And Then He Got High...

[Baleron87]

After countless minutes of searching the confusing and indirect hallways of the castle for a room to spend the night in, Baleron knew he was in the right place. In the hallway, many undescript doors stood side by side on either side, all closed shut to keep prying eyes away from the business being done inside. However, his prying ears discerned that even here more people, perhaps guests with islander escorts, made well their time together, and the odd sound of a muffled moan or a high pitched giggle pierced through the otherwise peaceful silence. His gait slowed as he inspected each door in turn, finally coming to one where the door was wide open, inviting him into solitude.

Eager to finally have some alone time, he bounded in quickly through the door and shut it behind him before any passing island women were able to intercept him and offer him something he feared he couldn't refuse again. Inside, the room was quite extravagant in its furnishings, and the bright festive colors of the party even showed up here in the walls and various paintings. The centerpiece of the room was, of course, the bed. It was a bed that suited the sinful nature of the palace, and he idly thought about how one man could have enough women to fit on such a luxurious mattress.

Another wave of the island's aura wracked his body, and it was strong enough to almost make him lose his footing. He quickly grabbed onto a nearby chair to support his weight, breathing heavily as he slid his pack to the ground, pushing it off toward the foot of the bed. Slowly, he made his way to the edge of the sheets, sitting down and laying back, staring up at the ceiling with eyes half closed. The island was affecting him more and more as time passed, and it seemed to have been slightly heightened with King Edric's kiss to his hand. The effects of the air were so randomized to him that he was having trouble with every new feeling that reintroduced itself to him every few minutes.

Annoyed, and hoping that actually letting into the spirit of the place would lessen the hold of the island's air, he pulled his bag toward him and plopped it down onto the bed, ruffling through the various items inside before pulling out a large white handkerchief that was balled around something and tied at the top. Slowly, he undid the twine holding the handkerchief closed and spread it out on the bed, letting it fall open to show the large pile of crushed green leaves he had brought with him. Rummaging once again through his bag, he pulled out a piece of papyrus and ripped a section from it, placing some of the leaves inside and rolling the paper around it. Smiling at his handiwork, he placed the blunt to his lips and walked over to the nearby fireplace, taking a small stick and lighting it on fire, using that to light his joint and take a deep, rough drag of the schwag. Green smoke escaped his lips and he released it all into the room, sinking back down onto the bed and preparing for another hit. By the time he was finished, he hoped he would be relaxed enough to fall asleep.

[Titan]

Continued from: Even the air tastes divine

Finally had I come to this place where so many were engaged in lustful acts of passion, sharing their bodies for the lord Edric's so called, expansion of minds. The hallway before this one had had small traces of smoke spindling through it, a result of opening doors letting out the building cloud of drug use. That place had me on full alert; it reminded me of the stories my mother had told of our people. Tales of 'The Great Fall'. How so many of our people had indulged themselves in any pleasure they saw fit, becoming more and more debase. Finally, countless Eldar were slaughtered by the very God they themselves had brought into existence. Chills began racing across my spine for several moments, leaving me struck still in the midst of the hall.

A shuddering breath tugged me out of my stupor and I began to walk again. I did admit that my appetite of the flesh was quite extensive, but there were only two substances I partook of. One of them had been prepared in a great many of the meals back in the banquet hall, though I much preferred mushrooms as a stand alone treat. The other... I just caught whiff of. Again I stopped, lifting my head to better test the air and divine where it was that the faint scent was originating. Whoever shared this passion of mine had struck up a while ago, though I figured not too long a time had passed since. Finding the source, it would seem Baleron might not quite get the chance to drop into slumber, for I gave a hard rap on the door. I did not open it yet, instead waiting for a reply from the other side...

[Baleron87]

It didn't take many hits for Baleron to become completely blazed. His eyes were bloodshot, and a snickering smile tugged at his lips as he moved the blunt to his mouth in a flamboyant and highly unneeded motion made to look grandiose. To anyone watching at that moment, however, it had been a few quick, jerky movements of his arm before it could finally settle into position, placing the lit stick up against it and restarting the sweet green herb on fire. Already his room was becoming smoke-filled, and the scent of it wafted pleasantly around the room, uncirculated and making him even more high then he already was.

