vatheon | (no subject)

Who: Spider and Signless
When: July 21st, 9:00am
Where: A tea shop near the plaza
Style: Like, you know, whatever.
Status: Closed without prior arrangement.

Spider was up a bit early today, excited for his interview. He hasn't had the chance to get back into his game, and his first victim apparently has some sort of messiah complex. Perfect. This bubble might be blissfully lacking in politicians, but he would get bored if there weren't some sort of self righteous bastards for him to take down. Religious nutjobs will do just fine in a pinch. He was going to be careful with this though. His initial invitation was cordial and polite, carefully calibrated to lure in the unsuspecting prey. This was going to be fun. He'll let the guy get his say, give him a chance to explain himself, and when the time was right, Spider would strike down with great vengeance and furious anger. Oh yes.

At the appointed time, spider was already seated at a table with his typewriter in place. A cup of tea was at his side, only used so far to wash down some unidentified pills. He 's watching the crowds for an adult troll that looks just like his protégée. Alright, so Vantas had told him to play nice with the guy. At the very least Spider will give him a chance before tearing him apart.

He has already started to type.

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Spider stands as soon as Signless catches his attention, putting on a placid smile and offering a handshake. "Yes, Spider Jerusalem, currently freelance journalist. You are 'The Signless', correct? Please, have a seat." Spider gestures to the chair opposite his seat, while waving for the attention of the waitstaff. Satisfied someone would be coming to take his guest's order, he sits again behind the typewriter, almost immediately typing a bit more.

Signless cheerfully shakes his hand before slipping into the seat across from him. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jerusalem. Some call me The Signless, but honestly, I just prefer Signless." He smiles disarmingly. "Having the before my name is just too formal."

"So... Signless then. Is that your only name? I'm afraid I don't know too much about your culture but I've noticed most the older trolls have a similar nom de guerre."

His smile becomes just a touch sharper at that. This is going to be a bit more interesting than he had anticipated.

"Signless is my adult name. I have a hatch name as well, but that's something I left behind when I became Signless."

"Alright. So how did you become Signless then? Karkat told me you have a bit of a life story that should prove interesting. Do you mind sharing it?" Spider is starting to try and open the troll up a bit. It's not normal for him to have to pry like this. He's far more used to religous types that can't wait to spew their garbage at him. This Signless is different indeed. Slowly Jerusalem's opinion is shifting. he can't bring himself to view this guy as a typical target. Spider's initial judgement might have to be rolled back, start over from scratch. It's far more interesting that this guy isn't as typical as Spider expected.

"It's really not that interesting." As far as Signless is concerned, it isn't! "I was hatched in the brooding caverns like everyone else, but I had a mutation that made me unadoptable. No lusus would have me. Fortunately, one of the caretakers to the Mother Grub found him, decided to not have me culled, and escaped the caverns. She raised me much like you humans raise your young. Because of this, I never received a sign. Trolls get a sign when they survive the Trials and are chosen by a lusus."

It's a good thing spider does his homework, he's only half lost.

"Can you expand on the caretaker? I'm not familiar with what a lusus is, or how the caretakers to the mother grub differ. Did she take you in as a grub, or after you pupated?"

Signless is only too happy to explain.

"Well, a lusus is a young troll's guardian and caretaker. There are many different kinds of lusii; I've been slitherbeasts, giant spiders, pouncebeasts, barkbeasts, hoofbeasts... almost every creature you can think of can be a lusus. What sets them apart is that they're always all white and are more sentient than other beasts of the same type.

"Now, because of my mutation, no lusus would choose me. My caretaker ended up being Dolorosa, who is a troll like myself. Her duty, before raising me, was to tend to the needs of the mother grub, which lays the eggs that all wigglers hatch from. The wigglers who survive the Trials have a lusus choose them."

"Thanks for indulging me there. So a troll gave up her duties and raised you as her own. What happened next?"

"We traveled. For sweeps and sweeps. You see, if I'd ever been discovered, my mutation was an instant death sentence. A troll without a sign, without a lusus, with an abnormal mutation... that would mean death for me, and probably death for Dolorosa as well."

"So we stayed on the move, avoiding civilivation as much as we could--a jadeblood who abandoned her post wouldn't be treated kindly either--and lived as best we could."

Spider lit up a fresh cigarette, looking up to see an approaching waiter. He waits for Signless to place an order before pressing on.

"That's not all there is to it though. You couldn't have hid forever. What did you end up doing?"

With his order placed, Signless resumes his story.

"As I got older, I began having visions. I saw Alternia as it could be, a place of equality and partnership, rather than the Alternia that was. And I wanted that. I wanted it for myself, a mutant with no place in the current society, and I wanted it for all those who were kept repressed under the bootheel of the Empire."

"I wasn't brave enough to speak out, though, until I met Psii." Signless' expression softens; it's obviously he has deep affection for the troll he speaks of now. "He was the first slave to run away and follow me, because of the things I told him. But he wouldn't be the last."

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being vauge about pupating because of multiple headcanons in-game

That's fine! I should have figured that would happen.

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