#thewildsamlet

  So, Gramal made his way down the street, and while he had an ultimate destination in-mind he was not necsssarily making his way with any haste. After all, it had been bi-lunar perigees since he last took a walk in the city. His eyes were starting to gain a tinge of their colour, deep and dark with glints of green like emerald, and he was casting them about the streets idly as he walked, his lips pitched into a perpetual frown that could never reach the carved-on grin that split his right cheek. It was thanks to luck, perhaps, that he caught sight of a small seadweller walking down the street not far from him, his pace slowing-up slightly. He was small, with tiny nubs for horns and earfins that looked uneven from this distance- or was that just what he could see peeking up over the rim of his scarf? The highblood didn't turn his head as he walked, eyes focused on the ground ahead of him and his pace brisk, and while his gait could have been compared to any of the countless trolls that surrounded him on the city street Gramal was just... struck by him, really. He was so small, after all, lost in his big warm coat and his infinity scarf, dark and possibly brooding and deeply, terribly adorable.

  And while he watched, a group of three large indigoblooded trolls seemed to catch sight of him as well, changing their course so that they could double back and begin to follow the seadweller, grinning and encircling him. Confrontations in broad moonlight were commonplace, and Alternian etiquette suggested that if you saw a fight or some other type of assault in-progress you should turn the other cheek, unless of course you were highblooded enough and willing enough to do otherwise. Gramal was not highblooded enough, even with the elevation in status afforded by his blood. He would have been equal to a cerulean at best... but, what he DID have was will sparked especially by the way that the seadweller flinched when he was touched, and size formidable enough to match or out-do each of the trolls now harassing the violetblood. He turned and made a B-line for the small grouping, giving a deep and resonating growl to announce his advance. Two of the three indigos looked up as he approached, and one of them sneered and began to laugh, pointing at him.

  "Somebody carve you up a motherfucking smile there, my sour brother?"

[1:36:30 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion had retreated a step when he heard the growl from behind him, and at first thought it was a fourth of these thugs deciding to harrass him.  But, no, it was a rather intimidating jadeblood.  It was easy enough to tell from their body language that the newcomer wasn't on friendly terms with the indigos.  Was he picking a fight with them?  It never occurred to Ophion that the other troll had noticed them harrassing him and decided to intervene.  He tried to take advantage of the newcomer's distraction and turned to step back out into the street, but the nearest indigo stopped him by slinging an arm over his shoulders.  It wasn't a rough action, but the gesture was far from reassuring.

  "Where are you going sweet thing?  We ain't even got to motherfucking know each other."

  Ophion didn't said anything, just cast his eyes down to the side.  The weight of the larger troll's arm over his shoulders made his skin crawl, but what could he say?  It was easier just to keep quiet.

[2:05:31 AM] Zeda: [I'm at a bit of a loss for what Gramal can actually DO here as a midblood without Ophion backing him up- maybe he'll claim that he's his guardian, that seems legit]

 [2:10:05 AM | Edited 2:10:11 AM] Zeda: The seadweller's lack of protest seemed to amuse and please the indigos, who took it as more than enough of a sign of consent from the object of their focus. Gramal, however, was more concerned about the stiffening of his posture and his subtle flinching as his eyes focused on nothing, and he wasn't deterred from keeping at this just yet.

  "Y'r too low t'be touching a seadweller without'is permission." The jadeblood's voice was rough as gravel, and the indigos thought that it was absoutely HILARIOUS that a jadeblood would be talking to them about being 'too low' for anyone, bursting into loud peals of laughter that repelled all of the other trolls passing them by. The one with his arm around Ophion jostled the seadweller slightly, nodding down at him.

  "Say whatever the fuck you want, THIS fine little piece ain't complaining! Are you, sweetie?" The indigo didn't expect an answer, not even pausing to allow for one before he began laughing again. "You got no motherfucking say in this shit, greenie!"

  "I'm'is guard." Although his speech was a bit jumbled, words flowing together in a strangely accented way, the message was pretty clear and gave pause to the laughing, if only for an amused silence as they waited for more of the show. Gramal was lying on his feet, and he had never been very good at that, but... he forged ahead all the same, narrowing his eyes as he stepped forward and placed himself close beside Ophion, and therefore confrontationally close to the painted-face of the troll holding onto him. "I'm his guard an' it's my job to keep trash from touching'im without his permission."

 [2:26:47 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion blinked at the lie, but that was the only outward sign he made that he was surprised.  He looked up at Gramal, finally tearing his gaze away from the sidewalk and where he'd been disconnecting himself.  His face didn't change, but the jadeblood could see hope there in Ophion's one good eye just the same.  He didn't want to go anywhere with these clown-faced brutes, didn't want them touching him, even if he couldn't bring himself to say no or to shove them away.  It was too hard to say 'no', and a lot of the time it hurt worse than if he'd just said nothing.

  "Well why leave a choice motherfucking piece of ass like this all alone?" one of the indigos asked, looking like he wasn't sure if he was amused or wanted to throttle Gramal for calling him trash.

  Ophion finally spoke up, surprising everyone involved as he said huskily, "...errand.  Dry...cleaning..."

  It was a broken sentence at best, but it made sense at least.  He hadn't spoken since before the venom from Tethys' whip had made his tongue feel like a swollen mass.  His joints still ached from that, and he still couldn't hold his violin properly.  It was getting better, at least, and didn't feel like he was choking if he tried to get food down.  Not that he tried much.  He ducked out from under the indigoblood's arm and trotted to Gramal's side.  The jadeblood was an ally, or seemed to be, and there was only one of him.  Much less uncomfortable.