A steady knock came from the door, and all of a sudden he freaked out, dropping the blunt to the ground as he stared hard at the door, still debating on whether he had imagined the noise up or not. He faintly felt the presense of someone outside of the room, and his initial reaction was panic. Too high to realize that it was fine if other people knew about his habit, he quickly balled up the handkerchief around his stash and hid it back in his bag, moving quickly to the window to open it and let the smoke out, only to find the window was unopenable, and was meant to keep the smoke from drugs inside of the room.

Groaning with the trouble of it all, he moved hastily over to the door, composing himself in the last moment before opening the door just a crack, staring out at the figure in front of him. At first, he completely forgot what he was going to say, and he almost broke out laughing at his own forgetfulness. However, he held back his obviously high answer for a more sober version. "Umm, sorry to disappoint, but this room is taken. I'm sure there's other rooms available down the hall. Just keep looking." He smiled, perhaps a little too largely, and began to shut the door once again.

[Titan]

Just as the man had a dulled feeling of my presence, I too had a vague sense of his movements on the other side of the door; as I waited, a soft 'taptaptap' sounded out from my shoe each time its toes hit the floor. Eventually though, he finished his vain, scrambling attempts at emptying the smoked room before admitting me any kind of view inside, cracking open the door just enough for me to take a deep breath. "Yes, yes." The room was occupied, this I obviously knew. Undoubtedly there were other rooms available down the hall, but it mattered little for I doubted I'd be sleeping much in this place. Showering me with a dumb grin, one I knew all too well, he started to shut the door. So I put down my foot to prevent this.

"I need not continue to look for I've found what I want. The lovely scent of 'herbs'. There are many a smoker here, but as far as I know you and I are the only two who've picked up the grassy habit." Taking advantage of his glassy state to muscle the door open, I slipped inside like a breath of fresh air. My actions would depend on the focus the man summoned up to observe me with; I had realize that letting the plant take hold over me, my senses were slowed and somewhat muddled. So long as I stayed alert though, my view of the world actually felt heightened. It might appear that all I had done was sling my pack from my shoulder and set it to the floor, but with my other hand I'd reached inside, past the strawberries, to a little wrapping of my own. My supply may have been smaller than his, but its potency was quite remarkable.

A wiggle of my fingers and the knot came loose, revealing to a stony gaze several buds of a bright, lime-green plant covered with fine purple hairs. On the sides closest him and myself was a prerolled joint, one of which I stuck between my lips. I didn't light it, of course. I would wait until he either threw me out or closed the door before even thinking of taking off my hood. Relying on Baleron's proximity to it, the stank of the plant would have pierced the smog in the air, bringing to his nose a fruity smell comprised mostly of grape. "Are you ready to get high?" My tone was a bit more cheerful and youthful than it had been in all my previous speeches, but I had to admit I was rather excited to find a friend-in-weed. Hopefully my mood wouldn't be ruined by his dropped blunt catching anything on fire...

[Baleron87]

Baleron stared dumbfoundedly at the man as he let himself into the room during a moment where his vision blurred and a slight wave of dizziness had affected him. Even though he was fairly high at this point, he was a person who thoroughly enjoyed his own private time to himself. Although it thankfully hadn't been one of the island's many young and horny women, the fact that there was more than one person in the room during his weed-smoking time put him off, and he was inclined to show just how annoyed he was.

At least, he would have been before the man showed him his own private stash. His head tilted to the side, the way a curious puppy would look upon its master, and his gaze drew slowly up to the other's face, or at least where his face would be were it not hidden in shadows. He tried his very hardest to study the figure, looking for even the slightest tell of an unspoken agenda or goal that this man had up his sleeve. Being high certainly didn't help him, and he could only inwardly shrug at finding nothing out of the ordinary about the man in front of him... Well, at least in terms of his reason for being there.

