[GRO] Amonee Brycer - Teen

[Hivestuck]

This valley is hard to reach, with it's only entrance a small and easily-overlooked path leading through snowdrifts, and farther down, thick scratchy bushes. Sloping downwards through slowly warming air, it nevertheless bears signs of usage, and was clearly carved out sometime in the past by an industrious troll. Busthind is littered with old trails like this, most leading to abrupt landslides or places where there used to be cliff, but now only contains a sharp vertical drop. The main difference between this path and the dozens of others, is that not many have a rusting 'OPEN' sign welded to a rock halfway down.

At the end of the path, the small sunny valley seems a world away from the biting altitudes of higher in the mountains. Although the small lake in it is still frozen over, the ground is covered in thick hardy plants that colour the grey rocks with a miniature hemospectrum of flowers. A few small, wall-eyed birds bob and hop about on the middle of the lake, their calls alternating from a sweet fluting to a more atmosphere-spoiling strangled gargle.

The lake's only clear water is directly under a small waterfall - more a water trickle, that runs down the deep rocks and shift's the mountains meltwater to the plains far below. The rock around the trickle of water is smooth, showing signs of a heavier volume during other times of the sweep. It's easy to assume that the cave mouth clearly visible behind the falling water is, usually, fully concealed behind a thick curtain of thundering foam. Nevertheless, it's clearly visible now, leading down into the darkness of the mountains, and large enough for an adult troll to enter.

Inside, the tunnel twists and turns, bearing signs of life with odd scattered broken pieces of machinery. A small stretch of the cave is actually tiled, and worryingly scattered with a few polished bones. Pressing deeper, the dark continues on for sometime before a small mat sitting on the floor breaks the monotonous view. Along with a well made, slightly elaborate door, set into the cave's wall. Squinting in the shadows, the ornate sign set into the wall beside it is just visible enough to read.

The Eternity Emporium

Yamashii

Only Yamashii may post in this RP. Your troll will start at the top of the path to the valley. Please quote the mule when your troll has arrived at the Emporium!

 

[Yamashii]

It was paths like these that Amonee Brycer enjoyed the most. Uncharted and almost unfriendly. He'd left his hive at sundown today with the intents of catching a train to visit the beach. There was something about the way light flickered on water that was so lovely to paint and he itched to capture the ocean colored by the pink and green of the moonlight. But somehow along the way, his feet had mistakenly led him to a strange weathered sign. The trail did not look heavily weathered with use but it looked like trolls had passed through before. The sea would have to wait- this looked like a proper adventure. Unicroak hopped along behind him, seeming content with the idea. She was not particularly interested in saltwater.

'What a sight.' A frozen lake surrounded by shades of green and gray, with hints of the hemospectrum peeking through. It looked incredibly rustic and untouched and he waded through thick bushes and weaved around the rocky trail for a closer look. He wondered if the trail perhaps led to a boating business for the summer months. Upon inspection however, no boats or buildings were to be found. The jadeblood continued on, journeying towards the ominous dark cave behind a trickle of water. Signs of a heavier waterfall were not lost on him and he glanced upwards in awe as he passed through the opening. It seemed like a bad place to make a hive in unless the resident greatly wanted to dissuade any company from coming over. Or unless they had something to hide.

He stumbled over a strange chunk of metal in the darkness. Someone was definitely living here.

"Oh goodness, pardon the intrusion!" Amonee blurted out in surprise at the realization that he might not be alone here. At this point, Unicroak closed any distance between the two of them protectively. She croaked at him to be careful, that they ought to leave, but the young troll could not shake his curiosity. Who would choose to stay here? And why? The dark tunnels seemed to go on forever as he slide his hand along the rocky surface, catching his balance whenever he slipped or nudged some new trinket hidden amongst the stones. He almost turned back until the faintest light glinted off of the tiled walls.