 [3:09:35 AM] Zeda: For a few tense moments,Gramal wasn't certain that the seadweller would actually go along with what he was saying. While he was holding his ground for the moment, standing tall despite the obvious outrage bleeding into the other trolls' toothy grins, he wasn't sure that he could maintain his composure and the boldness of his stance for very much longer. Maybe if they had been bluebloods, but... against indigos? It had become very, very hard for him to be bold and assertive towards trolls who wore paint indicative of their faith in the Mirthful Messiahs.

  When the small violetblood finally moved out from under the arm around his shoulders and took up a place beside him, the relief he felt was palpable. He could tell right away that the seadweller was either having trouble speaking, or had the same communication issues that HE had when he opened his mouth and only managed that softly murmuring, mumbling back-up for his lie, but he made no remark about it. After all, he was supposedly the smaller troll's guard and if his story was to be believed, then it would have to be clear that he knew his own master's voice.

  "An' I'm back now. So you'cn get lost."

  "Listen to these fucking weirdos talk! You been hitting the soporiffics or some shit?" The indigo who was talking now sounded more like he was lashing out in frustration than actually planning on continuing to harass them. After all, they may have been bold young members of a vibrant and righteous religious body, but a seadweller was a seadweller and if he was going to refuse to play alog just because his little guard dog came yapping, then they had no choice but to obey.

[3:14:39 AM] Zeda: [I know that it's not what you would like to hear, but I think that I need to go to bed now. I have work in the morning and a few things to do during the daylight hours, like deposit money at the bank and get a starting bank for my artist alley table. =A+ and all of this other artist alley product-making and packing and AA sign making shit, and sleep for the drive, and all that. It's kind of overwhelming how much is left to do, though at least I crossed a handful of things off my list]

 [3:23:02 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: The dig at the way he spoke didn't bother Ophion.  He was used to insults like that, even if it had been a while since he'd heard one.  Insults didn't hurt, after all.  He ducked a little bit behind Gramal, putting the jadeblood between himself and the indigos.  He might've fled to leave the troll to his fate but...well he wasn't used to having someone stand up for him.  That hadn't happened since Novall...

  Ophion shoved those memories aside, pressing his lips thinly together.  The indigobloods seemed reluctant to abandon their prey, but they finally started peeling off.  The one that had slung his arm over the seadweller's shoulders lingered a moment longer, eyeing Ophion in a sort of 'I'll see you again' way, before he too left to follow his friends.  Once they were gone, Ophion coughed awkwardly and mumbled, "Um...thanks..." [10/30/2013 11:26:51 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: [yeah sure that sounds fine]

[10/30/2013 11:44:28 PM] Zeda: It was a pretty insulting train of thought, perhaps, but when the seadweller ducked behind Gramal he found it very easy to square his shoulders and stand his ground, primarily because he had been raised with the expectation that he would be doing this exact same thing for helpless grubs fresh-hatched in the caverns. The indigos standing in front of him didn't appear as though they would be pushovers in a fight, especially with the fire of the mirthful religion in their guts, but jadebloods had a certain level of fame for their ferocity. He didn't say another word to the other trolls, bearing through the insult to both of them simply because he knew that they would leave far sooner if he didn't give them fuel for their rage, and when one-by-one they apparently gave up and started to wander off he continued to hold his broad, solid stance, just until the last of them was done throwing a backwards glance in their direction.

  Then, he turned his head slightly so that he could look back over his shoulder at the small seadweller... and then he turned himself around, clearing his throat and mumbling in a gravelly tone that was far softer and less forceful than the one he'd used on the others.

  "S'fine. It didn't look like y'wanted them around so." Not at all the best conversationalist, but he looked relatively ernest and hopeful that the point had gotten across. 'You didn't look comfortable so I came to help.'

[10/30/2013 11:52:41 PM | Edited 11:58:37 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion wasn't really superstitious, or believed in fate or anything pupa-ish like that, but this sort of seemed like maybe it was meant to happen.  After all, he'd come looking for a servant and there was this jadeblood suddenly telling people that he was Ophion's bodyguard.  The seadweller tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, looking up at the taller troll through the lashes of his undamaged eye and asked, "I...don't suppose...you'd be looking for a...job?"

  He didn't know anything about this jadeblood, no credentials or job history, but Ophion wasn't used to people noticing him.  Especially not noticing him in a positive way.  But, this one had stood up for him, too.  So it was worth asking, after all.  It wasn't like Ophion would find anyone he could truly trust, but this seemed like a slightly better start than it could've been.

 [12:06:49 AM] Zeda: A job? Gramal frowned slightly moreso than was typical of his perpetually-frowning expression, his brows raising slightly. It seemed to him like an odd sort of topical segue at first, but after sparing it a moment of thought he recognized fairly quickly that of course, the seadweller must have meant it as some reference to his claim that he was his bodyguard. Did he need one? Was he going to suggest someone else who needed protection the likes of which he could provide? The jadeblood parted his lips slightly, and slightly moreso than he meant to on the side of his mouth that was split, but he couldn't think of anything to say for a moment there as the heaviness of the seadweller's dark lashes over his calm, focused eye snagged his attention for a moment.

  "...I don't have one right now'f that's what y'mean." He paused for a long moment, watching the smaller troll's face and letting his eyes stray briefly to the still rather fresh-looking scar that traced over his left eye. Then, he seemed to recognize after-the-fact that he hadn't given a very full response and that he may have even sounded rude, so he went to further clarify. "But I'd be happy t'consider one'f you have an offer. Are y'looking f'r a real bodyguard?"

