Remnants of the Earth
AEDOLIS => Haviah => Synesthesia => Topic started by: shinigamikitsune on March 08, 2009, 03:00:52 am
-
Dante had been waiting for this night to come since the day he was booked to play at Syn. He always enjoyed performing for other people, especially the music he wrote himself. He knew that not everybody enjoyed listening to old style classical, so he always stroke to write something that not only was something he could be proud of, but something that people would want to listen to. His music was always filled with passion and intensity, and coupled with his skill and talent, it could take people on an emotional joy ride.
He'd been practicing every spare moment he had for the past few weeks, and he knew all his songs by heart. Infact he could play them blindfolded, which he did more often then not. He wouldn't do so tonight though.
He took a moment to rub his hands together to try and warm them up a little. For some reason they always felt cold when they weren't moving over the piano keys. Even though he wore gloves all the time, though the top half of the figners wre cut off so that he could still feel the keys when he played.
Dante didn't have to wait much longer before it was his turn to perform. He strode out once the beautiful grand piano was in place and adjusted to how he prefered his piano to be. The top was taken off completely for him. Though back at the citadel, there was a huge mirror on the ceiling above his piano. It would be too much to ask for such a thing to be done here. Though it didn't matter really.
He adjusted himself so that he wouldn't be sitting on the bottom of his long jacket. There was a moments pause as he took a deep breath. It was all he needed in order to slip into the right mind frame. His fingers brushed over the new keys, finding the familuar points, then pressing down. The initial notes lingering in the air. This particular piece started out slow, lulling the listener into a caccoon of calm and security. Though as it went on, it gradually became more intense, drawing the person in with anticipation and excitement. Soon enough the tempo seems to become like a tempest. Dante's fingers flying over the keys, sounding out a melody that threatens to trip over it's self. Leaving the anticipation that his fingers might stumble and the entire build up being shattered like crystal against marble floors. However that never happens, and once the climax comes, the song softens. As though wrapping strong arms around you, and craddling you close as it lowered you into warmth and security.
-
It had been a while since Gabriel had been back to Syn. In fact, he hadn't been back since he'd gone and outed Delilah as a psychic. That wasn't exactly the reason he hadn't been back--time had been a factor, and everything going to bloody hell was another--but it sure contributed. Cursed, he decided. He was cursed, or Syn was cursed, but something was cursed because that was the second time in a row that he'd gone there and ruined someone's life, starting with Vaughan, and it had also been the beginning of a spectacular string of bad luck. He'd been sent off to space after that, Temple had gone missing, been brain raped, candidate got raped, candidate died, he was sure as hell feeling the pressure and suspicion regarding that...and he was probably missing a few juicy details but either way, there was something about Syn.
So when Dante told him he had a gig there and invited him down, Gabriel's first instinct was to say, "HELL FREAKIN' NO!" But then he thought, hey, that was just him being silly and superstitious and he was not superstitious. He didn't think. It was dumb and anyway, it was all just freaky coincidence and there was no such thing as bad luck, right? Right. Besides, he missed the place and he liked supporting local artists; Pilots counted for that. And he'd convinced Alaric to come with him. The last few Bad Things had happened when he'd gone alone.
Nope. Syn wasn't cursed, and he wasn't cursed, and this would be fun, because what better way to shake off hours and days of stress was there than getting lost in a crowd with a good beat thumping through your body? You couldn't hear yourself talk, couldn't hear yourself think, and that's what Gabriel liked about it.
Which was why he was taken off guard completely when, after he and Alaric got their chips scanned by a wand-wielding bouncer, they walked in and piano music was playing.
Piano music.
In Syn.
Classical music.
It sounded like something Roman would like.
Someone shoved past him, bumping shoulders roughly, and Gabriel started and realized that he'd sort of froze in the doorway. He side-stepped out of the way and glanced over at Alaric to get his attention, then made a beeline for the bar. "Um...Ally? We're in the right place, right?" he asked as they walked, and he could actually hear himself speaking without even having to yell. It was kind of surreal, being in this place that was obviously Syn and yet not. "I mean...this is Syn, right? We didn't make a wrong turn and somehow wind up in a concert hall that looks like Syn but--oh snap, is it ballroom night or something? Do they even have that?"
That would be awkward. He didn't know how to do that. And man was he under-dressed, in a band shirt and baggy bondage pants.
The dance floor had cleared as most people were obviously taking the piano performance as some sort of musical interlude and using the time to take a break and down some drinks. All the seats were taken (though to his relief everyone was dressed as was normal for Syn-goers), so Gabriel stood off to the side and looked to the stage. "For cereal. Who thought classical was a good idea? You can't dance to it."
It was then that he realized the guy behind the piano was kind of familiar, and he had to do a double-take when he realized it was Dante--who, in retrospect, had never told him what kind of music he played.
Which...explained why there was a piano number being played at Syn, because who would deny a Pilot?
-
Clubs weren't really Alaric's thing. Not often anyway. So many people, and lots of touching and close contact. Which was something Alaric tended to not like much, but on occasion, it was fun. Just go and let go and in a crowded club, most people didn't realize you were a pilot.
And it did give him a chance to show off his new hair. his head still felt light, the familiar weight of the braid gone. It was much shorter now and he had gelled it into a short faux hawk. As he was getting his chip scanned, the clawed hands came up to lightly touch the back of his neck, "You sure my-....what...the heck."
He almost walked into his friend when Gabe froze. Had.....Syn undergone a change of management? He was starting to feel like he had dressed rather wrong in his jeans, covered in holes and chains and a shirt with, "Your GP or your HP." written on it.
"...It looks like Syn. But...this doesn't sound like Syn..." Alaric rather liked classical. One of his parents had been a fan and Alaric had grown up on it. But...it had not been what he expected. He had been ready for some rock or dance music or...something. Not the piano.
He trailed after Gabriel, sticking close to his friend as they wondered to the bar, "So....Dante plays the piano, yeah? You...uh....might have mentioned that to me Gabes." Though, as Gabriel was dressed about the same way he was, he didn't think Gabriel had known.
Gabriel's comment got his friend a light cuff to the head, "Hey now! You can dance to this just fine!" Grabbing Gabriel's wrist, Alaric dragged his friend away from the wall and out onto the empty dance floor. He gave him a deep bow, "May I have this dance?" Without waiting for Gabe's reply, Alaric placed one hand on the blonds waist and took his hands in his normal one. And started to lead him in a simple dance step, whispering soft instructions to his friend.
