[PRP] Second Impressions (Adamaz + Tevini)

[Doutei]

Location: Chittentown

 

[Doutei]

'Everything's alright. Just be quiet.' She'd returned to Chittentown after many nights away and was nervous about what she'd find. Would the city be on lockdown against any rebels attempting to return to their hives? To be safe, Tevini had taken as many backroads through the city as possible to avoid running into anyone. Due to her anxious nature she'd already learned the path anyway.

Listening for any military cars, she was relieved that at least right now there weren't any in this area. She needed to cross the street and there wasn't any cover in either direction. Most of the other trolls around didn't pay her much attention, busy with their own lives. She wasn't sure if she'd been branded a rebel criminal or not yet but since she wasn't famous or popular in any way, she figured she could sneak around undetected. It was unclear how life was going to change from now but Tevini desperately wanted to go home and just hide. Scuttle rolled behind her, taking care to go slow so they could be cautious. He was less optimistic about their return home.

'But all of my work is here! I can't just leave it!' Tevini had declared earlier and reminded herself again. She had an ally now and she wasn't about to let him down. Cerpin had not told her much about himself but they'd agreed to go home and gather some belongings before they'd meet again. It was important that they recompose themselves and figure out what they could present each other for their future plans. Distracted, she made her way across the street from one alley to the next without checking the area a second time.

"You-" In the middle of the street she'd run into the troll she third-most did not want to see again, the first being a greenblooded monster, and the second a certain frightening blueblood. Adamaz... she remembered the name of her previous captor and the kindness he'd shown in releasing her but she still did not understand why he'd done it. Nor did she believe he'd let her escape a second time. Panic flooded her and the troll hurried to the alleyway, hoping he hadn't registered her face quickly enough.

Wizardy Herbert

 

[Wizardy Herbert]

Oh, hey. The girl from the swamp.

Adamaz had been strolling through Chittentown’s backroads, as he often did, while on his way to the Fluid Redistribution Station. He called it the ‘scenic route,’ when to most it was anything but. In truth, he liked to think about how cool it would be to live here, even if it meant a lack of quiet, while touring the streets. Today, there was a disruption to that schedule. In the middle of the street, he’d almost walked right into the last person he’d ever have expected to see.

Familiar curly hair and spiral horns gasped at him and dashed into an alleyway. The apron, too, was unmistakable. For a moment, Adamaz stood there and blinked, unsure of how to proceed. After a moment, he decided it was best to move on – best to let that lie – but Papa Roach tittered from his hair that he at least should say hi. Perhaps offer an explanation. At least, an apology? Remember your manners, young man.

Adamaz scowled. What he’d been remembering, rather, was how he’d escaped with the shellbeast lusus into the swamp with the girl trapped inside. He’d made a lot of distance before slowing down. He had continued in step behind the lusus, taking in the busy tranquility of the swamp around him, before realizing how relaxed he was. There he was, as he was wont to do: walking. His favorite pastime. Whether that particular walk followed any kind of trauma or stressful situation no longer mattered. His fear for his safety. His worry for the drones. His anxiety around highbloods, around Chiara, and particularly his fear of Tamiya. The rush to flee the attack. All free from his thoughts, for a time. He might as well have been home, at the dump, or in the Fluid Redistribution Center.

He’d looked at the shellbeast and wondered: was this the price he wanted to pay for survival? It was the price he was told he had to pay. That he had to pay. It was the price he had signed up for. There were much greater prices for failure, he’d imagined. Were those ones he was willing to accept? He’d felt ridiculous. These were not the kind of questions he was supposed to be answering. He was a kid. Yet his duty was to the crown, and everything. So this was what he was supposed to be doing. It was the girl who was not doing what she was told.

It was then that he’d felt a cool, crystalline resolve push away the pain in his gut. The resolve to say no to everything. To push back – refuse the status quo. Papa Roach thought he was bonkers, the way he pulled a muck-covered buckle off the lusus’ roller-skate and stomped away from his prize. The way he made his way back to a troll, someone important, someone on his side, to tell them what he did.

He’d reported that he’d killed a rebel captive by drowning her and her lusus in the swampy mire.

It wasn’t a full lie – perhaps by leaving them there, he had done exactly that. But he’d left the girl to her devices; if she had the chops to survive, than she would. If she didn’t, it would be her own undoing. Wasn’t that the lesson he’d been learning? The status quo he had to know so deep down, it had become more solid than steel?

At least this way, Adamaz’s conscience was clear as crystal.

Papa Roach’s hisses scolded Adamaz for dilly-daddling. The scuttlebeast-lusus regretted giving him those meditation books – it was because of those that his boy, sweet boy, could easily he could block out the world around him like that. Adamaz had basically kept walking after stopping, briefly, and now started, turned around, and started running back towards the alleyway where he had last seen her. The last part, the report at least, she deserved to know.

Doutei

At long last. Pardon the diamond puns.