 [12:15:48 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion couldn't help the slightly uncomfortable shift of his weight when the other troll stared at him just a little longer than he was used to.  Maybe...this WASN'T such a good idea.  Well, he had the dragon ceramics, though.  If the jadeblood turned out to be a mistake, Ophion could always trick him into eating off those, somehow.  Once Gramal clarified himself, Ophion nodded slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he spoke to the ground, "I just...moved.  Don't need a bodyguard exactly...but someone to help me take care of...the hive..."

  Still, even though bodyguard wasn't exactly in the job description, it might be an unexpected bonus?  Ophion HAD had quite a bit of trouble getting himself moving while he was sick as a barkbeast with that venom running through his system.  If anyone had wanted to cause him harm then it would've been too easy.  His circle of friends had dwindled to nil, too.  Having someone big and strong around again might be reassuring at least.

  "I could...use some protection too, though...I guess."

[12:30:56 AM] Zeda: Oh. A hivekeeper that could also protect him if he needed it. The seadweller was small, but Gramal knew better than most that the smallest and most delicate-looking trolls could conceal incredibly deadly skill and power, so he figured that he was probably far more dangerous than his small stature and demure posture would have someone believe. Still, for whatever reason he hadn't stood up to those indigobloods - trolls far beneath his high caste - until a jadeblood like himself had stepped forward to offer his support, so there was the possibility that he really MIGHT need protection and care.

  And Gramal, well... Gramal had come into the city for many reasons today, but chief among his errands was the fact that he was looking for a change of venue. Ever since leaving the caverns he hadn't exactly commissioned a hive for himself, and the lease on his space in his current hivestem was going to be up in a matter of less than a bilunar perigee. He was scheduled to check out a space in the northmost block in this part of the city, but if there was a possibility of taking on a hivekeeping job...

  "I'm gonna' be moving out'f my place soon. Would I be living in y'r hive with you'f I take th' job or should I keep looking f'r a new hivestem unit?"

[12:37:48 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion pursed his thin lips at the question, and murmured, "With me...I think..."

  It made him uncomfortable to share a space with a total stranger, but he wasn't really accustomed to living alone.  Even though there had been a good chunk of time after Jeriko's death that he'd had his kismesis' hive to himself, it was still different.  He hadn't ever wanted to live with his kismesis, but the other troll hadn't given him a choice, kept him locked up like an animal a lot of the time.  And, before that he had spent most of his time with Novall.  It was a contradiction, he knew, not liking to be noticed, but at the same time not used to being alone all the time. At least this jadeblood didn't seem terribly talkative.  Perhaps they could coexist in relative silence.  It would be enough just to have someone else there, Ophion thought.

 [12:59:58 AM] Zeda: So, room and board was included if he chose to take on this job proposition. Gramal frowned tightly, but not unhappily as he nodded slowly to himself, turning othe prospect over in his mind carefully. He didn't know this highblood, and by all means he knew that the small seadweller could easily kill him if he wanted to. His caste gave him access to more civil rights than most midbloods could enjoy, but they wouldn't save him from death or maiming at the hands of a near-tyrian seadweller like this one. But, really, with time growing short until the drones would expect his contributions and beyond that, if he MADE that goal, a future slated for cavern work that would keep him almost exclusively below ground for the rest of his sweeps, the thought of being able to afford to go out in search of that not yet completed red quadrant and NOT worry about the exhorbitant rent that he may or may not be making was pretty enticing. He could work for this troll, live in his hive, and make ends meet.

  He almost wanted to ask if it was above water, but... it would HAVE to be, right? There was no way that he could be expected to live in a submerged hive, even if there could be portions of the structure that held air to meet his survival needs. Yes, it'd have to be at least partially land-locked, he figured. He didn't want to look stupid asking.

  "Okay. I'll take th'job." He nodded once... and then after a moment seemed to frown even moreso, as though only just remembering his manners and internally scolding himself for the oversight. "I'm Gramal. What's your name?"

[1:07:30 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: "Um...I'm...Ophion," the seadweller said, as if the question had taken him off guard.  It shouldn't have, since a servant and employer definitely needed to know each other's names, but Ophion couldn't remember the last time he'd met someone who had asked, or even who had been in a position to ask.  Novall always introduced him to people, and Jeriko had kept people away from him.  He hadn't met anyone new since that weird cerulean with the crossbow.  It seemed sort of sad, he was kind of a loser wasn't he?

  "When...can you start...?" Ophion asked after a moment, thinking about the dust that was accumulating on things.  The dust was a foreign concept to him before living on his own in a dry hive.  It just...appeared there, when you weren't paying attention.  Got thicker when you ignored it.  Made you sneeze when you tried to get rid of it.  He didn't like dust.

 [1:27:59 AM | Edited 1:28:01 AM] Zeda: Gramal shrugged slightly, and while he meant the gesture to give the impression that he had no particular qualms about starting either this minute, or some time from now, he didn't seem to catch on immediately that maybe he should actually say all of that out-loud. He did, however, EVENTUALLY catch on, though not until after the two of them had spent some time standing there and frowning at one-another. Then-

  "Oh. Well I c'n start anytime. I'm s'posed to move out by next week but I don't have too much stuff t'move. I c'n some sooner if y'want an' I c'n even come t'work f'r you a while b'fore I move in." It would be creepy and too easy to misinterpret his intentions of he were to say 'maybe even tonight,' and Gramal knew that. He had no idea of the plagues of dust bunnies that would be awaiting him, but he figured that if the highblood wanted him to begin working sooner, then he would. And while the seadweller COULD very well decide not to pay him if he just didn't feel like it, given his rank in the caste system, Gramal didn't think that he would. He was small, polite, and adorable after all. He had a weakness for cute things.