"Hello? Is someone there?" The painter quickened his pace, the rush of a discovery spurning him forward. What was inside this cave that was worth the long and winding journey? His lusus did not trust it, noticing the bones and raising her voice at him in complaint. Amonee did not listen. A small mat came into view and he marveled at the ornate door at the end of his tunnel. He had arrived! He'd finally made it to-

"The Eternity Emporium? What in Alternia..." It certainly sounded interesting but he couldn't imagine what kind of business it brought in. Was it some kind of quadrant thing? Or maybe they sold antiques.

"What is this place?" The boy wondered aloud, mostly to himself, as he took a seat on the mat to rest his feet.

Hivestuck

 

[Hivestuck]

At first, the cave was quiet. It kept on being quiet for a good ten minutes, then gradually the sound of mumbling began to echo down the cavern corridor. It seemed to be coming from the opposite direction of Amonee's arrival, deeper in the mountain. Soon with it, a pale grey light trickled into the tunnel. As the light grew, the voice began to grow as well, from incomprehensible echoes into a thickly accented grumbling rant. "- and vet everywhere, I can't tink vat it's doing to half der vares, really. It's no skin off deir back if any of der shells rust, ho no. Zen I haff to buy more, and zer price goes up because apparently even vith just one buyer, I get ze lines about how der competition is raising prices."

Abruptly, the muttering figure turned a corner and came into full view, striding purposefully down the path, gripping an unused cane in one hand. The troll was a fully grown adult, and clearly had been for a long time as evidenced by the two grey streaks in their hair. That in itself was rare to see, but rarer still was the pale, coldly glowing skin and eyes, and the hue of green deliberately painted on the troll's eyelids and lips. Of all the shades on Alternia, it matched perfectly with the younger troll's blood, a perfect jade green.

As soon as the adult caught sight of the unexpected arrival sitting in her path, her pace slowed down. Eventually coming to a stop a short distance from him, she placed the end of the cane on the stone floor, leaning on it slightly. "Vell. Hello there nubling, haff you gotten lost?" A faintly pitying smile brought two long incisors out, as well as a quirked eyebrow and faint wrinkles around the corners of the older troll's eyes. "Or maybe you are der fabled creature known as a customer? I don't tink ve have any sales on right now, but vat der hell, I could be wrong."

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

Out of all the things he'd expected, this was not one of them. The child gasped at the sight.

"You're glowing!" The troll before him had a timeless charm about her as she playfully greeted him. But the most obvious and startling aspect of the older woman was the pale light radiating off of her, highly noticeable in the darkness of the cave. She rambled on about customers and sales and wares, all of which he didn't understand. But he did understand the color carefully applied to her face.

"You're... the same as me. And Xavier." The painter wordlessly traced his own lip to finish the line of thought. Amonee rose to his feet and took a step closer towards the older troll, shifting to hold his toga closer for her to see his symbol. Just who was this woman? Why did she live down here in the darkness when they were some of the lucky few that could actually enjoy the sun's rays? There was so much to ask her but- she'd mentioned a sale, hadn't she? He didn't want to be rude. It was rare to meet trolls her age, maybe she had some rare items for sale as well.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Amonee Brycer. You sell... machines?" He had noticed some scrap metal and parts strewn about the tunnels on the way here. While Amonee wasn't entirely sure what he had stumbled upon, it didn't seem to be dangerous. And maybe she knew where to find other jadebloods so he wouldn't feel so alone in the world, wandering through sunlit peaks and across overcast hills.

Hivestuck

I am so sorry this took so long. Bloodfest and hw bogged me down but it will be quicker replies from now!

 

[Hivestuck]

"Like you and who now?" The adult's crinkly smile grew on her face at the non-sequitur thrown out by surprised child. "But yes darling, ve do seem to be of a similar hue. Excuse me, let us do zis properly." Stepping forward, she produced a ring of keys and began to unlock the door set into the cave wall.

