withoutasign: (so much love)
Signless ([personal profile] withoutasign) wrote in [community profile] caughtinanetwork2012-04-05 09:18 am

of birds and bees and buckets

[The video shows Signless, sitting somewhere in the bubble, leaning comfortably against the enclosure wall. There's a school of brightly colored tropical fish behind him, circling and swimming close to his head, attracted by the red and orange stitches on his cloak's hood. He has a large, heavy book open across his lap.]

It's been brought to my attention that many of you here don't know about how troll reproduction works, or how relations between concupiscent quadrant partners are supposed to go. If you're interested in troll romance and how that works, let me direct you to a very thorough, very excellent explanation by my descendant, Karkat.

[Link to GUESSWHATSHITSTAINS.pdf.]

I'm here more to talk about reproduction. As it happens, trolls raise their young very differently from humans. We don't grow our young inside our bodies, and we are hatched from eggs rather than born live. When trolls reach the age of maturity, they are visited by the drones quarterly. When the drones visit, the two adult trolls are expected to produce genetic fluids and present them. We produce a significant amount of fluids, enough to fill a bucket when both partners are done, which the drone then takes away to the Mother Grub. All the fluids from all the trolls that quarter are mixed together, the Mother Grub uses them to fertilize herself, and then lays eggs. Those eggs eventually hatch into wigglers, which will grow into young trolls.

That's the biology of it. I understand that's quite different from how humans do things. However--[he holds up the book; it's a copy of Grey's Anatomy, the much hated loved tome of human medical students everywhere]--it looks like our parts are mostly compatible. Fascinating, isn't it?

[He puts the book down, and his expression grows serious.]

However, that's not really what I want to talk about. Reproduction is all well and good, but it isn't an issue here, not without drones or a Mother Grub. What I want to talk about is what leads up to reproduction.

You see, when two trolls pity or hate each other very much, they'll start getting feelings for each other, very special feelings that they don't feel for anyone else. These feelings are normal and expected, and everyone goes through them. I went through them, and so did every other troll who survived into adulthood.

[He smiles wistfully for a moment, the kind of smile that only someone who is far, far removed from puberty and can safely reminisce about it can make.]

Anyway, you'll start to want a partner, either in pity or in hate, and you'll want to do things with that partner, things you wouldn't do with anyone else. Again, this is normal. If you don't have a concupiscent quadrant partner, it's also normal to fantasize about having one, and what you'd do to them. That's fine, go ahead and do that. However, be aware that the reality of having a partner is often different from the fantasy, and almost always different from the way relationships are portrayed in films or books.

Now, when you're old enough, and both you and your partner are ready--and I can't emphasize that part enough, when you're old enough and both ready--you'll want to fill buckets with each other. There are many ways to do that, and half the fun is experimenting with each other and finding out what you both like! It's going to be different with each partner, although certain things are almost universal. When you first start filling buckets, don't expect to be good at it immediately. Pailing is a skill like any other; you will probably fumble and be awkward the first few times, but that's okay. It feels strange and awkward to everyone at first. You'll just need to practice! It gets better, I promise. Filling buckets with someone you really care about is one of the greatest feelings in all of paradox space.

To make it get better faster, talk to your partner. Tell them what you like, so they can do that to you, and likewise, ask them what they like so you can reciprocate. Even if your partner is a mind-reader, it's best to just tell them what you want. But don't be demanding! Ask nicely, and be open to what they want to do too. Communication is key, in this, as in everything else.

[He smiles beatifically at the camera.]

And in the spirit of communication... does anyone have any questions?

[OOC: a few things about this post!

1.) Please don't add any new comments to Karkat's romance post that I linked here. It's old and has a ton of comments already.

2.) Please don't ask specific questions about troll junk. We've got a big cast and no one headcanon about what they're packing, so let's just keep it vague. It's compatible with humans, that's all you need to know.