-
The straight classical piece was his first of the night, and used for his warm up. It would give the crowd a chance to settle and calm a little bit, before he'd lure them back to the dance floor. He'd already performed his set for the manager and received his approval for it. Even if he was a pilot, he wasn't going to throw that around in order to get what he wanted.
Even though he was focused on his music, he still caught Alaric and Gabe venture out onto the dance floor. The information was stored away, and he'd review it once he'd finished for tonight. Minutes later the final notes were sounded for this piece, and as they lingered in the air, Dante gave his hands a single shake before starting in on the second piece.
While the first one was calm, this one far from it. It didn't have the sound of old classical, though his still held the classical hints, there was deffinately a modern edge to it. This piece had a driving beat, a pulse, and at times seemed almost violent. Dante was also more animated too during this piece, his body movements matching the flow of the piece. It wasn't long into the piece, that one got the feeling, that if a bass line was added and a drum line as well, it would easily pass as something that could be played in a club. After all, classical was the base foundation for most music today. Anything Dante performed for an audience, whether it was a single person or an entire crowd, it was always played to perfection. Not only technically, but on the emotional level as well, which required for the absense of perfection.
It had certainly been an interesting day for him. Not only had he run into Gabriel and Alaric at different times today, but they had mentioned the same thing to him. That they were going to Syn to check out Dante's performance. He had the fleeting thought of managing to have himself invited along, though decided against it. Instead he planned on going to Syn, under the reasoning that he was coming to see Dante perform as well, curious as to the skill from the other Pilot. Running into Gabe and Alaric would just be an added bonus.
He knew that Dante played the piano, so he knew what to expect. He came a little more dressed up, though something that would still pass for the club. A pair of black leather pants that hugged him in all the right places, with a black belt that was adorned with thin silver chains. He'd opted for a deep purple sild button up shirt, that he left untucked. The couple buttons at the top and bottom had been left undone, and the sleeves had been rolled up to just above his elbows. He had a couple of leather bands on his wrists, each one with a different design embellished into the leather.
Once inside of the club, it didn't take him long to locate Gabe and Alaric. A smile came to his face as he watched the two waltz. Though it looked more like Alaric was waltzing and Gabe was attempting to keep up. This was deffinately a tidbit of information to keep stored away for later.
He moved to the bar to order himself a drink, enjoying the calming effect the current song had. He idly wondered if maybe some of the tightly wound Pilots couldn't benefit some from the calming Dante seemed to be able to instill through his music. However he was surprised at the change of pace when the next song started. It didn't seem anything like the first one, though there were some hints that linked the two back to the same composer.
Once he had his drink, he moved to a spot that he could watch Gabe and Alaric from. He'd wait until they were finished their dance.
-
[Whoo, joint post with Rina. Consider that both of our turns! xD]
Before Gabriel could open his mouth and say that he hadn't known what Dante played--he'd assumed he was in a rock band or something--Alaric cuffed him upside the head and he forgot what he'd even been about to say. "OW!" he yelped a little more dramatically than necessary, rubbing his head though it hadn't actually hurt. "What was that for--whoa, hey, what're you--?"
And then he was being pulled out to the floor and he had no choice but to stumble along after Alaric or get dragged, and he wouldn't put it past his friend to do so. Out on the dance floor, he had only a second to catch his bearings before Alaric was bowing and before he could say yes or no--not that he'd say no--they were breezing along.
Well. Kind of. Gabriel stumbled and stepped on Alaric's feet a few times, not much of a dancer though he loved it nonetheless, and did his best to follow Alaric's instructions. He hardly noticed when the music changed, too focused on not stumbling or stubbing any toes. Wasn't too hard...just a lot of...stepping here and there and ignoring the fact that he was the girl here.
No fair, Alaric being so tall. Pfft, oh well, it was fun!
After a minute or so had passed, enough time for him to get his bearings and follow Alaric's lead without stepping on his toes, Gabriel peered up at Alaric and gave him a sheepish grin. "...Y'know, I feel really, really gay right now."
Glancing down at his friend, Alaric gave a short laugh, sliding his hand low on his back and dropping Gabriel back into a dip. Dropping his voice into a husky, dramatic whisper and wiggling his eyebrows at him, Alaric grinned at him, "Well Gabby my love, that would be because you are gay."
Gabriel arched back and hooked his right leg around Alaric's waist, eyelids lowering into what he hoped was a seductive expression. "Mm, yeah. 'Cause you make daddy happy..."
The pair was receiving a few looks now, as there wasn't really anyone else on the dance floor. One hand came up to help support Gabriel's leg as Alaric straightened up, but kept Gabby's leg locked around his hip, "Why are you daddy? I think I should get to be daddy. I am leading you know. That totally makes you the ho."
"You're only there because I WANT you there," Gabriel answered with a sly grin, and would have been wobbling on one foot if Alaric hadn't been supporting him. "So that totally makes YOU my bitch, bitch."
"Oh?" Alaric grinned, arching one pale eyebrow, "I'm the bitch?" Moving a little faster now, pretty much holding his smaller friend up as they danced, Alaric glanced down at where his hands were holding Gabriel, "I'll only be the bitch if you promise to spank me Big Daddy."
"Pfft, I'll spank you, alright! Spank you hard and long and rough with the PVP paddle! Again!" Gabriel waggled his eyebrows and grinned, doing his damnedest not to think about where Alaric's hands were--or that he had a leg wrapped around him and was basically being carried around the dance floor. "'Cause I know what a glutton for punishment you are."
Alaric snorted, "Yeah right. I'll make you cry like the little girl you are." He didn't really mind that they might look a little odd. He let Gabriel's leg down and twirled his friend out and then back against his chest before dipping him again, "You'll bend over - and take it like you always do."
Gabriel laughed, a little dizzy from being twirled and then dipped. "Always, huh? Who's calling who 'daddy' here again, eh? Three guesses!" He pat Alaric on the cheek, then gripped his shoulder again. "Hey...think you can do that twirling thing again? That was pretty fun, with the dip and everything."
"Only if you call me daddy." Alaric grinned and straightened, moving around the floor with his friend. It was fun to have so much room to move.
Leaning into Alaric's chest and following his lead, Gabriel laughed and looked up at Alaric. "Hah! Nice try but no way. Me daddy. You bitch. Twirl me, biznatch!"
