caughtinanetwork

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[Video]

[He's chosen the backdrop and everything about this strategically. Behind him is the wall of the bubble, the ocean beyond visible as schools of fish and perhaps some ominous larger shapes dart past behind him.

Dualscar himself is resplendent in his full armour, emblazoned with the Aquarius symbol across his chest in Royal purple and his laser rifle slung over his shoulder, as well as his sword belted at his waist. His cloak spreads out like a fan behind his head and his gold rings gleam. Overall, he's an impressive figure of a troll.]

People of Vvatheon.

I am Orphaner Dualscar, a military leader amongst the trolls, many a wwhom livve in this city. Wwhatevver wwe may feel about havvin' been brought here, or about the city itself, wwe do for noww call this place our home, and it's a fragile bubble a life wwith nothin' but fathoms a ocean all around it.

I'm recordin' this today because I understand that this bubble may be under threat from monsters that livve in the deeps. I don't knoww wwhen another monster wwill strike, but I wwant to do my part in makin' sure wwe're ready to fight back wwhen and if the threat appears.

I'vve already been wworkin' wwith the leaders a the existing militia. Minato an I have agreed that I'll put together and organize a group wwhose specific purpose is to defend the city from attack. I'm lookin' for those wwith fightin' experience - Calvalreapers, Archeradicators, an the like. Most important wwould be those wwho can survvivve outside the bubble, either alone or wwith the assistance a equipment. From them I'll put together a Ninjaquatic strike team, to be lead directly by me.

Contact me if you're interested.

[After the video ends, a few specific people get text messages]

Vvantas.
I need to talk to you.

Eridan, can I count on you? I might havve a leadership position for you if you provve yourself.
At least I knoww you havve gills.

Expatriot, a wword.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah... Of course. Dualscar... then?

[He's unsure exactly what to do with this allowance and it is a relief to go into talk of work and what he's done in his time in the Archeradicators. That? That is something Darkleer knows about. Shutting the menu, he leans across the table slightly as he begins to speak.]

Yes, I have. It is actually very common for new recruits to be sent off on such missions, making sure that dangerous beasts do not disrupt towns and trading routes. Of course, some things are outside what a rookie could even possibly dream of doing, so the more dire a situation, the more experienced an Archeradicator you would send out. That is something I learned as I was given more responsibility and permitted to lead squadrons before I was given the title of Executor.

Dualscar wworks, yes.

[He's interested when Darkleer actually finally seems to engage with him. He listens to what he says, but also watches him. He's so precise and cold, and yet when they kissed at the fountain he was so different from the stiffness he's showing right now. Dualscar wonders if there's some way he can get him to loosen up again.]

That's wwhat I expected, and it's good to hear. Can you swwim?

Not very well, I admit.

[For obvious reasons. With a few exceptions, most landwellers weren't ones for swimming. In many places, as far as he knew, it was rather discouraged. The sea was the domain of seatrolls like Dualscar; Darkleer is rather certain they didn't want lowbloods- in other words, every other troll on the spectrum besides them- dirtying their realm, so to speak.]

The only reason I know how to at all is because I was an auspitice for a seadweller captain, and she insisted I learn.

[Dualscar knows this, but he needs to ask, rather than to assume. He nods with approval. Even poor swimming is better than he expected.]

You auspitized a sea dwweller? I didn't knoww that. There's a person here wwho can magic your clothes so you can breathe under wwater. I'd like to havve you amongst my soldiers, if possible.

Yes, I did. [Darkleer looks quietly pleased at this, finally taking the wine glass in his fingers. He doesn't take a drink yet, simply swirls the liquid about somewhat.] She requested me when I initially became the Executor. I doubt you would care to hear much of the details.

[Not to mention continuing that would leave suggestions he'd rather not give.]

I am unsure of how well I could assist you underwater, sir, but I shall do my best if you require it.

[Dualscar does take a drink, congratulating himself a little. This conversation is going so well, compared to the barely-civil conversations they had before the ball. He must be doing something right.]

