vatheon | Lunch time stick

Though Dualscar had noticed his tattoo glowing, he had yet to notice a curse going on. He arrives at the cafe in good spirits and approaches the table where the human, Jade, is sitting and reading a book.

"Wwhat're you reading?" he asks as he slides into his chair across from Jade, giving the human a toothy, friendly smile.

Jade's tattoo being right on the back of his thigh and out of viewing range was more or less going unnoticed when it came to the glowing. As Dualscar approached, he set the book aside and offered an amicable smile in return.

"Something about the Island. I haven't had a chance to go up yet, I figured I'd read about it until I can."

"You havven't been to the island at all?" he asks, his fins flicking back in startlement. He himself has been up many, many times. "I spent a lot a time up there, myself. Nearly evvery day. If you wwant, I could showw you the nicest places to swwim."

He pauses a little. "Do you knoww howw to swwim?"

Jade shook his head, though not without amusement.

"I've never needed to. I can tread water, but I'm no good at floating or actually getting anywhere." Not to mention going out into the sun burns Jade something fierce. There's a good reason he's as pale as a sheet. "There's enough just in the bubble to entertain me, I'd almost forgotten about it until I found the book."

"Hmm." He considers for a moment, though he hides it behind looking through the menu. He taught Signless how to swim, but that had turned out badly when he accidentally drowned him. Still, he learned from the experience.

Finally he lowers it and smiles. "Wwell, I'm a fuckin' great swwimmer, so I'd be happy to showw you a feww pointers, if you wwant. Or wwe could just explore the land, a course."

Learning to swim? At his age? Jade thought it sounded a little silly, but he smiled nevertheless.

"I figure I'm getting a little old for that, but I wouldn't mind visiting the island or swimming a little bit. If anything, it'll be nice to get out of the bubble for a bit."

"Not at all!" He leans in a little. "I'vve already taught someone else wwho's the same age as you, and he's a land troll, too, wwhich wwas a hell of a handicap. If you're not afraid a the wwater, you're already ahead a him."

Jade seemed tickled by the notion and shrugged, "Fair enough. I'll think about it."

Speaking of trolls, Jade seemed thoughtful a moment. "Something I forgot to ask last time we met. What are your horns made of?"

"Made of?" The question takes him back, but he quickly recovers. He isn't much of a doctor, but this is a basic question. "They're made a chitin, like an insect's carapace."

An odd thought crossed Jade's mind, and even a bit of a personal question.

"Would you mind if I felt them?" He was curious to see if they felt more like insects, or if they had a unique feel like he thought. He realized he might be shot down, but he figured there was no harm in asking.

Dualscar's eyes widen almost comically. "You wwant to feel my horns?" Now they're getting somewhere. He'd been beginning to think that Jade had no interest in him at all besides conversation and curiosity about his biology.

A little more patience and he might get some gill fondling, too.

If you're very patient, maybe. Jade's like a deer that can use lightning. Just don't spook him.

"If that's alright, of course."

Dualscar hesitates for a moment, and then looks around, his eyes darting like little fishes. At least there aren't any trolls about. A human wouldn't understand, but... he'd probably feel better if they had a bit more privacy. On the other hand, if he makes a big deal out of this, Jade might just change his mind and withdraw the request.

He meets Jade's eyes again and smiles. "Wwell, shore. A course you can. Just promise to be gentle - a troll's horns are reel sensitivve."

Jade seemed rather pleased about this acquiescence to his request, though conceals it with a simple smile. He leans across the edge of the table, close enough that he doesn't have to stand, but enough that he has to use his full reach to get to them.

When he does feel the horns, he gets a childishly curious expression on his face as he gently runs his fingers over the surface. It was quite a neat feeling. Like an insect's carapace as Dualscar had said, but thicker and certainly its own unique feel.

When he attempted to withdraw his hands, however...

"Are your horns coated with anything?" He's a bit stuck.

Dualscar closes his eyes and shudders visibly as Jade rubs his fingers over his horns, his shoulders coming up a little in defense against the sensation. The surface of the horn has a velvety covering of little hairs but is hard underneath, quite rough in texture.

He grunts as Jade tries to pull back and yanks his head forward. "J-Jade..." He swallows, struggling through the sensations to try to think. "Wwhat're you doin'?"

"Trying to remove my hands, actually. They're stuck like your horns are coated in superglue..." He tries again, but seeing the other's expression, he ceases.

"My apologies." Seeing the odd situation as it was, Jade figured if Orphaner wanted to give it a go, he was entitled to it.

Dualscar yelps as Jade pulls again. His whole head sort of aches and feels weird at the same time. He reaches out and wraps his arms around Jade's waist, trying to tug him closer. "Be careful!"