Laughing, Alaric twirled Gabriel again and dropped him down into another deep dip, "Yes master. I'll remember this next time you come crying to me that some pervert wants to stick their sofa in your kitchen."
Gabriel flung both arms around Alaric's neck, laughing as he was dipped. "Wheee! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, bi--whu?" He stopped, eyes widening, and stared up at Alaric, cheeks a little flushed with the blood rushing to his head. "...You'd still help barricade the kitchen, wouldn't you darling?"
"I am hurt you would even ask!" Alaric laughed, pulling Gabriel upright again, grabbing his ass, "I totally have already claimed the right to put my big ol' sofa in your kitchen. You know you want it. It's leather."
"Leather!" Gabriel repeated, voice husky and face flushed from the rush of blood to his head. Gave him a nice blush effect--not that he needed help. "Oh gods...I...I want that couch in my kitchen. I want it in my kitchen right now, but oh! It's not too big, is it? It won't...hurt anything, will it?" he asked, fluttering his eyelashes and pressing his hands to the sides of Alaric's face so he could give him a long soul-gazing look. "I just got new floors..."
Alaric gathered Gabriel close, giving anyone watching a rather funny show as he bent down to look deep into his friends eyes. And he was a little impressed at how straight be managed to keep his face, only a slight twitching at the corner of his mouth giving him away, "It's a fold out lover. So it can be any size. And don't worry. I brought some felt foot pads."
Gabriel bit down on his lower lip and it was an effort not to look away, because with Alaric looking all dead serious and him trying to remain all serious... "Oh..." He swallowed, fighting down the laughter bubbling up in his chest. "Pfff...felt pads...you know just what I like, love," he murmured, nearly losing it but somehow holding on. He pressed their foreheads together and let his voice drop to a throaty purr. "Makes it slide in smoooooth..."
Alaric was sure he was going to burst into laughter at any moment. He was sure. But he managed to keep it down a bit longer, his voice overly dramatic, "Just as long as you don't make me use a couch cover."
"For you, my darling, never. It feels so much better without," Gabriel answered seriously. "But you have to clean up your own messes."
"I just got a new mop, so don't worry." Alaric managed to keep the straight face for all of a minute. But Gabriel was looking so damn serious. Alaric bit down on his lip, not wanting to be cracking up in the middle of the show, but he couldn't totally control it. It was just too funny.
-
After having watched the two for a while, T'liika decided to make a move. He set his glass down and made his way onto the dance floor. His course was to intercept the two young ones.
Once there he tapped Gabriel's shoulder as indication he would like to speak. Once he had their attention, he held out his hand and smiled to them. "May I cut in?" Although he would prefer to take Gabriel's place, he didn't exactly indicate whom the request was towards.
Dante is still playing his music.
-
Gabriel had been about to reply with some other weird pun when a tap on his shoulder made him stop and twist around to look.
T'liika.
The guy Alaric had kissed.
The guy Alaric had run to Gabriel in a panic over because he'd kissed him.
He'd found them.
Gabriel glanced back at Alaric, then looked back at T'liika and flashed him his most cocky, shit-eating grin. He slid his hands down until he was grabbing Alaric's ass and pulled the taller Pilot closer. "He's my bitch tonight," he said, still beaming. "You want 'im? You're gonna have to take him."
-
Oh /gods./ Alaric flushed guiltily, looking down when T'liika came over. He had been stupid and angry when he kissed the other Pilot, wanting to lashout at Remi. And now the other man had the wrong idea.
Feeling totally awkward and very unsure, Alaric clung tighter to his friend, giving him a pleading look. Then blushed even darker and gave a small, startled laugh when he felt Gabe's hands on his butt.
Feeling a little better knowing Gabe was there and wasn't going to abandon him, Alaric gave a wide, fang filled smile, "I am the bitch. It's true. And Big Daddy is just so possessive."
-
T'liika allowed a smile to creep over his lips as Gabe became possessive over his little 'bitch'. Though he couldn't help but catch the look of panic that Alaric had before Gabe had started his act. Fair enough, he could still work with this.
The smile evolved into a sly grin as he brought a hand up to cup Gabe's cheek, allowing his thumb to caress in small circles. "Ah, now who said anything about me wanting to steal away your bitch tonight. Perhaps it was Big Daddy that I wanted to steal a dance with."
-
Gabriel couldn't help but grin a little smugly, because he'd finally gotten Alaric to admit to being the bitch, but the grin quickly fell away when his plan backfired. T'liike caressed his cheek and Gabriel's face darkened. What. The. Hell. For a few seconds he was stunned into stillness--he hadn't thought this far ahead because this guy was supposedly into Alaric and this was supposed to have worked!--but when that wore off his first impulse was to jerk away.
He didn't, though. He felt himself tense, felt the urge to recoil or smack T'liika or both, but beat it down and stood his ground instead. This was about defending Alaric's honor, after all, no matter how uncomfortable that gesture made him.
With another cocky smile, he reached up and covered T'liika's hand with his own--and then tightened his fist around his fingers, squeezing them together. Hard.
"I don't think you'd like dancing with me," he said too sweetly, while to Alaric he 'pathed, panicked mental voice completely at odds with his physical one, "Uh, Ally, I thought this guy liked you!"
Sure, he didn't mind taking one for the team! But he couldn't help but feel a little worried that this might not turn out like he'd planned. He had limits, here!
-
That...Alaric hadn't expected that. A look of hurt surprise flashed across his face for just a moment. He knew he hadn't wanted T'liika to come over and still felt awkward around the Royal, but the idea that someone actually liked him had made Alaric really, really happy. Some place deep inside it had thrilled him in a way he couldn't really express that someone had found him desirable. T'liika wasn't even bad looking and Alaric had liked talking to him, he just wasn't Remi, that was all.
And he liked Gabe. Of course he did. Everyone loved Gabe. Alaric had learned to control his expression and the teasing smile was back, but inside he felt cold.
Dear little Alaric. I told you. Kazef's voice was smug and purring, You just never listen. I was trying to save you this hurt.
Alaric chose to not reply to the dragon, instead his grip tightened around Gabe a little, his mental voice a just a little shaky, I guess I was wrong. Looks like he just wanted to get closer to you.
-
The key word that T'liika had used was 'perhaps'. He pretended to give Gabe the once over, then shrugged. "Perhaps you're right..." Giving a little pause when the blond squeezed his fingers hard, he arched a brow. Seems he was stirring up more trouble then he had anticipated.
