open post: in a slightly hazy lounge

[peaklordshen]

After a few false starts, Shen Qingqiu has found a proper place to test out Crowley's BL pollen vape pen.

He posts up in one of the lounges, close enough to the bar that anyone leaving there might find him. He's still in his braid and loose robes - no one else had noticeably started dressing gayer¹ when they took the stuff, intentional or not, so neither will he. He also brings snacks,² and the next book in the Blood at Dusk series, Moonless Midnight, in case it takes a while to kick in, or a while for anyone to come along to prove it has, anyway. If no one finds him here he will go looking, but roaming the Mansion's halls newly homosexual feels like a much more risky prospect than just staying put and seeing what happens.

He arrays himself on a couch, feet tucked up under him (although this might not be immediately apparent due to the robes), Crowley's pen tucked behind one ear so he can make more notes now that he has a glimmer of a chance that Binghe will forgive him,³ and takes a drag on the vape.

He coughs. It's smoke, not pollen—the blooms must be dried and then burned, like with tobacco—and has an odd, kind of greenish flavor. Not unpleasant, but not pleasant, either. He expected it to taste of, like. Cherry blossom, or something. Pink rather than green. Shit, maybe he is a little homophobic.

He takes another drag, and lets the smoke out of his mouth slowly this time, watching it curl up to the ceiling.

By the time anyone finds him, he will be staring unblinking at the opposite wall, book open on his lap to the third page of the first chapter.

[Threads with Sagramore and Luo Binghe are NSFW.]

¹ Please explain what you mean by this, Shen Qingqiu. I'll wait.
² Crowley did tell him to.
³ After he confirms that the pollen works. And goes to find Binghe. And kisses him. And— well. Maybe. After. He can raise the book club idea again?

Comments

[peaklordshen]

"Oh," says Shen Qingqiu. "Sorry, that was reductive—I thought you knew each other well, before you came here." He'd also thought they were both from England, because King Arthur, or—no, he guesses that's not true, hadn't he heard where Sagramore was from when he'd met him as a small, imperious prince? He can't remember right now. "That's odd. Everyone else who's here in pairs from the same world seems to know each other well. I wonder why this place chose Sagramore for you,¹ rather than your Percival."

¹ Shen Qingqiu is dearly fond of Sagramore, but if one of the two knights was chosen to be here, the other being a hanger-on like he is to Binghe, it's Galahad.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Maybe because it knew I would break my vows." He takes a bit of Shen Qingqiu's robe and rubs it against his fingers. For some reason he doesn't feel it's as important to be still and good. "Maybe it's better that Percival doesn't have to know."

[peaklordshen]

"I doubt it," says Shen Qingqiu, honestly. "I don't think this place knows shit." If it did, and it brought him here to make Luo Binghe happy, why hadn't it made him gay on arrival or something, so they could have just slept together immediately¹ and Shen Qingqiu would be happily ensconced in his harem by now, having book clubs whenever Bingge had time for him, which would be more here than ever in PIDW, because no Empire duties? With an effort, he refocuses on Galahad, the newly relaxed line of him, the open interest on his face as he explored texture and cloth with his gentle fingers. "Also, I don't know what vows you've broken, but I think Percival would like to see you like this."

¹ He has conveniently forgotten the whole part where he was convinced Bingge was here to kill him.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you think?" Galahad brightens somewhat. The lightness inside him still wants to come out, and Shen Qingqiu's pronouncement that Percival would like to see him gives it permission to start to bubble up from him. "I wish he was here." He looks at Shen Qingqiu under his lashes and blushes. "I wish he would kiss me. He can't, but I wish it."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu takes Galahad gently and sincerely by the shoulders. "If he were here, right now, he would," he says. "Anyone would kiss you, if you wanted it." He means it—it's the protagonist energy. And the BL pollen. And the very sweet blush.

[onthewillowsthere]

"I want to kiss back," seriously; he touches his fingers to his lips.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu beams at him. He's so proud--Galahad is really taking to the BL pollen so well. "It's nice," he says. "Right? To want to kiss back." He's touching his own lips in unconscious echo.

[onthewillowsthere]

An eager nod. He smiles back at Shen Qingqiu, which as usual does nothing to make the fey structure of his face look less unsettling. "Will it last?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu hesitates. "I don't know," he says, because he doesn't, technically. "I guess we'll find out together."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Who have you done it for? Luo Binghe?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu feels himself go very pink, but that's okay—they match. He nods. "He kissed me," he says. "I...needed to be able to kiss him back."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad, still smiling, nods as if this is the most practical situation in the world. "I understand."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu stares at his face in a sort of wonder. He does understand. What an amazing thing. So many people hadn't gotten it, when he'd explained in the greenhouse, but Galahad does. It's like they've unlocked a new level of communication, first with the flowers and now with—he laughs. Another kind of flower language.

He feels light and joyful, to be so understood by a beautiful boy, and he reaches out to ruffle Galahad's hair with both hands, drawing him forward to plant a kiss on his forehead, between his eyes.

[onthewillowsthere]

He laughs -- Shen Qingqiu is very good at making him feel better, though he feels equally buoyed by the power of the remedy Shen Qingqiu gave him -- and leans into the touch. He loves being touched. He's not sure why he's always so afraid of it when it's what he wants. Galahad closes his eyes and enjoys it, Shen Qingqiu's hands in his hair and the kiss and the feeling of being liked.

He feels very much as though he could stay here forever, but eventually he sighs softly and lifts his eyes. "I should go find him. Since you don't know how long it lasts. I promise I'll come back."

[peaklordshen]

For a disorienting second Shen Qingqiu thinks the him in question is Percival, that Galahad had figured out a way to go back home, just briefly, just long enough to be kissed. But then he remembers about Claudius, the ostensible reason for Galahad's imbibing of BL pollen with him.

He sighs. "Alright." He wants to offer to go with him, in case Claudius is not good enough to him in this open and joyful state, but flushes at the idea of being there if he is. Besides, he needs to stay here until Binghe finds him. "Good luck," he says, petting Galahad's head again in farewell.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad smiles beatifically. "Thank you. You're a good friend."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu waves a hand at him, embarrassed, and lets him go.