Opening it with a click and stepping inside, she turned around and gave a full formal bow to the child. "I am Vrykol Aakaas, sole proprietor of der eternity emporium. It is a pleasure to meet you, master Brycer." Retreating futher away from the door and into the dark store beyond, she turned and beckoned to Amonee. "Please, come in! Perhapse ve could haff some food and a drink. Even if you are not a customer, it is nice to haff some company."

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

"Xavier! He's just like me, he can stand the sunlight." She looked at him with a smile and he felt encouraged to keep on talking as the two of them entered the other chamber. "You're the second jadeblood I've met. Do you know others?" It seemed to be a rare thing unfortunately but she gave off the impression of knowing a lot more than him. Maybe she knew other trolls he could talk to.

"Thank you for hosting me. I'm sorry for intruding." The place was cool and dark but it didn't feel unwelcoming. The light radiating off of her helped him see and he walked beside her. Vrykol mentioned the eternity emporium and he mulled over the name in his mind. Had he heard of this place before? It didn't sound familiar to him.

"What is the Eternity Emporium? I don't have many beetles but I'd be happy to buy something if I can. I'm always looking for gifts to give!" Being a starving artist was hard. But it had opened his eyes to the way beetles passing hands could help save someone else. He didn't know how well off Vrykol was doing down here (she looked healthy but who knew?) so he was willing to pay for something small to pass her some beetles. She'd complained about prices earlier though he had no idea what the context was. She was right in regards to enjoying company, it was a treat to spend time with someone. That was something he was learning and grateful for from his friends on Busthind.

"Is it some kind of insurance?" What kinds of items would last for 'eternity'? Nothing on Alternia seemed permanent to him.

Hivestuck

 

[Hivestuck]

Leading the young troll down a thin path of cleared ground in the dark, cluttered shop, Vrykol occasionally turned to make sure the smaller troll was still directly behind her. Eventually they reached the other side of the room and she guided Amonee behind one of the many hanging curtains on the wall. Showing him through the concealed door behind, the adult troll lead them both into a charming and quaint little nutritionblock.

Unlike the mysterious, dusty, and almost tomb-like shop front this area was well kept, artificially lit, and covered in quaint doilies. Fussing over her guest until he sat down at the table, Vrykol produced a jar filled with crumbly baked munch-nuggets, as well as two cups of steaming boiled frond-wilts and a plate full of wiggly grubs for his lusus. Pulling her own chair up across from the child, she beamed down at him. "So many questions! You say you haff already met another jadeblood before? My my. I'm afraid you are very lucky, but should probably not expect more. I haff only met vun other in my entire life, ve are not der most common of blood types."

Shaking her head and taking a long sip of her own drink, Vrykol considered the second query that had been posed to her. Pursing her lips, she tapped long lacquered fingers on the table for a moment before speaking. "Vell. I do not tink my main products would be anything a little spout like you vould find useful. Tell me master Brycer, haff you ever heard of der legend of der rainbowdrinkers?"

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

"Your hive is lovely." The child nodded to the decorative doilies around the room. Vrykol certainly had an eye for interior design. She had done a wonderful job creating a murky moody atmosphere at the shop front but this place was friendly and inviting. He admired her taste, looking around as she spoke and pushed food in front of him, only really snapping out of his curious glancing when she asked him a question.

Rainbowdrinkers, of course. It made sense now. She was glowing because she was one of them. A mysterious being with a heavy romanticism surrounding their kind. He swallowed nervously. All he knew of them was from the stories broadcast over the television airwaves. Violent depictions of murderers. Dramatic love stories wavering between beautiful and painful. Amonee had never thought he'd encounter one in person before. Which stories were more true to life?

"I know that they drink blood and glow. But I don't know about a legend." He took a drink from the cup she'd placed before him. She had seemed nice so far, maybe rainbowdrinkers weren't as scary as he'd thought. After all, what kind of predator would invite him in for munch-nuggets and frond-wilts? Unicroak seemed to have let her guard down as well though this was probably because she was preoccupied gulping down the grubs. Anyone that treated a lusus nicely was probably not a threat, he thought naively.