"Besides, I didn't actually confirm that I wanted to dance with you. Though I would like to have my hand back so that I might be able to take your bitch for a spin around the dance floor." He turned his attention to Alaric and became a little worried when he saw the remants of hurt there. He certainly hadn't meant to cause that sort of reaction. "Of course that is he's willing to amuse an old fool."
-
Gabriel started to make a face before he caught himself and plastered the smug look back on. "Don't say that, Ally. I don't want him." He paused and arched an eyebrow. "I don't even really know him. Guess you lucked out, though. Means it should be easier to get rid of him."
Because unlike Alaric, Gabriel had no qualms about telling some amorous dude where to shove it--and not in a place said amorous dude would enjoy.
"People don't usually say stuff like that unless they're considering it, sir," Gabriel told the Pilot Royal, giving T'liika's fingers one last crushing squeeze before letting go and sliding his hand back down to rest on Alaric's hip. "But in case you didn't get the hint, he's my date. He can also make his own decisions. Better check the entitlement complex and ask him before you try and spin anyone anywhere."
Okay, that was really snappy, but Gabriel couldn't help it. The guy kind of creeped him out and that made him hostile.
-
This had kind of killed Alaric's mood. He knew it was stupid and selfish, but he really had been excited someone had liked him. But it had been a false alarm and to top it all off, now the asshole was doing what everyone else did. Just pretend he wasn't there and talk to Gabriel. What? Was it hard to miss the blue alien with the big horns that was standing half a head or more taller then everyone in this place? Did the third eye cause some weird camouflage effect he had missed?
Alaric's voice was cold as he gripped Gabe tighter, "Actually, I do care. I make it a point to not dance with people more interested in my friends then in me. Plus, I really never dance with people that can't be bothered to speak to me. Now excuse me but I am going to dance with my friend here. Sir."
With that, the alien waltzed away from the Royal. He was pissed and hurt and sick of people treating him like he wasn't there. Alaric gave himself a shake, shoving all the anger and self-pity down and he grinned at his friend, "It's because you are such a tease you know. The old men can't resist it."
Alaric dropped Gabe into another low dip, "'Sides, I should have known better. I'm sorry I got you involved in that."
-
Okay.... it seemed that T'liika had just managed to mess things up worse then he thought that things would be taken. Like as if he would be more attracted to the short blond. The boy practically followed Roman around like a little lost puppy. For now he would make a tactful retreat and carefully plan his next move... which would most likely be in the form of an apology with a side of begging for forgiveness.
Dante was nearing the end of his set. It always felt so good to get out and play for other people, even if they weren't sure just what the hell he was doing. As the current piece came to an end, he allowed the notes to linger with a pause before he stood to take his leave of the instrument. He knew that there had been a bit of a scene on the dance floor when another person looked as though he had tried to cut in. Dante would have to replay the song later in his head to see the details of what had happened.
For the time being, he made his way over to the couple that had been waltzing around the dance floor and smiled softly to them both. "I'm glad to see that you both were able to make it. I do hope that my selection of music wasn't too old fashioned for you."
-
As they broke off from T'liika, who appeared to have finally taken the hint and retreated, Gabriel relaxed again and took a deep breath, letting the tension flow out of his muscles. He really shouldn't have spoken so to a Pilot Royal, much less, y'know, try and break his hand, but that was crossing some lines and Gabriel wasn't going to take that shit from anyone--or let Alaric take it, either.
Though it was good to hear Alaric stand up for himself; made him proud!
But right. Enough of that, though. He and Alaric were here to have fun an no sense in letting some creepster ruin that.
He cracked a wry grin. "Tease, huh? And I wasn't even trying this time!" he said. "Must be my boyish good look--whoa!" With a surprised laugh, he threw his arms back around Alaric's neck as he was dipped low, but his smile quickly faded when Alaric apologized and acted like this was somehow his fault rather than his weirdo suitor's.
Gabriel frowned. "How is this your fault? I got myself involved, buddy. And besides--"
But before he could finish that train of thought, another voice cut in right behind him; Gabriel had to tilt his head back to see who it was, and got an upside-down view of Dante. Oh! He hadn't even realized the music had stopped; he'd been kind of distracted by...other stuff. He flashed the other Pilot a smile, the blood rushing to his head in this pose and making his face flushed. "We made it danceable," he said, "but it kinda was stuff my grandma listens to. Not bad, though!"
-
More than anything, Alaric just wanted to go home, log on and destroy some damn monsters. He hated that everyone always seemed to only see Gabe. He was always in his friends shadow and it made him angry and hurt.
He loved Gabe. Gabriel was more than just a friend, he was more like the brother Alaric had never had. But sometimes, just a little, he hated his friend. He knew it wasn't Gabriel's fault, he couldn't help being extroverted, likable and attractive.
Instead, Alaric just grinned down at his friend, "Well, I should have known I was no match for your charm. It's those pretty green eyes of yours."
He blinked, lifting his head at the sound of the voice, "Oh. It was um....you played it very well." He straightened, lifting Gabriel with him, "It was very different than what is normally played here. A refreshing change."
-
Dante chuckled softly at the two of them, a warm smile crossing his lips. "I'm glad that the two of you were at least able to find some appreciation from my music." The fact that the two had found a way to enjoy themselves while listening, made it all the better.
"Forgive me if I am being too forward, but would the two of you join me in a drink before I head back to the citadel. I must admit that I am feeling much too energized now, just to head back right away."
-
Gabriel had to grab onto Alaric's shoulders to keep steady when he was pulled upright again, a little dizzy as the blood rushed back down. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, straightening out the messed up bangs and wiping his face in the process. It was pretty warm in the room from so many people dancing and producing all that body heat; even with the AC on, that didn't stop it from feeling muggy.
"Forward?" Gabriel arched an eyebrow. All he'd asked was if they wanted drinks, and Gabriel for one was kind of thirsty. He shrugged it off as Dante just being Dante (which was strangely formal and overly polite, in Gabriel's opinion) and looked at Alaric, patting his friend on the shoulder before detaching himself and straightening out his rumbled clothes.
"Yeah, I could use a drink. What about you, Ally?" He wasn't much of a drinker at all--bad things tended to happen when he got drunk, like his rather unfortunate tattoo--but after all that had happened tonight, a little alcohol might be good for the soul. Just enough to loosen up, relax, and think happy thoughts. The DJ had taken over and put on some good dance music and T'liika seemed to get the hint so there was still time to salvage the night.