The sound causes Jade to stop, and then there's a noise of surprise and some small agitation as he's suddenly yanked towards Dualscar. Hands still firmly stuck, it's not like he's got a ton of options.

"Well, I'm not quite sure what to do." Though he'd appreciate you not grabbing him round the waist like that. To be somewhat comfortable, Jade shifts to rest a knee on the chair next to Dualscar's hip.

"Though movement is going to prove difficult."

Dualscar growls, trying to look up at Jade out of the corner of his eye. "This is absolutely fuckin' ridiculous. I can't believve... is this some kind a curse?"

"Don't growl at me, it's not my fault."

When Dualscar mentioned the curse, Jade paused for thought, then seemed more agitated by it.

"It stands to reason. We haven't had one in a while and I'm sure this is up the Bubble's alley."

He hesitates, then looks away. "My apologies. I shouldn't growwl... It's just vvery uncomfortable havvin' your hands on my horns like this. In public."

"My tattoo did gloww earlier... but I thought I wwasn't affected," Dualscar mutters.

Jade seemed to not think a whole lot more on the apology as he looked around briefly.

"I don't have a good view of mine, so I don't much know when the curses hit, unfortunately." And annoyingly.

"If it's uncomfortable, we should find a more private place to attempt to figure our way out of the curse."

Edited 2012-12-26 03:20 (UTC)

Oh. Well that's a much better suggestion. Dualscar looks up and measures Jade for a moment, starting to smile a little. "Wwell, I'd be amenable to that. But I'll havve to carry you, I think. Givve me a bit a room and I'll stand up. Just don't yank on them again, it hurts."

That immediately gets Jade shifting away from Dualscar, though mindful of the horns.

"I really think we should just try a walking situation." said a little quickly, but Jade's not... Err... Good with being picked up.

Dualscar slowly gets to his feet, keeping bent somewhat at the waist. He's nearly seven feet tall, so he can't exactly stand up straight with Jade's hands on his horns.

He frowns at Jade. "This is gonna be fuckin' awwkwward an uncomfortable. If I carry you, then I can guarantee you wwon't yank on me by accident, so I'm fuckin' carryin' you and you'll just havve to deal wwith it."

Jade's shifting, not exactly excited about Dualscar's larger form getting up. He stands his ground for a moment, though. However... Well, it'd be horridly embarrassing for Jade either way. He drew his lips into a thin, aggravated line.

Much as he wasn't appreciative of Dualscar's forceful commanding, he occupied himself with looking through the cafe a moment. Honestly, if it were most other people and not the large, commanding troll, Jade might have made another case. However, Dualscar had accomplished the near-impossible task of getting Jade to do something he didn't want to do in the least.

"Fine, I suppose there's no easy way out of this mess in any case."

Dualscar truly has accomplished the impossible, but he has no idea. He is used to command - though here in Vatheon, he has had a lot of trouble getting people to obey him. "Right, that's my opinion, too. Glad you're wwillin' to be reasonable."

With a nod, he bends a little further and lifts Jade up easily, hooking an arm under his butt as if Jade is a child. It's still awkward as hell, but he strides towards the door immediately, wanting to get out of the eyes of the public.

There's obviously discomfort as he picks Jade up. Instinctively, Jade shifts to move closer. Not in any way to simply be closer, but in the case of an off-balance, he'd like Dualscar to be a landing pad. That, and out of everything he has ever done or been submitted to, being picked up off his feet is hands-down his least favorite thing. Sorry Dualscar, he's holding onto your horns a little tighter.

Don't expect him to say anything at present.

Dualscar isn't about to fall over, at least. He grunts as Jade squeezes his horns, and tightens his own grip, struggling to concentrate on something other than the feeling of Jade's hands on his horns as he walks down the street.

"Wwon't...be far," he says, turning down a side street and hurrying along it. "My hivve's just a feww blocks."

His hive? That sounded particularly odd. However, Jade remained quiet and eventually lessened his grip on the horns despite the inability to let go. Eventually, he idly leaned his head into his own shoulder in an effort to pretend like he wasn't being carried like a 5 year old. It was embarrassing enough without seeing confused locals in their small trek.

Not long afterwards - but not soon enough - they arrive at Ordo Apartments. Dualscar lives in unit one, and it's palatial, as all of the apartments in this area are. He opens the door and ducks a little, making sure that Jade doesn't get bashed on his way in.

"Ah... thank fuckin' goodness. Here wwe are."

Jade looked around- well, at what he could, given his current status.

"What exactly makes your horns so sensitive?"

