thesphererp | 01: A thought (voice: TheOtter)

[It didn't take Seregil long to start cluttering up their pod with nicknacks and such that he'd found while exploring the empty pods. Some jewels, a dagger or two, there were even a few of those biometric locks sitting around for him to figure out how to break into.

At the moment, he was working on Alec's biometric lock. Not that he wanted anything in the other man's locked areas, but starting with someone you knew was always a better plan than starting with someone you didn't.

It was one of the reasons he'd had Alec go after his house before taking him out with him.

When the message came through, he paused, listening, and then shook his head. Really Alec, was your Seregil so passive that he would let these people get away with this?]

Really Alec, when have you ever known me just to observe?

[This wasn't Nysander ordering him on his oath as a watcher. This was a bunch of childish people punishing others for a perceived slight. It didn't sit well with him, and he wasn't about to let them get the better of him.]

You may have missed the sarcasm in that question, talí.

[Tone was difficult to convey via thought. Alec had never found it necessary to inflect in his own mind, and that made communication via implant somewhat challenging; a skill he would have to develop, like any number of new skills he would need to employ in this undersea hellscape.

Perhaps hellscape was a strong word for it. But they'd been kidnapped to an unfamiliar land, to live among unwelcoming natives, fulfilling some unclear purpose. As far as Alec was concerned, this was little better than their forced servitude in Plenimar.

Thankfully, the technology grew less strange by the day, helped along by the fact that there was plenty of abandoned garbage in the empty domes to abscond with and pick apart. Case in point, Alec had taken some silver appliance from a kitchen during their last expedition, and now sat tailor-style on their bed with the internal components of the thing splayed out before him.

He wasn't quite sure what to do next, but it was a start.]

What I mean to say is, you're thinking too deeply for this to just be idle musing.

[It's still odd to hear Alec using that term. It makes Seregil all the more aware of their situation and the hope that Alec is holding onto in regards to their time together here. He isn't Alec's Seregil and he won't do something like what Alec wants. It wouldn't be fair to the Alec back home or Alec's Seregil. Alec might be able to face his Seregil, but there would be no facing his Alec again if he gave into his feelings here.

Their friendship was far too important to allow being here to destroy it.]

At the moment, I think it's time for a bit of information gathering.

[He reached over to grab Alec's hand, pressing his finger into a soft substance that seemed almost like bread dough.]

I'd wanted to get a bit more acclimated first, but

[He released Alec's hand, pressing the imprint to the other man's drawer, nothing happened, and he scowled deeply.]

It seems that's not going to be an option. And I'm not going to let them get away with bullying people who have no choice but to be here. They're worse than Illia when she's in a mood.

[The little girl could be wholly stubborn when she wanted to be. She came by it naturally, what with Kari and Micum as her parents.

He picked up one of the books he'd found in one of the abandoned pods, then thought better of it and put it down before making his way to the bed and focusing on what Alec was doing.]

[Alec snatched up the dough Seregil had used on his finger. That was an interesting sensation. The scattered appliance was momentarily forgotten as Alec pressed the dough back and forth between his hands, pulling and rolling it against his palms, but after a few seconds, he found that it was easy enough to play with this nonsense and survey the parts on the bed.]

At least Illia has an excuse. She's a child.

[Alec nodded to the bed and pointed out a long coil of heating element.]

I haven't a clue what the purpose of this thing is, but a current runs through these filaments to heat it. I'd venture it's for pastries, judging by the size, but it seems an awful waste of space for just that...

Exactly.

[He'd thought the dough-like substance would interest Alec; it's why he took several of them (ok, ONE of the reasons).

Leaning forward, he began poking through the pieces on the bed, talking absently as he did.]

Which is why I think we need to start taking them over our knee, so to speak. And we certainly need to look into that Annie. She seems to be the one who everyone was arguing with before this happened.

[He picked up the heating coil, turning it around in his hand.]

That memory of the Sphere's was clearly the catalyst of all this. Can you put it back together?

Of course I can put it back together.

[Maybe. Either way, Alec had the decency to look insulted by the implication. Will it ever toast again? Will it conflagrate and burn the pod to cinders? WHO KNOWS!