But...
"We don't have to stay if you don't want to," he told Alaric in his mind, mental-voice concerned even though his expression was his usual jovial one.
-
No. It's okay. Really. Let's get that drink and have a party! He really just wanted to go hide, but...that wasn't fair to Gabe. And Alaric was starting to get a little tired of that. Tired of himself. People liked Gabe because Gabe was...fun. Alaric just needed to get better at being like that around people besides Gabriel.
Giving Dante a fang filled smile, Alaric gestured for the other man to lead the way, "Sure. I think one drink wont hurt." He couldn't handle too many, as his body couldn't process the poison as well as a humans, but one wouldn't hurt. And at least Dante seemed as awkward as he was. That was a plus!
Man Gabby darling, all the men want my bitch tonight. I think you wore those fuck me jeans on purpose tonight. Alaric gave Gabriel a slight nudge and a grin as they made their way over to the bar.
-
Dante returned Alaric's smile with a genuinely happy one of his own. They had both accepted his offer to join him for a drink. He didn't have many friends, unless one counted his twin, Smash Cat, though family didn't really count for 'outside' friends. So times like this, when he wasn't working or practicing his piano, were very rare indeed.
"I'm grateful for you both for coming out tonight to listen to my music, and thank you for indulging me with a drink. I rarely get out of the Citadel, so spending time with the two of you is truly a treat for me." Dante spoke softly, a little smile lingering on his lips.
Once they reached the bar, he turned to the two of them. "I hope it's not asking too much if you would order a drink for me as well. I don't have much experience with alcoholic drinks, save for the occasional glass of wine." He couldn't help the faint blush that rose to his cheeks as he admitted it.
-
"Alright, but if T'Liika comes back I won't hold it against you if you wanna high-tail it. Dude's a loser," Gabriel told Alaric while flashing a smile at Dante, practicing the art of carrying on a mental conversation while trying not to let it show. He'd gotten good at it over the years, but it was hard not to let anything flicker across your face and Gabriel tended to wear his emotions on his sleeve already.
Well. Most of them. Not counting the ones sealed under lock and key.
"Yeah, I can tell. You should get outside, get an artificial tan. The fresh dome air's good for you!" Gabriel gave Dante a light, friendly slap on the back. "Now lighten up, don't gotta be so formal and...gushy."
Indulging him? A treat? Didn't get out much? Alright, he had to admit, he felt a little sorry for the guy. He'd never really talked to Dante much aside from small talk like anyone else he bumped into running around the Citadel; jeez, but the longest conversation he'd had with him prior to now was probably him inviting them over to Syn to hear him play, and in retrospect that probably took some guts. Something about him was just radiating zero social skills and awkwardness--kind of like Alaric when he was around other people--and that made him want to rescue him.
He followed Alaric and Dante over to the bar and hopped up onto a stool. "You serious? Alright, then, it's girlie drinks for you." Just...wine? He flashed Dante an odd look and then turned to wave down the bartender, ordering a strawberry margarita for Dante and, after Alaric's comment about his pants, decided on 'sex on the beach' for himself.
"Well, they are bondage pants," he said with a grin, swinging a leg so the chains and straps jingled. Then he gave a little start. "Heeey..." he said out loud, giving Alaric a mock-frown. "I thought we'd established you were the bitch tonight."
-
Dante's speech was rather strange and Alaric had to resist the urge to smile at it. He didn't know anyone who talked like that and it was nice being around someone that seemed as nervous around people as he was. It made him perk up a little to know he wasn't the most awkward one at the table.
He gave Gabe another reassuring smile, "I'm okay. Really. If that jerk comes back, I'll just tell him I'm pregnant with you baby."
Sliding onto a stool at the bar, Alaric hunched over a little, trying to not stick out so much next to everyone else, "I'll take a Toasted Almond." It was a favorite and was pretty light. Nothing that would mess him up too bad.
Glancing over at his friend, Alaric took a sip of the drink the bartender handed him, "Excuse me? Who was dipping who on the dance floor? That's right. You're the bitch."
-
Dante knew that his speech patterns, and choices of words were different then most peoples, but it's what he felt comfortable with. He gave a little shrug, "I suppose so, though I have to admit that I've never really spent much time outside in the dome... I was born and raised in the citadel after all." It seemed that many people didn't know that about him, either that or they didn't care.
He paused and blinked a bit at what Alaric was saying... Gabe was his bitch? "I think I must be missing something here..." he chuckled lightly and shook his head some. Sometimes it was difficult trying to figure out people's senses of humor. A lot of things he just didn't get. He held his hand out so that he could pay for their drinks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bartender fixed their drinks. Earlier, he'd been instructed to slip something into the drink of the friend of the pianist who was playing there that night. However, it seemed that the man had two friends with him. That was an unexpected hiccup, and he wasn't sure what to do at first, but he quickly came to a conclusion. The easiest way to solver this problem was to add a couple drops of the clear liquid drug into the drinks of both of the man's friends.
He wondered for a moment why the person that had paid them only wanted the friend to be drugged, but then he shrugged it off, figuring that perhaps they wanted to set up the pianist for something.
With a smile, he set the drinks up for the men, then was already off to serve the next customer.
-
Gabriel did a mental double-take before he remembered, oh right, Alaric had both parts. It didn't bother him, but it was sometimes easy to forget things like, oh, that Alaric was capable of conceiving, carrying, and birthing a child. That was pretty wild. "Oh man, Ally, our lovechild would be so weird looking!" he 'pathed back to Alaric, sending along with it an image of what their hypothetical kid would look like: copper-colored skin, three green eyes, spiky blonde hair, and horns, teeth, claws, and tail.
Looked like a pretty unfortunate child...
Shifting his attention back to the spoken conversation, Gabriel barked a laugh at Dante's obvious confusion and grabbed up his drink, taking a quick sip. Mm, that was so good. Jeez, he missed this stuff, and one couldn't possibly hurt. It was only multiples that ended with him waking up with freakin' rainbow stars on his aching, tattooed belly. "Tchyeah, you're missing the part where it's actually Alaric who's my bitch, but he just won't take losing with grace and doesn't know when to give up."
He paused, taking another drink. "Anyway, being born there's no excuse. I spent like...over four years in the ATC, but I didn't stay cooped up there once I got to leave. You need to get out and have fun sometimes. Life's short."
