badpirattitude | Prisonstuck VIII, continued from LJ

Prisonstuck VIII, continued from LJ

[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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Aw, hale nah.]

[Dualscar's eyes narrow, and his fins fold to lay flat against the sides of his head. He starts walking forward, moving with a lithe, dangerous grace, the shy, nervous troll from before completely gone.]

Don't forget your fuckin' place, lowwblood. Noww sit. DOWWN.

[I fucking knew it.]

[The thought slithers through his mind like a traitor. Signless was always preaching forgiveness, understanding, but Psiioniic has had to live his entire life in caution and fear of those higher on the spectrum than him. Give a highblood an inch, they take the whole communal hive. What made him think Dualscar was different? A little cuddling, some nicer quarters? ]

[He's gone soft.]

[For one brief flash, quick as the hum of a bee's wings, a look of utter betrayal flashes across the Psiioniic's face. But then everything is on lockdown, and it's as if they're meeting for the first time again, his face guarded and stony. All that pity, all that softness, all that quiet growing love- gone.]

[He should have known better.]

[Hands back down to his sides and ready for a fight, he bares his teeth and tenses up as he takes a step back for each one taken by Dualscar.]

Bring it, thcum thucker.

[Dualscar advances on the Psiioniic, his face contorted in a snarl. What the fuck was that, where does he get off refusing him? He tried to do something nice, he tried to offer him something pleasurable, something he'd enjoy, and this is how he repays him? By saying no?!]

[How dare he? How dare he come in here, into his hive and into his life, and act like that? How dare he try and tease him this way, build him up, make him feel all these weird things he's never felt before, and then pull back?]

[How dare he refuse to love him?!]

[If the Psiioniic won't give him what he wants, he'll take it, he'll take it by force if he has to, because that's how it should be, that's what happens to those lower than him, they should just bend over and let it happen, because that is...]

[... that is exactly what he would have done.]

[Dualscar stops, freezing in place, still a good distance away from the Psiioniic. For just a moment, he's far away, back in the long-forgotten past, and his face loses its snarl, loses its aggressive, furious expression... and falls apart into something lost, alone, and so very, very afraid.]

[Dualscar turns away, all the aggression and inherent violence out of his body language. His voice sounds exhausted and hopelessly sad when he speaks.]

I need... I need to go.

[And unless the Psiioniic tries to stop him, he's almost running for the door of the library.]

[He's in better condition this time. Not completely healthy, but certainly getting close, so maybe he could make a run for it, escape successfully this time, and the books could be good ammo. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all.]

[Every fiber of his being feels on edge and being tugged at as he bristles, head bowed just enough that his horns could gore through Dualscar possibly.]

[Not this time. Not again. He'll dig his fingers into those scares and tear the seadweller apart before he lets anything like their first meeting happen ever again-]

[And then he realizes he won't have to do something like that.]

[Before he can quite grasp the situation, Dualscar is suddenly running off. The cynic in him, the jaded and paranoid slave, that part of him says to let him run. To never get near him again. Highbloods hurt and take, that's all, and hasn't Dualscar shown that's all he'll do?]

[...Except he didn't this time.]

[And he didn't when he was repeating Signless' holy words, he just sat by his knees and listened and cried for him, swore to him and-]

[The Psiioniic takes off running after him, trying to reach for him.]

Wait!!

[Still running, Dualscar shakes his head, gesturing furiously behind him with one arm.]

Stay awway!

[Stay awway, or I'll hurt you again, because I can't control myself and I'm a fuckin' monster, I'm no better than he was, I don't deserve this, I don't deserve you, I don't fuckin' deserve anything at all...]

[Dualscar claps his arms around his head, groaning at the horrible thoughts rioting inside his skull, and makes a beeline for the door to the hive's garden, blowing right past the surprised drone guard that waits there. The sea... he needs to get to the sea, needs to dive into it and hide beneath its waves, where it's quiet and peaceful and he can think...]

Fuck you!

[There's more to say, but he can't say it without wasting valuable air that he needs for dragging into his lungs as he tears after Dualscar. The poor guard drone is shoved to the side once again. He's wearing positively nothing, but the soles of his feet have been toughened by now, and the ground doesn't bother him. He just needs to catch him, stop him, or he might not get a chance.]

[But at this rate, he's not going to catch up, and it makes the Psiioniic want to scream in frustration.]

[Dualscar can hear the Psiioniic chasing him, but he doesn't trust himself to stop or turn around. He's too ramped up, too caught up in the moment, and if he stops, lets the Psiioniic get close, he's afraid he'll hurt him again. So he doesn't turn, doesn't slow down... just barrels towards the sea with everything he's got.]

