Pale Date

[devwocean]

Who: Orphaner Dualscar and Signless
Where: Dualscar's hive at Larmline apartments
When: Late at night, a couple of days after the boat party
Style: Whatever Kath wants, I guess!
Status: Closed

Dualscar sits on his sofa, holding his SFC, and waiting for his moirail to arrive. As often happened, this had started with him coming to Signless of his own emotional theatrics. But tonight, it seemed to have turned down some very unintended pathways, and he was worried about Signless' state of mind.

Was Signless finally angry at him over the things he had done to his friends? Maybe he should have refused to answer those questions. That might have been the more sensitive thing to do.

He offered for Signless to come over so he could cuddle him and soothe away his negative feelings. That was what moirails were for, right? And he was determined to show himself a good, and capable moirail.

But he wasn't entire sure what was about to come through his door.

Comments

[withoutasign]

Rude! He is a troll grown at sixteen sweeps, all right!

Signless laughs quietly and paps Dualscar on the nose. "Shush, old man." Then he falls quiet for a moment before asking, "How old are you, anyway?"

[devwocean]

"I'm wwell ovver three hundred swweeps," Dualscar says casually, as if that's not a really ridiculously long time. He paps Signless on the top of the head, then goes back to rubbing his horn gently. "Do I wwant to knoww howw young you are?"

Dualscar, you are a cradle robber

[withoutasign]

Signless' mind boggles, but not for the reasons Dualscar might think. Signless knows that highbloods live much longer than lowbloods, and that three hundred really isn't that old for a seadweller, or even a troll of Darkleer's or the Grand Highblood's caste. What gives him pause is thinking about how lonely Dualscar must have been, and for so long, and he nuzzles closer, taking his hand off Dualscar's fin and putting both arms around his neck.

"I'm sixteen." And even if he hadn't been moment away from execution, he probably wouldn't have gotten much older than that naturally.

But their love is pure and transcends age

[devwocean]

Dualscar winces. A full adult, of course, but so very, very young compared to him. He barely even remembers being sixteen sweeps. He was definitely in the military by then, training hard, his entire being focused on staying alive and outperforming all the other young sea dwellers so he could be chosen for higher positions.

He puts his arms around Signless again, his wind tube closing. He's going to live for so long. Perhaps he'll do so here. But Signless can't possibly survive for even a fraction of his lifespan. He's a mutant. Perhaps he won't even survive another sweep, even though his execution had been stayed.

"Howw...howw old do you think a troll like you might livve?" he asks, trying to sound casual about it and failing miserably. Signless can't possibly know, and even if he does, the answer won't be long enough.

stop trying to make excuses for being a pale cougar!

[withoutasign]

Signless hears the change in tone, and he holds Dualscar a little tighter. He knows they're both thinking the same thing, and this conversation has suddenly taken a turn towards the bleak and depressing.

"I don't know." He looks up, trying to smile and be brave for the seadweller. "But if I have a choice, I'm not going anywhere."

Not just a pale one /sideeyes Mindfang

[devwocean]

Dualscar nods. It's the best answer he could hope for, though his arms tighten possessively and he makes a soft, low growl in the back of his throat. He's gotten very attached - but then, Dualscar tends to do that.

"I read wwhere lowwbloods might havve lowwer lifespans than evven they're supposed to, on account a their poor diets an dangerous lifestyle," he says after a moment. It had been a bit of a controversial document he picked up somewhere. The author had probably been culled.

rawr

[withoutasign]

Signless knows Dualscar has gotten attached, although he hasn't quite realized the depths of it yet. Then again, he is the big seadweller's first moirail, so he understands how that can be a very intense thing.

He sighs at that, resting his head on Dualscar's shoulder. "That's very true. You wouldn't believe the food in the slave camps, and even trolls in the mid-castes don't always eat well. But there's something there the author left out. It's not lowblood's lifestyles that are dangerous, any more than any other troll. It's that higherbloods can, and do, cull them and not have to worry about facing consequences."

[devwocean]

"Right." This isn't news to him. Obviously if you cull a lowblood, they live less time! "The author wwas lookin' more at the labour and the poor livvin' conditions, not to mention the food bein' less nutritious and less of it."

