follow his nose, even if the nose in question works a lot better under water than above it, and finds the stacked books and the gap in the shelves. He looks up at it, bemused.]

I suppose not.

[He stands there for a moment, unsure what to do.]

Do you wwant the drones to bring up more, or do you have enough?

[polariity]

[The question goes ignored.]

I didn't mean to do that to you. Ethpethially when you aren't ready for thomething like that.

[Pinpricks of orange and yellow can be seen over the edge of one shelf as Psiioniic looks down at Dualscar.]

I lotht control a bit. I wath tired.

[badpirattitude]

... I guess.

[Not ready for something like what? Dualscar has no idea what the Psiioniic is getting at, but decides to leave it be.]

If you're going to stay up there, make sure none of those peels get left in the stacks, okay?

[polariity]

Yeth, my luthuth.

[Sarcasm, back in full force. As if he would desecrate this beautiful library with peels. There's a bit of rustling, and then Psiioniic is sliding down the ladder, hopping off at the last second. He straightens up a bit uneasily and looks up at Dualscar carefully. Satisfied with what he apparently sees, he just reaches up and lightly paps the other against the lips.]

I'm more careful than that.

[badpirattitude]

[Dualscar blinks, startled, when the Psiioniic paps him, but is able to recognize it as a pap and not a blow, although one of his hands does clench into a fist for one sharp moment before he relaxes.]

I thought as much.

[Carefully, he reaches out, and aims a clumsy, shy pap at the Psiioniic's elbow.]

Just had to make sure.

[polariity]

[The return pap earns a look of surprise and Psiioniic just stares. The expression softens, however, and he smiles up at the other before turning on his heel and making his way to the exit.]

I'm going to look over the retht of the hive. I'm guething you have a way to get underwater thomewhere?

[From one pocket, he takes out another orange and begins to peel it, stuffing the discarded pieces in the opposite pocket.]

[badpirattitude]

[Immensely pleased that he managed to pap successfully, Dualscar trails after the Psiioniic.]

It's not far from the front entrance, actually. Most of the hive is underwwater, but there should be plenty to keep yourself amused on the landwwalker part.

[polariity]

I'll be fine with jutht the library. [Of course.] I only wanted to know in cathe I needed to find you again.

You thaid the food preparation block wath thith way, right? [He nods his head in one direction.]

[badpirattitude]

Yes, let me showw you.

[Dualscar slides past the Psiioniic and leads the way, his long cape fluttering around his ankles. It's really quite impressive, the way all his clothes are made of the same material and practically repel water... althought that doesn't keep him from leaving little puddles behind him whenever he emerges from his underwater quarters. The Psiioniic will find no carpets anywhere in the hive for this very reason.]

There's a drone whose sole job is wworking in the kitchen, so wwhenever you wwant food, you just have to let it knoww and it wwill make you wwhatever you like.

[polariity]

Whatever I like?

[While he's trying to hide it, the Psiioniic can't help but have some mixed wariness and wonder leak into his voice at the thought. That sounds like far too much choice than he's used to, although that sounds a bit ridiculous when he thinks about it. You can't have too much choice, especially when you've been a slave nearly all your life.]

[It's simply... Whatever he likes? He's only eaten the most basic of recipes for ages that wasn't gruel.]

[badpirattitude]

Wwell, wwhatever you wwant wwithin reason. Don't go requesting fresh wwhale meat every day or anything like that.

[Shit's expensive, yo.]

[Dualscar throws open the doors to the kitchen, leading the Psiioniic into a space full of gleaming appliances, warmth, and delicious smells. A drone trots up, chittering quietly, and Dualscar brushes it aside. It takes one look at the Psiioniic, retreats a few steps... and then offers him another orange.]

That's the drone, obviously. It understands most basic commands that have to do wwith food and likes to please, so don't hesitate to ask anything of it.

I thought I replied to this, whoops

[polariity]

[If Dualscar thinks whale meat is going to be expensive, then he clearly doesn't understand the Psiioniic's orange obsession. The one the drone offers is quickly snatched away and hidden on his person before a troll could blink twice.]

I'll be thure to keep it in mind. What do you normally eat?

/gently paps

[badpirattitude]

[Dualscar blinks, clearly unused to having anyone ask that.]

A lot of food from the sea. Things I developed a taste for in my travels.

[He shrugs.]

Wwhatever the drone feels like making.

[polariity]

Theafood, hmm?