[When he reaches the water, he runs into it, splashing recklessly forward until it's up to his thighs before diving in. If the Psiioniic is watching closely, he might catch a glimpse of the dorsal fin on Dualscar's back flaring upwards as he dives under the waves.]

[Then Dualscar's gone, with only froth on the waves to mark where he had once been, and even that is washed away when it reaches the shore.]

[no NO NO!]

[The Psiioniic stumbles and stutters to a stop at the water's edge, skittish as his old lusus as he glares down at it. No, fuck him, fuck that stupid unbelievably deep piece of shit fucker, he can't believe him! He left. He left, ran away to someplace the Psiioniic can't follow, and he might not come back.]

[Someplace he can't follow... The Psiioniic's shoulders square up and he gives an enraged sharp barking noise in the back of his throat to the sea air. Fuck that. Fists clenching, he begins to stride into the water, shuddering at the coldness as it ends up further and further along his legs. It's just water, he's bathed in it, and he's managed to survive in the harbor water back home just by flailing until he could climb something or a friend pulled him up with psionics. He's going to fucking make it-]

[And then the first big waves hits him, and the Psiioniic realizes it's nothing like floundering in the harbor. It slams him off balance and suddenly he's submerged, sand scraping against his skin harshly. Instinctually, he panics, claws tearing at a hold for anything, but the sand gives him nothing, and the tide- he can't fight against it. For one brief second, he breaks surface, gasping for breath. Another wave, and he's back under again, being tossed and turned beneath the waves helplessly. Sea water is forcing itself into his mouth, the amount of salt making him sick, and the Psiioniic would scream again if he had any air to do so.]

[From farther out in the harbor--it's amazing how fast he can swim when he really puts his mind to it--Dualscar hears something thrashing around in the water, its motions panicked and frenzied, and in the back of his mind, he calculates what kind of animal it could be, and if it's something he could take down. Then his mind makes the connection, and he's wheeling in the water, turning towards the sound and moving, swimming like quicksilver through the water. That stupid fucking land-walker, what was he thinking?!]

[Dualscar moves as quickly as he can, but it just figures... the Psiioniic managed to get himself caught in the riptide right off the shoreline, and it's pulled him under. Dualscar dives for him, his arms out and reaching. He won't be able to pull him to surface until they're out of the riptide, but the Psiioniic can't breath underwater and can't wait that long; with the instincts born of a natural predator, Dualscar can tell he's almost out of air.]

[So he does the only thing he can: he grabs the other troll and slams their mouths together, inhaling water with his gills and exhaling air into the Psiioniic's mouth.]

[This isn't the first time he's been dragged down beneath waves. The First Ship wasn't always entirely reliable and he had fallen into the water more than a couple of times. Then, it hadn't been anything to worry about. All he had to do was think, and he could rise out, nothing more than wet and rather annoyed.]

[But now, no matter how desperately he tries to reach out, how many sparks fly from his eyes and die in the wate, he can't do it. He can't reach out, and each failed attempt just makes him panic all the harder. At this rate, the energy he keeps trying to force out would take out the helmet... and himself at the same time.]

[Dualscar arrives just in time, before he has a meltdown or drowns.]

[Habit dictates he fight against against the sudden force grabbing at him, but then there's pressure on his lips, air being forced into his lungs, and the Psiioniic latches on, arms wrapped tight around the now familiar figure. He gasps, greedily, into Dualscar's mouth even as his nails dig into his back.]

[Between all the thrashing and the sparks from his eyes, the Psiioniic has probably alerted every predator in a three mile radius to his presence. Dualscar can fight off almost anything that swims in this part of the sea, but not when he's got a landwalker to keep track of and supply with air. Right now, the best thing to do is lay low and keep still, and hope the sharks that even now are rushing towards them past them by.]

[Still breathing for both of them, Dualscar slowly and smoothly guides them both deeper into the water, towards the sandy bottom. He brings one hand up and strokes the Psiioniic's back, trying to soothe him and communicate that he's doing this for a reason.]

[Deeper. For some god forsaken reason, they're going deeper. The Psiioniic's fingers shake against Dualscar's back, but he somehow keeps them from digging in deeper and spilling blood. He just tries to hold on as tight as he can, shaking beneath each soft caress.]

[Trust him... He just has to trust him. This isn't his area at all.]