Letting his guard down once again, he stalked over to his bag, pulling out his large stash and a metal pipe he had special ordered from a blacksmithing friend of his. His finger slid over the bottom of the bowl, where his visitor couldn't see, and small tendrils of blood created a screen for his weed to sit on. Baleron slowly moved himself into a chair near to a table, placing his ganja and pipe down before turning his attention back at his guest. "Ya know, I'm not exactly comfortable smoking with some random stranger... Who are you, anyways?"

[Titan]

It was good for the man to be alert and wary of a shrouded figure occupying a room with him, especially when neither of us knew one another. Luckily the man had no need to worry of me; I merely wanted to get blazed up with another smoker before I started my wandering about the palace again. If Eroina did later wish to find me, it would be easier for her to do so if I wasn't holed up in a room somewhere. Now, though, was the time to enjoy myself the way Baleron and I preferred to.

With as simple an action I'd used to unwrap the strange cloth so had I redone the tie, holding my herbs in check again. Then I stepped over to the table he had occupied as I used a moment to look the room over, taking a deep breath after coming to a halt. In the same instant I had set down my happy-bag, after slipping that arm from the sleeve of my cloak, I removed the fur-lined garment and cast it over the back of the chair. Fancily dressed in my white suit, which was obviously a party outfit rather than business attire yet could go either way, snazzy black shoes and gloves, depending on how one looked at me I could be either a teenager or a young man. Though it was the former that held truth.

A light shake of my head scattered the randomly strewn spikes of my creamy brown hair, a style that was obviously purposeful for really no matter its position it just seemed to work. My soft-golden skin was undoubtedly skin but for a very, very brief second, Baleron, if looking, might possibly catch a metallic-like luster glinting from well lit portions of my face. Like all the others, though I looked at Baleron I didn't meet his gaze with my dark, dark brown eyes, which from certain angles looked totally black. Other than my, opinionatedly, striking facial features, the focus of many people's attention was the stone hanging from the almost choker-tight chain around my throat.

Usually, as now, it had a violet glimmer to it. The hue was so stark and bright that it actually seemed to be glowing; this was untrue of course, merely an illusion of its tone. It rested right against the joint of my collarbones at the top of my sternum, set in plain view for all to see. How the two of us looked wasn't the important thing here; it was names. As with all smokers who didn't know one another and gathered around to share in their habit, an introduction was given.

Before I would give it though, yet after taking a seat, I brought the still dimly glowing cherry of the dropped blunt I retrieved in my walk from door-to-table to the tip of my joint. An inhale caught the paper and started my path towards a delightful high. Setting the fatty on the table between us, my right arm over the back of the chair and body positioned at an angle, my head tilted to the left so I could take in this man. "Tanis," I said with a smokey exhale just after taking the joint between my index finger and thumb. It was the only name I had given anyone here so far, and was likely to be the only one I would give if ask by any other.

[Baleron87]

The recently revealed Tanis received a stony gaze from an equally stoned Baleron, and he gave a wide smile at the brief introduction, now feeling fairly relaxed all of a sudden. "Not one for words, are ya? Well, I hope that will change once you've satiated your high... ness..." Baleron's gaze seemed to go out of focus for a few moments, as if a personal vision was coming onto him and he was required to answer and watch as intently as possible. However, his feeling was cut short as he subconsciously realized the initial intrusion had sobered him up extensively, and the power of the island was once again working at his mind, giving him thoughts he had tried so desperately to avoid.

Determined to keep the sensual feelings at bay, he quickly leaned over the table, piling in crushed bits and pieces of his happiness into the small metal bowl. He quickly brought the pipe up to his lips, and giving a final happy smile to his new guest, he took a hit with the smoldering stick from the fireplace, sucking in an overwhelming amount of the sweet smoke, holding it in with all of his might before bellowing out a thick cloud of smoke into the room, adding to the already foggy air that surrounded them. With the amount of smoke he had taken in, it didn't take long for him to start coughing quite roughly, trying to expel the remainder of what had taken residence in his lungs.

