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]

Moist Shen Qingqiu's brain repeats at him, and he mouths it with a kind of fascinated horror. Moist????

Anyway. Outside of that. It's a little sad that Claudius is blaming his own BL pollen use on the humors. It's okay to want to be gay just to be gay, dude. "Isn't that why most people partake?" he asks, pointedly. "Just for fun?"

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs appreciatively. "Oh, true enough. Is this not your first time partaking, then? I did think you could use some of the sangfroid effects."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu is not particularly interested in what Claudius thinks he could use, especially in a BL pollen context, and also he can't remember what 'sangfroid' means. But like hell if he's going to admit to that, or to this being his first time becoming gay.

"Of course not," he lies, and then, daring, "and you? I know there was the once, with Crowley." But--earlier. Right? With Binghe. But maybe that time was an accidental dose. And--"Did you and Galahad...?"

[wickedwit]

Claudius fixes Shen Qingqiu with an intent look, weighing how much Shen Qingqiu is likely to already know, and how much it would hurt to tell him. In truth, he realizes, the risks are very small. Even if Shen Qinqiu spread scurrilous rumors, the highest authority Claudius could worry about ruining his courtship is a principality, and Aziraphale already knows. And if Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe are yet on a cordial speaking terms, Claudius is sure whatever news the Peak Lord carries will be conveyed in such a way as to flatter and soothe his lord's choleric temperament.

"Yes, well, there was a time where Galahad only needed one remedy from me," Claudius says wryly. "After he lost his memories, I believe he also lost many of the inhibitions this particular medicine is meant to lift. It would've been pleasant to try it together," he allows, with a fond thought of Galahad giddy and relaxed, and the assortment of foods Claudius could arrange to have on hand for him. "We've resumed our courtship, if it can be called that -- hopefully we'll have some chances to partake in new experiences. Did you and Galahad share any remedies together? I understand you've recently been a help to him."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu goes a little pink. So--losing his memories had made Galahad gay?? That kind of makes sense--if he couldn't remember he was straight before, why not?¹

His first instinct is to wave away Claudius' insinuations that he and Galahad had taken pollen together, of course not, don't be crude--but then, why wouldn't they?? Everyone else seemed to be doing it with every cute boy they knew, and Galahad is a very cute boy.

But. He doesn't want Galahad to be confused--or worse, lie for him--if Claudius asks. "No," he says, finally.² "No 'remedies.'" He does airquotes. "I just, like. Helped him find a way to express himself, because words are hard."

¹ The thing stopping most people from being gay is not the knowledge that they have previously been straight, Shen Qingqiu.
² All of this cogitation took him a long time, in his current state. There was an extended silence, here.

[wickedwit]

"Fair enough." Claudius evaluates Shen Qingqiu anew, as someone who knows the challenges of self-expression -- clearly. Experimentally, Claudius plucks the vape pen out of Shen Qingqiu's hand, while he's still loose-fingered and distracted enough for it to work. "Then I won't mention how rude you've been," he says, "sitting here and not offering me anything. Words are hard." It's similarly rude to take without asking but, well, all's fair. Claudius turns the strange mechanism around, finds a self-explanatory-looking button on the side, and presses it to release a good stream of vapor. He inhales it quickly in order not to waste it.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu yelps and yanks the vape pen back, forgetting to use his hands, so it just glides out of Claudius' grip and slaps back into his palm. "I need that," he protests. "I don't know how long it lasts."

[wickedwit]

"You don't need as much as you might imagine," Claudius says, casually amused. "But why the need? I thought you were having fun?"

[peaklordshen]

Well, of course Claudius thinks he doesn't need much, he thought Shen Qingqiu was in love with Luo Binghe while he was still straight. Still, he's right, it is rude not to share, and Crowley probably gets more H-points¹ if Shen Qingqiu goes back for more. He grudgingly lets the vape float back over to Claudius so he can take it.

"I am," he says. "But I'm also doing science."

¹ Hell points, obviously. Don't ask him to think too hard about Aziraphale or he'll get lost in how he has to rename these to distinguish them from Heaven points.

[wickedwit]

Claudius palms the the pen out of the air, and wonders how he became this accustomed to cultivation tricks. They're terribly useful, at least. Lan Wangji doesn't employ his nearly as often, though the fire when they were drinking was entertaining. "Well, I'm very interested in science," he says pleasantly¹. "You have to tell me more."

¹ Doing science for fun while indulging in hemp flower actually does sound like Claudius's idea of a good time.

[peaklordshen]

"I don't have to do anything," Shen Qingqiu mutters, out of some remaining belligerence, but he feels too nice to like the feeling take over. "I'm—observing its effects on myself. Seeing how it makes me act with—" he looks Claudius over, gaze flickering over his body and then back to his face. "You know. People."<sup>1

1</sup> For once he's not intentionally being vague. He thinks Claudius will know exactly what this means.

