vatheon | (no subject)

Entry tags:

the dolorosa

(no subject)

Who: The Dolorosa and anyone.
What: Now she's finally settled, she's doing some exploring.
Where: Various locations around the city.
When: Any time of day, from dawn into late evening.
Style: Starting prose, but answer as you feel comfortable.
Status: Open

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She had never seen anywhere quite like this and in all her days had never thought to. Now that she finally felt comfortable enough to venture out alone she was doing just that, in her customary jade green gown and a thick, wool-lined cape wrapped snugly about her shoulders. The hood was drawn up, sitting just behind her horns, and a white scarf was wrapped around her neck. It was cold enough to be uncomfortable and times and now and then she would shiver, but it was not enough to drive her back to her hive. She would find her bearings in this place and nothing would stop her.

The day would find her moving from place to place, pausing now and then to take everything in. The plaza, the park and the streets of residences far from her own did not go untravelled, and she might be found spending time in the forest of the south-west quadrant, and even the north-east, near the elevator, did not escape her notice though she did not approach closely enough to have her presence questioned.

By the evening, she found herself hungry and moved into the middle district to find a place to eat and finally rest, not realising quite how much she had pushed herself until she was finally seated in one of the quieter restaurants.

[[ooc: pop in at any point, anywhere, I don't mind at all! :>]]

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Sollux didn't always wander the streets, but today he'd heard about a new game that he'd been looking forward to, and he'd ventured out into the wilds to purchase it. On his way back, cold despite the thick sweater and hat he'd put on, he stopped in to pick up a large coffee at a local cafe.

As he picked it up from the counter, he saw a recognizable pair of horns, but as he stepped back outside, he blinked as he realized that this wasn't Kanaya, but had to be her ancestor. He'd heard about Signless' lusus, though he'd never met her before. He hadn't quite expected her to be so...pretty.

He hesitated, then trotted after her. "Oh, hey!"

She had her fingers curled around a hot cup of tea, enjoying the warmth and the scent as it cooled to a temperature where she was comfortable enough to drink it. It was something she'd come to enjoy, being here, and as she heard someone shout she glanced over her shoulder, more out of curiosity than actually thinking someone was calling for her.

When she saw him, she found herself more than a little taken aback. It was like seeing the Psiioniic as a youngster, and she knew instantly, from the long-winded explanation that Karkat had given upon her arrival, who this must be.

"Hello.. You must be Sollux."

He wasn't expecting her to just know his name, and he's brought up short a bit by that, his smile faltering slightly in surprise. "And you must be Dolorosa," he replies, recapturing some of his poise.

Though his extra teeth are starting to grow back, they're just little nubs in his gums right now and not interfering with his speech yet. Eventually he'll go back to Equius to have them yanked a second time.

"Signless and Psii told me about you," he adds shyly.

"I am," she replied, a warm softness in her voice. She approached him, then let out a quiet chuckle with a smile that made the corners of her eyes wrinkle. "They did? Oh, my, I hope they did not tarnish your opinion of me too badly."

That was, of course, in jest - she had her faults but she found it difficult to believe that her little ones would make mention of them, and they may even deny them should she admit to them herself.

"I am afraid that I know little else of you save for your name."

"Oh, well I don't know that much about you, either," he admits. "Except you were Signless' lusus, which means you must be pretty weird."

He sticks his hands in his pockets. "That and you've probably figured out that I'm Psiioniic's descendant. What do you want to know?"

She laughed. By troll standards she was what might be termed as 'weird', though she'd never minded being granted such a title. Her nose wrinkled in amusement and she wrapped her arms around herself, fingers curling loosely over one elbow while the other hand held her drink.

"Yes, that is something that I did know. You remind me of him." The Dolorosa considered, for a moment, what she might ask him. "Would a request for you to simply tell me about yourself be too vague?"

