Pale Cheating!!!

[devwocean]

Who: Orphaner Dualscar, Signless and Psiioniic
Where: Dualscar's Hive, Ordo 1
When: After his date with Jade, the same day Psiioniic arrived.
Style: Proseish
Status: Closed

The date had been good, though Dualscar was still left with uncertainty about whether Jade was really interested in him in a flushed way. Then again, Jade had seemed so very fascinated about him as a person, so that was a good sign. Still, humans: so confusing.

So he's in a good mood as he trots up the steps to his hive and opens the door, humming softly to himself, his fins open and relaxed. Now it's time for him to join Signless in the pile he'd constructed for his poor, pitiable moirail, and tell him all about his date. Maybe Signless will have some more insight to share.

"Signless," he calls out quietly as he enters, moving through towards the main living block. If Signless is asleep, he doesn't want to wake him.

But the sight that confronts him when he turns the corner makes his fins flatten, then rise in irritated challenge. There Signless is, wrapped around another troll in the pile that Dualscar made just for him.

"Wwhat's this?" he says, hissing more than he quite intended to.

Comments

[p2iioniicii2t]

Would it be alright for Psii's first reaction to be freezing up and staring helplessly at Dualscar?

No?

Oh, well, that's what he's doing anyway. He'd dozed off in the pile, though it was not the most restful experience. It was at least somewhat comforting to be with Signless.

It was less comforting to awake with a start to that hissing question that he doesn't quite process right away. What was what? He was going to hope a silent expression of abject terror was a good enough answer, because that's all he could manage for the moment.

[onlyasign]

Sufferer hadn't been sleeping; he'd been cradling Psii as best he could, watching him doze and feeling shittier about himself than usual. This is what he had reduced his best friend to, this emaciated, atrophied wreck, and all for nothing. For some shitty dream that could never come true.

He glances up when Dualscar enters the hive--how many times has he told him to call him Sufferer, and yet he persists with this Signless stuff--and one handless arm tightens around Psii when Dualscar comes in and hisses. Those are... very unhappy fins, and his other hand--his stump--reaches out to his moirail.

"Psii's back," he says quietly.

[devwocean]

Dualscar doesn't want to call him Sufferer, as if that's something he will always do - to suffer. No, he may always be a mutant-blooded freak, but Dualscar intends to make him happy.

The look of terror on Psiioniic's face surprises him a little, not to mention how completely emaciated and damaged he looks. And then Signless is reaching out to him with that bandaged stump and his own blood pusher melts a little.

He steps a little closer, his fins uncertain whether to be challenging or flat, and so stuck in a bit of a quiver. "I wwasn't expectin' him to be here," he says awkwardly. "Does he remember?"

[p2iioniicii2t]

Psii takes a few soft breaths as they talk, a little on the loud side more like soft gasps for air. He swallows and finally has it in him to speak in a dry whisper, "Thythtem memory errorth do not affect my recall of Vatheon."

He shifts, clumsy and uncertain in his movements, as if he might have the strength to pull away from Signless. Even with the other man in such a terrible condition, he doesn't quite.

[onlyasign]

He doesn't quite because Sufferer's arm tightens around him and keeps him from getting away. Of course, it wouldn't be hard to slide past Sufferer's stump and make a break for it, but the fallen prophet trusts his oldest friend to not do that and risk hurting him. What a pair they make, so damaged and broken.

Sufferer looks up at Dualscar--the picture of trollian health and virility--and extends his free arm further, exposing his side. "Come on, Dualscar. Tell me about your date."

See? Nothing has changed, except now Psii is here. Everything else is exactly the same!

[devwocean]

Well, things aren't exactly the same. For one thing, Psiioniic's already admitted to hating Dualscar. But then again, it's hard to feel that threatened when the yellowblood is acting like such a slave again.

Uncertainly, Dualscar approaches and sits down on Signless' opposite side, and slips his arm around his moirail. "Wwell, it wwas pretty good. I think he an I havve some things in common, like an interest in military affairs."

He pauses. "So...howw did Psiioniic get here, again?"

[onlyasign]

Sufferer leans his head on Dualscar's shoulder, suddenly tired. He can't keep doing this, he can't keep trying to make everyone get along. Maybe the Condesce was right, maybe the castes were never meant to mix.

"It brought him back, the same way it did for me," he answers quietly, knowing that isn't the question Dualscar really asked.

[devwocean]

He's...sort of getting along. Mostly. Don't give up, Signless!

Dualscar shakes his head, not satisfied with the answer in the least. "No, I mean, here to the hivve. Howw'd he get here?"

[onlyasign]

"Sollux brought him over." Sufferer turns his head and nuzzles at Dualscar's fin. It's times like these that he really misses his hands; there's a phantom itch, where they used to be, that wants to rise and soothe those agitated fins. "I couldn't go to him, so Sollux brought him here."

