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 Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 5:24 pm
pictures here and stuff
when: nighttime
where: Chittentown
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 5:53 pm
A couple of weeks had passed since Pip's journey to Bloodfest, and his desperate bid to seek aid from their kind and gracious queen. His quest to return to his correct age had begun, and while the situation certainly wasn't ideal, Regina had managed to set him on the right course, and put the wind in his sails. It had never once occured to him to think that she might have been lying, or making things up...why would she bother? Not only had she pointed him in the direction of a potential solution, but she had also given him a unique opportunity. He would find his cure, somehow, and dig up whatever dirt he could on the hooligans who had been giving Regina trouble. Though the thought made his biscuit squeeze and quicken every time he remembered it, he at least owed her that much, didn't he?
Swoosedad had been adamant about preparation, when he realized that talking Pip out of it was impossible. If they were going to Chittentown, they would need the right supplies, and if they were going to attempt to infiltrate some sort of radical organization, well...they would need a story. Using the limited information Regina had given them, the insectoid moose had aided his winged charge in cobbling together a clever ruse that Pip sorely hoped would work. He had plenty of imagination, but he'd never constructed such an immense lie before. He would not only need to be a good liar, but a decent actor as well.
They had spent the entirety of a week getting ready. Every day his lusus grilled him over their story, and every day it felt just a bit more convincing. He'd dug out an old backpack, and purchased a plastic water bottle from a shop in the suburbs. Even if they didn't plan on veturing out into the desert, it was good to be prepared. Though his lusus constantly reminded him not to be so hasty, the orangeblood couldn't help but want to rush ahead, to make up for lost time.
----
Though the journey was similar to the one they had made for Bloodfest, their destination couldn't have been more different. Upon his arrival, Pip had been awestruck at his new surroundings, amazed at the towering canyon walls, and the way its inhabitants had built the city right into them. His excitement had almost been enough to sway him from his mission, but Swoosedad was quick to serve up gentle reminders.
"Right...can't get distracted. This place is so much cooler than the pictures, though..." The orangeblood sighed softly, and steeled himself as he headed into the dusty city. It was their first night, and he wanted to make it count. He trotted down the street before stopping near a group of older trolls, and let his expression melt into the saddest he could muster. Without a second thought, his voice lifted, and he interrupted the conversation, peering up through watery barkbeast eyes. "S-scuse me...have you seen my friend around here??"
---
Even Pip couldn't deny that it was a dangerous angle. Their only saving grace, really, was that Chittentown favored lowbloods. He had drifted about randomly at first, practicing on whoever looked quiet and unconfrontational. Most people were quick to shrug, or shoo him away. After a couple of hours, he had gained quite a bit of confidence, enough to wander into the patio of a small restaurant.
"Hey she said she doesn't know anything!! Now scram, we're tryin'a eat!!"
Pip had attempted to talk to a yellowblood sitting at one of the tables, and winced as her impatient greenblooded friend raised his voice. He finally skittered away when one of the trolls behind the counter decided to tell him to get lost. He'd been able to take the rejection before, but as the heads of the other patrons swiveled to eye his retreat, he felt a stab of fear, and tears stung the corners of his eyes. He darted down the street, keen to put some distance between himself and any trouble he might have gotten himself into. His lusus hovered close, sensing that he was upset.
You can't expect this to be easy. Swoosedad hummed as he danced above Pip's head. Don't give up yet.
"I know. I'm not...but what'll I do if no one will talk to me??" Pip sniffled as he glanced back. He was rattled, but undeterred. There had to be someone who would take the bait, and he was going to find them, sooner or later.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:20 pm
Business in Chittentown certainly wasn't Aprife's favorite kind. The arid climate always did a number on his hair, it was dry enough without the desert's help, and it was already starting to frizz near the ends. He couldn't wait to get back to his hive where he could properly moisturize. No one really had any idea the trouble he went through to look good.
Throwing back the last dregs of his drink, he let out a short, contented sigh. Hunger had gotten the better of him on his way out of town, but it was a minor detour really, he'd already received the bill and was giving it once over. Little did he know, Chittentown wasn't quite done with him yet.
