charcoalfeather | Third Feather [Video/Action for Violet city]

Entry tags:

Third Feather [Video/Action for Violet city]

...Hello? Is this working? At all?

[The feed opens on a familiar street of Violet City, somewhere notably outside the gym. The beautiful morning it is, you'd think that nothing's wrong at a glance, but you'd be so wrong.

The voice itself that could be heard just now was possibly unrecognizable, not helped by how the screen isn't facing whoever's holding it; it's pointed a the gym, rather. But then it moves along, going to a group of Pokemon standing around nearby, and a Dodrio, who's three heads all seem curious about the pokegear... or whoever's holding it.]

Well, it looks like it's working, right Kuki? Hmm, the Pokegear still being broken would be the least of our worries.

[A worried squawk follows. The voice is mature, but still light, like someone that was just stepping into an adult's shoes. A nice step away from the confusing rush of children on the network, isn't it?

But enough of the scenery, the gear is finally turned over, smoothly revealing... Rakka? Only, she looks like Rakka, albeit from several years down the line. She positions the gear until it's pointed directly on her face.]

...Some of you might not recognize me right now. [Hehe. Hair's still a mess, but that smile's one hundred percent her's.] It's Rakka. I guess I wouldn't recognize me either if I suddenly looked like this.

[But therein lies the point. With minor hesitancy, she speaks.] Is... anyone there? Karkat? Ashley? ...Yang? I'll take anyone, really it... feels like I slept for years. So, I just need to know if anyone's still around, okay?

[She'll let that sit for a moment, glance away, and cut the feed.]

Action for Violet City

[Y'know, maybe if this world actually gave them some warning when it was about to get weird, maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Yeah! Rakka could live without some of this excitement; it's not exactly fun to wake up in bed feeling like you've slept through your teens. Still... got to try and look on the bright side!

...It's a nice day? Bluh.

Well, curiosity never really dies down. And she's got on a nice dress she doesn't remember buying. So she sets out on a stroll through the city. She's always got at least one of her roster at her side - yes, even the Phantump because someone's feeling a bit braver. She spends the day talking to the locals, asking people in random shops and Sprout tower about the current weirdness, to not much luck. Mmrrgh.

She can at least try and unwind a little at a cafe she comes across, but her pokemon are getting their share of it. What? She's eating! One, or two bites count.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's alright? I'm grown up, Karkat. Bumblefuckery is uh still a new one to me.
So
I guess you're confused about parents because you're a Troll. Did you not have parents?

SORRY. JUST
FORGET I SAID ALL OF THAT.
NO WE DO NOT HAVE PARENTS. WE'RE RAISED BY LUSII (SINGULAR: LUSUS). THEY CAN BE ANY ONE OF A WIDE VARIETY OF CREATURES NATIVE TO OUR HOME PLANET.

[Huh...]

Really Karkat, it's alright. I'll forget about it.

[Possibly in more ways then one. There's no telling if this whole thing is permanent... or what will happen when it's reversed.]

You didn't have parents. Do the Lusus care for you?

MY LUSUS DID, YES. SO THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE PARENTS, I GUESS, EXCEPT FOR THE PART WHERE THEY'RE TOTALLY FUCKING DIFFERENT.

I won't ask you to explain it, but I am pretty curious.

[...???]

WHICH PART NEEDS EXPLAINING, EXACTLY?? AFTER WE FINISH OUR TRIALS IN THE BROODING CAVERNS, WE'RE CHOSEN BY A CREATURE WHO BECOMES OUR LUSUS. THEY RAISE US, THE END.

I mean I didn't want to ask if you didn't feel like talking about it. But, it looks like that's still happening anyway.
So a Lusus chose a Troll in a cave, takes them, and then they're raised by them.

OH. WELL.
FUCK. WHATEVER, YES, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. NOW YOU KNOW.

Now I do.
Hehe I really can't really say anything about it. The way that Haibane come into being isn't less strange sometimes.

YEAH WELL. I GUESS YOU MIGHT AS WELL FUCKING ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT TROLLS. I AM EVIDENTLY THIS PLANET'S AUTHORITY ON THE SUBJECT, AND IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE ANY BETTER SHIT TO DO APART FROM HERD ONE-SWEEP-OLD DAVE AWAY FROM ANY CLIMBABLE SURFACES.
WAIT DID YOU KNOW ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES THAT YOU EMERGE FROM FUCKING COCOONS? BECAUSE UH
I MEAN IF YOU WANTED TO SAY MORE I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING. IF YOU CAN TELL ME.

Edited 2016-05-21 03:22 (UTC)

I don't know, keeping Dave from hurting himself sounds pretty important.
Actually, I guess I can answer any questions you might have about being a Haibane, since I'm the planet's authority on that myself.
Or at least I can try?

YES, THIS IS WHY I AM AT MOST OCCUPYING BOTH PRONGS WITH TYPING MESSAGES ON A DEVICE I COULDN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT AND CAN THEREFORE GLEEFULLY ABANDON WHENEVER THIS MINIATURE ASSHOLE TAKES IT UPON HIMSELF TO SCALE THE NEAREST FROND NUB.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO ASK ABOUT BEING A HAIBANE, HONESTLY, EXCEPT
IS YOUR ROMANCE DIVIDED INTO QUADRANTS OR DO YOU HAVE JUST THE ONE, LIKE HUMANS?