[wickedwit]

Claudius is at great risk of finding Shen Qingqiu sweet. It makes sense -- here's a man who might be some sort of spy, using to putting on an act for people, unable to admit to himself or express his own feelings, and he's turned to an herbal remedy that may relax him. It's the same sort of self-induced alchemy Claudius hoped would work on him, once. Truth be told, Claudius still struggles to know how to act around people when he's not acting.

He laughs. "I must admit, you're fast becoming charming again. Dissolute, as Grantaire likes to call himself." Though Claudius put off the question, he has to ask now, "Do these people include Luo Binghe?"

[peaklordshen]

Ah. Now they come to the heart of things. Of course Claudius is here, taking BL pollen with Shen Qingqiu, but it's really about Luo Binghe. Everything, Shen Qingqiu reflects, even here, is really about Luo Binghe. You can take the protagonist out of the stallion novel, but... wait. Should that be the other way around?

He feels like he should lie about this, obfuscate, but his brain refuses to cooperate, or remember why telling Claudius this won't be good. Is it because it might make him jealous? But, like, wouldn't it be kind of fun to make Claudius jealous? "Yes," he says, and then gets a little lost planning the cattiest next line. Of course, or why, are you jealous? are way too direct. Because he wants me, way too bold, and also makes something in Shen Qingqiu go hot and flustered. Maybe he should've gone with an arch, wouldn't you like to know, but it's too late now.

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs again -- it's early yet, Claudius doesn't know whether the vapor has had time to make his humors giddy, but perhaps Shen Qingqiu is simply a very funny man. "For whatever it's worth, I think you two will either make the finest of matches, or you'll ruin each other. And ..." He waves his hand, thinking once more of Grantaire. "It may be a pleasant ruin. Don't overthink things."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu makes a face, disgruntled. "Ruin—I have no power to ruin Luo Binghe," he protests. Many greater and more OP people than him have tried. Luo Binghe might ruin him, given the Heavenly Pillar, but he's been trying not to think too hard about that. And failing—he'd been thinking about it when Claudius walked in, and he's thinking about it again. He licks his lips unconsciously.

[wickedwit]

"No, I suppose not." Claudius releases another pleasant cloud of vapor, considering. "I do have to ask. You said the blood parasites could cause intense pleasure as well as pain. If Luo Binghe offered to let you imbibe his blood for the purpose, would you? Because that would be courting your own ruin."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu goes very red. What a question—is this the kind of thing gay people talk about???? "I—I am at Luo Binghe's mercy, parasites or no," he says, instead of yes.

[wickedwit]

"Oh, he'll like that," Claudius says and laughs, because this is the sort of thing a gossipy bisexual wine uncle talks about. "You'll have to look coyly into his eyes and say that. Perhaps incline your head and bare your neck ... but no, this is for your scientific research. Strictly scientific questions. Have you been recording your observations?"

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu thinks advice on baring one's neck and looking coyly at people is actually pretty relevant to BL pollen science, but to each their own. He blinks. Has he—he looks down at his notes (his copy of Moonless Midnight), embarrassed. "All I've written is the name of a cute boy," he admits.

[wickedwit]

The gossipy wine uncle in Claudius needs to know. "Who? There are plenty to look at here."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu nods. "A new one," he says, "Blond." He flips through pages of Moonless Midnight until he finds it. "Enjolras!"

[wickedwit]

"Enjolras. Excellent taste. I think it's better to give that one a bit of distance, though," Claudius says, incredibly ready to dispense his gossipy wisdom to a young scientist in need. "Not because he isn't compelling. But he has that uneasy distance about him -- you know, like he's just been through something tragic. Which is admittedly the compelling part. There's something about cute boys who look sad."

Claudius didn't need two hits of the vapor. He makes a mental note of that, to compare it to the effects of smoke. It is nice that he and Shen Qingqiu are more or less involved in the same experiment, he thinks. They understand each other much better this way.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu nods. There is something about a cute boy who looks sad. "You want to make them smile," he says, and then pauses, remembering who he's talking to. "Well, I want to make them smile."

[wickedwit]

"That's it! You have it. I see a sad, cute boy, and every time, he compels me to make him smile. It feels harder-won, don't you think? Or perhaps more necessary." Claudius sighs. "And it is very pleasant to feel needed. You should make a note of that, too. There are some boys who look like they need someone to spoil and protect them, and some boys who look like they need someone to utterly dominate and ruin them ... or at least lightly tease and provoke them until they blush. If you're researching the differences in how you act around people, perhaps it depends on the boy you're with." Claudius feels like he's being really helpful here. Scientifically. "Or anyone else, I suppose."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu ignores the or anyone else, because he doesn't understand it. Why would they be talking about anyone except boys? This is literally gay science about boys hour. "So, like, Galahad's the first kind," he says. "And—" he tries to think of who the second would be. Claudius can't mean Binghe, right?? The idea of Binghe being dominated is, is laughable. The closest he ever got is the Little Palace Mistress and her whip, but that's not dominance, it's just pain play—Binghe always turned it around in the end. He does like to tease Binghe, but—that's not–"Who, um."