[Waving the kitchen drone away, the Psiioniic begins to investigate the kitchen, fingers grazing over the many devices. It's all so much better than anything he's seen. He was never a domestic servant, after all, and a poor lowblood before. And traveling with Signless wasn't exactly living it up in the material sense. Everything is so new and expensive, it's fascinating.]

I uthed to live in a theatown.

[badpirattitude]

You did?

[Dualscar watches the Psiioniic investigate his kitchen, vaguely amused by his curiousity. Really, his kitchen is nothing special; it gets the job done, and nothing more. He's not a troll that cooks or gets any enjoyment out of it, so this is rather basic, by highblood standards.]

So you should be used to seafood, then. Is there anything in particular I should keep in stock?

[polariity]

That'sth right. Had to thteal fith from the bay thometimeth.

[There's a small chuckle at the memory which makes him pause in his investigation of the cupboards. Fish was either something you bought for far too much coin at the market or had to get special permission for. The water was seadweller territory, and most didn't care for it. So that left option number 3- steal it. When times were lower than usual, it used to be the only choice he had.]

I'm not picky. I wouldn't know what to athk for anyway. It'sth all fith to me.

[badpirattitude]

Wwhat?!

[Appalled Dualscar is appalled!]

No, no, no! You sit dowwn right there [he gestures at the kitchen table] this instant! You are not living under my roof wwith that attitude!

[Assuming the Psiioniic will obey him, Dualscar whirls on the refridgerator, opening it and practically lunging inside. The drone is at his side in an instant, chirping nervously and trying to be helpful, but he ignores it.]

It's all fish to me... it most certainly is not!

[polariity]

Jeez, don't get your gillth thtuffed up.

_{[Amused, he slides up onto into the table itself, hands gripping the edges and back bent.]}

I didn't think you were thuch a food critic. What doeth it matter?

_{[Secret, he thinks this is kind of hilarious...]}

[badpirattitude]

It matters!

[Dualscar's voice is a little muffled, coming from all the way in the back of the refridgerator. Hope the Psiioniic is enjoying the show, since he's unknowingly sticking his ass out while he searches.]

There's lots of different kinds of fish, and they all have different tastes, and you should learn wwhich ones are wwhich so you can knoww wwhich ones you wwant to eat...

[Dualscar prattles on for awhile longer, talking with all the vehemence of a hipster with a food blog, until he eventually emerges triumphant, holding several containers. He closes the fridge, brushes past the ever-present drone, and gets a plate out of the cupboard.]

You're going to try several different types noww, and tell me wwhich one you like best.

[Ferociously, he starts arranging various pieces of fish on the plate.]

[polariity]

_{[Sadly, the Psiioniic is nowhere near that kind of food connoisseur. He stays tuned for the first type before he ends up quietly filtering the other out, instead chittering softly to his own drone which follows him about. When Dualscar finally comes back to the table with his spoils, the Psiioniic raises an eyebrow.]}

Why?

[badpirattitude]

[For just a moment, Dualscar's stern expression softens.]

Because fish have wworlds and lives all their own, and if you're going to eat them, you should at least do them the service of knowing wwhich school they came from wwhen they were still in the sea.

[He glances around, looking for an eating utensil, and when he doesn't find one, shrugs and carefully plucks a piece of fish up with his fingers.]

Noww close your eyes and open your mouth.

[And for once, he doesn't mean that in an "I'm going to sexually assault you noww" kind of way.]

[polariity]

<sub>[He certainly did not expect to hear that.]

[For a moment, the Psiioniic only looks at Dualscar, tracing the lines of his face with his eyes. Finally, he reaches over, wrapping his fingers around Dualscar's wrist. He can barely manage it at all.]</sub>

Have you alwayth thought about it that way?

[badpirattitude]

[Dualscar looks away for a moment, not meeting the Psiioniic's eyes, and instead stares at the hand around his wrist.]

If you spend enough time in the ocean... you start to realize things about fish that you wwould never think to associate wwith them.

[Under his shirt, his gills are softly fanning in and out.]

They think, they feel pain, they school together and help each other against predators, some of them even raise their young. So if you're going to eat them... [he looks up at the Psiioniic then] you should knoww them as more than just fish.

[polariity]

You thtay tho dithtant from uth lowbloodth but give tho much thought to the liveth of fith...

_{[Carefully, his hand begins to slip down Dualscar's wrist and down the rest of his arm. After a moment, the Psiioniic pauses and leans in close.]}

You are a peculiar troll, Dualthcar. I don't know what I'm going to do with you.

_{[He takes the fish between his teeth.]}