"Hey she said she doesn't know anything!! Now scram, we're tryin'a eat!!"
Yellow-flooded eyes caught the tail end of the confrontation, the sight of the small orangeblood fleeing the scene after the shopkeep saw fit to scold him, too. Ha, dumb kid, what was he even doing pestering trolls while they ate? It was one thing to bother someone on the streets, but another completely to poke and prod where trolls paid good money for a goddamn moment of peace. Aprife knew, he'd been there before, and he figured that lesson was well enough learned now.
Ah, but he was curious, though, as Aprife often was and how he often would be. Missing most of the action while lost in his food didn't sit well with him and he found himself wondering just what the answer to his previous thought could've been. What had been that kid's angle?
Standing and slapping beetles down on the table all came in one quick, fluid motion. He had longer legs, sure, but the orangeblood had a head start.
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Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:26 am
Pip hurried a good distance down the street before slowing, feet crunching over the sand as he quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. It had been a dumb decision for sure, one he wouldn't be repeating anytime soon. Thinking back on his actions made him realize it had been a bit rude, and he sucked in a breath, trying to calm himself. He was here on a mission, and it really wasn't him asking all these silly, fake questions. It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, anyway; trolls were generally mean and unhelpful no matter where one went, even if it was a town comprised mostly of lowbloods. The recent happenings had upped the town's collective paranoia, perhaps, and Pip sighed softly as the realization dawned on him. He would simply have to dig deeper...
He didn't notice anyone following, but his lusus did. The buttermoose hummed a soft warning, and Pip froze up, casting a quick glance over his shoulder, before jerking his head back around. It was pretty much the tallest troll he had ever seen, and as Swoosedad fluttered out of his arms, he buried his hands in his pockets, struggling to maintain his slow pace. Was his lusus just being overly protective? Spotting a small group of younger trolls across the street, he quickly made his way toward them, praying that he wasn't being followed by a pissed off member of the restaurant staff.
It didn't take long for him to be blown off by the pack of youngsters, who declined to help with what he wanted. As they moved along, he glanced back again. Surely Swoosedad had made a mistake. Pip fully expected the tall, yellow-clad troll to be halfway down the street by then...only to realize his continued approach was probably part of why the other group had ******** off so quickly. He swallowed hard, and sighed, lingering momentarily as he tried to decide what to do.
In a rare moment of ********, he turned to eye Aprife anxiously, meeting the adult's gaze and making it known that he was aware of his presence. If the guy wanted to pick a fight, he would have to run. It was an unsavory thought, but at least the yellowblood didn't look particularly aggressive (even if he was grizzled enough to make up for it).
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 7:03 pm
The revelation of his presence was certainly no surprise nor any sort of mistake on his part. If Aprife had chosen to hide, it would've taken a lot more than an attentive lusus to pick him out. At least, that's the assurance he felt, the confidence. The yellowblood was nothing if not comfortable with his own abilities; he'd had plenty of sweeps to perfect the simple stalker routine. No, he hadn't meant to avoid detection, he'd walked right down the street as if it were any other night.
So, it was even less of a surprise when the orangeblood turned around after he'd finally caught up, because who wouldn't wanna know what some weird a*****e with dreads was doing following them around, right?
Aprife's stride was still wholly casual as he closed the remaining gap between them, stood in a slight slouch, and grinned down at his soon-to-be acquaintance. "Hey kid," he greeted, voice set in a low, gravelly tone. "That was quite the scene you almost made back there, huh?" Straight to the point, there was really no need to beat around the bush when it didn't much matter if he got an answer in the first place. This was all to sate a simple curiosity.
"What the heck were you trying to pull, anyway? You oughta know better. Or someone oughta..." This time his eyes slid over to the tiny lusus instead.
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Posted: Sat May 02, 2015 8:03 pm
Pip took a deep breath as the adult approached, having to crane his neck a little more than usual in order to keep the other's yellow gaze. Yep...definitely an adult, which wasn't something he saw very often, or ever at all, aside from drones. It was intimidating to say the least, but as Aprife slouched and grinned, he eased down himself, wondering what the yellowblood could possibly want.