 

[Doutei]

Was he following her? It appeared not- thank Gog. Tevini had managed to run through an alley or two and slowed to catch her breath, not a particularly fit troll. She needed to pace herself better. It was unclear what kind of surveillance was going on and the girl had only managed to figure out that some drones were around the city- for what purpose she could only guess. The suspense of the situation scared her and it was becoming clear that she'd been stupid to think she could return to her old life. But still, her tools were in her hive and she needed them. And she'd agreed to meet with Cerpin at his hive tonight. Oh no, would he realize to be careful too?

'You can only worry about yourself right now.' The curly haired girl gulped and spied at the junkyard nearby. She'd almost reached it! Just had to slip into the pile of junk and make her way to the secret tunnels. It might be overreacting but paranoia had only proven to be right so far. Glancing up and down the street, Tevini did not think to check behind herself once more. It was clear so she dashed across the road and slipped into the junkyard. Lifting a discarded piece of sheet metal, she crawled into a secret passageway and began to sneak into familiar territory. It was hard to see with all the clutter and honestly a little dangerous with all the sharp pointy objects but she managed.

'How will I get inside?' She would eventually manage to arrive near her front door but it was frightening to go out into the open. Perhaps she could somehow tunnel into the basement floor but it would take a bit of time. Frustrated, the girl stopped and turned around. Tevini knew that if she was going to make any noise digging through the junkyard, it'd be better to do it now rather than directly outside her hive. She returned to the secret entrance and peeked out from under the metal sheet and gasped at what she saw.

He had followed her.

'Why?!' Panic flooded her veins and there was nowhere to run. Reaching down, small fingers picked up a discarded flashlight. It didn't work anymore but would get the job done. Quietly she watched her previous captor, waiting.

Wizardy Herbert

I left it vague as to where Adamaz was but if I need to edit lemme know and I will! : )

 

[Wizardy Herbert]

Running through Chittentown alleyways, he was barely out of breath when he'd seen a sign of the girl: curly hair darting behind a pile in a nearby junkyard. Was she taking a shortcut? Was she going to hide? Did she... live there, or close-by? The possibility of even one similarity such as that made him feel an odd mix of emotions: guilt from attacking her in the swamp, and pride for finding the strength to let her go. A pang of sympathy shot through his heart. He ignored it, and started off to find her again.

He slowed once he rounded the corner and began scanning the piles for where she might have gone. He couldn't ignore the possibility that she had hidden instead of running on ahead. He turned his head towards a pile of sheet metal and -

- and found her instantly, inopportunely peeking out from her hiding spot. He was getting pretty lucky today. That, or he was slowly growing more observant. He humbly accepted the latter. Once again, she looked terrified, and he was reminded of the gnawing sensation in his stomach from the swamp. It was only a memory however - this time, only that cool resolute feeling in his heart remained. Warmer than he remembered, in fact.

She brandished a flashlight at him. Smiling calmly, Adamaz raised his hands over his head. "Whoa, partner. Watch where you’re pointin’ that thing. I surrender,” he said, as calmly and warmly as possible. The last thing he wanted was to sound threatening. "I didn’t mean to frighten ya – again," He appended, "Just surprised to see ya 'gain is all. Can we talk?" He knelt onto the ground to get his point across.

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

'What should I do?' As Adamaz approached, the redblood tightened her grip on the flashlight and watched him warily. It was scary to let him draw near but she was starting to realize that he had a lot more power here currently. If he really wanted her caught, all he had to do was call other trolls over or catch the attention of any nearby drones for help. She would wait and give him a chance to talk before making any rash moves.

"I didn't expect to see you here." Tevini admitted once he knelt at the edge of the junk heap. She was surprised to see him do so- his clothes would get dirty! Living in the junk was not a big deal to Tevini for she didn't take pride in her clothing and appearance but she didn't know what to expect of this orangeblood. He'd been very level headed in the swamp so perhaps she should've known he would not be fickle about such things.

"I guess neither did you. I really shouldn't be here." The young girl admitted, noting how awkward the situation must be for him. He'd released the supposed rebel only to find her again here in the middle of town. She'd been so eager and hopeful that she'd be able to slide back home under the radar. Now she could see how stupid a thought that'd been. Her route re-calibrated to brushing him off and getting out of here as fast as possible.

"I don't have much time. I need to get my things and go." It didn't matter if he knew about her hive now. It was clear that she'd have to relocate anyway. A part of the girl wanted to ask for help but it was too uncomfortable to ask this boy a favor again. He'd already let her escape once, she couldn't ask him to help her escape a second time. She already owed him. As much as her mind told her to run away, she felt that she had to stay and hear him out.

"... so it'll have to be quick. What is it?" She tried to not let her urgency show and give him a real chance to say what he wanted to say. His eyes were keen and his hearing sharp though, so she expected him to spot her nerves anyway. In that case...

The flashlight landed on the ground softly in between them.

Wizardy Herbert