Feeling drowsy from the exertion of coughing, he leaned back into his chair and slouched, giving a happy sigh. "Ahh... With everything else that's going on around this castle, I imagine smoking weed is the least intoxicating event this place has to offer. I never imagined that such a place could ever exist, or anything... It's really interesting..." He closed his eyes, letting the returning feeling of being high wash over every muscle in his body. It wasn't but a second afterwards that his eyes were wide open and he stared at his guest. "So, what did you end up getting the birthday girl... or re-birthday girl... Or whatever party she's got going on. That thing."

[Titan]

Baleron was somewhat right in his assumption; I wasn't much for words when I had nothing to say, but guided to the right topic and I could give plenty of what was on my mind. The start of our comraderie just hadn't reached that point yet. Then again, when I did smoke I lightened up and became more susceptible to interaction with others. What more is that I also became more aware of those around me to an extent, so much that I picked up on the man's struggle to ward off some sort of emotional affliction that didn't stem from the weed. Unlike everyone else here, I had never felt the touch of this mysterious aura of euphoria; my Dreamstone was not the reason behind this though.

Baleron gained some ground against this unseen aggressor and packed his magic plant into a metal bowl; personally I preferred glass but my own pipe, discarded now, had broken not long ago. When that delectable smog rolled out from his lungs, I sat up some taking in mouthfuls of smoked air, no doubt rediculously looking like a fish gulping water through its gills. I finished filling my lungs with a draft of my joint, relishing in the sweet taste, like a large bowl of mixed fruits. Already I could feel it beginning to take its effect, an initial feeling of being pulled down, like something was weighting my face. I smiled in an effort to keep it in place, even though I knew it wasn't going anywhere.

My sight struck at the ridge of Bale's nose, just between his eyes when again he spoke, idly chewing at the back of my bottom lip. I didn't quite feel like getting drawn into a possible debate over the past of my people, relating the similarities of events that led up to their downfall to the ones transpiring here. Instead I settled on the other topic he brought up; Eroina. Lazily did my head drift back, eyes to the ceiling, as her image flashed through my mind's eye. My left hand struck a finger across the gem at my neck, indicating it was what I spoke of when saying, "I gave her a Dreamstone, much like my own but somewhat smaller. Though, I have no idea where it came from."

Without else to say for now I sat forward enough I could offer him my joint, other hand outstretched to take the pipe if he would offer it so we might sample each other's stock.

[Baleron87]

Baleron was to the point already where he was having trouble discerning the room as it was. Every so often a flash of light caused from no more than a moving cloud blocking the sun brought his attention to the subtle movement, and although he felt as if his movements were quick and fluid, his entire body seemed to jerk about as if he was lost in a mild, controllable seizure. Noticing Tanis' raised hand and the blunt he was offered, he couldn't help but smirk at the doobie. "Hey! That's what I'm talking about. Fixing all of life's problems requires but two words in answer." He tried to move his hands up in a victorious pose, but simply couldn't, instead sitting completely still as he shouted "More weed!"

Even after he had gotten so excited about it, though, his body was not offering him the same control he normally enjoyed having. Every limb of his body felt weighted down and heavy, and although he really wanted to take a hit of his guest's green, he just couldn't gather enough energy to even make his arm twitch. Frustrated, a deep frown settling over his features, he pointed his finger at the blunt. A thread of blood slipped hesitantly from the tip of his finger, slowly wrapping itself around the joint while another thread gingerly picked up the bowl and moved it towards Tanis, smiling lazily. He decided from that point on that moving was a worthless venture, and a few more blood threads shot from his other digits, working around him at a slow, relaxed pace. They twirled about him almost artistically, a few holding the blunt as he took a hit from it while a few more picked up the large handkerchief of weed and moved it closer to Tanis, just in case he wanted to pack another bowl for himself.