Well. Might as well try to talk. He is a tad strained, obviously trying to not sound as such. He's not terrible at that, but it's enough to not let on too much of his discomfort. At least, he hoped that was how Orphaner took it.

He groans, sinking down to sit on the sofa and rubbing his face with one hand, Jade tucked neatly into his lap. To be honest, in his own distracted state, he's oblivious to Jade's discomfort. "They're sensin' organs. I can feel air currents wwith them, and...and smell an such. They aren't just for showw."

Edited 2012-12-31 19:28 (UTC)

"I assumed they were at least useful."

Jade shifts a bit, starting to hate this curse more and more. He couldn't tell if he was a child or a woman at this point, given the carrying and now sitting in Orphaner's lap. He looked over his shoulder and then shifted to turn around slightly, though difficult with his hands stuck as they were.

"I do hope we aren't stuck like this for the entire week."

Dualscar grimaces. "I'd givve the scientists a piece a my mind that's for sure!" He reaches up, trying to see if he can unstick one of Jade's hands, but it's really not working.

Jade's hands remained stuck fast to the troll's head, not budging an inch. Jade wince a bit as he tried, but it was mostly the closeness. Being in this kind of proximity to someone wasn't entirely pleasant.

"I'm sure they'd be happy to listen."

Dualscar responds to this with an unhappy mutter and leans forward a little, dropping his head onto Jade's shoulder.

"Wwell...at least wwe'vve got no choice but to get to knoww each other better." A weak attempt at a joke.

Jade seemed a tad confused when Orphaner's head lay on his shoulder. He seemed somewhat stiff as he sat there quietly for a while, even after Dualscar's jab. He didn't seem sure what to do, sitting there awkwardly on his lap.

"Do you live alone?" He'd remembered that Dualscar had mentioned he had no moirail. He wasn't sure if that meant he lived along now or needed others.

"Yeah, I livve alone right noww." He rubs Jade's back. "Relax, wwill ya? I'm not gonna bite."

Uhhhh. Jade shifted a bit, but he finally settled into the back rubs and way the troll seemed to curl around him. It was still difficult for Jade to adjust, being quite used to his space, but he decided that with the current situation it couldn't be helped. He just took a large breath and finally found a comfortable position of leaning his head lightly on Orphaner's.

"It seems rather quiet." Jade appreciated quiet. Living with Peony was interesting and there were perks to it. Jade missed his alone times sometimes, but he'd survive.

"Yeah, wwell, I'm accustomed to it," he says bravely. "I'vve alwways livved alone, an I havve guests wwho come ovver quite often. I like the quiet, for readin' an such."

"I'd prefer it," Jade sounds a bit more honest than he had initially wanted. "Solitude is easier."

"Wwell, that's wwhat I used to believve." Dualscar tightens his arms around Jade. "I wwish I could introduce you to Signless."

He seems terribly fond of this closeness thing. Jade frowns a bit and once again is contemplatively quiet. He wants to tell Dualscar that he's not interested in meeting new people after a big forced cuddle, but for some reason, he can't quite bring himself to be snippy with the troll, even if he had accomplished two things Jade never resigned himself to. Orphaned was full of firsts, for better or worse.

"If you prefer companionship now, why not live with someone?" He was struck with how little he knew about the other in comparison to his biology.

Dualscar frowns a little. He is really getting used to closeness, and he craves it. He spent so much time closed off and telling himself that he didn't need it, now that he's experienced some, he wants more.

"Wwell, first I'd havve to find someone suitable to livve with," he says with a snort. "Evven if I wwere inclined, that's not alwways the easiest thing to do."

Jade smirked to himself,"You could hold auditions."

More of a jest than anything,"A compatibility test for those you deem for to be your roommates." Jade chuckled a bit at himself. In any case, it'd be a nice diversion. If Jade were truly honest, though? He was the same as normal people. On a deep, hidden layer of himself, he was alright with the closeness. After all, he'd tell himself, it's a psychological need. He'd prefer someone else he knew more, but the fact that he hadn't shoved Dualscar away and demanded a separate couch certainly spoke for Orphaner's efforts paying off.

Though he'd have a hard time shoving Dualscar away considering he's latched onto Dualscar's horns. The troll shakes his head a little, careful of his horns. "I'd prefer to just livve alone. I don't knoww howw people livve wwith others like they do. Trolls are meant to be solitary...mostly."

"You mentioned your moirail?" He didn't completely understand the concept, but I wasn't a necessity.

"I admit living with another can be taxing," specifically when the other was your eccentric boss. Jade would describe him as such, but to truly believe Peony was anything but his friend was an insult to a great man.

Lunch time stick

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