[p2iioniicii2t]

"It wath not the fault of the child," Psii interjects in that too-soft voice of him. There is fear there, obvious fear, but more for the fact that he didn't want Dualscar to turn his ire on someone else.

"It wath my own act that rethulted in arriving."

[devwocean]

"Oh." Well, one mystery solved. He wishes Signless could touch him, too, but he's doing his best to focus on Signless instead of his own cares.

When Psiioniic speaks up, that fear again twitches at him, and he realizes that Psiioniic is actually nervous that he'll be angry at Sollux for bringing him here.

He lifts his head and smiles at Psiioniic, trying to convey that he's over it, now. It was just that initial surprise and jealousy, and while that still bubbles away a little under the surface, intellectually he knows it's not logical. "No, it wwas good that the boy wwas smart enough to bring you here. This is really wwhere you should be."

[onlyasign]

Whoah, really? Things Sufferer did not expect to happen today: this. He glances up at Dualscar, surprised and pleased by how understanding he's being, and a little bit of the tension in his shoulders melts away.

"So he can stay?" That's not really a question, but he'll phrase it as one to save Dualscar's pride. If he says no, he'll pack up Psii and limp back to their old hive.

[p2iioniicii2t]

The jittery fearfulness that has characterized his actions so far has soothed somewhat as Dualscar's expression gentles. He curls forward slightly and brings his head down, the gesture soft and still submissive. He's still much too exhausted to pull himself together in front of Dualscar or consider fighting his programming enough to properly express himself.

[devwocean]

Dualscar lifts his free hand and rests it between Psiioniic's horns, rubbing the soft hair gently. The way Signless relaxes is a reward in itself, and he's willing to rein in his grumpiness to keep Signless happy. Being out of hands, he presses a chaste kiss to Signless' forehead and ruffles his hair from behind.

"You wwant him here, right? So far as I feel, this is your hivve as much as mine, so here he'll stay if that's wwhat you wwant."

[onlyasign]

"Thank you." Sufferer gives them both a gentle squeeze, and closes his eyes. He's exhausted too, and the thought of curling together in the pile with two of the trolls he's closest to sounds wonderful.

[p2iioniicii2t]

Psii just sort of collapses bonelessly as Dualscar starts to pet him, letting out a shuddering sort of sigh that is certainly a reflection of how relieved he felt right then. He probably shouldn't enjoy it, but the reassurance that comes with his hair being pet is definitely one that he could use right then. When he wasn't so broken down later, maybe he could stop being so needy and not so responsive to Dualscar's potential displeasure. Right now, though, he just really needed to be where he was and how he was.

[devwocean]

Dualscar also falls silent as the other two collapse against him. He turns his head and cuddles into Signless, continuing the petting of Psiioniic.

You know, this isn't that bad.

[onlyasign]

See, Dualscar, being affectionate and understanding gets you good things in return, like a pair of exhausted holy bros catching a nap against you. Sufferer stirs a little, not ready to sleep quite yet, and glances up at Dualscar. "Can you go and get Psii's beehives tomorrow?"

[p2iioniicii2t]

Psii really means to say something to that, maybe that Sola was looking over them or that Dualscar really shouldn't handle bees because that would end hilariously horribly. He doesn't quite manage anything but a muzzy, exhausted mumble that trails off as he dozes again. It's been a long day, and an even longer lifetime.

[devwocean]

Maybe having Psiioniic and Signless stay here permanently wouldn't be a bad thing. Once Signless has his hands back and Psiioniic is less exhausted, he can have his moirail and Psiioniic can bring them tea, and life would be pretty much perfect.

He rumbles softly and nods. "A course, I'll bring them. Wwould they do all right on the balcony upstairs?" On his upper floor, the master bedroom has a balcony. He tends to sleep in the spa and doesn't use that bedroom, but perhaps it'd be comfortable for one of his hivemates.

[onlyasign]

Of course, Signless will take significant umbrage to Dualscar treating Psii like a personal servant. It's one thing if Psii chooses to make tea because he enjoys it and is being friendly; it's quite another if Dualscar orders him around.

He glances at Psii, about to ask him, and then notices he's dozed off. He'll let him sleep. Instead, he turns and nuzzles tiredly at Dualscar's shoulder. "We'll ask him when he wakes up. He should probably go with you, so he can talk to them and keep them from getting worked up."

[devwocean]

"Yeah, I don't wwant to get stung," Dualscar grumbles, and snuggles in closer. That part is certainly nice. He nuzzles in closer. "You ought a followw his example, for noww, Signless. Get some sleep."

[onlyasign]

"Sufferer," he corrects quietly, but then his head droops further onto Dualscar's cool chest, and he takes his moirail's advice and nods off.