Video/action for Tannusen

[feckinboomstick]

For a limited time, the Cloak and Dagger is sellin' crisps. They may have taken a jaunt through an alternate magical dimension, so they could have a fascinatin' series of effects if ye eat 'em.

If not, well they're fairly decent crisps. Get 'em while supplies last.

[Meanwhile, back at the rectory, once Cassian is done with pushing fake magic chips, he settles in for a good book.

Been a while since he could just sit and read in peace.]

Comments

[action of course]

[black_black_heart]

Tannusen was quite often relieved that Trahearne was out of the apartment for most of each day. That meant when he invariably had some terrible nightmare, he didn't have to worry about the sylvari worrying if he heard anything from the tiger's room. He rarely vocalized his distress, but knocking something over or even falling out of bed wasn't unheard of.

Normally, Tannusen just dealt with it in relative peace. He'd get up, make some tea, trawl and maybe troll the network a bit. Then, once his mind had finally cleared from whatever he'd dreamed, he'd consider going back to bed. Sometimes that was so unappealing, he just went out and did shit. Most of his rest on any given day was done in little bursts through-out the whole run of the clock.

It was just how things were. Had always been. The only difference between now and a decade or two ago was most of his initial attempts at sleep happened during the day. A few nights of the week spent at Cassian's house aside, the tiger was on a night schedule for his bar.

Okay, that and he was actually sleeping on a bed, in a room. That was actually... also new.

This was one of the times he fell out of bed.

Well, it was more accurate to say he went lunging out of it at some non-existent target, and then his feet went out from under him, tangled in the blankets. It might've been funny, in a different situation. Had there been any witnesses, he'd have tried to play it off for laughs anyway. But since there was no one here, a choked sob wrenched free of him as he tried to get untangled from the mess of blankets.

Frustration, yes, but also absolute, mind-numbing anguish.

This hadn't been a nightmare he'd shake off with such practiced ease. Not by a long shot. He could still see... could still hear...

He... needed to see Cassian. Needed to know he was really okay, that nothing from the nightmare had taken place in the real world. A phone call wouldn't be enough, not even video would be enough. He needed to get to the priest's house; really make sure he was okay, was still there.

Tannusen had just enough presence of mind to pull on some actual clothes before he left. Just barely. Mostly to avoid the shock of riding through two freezing fucking cities in nothing but a pair of socks and sweatpants. No, he made himself get dressed. Jeans, boots, t-shirt. Didn't even bother with a hair tie or his glasses, he just grabbed his keys and his helmet and left.

And so it was that in the middle of the day, with no warning at all, Jethro could be heard pulling up in front of Cassian's house. The bike's engine stayed idling, oddly enough. And then Tannusen was pounding a fist against the rectory door, sinking to his knees on the stoop as his sanity threatened to fold in on itself all over again. He bowed his head, trying to get a grip on his expression, eyes stinging and vision blurred.

Without realizing he was even doing it, he just kept beating on the damn door.

[feckinboomstick]

What the fresh hell. When the pounding didn't even pause, Cassian hauled himself to his feet with an annoyed grunt, storming over to the door and deactivating the wards before flinging it open.

"Someone ought better be dyin', goddamni-"

... well. That wasn't a... good look on Tannusen. His anger swiftly doused he fell to his knees to try and father the pookas face to him.

"Tannusen, what on earth..."

[black_black_heart]

The tiger let himself be pulled closer, studying the human's face for a moment despite the tears blurring his vision, looking for... something. Checking for something. And then he buried his own face in Cassian's shoulder. "Cassian," he so rarely used the priest's name, even now. It felt wrong coming out of his mouth after so long avoiding using it. Felt like too much of an odd intimacy that he shouldn't be treading on.

Did that make any real sense? Nope, not a bit, and he knew it. But he could still be fully aware that he was being irrational, not like it, and just... keep right on being irrational.

Much as he tried to seemingly embrace his lunatic nature, it wasn't actually fun being a madman. Especially for someone who valued a sense of control and composure so highly.

[feckinboomstick]

Other than looking deeply concerned, there was nothing wrong. Just the same as he'd always been, eyes wide and fearful as Tannusen buried his head in his shoulder. Uttered his name like that.

"Tannusen... Tannusen, come inside with me." Out of the possible public eye where someone might see the pooka so undone.

"Let me make ye a drink... come now, hold tight to me, luv." He'd try to help ease him up, the preservation of Tannusen's public image in the forefront for the moment.

[black_black_heart]

"I don't want a drink," Tannusen wasn't easily moved for a moment, but then he allowed himself to be helped up. Hold tight, though? Yes he could do that, and wrapped his arms around Cassian's ribs and shoulders, just... glad the priest was there. Solid. Safe.

"...That's the second time you've called me that," his voice was muffled, face still in the much shorter man's shoulder, neck sharply bowed and shoulders down. The pooka was shaking, he couldn't help it. Heart pounding, tears still flowing, he stepped inside when prompted but he did not let go.