But Alec had been loitering around the market stalls, between stale bread and weak tea. He'd caught bits and pieces of gossip during their frequent trips to the abandoned domes. The merchants were tight-lipped with encroachers about, but certain strains of conversation seemed to proliferate despite suspicion.]

That memory... No one seems to think it's possible to breach the glass. I wonder how hard they've tried. Oreska magic can phase solid objects through each other, gate people to other locations... Who's to say that power doesn't exist here? So I suppose the question comes down to, who has that ability?

[Alec caught Seregil's hand, and examined his palm and fingers closely.]

Can't you get into mine with your fingertips?

Good, I want to try it.

[There's a moment where Seregil's fingers start to slightly curl in toward Alec's palm before he flexes them a little, making the action look natural.]

Only my own, and no traditional locks to speak of.

[There's a slight growl of frustration in his voice. Picks would be useless here; they have to figure out how to ply their trade with these finger press locks.]

Unless they have strong spells to ward against it. They have those sort of spells all over the Orëska. I wish Nysander were here to look into it. I'd even take Thero at this point.

[He snatched back the dough and rolled it into a ball, throwing it at the far wall only for it to bounce back into his hand.]

Alec smiled sadly, and set to work piecing the appliance back together. It was never the easiest part -- reassembling what one had essentially torn asunder -- but Seregil compelled him to parse so many damned locks in their time together, and Alec had developed something of a knack for it. A bit of curiosity and determination didn't hurt either.]

They would probably have about fifty more theories and no answers more solid than our own. Though I wonder...

[Alec looked distant, gaze fixed on the far wall and eyes narrowed in concentration.]

I wonder if whatever entered it, was able to enter because it was like the thing? Or able to be part of the thing, by nature of what it was?

[Seregil caught the look and frowned slightly. There was any number of reasons for it, not the least of which were his own actions moments ago. The thought was painful, and he did his best to squash it as he threw the putty against the wall again.

At the comment, however, he paused, looking over at Alec with slight surprise. The other man never ceased to amaze him with his quick grasp of things and keen mind. Damn, but it was one of the things he loved about him (not that he would ever tell him that.)]

But now we need to find out what it is, and I'm afraid we're on the lower end of the technology spectrum.

[Not that it mattered much. There were always books to be borrowed if need be, and Seregil felt that the need might just be.

He gestured grandly to the item that Alec was putting back together.]

That, for instance. The rest of them probably know what it is.

They probably do, damn them. I suppose we'll just have to figure it out as we go. But it doesn't necessarily put us at a disadvantage, does it?

[Alec met Seregil's gaze with a heartwarming smile.]

By my figuring, we just have a different way of looking at things. Perhaps we can provide input they disregard because of their technological understanding.

And perhaps this thing isn't technology at all.

[Alec laughed, quiet and maybe a tiny bit bitter, and shrugged as he wound coils back through the inner plating.]

I've given up on understanding things, talí. Just when you think you've got a grasp on anything, it slips through your hands again.

Edited 2019-02-09 02:06 (UTC)

[Throwing the putty once more he smooshed it in his hand and disappearing it down his shirt sleeve before resting a hand on Alec's shoulder.]

Since when have you ever been one to give up?

[Of course there was the chance that this Alec was prone to giving up, but he couldn't see any version of him keeping the other man on if that were the case. You couldn't be a good nightrunner if you gave up at the first hardship.]

This technology thing is a tricky business though.

[His hand slid from Alec's shoulder almost as soon as the comforting clasp had come.]

It seems that sphere is more advanced than anyone has dealt with here and the 'higher-ups'

[The word is said as if it's in air quotes.]

Seem to be none the happy about us getting involved. Or at least that's what I gather from that memory. I think you're onto something with that like entering like thing.

[As an afterthought he added.]

And if you're so worried about what the damn thing is, just ask someone who knows.

Because I don't trust that they do know what it is.

[Alec sank back into his own thoughts for a moment, eyes narrowed in concentration as he worked through a delicate bit of assembly.]

They tell us they know. They want us to believe they have more control over the situation than they actually do. I'm willing to bet they're every bit as clueless as we are; that supposed knowledge is just what's keeping us at heel.

Or, they do know, and they're not letting us in on the details. I'm not sure which situation I'd prefer. What do you think?

