[RP] Meet The Highblood [Eostre & Odette]

[purplerosesbeauty]

when: Midnight
where: Eostre's hive at Four Fronds
what: Odette comes to thank the highblood who sent her an invite to her group.

 

[purplerosesbeauty]

Eostre was expecting company tonight. Perhaps her redblooded invitee wasn't really worth all the effort she was going through, but she liked to make a good impression. Eostre put down a tray of light snacks on a low table in front of one of her couches, next to the steaming blue tea pot. Her lusus, Volcano was lounging on the couch, eyeing his charge distastefully. Dumb girly parties and yer dumb girly friends, he muttered to himself.

Eostre surveyed the lounging room of her hive, not missing her custodian's scathing comment. The room was immaculate as she liked to keep public areas of her hive, and had the standard black-gray walls of most troll hives. Most of her furniture was gray or bloodshade blue, with her favorite color, pink, accenting. It looked beautiful as always. Eostre smiled, feeling ready to receive her groveling lowblood guest.

"Volcano, remember your manners," Eostre said to her hopbeast lusus, pushing him off of the couch before stepping out of the room, "Don't bother me or the lowblood."

She walked through the passageways that led to the front door, her personal maze to keep invaders out and keep her hive looking small and unassuming, just like Eostre. Eostre stepped over to stand behind her door, her foot beginning to thump impatiently as she waited for the redblood.  

[zeflamigo]

Odette was not expecting to be back in Four Fronds this soon. The scars on her back had not healed yet, and Odette doubted that they would heal anytime soon, if at all. The directions that Eostre had given on the invitation travelled through the streets, much to Odette's dismay. She desperately wished to have her old coat back to cover her symbol up, or to have some hemoanonymous clothing. She felt uncomfortable surrounded by such a highblooded community, and she clutched her invitation close in an futile attempt to hide her blood color from sight. She couldn't fool anyone with her ruddy blushing features. Odette received death glares regardless, and she was sure they were genuine.

The entire town gave Odette the panicking sense that she was being followed. Every time she turned around there were trolls staring at her, some with contempt, and others with a strange contemplation that Odette didn't quite understand. One troll in particular stood out from the crowd, a snaggletoothed blueblood with a very intriguing eyepatch. Odette passed him off as a patron that was simply walking in the same direction, but when the streets made the transition from paved to natural, and there were significantly less people to be found around, Odette was struck with a deep fear for her life.

In desperation, Odette picked up her pace to a run. She no longer feared losing her way to Eostre's hive, she was fearing for her life. After all, if she died, who would take care of her lusus? In the distance, she spotted a quaint little hive carved into a hill, the exact house that was mentioned in the directions! She rushed to the door as fast as her little legs could carry her, not even looking back to see if the blueblood was still trailing her. Arriving at the hive, she smacked the bunny doorbell with her palm, just like she had finished a course on Troll Ninja Warrior. It was a little rude of Odette to manhandle the doorbell like that. Oh, she hoped she hadn't broken it! She fidgeted at the door in nervous fear that the troll was still trailing her, or worse, the troll behind the door was not as friendly as she made out to be in her letter.  

[purplerosesbeauty]

Idly, Eostre wondered if something had happened to the redblood girl. Perhaps she had gotten culled since the invite had been sent since lowbloods tend to get culled a lot, after all. I hope not, Eostre thought to herself, I put too much work in getting ready. She better show!

Ding!

A gentle melody played throughout Eostre's hive, announcing the arrival of someone at the door. Eostre smoothed her hair and put on a smile, "Finally," Eostre said. She hopped up to the door to open it and welcome the redblood girl.

Eostre looked her guest over. The lowblood was real red in the face... maybe she was embarrassed to be here? Eostre thought she was a pretty great troll so it wasn't that odd for a lowblood to be ashamed in her presence.

"Hello, come in, and watch your step!" Eostre said sweetly, motioning to the steep step between the door and the floor below, and then waving Odette to come inside. "You had no trouble finding my hive, I hope? Well anyway, my hive is pretty much a giant labyrinth so do keep close to me when I walk you in. You don't want to get lost here." Eostre laughed lightly, pressing her gloved hand to her mouth.  

