[RP] Museum Bafflement (Minist x Taquin)

[Galaxa13]

Where: New Hemisect Museum

When: A little before midnight.

Why: Minist came to enjoy the attraction while Taquin came to analyze.

Humming a little tune to herself Minist walked down the streets of New Hemisect City. She liked visiting the city whenever she got bored of her desert home. There was always something to see, always someone interesting to meet. As she walked a banner caught her eye.

GRAND OPENING
Revel in the glory of Regina Marian!

It looked like some museum had been erected recently in the honor of their monarch. Walking up to the building the yellowblood found a sign by the steps listing other exhibits held within, such as technology, art, and other famous trolls of history, but it was clearly stated that all of the exhibits were funded by their magnanimous leader and that the main attraction was the exhibit dedicated to her. Well that certainly seemed interesting! She might as well head inside and take a peek!

Hopping up the steps Minist son found herself inside. Over to the side she saw a desk manned by a rather bored looking troll. Their desk sported racks with pamphlets and a directory board stood in front of it to help guide lost trolls. However, her eyes were first drawn to a cardboard cut-out of Regina herself, standing regally to greet all who entered. Now while she may have never been up close and personal with their beloved ruler, Minist was fairly sure she was shorter than what this fake depicted. Stepping around the two dimensional copy she began to make her way through the exhibit. There were other cardboard cut-puts set up in varying posses, most giving off the impression of power. There was even a case that held some article of clothing that the queen once wore. As Minist stopped to read a poster that explained Regina's psychic connection to Gl'bgolyb she spotted a familiar set of horns out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head she raised her eyebrows. Fancy seeing him here!

"Hey there, Lopside. Small world, eh?" she called out as she made her way towards the orangeblood.  

[Red Th0rn]

Because another building dedicated entirely to the queen and her conceited tyranny was such a useful addition to the city. He'd heard news of the exhibits being built, and was shocked, though approving, that their government was endorsing an educational establishment such as a museum. But no, of course not. Of course they would never show-case anything such as art or history or the sciences, how barbaric that would be! Yes, it was much more sensible to spend their finances on the monarchy's flamboyant exploits.

Taquin gazed up the front of the tall statue depicting their queen, clutching in his hand a mastication rod that had been on sale at the depot. He had been on his way to surprise Poodle-dad with the treat when he'd seen a notice that the museum was finally open for business, and in celebration of the grand opening all visits were free of charge. He'd arrived in a wary state, wondering under what sort of pretense something as grand as a museum would be built. Finding out it was nothing but an enormous tribute to their new queen almost had him laughing out loud. Ha! What else should he have expected. He'd rushed into the building and readied himself to be thoroughly entertained by the ridiculous boasts and lies they expected him to believe.

This structure in the middle of the lobby was quite the piece. It must have taken many a command from their dear Regina to have gotten all these curves and details just the way they were. It was so extremely out of proportion, all the anatomy exaggerated in all the right places to make her seem more mature than she was, and Taq doubted that it was even possible for fabric to fold in such a regal manner. It was funny how out of touch with reality some trolls expected others to be.

He slipped the rod into his back pocket to give his hands freedom, and readied himself to be amused further by the deeper rooms of the museum when he heard a shrill voice behind him. He knew that voice. He also knew that repulsive nickname and the only one who had the audacity to assign it to him. Small world indeed. He turned to see the fuzzball walking towards him from the entrance, felt that slight twinge in the pit of his digestion tract when you just can't wait to get on someone's nerves, and grinned at her scathingly. "Why, hello there. Have you come to fill your daily quota of shameless idolatry like the rest of us?" he greeted her with his sarcastic mockery.  

[Galaxa13]

Minist stopped in front of him and placed a hand on her hip. "What? Can't a girl just drop by out of curiosity? You better watch your tongue, I'm sure there's someone in here who would love to report you." she said, half mockingly. She glanced up at the statue and smirked. "But you gotta admit, our queen certainly knows how to make an image." She rather liked Regina. Their monarch was strong and proud, her speeches were fun to listen to. Maybe she even felt a bit connected to the regal half-pint since they were both around the same age. Made her seem less of some abstract idea that brought fear upon them like the precious queen who was centuries older and hardly seemed real. Just a shadowy figure who wasn't even on the planet, like a myth told to wrigglers to keep them in line. "Watch out or the sea witch will descend from the stars and get you." Regina was something she could see, another troll like herself. A troll who could command armies, yes, but still a troll.

