Log [it takes two]
Title: Preoccupying the Mind
Characters: Il Forte, Tesla
Locale: The corridor outside of Tousen's group therapy room
Timeframe: After therapy, afternoonish.
What: First meetings are awesome.
Rating/Warning: PG-13. It gives us something to shoot for. xD
As always, he was the first one out.
His lean torso was sleek against the corridor's wall, mouth hinting ( Read more... )
Characters: Il Forte, Tesla
Locale: The corridor outside of Tousen's group therapy room
Timeframe: After therapy, afternoonish.
What: First meetings are awesome.
Rating/Warning: PG-13. It gives us something to shoot for. xD
As always, he was the first one out.
His lean torso was sleek against the corridor's wall, mouth hinting ( Read more... )
Noitra had been right there -- so close, Tesla could have reached out and touched him -- but he'd been removed so quickly he hadn't been able to even say a word.
It hurt, sometimes. Most of the time, even. To know he was in the same room as the person he would do anything for, and yet couldn't even speak to him in private.
Tesla missed Noitra in every way possible, and although many things were very nice at this place, none of it made up for the horrible depression he felt when he was isolated from the person he would die to serve.
He walked out alone, unescorted, wide eyes downcast. He didn't even notice Il Forte, leaning against the wall, until he'd nearly tripped over the other male's foot.
"Hello," Tesla said, forcing a polite smile on his face. "Terribly sorry to have almost tripped over you -- I was hardly looking at where I was going."
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"No worries, brother. I understand."
Eyes flickered up to the attendants rounding the corner, and his face fell. "I couldn't help but notice..." he began, then stopped. "Ah, it's none of my business, brother. But I am sorry for your...current situation." The tone was sincere enough. It wasn't as if he was going to be mean about it. Some people in here deserved genuine pity, and others did not. But he wasn't letting the sob story ruin his goals. Not in the least.
Pale fingers toyed with dusty blonde hair, and he let his eyes wander for a few seconds before turning back to the patient in front of him. "So...Brother Tesla, was it? Would you like to walk in the gardens?" It was a harmless suggestion, and he was only trying to usurp the thoughts of the dark-haired man in Tesla's mind. Desire would do the rest.
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But alas, Il Forte had already seemed to notice. "Oh, you needn't be, sir," Tesla replied with a faint smile. "Though I thank you for your concern."
Tesla, as a person who had been raised in a family of servants and was technically Noitra's personal servant, had grown up thinking that he was subservient to everyone else. He had difficulty referring to people by their first names, unless they were of the same status as he was. However, Il Forte Grantz was certainly above him in status, and so Tesla referred to him politely as well.
"Ah, yes," he said, looking faintly surprised that the other male had remembered his name. "A walk in the gardens would be nice, thank you." It would help him clear his mind, at the very least, and he wouldn't mind spending time with someone new.
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The subservient demeanor. The polite manners. Il Forte's interest in him grew with each passing word. He couldn't have planned it any better even if he had a chance to rewrite this encounter. He began to walk slowly, hands clasped behind his back as pale violet eyes looked back to see if Tesla would follow.
"The flowers are so pretty today, brother. I'm glad I have someone to share them with."
It was true, this statement. Misery loved company in every way, shape and form, and Il Forte grew lonely despite his cheery disposition. His hair swished back and forth across his back, and he flipped it over one shoulder and ran his fingers through it idily. A faint smile came to mind as the fragrant scent of the gardens spilled into the hall, drifting lazily towards him and envelloping him in their delicate embrace.
"Tell me...if you don't mind, upon what conditions do you find yourself in such a
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He decided to heed Il Forte's words. "Of course, s-- Il Forte."
Tesla stayed in step beside the blond, and smiled faintly. "They are," he agreed. It was springtime, and the flowers really were blooming wonderfully. They reminded him of the gardens back home.
Tesla was a bit surprised at the question that left his companion's lips, and floundered for a moment. It was the first time he had ever been asked such a thing, and he looked at the garden rather than Il Forte.
"My official diagnosis is homosexuality and masochism, sir," Tesla replied, almost nervously. "Er. Il Forte." He wasn't sure whether it was polite or not to ask about Il Forte's own diagnosis, and so chose not to. He did not mention Noitra.