[10/31/2013 12:50:48 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion had only vaguely considered exactly how soon he wanted his new helper to start working.  He hadn't expected to find anyone this easily or quickly, so he'd been prepared to ignore the dust in his hive for a little while longer.  But then, Gramal seemed willing and able to start immediately.  And, though Ophion didn't really like to think about it, there were those indigobloods out there somewhere.  He wouldn't be able to help it if they found him and accosted him on the way back to his hive, so Gramal's presence might be able to avert that.  Ophion didn't really want to play with any indigos, tonight or otherwise.

  He half turned on a boot heel, looking back down the path he'd been taking up the street and said, "If you want to start tonight...I guess it's...kind of abrupt.  But...that'd be okay."

[11/4/2013 2:18:37 PM] Zeda: Although he had been raised as part of a group of jadebloods in the caverns and could have been reasonably expected to have some level of interpersonal skill as a result of it, Gramal had managed to come out of that experience with miraculously stunted social capabilities. However, despite his limited understanding even Gramal knew that it WOULD be kind of abrupt for him to begin work that very night and, what's more, to agree to a job that would eventually see him sharing a hive with a seadweller that he'd only just met. He had only ventured out tonight for the purpose of running some errands around the city and meeting with a potential new hivelord, not so that he could change the course of his future in any significant way, and... well, was that really what was happening here?

  Gramal frowned slightly to himself, and as Ophion turned to face the street again he angled his body as if to follow after him when he began to move again. Rationally speaking, there was no reason for him to think that taking on this job would change things in any significant way, right? It felt oddly important to him on a subconscious level, sure, but this was just a job he was taking on, and tonight was as good a night as any to begin. He didn't exactly have a schedule to keep with anybody else, and he wasn't putting off any other responsibilities for this. Ophion was, essentially, giving purpose and direction to an otherwise meaningless evening.

  "I think that'd be fine. 'M done with my errands f'r th'night an' I guess it won't be important to meet with th'hivestem renter'f I'll be y'r live-in worker."

[11/4/2013 3:24:20 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion nodded slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets as he finally took a few steps down the street.  The seadweller looked uncomfortable, in that way that showed in his body language no matter how impassive his expression.  There wasn't a limp to his gait exactly, but his posture was stiff, as if it hurt a little to move, or if he was just so put off by being on a public street it was difficult for him to relax.  Or, both.  He certainly wasn't the picture of a seadweller ideal, by anyone's standards.

  He wasn't talkative by any stretch either, and seemed perfectly content to wander down the street a few steps ahead of Gramal in silence.  Watching him wasn't entirely uninteresting, though, as not many of the trolls they passed on the street even seemed to notice him, to the point that Ophion had perfected sliding around shoulders and ducking elbows without colliding with anyone.  Finally he stopped at an automated transport vehicle and flashed a card into the payment scanner.  The doors hissed open and he slid inside, taking a minute to punch in the coordinates to his hive as he waited for Gramal to join him.

[11/4/2013 4:38:51 PM] Zeda: It was rather fascinating, actually, seeing Ophion bob and weave through the crowd as they made their way down the street. The seadweller may not have been the most impressive troll around, lacking the powerful presence and the greater height typical for his caste, but still... shouldn't these other trolls notice him at least a little? Gramal had his hands in his pockets, assuming a pose just the same as that of the troll currently walking ahead of him, but despite being of a lower caste the very individuals whose elbows and shoulders had to be avoided by the seadweller in front of him seemed to tuck in as he made his way after him.

  When a yellowblood nearly shoulder-checked Ophion - or WOULD have if he hadn't been able to duck out of the way - Gramal curled his lip and snarled at him loudly, and the gesture seemed to have the effect of parting the crowd ahead of BOTH of them at least long enough for the smaller troll to reach the automated transport and access its payment system.

  Getting into a 'car' with a perfect stranger wasn't exactly a safe tactic on most nights, but as soon as Ophion settled himself into his seat Gramal slid in after him and took up residence at his side, buckling his vehicular safety harness. Although he saw the coordinates as they lit up on the screen, he didn't really understand where they were going until the internal GPS system provided them with a map to chart their progress over the course of the drive. It looked like it was in a river, or near one...

  "Y'don't live close't th' ocean?"

[11/4/2013 4:55:35 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Once the vehicle started rolling forward, Ophion settled in against the side of the seat, sighing quietly and leaning his head against the glass.  He felt a little sick, but it was probably just the leftover disgust for those indigos.  One of them had touched him.  TOUCHED him.  It made him want to vomit, or curl up into a ball.  There was a sound next to him, and he tilted his head up when he realized the jadeblood--Gramal?--was talking to him again.  He'd have to get used to that again, other trolls talking to him.

  "No..." Ophion said, though it came out a little more like a croak than a word, and he cleared his throat before claryfing, "River mouth...not far from the ocean.  Not really close either, though..."