He shrugs slightly, smiling just the tiniest bit as he looks up at her. "There isn't that much to tell. I'm a hacker, and uh." His cheeks are starting to flush yellow as he tries to think of something that isn't dumb to say. "Feferi's my matesprit? And Eridan's my kismesis, and... I have a moirail, too." He ducks his head. "But you probably don't care about my quadrants, so... maybe you should ask me something more specific."

"I have no idea of what would make you think that I don't care," she told him with a quiet humour in her voice. It might not have been the first thing she would have thought to ask about, but if it was important to him, then she was more than happy to hear about it.

He had a point, though, and she nodded once. "Come, walk with me," she said, gently placing her free hand between his shoulders and gesturing ahead with her other hand, still clasped around the cup of tea. "I would like to hear about your life. How you grew up."

He stiffens just a bit at the familiar touch, but doesn't object. He doesn't get a threatening vibe, he's just not used to it, and he obediently lets her lead him along. "Well, I mean it's not like we know each other, so why should you care about my quadrants, anyway? I..." He hesitates. "My hive was a communal hivestem and my lusus was a biclops. And mostly I did a lot of apiculture networking and being a hacker."

"We do not know each other, but that is the purpose of conversations such as this, is it not?" Her nose wrinkled faintly as she smiled, and gave a faint nod. "It seems to me that your youth was an interesting time. Are you able to continue such things here?"

Hacking was far away from her own experience and she had never quite understood the yellowblood fascination with bees, but Sollux interested her, and he was pleasant enough to speak with. She had always valued honesty, after all, even if it came with a certain level of bluntness.

"I guess," he admits. "It wasn't as interesting as what came after, but better in a lot of ways. And sure, I do some hacking here. I've written some good programs and souped up my SFC."

He hesitates. "So... you were Signless' lusus, right? What was that like?" At least she should have to answer some questions, too, after all.

That was the kind of question that she had found many young trolls eventually asking her. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to her life being known like this.. yet it was flattering in its own way.

"It was.. different. I am sure that you know that it is not a position that trolls are made to find themselves in." The Dolorosa smiled to herself. "There were many days when I wondered what I was doing. Many things that I did not know. I learned a great deal, caring for him."

"Yeah, I'm sure any grub in my care would totally die," Sollux says matter-of-factly. "I can barely keep myself alive sometimes." He shrugs, and grins up at her. "Signless seems pretty okay, though, so you must have been a pretty good lusus. Better than most real lusi, probably."

The grin is returned with an amused smile, which softens as he continues to speak.

"He was always so, even as a youngster. His ideas of peace were not ones that I had to impart to him. I only encouraged them." Despite knowing what it would mean, but she wouldn't have changed a thing. "It seems that he does well here. I had not thought to see him so happy."

"Really? I guess that makes sense, though. He must have been hilarious when he was little." He nods. "He's been pretty different since he came back and started calling himself the Sufferer instead of Signless."

"He was quite the little handful," she replied, though the faint smile that accompanied that remark faded quickly at what Sollux said next. She sighed. That had been something she'd noticed, but hadn't wanted to bring attention to. He was still her little one, no matter what he called himself, but to see him so changed - despite it being expected - was sometimes unsettling. It wasn't just him. They were all different now.

"I know. I would give anything to be able to take that pain from him, but he has a strong heart. He'll find his way."

"He's got a lot of people who care about him here," Sollux says honestly. "Most people think he's really awesome. Eventually we'll help him to get over his dumbass shit about failing everyone."

His phrasing left a little to be desired, but she could understand the meaning, and she nodded. "He is not the only one who felt that he failed, but I know that he felt it the most keenly."

"I think it's a Vantas thing, or whatever," Sollux says, nodding. "KK has the same stupid gene."

That got a bit of a laugh.

"Karkat? He reminds me of Signless in more ways than I think he would like to admit." A thoughtful pause, then, and she tilted her head as she made a soft sound. "Though.. I think he is the noisier one."

Sollux laughs, too. "He's the noisiest, that's for sure! Signless rambles a lot, but not at top volume."