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Like no one saw that coming.
It wasn't as if Il Forte was ashamed of the fact.
They reached the garden, and Il Forte reached out one hand to firmly wrap around the door handle to open it. He inhaled deeply and smiled faintly. He turned to Tesla, smile growing a bit more mischevious.
"You know what you should do? Wear a skirt. It really pisses people off." He laughed, movements paused as he waited for his companion to pass through the threshhold.
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So Il Forte was homosexual as well? At least Tesla now knew that he and Noitra weren't the only ones. He'd never thought it to be particularly abnormal, however. Was it really that much of a problem that they needed to be institutionalised for it?
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, merely nodding to Il Forte's statement. Then, his eyes grew wide. "A - a skirt? No, no thank you -- I happen to like wearing pants, if it's all the same to you." There was no way he'd ever do something like that -- it would make him feel uncomfortable -- well ... not unless Noitra asked him to, of course.
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The garden spanned before them, and Il Forte began to stroll at a leisurely pace, stopping every now and then to smell a particular flower. It almost made him feel as if he wasn't in an asylum, as if he was in the gardens near home. But 'home' wasn't what it used to be.
Turning to Tesla, his face was somewhat serious as his eyes flitted to his and away towards another flower. He had ran out of conversation. It wasn't like him to fall silent. But what else could he say? He didn't want to place Tesla in a distressed state by asking about life before the institution because that would just mess up his whole plan. But you never know until you try.
"Your...life before here, was it nice?"
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He walked in step with the other male, admiring the flowers and the perfect weather. It really was a nice day for a walk, and he found himself glad that someone had actually invited him to come along. Il Forte really did seem like a decent sort.
Although Il Forte might have expected him to become upset at the mention of his previous life, Tesla felt no sort of distress or unhappiness at all. He smiled.
"Yes, it was quite nice. My parents are very kind and caring people. They've said they'll write to me, at the very least." He brightened at this. He had always been very close with his family, and the only person that he felt equally (if not more so) devoted to was Noitra, and he, at least, was here. "Was yours?" he asked, almost uncertainly. He didn't want to say something wrong, after all.
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"Life before this was a competition for affection. I was always the family's black sheep. They found my younger brother to be the favorite."
The thought of Zaera-Polo brought a damper to their walk, and he sought to avoid the topic just as he did the invididual. Picking a delicate lily, he sniffed it and smiled, twirling the stem between his fingers. His favorite flower.
"But enough about me...how about you? Any sort of information will do, brother."
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He wasn't sure what to do or say, and so stood awkwardly and silently as the blond stopped to smell a flower, hands clasped behind his back.
He resolved to stop asking questions that might be taken badly, and he merely said softly, "I am ... terribly sorry to hear this," before answering the other male's inquiry.
"Ah ... well, I'm hardly very interesting," he said with a nervous sort of smile. "What sort of things would you like to know?"
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"Ah, well you don't choose who you're related to, as I always say." The nonchalant reply hid the slight twinge of jealousy that resonated through his heart, but his interest was piqued as Tesla replied to his query.
"Oh...any sort of information will do. And to the contrary, I find you very interesting, brother." Eyelashes fluttered as a secret smile passed upon his lips briefly before he began walking again, lavender eyes focused upon the other intently.
Like a predator enjoying the chase.
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Tesla began walking alongside Il Forte as the other male started to move once more, and he frowned slightly, thinking of what to say. He wasn't very interesting, really ... there was hardly anything he could say about himself.
"Ah ... well, when I leave this institution, I will continue my job as a servant to the people my family has served for generations," he offered. That was something, wasn't it?
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"Oh, brother? And what if you don't leave this place?"
It wasn't mean to be condescending or cruel. One must always have all aspects of the future in mind, right? Everyone wanted out, that's true. Everyone felt their imprisonment unfair, to say the least. But very few ever made it out. The thought was dark and to tread upon it was danger. Hastily, he changed the subject.
"It must be nice to have such loyalty in a family." He began to walk again, the serene smile spreading on his lips once more. "Is it, brother Tesla?"
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