I wwouldn't wwant to force you to givve privvate details of a romance that's not really relevvant to anything at the moment. But it pleases me that you do havve a bit a swwimmin experience. I don't knoww much a the capabilities of these aliens who'vve vvolunteered, and I need a few trusted trolls in key positions.

If you're not sure a your swwimmin prowwess bein' up to the task, I could givve you a few pointers sometime?

[...Oh. Dear.]

It would be an... honor, Dualscar, but I am certain that you have a great deal more to focus on than wasting any time on myself. You are very busy, after all, considering the things you are attempting to do. I would not want to be a burden.

[He shrugs and smiles indulgently. Really, when Darkleer is being so agreeable it's so much nicer dealing with him. He's properly subservient without being irritating about it, and it makes Dualscar feel good]

It wwouldn't be for my owwn pleasure, Darkleer. It wwould be to ensure wwe had a strong, experienced troll wworking under me, wwho wwould havve the flexibility to take a phalanx of soldiers and wwork semi-independently. There just aren't enough sea dwwellers here for me to rely solely on them.

[...Darnit.]

Of course, Dualscar. You're right. [To his misfortune.]

Have you decided on what you wish to order, then?

[A change of topic sounds lovely right now. He knows he won't be able to escape this, but at least he can prolong that meet up.]

[Gosh, Darkleer, what does he even have to do? Isn't he being nice enough?

He nods with satisfaction. Of course he's right. He looks down at his menu]

Good, then wwe'll havve a lesson or twwo, from the beach perhaps, wwhen it's convvenient for us.

There's a shellfish steww I wwas eyeing. And yourself?

[He is being surprisingly nice! But he is a taken troll! So clearly this means that Dualscar needs to develop the ability to read minds. Duh. God.]

Hmm. There is a salad that caught my attention. I believe I shall have that.

[He taps his finger over its place, the Ahi Poke Salad. He's not one for meat, but there's not much he can do in this kind of place. He's sure that the vegetables will be more than enough to sate him. Perhaps Dural will like the meat.]

[He'll get right on that. NO WAIT. Instead he'll get right on wooing the fuck out of Darkleer]

Salad?

[His eyes widen a little. Fuck. He quickly looks at the menu. Nope, nope, nope, it's pretty much all meat.]

You don't eat meat? Wwhy didn't you fuckin' say so?

[Darkleer just deals with the sudden surprise rather calmly, folding the menu shut and tilting his head to the side.]

Because my habits are unimportant, particularly when I can work around any minor difficulties. This isn't the first time I've had to deal with such a situation and I'll doubt it will be the last, since few trolls decide to have my kind of diet.

[A shrug.]

I knew that when I made this choice.

[Really, it is inconvenient of him. What kind of troll eats only vegetables? Dualscar gives him an odd look, then glances down at the menu, then up, beginning to scowl.]

You should havve told me about your preferences wwhen I proposed the restaurant. I didn't--

[He stops, giving a soft growl, and continuing in a less accusatory tone.]

This wwasn't meant to be a professional meeting, I thought you understood that. You're allowwed to tell me about preferences like that, or wwe wwon't both enjoy the experience.

[It's a good thing he does loosen up on the accusatory tone, because Darkleer had been slowly been stiffening up again, head starting to bow in acceptance. When he hears the tone change, he pauses and chooses his words carefully.]

My apologies. I did not believe it would cause much trouble. It would take more than a simple meal to change my mood so completely.

[Oh, well that's heartening. He smiles and reaches across the table, fingering a lock of hair that fell forward when Darkleer began to bow his head.]

Wwell, remember that for next time. I'm wwillin' to listen, especially about somethin' small like this. If you could a said something in the first place, wwe could a gone to a restaurant that suited both of us. Do wwe havve a deal?

Ah...