Looking back at Taquin Minist said, "So is this what you do when you're not consorting with lusus? Indulge in shameless idolatry?" She couldn't keep the mirth out of her voice as she crossed her arms and looked around them, taking in all of the royal paraphernalia. She would agree that this all seemed a bit indulgent, but it was still interesting to look at and hey, it was the queen, she could do what she wanted.  

[Red Th0rn]

Taquin scoffed quietly as she spoke. Perhaps the queen could make an image, but it was more the image of some conceited celebrity pop-star than a leader of any sort. At least she could amuse herself with little projects like these instead of calling them all off on some inane war and getting half the planet killed like the queen before her. For now. Well, he shouldn't expect anything different from the high-class brats who received anything they asked for just because their insides shone at a higher hue. They had everything they wanted, and yet nothing to lose.

His face still peering up at the monument in front of them, Taquin began to slowly circle around it, sarcastically studying every nook and cranny for some nonexistent meaning. "Oh, yes. There is just so much to look up to. Her majesty's significant experience in leadership, her measured financial decisions, not to mention her complete selflessness when it comes to the people of Alternia." He sighed in reverence and placed a hand bashfully on his chest, fluttering his eyelids. Was he putting it on a bit thick? Whatever the case, the fuzzball would have to be dense not to get his point.  

[Galaxa13]

Eagerly following him Minist turned her attention away from the statue and around the other items held within the exhibit. Her attention drawn elsewhere she missed his fantastic performance, but she at least heard the sarcastic tilde in his voice and the wondrous sigh he exhaled. "Well she's still new, she's gotta make it clear that she's in charge before she gets down to any real work. Plus, I think you're being a bit too optimistic if you assume our leader should be working for her people. I'm just happy if we're left alone." she said as she turned her face towards him. Really, did he expect Regina to start handing out free cotton candy upon taking the throne? She thought he was a bit of a weirdo back in Chittentown, but it now seemed like he was a full-on loony. Wanting too much, that was his problem. Yet, didn't he say trolls were selfish the last time they met? Guess he's a big hypocrite, no surprise there.

Talking politics was boring. Maybe she should liven things up? Hm, what button should she push? Talking about lusus again would be a waist since she already brought that up and they talked about it enough back in the desert. He obviously had a different political agenda than her, but that was out of the question since she was trying to steer away from such nonsense. Hm, he certainly was a proud troll. His head too far up his own butt. Jabbing at his character seemed like a good place to start. Yes, that seemed like the only logical thing to due in this instance. She'd let him blabber on about whatever it was in his head and then point out how selfish he was. Seriously, dude needs to lighten up and be happy with what he has.  

[Red Th0rn]

Her "real work"is what should make it apparent that she's in charge. Taquin thought that should be obvious, but apparently "common sense" was not a term that had been accurately coined. And she thought expecting a leader to lead was asking too much? Clearly the fuzz wasn't only growing on the outside of this troll's cranial globe. "Might as well live in anarchy, then," He retorted shortly, and dismissed their conversation by padding away with his hands folded behind his back. He'd had enough of that exhibit.

The wall close by was lined by paintings of their queen in varied regal poses, proclaiming her a patron of "esteemed artists". As Taquin came to stand in fornt of it, he doubted Regina has actually provided any profit to the people who had made these. He doubted she had even given them the decency to pose for them as they painted, seeing how disproportionally they'd rendered her. Once again. Surely her horns wouldn't grow to that size for at least another two sweeps. He slowly shook his head. This entire museum was purely amazing.  

[Galaxa13]

She blinked at his comment before he calmly walked off. Now that was interesting. Tilting her head a bit she followed after him. "So you think it would be better if we were all left to our own devices? That would be utter chaos with all the nutjobs running around currently under her thumb. Without he to keep them in line what's stopping them from completely slaughtering all the lowbloods, hm? I ain't saying the systems perfect, but it sure as hell better than it could be." she said in a hushed voice as she came up beside him. She may have underestimated this troll when she first met him. Just taking him for another weirdo, but it seemed like he had a lot of his mind, politically speaking. While not her cup of tea he certainly seemed like he harbored some dangerous ideas and that intrigued her. If only to watch him fall flat on his face due to not checking where it was safe to talk about such things. Lopside was just full of surprises.