[11/4/2013 5:59:12 PM] Zeda: Gramal frowned tightly at the seadweller, a little concerned about how severely he was listing now that they were on their way to his hive. Ophion had seemed a little awkward and uncomfortable before but the jadeblood had chalked it up to social anxiety or something like that, assuming that he was just not enthused about being out in public or surrounded by others. Did this mean that he was ill? If it was something terminal, then maybe that was why he was so small and had such little presence in a crowd. He would have wanted to ask about it, but... no, he was pretty sure that'd be rude.

  "Mm." Though, frankly, muttering an affirmative that wasn't even really a word didn't seem like it would be any less rude. Gramal averted his eyes and cleared his throat, deciding that he needed to say at least a little bit more. "...What kinda' stuff d'you need me t'do as y'r hivekeeper? I know what'y need from a bodyguard but I wasn't sure about th'rest of it."

 [11/4/2013 6:31:27 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: The first thing Ophion thought of was the dust.  Was there anything else?  He was sure there was, but it took him a minute to process through it.  Oh, he needed to eat.  He hadn't done that in a while.  Did hivekeepers do that?  Ophion had never needed one before, so he couldn't be sure.  He realized after a moment that he'd probably let the silence stretch on between them for too long, and sat up a little more, clearing his throat.

  "Um...cleaning..." he said slowly, fiddling with one of his lapels as he mumbled down towards his stomach.  After a moment he remembered he had actually written down a list of duties for the ad placement that he hadn't ended up needing to put in.  He reached up and opened his fetch modus, pulling the list out and unfolding it.  Ophion took a moment to check it over, and then said, "Cleaning, maintenance, um...air filters...salt filters.....food?"

[11/4/2013 7:09:31 PM] Zeda: Gramal waited patiently for Ophion to respond, his head turned slightly towards the seadweller seated beside him in the cab of the four-wheeled transportation device. Long pauses and heavy lulls in conversation were, as far as he could tell, unusual for most trolls that he encountered, but seeing as how they were something to which he HIMSELF was prone Gramal bore through the heavy silence with ease, simply waiting for the rest of the sentence to come his way.

  When Ophion pulled the list from his sylladex and began to read off the points Gramal simply nodded along, frowning thoughtfully. Cleaning and maintainance he could do, and cooking he was okay with. After all, he'd raised someone before... but salt filtration was going to be new for him. Maybe it would be like maintaining a saltwater fishtank?

  "I c'n do most'f that. I'll have't learn how y'r saltwater filters work but if y'show me how I c'n learn fast."

[11/4/2013 10:34:52 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: "I can show you..." Ophion said, nodding slightly.  He hadn't had any expectations that a landdweller would already know how to maintain salt water filters.  He had invested in the corrosive-resistant kind, so at least he didn't expect they would need much attention for a while.  It was a necessity for a seadweller living in fresh water, however inconvenient, to be able to simulate salt water in his own hive when he needed it.  Even if his damaged gills made it too painful to breathe it, he still needed access to it if he wanted to stay healthy.  Well, he wasn't exactly healthy to begin with, but he already felt poorly enough without adding salt depletion to his list of ailments.

  "...How long...will I have you...?" he asked after a moment, the thought occurring to him that this jadeblood looked old enough to be conscripted back to the caverns before long.  "Um...I mean...you're jade...right?"

[11/4/2013 11:24:32 PM] Zeda: Being asked how long Ophion would have him initially brought to mind Gramal's lifespan, and for a moment the jadeblood couldn't help but wince. He wouldn't live as long as a seadweller, even one who was quite possibly sickly, but he wouldn't exactly be dropping dead any time soon. Then, rather belatedly, it seemed to occur to him that Ophion was probably wondering how long he would be around not before he died, but before he would eventually be sent back to the caverns so that he could take up his hatchright as a guardian to the Mother Grub. That made a lot more sense than any question to do with his mortality.

  "I'm ten so I'll be going back't th'caverns in a sweep'r two." It would typically be closer to a sweep than it would be to two for most trolls within the midblood range, but Gramal knew that he had a certain amount of leeway as far as locating quadrant holders went. Fulfilling quadranted obligations to the empire was an important task that all young trolls had to undertake before their conscription and subsequent acceptance into adult society, but except for a few very rare cases of jadebloods being required for the maintainance of off-planet Mother Grubs his was not a caste that was meant to leave the home planet. This meant that there was less pressure on him to prove that he would be able to function within normal adult troll society, and that combined with the rarity of his caste to begin with almost ensured that nobody really cared if he could carry on a healthy matespritship or not.

  Gramal figured that it went without saying that he hadn't fulfilled his obligations just yet. After all, Jades could return to the caverns as soon as they liked after they finished filling their quadrants and contributing the necessary pails, and here he was still skipping from one hivestem lease to the next.

  "If y'like my work an'you think you'll need me I won't go back t'the caverns b'fore then. Even'f I finish filling my quadrants."

[11/5/2013 12:15:41 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: That offer surprised Ophion a little.  He turned his head slightly to really look at the other troll, quietly taking in Gramal's somewhat sour expression, shaggy hair, the scar on his mouth.  Ophion hadn't noticed the scar.  But then, he hadn't really met the much larger troll's gaze, had he?  Ophion had plenty of scars of his own to know better than to ask about its origin, but it did make him curious.  It felt a little like common ground too, though maybe in a weird way.  The apparently perpetual frown on Gramal's face didn't frighten Ophion.  He'd spent too much time around saccharinely smiling members of his own caste who had ended up being vipers in disguise [or, not so in disguise].  Even if this jadeblood looked threatening, or at least unhappy, it was honest.  And, he'd offered to stay to work longer, if Ophion NEEDED him.  After Novall had died, no one seemed to remember that Ophion needed anything.  Or, cared.  And here was a total stranger who did. 