Ooh, that does sounds like you've been busy. I'd offer to help but I don't think I'm anywhere near any of you so it would take me a while to travel anywhere.

[So you're stuck with a bitty on your own. GG, Karkat.]

Romance... quadrants? What's that supposed to be?

HEY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. JOHN AND JADE ARE HERE, TOO. WE'LL BE FINE.

FIGURES YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THEM EITHER, I GUESS.
WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROMANCE: FLUSHED, PALE, ASHEN, AND CALIGINOUS. THE FLUSHED QUADRANT IS THE MOST SIMILAR TO THE HUMAN CONCEPT OF ROMANCE.
IT'S COMPLICATED BUT I CAN EXPLAIN THE OTHERS TO YOU IF YOU WANT?

Well I'm happy you're not dealing with it all by yourself then.

One of these days I think I need to meet this Jade person myself.

[But that can wait, onward to important discussions!]

Okay. So, Trolls have four different types of romance. And one of them is like the kind that Humans have. I think I understand it.
well, it does sound interesting. so I'm not going to say no!

YOU SHOULD. SHE'S PRETTY GREAT.

[For. Reasons. Wow, okay no, let's talk about quadrants.]

OK WELL.
THE QUADRANTS ARE DIVIDED LIKE THIS:

	CONCUPISCENT	CONCILIATORY
RED ROMANCE	♥	♦
BLACK ROMANCE	♠	♣

CONCUPISCENT QUADRANTS ARE

[Fuck.]

DO YOU KNOW WHAT CONCUPISCENT MEANS.

Nope.

[MAYBE SHE DOES maybe she wants Karkat to explain.]

[FUCK.]

CONCUPISCENT MEANS
YOU KNOW. PHYSICAL ROMANCE. SORT OF. WHEN YOU UH
ANYWAY SO THERE'S CONCUPISCENT AND CONCILIATORY ROMANCE AND BLACK AND RED ROMANCE. RED ROMANCE IS ROOTED IN MORE POSITIVE EMOTIONS WHILE BLACK'S FOCUS IS NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR.

[hehehe... Gentle teasing aside, this conversation was actually really interesting to her.]

Yeah, alright. I think I can get that part of it.
So red romance is kind of what humans have, when you fall in love with someone.
And black romance is when you hate someone?
Is that someone Trolls do?

YES BUT IT'S MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT.
IT ISN'T PURE HATRED. THERE'S ATTRACTION BETWEEN KISMESES THAT GOES BEYOND THE MERE PHYSICAL.
LIKE YOU HATE THIS PERSON BUT SOMETHING KEEPS DRAWING YOU BACK TO THEM. THERE'S SOMETHING YOU ACTUALLY LIKE, BUT SO MUCH ELSE ABOUT THIS PERSON PISSES YOU OFF THAT YOU CAN'T BRING YOURSELF TO FORGIVE WHATEVER FAULTS YOU SEE IN THEM.
SO IT EATS AWAY AT YOU, BOTH HATING AND LIKING THEM, TO THE POINT WHERE IT BECOMES AS MUCH OF AN OBSESSION AS BEING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE IN THE NORMAL HUMAN SENSE.
EVEN EXPLAINING IT LIKE THIS DOESN'T REALLY DO IT JUSTICE BUT I'M TRYING TO KEEP THIS EXPLANATION SIMPLE. BLACK ROMANCE IS JUST. A LOT OF HUMANS DON'T GET IT. IT MIGHT BE A TROLL ONLY THING, I DON'T FUCKING KNOW.
OH AND I'M TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT THE CALIGINOUS QUADRANT HERE. AUSPISTICISM IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.

Yeah it sounds kind of like something a Troll would understand better then anyone else would, but I think I can understand where you're coming from.
I guess if it does involve hating someone so much that you... like them? People probably wouldn't be able to get that.
What's Auspisticism then?

HATING THEM BUT STILL LIKING THEM, OR EVEN HATING THEM BECAUSE YOU LIKE THEM. LIKE I SAID, IT'S COMPLICATED.
AUSPISTICISM IS THE MOST CONFUSING QUADRANT EVEN FOR TROLLS. IT EXISTS TO PREVENT BLACK INFIDELITY OR INTERVENE IN RELATIONSHIPS THAT WOULD WREAK HAVOC ON THE INVOLVED TROLLS' LIVES IF ALLOWED TO FLOURISH.
IT'S THE ONE QUADRANT WITH THREE PEOPLE INVOLVED INSTEAD OF JUST TWO: ONE MEDIATOR AND TWO BRAINLESS ASSHOLES WHO CAN'T KEEP THEIR SHIT TOGETHER.

So you're saying that Auspisticism is all about someone getting between the other two whenever it could lead to a disaster.
Wait, is the third person in the relationship too?

OF COURSE THEY'RE IN THE RELATIONSHIP.
IT WOULDN'T BE ROMANCE OTHERWISE.

Right, right. I should have guessed.
You know, Haibane aren't very big on romance. At least I wasn't back then.

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

Re: [text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]