genessia | Forward dated to After The Water Event because something something something

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Forward dated to After The Water Event because something something something

Who: Cassian (Now as one person) and Amberdrake
Where: Attleton, at Drake's office
Why: We've all learned an important life lesson about punching tigers.

So... returning to one body was actually a lot less painful than one would imagine. Rather it sort of happened while both halves were asleep.

The painful part, on top of clashing memories, was the insane amount of physical damage. All of it. Just all the physical damage ever. Is his jaw broken? Shit there's holes in him too holy fuck how did those get there- Oh his ribs were broken again.

... Welp.

There was always Drake, but as Cassian recalled... Drake didn't much care for Everglade. And he really didn't need this to be more trouble than it already was.

Which was why, a good... hour or more later, Amberdrake would get a visitor.

In Attleton.

In a very thick obscuring cloak, not that it'd matter due to the fact that one of them was an empath and the other one was walking around with like more than three broken bones at a time.

Not even a voiced answer to alert or greet him, just a text-

I've cocked some things up

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I can't explain it correctly. Everythin' bleeds out where it shouldn't be. Or perhaps it's two pictures laid atop each other, one only slightly different than the other."

He sighs heavily, scrubbing his eyes.

"Good for givin' me headaches."

"So it's visual," Tannusen nodded, because that made sense. "You don't see me both with and without the stripes or something, right? For me, anything that has a chimerical nature defaults to that side. I see both worlds, and there's overlap, but none of it is... blurry. A tree might look like clockwork to me and look like normal to you. My main bartender downstairs always has little animals in his hair that he can't see. Everything's effected by the dreams and fears of others."

Cassian's house was undoubtedly a trip and a half at any given moment, but Tannusen was so used to everything being so weird, he'd never reacted outwardly to anything out of place.

"I see somethin' but truth be told I ain't lookin' around too much when it happens." He saw what looked like stripes, of course, but the world had always been so blurred anc confusing that he'd never been able to keep up with those minute details.

"Curious state that is. Enough to make a man go mad."

"Right?" Tannusen chuckled at that, because that really was the crux of what it was like to be Fae. Balancing the winter of banality against the frenzied madness of glamour... and all while trying to blend in among the mortals. "That's admittedly a potential problem, if I keep raising my glamour pool. The higher it gets, the more weird shit I see. Most Fae can cast two, maybe three cantrips in a sitting before they run out of power. I can manage six. But then, most Fae also unravel before they can hit thirty years in a body."

"Aye, I keep forgettin' you're an old feckin' man." Easy to forget, honestly. 'Grump' or not, Tannusen would look good for anyone of any age.

"Maybe you'll just keep goin'? I mean ye only died once here after all."

"Oh, no, it's all one big race into a dead end for my kind," Tannusen smiled, a touch grim. "Banality on one side, glamour on the other, closing in... even if you can avoid running into one of the walls, eventually you run right into the corner they make and it all stops anyway. Banality rises over time, like a poison that keeps being shot into me, year after year. Every birthday after thirty, it goes up another notch. Glamour is the only counter, but it brings madness. Neither can go back down again, not really. There's no 'pause' I can hit."

He tugged a bit of Cassian's hair free of their positioning to play with it.

"I'm sure I'll still like you fine after it's over. I just won't remember anything Fae."

"I'd rather not imagine ye different than ye are now, Tannusen." After all, he didn't like him because of his face. His face helped, yes, but it wasn't what had ever first attracted him and it wasn't what kept him here now.

"I'd rather not think of the situation happenin' at all, actually."

He of course, let him tug a few locks free to play with, it helped distract Cassian from the idea that he'd lose someone just as soon as he'd found them.

"It won't be that bad, I'm sure," Tannusen was trying, okay. Doing badly, but trying. "Trench is the same nasty piece of shit, and he unraveled years ago. Personality doesn't seem to change much, if at all. I won't turn into some monotone robot."

He'd lack a soul, and he'd be a partial amnesiac, but otherwise it'd be business as usual.

It... wasn't a fun fate to face, not at all. But Tannusen knew, intellectually, that things would be fine.

It would be fine.

It was fucking terrifying.

Fucking terrifying indeed, and Cassian wasn't even the one who'd have to endure it. He reached out and gently took one of Tannusen's hands, giving it a quick, warm squeeze.

"Will your staff be upset that I've kept ye here so long?"

An attempt to change the subject. Something. Anything.

Tannusen stared at their hands, but he didn't try to take his back. Not even a bit. Not a single twitch.

He just stared because he didn't have a glove on and thus it was... surreal.

"My staff are used to me vanishing at the drop of a hat," he had no problem with the topic change, not at all. "I wasn't doing anything important, anyway, just laying on some guy's lap."

But there was a more important topic to address!

"Wait, so you've never actually seen my markings? Everything's just a blur?" Riiiight back to being a nerd.

Honestly, Cassian likes this better with no gloves. Feels more personal, okay? He's gonna try this shit more often, get used to it.

As if to drive the point home, his thumb skirted over the top of his knuckles almost carelessly.

"Well at least they won't miss ye then, I don't want some lummox with an issue at the bar bangin' on the door. Didn't bring me gun."

Moving on to clearly more important things though.

"I've seen 'em here and there but not enough to memorize 'em. I've been a touch busy every time it's happened, Tannusen."