-
"I don't see why it has to have you eyes. Blue would be much prettier." Alaric grinned at the image. The kid would look pretty weird. Any kid Alaric had would probably look weird. His stomach tightened and the smile faded a bit thinking that thought. He never planned on having kids, not with the psychic gene, but he couldn't help but think about Remi. And any kids he would have had with him would have been little freak children.
Those thoughts led to Alaric taking a long drink from his cup, shoving them aside. Happy thoughts. They were going to have a good time. Alaric snorted at Gabe's comment, "What? Please! Gabriel here is the bitch. One, I'm taller and you were the one getting dipped. That. Makes Gabe the bitch."
-
Dante gave a little chuckle at the banter between the two. "Perhaps you both are bitches?" he suggested hesitantly with a shrug. He really wasn't sure if that was the appropriate response for this type of social encounter, but it was too late now.
He paused a moment to take a sip of the drink that Gabe had ordered for him. It was sweet, and almost a bit chemical tasting from the strawberry flavouring, though it was quickly overpowered from the kick of the alcohol. He could see how this type of drink would be dangerous. It was the kind where a person could easily drink many of these and become far too drunk way too fast.
Giving a little sigh, he looked down at the drink, shifting back to the conversation about getting out and living a little. "I can't imagine what it was like to be living in the outside world," meaning outside of the citadel. "True I was born within it and grew up there in my earlier years... however, once I started having visions, I was transferred to a lab facility to be tested, trained and experimented on until I was of age to be put into Candidacy. I was even cloned at one point," he said with a shrug. "Even being here right now, like this... it makes me feel uneasy, and a little edgy..." Dante admitted truthfully.
-
"Pffft, blue's got nothing on green," Gabriel answered back, modest as always. "Green's the color of envy for a reason, dude."
Dante's words brought him back out of the psychic exchange and he cracked a broad grin, taking another gulp of his drink. "Both? Nah. There can only be one and Ally, don't believe him. Bigger isn't always better!" he said, turning to wink at his alien friend. "There's also, y'know, the important stuff. Like wit and charm and girth."
But the teasing came to an abrupt end when Dante explained himself, and Gabriel froze with his drink halfway to his lips and stared, unblinking. Uhhwha? Labs? Clones? Experiments? His eyebrows climbed impossibly high and when he realized he was staring, he pounded back the rest of his drink and set the glass aside, but that only bought a little time and did nothing for the awkward silence that followed.
He cleared his throat. "Oh...um...that's..." He blinked several times; had the lights always been that bright and shiny? Ah, whatever, that wasn't what was so freakin' weid right now. "Wow, dude. I, ah...can't...really think of a good response to that." And that wasn't just because the lights were so damned distracting all of a sudden.
-
Alaric opened his mouth to respond to Gabe, but Dante's explanation killed any thoughts he had. What was he even talking about? Shifting his weight, he made eye contact with Gabriel. Was this guy even serious? Clones?.
It wasn't often that Alaric hung out with someone that was even more awkward than he was. He lifted his hand, signaling the bartender to come over, "Uh, I'll take a shot please. Of anything strong."
He didn't drink often, but tonight seemed like a night he should tackle while drunk. Who just said things like that!?
-
Dante took in both of their reactions and sighed a little bit, looking down at the drink in his hands for a moment. "It seems that I have done it again... said something to turn the situation into an awkward one." He took a sip of his drink then. "Sometimes I wonder if I should just stick to music instead of trying to interact with other people... it's... it's just so hard at times... to know what is appropriate and what isn't..."
-
"Uhhh...I'll take whatever he's getting," Gabriel added, turning to the barkeep. Looked like that was the only way he was going to make it through the rest of this night, because he still wasn't sure what to make of someone nonchalantly announcing that they'd been cloned.
Turning back to Dante, he gave a weak grin. "Well, see, that's probably it. This, if anything, is a sign that you should be getting out more and--whoa..." It felt like he was falling backwards suddenly and he gripped the counter, jaw clenching.
-
"Gabe? You-" Alaric started to reach for Gabriel when his head swam. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. He blinked, all three of his eyes. There were colors in the air, dancing along, flowing through the air. But only his third eye could see them, like when something was invisible.
"...whoa."
-
Dante knew that he'd made a social faux pas, so he didn't really blame the other two for wanting something more to drink. He was really doing well just sipping what he had.
That's when things started to go wrong.
Gabe was talking to him, probably to give him some advice, when the younger male started to loose his balance. Of course Alaric was the first to react to try and help his friend, but then it seemed as though he was seeing things that weren't there.
"Gabriel? Alaric? Are the two of you alright?" It was a stupid question, since they probably weren't, but he had to ask it anyways. No doubt their dragons would already be reporting in that something wasn't right with them, but that didn't stop him from having Aria report in the situation either.
-
"Uhh...I don't..." Gabriel didn't really know the answer to that question; he was too busy trying not to panic as the initial rush washed over him and he felt weightless, like he wasn't really there, detached and yet not. The music pounded in his ears and he wondered if he'd ever before noticed how deep it was. He felt the table under his hands, cool and smooth like liquid glass against his fingertips and he didn't want to move from that spot. Didn't know that he wouldn't just float away if he didn't stay grounded. It was like flying without Siren, a rush of euphoria, of freedom.
"I don't...I...yeah. It's alright. I'm good, I just, I don't know what the hell's..." His head swam, the techno beat making the flashing club lights dance to the tune. It was beautiful; he could see all eighty-three colors, and the panic started to die down as the ecstasy kicked in.
-
"'M not feelin' so good..." Alaric swayed, shaking his head and trying to clear it. He didn't like what was happening. Everything was moving strangely and the music was pounding through him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, too fast. Like he had been running.
His legs gave out from under him and Alaric dropped to the ground, blinking at the air around him, "Gabe? What...I don't like this."
The drug was hitting his alien system and it wasn't going well for Alaric. It was a toxin for him, his body struggling to handle it.
"Alaric? What are you doing? Kazef's voice was strange in his head and Alaric made a pained sound. He couldn't make his psionics work right. The voice was too loud.
"Alaric! Answer me!"
-
Dante urged Aria to hurry up and send help for these two pilots, knowing that there would be an investigation as well. Taking a couple seconds to assess the situation, he came to the conclusion that Alaric needed help first, not that he could do much at the moment.
