AU week - university student Sin

[thewidewideworld]

A pretty blonde youth dressed as the Greek god Apollo staggers in, looking – off. He tips his quiver forward, a battered iPhone slipping out. It slips right through his sluggish fingers and he falls to his knees to try to catch it.

He takes a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself. “Can anyone please help me? I think- I think my drink was spiked.”

{Sinric’s university!AU write up is here.}

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"You want to puke it all up," says the guy with the guitar and the cats who had been sitting next to the trilobite tank.

Teja has seen more spikes drinks and slipped roofies in his life than he cares to think about. And he still gets very angry at anybody who does it.

[thewidewideworld]

"Can you-" He wavers dangerously, "Help me to a bathroom? Please?"

[ostro_goth]

"Of course."

Teja is tall and strong, albeit lanky rather than bulky; he drapes Sinric's arm around his shoulder and has him in a toilet stall before the minute is out.

"Finger down the throat or nux vomica!" he asks, completely matter of fact.

[thewidewideworld]

Sin is small and light and weak as a kitten, leaning his weight into the man.

As soon as he's in the stall, the lovely costume crushing under his knees as he leans over the bowl and stick his fingers down his throat, getting it out of his system as fast as he can.

He keeps going till there's nothing left in him, falling against the stall wall, pale and shaking.

[ostro_goth]

Teja hands him a glass of water. "Rinse and spit," he says. "Green tea with mint coming up once you're done."

[thewidewideworld]

Sin does as instructed, tears dewing his lashes as he takes the glass shakily. "Thank you." He croaks softly, his throat raw and his voice thick.

He starts to stand, still very weak.

[ostro_goth]

Teja helps him to his feet.

"I'll get you to a chair, and then feed you tea," he promises. "And then we can think about who did this."

[thewidewideworld]

"My own stupid fault." Sin leans heavily on him, staggering towards a chair. "I was careless. Biennale is infamous for this sort of thing. I should have known better."

[ostro_goth]

"No, they should have known better than to spike people's drinks," Teja says. "These people are not a force of nature but rather lay claim to humanity, so I suppose you can expect them to behave like decent human beings. The onus shouldn't be on you."

[thewidewideworld]

Sin manages a weak but honest smile. "Just so. But I'm usually more careful about who I accept drinks from. Or how far I stray from my friends." He closes his eyes a moment, his eyes damp. "I shouldn't have gone out."

[ostro_goth]

"Why not?" Teja says. "The world is yours as much as anybody else's."

[thewidewideworld]

"I- I was in the wrong mood for the party. I was hurt and angry. It made my careless."

[ostro_goth]

"Care to talk about what made you so angry?" Teja asks, filling up Sin's tea.

[thewidewideworld]

He clings to the tea like a lifeline, thanking Teja. "There was someone I- I liked. Someone I think I was falling- someone I would have like to have known better. He turned out to be someone very dangerous."

[ostro_goth]

"But he didn't do this?"

[thewidewideworld]

"No. Just a man in a bar. Someone who thought I needed a drink and clearly wasn't willing to put the effort into getting to know me. Before, you know, getting to know me."

[ostro_goth]

"Lazy, entitled idiot," Teja says. "What about the dangerous acquaintance?"

[thewidewideworld]

"He was- very different. Sophisticated, intellectual. A gentleman. He never- said or did anything to hurt me or even- to imply he wanted more than friendship but-"

Sin looks away, ashamed. "I'm afraid I was falling in love with him."

[ostro_goth]

"And was there anything that you were keeping secret?" Teja asks.

Yes, he has noticed the binder.

"What made him dangerous?"

[thewidewideworld]

Sin recognises the look, crossing his arms over his chest a little protectively. "Several things, yes. But I felt- I was sure he would understand. be- intrigued even. Someone I could- be myself with. Someone who would accept me for who I am."

"It turned out he was a serial killer. A cannibal. It's been all over the news." Even now, he can't overlay the two images in his head - the adroit sophisticate and the killer of men.

[ostro_goth]

"So he is gone," Teja says, "either caught by the cops or on the run, and you miss him, and feel bad about that?"

No, he's not going to refer to Pyrrha as credentials for his nosiness. That would be cheap.

[thewidewideworld]

"What does that say of me?" Sin asks, self-pityingly. "Apart from that I'm seemingly a magnet to dangerous people."

He shrugs, ashamed. "Part of me was hoping he'd turn up at the party. That he could explain. That it was- some terrible mix up." And not this strange nightmare.

[ostro_goth]

"You fell in love with an adroit and sophisticated man you could reasonably hope would understand you in all your complexity," Teja says, "and he never meant you any harm at all. It says nothing bad about you. Nobody can be expected to magically feel the truth about other people. On the contrary -- people are who they say they are. Everybody has their own sovereignty of interpretation over their identity. That is basic. You needn't blame yourself for believing some attractive and obviously sane person."

[thewidewideworld]

Sin chuckles sadly. "When you say it like that, I just feel like a need another drink. Preferably unadulterated." He curls his legs up under him, noticing how dirty the costume has become. "Mags is going to kill me."

He sighs. "I'm sorry. You're being wise and sensible and I'm mopping. And I never even got your name. I'm Sin."

[ostro_goth]

"Teja," Teja says. It sounds like TAY-yah. "That is a name. It's complicated."

Pause.

"Drink coming up as soon as you can swear you're no longer woozy at all."

[thewidewideworld]

"I'm not judging." Sin smiles warmly and genuinely. "I go by Sin because my full name is dreadfully archaic and I get sick of spelling it."

"Thank you but I really should. Tea is a wiser choice. As is getting changed, going home, eating a tub of gelato, and turning my misery into music."

[ostro_goth]

"What is your instrument?" Teja asks. "But whatever it is, I can offer you a jam session; classical and metal tend to mix very well. The rest, the bar can provide."

[thewidewideworld]

"Violin. Classically by training but exclusively." He smiles a brief, flashing smile. "I think I'd get drummed out of the Conservatory if they knew I played folk fiddle in a Tuesday night. When I can afford the bus fare to get to the session. I play flute but more for fun and composing than study."

"Yourself?"

[ostro_goth]

"Guitar and bass," Teja says. "I sing when needed, but rarely get paid to."

[thewidewideworld]

"A jam session might be exactly what I need." Sin nods. "Get me out of my head a bit. I've never played metal but I pretty sure I could learn."

[ostro_goth]

"I play metal, you play classical, and we see where it goes," Teja says

[thewidewideworld]

"Would you like to- could we- soon?" Sin tries not to sound as eager as he feels.

[ostro_goth]

"Like now," Teja says, smiling as he goes and picks up his guitar from where he left it. His little cat is asleep on it, but that doesn't keep him from putting the little furball on the chair and bringing back the instrument.

[thewidewideworld]

Sin glances over his shoulder. "I'd need my violin. And a change of clothes." And to brush his teeth. "How about I do that and come back?"

[ostro_goth]

"I'll be waiting here," Teja promises.

[thewidewideworld]

"Thank you, Teja. This- you've really saved me tonight."

[ostro_goth]

"No need to thank me; we need to look out for each other," Teja says. "I'll see you in a bit."