"I... want to know more about them. Would you please tell it to me?" It was a heavy topic, the idea of trolls sucking blood out of each other on an already violent planet. The thought that they could walk during the sunlit hours also made him uneasy. Amonee had enough to worry about with the daywalkers but intelligent trolls stalking about were even more dangerous now that he thought about it. At some point, it had sounded connected to their blood caste but just how it all worked, he didn't know. Someone with experience would be more reliable and knowledgeable than the silly movies and documentaries he watched late before morning.

Hivestuck

 

[Hivestuck]

Watching Amonee and nodding to his remarks, Vrykol listened quietly until he seemed to be done talking. "Oha! So a decent amount then, vell done." Running a finger around the rim of her delicate and dainty cup, she seemed to consider the table's decoration closely for a few seconds. "Yes. On one hand is der legend of rainbowdrinkers, and on der other, reality. I focus on reality. From vat I can tell, it seems to be related to der original purpose of der drinkers, living underground and tending to der little precious grublings. I am not sure if that is something you haff heard about? Der original rainbowdrinkers ver like lususes to der little wiggler trolls before pupation?" Smiling a little wistfully, she paused and sipped at her drink, eyes glancing over to Amonee's own cup to make sure he was enjoying his own snack.

"Perhaps that vill assuage some fears or uncertainties. Blood is nessecary, yes, but not every day - only ven ve are wounded. To heal." Vrykol paused. Raising a hand to her mouth, she gave Amonee a guilty blink. Hesitating for a heartbeat, she pushed on. "Oh dear, I said ve, didn't I? Vell der purrbeast is out of der sack, I suppose. You see, my child, all jadebloods like you and I posses der inherent, natural capacity to become rainbowdrinkers. In fact, ve all become vun on the day ve die."

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

She talked freely about things he did not understand as if she had known them for a long time. Was this something he was supposed to have known? His eyes were wide and confused as the information sank into his skin. As she paused to drink, he mirrored her in order to be polite. Thankfully it was warm and soothing which helped do something for his nerves.

"Tending to grublings. I didn't know about that. It sounds... nice, I suppose." He wouldn't say that the idea was horrible to him, Amonee was always desperate to feel needed and cared for. But it seemed strange to him for a troll to take on the role of a lusus, mostly because that system was all he'd ever known. Had something failed, is that why jadebloods no longer practiced this? But then again, Xavier and his lusus...

"Wait, we become rainbowdrinkers? When we-" His breath caught in his throat. It was such a scary horrible concept to let into his mind. He tried so hard to avoid facing it, even when wandering around Alternia by morning and watching the daywalkers lumber about. But now it felt too prominent for him to be able to avoid.

She was talking about death.

"T-that means that you... It must've been, um, awful. I'm so sorry! You must've been so-" Afraid. He pulled his eyes away from staring at the pattern around the rim of his cup to look her face to face with nervous terrified determination. She was dead. Or undead. Something, whatever it technically was! And somehow, her story went on. She had a hive and a shop. A cozy kitchen with enough room for two, frond-wilts for boiling, beetles for business.

What did he have? If something happened to him, what had he accomplished? When he died, he would become one of these. But if he died again, would he die for good? His pump biscuit clenched hard in his chest and he felt strong emotional turmoil inside as questions buzzed in his head. Xavier would be sad and alone if he was gone. Nucleo would have no one to calm him down from his episodes. But Azrael and Caiden would find new friends to paint with and Frossa's image would be painted by plenty of others. Autumn would explore the world without him and Gourdi would carry on in life with her sour attitude. He had touched very few trolls in a lasting way.

The world would pass over his absence, turning endlessly in the night.

"We all die, don't we." It was less of a question and more of a statement. He'd avoided this too long. Instead of fearing it, he had to accept it. Once he did that, he could plan around it. If he didn't want to be forgotten, he had to do something to be remembered. Amonee's hands itched to get back to their studio filled with brushes and jars. There was so much to capture to immortalize his legacy. And so much more to seal on canvas for others to look back on and remember.

