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Dualscar and Mindfang are seated across from each other in a room lit by candles, wood panelled and close - a ship's cabin. A crystal decanter of a deep red wine open between them, mostly empty. Their glasses are also mostly empty, but neither of them seem inclined to refill them.

Mindfang is rather distracted, you see. A troll in a slave's tunic kneels on the floor between her legs, her hands reaching up to undo the ties on Mindfang's shirt. Her hands are shaking visibly, but she doesn't hesitate in her obedience to Mindfang's will. Though the slave's face is hidden, her horns match Dolorosa's. Mindfang strokes the slave's hair, watching Dualscar under heavily-lidded eyes.

Dualscar is watching the goings-on with eyes narrowed, his fists clenching and unclenching in frustration. "I'm done wwith this, Spinneret! I'm not goin' to sit here an let you wwalk all ovver me. If you're not interested in wwhat I havve to offer, then I'll just fuckin' leavve, understand? You'vve plied the seas at my sufferance all a this time. You can't just treat me like this!"

Mindfang flicks her free hand carelessly. Though her words are muffled, it's clear that she's inviting him to leave. Dualscar leaps to his feet, knocking over his chair. With a snarl, he strides from the room, cape rippling, and slams the door behind himself.

[OOC: Interactive or not is fine!]

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[Dualscar shifts slightly with guilt, though accompanying it is a flash of irritation. Did he really need to be accused right now?]

I meant to tell you. It ain't like I lied or anythin'.

[Dualscar isn't the only one feeling irritable right now. Sufferer pushed a button on his SFC several days ago, but after realizing what it did, he's been avoiding sleep so no one else has to see his dreams. Or his dream, rather. Singular. He only has one now.]

You knew what she meant to me, and you just omitted that information?

No. I... I tried once to tell you! [Fists clenching, he shuts the door and begins to pace the room] But things didn't go that wway an the moment didn't come. You kneww about Psiioniic an wwhat I did to him, I tried to tell you that I wwasn't the sort a person wwho you wwanted as a moirail, and you wwouldn't listen. And then wwe wwere moirails, an there wwas nevver a good time.

[Usually, Sufferer would be standing up and coming over to pap Dualscar's fins, if he saw him this agitated. Today, though, he stays on the bed. His only movement is when his hands clench into fists near his elbows.]

But that's exactly the sort of thing you're supposed to tell your moirail!

It just nevver came up! Wwhy are you actin' like I'vve done somethin' wwrong?

[He's so unprepared for this. Signless has always been kind and reassuring and accepting, and now he's angry and isn't doing anything to reassure Dualscar at all. His earlier fears, that Signless would only make Dualscar dependent upon him and then realize that he doesn't want him after all, are all coming true.]

Because you have done something wrong!

[Okay, rein it in there, Sufferer. He pauses to take a deep breath, and his hands unclench with an audible clacking of metal. His voice is more calm and measured when he speaks again.]

Dualscar. You're being defensive, so obviously this is something that has been bothering you. Did you really think I would be such a bad moirail that I wouldn't be willing to talk to you about it and help you sort out your feelings?

[He flinches slightly at the whipcrack of Signless' words, and then his eyes widen at his question]

No! I don't think you're evver a bad moirail an it's got nothin' to do wwith that.

[Desperately, he crosses the room and climbs onto the sleeping rectangle, reaching for Signless to draw him close]

[Sufferer doesn't protest when Dualscar climbs up on the sleeping rectangle, but he puts one hand out and rests it on the seadweller's chest. No hugs, not yet.]

Then why didn't you tell me?

[No hugs? Dualscar's fins flatten down and he draws back]

I said wwhy! I meant to tell you only there wwasn't an appropriate time an I didn't wwant to upset you!

[With a growl, he gets up again, beginning to pace, shoulders set. Are they breaking up? He's so upset, and that makes him aggressive]

You wwant to knoww the truth? The wwhole a it? Then fine, knoww wwho you'vve really had for a moirail. [He rounds on Signless, teeth bared and fins flaring] I took them both onto my ship after you died. I broke Psiioniic, made him a Helmsman, an took pleasure in the doing a it. And Dolorosa, I put in my hold in chains, kept her as a slavve amongst the lowwest blood, gavve her no quarter or any kind a kindness. In fact, I gavve her not a thought until Spinneret boarded my ship an took her for her owwn, along wwith many a my other slavves. Spinneret used her to taunt me, claimed to be flushed for her wwhile she mind controlled her in front a me, and I did nothin' except to lash out at my kismesis. I had Dolorosa killed, not to free her or help her, but to hurt Mindfang. I cared nothin' for her suffering. Understand, noww?