[Sand billows up around them when Dualscar's back hits the bottom of the see with a soft whoomp, and he lies still and watchful under the Psiioniic, looking for the tell-tale dark shapes of sharks. He can feel the other troll shaking with fear, and he loops one arm around his waist, holding him tight against his body, and with the other... he reaches towards the Psiioniic's face and gives him a soft, careful pap.]

[The effect is instantaneous.]

[The Psiioniic goes utterly still against Dualscar's body, and his breathing levels out a bit from the desperate inhales from before. It helps that he has a steady source of air. Ever so slowly, he relaxes his claws and strokes along Dualscar's back in response.]

[Well. That must have been a successful pap, then.]

[Dualscar keeps his hand on the Psiioniic's face, feeling the other troll relax, and his eyes narrow as he sees the first shark flit past overhead. Before long, the water above them is teaming with sharks, and he puts one finger on the side of the Psiioniic's mouth, hoping that he understands what that means, and goes completely still. The only motion he makes are the little ripples of his gills, pulling water in and out.]

[Once he's had a moment to just cling to Dualscar and take in air, the Psiioniic is a lot calmer. Of course they're not out of the clear yet, but he's not dead, and Dualscar is holding onto him. Two nicely accomplished objectives, and while the sharks are definitely problematic...]

[Holding his breath, the Psiioniic keeps his face pressed up against Dualscar's neck and just waits, heart thudding in his chest.]

[Dualscar keeps an eye on the sharks, but they're not moving in an aggressive way. He can tell by the way they're swimming that they're confused, and a little skeeved off, wondering what happened to the floundering prey that they must have missed. Too bad, assholes of the sea. The Psiioniic is for him, not you!]

[And it's kind of nice, really... even if it's an insane situation, even if they're hiding at the bottom of the sea with sharks circling overhead, he likes the way the other troll has his face against his neck, and the way their hearts are beating right next to each other. He likes the fact that he's protecting the Psiioniic right now, and keeping him safe, and holding him close and still against his body. It's... pleasant.]

[The pleasantness is completely lost on the Psiioniic. Then again, it's not often he's underwater for extended periods of time, for obvious reasons. The need for oxygen still presses at him in the back of his mind, but he does his best to keep it held back. Eventually, however, he has to dare to move, nudging Dualscar's jaw with his nose.]

[By now, most of the sharks have given up and are swimming away, so staying still isn't such a big deal. Dualscar tilts his head up, shifting his hand to the back of the Psiioniic's neck to guide him, and pushes his mouth down on the other troll's again, breathing air into him once more. He also gives him what he hopes is a reassuring, friendly squeeze.]

[With that hand gently pressing against the back of his neck, the Psiioniic sighs against Dualscar's mouth and shifts against his body. Ignoring the fact that he just got tossed around underwater like a ragdoll, nearly exploded his own head from panicking, and was almost food for hungry sharks... Spending a moment with Dualscar like this, their bodies pressing up against one another... It could be nice.]

[See? Being underwater is great, no two ways about it.]

[Overhead, the last of the disgruntled sharks swims away, and Dualscar moves his arms around, getting a better grip on the Psiioniic. Then, not taking his mouth off the other troll's, he kicks off the bottom of the sea, slowly and lazily swimming just a few feet off the seafloor. This is to avoid both sharks and the riptide... and also because he likes the way they're holding each other. It's a lot harder to argue underwater.]

[Now, seatrolls have an elaborate language they use underwater, one which is spoken almost entirely by gestures with their facial fins. It's convenient when traveling together beneath the waves, where sound might get distorted or travel farther than intended and give away positions. It's also a language that hardly anyone who isn't a seatroll would know.]

[Dualscar uses it now, twisting and rotating his facial fins at the Psiioniic, using them to say something that would catch in his throat and get hopelessly tangled on land.]

[I love you too.]

[Being underwater IS great. If you can ignore the drowning. And deadly beasts. And can swim. All of which are problems for a landtroll without his psionics.]

[Or a landtroll without a seadweller to press up against him and kiss air into his lungs. That, admittedly, is less of a problem for the Psiioniic. Knowing he'd just be kicking his legs every which way and generally be useless, he just holds onto Dualscar and traces circles against his back. When those fins brush against his face, he pauses and breaks the kiss to stare in faint curiosity at the way those fins move.]

[He's seen them move before, twitching and perking up and move towards him whenever he's done something particularly kind and surprising towards Dualscar. But nothing so... complex as this series of movements. Gently, he raises one hand to brush his fingers against them.]

no subject

no subject

1/3

2/3

3/3

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

/uses this icon!

fdsakflaksdjfalskfslkaljkljkjk