"Thank you, Vrykol. You've given me something I didn't realize I was looking for." The boy rose from his seat, feeling taller than before and lighter as well. Something within him had changed, hopefully for the better. Today had gone far differently than he'd planned but he was thankful for it. Who would've thought he'd find guidance, hidden away in the dark tunnels below his very own home? Pulling a token out of his bag, he placed it on the table and pushed it towards the older troll with a warm smile and a sincere message.

"You've given me my purpose. This is for the payment. Please, I insist!" Placed before her was a small smooth stone the color of the sunset with stripes of orange and red across it. It always cheered him up on his lonelier nights. Perhaps Vrykol would get some use out of it- he wasn't planning on using it anymore. From now on, he'd go straight to his friends when he needed a shoulder. There was no need to hold back anymore!

Hivestuck

 

[Hivestuck]

Raising a well manicured eyebrow at the young trolls reaction, the adult nevertheless relaxed, as though she had been preparing for a much less composed reply. "A purpose? My, I do hope I haff not inspired anyzing too nefarious." She gave a gentle laugh, but her eyes held a glitter of concern. "I merely spoke of somezink that lies in, hopefully, the distant future. A young troll such as yourself shud be focused on zer death of ze enemies, not yourself." Nevertheless, she reached out and politely picked up the stone, turning it one way then the other. Giving it a small private smile, she looked back accross the table. "Your sudden enthusiasm however, is ver warmink to see. I suppose you must do vat you desire, and make the best of things."

Sensing her guest's twitching and almost impatient energy, she drained the last of her cup and stood up, half turning to the door. "I do haff a good deal more to say if you are ever interested, but I do not vish to burden you too heavily on our first meetink. Perhaps if you ever find your way back ... ?" It was an open invitation to return, if Amonee ever wanted to see her again.

 

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

x

"Just a little nefarious. A renewed interest in my morning wanderlust." Her eyes twinkled as she chided him lightly and his cheeks flushed with a knowing nod. The death of his enemies would come far after his own in his current state. Amonee was not a fighter in any sense of the word. But he'd have to learn how in order to survive. Unicroak finished the remainders of the plate of grubs and he patted her head to let her know time was up.

"I'm a painter. I'm going to capture the world in sunlight and share it with all of Alternia." He took his teacup to the sink and set it down inside. The older jadeblood rose to her feet to see him off. It was a polite gesture and he found himself surprisingly touched by it. Vrykol was from another time and Amonee found himself wondering what life had to have been like during it. Just who was Vrykol Aakaas? But as she said, a story for another meeting.

"I'll be back for sure. Next time, I'll bring you something a bit bigger than that." His eyes darted to the warm colored stone in the palm of her hand. It wasn't often that he was struck by inspiration to paint a landscape, Amonee usually found himself starstruck by trolls worthy of a portrait. Like Frossa. He needed to talk with her at once if he was going to get anywhere with this plan. But how to gain her favor?

"Goodbye, Vrykol. Til we meet again." The boy gave a slight bow before heading through the door back into the dark winding tunnels. The fears he'd felt coming through the first time were gone. His hands traced the faded machinery to remember the way as he navigated back to the outside. Light poured into his vision as the opening to the cave came into view. The day was going strong now, how long had he been inside? He had a long uphill trek to make now to get back home.

Amonee continued along the edge of the frozen lake, glancing back only once he'd ascended partially up the hill. He imagined how grand it must look at full intensity, with an array of colors arched in front of it. She was going to love it, hopefully. The rest of the walk was uneventful, though his legs began to tire. Getting down into the valley had been much less exhausting than climbing his way back out of it. He couldn't wait to crawl into his recuperacoon and sleep for a while. Grassy rock faded into the dusty road he'd come down earlier and he stopped for a moment.

Grabbing a fistful of shirt, he rubbed at the old dirty sign until it glistened in the sunlight, bright like his soul, before continuing on his way.

Hivestuck

Fin.