[Sufferer winces as Dualscar goes through his diatribe; it hurts hearing this, hurts knowing what happened to his nearest and dearest. His face is stricken when he looks at Dualscar, but his voice is very soft and in control.]

And now, having gotten to know them… do you still feel the same way?

[His fins droop, his anger as usual washing against Signless' calm and breaking like a wave. He always expects Signless to lash out in return, to prove him right, and even now he hasn't.]

No... A course I don't.

[Sufferer is quiet for a long time, dropping his gaze and looking at his hands, clenched together in his lap.]

I remember you. In my dream.

[His fins flick back in surprise and he steps a little closer. Tentatively, he reaches out and rests a hand on Signless' head]

Do you?

[Sufferer doesn't protest, but he doesn't look up right away either.]

I do.

[Another sigh, and this time he reaches his arms out, beckoning Dualscar into them.]

Come here, you big dumb fish. That's what I've been trying to tell you… if you've changed, really changed, what you did in the past doesn't matter.

[He gives a little glub and climbs onto the bed again, scooting close and wrapping his arms around the smaller troll.]

I'm not fuckin' dumb. [He protests feebly, even as he seemingly attempts to permanently attach himself to Signless. He really didn't like the sinking feeling he'd had while they were arguing. If Signless actually did break up with him, rather than simply leaving, he doesn't know what he'd do but it would probably involve a great deal of slaughter and property damage.]

But I don't knoww if I'vve really actually changed that much. I'vve just changed a lot a howw I think about certain things. But I'm still me.

Shoosh.

[Sufferer tucks his legs up and scoots into Dualscar's lap, letting himself be enveloped in the larger troll's arms. He used to Dualscar treating him like a piece of extra cuddly luggage, and it's refreshing after how they were fighting.]

Of course you're still you. But you're thinking about things now, instead of blindly following the Empire. [a gentle fin-stroke] That's all I ask.

[He rumbles discontentedly but doesn't try to contradict him. He doesn't feel he ever blindly did anything, but he did change his mind about the Empire, which is the important part.

He shifts with Signless on his lap, getting comfortable and settling in for some serious cuddle times.]

I just wwant you to be happy, Signless. You'vve changed my life so much.

[From where Sufferer is standing, it looked like some pretty blind obedience.]

You've changed mine too, Dualscar. And I am happy, which you're a part of.

[So mean.

Dualscar nuzzles him on the cheek. Only now that things are happy again can he admit what he was really thinking.]

I thought you wwould break up wwith me...

I know.

[Really, it's not like Dualscar was being particularly subtle there.]

I'm not going to break up with you, Dualscar. But you need to tell me when things are bothering you, so I can help you through them.

[He nods and cuddles a little tighter, and then in a very small voice he says:] I hate your matesprit an I think she hates me, too. An wwe pailed.

[Sufferer goes very still when he hears that. Eww, things he does not want to think about: this!]

I see. Have you talked to her about this since?

[He did not want to be bulge cousins with his moirail!]

[Uh oh. Dualscar's fins droop a bit and then flatten. Is Signless angry at him again?]

Wwell, yeah. Wwhen she came ovver later on I got her to mostly admit she wwanted me in return. I'm givvin her a little bit a line before I reel her in again, though, so I havven't pushed her too fast yet.

[He's not angry, exactly, but he's not particularly pleased, either.]

I'm going to trust you to not push this issue, Dualscar. You need to let her decide, all right? And if she decides she's not interested, you're going to respect that.

[He frowns a little, and strokes Signless' hair a bit] She is interested, though. That much I'm sure about. She is a little reluctant to fuckin' admit it, but it ain't for lack a interest in wwhat I'vve got to offer.

But you'vve got nothin' to wworry about. I knoww howw to treat my kismesis partners, properly. I don't get ovverly hateful to the point wwhere I cull them or hurt them too badly.

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why are there no pictures of Dualscar and Signless hugging for me to icon? WHY I ASK YOU

I WAS JUST ASKING MYSELF THE SAME QUESTION

WE SHOULD COMMISSION THIS IMMEDIATELY

TO ZORN'S COMMISSION POST

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