[zeflamigo]

That door swung open rather quickly Odette noted, was she waiting for me at the door? Odette felt shameful about being so late. Why, she was giving off an awful first impression, and to a highblood no less! Why, she seemed so nice for a highblood! And she was so well-dressed, well-spoken, and generally, well, better than Odette in every way. Worst of all, she had such a dainty, sweet voice. Odette only dreamed of having such a nice voice. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Diazzi..." Odette couldn't help but mutter, being so embarrassed and out of breath. Though, she was careful to not embarrass herself further by falling off the step, daintily stepping down to ground level.

"Locating your hive was no trouble, Miss Diazzi, your directions were impeccable," Odette squeaked, "Four Fronds is so beautiful, it's no wonder why highbloods see it as such a covetable place to live." Odette refrained from mentioning the incident on her way to Eostre's hive. She didn't want it to be the cynosure of the conversation, not wanting to answer the many questions that would most likely follow had she brought the topic up.

She would make sure to follow Eostre closely, to her request, but not too closely, fully aware that most highbloods didn't take kindly to her germs. Her little giggle made Odette shrink back. Odette couldn't remember the last time she laughed. She wasn't entirely sure if she was still capable of laughing. Dismissing it from her mind, Odette studied the hive a bit more closely, it was incredibly cute, matching Eostre's personality to a T. Odette dwelled on the idea that if she was wealthy, her and swanmom could live in a hive like this. That was a far off dream, though. "I must say, your hive is absolutely gorgeous. You have an excellent taste for interior design."  

[purplerosesbeauty]

Eostre raised a brow slightly at her guest's voice. She didn't quite think her lowblood guest to sound so odd. She'd have to see if she had any cough-suppressant medical spheres around her hive, since that didn't sound right. Unless it was a lowblood thing? Tierte made weird hissing noises too, like a can of rusting nails, after all, and Eostre really didn't know many lowbloods, so it was hard to judge. She shrugged it off, continuing in the direction of her lounging block.

"Odette, isn't it? Four Fronds really is the best, the spas, the beautiful forest and lake, and the food!" Eostre said fondly. No other city she's ever been to had food like Four Fronds. So few cities were tailored to the palate of a highblooded troll like herself, and she couldn't imagine living anywhere but here, her favorite place in Alternia.

Eostre smiled at her guest's comment. Her lusus hated her decorations, finding them to be way too girly and ineffectual. "I'm glad you think so, my lusus seems to think I should have something a bit more formidable, but I don't need to frighten anyone away. It does get a bit repetitive at times, but I rather like it..." The blueblood much preferred her method of doing things. After all, it was all about her, not her scruffy hopbeast father, who made a stink about just about everything she did that wasn't punching.

"Anyway, I'm thrilled you could make it. It certainly makes the meetings easier if we're comfortable around each other. You can't gossip if you're cowering in fear, trust me, I know," Eostre said, moving her hand to her chest, thinking of how awful her moirail was at chatting with her. More like screaming and trying to chew her arms off, not friendly fun gossip. A tragedy.

Reaching the end of the winding hallway to the lounging area, Eostre pressed her hand to the door. "I have tea and some light snacks, so help yourself. Like I mentioned in my letter as well, those will be available at meetings too," she said as she opened the door, and gestured to the chairs and couches, where Volcano had once again made himself comfortable despite Eostre having pushed him off earlier. "Feel free to sit wherever you'd like, Odette," the blueblood said, taking her own seat on the couch near the small table.

 

[zeflamigo]

The deeper she delved into Eostre's hive, the more amazed she was with it. A small section of the hallway would be enough of a house to keep Odette happy for the rest of her days. It was simply dazzling and haute couture, much like its owner.

Odette supposed she really couldn't gossip in fear. She had to make herself comfortable, but how could she in such a foreign, impressive environment. She searched deep within herself for a little self confidence. Well, she was making friends with a highblood! She might soon be able to walk around Four Fronds in peace with Miss Eostre to keep her safe. Odette was quite sure that Eostre must have been a well known figure here as well.

But if she screwed up, she might never have a chance like this again! All of these thoughts were making her dizzy. She hardly heard what Eostre was saying. Tea? Snacks? Yes of course— but not too much— we don't want to appear greedy. Odette poured herself a cup of tea with shaky hands and took a medium sized pastry on a saucer.

"These pastries look lovely..." Odette said. No! She thought, Stop just complimenting her, make conversation! "D-did you make these?" She asked. No, that's ridiculous! she thought why would she do that when she could pay someone else to make them? So stupid...

She placed her snacks on a small table took her seat in a nearby purple chair. She sunk into it more than she expected and panicked slightly before remembering that she put her tea down already. She'd probably be culled for staining what she assumed was an expensive chair.

