Cerulean Storyteller

“I don’t keep snacks in my room,"Sollux murmured as he slipped out the door. "It might attract people. I also have absolutely nothing worth bringing with me because the husktop they provide is a fucking joke and I don’t think I’ve ever actually read a book. So lead they way to you hive and lets make this as painless as possible.” He motioned for her to lead the way, his steps slow and short as waited for Aranea to pass him.

The cerulean backed away from his doorway as he approached the door, eyes on him as he spoke.  “Very well then,” she replied with a nod.  She headed past him when he motioned for her to, not having to cast a glance back over her shoulder to tell that he was following.  “I’ve never heard any others complain about the husktops they provide before.  I’m guessing you’ve had your share of experience with more advanced computers, then?”

He gazed at the cerulean blooded troll through his blue eye, head still rested heavily against the door. The door swung slightly as Sollux’s body wavered back and forth, fighting the urge to lay on the floor and chirp angrily like a wiggler. She seemed nice enough, though that did nothing to reassure him. As much as he hated to give into the stereotype, Sollux had enough dealings with highbloods to know that ulterior motives and selfish or erratic behavior were things to be expected.

She offered a light shrug to his question.  “Bring anything you want within reason.  Your husktop, any books or other things to pass the time, perhaps some snacks.”  She stepped back from the door and smiled as she waited for him to gather everything.  She didn’t at all wish to rush him- dealing with new people always involved the utmost caution for her, especially if it involved a potential asset.

He slowly cracked opened the door and peered up at the blue blooded troll directly outside. He narrowed his heavy lidded eyes as he stood quietly for a moment merely watching her. “Can I help you with something or just a conjugal visit because if that’s the case you should come back later when I’m not trying to gain some dearly need sleep,” Sollux speech was muddled and lispy as he gained his bearings in the waking world.

Soon enough he spoke, confirming the obvious fact of his drowsiness.  “Oh, it’s not like that,” she assured him with a wave of her hand, the other of which had also come back around to rest on her chest.  “I’m Aranea Serket, your master for the next two weeks.  I came here to pick you up and bring you to get settled in my hive.  I don’t have any problem with coming back later after you’re more well-rested, though if you were to come now I imagine my guest room bed might be more comfortable than the hold’s accommodations.”

She stares at them as they explain their reasoning, arms folding tighter against the bandages that swathe her chest and ribs beneath her 3 layers of shirts and jackets. People seemed to talk far too much about her for her liking. She huffs, looking away out of the window. “What purreposterous rumours. Noone would dare harm me.” She’s lying and lying badly, the oliveblood able to feel a warm trickle of blood beneath her black shirt as it runs down her ribs. Thank god they wouldn’t be able to see that. Unless they have supernatural eyesight but that’s unlikely.

But she ultimately decided against it.  Not only would that have been an invasion of privacy, but she also required no proof that Herana was lying- it was fairly obvious anyway.  “Right.  I thought it sounded a bit far-fetched.”  She then took notice of the pot of water her slave had put on the oven.  “Oh, it’s just about boiling all the way.  Could you pour those into the pot, then?”  She pointed to a box of long raw noodles placed on the countertop.

She turns properly now, arms crossing over her heavily patched chest as she looks at them. There’s that politeness with them, that gives evidence of a kinder heart. Once that allows her to speak a little more freely. “Why would one like yourself wish to rent a troll like me. I’m hardly a mild-mannered trinket and furrom what I can tell, you do not seem like one purrepared to change that fact.”

She smiled lightly at her statement, giving a shake of her head.  “I’m neither prepared to do such a thing nor do I have a desire to.  While being in this sort of a position would allow me an opportunity to work others to the bone, there are other weeks where the same would be done to myself.  Whether or not treating my slaves kindly would have a karmic effect on the treatment I receive, it at least feels right.”  Her smile faded slowly as she continued.  “As for why I rented you...while it’s been nothing specific, I have heard that you’ve had a rough time as of late and could use a break.”

End

“It’s strange sometimes” she said quietly, looking into the swirling, simmering water as though gazing into a crystal ball “doing such normal, domestic things. I guess travelling just became so engrained in my mind, it’s odd to use things other than basic fires and rusted metal pots to cook with.” She smiles faintly at them “It’s stupid isn’t it.”

The ceruleanblood listened to her slave speak, unable to help the smile that came to her.  Here she was with the Signless’s disciple herself, getting to hear straight from her about her own life, even if it was just in comparison to the conditions she found herself in currently.  It really was strange...something so simple seeming so amazing.  “I don’t think it’s stupid at all.  If we’re accustomed to something for long enough, it could become a part of our very nature.  It’s only expected that even now it doesn’t feel as right to you, with how long I can only assume you were travelling.”

She moves to lift the catch when her collar gives a warning spark, her hand recoiling back from it as though threatened by an aggressive snake. That was that plan scrapped. She’d need permission to do anything like that. What with her set boundaries. She gently sets the book down on her now vacated chair before beginning her hunt for where the kitchen is, following the scent of cooking food. She stands in the doorway, looking in at them. “Can I help?”

About twenty minutes before the meat was ready, she went to start the next step.  Just as she did so, however, the voice of her slave in the doorway got her attention.  She turned to look at the older troll, smiling lightly.  “Well, if you really want to, I was just about to move on to the next step in the meal.”  She pointed over to a drawer below her countertop.  “Could you get a large pot out from there and fill it mostly with water?  Then just lightly salt the water and put it on the stove until it’s constantly boiling.”

