vatheon | (no subject)

[Not long after Signless arrives, Sola comes up from the other direction, hat in his hand instead of his head and bulging with all manner of objects. He waves excitedly when he catches sight of of the troll and runs the last few feet to his side.]

Hey!

Hey!

[Hopefully Sola's hands aren't too full, because Signless is going for a hug.]

[And Sola's all about hugs these days! Though he's careful not to drop his hat-bag.]

How are you? [He eyes Signless eagerly.] Did you bring it?

[Oh yes, this is great, all the hugs ever!]

I'm doing very well, thank you. And yes. Yes, I did.

[Shoosh, moar hugs now.]

[Sorry Signless but he really wants that sylladex! He pulls away, looking up at Signless expectantly, strikingly similar to a tail-wagging puppy.]

[You are so cute, Sola.]

[With a grin and a flourish, Signless pulls out the sylladex. In his hand, it looks like a slightly larger version of a playing card.]

Ta-da!

[His great big smile turns into an expression of confusion as he blinks at it.]

...how do you fit all the items in it? Is it magic?

Not magic, no. Just a special kind of technology.

[Signless picks a small rock up off the ground, and slips it into the sylladex. Since there's nothing else in there, it slides right in.]

See?

Neat! So how do you get it out again?

[He takes it and turns it over in his hands, trying to figure it out]

You mentioned you liked sliding puzzles, right? I sent it up to give you a basic puzzle when you want something back. Once you're more familiar with it, you can make the puzzles more complicated, or set it to something else entirely.

[Signless explains this, but doesn't offer to show Sola how to get it out. He wants to see if the young man can figure it out on his own ~~also, his mun has no idea how to describe sylladexes, sob~~]

[As Sola turns the card over in his hand, wondering how to get the rock out, a holographic construct of a nine-piece sliding picture puzzle suddenly springs to life in the air in front of him, causing him to start and drop the card. The puzzle remains suspended in the air even once the sylladex is on the ground.]

Woah..

[Signless reaches out and pats Sola's shoulder.]

Go ahead. Solve the puzzle and get the rock out.

Okay.

[Tongue poking between his lips, Sola takes a preliminary look at the puzzle before him. After just a moment, he moves only two blocks with quick precision and the rock pops out of the sylladex with no trouble at all.]

That's awesome!

Very good!

[Signless claps Sola on the back in encouragement.]

Now why don't you try putting in two things at once, and see what it does? Here...

[He bends down and scoops up another pebble. It's best to practice with things that won't break if the sylladex decides to launch it across the park.]

Try it with this.

Okay! [And in the two rocks go! When he goes to get them out again, Sola's puzzle is slightly larger. This doesn't seem to pose a problem as he again solves it with little premeditation.]

It gets bigger when there's more stuff!

You're a natural.

[Signless is happy that the sylladex is being cooperative. He knows how challenging it can be to learn how to use them, but then again, he deliberately set up Sola's for him to make it a little easier.]

Yes... the more you put in there, the more complicated the puzzles will get. However, that complexity will allow you to pull out only one thing at a time instead of everything inside it, all at once.

Um, but what if I need something in a hurry? I mean, I have all this stuff to put in...

[Sola unceremoniously plunks down on the ground and empties the contents of his hat. His collection has grown since Signless last saw it, now including an assortment of shiny candy wrappers, soda tabs in varying colors, and several pieces of sea glass. The map-motif doormat is missing though, he had to return it. The frosting on the flotsam cake seems to be the thick glass bottle with a large cork, the only item that Sola treats with extra care as he sets things out on the grass.]

I'd recommend putting the things you use the most in the prominent positions, so they're easier to access.

[Signless looks over Sola's collection, and points out the glass bottle that he'd handled so carefully.]

Like that, for example.

Okay!

[Thinking about it carefully for each object, Sola puts things in one by one (or in bunches, as it the case with the candy wrappers) with Signless's guidance. Eventually everything is in its place and Sola drops the sylladex in his hat... then then looks at it sitting in the bottom of his hat at length before looking up at Signless.]

Is it really okay if I put it in my hat like Link does? Or is that trying to be someone else again?

Well... are you putting it there because that's where the other Link puts it, or because that's where you want to put it?

[Signless takes out his own sylladex, which he keeps tucked under the bandages on his wrists.]

I like to keep mine near my hands so I can access it quickly, but other people don't like that. Some trolls like to keep them in their belts so they're out of the way, others wear them around their necks. It's really a very personal thing.

[He smiles gently.]

Where do you think would be the best place?

I just feel like that's where it's supposed to go.

[He really can't tell. It's ingrained in all Links that the bottomless hat of holding is where all items should go and Sola knows he would feel strange reaching for another place, but is it really okay? Would Zelda be mad?]

If that's what you feel, you shouldn't try and change it.