  But, then, maybe that was what Ophion was going to be paying him for.  Ophion nodded slightly, and turned to look back out the window as the countryside flew by. 

  "Never...met a jadeblood before..." he mumbled, breath fogging into the window.  The statement was quiet enough that he could've been thinking out loud, or talking to Gramal.  It was difficult to tell.

[11/5/2013 1:51:54 AM] Zeda: Ophion slowly turned, focused his one violet eye on his face, and for just a moment there Gramal felt as though the seadweller was actually LOOKING at him for the first time. It was more than a little uncomfortable to find himself being so intensely appraised, and while Gramal did his best to remain stoic under scrutiny he ultimately averted his gaze towards the GPS readout still summoned up on the screen in front of them, the muscles in his jaw tightening and then loosening awkwardly.

  He felt it more than saw it when Ophion finally looked away, and when Ophion said that he'd never seen a jadeblood before it sudden;y seemed to make sense that he'd been staring like that.

  "There aren't a lot'f us." That response sounded kind of blunt, didn't it? He didn't mean to sound rough, especially not when speaking to someone as delicate-looking as Ophion. Even after experience had taught him better, Gramal still couldn't stand being harsh on small, cute things.

  "I've seen seadwellers b'fore but I think you're th'highest caste I've ever seen."

[11/5/2013 2:13:02 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion thought briefly of Makoen, and how there was a troll HE knew higher than himself.  He didn't really want to think of the tyrianblood though.  Happy, and secure with that weird cerulean.  He still wasn't convinced that they deserved to be happy.  Not when he had nothing and no one.  But, he supposed it was better than Tethys and Nereid, secure in their victory and using him like a drone only to follow commands when they deigned to notice him at all.

  And then there was Jeriko, who had seemed to find Ophion's blood color to be just another reason why the smaller seadweller made him angry.  Even though everyone else in their group of 'friends' had been higherblooded than Jeriko, Ophion seemed to be particularly infuriating because he was small and weak and cowardly and ugly.  According to Jeriko.  Ophion had believed him for a while, maybe still did a little.  Didn't care either way anymore.  Jeriko was dead and Ophion wasn't and that was really all that mattered.

  And, was he supposed to say something here?  He was, wasn't he.  Ophion wasn't really sure what, though.  He cleared his throat and mumbled, "I...I'm probably...not what you'd expect, I know."

[11/5/2013 3:27:55 AM] Zeda: Honestly, Gramal thought that the conversation had been concluded and that the two of them were simply riding together in silence until Ophion spoke up once more, so when Ophion volunteered that little self-deprecating comment he was almost taken aback by it, turning his head and raising his brows at the smaller troll seated beside him.

  It'd be rude to say that he hadn't been expecting anything, so it was good that his brain was quicker than his mouth. However, as soon as he took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts it became abundantly clear that his brain could be painfully slow, too.

  "...I guess you're a little small. But allot'f trolls'r smaller than me." Agh, no, that was just as rude as being blunt would have been. He winced at his own remark, his lip peeling back slightly more from the side of his mouth that had been split open.

[11/5/2013 3:44:08 AM | Edited 3:50:33 AM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion looked back over at Gramal, but the statement didn't seem like an insult.  Not in the way Jeriko had always meant it to be.  And, it wasn't really news to the seadweller either.  He knew he was small.  And he could easily tell that Gramal was much bigger.  So, he just nodded and looked back out the window without saying anything.  They were close to his hive anyway.  The transport rushed along at an almost breakneck pace.  They used to scare him, just a little, and...maybe still made him a little nervous.  He didn't go into the city that often, after all.  But at least it was a quick trip at that speed, which made it easier to make the trip without falling asleep.  He'd done that once and the transport had beeped incessantly at him and charged him extra until he got out.  The funds he didn't care about but the noise had been too jarring.

  "That's it," he said a few minutes later, pointing out the window at a dark shape occupying most of the river just a small distance down the road.  His hive sat in the middle of the river, with a small walkway that led to dry land on the side the road ran passed.

[11/5/2013 4:40:00 AM] Zeda: Well, at least he hadn't made a spectacular flub just then, but Gramal could tell that he hadn't exactly given strength to any sort of positive opinion about him that the seadweller might have been cultivating. He pursed his lips tightly and concentrated on looking out the window at what Ophion was indicating, and when he saw the silhouette of the hive that he might very soon be occupying he leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better look even as the automated vehicle zoomed downhill towards it. He wanted to say that it seemed a bit on the small side for a seadweller of Ophion's calibre, but it seemed highly likely that there would be successive floors of the hive hidden beneath the lake's surface and, once more, his mind managed to keep itself far enough ahead of his mouth that he didn't say anything at all.

  When the car pulled up to the lake's edge and began idling mere feet from the boardwalk that seemed to bridge the gap between the shore and the entrance to Ophion's hive, Gramal took that as his silent cue to get out. The night air in this secluded place felt far colder and much more crisp against his skin than it had within the city's limits, the higher humidity in the air lending a bite to the chill as he inhaled slowly and made his way around to the other side of the automated vehicle. Without any sort of prompting, Gramal reached down and opened the door for the seadweller, stepping back and making room for him to exit at his leisure. Proper etiquette for a driver, although that hadn't been on Ophion's list of needs.

  "I've only ever lived in hivestems'n in the caverns before. Will I be in a guest block'r something like that?" The thought of having anything more than a respiteblock to himself had obviously never crossed his mind.