[Mandaz]

The young men weren’t as alone as they would have liked. At least to an extent. Though it wasn’t uncommon for people to barge into whatever room they pleased, the two would not be interrupted by bodies, but voices. Distant first, muffled by the door and distance, but their noise would arise with each step they took. Though their words were not crystal clear, they were discernable. Two men, separated from the party to wander the halls, a practice that had become almost therapeutic to the natives.


“It just doesn’t seem right to me. My father used to be a mortician.”

“You’ve seen her, yes?”

“I don’t like it, not one bit.”

“How could anyone tamper with that?”

“She’s an abomination, and yet the king thinks she’s wonderful. It’s tragic; those monsters have him so fooled.”

“They belong in Desintegración, those scientists as they call themselves. And all their creations with them. I tell you, I haven’t felt the least bit comfortable ever since they started working. It’s like I can hear-“

“Don’t be paranoid. You always get like this after you’ve had too much.”

“It’s not right…not right…you’ve seen how she eats…what they do to keep her moving…”

“Calm down. Our king would never let anything horrible happen to his island. It’s safe here; ever since we built our homes it’s been safe. Let’s get you something to stop that talk of monsters.”

“They make the most horrible noises.”

Their voices pattered out again, followed by the noise of a door slamming, suggesting the two had exited into another room or hallways of the palace. Just two passing bodies speaking of superstitions, probably not of great importance.

[Titan]

It was rather interesting watching Baleron go about his hazy life, twitching first this way and then jerking that way, his movements becoming more labored. Mother had always referred to humans as being slow and clumsy. I could see what she meant. Unlike our people, even a half-breed like myself, they were so much like machines in need of oiling. Even their appearance was so much more rugged and bulky; hairy. My partner though was fair enough looking and slim, not quite bulging with muscle as so many others of his kind tended to be. Still, the differences between the two of us were noticeable.

I almost laughed at his outburst of the apparent answer to all of life's problems. Instead though, I merely shook my head with a minor chuckle. Stopping was brought on by his next course of action, a result of his seeming inability to move his body the way he wished. It did seem that blood was leaking from his fingertips, but instead of merely spilling across the table moved through the air like a thin snake of liquid vitae. Without looking away from him I took the pipe as it was offered, wordlessly bringing it to my lips and using the method he had to light the weed and take a breath.

Then something caught my aural sense. I held the smoke in my lungs so as not to miss a word, cocking my head so my pointed ear could best catch what was said. Before long though the men had passed away, and my exhale didn't carry much smoke; my body had assimilated most of it. "Well..." Now I had a few thoughts running through my mind about dear little Eroina. How did she stay active? From what I'd discerned so far she didn't have a heart to pump blood, if even blood in her body. So where her body heat was stemming from was a mystery to me.

These were things I could ask her about if I cared too, if we did see one another before I decided to take my leave of this place. Of course... there was always the question of whether I wanted to leave or not. I couldn't quite see myself becoming as involved in this place as its inhabitants, but it seemed a peaceful en... "Definitely don't want to stay then." Peace was enjoyable, but for one of my tastes some form of conflict was preferrable to mere contentment. Letting the past and future slip from the expanse of my psyche, I took another hit from the pipe and sat it on the table while simultaneously leaning back in my seat a bit. This breath was full of smoke, and a soft question to my comrade.

"You hear all of that?" Though before my right arm had been stretched out, depositing the smoking implement, it was now aimed towards the door so he would know of what I spoke. That was, of course, assuming he wasn't so torched he had grown dulled to the world outside the room.

[Baleron87]

Voices, coming from the far side of the large wooden door, broke the blissfully unaware and happy Baleron from his inner mind theater, and his head slowly and jerkily tilted to lay back on the chair. His eyes were closed, as they had to be in order to endure even the slightest movement he had accomplished, and it helped him to focus on the words that to him seemed little more than an outspoken whisper. However, due to his being high, he was able to hear every word spoken quite clearly. It was just a matter of remembering it that would trouble him.