[Signless catches the change in Sola's demeanor, and he puts an arm around him and gives him a gentle squeeze.]

And if anyone gives you a hard time about it, you tell them to come and talk to me and I'll explain things to them, all right?

[The unsaid implication here is if Zelda gives you a hard time, but Signless doesn't want to come right out and say that.]

Is that really okay? I want to be me, not Link, but what if some of me is like him anyway?

[He looks away from Signless, twisting the hat in his hands, but still leans into him slightly to seek the offered comfort.]

It's really confusing...

I know it is.

[Signless gently strokes Sola's hair, smoothing it down under his fingers.]

You will probably always be a little like Link, but you'll also be you, too. That's okay.

It's okay to be two people?

[Sola looks up at Signless, hopelessly lost. He's really not sure what to do as there's no road map for this sort of thing.]

[Signless thinks about that for a moment, giving Sola's question the serious consideration it deserves before answering.]

Well, think about it this way... have you met Karkat? He's my descendant, looks just like a younger version of me. On the outside, we're identical, but we act very, very differently. We're not just like each other; we're each our own person. That's what you need to be to Link. Maybe you started the same, but you can make your own decisions, your own opinions, that are separate from him.

Does that make sense?

[That does make sense, soothing Sola's worried mind. He lifts the hat and places it on his head decisively with the sylladex safely inside.]

Yeah, thank you. What's Karkat like, if he's like you but not?

[Maybe another potential friend?]

[Oh, now you've done it, Sola. You've given Signless an opening to talk about his descendant/son, and he perks up at the opportunity.]

He's wonderful. He's brave and strong and completely loyal and devoted to his friends, even when it puts himself in danger. He listens to those he cares about, and tries to help them, even goes out of his way to help them, and always has time for them. He swears a lot, but that's just part of his personality, and he seems a little prickly when you first meet him, but once you get to know him, he's an absolute delight.

[It's obvious even to the admittedly dense Sola that Signless is incredibly proud of his progeny. He smiles, though he can't help but be a little bit jealous, as children get when someone's attention isn't on them.]

He sounds nice. Do you think I could meet him? I think it'd be good to make more friends.

Sure you could!

[Signless senses that Sola is a little jealous, and hugs him tighter.]

I'm sure he'd like you, and the two of you could be friends.

So you'll introduce me?

[Sola smiles at the hug, snuggling into Signless a bit. He's a little affection starved, especially in the physical contact department. Ion's hugs are nice, but it's almost like being hugged by girl and they make him slightly uncomfortable at times.]

Of course.

[Signless keeps his arm around Sola; he's well aware that sometimes his presence is more comforting than anything he could possibly say.]

[Sola pauses for a long moment, considering, then looks up at Signless again, not through with his inquiries.]

Did Karkat try and be like you when you made him?

[Oh dear Sola, there are so many things wrong with that question...]

[That question throws Signless for a loop!]

I didn't... I didn't make Karkat. I didn't even meet him until I arrived here in Vatheon.

[He considers for a moment, thinking about how to explain this.]

You see, when trolls like me reproduce, we contribute genetic material to something called the Mother Grub, who then mixes it all together and lays eggs that become wigglers and then young trolls. We don't raise our own young, or even know for sure who contributed the raw materials to create us.

However, there are exceptions. Sometimes, trolls are hatched who are clearly the direct descendants of another troll, usually a famous one, or a highblood. When that happens, the two trolls share the same sign.

[Pause]

Karkat didn't know about me until he was older, so he didn't try and be like me... at least, not intentionally. I'm told, though, that we're a great deal alike, beyond looking the same.

Sign? Grub? [Troll reproduction sure is confusing!] But you're alike even though you didn't meet until later?

[Sola considers this new information.]

I guess... my master is like your Mother Grub and if I was Karkat, then Link would be you, so... it's okay to be kind of like him? I mean, Master Ganondorf made me but I'm made from Link's memories and stuff. I'm not him, but I guess I'm sort of like his, uh, descendant, then... right?

[Signless thinks that over for a minute before nodding.]

Yes, that sounds about right. Part of you will always be like Link, because he's a part of you, but as long as you remember to be your own person too, everything should work out.

I guess it's okay then. I still get kind of confused about what feelings are mine and what's stuff I feel just because he'd feel it though. [Sola heaves a tiny sigh the stretches his arms.] I kind of wish my master had made me some other way.

But then you wouldn't be you.

[Signless very gently and slowly tries to pap Sola on the nose.]

And you're perfect just the way you are.

[Sola wrinkles his nose at the pap and laughs.]

If you say so, Signless.

[Signless laughs right along with him.]

I insist upon it.

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rofl, it's okay, they're hard

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d-daww... I kind of want to just leave it there. They're so cute ;.;

yeah, let's leave it here :D