[11/5/2013 2:46:33 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion blinked when Gramal opened the door for him, once again a little surprised by the other troll's consideration.  It was sort of nice though, he couldn't deny that.  Once the initial surprise had worn off, he climbed out of the vehicle.  Once they were out, the car doors hissed to a close and the transporter rumbled off back down the way it had come.  Ophion watched it go for a moment, then turned back toward his hive and headed up the walkway, bootheels clopping across the boardwalk.

  "I have a...guest block...yeah..." Ophion said as he walked, hunching inside his coat and burying the bottom half of his face into the scarf around his neck.  The walkway let to a set of outer steps that climbed a few feet up to the front entrance.  Now that they were at the hive itself, it was much easier to see that it was elevated above the river rather than partially submerged in any way.  Small for a seadweller's hive, but then Ophion WAS a little strange. 

  Ophion didn't use a key to get inside, instead flipping a panel open and letting the machine scan his hand.  After a second the door seemed to acquiesce, and it slid open.

  "I'll add your signature to the lock...tomorrow.  Okay?"  Ophion said as he stepped inside, toeing out of his boots just inside the door.

[11/5/2013 3:05:33 PM] Zeda: He inclined his head slightly towards Ophion as the seadweller exited the car. To Gramal, it made perfect sense that he should hold the door open for someone - not just a seadweller or his employer, but to ANYONE, and especially to anyone as small and apparently ill as Ophion. He closed the door behind his new employer, and as he turned towards the river and began to follow the seadweller down the boardwalk the jadeblood finally recognized that the hive was not actually below the water, but apparently perched on top of it. He'd never seen architecture like that, and it made it very clear that the hive really WAS that small and cozy, comprised of a square footage far more suitable for a midblood than a highblood.

  "Okay." He wanted to remark on the fact that he'd never seen an electronic scanning lock quite like that one before, but Ophion had prompted him for an 'okay' so he returned nothing more than that. He passed through the doorway into Ophion's cool, quiet hive, and took Ophion's removal of his boots as his cue to do the same. It took a great deal more effort to unlace and shimmy out of a pair of combat boots than it had for Ophion to toe out of HIS footwear, but Gramal had a great deal more finesse with his hands than he did with his words and he managed the task with relative ease, straightening up and taking his first real, sock-clad step into Ophion's home, surveying his surroundings.

[11/5/2013 3:28:59 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: The door automatically slid shut behind them, and Ophion flipped a few light switches.  The overhead lights took a minute to warm up, instead of automatically flooding the hive with illumination, they started at a low glow and gradually got brighter.  Ophion shuffled on into the hive from the entranceway, stifling a yawn.  The first floor of the hive was in an open floorplan, on their left was a sitting area below broad, picture windows that filled most of that wall, with a long white leather couch that would've sat at least five trolls, maybe more, and a glass short table.  The table looked like it was more of a collective place for trash that hadn't made it to the waste bin, as there were crumpled food wrappers and papers strewn across it, obscuring most of its surface.  Some of the garbage had strayed over onto the plush white carpet below the table, but thankfully nothing looked spilled or stained.  On the right side of the first floor was a kitchen and dining area, marble countertops constrastingly smoothe and clean in comparison to the glass table in the sitting area, with an island in the middle of the cooking area. 

  Separating these two blocks was a staircase leading up from the center of the space, and this was what Ophion headed towards.  His respiteblock was up there, along with the hive's hygieneblocks, though he most often slept on the couch downstairs.  It was easier, and he didn't really like using the recouperacoon.  Ophion padded up the steps, feet barely making a sound as he led Gramal up.  The seadweller pointed left down the hall once they reached the top and said, "Guest block's that way...do you need anything...?"

[11/5/2013 3:54:07 PM] Zeda: Gramal looked around himself at the space, a little bit impressed at how spacious the hive seemed from the inside as compared to the outside. Although the livingblock and nutriblock spaces were not comprised of all that much space in terms of square footage, the sparse furnishings and the open floorplan made the place feel incredibly wide-open and welcoming - until, of course, the jadeblood's eyes strayed towards the trash heaped up and strewn across the dining table. That was when he began to more thoroughly scrutinize the hivespace, and the more he looked around himself the more off-putting little details managed to reach his notice, his dark jade-tinged eyes skimming over discarded food wrappers and a thick blanket of dust that seemed to cling to every surface that wasn't already preoccupied with garbage. No wonder the seadweller had been willing to get him started on his new job as soon as the very same day that he met him. Ophion's illness must be keeping him practically coonridden, if his hive had fallen into such disrepair...

  When the seadweller began to ascend the stairs he was quick to follow after him, skimming one broad palm up the length of the stair railing partially for the sake of maintaining his own balance, and partially so that he could catch Ophion against his chest like a safety net if the seadweller's steps began to falter.

  He was a little surprised that the seadweller was curious about his needs. Highbloods typically didn't care to ask after things like that, especially not where their hired help was concerned.

  "...I guess I sh'd ask'f you have cleaning supplies'r if I should use my own?"

 [11/5/2013 4:10:05 PM | Edited 4:14:16 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Oh, right, cleaning supplies.  Ophion had forgotten about those.  He paused at the top of the stairs to think, flexing his knuckles stiffly as he did so.  He had cleaning supplies for the salt filters, but he hadn't thought about all the things he'd need to maintain above-water areas.  Maybe he should have gotten those while they were still in the city.  Well, it was too late now.