He scrubs his fingers through Signless' hair. "But you'vve been takin' care a yourself here, right? There's no caste disparity?"

[withoutasign]

Awww, that's cute, Dualscar is worried about him! Signless smiles up at him reassuringly.

"Yes, I've been taking care of myself. Only the best, most nutritious food and low-violence lifestyle."

[devwocean]

"Wwell you'd better be," Dualscar grumps softly, looking away from that smiling, sweet expression. "I wwouldn't wwant to havve to force feed you. It's ugly. Anywway, I just wwanted to be sure on account a, for all I knoww, lowwbloods here aren't givven as good a shake as highbloods, just like back home."

[withoutasign]

"As far as I can tell, everyone here is treated equally." Oh, don't be pissy, here, have a fin pap, you silly fish. "So there won't be any need to force feed me."

[devwocean]

Fin paps are still nice. He hums and relaxes again, then leans in and rests his cheek against Signless'. "Good, then I got nothin' to complain about."

[withoutasign]

"I'm glad." With Dualscar relaxed, Signless snuggles closer. "You're a good moirail, Dualscar."

[devwocean]

Dualscar has to fight not to say something silly and weak like 'really?', though he is pleased by the words. He knows that he's still learning.

"I'm glad you feel that wway. I wwouldn't wwant to be a disappointment."

[withoutasign]

"You're not, but don't worry too much about it. If you do what feels right and treat me the way you want to be treated, you'll do just fine."

Signless is actually fairly impressed at how quickly Dualscar has picked up the subtle nuances of being a moirail, and he squeezes his big dumb fish.

[devwocean]

"I wwasn't wworried," Dualscar says archly, which is a complete lie. He shrugs and cuddles Signless close. "Careful, next you'll be convvincin' me to take a matesprit for real."

[withoutasign]

What have you done, Dualscar? What can of worms have you just opened?

"You should find a matesprit!" Signless pushes off his chest, leaning back so he can look at his face and grin stupidly. "Having a matesprit is great, we should try and find you one, I know you'd like it!"

[devwocean]

Dualscar stares at him for a moment, a serious dear-in-headlights look on his face and his fins flat. "I don't wwant a matesprit right noww! I don't evven havve anyone I pity like that, evven if I did."

[withoutasign]

"But if you find someone you're interested in, you'd tell me, right? So I could help you with dates and stuff?" Signless squirms around, planting his knees on either side of Dualscar's lap so he can rock up on them and look down at his moirail. Oh boy, the chance to meddle more, yes please, this sounds like an excellent idea!

[devwocean]

That deer-in-lights look isn't going away, Signless. "I don't need help wwith figurin' out dates! I wwas wwooin' Darkleer damn wwell evven though he already had a fuckin' matesprit. So wwhat does that tell you?"

It tells everyone that you're an idiot, Dualscar.

[withoutasign]

It tells Signless that you definitely need his help, bro, but he's too polite to say it. Instead, he sits back down, getting himself comfortable and arranged on Dualscar's lap, his head leaning back on his shoulder.

"All right, all right. But if you find anyone you're interested in, you'll tell me, right?"

Because you'll need all the help you can get.

[devwocean]

Dualscar isn't entirely sure the answer is yes. He arranges himself again, scowling at nothing. Signless is just a bit too enthusiastic about this, and if there's one thing he's self-conscious about, it's his love life.

"I'm interested in the Condesce." There's a challenging note in his voice.

[withoutasign]

"And if she comes back and is willing to treat you well, the way you deserve, then I'll help you with that."

Please don't come back, Condesce.

"I mean, look how well you're doing in one of the flushed quadrants!"

[devwocean]

He grunts softly. You aren't the first of Dualscar's quadrants to have a negative attitude about his flushed interest in the Condesce, but Mindfang just mocked him.

"Right wwell, that makes sense." He nuzzles Signless, then fall silent. "And that bein' said... wwe'vve got to get you a kismesis, by the same token."

[withoutasign]

Wait, what?

"But I don't want a kismesis."

Seriously, bro, does he look like the type of troll who is any good at hate?