[feckinboomstick]

"You're shakin' like a leaf, I'm makin' ye tea and ye'll like it." Into the house he was carefully ushered, the door and the reassuring sounds of the wards clicking behind them.

Into the living room, Tannusen was escorted to a loveseat, Cassian settling beside him, considering the other man was unwilling to actually let go here.


His fingers sought Tannusen's hair, stroking through it tenderly.

"The devil happened to ye...?"

[black_black_heart]

That hair was a mess, just like Tannusen himself seemed to be right now. Still tangled from sleep, and then a motorcycle helmet had been shoved on and then yanked off in a rush a little while later. It still managed to feel like spun silk, somehow.

He shook his head, holding a little tighter like Cassian would just slip away. "I don't want to let go."

If he let go, he was convinced the human would disappear. Out into some lonely southwestern desert straight out of Tannusen's memories, perhaps. The sagebrush scent of his own usual soap wasn't helping with that fear going through him.

[feckinboomstick]

"... Tannusen, what happened?" It wasnt demanding. Soft and tender, he gently pulled the pooka to him, threading his fingers through his hair and delicately starting to untangle it.

"It's alright, luv. I ain't leavin' ye. Catch your breath now, everythin's alright."

[black_black_heart]

Without pausing to consider what he was doing, Tannusen pulled back. Not away, because he didn't let go, but back. He needed Cassian close. As close as he could get him; he'd drag the priest right into his lap if allowed.

There wasn't an ounce of lewdness to be had, of course. Not like this.

He just wanted... he just needed to be closer somehow. Needed Cassian to be the only thing that was real.

[feckinboomstick]

Then into Tannusen's lap he would go, moving to cradle his head to him. Calloused but gentle hands in his hair, at his face, the smaller man murmuring tender words in Gaelic.

He understood. He wouldn't press then. Tannusen's secrets would remain his, and Cassian settled into the task of soothing the other man. No words in English anymore, all in Gaelic, stroking his hair and neck.

[black_black_heart]

Tannusen would admit only one thing, and that was only to make it clear that it wasn't, say, Ni fucking with him. "...A nightmare."

...

Yep, that sounded trivial as fuck to his own ears.

He had nightmares all the fucking time. He'd probably had plenty of them in this house, by now.

Never like that one. His fingers clenched against Cassian's back, still clinging like he was drowning.

But the tiger rested his head where Cassian placed it, trying to make himself relax, to make the tears stop. Listening to those words helped, maybe more than it should have considering he had no idea what was being said. But, he hadn't been lying when he'd purred into Cassian's ear about loving his voice.

It wasn't just a sexual thing. As caught up in feelings about the man as he was, there likely wasn't a single bit of Cassian that he didn't love.

[feckinboomstick]

"Aye, then." No judgement. A nightmare was reason enough for Cassian, when his own could be so horrific. He never stopped stroking his head and face, trailing along the shell of his ear and over a cheek bone.

The soft words began to slow and stop as Tannusen struggled to calm himself, and instead it was replaced by gentle, if reedy humming, an ancient and soothing tune.

[black_black_heart]

Between Cassian's extremely long lifespan and the fact that he had a soul parasite that he only saw in his sleep, Tannusen hadn't exactly been surprised when he'd realized the priest was afflicted with nightmares.

But he was still embarrassed that one, no matter how awful, had him reacting like this. Not just the obvious panic attack going on, but that he'd fled across two towns to have it. Still, he continued to clutch at Cassian like he might vanish.

The ear Cassian brushed against twitched, but there was no complaint to be had. Not with the abundance of touch, and certainly not with the humming. Tannusen had never heard anything like that out of the priest before. He damn near held his breath, he was immediately listening so intently.

[more action several days later]

[black_black_heart]

They had indeed moved in the next day. But until the bed situation was resolved, Tannusen simply found somewhere out of the way and slept in his other form. Since he was getting a bit creaky in the winter for a tiger, it wasn't the best solution, but it worked.

At least he hadn't had a lot of shit to bring into the house, himself. Most of it had been shoving books into Trahearne's new nerd-cave of a room.

The tiger had brought a battered old acoustic guitar case -- had Cassian even known he played? nope, secretive (shy, actually) bastard -- a few changes of clothes, and a single box of odds and ends. Mostly books, stashed wherever he thought the box would be out of the way, like a secret.

Everything else, including most of those famous suits of his, he just stashed for now in Velvet's secret basement. He didn't know how much room there would or wouldn't be, and he refused to take up too much space.

The eternal struggle of someone far more used to being homeless.

In fact, the very act of moving in had sparked up all sorts of annoying struggles inside that crazy brain of his. He woke up, often, his heart pounding, after anxiety nightmares about Cassian changing his mind about the whole thing. The priest wouldn't have been the first person to do so.

Having Tannusen around all the time was...

A challenge.

And oh, he was fully aware of that. So, so aware of that. It didn't stop a damn thing, knowing just made it all into a train wreck he couldn't prevent and couldn't look away from.