"He does. I am afraid that I was never able to persuade him to express himself more concisely." She looked over to Sollux with a fond expression. "But I imagine that it could have been worse. He at least speaks with passion and does not put people to sleep with his sermons."

"Most of the time," Sollux teases, grinning.

[Often out and about, Sola's taken a break from his job as delivery boy to spend a few hours lazing about on a low-hung branch in the park. Dolorosa's cloak and horns catch his eye right away and he swings down to the grass, eager to finally meet his trolldad's mom. He'd been too nervous before but.. well, today he's a bit more confident.]

Um, excuse me, you're Dolorosa, right?

[She turns at hearing her name and tilts her head with a small, curious smile. By now, she's used to people knowing who she is from before.. The time she was here that she doesn't remember.]

That's right. Do we.. know one another?

No ma'am, not officially, but I'm Signless' son- ah.. I mean, I call him dad anyway, and he said you're like his mother, so I thought I should say hello.

[He stands almost at attention, feet together and hands behind his back. Eye contact is a little hard when you're basically meeting your adoptive Grandmother for the first time, even if Signless said she's very kind.]

[It's probably a good thing that she's been here for long enough now to understand these human terms and what they mean, so he's spared the blank expression of confusion he might have otherwise got in the face of unfamiliar words.

She notices how tense he's holding himself, and her smile softens a little.]

If you are one who means so much to him then it is my great pleasure to meet you. What is your name?

[Red creeps into his cheeks at her words and a pleased smile breaks across his face.]

U-umm, my name's Sola! And I'm really pleased to meet you too. It's, um.. it's sort of like we're already family, isn't it?

Sola.

[She has found that repeating these foreign-sounding names assist in her remembering them, and she tilts her head slightly as she considers what he says. Family. Still a strange concept to her.]

.. Yes. I think that we are. [Another smile.] If it pleases you.

[He can't contain himself now that Dolorosa said it's okay. With a bright smile, Sola flings his arms around her in a hug.]

...can I call you Grandmother?

[It's a surprise, but after a moment, she wraps her arms around his shoulders and smiles softly.]

Yes, little one. You can.

Dolorosa!

[Here's a younger Jadeblood, rushing up to join her ancestor. Kanaya's been spending more time down here, what with all the snow on the surface, and just happened to see the Dolorosa wandering about. ]

How are you?

Kanaya.

[She smiles brightly, stopping to allow the younger troll to catch up to her and putting one arm around her in a brief hug - unsure, yet, of just how much physical contact might be tolerated.]

I am very well. This place is.. unlike anything I thought I might experience. How are you, my dear?

I'm doing fine. This place is rather interesting, and despite the curses and oddity it's still a nice place to live.

[The hug is returned, gladly. If there is some limit to her tolerance for physical contact, the Dolorosa has yet to reach it.]

Have you been by the nostalgia district yet? They usually have some Alternian items for sale, if there's something you can't find in the normal shops.

[One of these days the young jadeblood would probably find herself being swept up into a hug. It will no doubt please the older troll immensely that neither of them will mind that when it happens.]

I have not made my way over there, yet.. Would you like to show me?

[Kanaya's never been one for random public displays of affection, but while she never made a habit of initiating such she certainly doesn't mind receiving such unsolicited hugs from someone she's close to. The older troll would no doubt also be pleased to know that Kanaya may very well starting giving her surprise hugs before the Dolorosa gets around to it. ]

Certainly. They change inventory often but if you need something specific it'll be there sooner or later. I managed to find some seeds for Alternian flowers not too long ago.

[She begins leading the way through the city to the one area Kanaya constantly calls by the wrong name: the Nostalgia Nook.]

Fascinating.

[She follows the younger jadeblood in comfortable silence, and should she know the actual name of the place she would no doubt choose to call it something else, too. Racial sensitivity, it seems, is not in Vatheon's repertoire.]

There are people from many worlds here. [An idle comment as they walk - something she's been thinking on.] It seems strange to me that those who have been taken from the same ones appear to be connected, however tenuous the threads may be.

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