He was quite elated when Tanis began the conversation without delay. It seemed the guest had his own thoughts and interests in the maid-of-honor, and it only helped Baleron to fill in a few of the odd gaps he hadn't quite filled in. Giving a curt smile, he leaned forward, taking another hit off of the man's blunt before placing it on the table between them. As he spoke, the smoke drizzled out from his lips and nose, shrouding his face in a dark, green cloud. "If by "all that", you mean the talk of Eroina, her creators, and other monsters, then yes, I heard that. Guess I've been a bit curious as to where Eroina came from... Know anything about those... Dis... Disgra... Umm, those guys and people...?"

[Titan]

"Desintegración? I don't think it was a people they were talking about, but a place those certain people should go." Before exchanging the pipe for the joint Baleron put up for grabs, I loaded another bowl into it. I was wondering just how much this man could take before he was utterly blown out of his mind, and thus more prone to falling asleep. Surely if and when he slumbered, his dreams would be most liberating from the stresses of the world. Then again, to my senses, it appeared as if this place was the biggest cause of his worry; like despite its good intentions it was attacking the man and making him feel vulnerable, resulting in his need to rebel against its effects.

Like a switch had been flipped my focus was again on the outside of my psyche, pupils narrowing for just a moment before our plants' effects enlarged them noticeably. So I took the joint to my lips with two digits, drug from it to fill my lungs and gave a long, slow exhale. The way in which I remained quiet during my less-than-second contemplation of this undiscovered Field of Euphoria and how I maintained this silence as I got more comfortable in my chair made it apparent that after what I had said, further conversation would require his imput. This did not mean I was turned off to the idea of speaking, merely I needed some provocation. With another lungful of smoke, I began to puff out ever smaller and faster moving smoke rings, each sequential one passing through the middle of the last. A tap, tap, tap of my foot counted away the seconds of the day.

[Baleron87]

His hand stretched wide as he took his metal pipe between his fingers, his blood threads having slowly retreated back into the unscarred digits for later use. He took a final, powerful hit from his pipe, turning a good portion of the dried green leaf into black resin. The smoke filled his lungs and mouth, little wafts of smoke escaping his nose and lips. Baleron's features were utterly serious as he finished, slowly wrapping up his weed and pipe and replacing them to the bottom of his bag. He had had quite enough for now, his high completely pushing away the atmosphere of the island and leaving him with a relaxed and happy buzz.

However, the talk from the passerbyers got Baleron thinking, and he stood up slowly, testing his joints and silently hoping they'd hold up his suddenly heavy body. "I... have some things that need doing... I'll be closing the room up when I leave, so if you're going to continue, I'd suggest finding another open room for your use." He shook his head slowly, trying to make out his guest between his own hazy eyes and the dark clouds of smoke permeating the room. He couldn't quite tell if Tanis had heard and understood his request, but Baleron didn't wait for an answer. He slowly and methodically moved to the door, opening it wide and letting a great puff of smoke escape into the hallway. He waited patiently next to the portal, waiting for Tanis to leave so that he could follow suit.

[Titan]

And so that was that; the time for a duet of smokery was over and now was time for departure. That was fine with me though for I had some things of my own to accomplish. In one swift motion I was on my feet, arms slipped back through the sleeves of my cloak, the hood of which I kept down, and my own small yet potent sack of weed in my left hand. With but a blink of an eye I had strode over to Baleron, my pack hoisted up, ganja stashed, and a strap slung over my right shoulder. I gave a hearty pat to the man's own shoulder as I passed by him into the clearer air; still though I had the remains of the joint between my lips, slowly puffing off of it.

"It'd be interesting to see you around, when we'd have more to do than just smoke." In particular, I'd like to test myself against him in combat, wondering what sort of battle applications those odd strings of blood had. For now though, I merely nodded a goodbye his way and began to walk in no particular direction, waiting to see where my feet would lead me. I didn't even bother to ask for his name which he'd neglected to give me during the small period we spent together. I doubted he would realize this and give it to me in parting, but if so I was sure to remember; and then disappear around a corner.