  "I think...you might need your own," the seadweller said, talking down toward his hands.  "I wasn't really...prepared.  Um..."  He paused for a moment, thinking maybe he should elabourate.  He HAD just moved not long ago, after all.  "I'm still getting used to...a hive that's not filled with water..."

  That probably opened up more questions than it answered, he realized belatedly.  Mainly questions he was a little too tired to consider right now.  He hoped the jadeblood wouldn't press him right now.  Ophion could always talk about it later.  His throat hurt.  Maybe he should get some water before he went to sleep?  He had half turned to walk back down the steps before he realized Gramal was still there, accidently bumped into the jadeblood.  He hadn't noticed the other troll had been hanging so close to him on their way up, and he instintively grabbed onto Gramal's forearm to catch his balance.

[11/5/2013 4:33:20 PM] Zeda: Although he stopped making his way up the steps when Ophion did, Gramal's presence close at the seadweller's back had apparently gone without notice until the moment that the smaller troll turned around and ran into him. He had been prepared to catch his new employer's weight if he fell, but it wasn't until he felt that slight body crash into him that he realized how incredibly, painfully light Ophion was. He hooked one arm around the seadweller's body almost reflexively, supporting him as carefully and gently as he possibly could, but as he felt Ophion's fingers digging into the material at his elbow he wondered if he maybe shouldn't keep his hands to himself.

  "Sorry I w's too close." He pushed Ophion carefully back onto his feet, relaxing his hold on the smaller troll so that he could evade his grasp as soon as he was balanced on his own two feet once more. "R'you alright?"

[11/5/2013 4:41:16 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion tensed reflexively when he felt Gramal's arm hook around him, but he relaxed when the other troll didn't keep hold of him, and the seadweller hastily slid out from his hold as soon as he'd regained his balance.  That was a little too close, though he was glad the jadeblood hadn't wanted to keep hold of him.  They would have had a problem if that had been the case.  Ophion wet his lips and edged around Gramal on the steps, mumbling, "Mm...yeah.  I'm fine.  I'm...going to get some water and..."

  And sleep.  Maybe sleeping alone in a hive with a troll he'd only just met sharing his space wasn't the smartest idea.  But then, Gramal was already inside, there probably wasn't much Ophion could do, even if he stayed awake.  That quick release touch made him feel a little more secure, though, even though he would have preferred not to have run into the jadeblood in the first place.

  "...and I'm going to go...to sleep," he concluded, padding back down the steps quietly.  "The window blinds are...automatic.  So you don't need to worry about...the sun or anything..."

[11/5/2013 5:02:58 PM] Zeda: Sleep? Gramal raised his brows slightly at that, more than a little shocked that the seadweller would be willing to leave a strange troll to wander his hive unattended when he had only just that night been accosted by a group of strange trolls who clearly meant to do far more than simply harass him for being small and more than a little cute. He didn't mean anything rude by concluding that it had nothing to do with confidence, and he certainly didn't imagine that the seadweller could have judged him to be completely trustworthy within such a short amount of time. Was he just too sick and weak to spare the time for wariness? In which case, he supposed he should be grateful that the smaller troll had beenlucky enough to end-up with him and not some dangerous creep. He stepped back and made room for Ophion to walk past him, following after the seadweller as he changed his trajectory and started making his way back downstairs. Why was he doing that, though...?

  "...If y'r going t'go t'sleep then why're you headed back downstairs?" As soon as he said it, though, he thought that he knew what was happening here. He'd seen plenty of evidence of a single sickly troll making the journey from his couch to his thermal hull or hygeineblock and then back again, but no real sign of trips to other locations within the hive. "D'you sleep on th'couch...?"

[11/5/2013 5:39:57 PM] Samlet Bird Hamlet: Ophion made his way over to the kitchen area, twisting the taps at the sink until it ran filtered salt water instead of fresh water.  He glanced back over his shoulder at the jadeblood who had followed him back downstaires as he pulled a glass out of a cabinet to fill with water.

  "Yeah..." he said, lifting the glass to take a sip, watching Gramal over the rim for a second before letting his gaze fall.  The salt water made him feel a little better, but he made sure to keep his gills sealed.  He didn't really fancy the stinging that would burn through the damaged tissue if he let that happen.  Once he had finished with the glass he set it down onto the counter and wandered over to the couch, sliding his coat off his shoulders and dropping it a little carelessly onto the carpet as he sat down.  Briefly a puckering of scar tissue that dotted his upper left arm was visible before he pulled a few blankets out of his capchtalogue and curled up in them.  Something like that wasn't uncommon on a seadweller, as it was almost obviously a healed shark bite.

  "I...don't like the recouperacoon..." he mumbled in explanation from his little cocoon of blankets, reaching one thin arm out for a universal remote that had been partially buried by the trash on the table, and dimming the lights over his head a little, though he left plenty for Gramal to navigate the hive.  "Wake me up if...I don't know...there's anything..."

[11/5/2013 6:12:29 PM] Zeda: As he stood there and watched Ophion curl-up in his knot of blankets, obviously settling in with the intention of sleeping away the rest of the night and perhaps even some of the daytime, Gramal's brows knotted themselves tightly together. He had seen the briefest glimpse of scar left from a massive animal bite on his shoulder, pretty typical fare for a rugged seadwelling troll and apparent proof that he had at some point been at least strong enough to evade a large predator, but to him it seemed painfully apparent that he was now simply too sickly to make it through the night without resting. He began to move around the living space slowly collecting trash, using the empty tray from a microwaveable meal to collect what garbage he could.