She gave Aranea meaningful looks, not wanting to ask out loud for her friend to come in as well. She was kind of a wuss when it came to piercings, it always hurt a lot, but she wasn’t about to admit it. Not to anyone but Aranea.

The looks her best friend gave her didn’t go unnoticed, and fortunately she had no trouble figuring out the message they were meant to convey.  She smiled and gave a light nod, following shortly behind the other two into the room.  If her friend wanted her to be there for it, she had no problem doing so.

“You… don’t want me to do anything?” She queries carefully, wanting to make sure. It’s been a difficult couple months with the masters she’s had so it’s understandable that she’s a little wary of Aranea. She freezes slightly when she remembers that they’d asked her a question just before, nodding quickly. “Yes.” She dithers a little then before quickly darting away before they change their mind, finding their library nearby. Of course they’d have a library. She pauses and sets down her belongings as she goes in, taking her time in perusing their selection before pulling out a large tome, sitting in a squashy chair by the window. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Not an order most masters have given you, I’m sure,” Aranea replies, giving a nod to the oliveblood.  “But yes, I would be much more comfortable with you resting for the time being than being up and about.  You look much more worn out than on the occasions I’ve seen you before.”  The spidertroll had no desire to command Herana anyway, but allowing her comfort while she was here would leave a good impression as well.  Additionally, if a slave ended up getting severely hurt due to laboring in such a state as the one she was in, it would be on the master’s head, so it was for the good of both of them that she would have her house guest rest while she began preparing tonight’s meal.

She stands in the entrance hall, hands folded behind her as she looks around. It’s a nice enough hive, though obviously she was used to rougher living. But after all, living in caves and sleeping rough wasn’t for everyone. She bows her head, praying inwardly that they wouldn’t suddenly turn on her, everything so painful already. She simply waits for orders, eyes flicking to the lightening window to the world outside. How she missed even things like the evening breeze on Alternia, which carried the scent of the grasses dews and that natural freshness that could invigorate even the most lethargic. While the Alternian days were vicious and killingly hot, the nights did mostly make up for them. “What would you like fur me to do.”

Aranea closed the door and walked into the hive with the other.  She could tell by the posture Herana had taken on that she was waiting to be ordered around, treated like any other slave under any other master.  She folded her hands together.  “I would like for you to find somewhere comfortable to relax.  I’m not sure just how much of a physical price you’ve had to pay as of late, but you’re clearly in no condition to carry out the whims of others even if I planned for you to.”  She took a step or two forward as she continued.  “I’ll be taking care of supper tonight.  Do you feel you’ll be able to eat?”

She’s relieved for the silence and not having to fill the quiet with meaningless, banal chit-chat that she currently doesn’t feel capable of, the troll just wanting peace and quiet. And she’s very sure they can sense that. Surprisingly, she’s grateful for their observance though she’s glad that they can’t see her wounds. Observance was good for emotions and the like, less for injuries when one didn’t want them noticed.

Soon they reached the transportalizer room.  The spidertroll walked over to one of the many unused platforms and typed in the coordinates to her hive.  Helping Herana onto the device, the two of them were soon warped instantly in front of a rather nice-looking hive.  Not exactly the most ornate or dramatic, but certainly a symbol of considerable status.  She unlocked the front door and entered, holding it open for Herana.

She shifts from her bed, backpack hanging loosely from her hand as she goes to the door upon which her new Master had knocked, opening it for them. She looks blandly at the wall behind them, still a little paler than usual. “Good aftpurrnoon, Ma’am. I’m ready to leave.” She’s still not entirely sure as to how this troll is, temperance wise, and she’s careful to err on the side of caution rather than upsetting them. She doesn’t need more bloodloss currently.

She gave a slight nod, a solemn expression on her face.  “Let’s get going, then.”  She waited for the other to exit her room and close her door before starting toward the transportalizers.  Though she more often than not ended up making conversation with her slave of the list on the way to that room, this time she remained completely silent.  Anything she had to say could wait until they reached her hive.  That was when it would matter anyway.

The short troll was practically dragging Aranea along, somehow moving rather quickly in comparison despite her legs being a bit shorter as she almost ran through the hallways, her braids trailing behind her. Once they reached the transportalizer room, she didn’t even stop to catch her breath before she shoved Aranea on a transporter pad and input coordinates, a flash of white taking them to a rather high class looking tattoo and piercings parlor.

She nearly as Meenah enthusiastically pulled her along, fortunately managing to barely keep her footing even with the hurried pace.  “M-Meenah, could you slow down just a bit?”  Of course her pleas fell on deaf ears, and she found herself stumbling onto a transporter pad, just having time to look back before she suddenly found herself somewhere else.  She gazed around at the store, clearly impressed with it.  “Wow...you really don’t cut corners when it comes to anything, do you?”

“WE, my dear best friend, are gonna go get somefin PIERCED!” she looked excited as she spoke, she had plans to get her nipples pierced for a long while, and now seems like a great opportunity. And hey, maybe she could convince Aranea to get something done too!

The spidertroll pulled away a bit at her friend’s words, a fairly shocked and concerned expression apparent on her face.  We?  Hopefully she just meant that she’d be accompanying her on the way there.  “My, that sounds like an exciting idea, Meenah.  What brought on the urge to get a piercing, if I may ask?”