When they eventually went to pick out a new bed, of course, Tannusen was his usual trollish, chipper self. Jokes and awful innuendo everywhere, lounging around on display models and driving salespeople up the goddamned wall. It probably made any haggling easier than normal, at least, because everyone just wanted to get the asshole blond to leave.

Only after the new bed was hauled in and set up, and Tannusen had sprawled face-first on it because of course he did, did the tiger actually laugh. Actual laughter, muffled into the mattress, not the fake crap the pooka had been using all day. A subtle difference, but one his two thousand year old boyfriend could most likely pick out. Not many people could, even after knowing him for years.

Funny thing -- funny, get it? -- being crazy didn't stop for convenience.

If he didn't stop laughing into the mattress like a madman he was going to suffocate himself.

[feckinboomstick]

No, Cassian never changed his mind. He helped everyone move in, helped everything get squared away, helped Tannusen relocate his clothes to a closet that wasn't stuffed with things already. The rectory was not tiny, but the priests habit of hoarding strange, magical oddities made it a bit difficult to move everything in all at once.

He'd of course, been a cranky little asshole when they went to pick out a bed, apologizing for Tannusen causing shit everywhere they went there and doing his best to at least attempt to calm down the hyperactive blond. At the very least, it did make getting that bed down to a reasonable price easy for Cassian. The salespeople were desperate to see the tiger leave, and more than once did Cassian insinuate the two of them would just have to be here longer if the price wasn't to his liking.

And once the bed was in and all set up? He stood at the bedroom door, watching Tannusen laugh himself sick into the mattress.

Yeah.

"... Have a good day then did ye."

He was aware, perfectly aware, of the differences between Tannusen's usual laugh and this one. It was nice to hear a real one, though truth be told he couldn't help but be a bit concerned about what was causing it.

[black_black_heart]

Tannusen managed after another full minute or so to stop the... slightly unhinged laughter. Because that's what the real stuff was, more often than not.

He turned his head onto its side so he could breathe properly. And be heard easier. "You ever just get struck by how stupid everything is?"

[feckinboomstick]

"When things are stupid, aye well enough." He moved into the room and settled beside Tannusen, getting comfortable next to the fairy in the bed and resting beside him.

"What's gotten ye struck today then?"

[black_black_heart]

"There's always something stupid," the blond pointed out, though his tone and expression had gentled a little at Cassian joining him on the bed. "I'm just amused at how many fucking beds I've helped pick out in the last few months."

Trahearne couldn't be trusted to pick one out by himself either, after all.

"Didn't have one at all for most of my life, and now I'm turning into a goddamn expert about them or something. So stupid."

[feckinboomstick]

"Well ye've got an excellent taste in beds, all things considered. And ye were dreadfully helpful in talkin' 'em down from the startin' price too."

Ha. Haha.

"I was just gonna get ye a doggy bed. One of them memory foam ones."

[black_black_heart]

"Uh-huh, and a litter box, I'm sure," he'd heard these jokes before, Cassian. Not new ground, here.

Didn't stop Tannusen from snatching up a pillow and dropping it on the priest's face, though.

[feckinboomstick]

Look, Trahearne had to deal with plant jokes, Cassian had to weather priest jokes. It's only fair Tannusen had to deal with cat jokes. "Aye, and a little bell collar to match. Somethin' floral and in pink."

And pillow. There's a snort, but he doesn't actually yell, just tugging it up enough to see.

[black_black_heart]

Tannusen, of course, just went strangely quiet. He didn't immediately turn head again, though, just kinda... eyed Cassian contemplatively for a moment.

It was only when he thought his expression might get a little too real, that he turned his face back down into the mattress.

Lots of spinning gears going on in that lunatic head of his.

[feckinboomstick]

Oh no what does that face mean.

Cassian was quick to move to curl against him, throwing an arm over the other man gently.

"What's goin' on in there then?"

[black_black_heart]

Cassian was so unbelievably sweet to him, Tannusen had no idea what he'd done to deserve the guy.

(Other than nothing, because he didn't.)

Holy crap but he knew he didn't.

Tannusen did, at least, shift onto his side before answering, doing so without rolling away from Cassian at all and just sort of curling up into that easy embrace, his head ducked down against the other man's chest.

"...Would you collar me?" It was a very hesitant question. "If I asked you to."

[feckinboomstick]

He threaded his fingers once more through Tannusen's hair as the man tucked his head against his chest. Nothing wrong with this, at all, ever, of course. He had found he rather enjoyed it, feeling the other man curl into him like this.

The question caught him by surprise, and the knee jerk answer was to yell-

He managed to catch it before he even made a sound, but honestly? Cassian had stumbled through some of the worst actions made by humans in history. Slavery had been one of them. He'd remembered once, being jammed into a collar, felt the burn of a brand on his shoulder.

Why would anyone want that?

It took a longer moment for him to remember that this wasn't exactly the Roman empire, and he wasn't exactly a land owning Roman here.

"... Why do ye ask..."