[The laugh that escaped him was good natured. He'd never heard Alec so ill-tempered at anyone but him before. It was a new experience, and when he spoke, it was without thinking it through as he ought to.]

I think you're sounding very cynical, talí

[Still laughing, he shook his head as he untangled himself from his own limbs to stand.]

I think there are those we can trust to tell us what we need.

[He crossed his way to his own drawer and started rummaging.]

Others, not so much. It's a matter of learning to read people. Something you,

[He tossed a bag onto the bed beside Alec. Inside would be a set of bakshi stones, freshly made in deep emerald.]

Apparently never learned to do very well.

[He leaned back against the chest, watching for Alec's reaction.]

Edited 2019-02-09 06:42 (UTC)

I'm learning.

[Seregil didn't want to know about their futures. He'd been very clear on that point. To that end, he wouldn't realize that Alec's suspicion wasn't owed to an inability to read people. It was a genuine caution. They'd been betrayed one time too often in their time together, and the deepest of Alec's trust was limited in scope to Seregil, Micum, Thero, and Klia. He would always be an agreeable person, and he gave people more chances than he probably should. But earning his unerring trust took a fair bit more work than it once had.

Alec took up the bag and poured a few stones into his palm. A smile slowly crept onto his lips, bittersweet only because he knew this dance with Seregil, and it was a knife twisting his gut. He couldn't follow the next steps. It was unwelcome.]

Are these for me? They're well-made.

If we're going to be stuck here we ought to have a little of home.

[He kicked off the chest and started rolling the putty in his hands again.]

I've already spoken with the man who runs the black market. He seems amiable enough, and I may have already started getting the game promoted in some of the gambling halls.

[He was rather proud of himself for that, and with everything going on, it made it possible to get a bit of coin to actually purchase the things they needed that couldn't be attained in the black market.]

Of course you have. [Alec laughed. Leave it to his talímenios to singlehandedly create a new branch of gambling industry in a strange place.] And I'm certain you intend to take full advantage of the new market you've created.

[It was neither judgement nor admonishment. Alec simply appreciated Seregil's ingenuity.]

I'd ask you for a private game, but I have a feeling I'd lose my pants to you.

If they're planning to gouge us for nothing, then I'm sure as hell going to do them right back.

[The smirk on his face was bright and pleased. Seregil rarely took things lying down, and this would be no exception. There would be thievery to even out the gouging, and all the intrigue that he lived for since his time started among the Tir.

It was also a welcome distraction from their current predicament. The fact that Alec called him talí almost constantly hadn't escaped him, or the fact that it felt right and almost comfortable to hear it from the other man.

Or that fact that he had to stop himself from saying it back almost every time he addressed him.

It wasn't the right time to be thinking of those things. It never would be. Especially not when it was someone that he cared so deeply for as he did for Alec.

The comment of a private game made him laugh again. Trust Alec to learn the intricacies of rebuilding something as strange as a toaster but not be able to hold his own at bakshi.]

If you can't even beat me once then I'll need to beat you more so you learn.

[Alec's lips pressed into a thin line, physically biting back the retort that sprung to mind immediately. Watch yourself, I may enjoy it. It expressed instead as another sly chuckle and a slight shake of his head.]

As you say. But just because I can't beat you doesn't mean I'm terrible, you know. I can still hold my own against most people.

At least in this place, there are no luck pieces for you to hide in unmentionable places.

[Hiding luck pieces in unmentionable places? The comment got a brow raise from him and made him too curious for his own good.]

It sounds like there's a story in that comment.

[The belief that Alec was from a different reality was making him bold, almost willing to hear the other man out as to what his life was like with this other Seregil.

Without hesitating, he flopped down on the bed, looking up at the other man.]

Alright, let's hear it.

Edited 2019-02-10 00:56 (UTC)

[Alec grinned, neglecting to comment on Seregil's proximity or his hipocrisy. When it came down to it, Alec minded neither, and if he didn't make a grand affair of it, he doubted Seregil would either.]

Ah... Well. As I recall, we were visiting a game house for the evening, and one of your opponents was a bit peeved at his rotten luck. He called you on cheating, and demanded you be searched for a luck piece. But...

[Alec sighed, and his face flushed a soft pink.]