"Oh...I suppose so." Pip felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment, his heart speeding up slightly. His wings twitched against his back, beneath their bindings and an undershirt...after Regina had nearly sniffed out his secret, he wasn't keen on taking any more chances. "I didn't mean to, really. They were almost finished, anyway." He wanted to tack on something about rudeness, but realized that the yellowblood might have been connected somehow, and bit his tongue.
"I'm j-just...I need help. I'm looking for someone." He stammered, surprised to hear the question, but feeling a bit indignant over the scolding. Swoose had warned him about being too forward, but he'd been desperate, and now it seemed that his risky move would pay off. Someone was finally paying attention, and he was too excited over it to wonder why some creep-a** adult had taken an interest in his plight. Even the tiniest piece of new information would be a victory, in Pip's eyes. Swoosedad fluttered down to settle between his charge's horns, wings fanning quietly as he nuzzled against Pip's head without a sound. He'd tried!
"Do you know this place very well? I've only been here once before." Pip continued, his brows furrowing as he scuffed his foot against the sand, adopting a forlorn expression.
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 8:44 am
Almost finished, but still not finished, there was a notable crinkle in Aprife's forehead like he meant to make a comment. Died on his tongue, though, he honestly wasn't much for lecturing, and he didn't know this kid well enough to start throwing around the opportunity for 'lessons from the best' when it came to pestering without garnering too much retaliation. For a short second he'd forgotten the goal, but he'd reigned himself back in. All he wanted was to hear the orangeblood out and be on his way. His skin stretched dryly over his bones whenever he moved and that served as quite the clear reminder of just why he'd wanted to leave in the first place. ******** Chittentown.
"Looking for someone..." His lusus was still here, must've been a friend. "Kid, I know this place all too well." Unfortunately. "You got any leads yet? Can't imagine those shitstains at the diner were your first sloppy attempt at an interrogation." Pip's helpless display did little to sway Aprife's bloodpusher with anything resembling pity, but he was hardly one to turn down the idea of a mystery, a challenge. Except... ********, he'd just been telling himself he wasn't going to get involved.
Humoring this kid meant spending more time here, time he surely had, but wasn't quite keen on using. Ah well, he'd taken a swing, he'd at least wait for the answer. Surely whoever he was looking for couldn't have gone far, this was probably a simple case of kids getting lost from one another while playing hide-n-seek or something equally bland. Too bad he couldn't know, not yet at least, that the orangeblood was chasing a phantom.
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 6:50 pm
Pip's eyes shone with hopefulness for a moment, before his expression dipped right back into embarrassment, as Aprife confirmed his knowledge, then followed it up with another humiliating slam on his detective work. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and ears, and could only pray that it made him seem more pitiable. It was certainly shitty to be put on the spot, but he was sure his naive mannerism would make him seem more genuine; he didn't know what he was doing, he just needed help. What did a stupid kid know about digging around for info? Pip decided to answer the question, pointedly ignoring Aprife's little jab.
"Yeah...sorta." Pip took a little breath, thoughtful for a moment as he readied himself. If the yellowblood was telling the truth, there was a good chance he'd be up to date on the city's current events. "The troll I'm looking for lives in the city, and he's a good friend of mine. But he hasn't returned any of my messages for weeks, and...I heard some bad stuff has been happening in Chittentown." Pip's frown deepened, and he peered up at Aprife, worried and fearful.
"It's all so confusing. He didn't tell me much, but when the drought happened he seemed really mad about something. Something about how...how they were messing with the weather again." He whispered the last part in a conspiratory way, and then shrugged, as if he didn't quite understand what it meant.
After a moment, Pip glanced around carefully, as if he felt paranoid. "No one will tell me anything else. I've been asking around all night." He sniffled, and rubbed his face with his hand. He'd left some of the details out, to see if the yellowblood would take the bait, and pursue the matter further.
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