3.) I put up two threads down below: "Responses" and "Action." If you want to talk to Signless, please thread under "Responses." If any of the threads end up going into action (which is fine!), please move them to the "Action" thread. I'm tracking the "Responses" thread but not the "Action" one; this is to help me keep track of everything.
]
aim_exorable: (just why ♐ And you)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 04:56 pm (UTC)(link)
--what am i going to do with you
--really
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@Vouloir (rESOURCEFUL.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 04:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Hug me, shower me with pity laced kisses? Leave the pain and torment to the fight Chucklefuck asked for. [More shrugging!]
aim_exorable: (unimpressed ♐ Say it's me that you)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 04:59 pm (UTC)(link)
--no
--not right now at any rate
--although
--his hand
--and his knee
--may be prime targets if you are looking
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@? (rEASONABULL.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 05:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I'll make sure not to target those then. Leave the dirty fighting to that ass hole. Besides...

He left my wings out of it last fight.
aim_exorable: (soldier ♐ Fracture my spine)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
--as you wish
--have a nice time with your date then
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@hasstherock (sTERN.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't call it that.
aim_exorable: (interest ♐ I need your discipline)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
--ah that is right
--you are still a bit shy with romance
--very well
--have a nice time with your fight then
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@? (uNFLAPPABLE.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Well yeah, but that's not what this is.

Fi-, y-yes, it's just a fight. Just.
aim_exorable: (attention ♐ I need your discipline)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
--of course it is
--completely platonic and everything
--hopefully karkat and nepeta will not catch wind of this or i imagine they will have things to say to you
--getting black romance advice from children would no doubt be quite embarrassing
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@skully (tSUN.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Signless! I mean I hate him, but it's not.

It's nostalgic, okay? That's it. There's no romance! And thus no need for any advice on the matter, about romance, or black, or w-w-whatever.

You can't catch w-wind of something that doesn't exist.
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@Vouloir (aG1TATED.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[Bright orange now, what.]

Don't you dear me!

Don't do that!
aim_exorable: (will do ♐ So darling if you smell)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
--heh
--is it the patronizing tone that is aggravating you
--or the fact that i am giving you a pet name that is not entirely sexual
--i am curious
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@kawaiitank (jUDG1NG.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
...The former. I can deal with the name, but you only seem to use it when you're trying to pay-tronize me.

[Yes, he uses the incorrect pronunciation.]
aim_exorable: (distant ♐ To sew up the gash)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
--paytronize
--...
--stop that
aim_exorable: (distant ♐ To sew up the gash)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
--mispronouncing words on purpose
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@? (wORR1ED.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
...

[Right on... on purpose.]

No! I'll say w-w-whatever I want.
aim_exorable: (will do ♐ So darling if you smell)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[Wait.]

[Did he actually...]


--do you actually not know how to say it
--that is rather endearing
--almost sickeningly so
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@Vouloir (sULLEN.)

[private] video->text

[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[.................]

[Okay, fuck this, okay turning off video.]


aim_exorable: (peace ♐ Bring wings to the weak)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
--it is not that big a deal summoner
--it is alright
--everyone makes mistakes now and then in pronunciation


[...Well highbloods generally don't, but they have better schoolfeeding and high society, et cetera, et cetera.]
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@? (uNSURE.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
...
hOW,
dO YOU PRONOUNCE 1T THEN...
aim_exorable: (soft ♐ So you think I'm alone?)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
--is it that big a deal to you
--you were simply putting too much emphasis on the first part
--which is why i thought you were teasing me
rebull: Icon - Vouloir@Vouloir (tHWARTED.)

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[personal profile] rebull 2012-04-05 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
uH,
wELL YEAH,
oF COURSE 1T'S THAT B1G OF A DEAL.
1 PR1DE MYSELF ON BE1NG WELL SPOKEN.

wHAT DO YOU MEAN TOO MUCH EMPHAS1S?
uH...
aH, aY, wHAT,
wHAT K1ND OF SOUND?
aim_exorable: (question ♐ Am I)

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[personal profile] aim_exorable 2012-04-05 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
--hold on please

[More fumbling until voice!]

Ah... There. You made it sound like it was it was it's own separate word, if that makes any sense. Listen. Patronize.

Also, Lysunder... It is normal to have a verbal quirk, you realize. Even I am prone to doing it.

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