You made a grandiose show of stripping down to nothing right on your chair, offered your garments over for inspection, and earned a rousing applause. Can't say I cared for half the Rhiminee nobility seeing your glories when I'd been the only one handling them for quite a few years, but...

We were riding back to Wheel Street when you told me they'd neglected to search the most obvious place.

[Seregil pointedly ignored the comment about Alec being the only one to view his naked body for some years, although it was a bit of a surprise. Seregil had no need for shame when it came to his body. It was a bit of a difference from the tir that he knew, and from Alec and his Dalnan sensibilities.

The blush, however, brought a satisfied smirk to his lips. Making Alec embarrassed was almost a past time at this point. It emphasized an innocence in the man that Seregil couldn't help but admire - and want to sully in a way.]

Let that be a lesson to you then; always be thorough in your investigation.

[He couldn't deny that the whole even sounded exactly like something he'd do. Stripping down was a common occurrence for Lord Seregil; at least it was back before he'd picked up Alec. Now there were more pressing matters than keeping up his debaucherous behavior. There was Alec to train and Watcher business to attend to. Especially with the war coming on fast.

But it was good to know he'd return to such outrageous behavior one day. In a way, it had its own subtle charm.]

[Alec mumbled something under his breath as he returned to his assembly. He'd hit a snag, it seemed. He couldn't get one side of the heating brackets to sit in the base quite the way it had before, and he picked it up to squint at the bottom row of plates. Perhaps he'd missed re-inserting a screw somewhere.]

In any case, I'm not sure it's entirely healthy to hide magic inside yourself like that. You never seem to have trouble with talismans or protection charms, but they're not inside of you. That's the only reason I asked you to use more caution in the future.

[That, and perhaps he wasn't entirely past his Dalnan prudishness when it came to public displays of nudity.]

Damn, this...Talí, I've left the screws on that table next to you. Could you hand me two, please?

I've never had a problem with it before.

[The comment was an airy thing that dismissed Alec's concerns about his magic dysfunction. Concerned he may be, but Seregil got the feeling that there was more the Dalnan prudishness at play than anything else.

It was disturbing how easily Seregil replied to Alec's calling him that word. Instead of saying anything or pausing, he simply reached over to grab the screws and handed them to him. He didn't even move from his all-too-close proximity to the other man. Seregil had always been one for physical contact and a lack of proximity when it came to those who were trusted in his orbit. That wouldn't stop with the situation they'd found themselves in.]

What do you think of the people on that counsel?

[He had his own opinions already, especially about Max, but Alec's was just as important to him.]

[Alec pondered the question for a few long moments as he secured the screws into the bottom plating.]

I'm not sure I've seen enough of them to form a solid opinion. They seem to care, but I'm not certain it's genuine. So I suppose I'm still just waiting to see?

[Alec slipped the silver cover back over the appliance and turned the thing over. Rather than ask Seregil for the screws again, he leaned sideways over the man's lap, sprawled across to the bedside table. Screws in hand, he sat up again, and set back to work.]

Have you heard something I haven't?

[There was a horrifying moment where Seregil thought to pull Alec down and bring their lips together; to feel the curve of the other man's neck with his fingers as Seregil them in the hair at the base of his neck.

He squashed the thought by turning to look at the toaster and its silver reflective surface.

It wasn't Alec's fault; he reminded himself; Alec was doing nothing that hadn't been ordinary and natural just days before. They'd always had a type of intimacy about them that was their own, and everything had been perfectly fine there. There had been issues, of course, but those were his own. They were the fancies of a man who fell too quickly and too deeply for another man who he could never reach in that way. And he didn't want to. At least that's what he kept telling himself that he was fine so long as he had a place, somewhere, in Alec's heart.

But since their meeting here there was a pull. It was as if Alec were carefully untying the strings that held his heart at bay. The old reminders were starting not to be enough - every time Alec called him his talí, his beloved, a string came undone and it took more force to put it back in place.]

I've spoken with Max; he's the one who runs that black market of theirs.

[He carefully kept his voice even, casual almost.]

It's possible he'll be asking about night work.

Edited 2019-02-10 07:06 (UTC)

01: A thought (voice: TheOtter)

In person (because he can)

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