caughtinanetwork | 19 ♐ Video ♐ Horse-herding Cat

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19 ♐ Video ♐ Horse-herding Cat

[Action; Disciple only]

[It's just like any other day for Darkleer. He's just locked himself away in his room for the most part while Summoner slumbers away on his bed. After his matesprit had been kidnapped by the Highblood, he's been even more reluctant to leave his side.]

[So he simply sits at his workbench, sketching out the designs for the hive next door that they are going to ~~steal~~ expand to.]

[Unfortunately, he has no idea that an oliveblooded cat is slowly making her way to him and shenanigans will happen...]

[Video]

[Some time after those shenanigans, Darkleer appears on the network.]

[A very sheepish Darkleer, as a matter of fact, his hand lowering after giving some of his long hair a firm nervous tug. His shoulders are kind of tense.]

Ahem. So.

[A pause. Suddenly, somewhere from off-screen, a pair of hands start to bat at his arm which only makes him shrink back a bit more. Anyone familiar with Disciple may be able to identify those hands and arms as hers.]

I'm doing it, I'm doing it-! Ngh. [A small sigh.] Is... there anyone who is free today who would like to do something?

...That is out of my respite block.

...And my hive.

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Oh. Uh.

[Brooklyn isn't making eye contact anymore. This is bringing up unpleasant memories, and an even worse line of thought.]

If you say so. But...that really only explains two of them, right? If those other two are just platonic like you say, then why do you call 'em romantic partners? Isn't that just friendship?

Well, the two I mentioned are also necessary for the propagation of our entire race. The other two are important for more social reasons.

They are also greatly different than friendship. Just because they do not involve sexual acts does not make them meaningless. If that were true, then romantic partners on all worlds would be rather shallow, don't you agree?

Moirails also are fueled by pity and affection, simply different kinds. Auspitices are required so that black infidelity is not as widespread, and also to make sure that individuals do not go killing one another willy nilly. Which would you like to know about first?

Killing each other?

[The more he hears the stranger it gets.]

You could tell me about the, uh, Auspictices first I guess.

We can be a... fairly violent race. Yes.

[He clears his throat.]

The ashen quadrant is represented by a club, or a black clover if that is more familiar to you. It is the only quadrant that involves three individuals. You have two individuals who feel hatred towards one another- platonic or romantic, it doesn't matter. The third is the auspitice, who mediates between them.

The goal involves thinking of the big picture instead of the smaller one. Perhaps one of the individuals is already taken in their black quadrant. Perhaps it would wreak havoc amongst the larger social picture with their other partners even if the pair fitted together quite well. Or maybe they just want to kill one another and that can't do for any number of reasons.

Thus the auspitice intervenes in their arguments, shutting them both down from romance or murder.

It is not always the most emotionally rewarding of quadrants, but it is highly important for our culture. A good auspitice is quite respected, at least in the military where teamwork can be essential. I used to be quite an impressive one myself back in the day.

I guess that makes sense. All of it does, really. Kind of. I guess it's just weird that you've got such a....such a system for it? I mean quadrants and clubs, but they all just seem like your sorta normal social functions.

Hm. Things are simply different on Alternia, as I am sure you noticed.

One thing I still don’t get though. If the black one is supposed to be your romantic partner, but the two of you hate each other. Then how exactly do you, uh. . .

[Shhh. It’s very relevant to his interests, okay.]

...Yes?

[Sigh. Bad feeling.]

You know, with the. Romantic interactions. You said they had to do with continuing the species so I just assumed that . . .

That's right.

[Phew. Okay. Filtering this because gosh! Private matters.]

Trolls do not birth their own young. Instead, we all offer our genetic material from sexual acts to the Imperial Drones, which deliver it to the Mother Grub. The Mother Grub takes the genetic material within herself, and from the combined material, she lays eggs. Thousands of them.

It is important for both red and black pairs to give their genetics to the Drone. The material from matesprits is quite different than that of kismesisses, at least on a genetic level.

It should be noted that the Drones deliver the material in buckets, and our race finds the objects quite... well, I'm sure you understand.

[Oh. So talk about systematized.]

That clears some things up. . .

[Still not exactly what he was going after, but now he doesn't really want to press it. He changes the subject.]

We may actually have something in common there, though. You know, compared to the humans. Gargoyles lay eggs, right. All of those are put into the Rookery. Indiscriminately. We don't trace parentage, and all of the hatchlings are raised as siblings--by the whole clan.

Really? I thought it would be something like that, considering the wings and reptilian appearance, but the cultural aspect is unexpected. Interesting.

That must mean you are all quite close then.

Heh, Yeah. I guess you could say that. We also don't take names. Mine is kind of an exception.

May I ask why you decided to break habit, then?

[He sighs and rubs his head.]

It's...complicated. And sad. Suffice it to say that clan tradition doesn't exactly mean much in our situation anymore. Imagine going to sleep and waking up a thousand years later. That's the easiest way to describe what happened.

[Now he shrugs.]

But it's not a policy that ever made much sense to me anyway. My brothers and I were happy to pick up names.

...I see.

My condolences for whatever you've been through. At least you have second chances, here if nowhere else.

I don't know. Getting pulled to this place is a lot like what happened to us a year ago. Only this time it's just me. That was a second chance, this is more like a curse.

There is always a possibility that others from your world may arrive. You never know. I was one of the first adult trolls to arrive in Vatheon myself.

It's possible, sure.

[He tries to change his face.]

But don't listen to me. Back home we have to live in the shadows, so Vatheon does have its perks.

That's right, the stone issue. I take it you've been having little trouble lately then?

Well it's not just that, but it's a problem, definitely. The bigger one is that the world forgot about us, and we can't exactly just walk back into it.

You're right though. I haven't had any trouble here.

That is certainly an issue.

Right now, however, here is what matters. It's good to see that you haven't been experiencing any issues besides that which Vatheon inflicts.

Yeah, I guess you're right. It's a pretty friendly city, all things considered.

[Unlike another city he could mention.]

We're all very fortunate in that regard. I could only imagine how much more complicated it would be if we were all at one another' throats.

You can say that again.

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19 ♐ Video ♐ Horse-herding Cat

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