What was she doing again? Oh yes, she had to make conversation! She had to think of something good to talk about, something lovely to suit Eostre's tastes, but light enough for small talk. She knew just the thing!

"Do you like music, Miss Diazzi?" Odette said, mustering up as much confidence as she could. "I can only imagine that you have exquisite taste in the matter."  

[purplerosesbeauty]

Eostre watched her guest make herself comfortable. Were all lowbloods so... jumpy? But thankfully, Odette wasn't screaming or having a panic attack, yet. So that seemed like a good sign for her duty as a hostess. Eostre smiled, hopefully disarmingly but...

Odette's question caught her off-guard."Make them?" she repeated, blinking. She really only made the tea, and that's not particular skillful. Not that she needed the skill, serving and creating was a lowblood thing. "I got them at a small shop nearby... Though there is a redblood in New Hemisect who makes lovely pastries too, that I've seen around. I've never really been much for baking," Eostre said, laughing quietly. Maybe Odette knew her or something.

Eostre took a sip of her own tea, and tried to think. If only more lowbloods were like Odette, then maybe society would be better. Instead, it seemed that most of them were filthy animals like her own sweet child moirail, who literally lived in a cave. A shame. But she'd find all the classy lowbloods and befriend them, and of course they would be better off with her charitable guidance. She was so kind to these lowbloods, truly.

"I love good music, of course!" she began, though in truth she didn't listen to very much. And a lot of it was just old training music while she practiced her boxing. She liked classical but it didn't really pump your blood the same way. Volcano looked over pointedly, as if he knew.

"There's a stage in the center of the city where bands play on occassion. I have to admit I only listen to them in passing..." Eostre said, thinking of the last band she heard playing there. Maybe it had a purpleblood in it or something but it wasn't her type, and she hadn't really paid attention. The classical music that played sometimes was the sort that she'd probably actually want to listen to at a concert. Fancy highblood music, stuff the queen could listen to, was the best. Eostre had appearances to keep up, still.

"Perhaps you could accompany me to a concert sometime, Odette. Do they have concerts in New Hemisect?" she asked. Maybe she would rather see a troll ballet though, since she was a dancer... Eostre picked up her cup. Dealing with poor people was hard. But good relations with all the hemospectrum was good for her.

 

[zeflamigo]

Odette was taken aback by Eostre's reaction to her question. She hadn't meant to shock the girl. In retrospect her question seemed quite silly. It was obvious that Eostre had the wealth to buy what she needed, why would she waste her time baking? A spark of nervousness lingered in Odette's throat, making her scared to speak again. The last thing Odette wanted was to be trapped in this confusing hive with an upset blueblood.

But she was being spoken to. It was only polite that she respond. She just would have to do her best not to say anything rude again. "Oh, um, there are a fair amount of great pastry shops in New Hemisect. But I'm afraid to say, I'm not familiar at all with the owners," Odette said with a twinge of sadness. She had spent a lot of time looking into those shop windows, ogling the colorful pastries she couldn't afford. She fidgeted in her seat and sipped her tea as the blueblood talked.

Eostre was especially nice for a highblood. Odette wished she had known more bluebloods that were as charitable as she was. Eostre could really be a great help to her, she seemed to be the type of highblood with lots of connections. She brushed her hair back out of her eyes and postured herself to appear more presentable.

Odette was pleased to hear that Eostre shared a common interest in music. It made her feel less fearful around the girl. A lowblood like herself sharing interests with a highblood? The commonality gave her a confidence that she rarely ever felt. Her pump biscuit fluttered and she gave Eostre a sweet smile. This meeting was going much greater than she had expected.

The concert invitation came as a shock to her. Their talk was going great, but had it really been doing that great? To be fair, Odette would have been shocked by the question at any point in their conversation. A beautiful blueblood like Eostre, inviting a sickly little lowblood like herself, why that just didn't happen. "M-miss Diazzi, I'm terribly sorry for being shocked by your invitation," Odette apologized. "I'd certainly be glad to give you good recommendations, but," Odette bit her lip, pondering if she should really say what she needed to here.

"Are you sure you would want to attend a concert with someone like me?" Odette's eyes were wide with fear of uncertainty, how would Eostre react to her words? Would she take it as rejection? Odette panicked internally. She really shouldn't have questioned Eostre's authority. She should have stayed quiet and acquiesced her invitation.

purplerosesbeauty