[Sorry, Dualscar, Darkleer just needs a brief second here. Having someone toy with his hair is kind of a... thing for him. A very intimate thing, and he certainly hadn't expected Dualscar to get this intimate this quickly.]

Of course. I won't make the same mistake twice.

[Still doing his best to keep his expression straight, Darkleer can't quite stop the way the tips of his ears flush blue.]

That's good to knoww.

[Wow, there might be something to this flushed stuff, after all. Dualscar withdraws his hand, smiling with an edge of smugness to it, and signals to the server so they can order.

He likes that look on Darkleer's face, the way the tips of his ears are turning blue. He's not sure he can imagine showing such vulnerability, especially in front of someone he doesn't know very well yet, but it's endearing that he actually managed to produce such a response in the other troll. Maybe he is figuring this stuff out, after all.

The server arrives and he orders his stew and then sips his wine as he waits for Darkleer to do the same with his salad before speaking again.]

So tell me, Darkleer... about your sons.

[A nice, non-ominous start to a conversation, right?]

[The arrival of the server is a relief, and Darkleer is quick to compose himself back into his usual blank slate expression. A part of him wants to straighten out his hair once more, or tie it back loosely, but he resists. That would give away too much. Best to just... forget it for now.]

[Taking a small taste of his wine to seem more casual, Darkleer narrows his eyes behind his glasses at the question. A slight surge of protectiveness wells inside his chest.]

They're good enough boys, and matesprits to one another. Equius takes after myself quite a bit in many ways, admittedly. Is there anything in particular you were curious about?

[He senses a bit of reluctance, but that seems natural. In his position, Dualscar would be wary, too.]

I just wwondered about them. They're important to you, and wwe're havvin' a nice convversation. Equius is your descendant, I'm guessin'? And the other is wwho?

His matesprit, Gamzee Makara.

[And yes, with how things have been happening recently in Vatheon, he is perfectly aware of how that could make things difficult considering what happened to Eridan...]

[For now, however, he just takes another small drink of his wine and keeps an eye on what Dualscar's reaction will be to that.]

[Oh what a tangled web relationships are.

His expression darkens just a tad, but the truth is, while he believes Eridan should do something about Gamzee, he doesn't care about Eridan enough personally for it to reflect in some way onto Darkleer. He wouldn't go after Gamzee himself for something like that. It's Eridan's responsibility.]

Interesting match. So you're lusus to those two wwigglers, then. Wwhat made you decide to take on that kind a responsibility? They're old enough to be makin' their owwn decisions and carin' for themselvves. Or havve all the wwigglers attached themselvves to an adult guardian?

[Well, it is a very lucky thing for this little dinner date of theirs that Dualscar isn't interested in harming Gamzee much despite what happened to Eridan. Or else Darkleer would have quite the problem with this. One of the ways that he would explain his problem with this would just happen to involve breaking Dualscar's trigger fingers.]

[As said. Lucky for the date.]

Hm. Equius was simply curious in his ancestry, and also offered me a hive to stay in even if just temporarily when I first arrived in Vatheon. I was curious about my descendent as well, so I saw no harm in agreeing. Gamzee was already staying with him at that time.

Since then, they've simply grown attached to me. [Setting down his glass, he leans back and laces his fingers together on the tabletop.] It isn't so unusual. Even with the highblooded tendency towards violence, trolls are a social race. For inexperienced children such as them, in times of crisis, it's not unusual to look to another who has what they lack.

I was one of the only adults in the city at the time, also.

It's understandable. I'vve been curious about my owwn descendant, as wwell, so I can imagine it'd be the same for you. [He shrugs a little] Too bad about the recent kerfuffle. It could a been wworse, I suppose, but indigos are so fuckin' unpredictable.

[With the blackness of his shades, it's impossible to see how Darkleer's eyes narrow again at that.]

Any, upon seeing a quadrant-mate brutally murdered, would react rashly. I doubt he would be alone in his reaction, which is peculiar even for him. Normally, he is kept quite pacified, which makes him unique amongst his caste.

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