smoke em if you got em

[tis_allgood]

Who| Cuthbert, Psiioniic and Open
What| Teaching a bug to smoke
Where| The roof of the training center
When| Before gifts from the Capitol.
Warnings/Notes| Smoking cigarettes

It's a peaceful afternoon, and just chilly enough outside to make smoking a cigarette really appealing. Cuthbert has spent some of his saved money on a pack of very nice Capitol cigarettes. And while he might normally be inclined to save them up and smoke them all himself, he's found someone to share them with and he's enjoying the novelty of watching someone enjoy their first smoke. Bert has been smoking for most of a year, he's already feeling like an old pro.

The friend he's brought is a troll, and this is probably one of the more bizarre things he could have exposed him too. The Psiioniic is still getting the hang of it, but Cuthbert is nothing but encouraging.

"Don't breathe quite so deep, enjoy it a little at a time."

Comments

[xanthous]

"I don't see how this is enjoyable."

And he really doesn't. He hadn't thought much on Cuthbert's offer for a smoke - even if he didn't really know what it was. Some weird human thing, that's all. For all he knew it could be something that doesn't even involve smoke involved. Maybe it was just what Cuthbert called using a fire for warmth, and he's done plenty of that before, even if it was over a thousand sweeps ago.

But lighting the end of some odd, paper stick on fire and then breathing in the smoke wasn't something he had considered. It seems strange, and a bit like a waste, but he's giving it a try. His throat is burning, and he hasn't coughed quite this much in a while (he has surprisingly good health for a troll his age), but it's not...terrible. It doesn't make sense, but it's not terrible.

He places the cigarette between his fangs, looking at Cuthbert with narrowed eyes. "How did you even come up with thomething like thith?"

[tis_allgood]

Watching the troll hold a cigarette between his teeth like some young punk trying to show off is worth the entire trip in and of itself. He had invited the Helmsman because he thought of all the people he knew in the Capitol, this one could most use a relaxing and terrible habit.

"Give it a few more tries and you won't know what to do without it. It helps calm me when I can do nothing else."

He takes another long drag on his cigarette and leans back until he falls completely on his back on the roof before breathing smoke straight up above him. Clearly, he is the most content right now.

[xanthous]

"I didn't mean you," he grumbles, and the cigarette bobs with each word before he sighs and takes it in his hand.

He sinks down next to Cuthbert, wrapping his arms around bony knees. It's been getting colder in the Capitol, colder than he can remember ever being before, and he's not sure what to make of it. How did humans deal with this when they were all so delicate?

"I meant more your thpecieth. We don't have anything like thith." He waves the cigarette, as if doing so will make Cuthbert give him a better answer.

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert sits up again, enough that he can look up at Psii without being too rude about it.

"I find that hard to believe. What self respecting species doesn't have a bad habit to yell at their spawn about?"

His father had some... opinions on his choice to start smoking, but he couldn't say anything about it now.

"Besides, it calms the nerves and makes you look good. What more could you ask out of a little plant?"

[xanthous]

"You theem to forget that trollth don't raithe their thpawn," he mutters, but there's surprisingly little bite to it.

Maybe it really does calm your nerves. He takes another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly.

"I gueth it'th not tho bad, even if it ith pointleth."

[tis_allgood]

"I suppose a lusus would not approve either." He didn't mean to be insensitive, it's just hard not to think in human terms when he's human himself.

He holds the hand not occupied with a cigarette up toward Psii making a grabby gesture.

"If you don't want it I'll take it. Gan knows when I'll get to have them again, this next arena may be my last. And I doubt they will have cigarettes waiting for me in the clearing at the end of the road."

[xanthous]

"No, probably not, but probably not for the reathonth you think."

He laughs softly, shaking his head, but he does hold the cigarette out to him.

"I'm not thure what you mean by that, but...if you want thith one, you can have it. I don't care."

[tis_allgood]

"What other reason would they have to disapprove?" He eyes the offered cigarette before deciding against being utterly greedy about it.

"Nay, finish that one. There's always enough to go around here. And knowing my luck I'll come back here whether I deserve it or not."

He takes a particularly long drag of his cigarette and lies back down again on the roof, looking up at the few stars that can make it through the light of the Capitol.

[xanthous]

"My luthuth wath killed when I wath young, tho I wouldn't be able to thay for thure...But, you take care of your luthuth ath much ath it taketh care of you."

He settles the cigarette back between his teeth, watching Cuthbert quietly. He's never told anyone before about his lusus being killed, not explicitly, and he's not sure how the human will react.

"Tho, if you're too buthy thmoking or it maketh you thick, they'd get upthet becauthe you're not helping them." He goes quiet, before shuffling over so he's close to Cuthbert, and he nudges at his side. "I'll be here with you, too, tho at leatht you won't have to do thith alone."

[tis_allgood]

"I'm sorry to hear that. Human lususes are much more one sided, all of their affection and attention goes toward their young."

He feels terrible for Psii now, he had no idea he'd lost his guardian so young. It can't have made his life any easier.

"Thankee, seems I could use all the help I can get. And the same goes for you, I'll be by your side should you need it, anytime, for any reason."