"Gabe, don't move from that spot. Alaric, I've already called for help and it should be here soon. Do you think you can make it to a chair for the next couple of minutes?"
Whomever it was that pulled this stunt, certainly had balls.
[hr:2iddbmi0][/hr:2iddbmi0]
T'liika hadn't been that far away, so when Sincerity informed him of the situation back at Syn. he cursed under his breath and hurried back to the club. It figures that something should happen to the youngsters right after he leaves.
It didn't take him long to find the trio, and made a mental note that it appeared as though Dante was the only one who wasn't suffering from the effects of some unknown drug. He moved over to them right away, his attention already focused on Alaric, knowing full well of the boy's unique system.
"Alaric... hey Alaric. Can you focus on my voice?" he asked softly.
-
Alaric stared up at T'liika, unable to hear anything but his own heart pounding in his ears. Kazef's voice was distant, muted. Then his body started to shake and he groped one hand out, trying to locate Gabe. This was bad, very bad. He knew that, but he couldn't seem to make his body work right and the shaking wouldn't stop.
-
"Ally?" It was hard to focus with the music thumping in his ears and body, the lights all too brilliant, everything so focused, and yet despite that his head felt clear, peaceful. It was a weird sort of disconnect between all the intense sensations and yet that sense of being okay with it all--or okay with most things.
Alaric hit the floor and worry filtered through the euphoria. "Ally? Ally, what's wrong?"
He dropped down to the floor next to him and groped for his un-clawed hand--was his skin always so smooth?--and felt him shaking. Some part of him still had sense left and he stroked his thumb down to Alaric's wrist to feel his pulse, which was out of control. More panic filtered in, but it took a second to snap his attention off of Alaric's third eye, which was doing interesting things right now. He clenched his eyes shut to try and escape the visuals, but they continued behind his eyelids.
"He needs a doctor. He needs a doctor now. Siren?" Oh, right. "Siren! Alaric's down! Roofied or drugged or poisoned or something, I dunno. He's bad, he's shaking real bad," he told the dragon, running a hand through Alaric's hair as he spoke.
"I've sent out a call to the local paramedics. I've also notified any Pilots in the area," came Siren's terse reply. He was pissed. Gabriel could hear the cold anger in it. "T'liika and Bart are near. Stay where you are."
That was when T'liika arrived. Gabriel looked up at him, still petting Alaric's hair. "No! He can't! He needs a hospital!" he snapped.
-
He had been going out to pick up some take out when all of a sudden Nuriel had informed him that two Pilots were down in that stupid club. Drugged or poisoned, one of them needed medical attention immediately.
There weren't many things that got Bart mad but this was one of them. It was his fucking night off and some shit had decided to fuck with some Pilots? Heads were going to fucking roll.
Bart entered the club by kicking the door open, ignoring the surprised bouncer as he strode over to the bar. "This place is on lockdown. Now. No one fucking leaves." The music ground to a halt, the staff scrambling to obey the orders and the overhead lights coming on, flooding the previously dark building in light.
He took everything in, Alaric on the ground, Gabe next to him, with two relatively fine Pilots with them, "Alright, what happened? Report, now." While T'liika was an equal rank, Bart was the Director of Inquisition and with multiple Pilots involved, this was his jurisdiction until they were all cleared or a Seeker arrived to contest it.
-
T'liika looked to Gabe and narrowed his eyes a little. "Hold your tongue Pilot. I already know this, but nothing good comes from panicking or being too hasty." He remained his calm, even when Bart came in as pissed as a hornets nest.
"I was on my way back to the Citadel when I was alerted of the trouble. Upon my arrival I discovered Pilot Eftwyrd and Pilot Tierney in this state, while Cardinal Pilot Sterling, already attempting to aide Pilot Eftwyrd, appears to be unaffected." That was basically all he knew. "Pilot Eftwyrd's system can not handle whatever he was given, and in serious need of medical attention. I would also suggest that Pilot Tierney be taken to see Royal Pilot Sterling at the infirmary as well."
[hr:21sry0c1][/hr:21sry0c1]
Dante knew that this could look very bad for him, but he couldn't worry about that now. The main concern was to make sure that Alaric and Gabe were going to be alright. After T'liika had said his bit, Dante stood in order to give his report.
"Sir. I was performing at the club tonight and had invited Pilots Eftwyrd and Tierney to come listen. After the performance, we met up at the bar in order to have a couple of drinks. Not that long after they had consumed their first drink, the signs of being drugged started to show. I immediately asked Aria to alert the citadel of this."
Having been raised in the citadel, Dante always was very formal when it came to work, or addressing his superiors.
-
"I don't fuckin' care! He needs a fuckin' doctor, now!" Gabriel yelled back at T'liika, the sound loud in his ears. He turned his attention to Bart, eyes wide and pupils dilated more than normal. "Bart?"
-
"Hey kid. It's me. Just relax." Bart sent a quick request to Nuriel about the state of the ambulance. It was almost there. He disliked letting anyone leave, but there wasn't much of a choice and he highly doubted Gabe and Alaric drugged themselves.
Though he would still question the shit out of both of them.
"Who had access to the drinks? I want all the staff held for questioning."
"Nuriel, is Pilot Des around? Get him here now."
His eyes flicked back to the group of Pilots, "Sterling and Far'see, you will report to the Lead Rooms immediately. Pilot Des shall be here shortly to escort you."
The doors burst open again, an ambulance team arrived. Bart waved them in, the bouncers moving to stop them as the Pilot had said a lockdown. It wasn't hard to see who needed the help, as Alaric was twitching violently now, his breathing ragged.
-
"With all due respect, Hamilton, I am going to have to insist on escorting these three to the infirmary. Eftwyrd may not make it there before serious damage is done to him because of whatever is in his system. I can slow his time down in order to limit the possible harm done to him," T'liika stated as he stood back enough for the team to check Alaric out and put him on the gurney.
"Also, considering that Eftwyrd and Tierney are under the influence of some sort of drug, it would be safe to say that the possibility of Cardinal Sterling being drugged as well is high. It could possibly be damaging to his system, so it would be best to have him taken to the Infirmary as well in order to be checked out."
-
"No." Bart gave T'liika a hard look, irritated at the man, though he was unlikely to be involved, "You can go with Eftwyrd if it will keep him alive. But the medics are going to be taking him." He was not about to risk the Pilot by trying to get him all the way to the Citadel.
