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'm not sure if there will be any of that showin' up here, Tannusen. True ye never know who show up, but it's still quite the crapshoot."

At the very least, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be busting in to try and take the place any time soon, as far as Cassian was concerned. And if someone did show up? Well he was sure he could be of some use to Tannusen.

More talk of Issac, and he ran his thumb over Tannusen's knuckles again gently, sighing. "He sounds like he was a fascinatin' man. Wish I'd met him." Well, maybe one day, even if it was just by accident. Hell, he might not ever know who he was talking to at the time.

"I think I'm gonna feel bad for him anyway."

After getting a sample of Cassian's traps right to his face, the pooka would be inclined to agree.

Tannusen stared at their hands again at that knuckle-brush, his jaw still propped on Cassian's shoulder. "You're very affectionate for someone who claims to not be a nice guy," he pointed out with another faint smile. "And you would have gotten along great, I'm sure of it. I guess I have a type."

Short, skinny, cursed albino nerds. With guns. W h e l p.

As long as he had a little time to prepare, the priest was a pretty dangerous little terrorist, wasn't he? He was rather proud of that fact, frighteningly enough.

Kept a lot of would be opponents on their toes.

"I'm nice to you, Tannusen." And Bracken. And that was about it. "I've heard but a small bit about him, but I think I would have enjoyed his company well enough."

Apparently, Cassian's type was obnoxious fairies.

"Yeah but no one cares if someone who's nice to them is nice to random people," Tannusen chuckled quietly, and lifted Cassian's hand in his to brush a kiss across his knuckles. He was still having to alternate between squinting and just keeping his eyes shut.

The topic reminded him, however -- "You do realize I sleep with, like, everyone... right?"

Sure, it seemed obvious enough to Tannu, but he wanted to be absolutely clear about it. If Cassian really wanted to 'date' him -- (ha, ha, what?) -- then the last thing Tannusen wanted was for this to come as a surprise to the guy later.

"True, I suppose. Long as I'm tolerable to at least one person, s'pose that's all that matters." He watched as Tannusen brushed his lips across his knuckles, quiet and thoughtful as he did. What an odd thing to see. What an odd thing to feel.

Two thousand years without it.

"Aye, I figured as much." He gave a casual shrug.

"I wouldn't expect that to change either, so long as ye don't mind comin' back to the rectory once in a while."

... Standards: 0.

"What, to visit?" Tannusen teased lightly, speaking with his lips brushing against the back of Cassian's hand, "Or do you want me to sleep with you, too?"

He was honestly curious -- the tiger wouldn't be surprised if Cassian wasn't the least bit interested in that.

"To clarify, I don't mean literal sleep, although I'm fine with that as well."

Oh man. He went silent for a long time after that, his face turning a vague shade of pink. Right, that happened with couples too. He'd be lying if he said he'd not thought of it all before, of course.

He had.

It was just getting to that point.

"Well."

WELL.

"... Well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Tannusen chuckled, quietly enough that Cassian would feel it more than hear it, at this range. Especially through his hand.

And yes, he was definitely doing it on purpose.

But... teasing aside, this was a serious topic, too. "Two thousand years and you haven't fallen into bed with anyone? I'm not that hot," he smiled, "it's fine if you're not into that stuff. Really."

Really-really. The only time Cassian had shown any interest in those things, he'd been in a self-destructive mindset. Besides...

Besides.

Tannusen really wasn't suited to the job, and he knew it.

"Haven't thought of it for two thousand years." There were a few times with Kani, but then he'd never been sure, prior to receiving the water fairy's boon, that it'd been real or just due to hearing the stupid creature sing all the time.

Tricky thing, that.

"I don't know if I'm into it, I ain't never pondered it before, now have I?"

Annoyed, not at Tannusen. Mostly at himself for the oversight. No it'd come up in his own mind, not just when he'd been less than himself.

"Well, if you ever decide to try it out, I have a lot of contacts thanks to this place," Tannusen smiled faintly against his hand, "male and female and a good many in between."

"Are ye suggestin' that I sleep with someone else for me first time? Then it won't ever happen."

"Why not?" Tannusen honestly didn't get it. If Cassian decided he wanted to try things, why would it matter who it was with? "I'm really not good first-time material, if that wasn't abundantly clear after I pinned you down in the attic."

"First time should be like the one hundred and first time, from what I hear from old married folk. Ye do it cos ye want your partner to feel good, and it feels good in return.

Can't be more complicated than that.

I don't want to sleep with someone else, Tannusen.

I want to sleep with you."

Tannusen went strangely silent, and still.

Honestly, he was still figuring out his thoughts on the matter when it came to someone who'd miraculously avoided sex of any kind for so long. Tannusen couldn't possibly be the right person. Sure, he knew he was great at what he did, but was that the important matter?

He also knew what lurked in the deep recesses of his mind; knew what footsteps Trench had intended him to follow. What if he slipped and did something awful? Tannusen could bury that part, over and over, hoping it would die...

But it never totally died, did it?

The hooks went too deep.

He sighed as Tannusen fell silent, and reached to touch his face, quickly and gently.

"Tannusen.

I ain't no different physically than any other humanlike creature ye've ever been with, whether or not I've been with someone before. Not a single difference.

Issac loved ye, didn't he?

Then I ain't worried about anythin' that might happen. If or when it comes to it, then we'll deal with it then.

For now, I don't want ye frettin'."

"Yeah, and that ended so well for him," Tannusen set his jaw back onto Cassian's shoulder, letting their hands drop wherever again. There he goes into a spiral, watch him as he go...

He's never claimed to be a stable, sane, balanced guy. Not once. If he ever had, it was definitely sarcasm.

"It will be fine, Tannusen. It ain't like I can die." Less said on that the better though.

"I won't ask ye for anythin' ye feel ye cannot do. So if that means we just spend our nights literally sleepin' with each other, then that's fine with me."

Tannusen remained quiet for another moment or two, then sighed.

"I'm just being stupid, that's all." Nothing new here.

"Ye ain't bein' stupid. Ye have valid concerns and hangups.

Same as anyone else.

It's your choice as much as it is mine, and be it far from me to force your hand in it. If and when the time comes, it will come the way it should be, and I can't see meself bein' upset with ye because of it."

"It can be... special, for people who like each other," Tannusen stared at not much of anything, just over there somewhere. "It's not just nerves and friction and whatever. There's a lot more to it. And you should have that, if that's what you want. I'm not unwilling, I'm just nervous. I know I'm good, but what if I slip. You don't have any other experiences to fall back on, I could mess you up for good."

"I don't think ye'll be such a poor partner that I'll be ruined for the rest of me life.

... I bet ye twenty red bills I'm the one that cocks it up."

"That would be an impressive feat," Tannusen admitted. It was a joke, but his tone just wasn't there.

"Don't fret about it. I'm not askin' for it here and now on the desk, or tomorrow, or the week after.

It'll happen when it happens."

"That poor desk would break anyway," at least he sounded mildly amused at the mental image.

Tannusen continued to stare at nothing in particular for a moment, then shut his eyes with a nigh-imperceptible sigh. He was an angsty, sad piece of shit when one got past the flirting and joking... and that very fact, because he knew it, just made it even worse. His brain was one big catch-22.

"Ye need a sturdier one in here with your activities." Yeah he knew better.

Not much to say now, but Cassian didn't leave. Just continued to rest beside him and hold his hand, trying to think of a way to get Tannusen out of the funk that he'd gotten him into now.

Good job, Cassian.

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