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

[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.]

[Dualscar is pretty sure the Psiioniic doesn't know how to interpret what he's just said, but he wouldn't put it past the other troll to figure out that what he's doing is actually language. So rather than say anything more, he fans his fins out, smiling shyly, and lets the Psiioniic play with them if he wishes.]

[It's so strange. One minute, they're on the verge of blows and violence. The next, he's chasing this fool to the sea only to drown for his efforts. And now, they're holding onto each other, and the seatroll is staring at him with that soft expression.]

[Good lord, they are well and truly fucked.]

[But still the Psiioniic sinks back down to rest his head against Dualscar's shoulder, fingers still gently running against his fins.]

[Dualscar keeps swimming slowly, pressing the Psiioniic up against him. He knows this can't last, that soon enough they'll be fighting and scrapping at each other again, but he wants to stretch this out while he still can. The Psiioniic doesn't seem too concerned about being underwater, not while he's got Dualscar there to give him air, and the seatroll appreciates that more than the other will probably ever know.]

[It's the first time someone has trusted him that he can remember.]

[He moves his fins under the Psiioniic's fingers, rippling them against his hands, and starts slowly, reluctantly kicking towards the surface.]

[Maybe, soon enough, the fighting will start to happen less and less. The Psiioniic wants to believe something like that, wants to believe that with just some work, it really is possible for a 'sewerblood' and a seadweller to get along. To be in love, even.]

[He wants to know that this cause of theirs truly has a chance.]

[All he has to do is wait a few more seconds for them to breach the surface, and they both know he could hold on until then. But still, right before they reach open air, the Psiioniic cups Dualscar's face and presses their lips together for one last time.]

[Hey, the fact that the Psiioniic lived in his hive for two days before they almost got into a fight is a new record for Dualscar.]

[That last kiss, while unexpected, is certainly not appreciated, and Dualscar breathes one last lungful of air into the Psiioniic's mouth before their heads break the surface and emerge in the moonlight. Dualscar switches from using his gills to using his lungs, and in doing so, makes a strangled little gasp against the Psiioniic's lips.]

[That's not how it's supposed to work, Dualscar.]

[Also, he needs to stop making those kind of noises, because the feel of that gasp and the way it sounds, so quiet amidst all the waves, makes the Psiioniic's heart flutter and a heat gather though his fingers and toes. At least the coldness of the sea long ago helped get the desired effect of a cold showe. Pulling away, he places his chin on Dualscar's shoulder and starts coughing up seawater.]

I hate the othean...

[It isn't?]

[As the Psiioniic coughs, Dualscar awkwardly pats his back, trying to help him cough up any water lingering in his lungs.]

Seems like the feeling is mutual.

[He starts towing him back towards the shore, keeping a tight hold on him and mostly using his legs to propel them.]

Wwe need to teach you howw to swwim.

Ugh. Thwimming.

[The Psiioniic makes a face and presses it against Dualscar's fin.]

Fuck thwimming. Fuck the othean. [Then, quieter, softer-] And fuck you for leaving like you weren't coming back.

[Dualscar fans his fin forward, wrapping it around the Psiioniic's face.]

You just need to learn. Swwimming's wwonderful, once you knoww howw.

[And also much quieter--]

I wwould have come back. Once I didn't think I'd try to hurt you again.

[Just a small disbelieving grunt towards that assertion, and then the Psiioniic is just slowly brushing against his fin with his nose and lips.]

You ran like you wouldn't. And I can take it. Tho long ath I know you're trying to change, I can take it.

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/uses this icon!

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