"Nuriel, get Staresti to the hospital to meet Alaric." Turning, Alaric looked over Starling and shook his head, "I highly doubt he's been given anything. Look how fucked up those two are. If he starts showing signs, Des will take care of it. You can insist all ya want, but that ain't changin' anything. Yer gonna be goin' with Des when he gets here back ta the Citadel."
-
Dante spoke up softly, to also give a little bit of information, "If there was anything in my drink it might not show up as soon, since I only had a sip or two while Eftwyrd and Tierney were already onto their second drink." He wasn't going to argue with Bart about going to the lead rooms, even though he was rather concerned about the welfare of the other two. He'd just have to check on them after he was released.
T'liika was none too pleased that he was being treated like a suspect when he'd been sent to respond to the situation just like Bart had been, but there was no room to butt heads over it right now. "If need be I could stop his time for hours if need be in order to keep him alive. Though I would ask that you send Royal Sterling to the hospital that we'll be taken to, since she knows Eftwyrd's biology better then any medical professional in this city."
-
"Well, you start having effects, we'll get ya looked at." Bart didn't really think T'liika was a suspect, but, well, one couldn't be to careful. That was his job after all, being paranoid.
"Staresti is on his way already. I have faith in his abilities, but if you insist, I'll let him know you would rather Starling take his place." Bart wasn't going to tell August that with out making it clear it wasn't his intention. He had utter faith in the doctor and wasn't about to call his ability into question. Bart made it a personal habit to keep his medical staff happy with him.
As they spoke, the medical team finished loading Alaric up and started taking him out, one pausing to jog over to Bart, looking a little distracted, "Uh, yeah, so um, we're gonna take him to Westland Memorial. We're hoping to keep him stable, but uh, we don't know a ton about his ra-"
Bart cut him off, "We'll have a specialist along. Do what you can and get going."
The man nodded and turned and rushed off. Brat turned his attention back to Gabriel. The blond didn't seem in any danger, just high as a kite. He would make sure he got home safe, probably just bring him back to his place so he could keep an eye on him.
-
"Thank you. I'll report to the lead rooms once Callista and my escort arrive at the hospital," he paused for a moment, a bit more serious. "I know that you'll find the people who did this." With that he rushed to get into the ambulance with Alaric.
Not wanted to take any chances, he crawled onto the bed in order to straddle Alaric's legs and placed his hands on the younger pilot's chest, then activated his chronokenesis, and brought his and Alaric's time to a very slow pace compared to the people around them.
-
"Alaric! He's gonna be okay? I needa go with him!" Gabriel scrambled to his feet--and in his drugged state it felt like he just kept going, like the simple act of standing up was going to send him floating into the air. He grabbed onto Bart's shoulder out of reflex, needing to hold onto something to feel grounded. His fingers dug into his skin.
It was around that time that Adrian showed up, pushing past the bouncers and jogging to Bart's side. His expression was calm, but he flicked a calculating glance Dante's way before returning his attention to Bart. "I came as quickly as I could. Kismet filled me in."
-
The medics gave T'liika a confused look, "Uh, sir? You can't be on him. We still need to reach him to work." Anyone not a Pilot would have been shoved off so they could continue their lifesaving, but Pilots made them nervous.
Bart nodded to Des, "Good. Take Sterling back to question. Don't start until I tell you, but keep an eye on him. Far'se will need to be collected from the hospital as well. And everyone here needs to get questioned. I expect you back here after you collect the Pilots to help me interview here."
-
Right before T'liika activated his chronokenesis, he looked directly at the paramedic. "This is the best position to make sure that I am not knocked away from him during transportation to the hospital. What I'm doing is stopping mine and his time so that by the time we reach the emergency room, it will be as though only a few seconds has passed for me and him. Do you understand?"
Dante was frowning to himself with how everything was turning out. All he wanted was to have a nice night out, with the possibility of making some friends. This was far from what he'd had in mind. He looked up at Des when Bart spoke to tell the other pilot what to do. While he was worried about Gabe and Alaric, he knew there was no point in protesting. "I'm ready to be taken back."
-
"Yes sir," Adrian said with a brisk salute before turning to Dante. Looked like it was going to be one long night--but an interesting one, at that. He kept his senses open to pick up on any rogue emotions, anything that might tip him off to his charge being anything less than sincere.
"Let's go, Sterling. And while we walk, why don't you fill me in on what happened?"
The ambulance was driving away then and Gabriel was in a near panic. Not much made sense right now and no one was telling him what was going on. Alaric was gone now, and the last he'd seen of him had been him convulsing before being loaded into the ambulance. "I need to see him. I need to go. Westland, right? I gotta go."
-
Bart wrapped an arm around Gabe, "Alaric is fine. He's going to get taken care of. Now, I'm gonna take you back home." Des could handle interviewing the staff here and police were already getting everything locked down tight.
Probably not a good idea to leave Gabe on his own. Might as well take him back to his place where he could keep an eye on him.
-
Dante nodded and went with Adrian. "It was suppose to just be a regular night here. Things were going well, and Gabe, Alaric and I were getting drinks. Things seemed fine, until they started on their second ones, then they started to feel weird. That's when I knew that something was up."
-
"But--" Gabriel leaned into Bart's arm, suddenly distracted by the sensation. It felt comforting. Nice. Warm. He suddenly wanted to curl into it and wrap it all around him and he wrapped an arm around Bart and sighed. Of course Alaric would be fine; Bart was here so everything was fine. "Hmm...you smell really good."
[hr:1u15vwdo][/hr:1u15vwdo]
"And you didn't pick up anything odd? No thoughts from anyone, such as the bartender?" Adrian asked.
-
"Yeah yeah. Real nice." Bart shook his head, half carrying Gabe out the door. He was gonna have to get a taxi, having taken public transportation on the way here. Hadn't really planned on bringing home a messed up Pilot.
He flagged one down and helped load the messed up Pilot inside, "Buckle up, yeah?"
[Exit Rina]
-
Dante shook his head with a frown, thinking things over. "No, nothing out of the ordinary. Though when I focus on playing my music, I tend to block everything else out, since it's my focus for my visions. Otherwise, every time that I play, I would be receiving random visions constantly, and it would defeat the purpose of my music being my Focus Trigger. The effects of having blocked everything out tends to linger, mostly to ensure that any unimportant vision that might hit me, isn't allowed through," he said softly, before pausing to watch Bart carry Gabe out.