Tannusen was fine with that plan, if very awkward about it. He hadn't been lying about being shy, believe it or not. Exhibitionism was an easy game to play to win; things like this didn't fit in that category. He couldn't keep the idea of someone holding his hand at arms-length, as it were.

Especially someone he had a massive crush on.

So... he continued to stare at their hands like he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing was real. Of all the weird shit he was undoubtedly seeing at any given moment, this was what had his attention.

"Well, my staff knows better," did he sound distracted? Because he was. "And if anyone else tried to bang on the office door, Tektite would intercept them. She loves getting in people's way, she's a real natural at this whole security gig."

Then he is totally gonna sit here and hold your stupid hand all night, Tannusen. He doesn't even care. He's comfortable like this. His thumb skirts absently over his knuckles again, as if he didn't realize the other man was even looking at it.

"Your bouncer is it? Saw her on the way in, glad ye found me what before I really caused a scene in that staircase, I've no interest in tussling with her."

He didn't even know what she was so it just sort of seemed like an overall really shitty idea to try and pick a fight with her.

Tannusen's face gained a little extra color. Just a little. And he finally tore his gaze away, but you could bet he remained hyper-focused on what was going on with his hand.

"Yeah... I let her live here as part of her pay. She likes the roof."

Yep, riveting commentary Tannusen. He wasn't distracted at all.

If he noticed that, he gave no indication of it.

At first, at least. Instead he leaned on Tannusen's shoulder again, watching the door more than anything else.

"Well good, least she has somewhere to stay."

And now it seems they've run out of things to talk about.

Tannusen had plenty to talk about, he just wasn't as good at it while he was so distracted!

"I'd... like to see if just having a cantrip on you causes that dizziness," he suggested, finally. "Casting Oakenshield on you would be a mistake if it does, since it lasts until it soaks all the damage it can handle. The one you kept shooting predated my even coming here."

"Tell ye what, that's impressive right there. Wish I had a spell that lasted that long." He stretched, but refused to let go of the hand he'd grabbed.

Gonna keep a hold of that.

"Alright, no time like the present then."

Tannusen's hand was dragged along for the stretch, and the Fae gave Cassian a suspicious look. He had to be doing this on purpose, didn't he? Who kept hold of a hand for a stretch?

Not that the tiger was complaining; far from it. If Cassian kept hold of his hand of his own volition, it meant he wasn't sick of Tannusen's company yet. Win-win!

Of course, now he had to figure out a cantrip that would stick to a human without having to enchant him, first. Something that wasn't Oakenshield, which would be the perfect candidate if it wasn't for the possible ramifications.

Well, there was always the glowing spell! That seemed like it would work best, so Tannusen cast it. No bunk, but he didn't need it to do much, just exist temporarily.

Cassian wouldn't even see that he was chimerically as bright as a lantern for the next half-hour or so. Tannusen had to squint, though.

"Alright, it's done. Anything?"

Yes. Yes he is doing this on purpose, and though the look was a momentary one, that was definitely a smug ass smirk sent in Tannusen's direction. Not gonna let go of this hand. This hand belongs to him now.

No, he is not done with spending time with Tannusen, thanks. He'll happily hang out in this tiny office with him longer.

Of course, without being enchanted, he had no idea what was going on, so when Tannusen informed him that the spell was finished, he looked at his hands, looked around the room, and then looked back at Tannusen, looking confused and vaguely annoyed.

"... Anythin' what?"

"Are you dizzy?" Tannusen clarified, amused. And yes, still squinting. "I know you can't see the spell, that's the point. You're not Enchanted, so most Fae things can't effect you at all. What can, you won't even see."

"Nae, don't feel a thing, actually." Felt completely normal. It was interesting to watch Tannusen squint for apparently no reason though.

"What did ye do?"

"Willow Light," the tiger continued to squint, because that was the spell he'd used on that rock they'd taken into the crypt with them. "One of the only things I know how to do that would have an effect not reliant on you being Enchanted. I didn't put much work into it, though, so it should only last a half hour or so."

Sorry Cassian, you're a human-sized lantern, now! Tannusen gave up on squinting and just shut his eyes; a pretty trusting thing for someone like him to do.

"Most of my spells are based around escape and defense, in that order. Not so useful for a test."

"The thing ye put on that rock once? Well that explains the look you're givin' me." At least he'll only be a human rave stick for a half an hour, then. He'll have to deal with being a torch on another plane.

"Just so long as ye don't enchant the whole club when we walk out of here I'm fine with that." He doesn't need more attention, thanks.

Tannusen shut his eyes to avoid the light, and Cassian got comfortable just leaning on him again. That's how he'll thank Tannusen.

Physical contant.

"That would be pretty funny," Tannusen admitted, "but no. I'm trying not to make you a dizzy mess."

See, he's thoughtful. A real keeper.

"I didn't get to ask you, before... what was with you chopping off your hair?" It may have seemed like a random topic change to Cassian, but it was pretty relevant to Tannusen right now considering the guy was glowing bright enough Tannu could easily read by it in the otherwise dim little room.

"Well that and my new friend out there will find me easier." And Cassian wasn't kidding about hurting him either. Not even a little bit.

"Hm? ... Oh. Ye mean the other side of me. Twas considered more pious then to keep your hair short. Long hair was a sign of pride, ye see. Keep it long, takes more to take care of it, shows you're too invested in your looks, so on, so forth.

Father always taught me to keep it short when I was with him. 'Spose it was just bein' proper, what that was. Used to be pretty important to me."

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