Resting an elbow on his shoulder she leaned against him and peered at the paintings. "You know, I think all that gold really clashes with her blood color. What do you think?" she said with a smirk. She didn't mean anything malicious by it, she just felt like making a comment out of the blue and gauging his reaction, coupled with her sudden contact. Politics were boring. Messing with people was fun!  

[Red Th0rn]

Taquin's head began to shake infinitesimally while she laid down her claims of what a ruler-less Alternia would look like. Apparently she didn't realize that without the government there would be no existing hierarchy which would actually give the lowbloods more of a chance for survival because the oppression would not be of the organized variety and they would all be on equal ground... See, this was what really ruffled Taquin's dermis plates. Fuzzball acted as if she could hold her own against a debate with him, but it was quite clear that she knew nothing of what she was speaking. It was almost funny; the boy couldn't tell if she actually believed in what she was saying or if she argued just for the sake of opposing his views.

Questioning her sincerity, Taquin gazed pointedly at her with his eyebrow raised in disbelief. She didn't react but to change the subject rather forcefully by invading his space and sharing her critique as if they were old chums. Yep, the goal to "bother the visceral fluids out of Lopside" was certainly on her agenda for tonight. Not to worry, this was a game he knew how to play. "Hm, yes. I would say something closer to a silver metal would be much more complimentary," he said, holding his left hand out towards the picture with his forefinger and thumb at a right angle as if it sharpened his view. Meanwhile, he nonchalantly batted Fuzzball's interloping elbow away from his person with his right hand.  

[Galaxa13]

She paid no heed to how she had been brushed off his persons and simply stood straighter and pushed the point of her nose up in mock snobbery before saying, "Oh yes, quite right." She couldn't keep the smirk from appearing on her face. "Clearly you should be her royal highness' personal accessorizer, Sir Lopside!" she added slightly more maliciously. Then she leaned against him and batted her lashes at him. "Of course you'd invite me as your guest to all the royal parties, won't you? You wouldn't forget about all the little people, right?" she cooed. So many buttons to find and push! How long before he lost his cool and stormed off this time, she wondered? Being a pest was just so easy and fun!

She couldn't wait to see his reaction to this little display. It was clear he didn't think highly of her and did not want her in his personal space. That was a clear invitation to keep butting in to it and to act like she was his favorite troll in the world. She had to hold in a giggle as a short scene played out in her think pan involving the two of them being announced at some highblood shindig as Sir Lopside and Lady Fuzzball. It was just so ridiculous! She had to keep it in, though. It would do her little game no good if she just burst into a fit of giggles in the middle of it all. She was a serious player and she wanted to be treated as such, not a raving chucklebeast. Fortunately she was able to keep her composure and continue to gaze wistfully up at the orangeblood.  

[Red Th0rn]

Taquin scoffed and made a large dismissive gesture with his hand. "Oh, don't be such a flatterpatty. They would never accept little ol' me into such an esteemed circle. One can only dream..." he sighed wistfully again. Though he knew she was being facetious, his mind couldn't help but to conjure up an image of her suggestion. Ugh, what undignified work it would be to have to decorate Her Most High Snobbiness, bending his better aesthetic judgement to her whim. He felt sorry for all the trolls who were employed for such purposes.

"And don't be silly," he continued in a more serious tone. "If I ever had the chance to invite an acquaintance to the royal banquet, it certainly wouldn't be someone so embarrassing." As if he'd ever willfully attend such a get-together. He'd already dismissed an invite from the queen once before (though it wasn't personal, but still), and he did not dream of surrounding himself with high-ranking braggarts. Moving right along, he scooted himself over to look at the next painting in line. It was much like the one before, but the queen's attire was a bit more... revealing. Well, it was apparent what sort of fanbase she was trying to attract with this installment. He nodded approvingly. Good job, queenie.  

[Galaxa13]

Aw, he hardly bat an eye at that. She was hoping to get a grumble at the least. If anything it sounded like he had accepted her presence now rather than simply tolerating her. All he did was dismiss her teasing. Now that wasn't any fun! Though, he did sound as though he might have put thought into attending a party of highbloods before. He was just another lowblood secretly longing for the glamour and power of the cooler bloods it would seem. Not that surprising, but a bit disappointing.

Staying glued to his side she followed him to the next painting and scoffed at his statement on her guest material. "Aw, c'mon Lopside! You don't think I'd fit in, rubbing elbows with them? I'm great at parties!" She continued to tease. "In fact, if someone were to be embarrassed it would be me! Who knows when you'd go running of to the rescue of a lonely lusus?" She had to admit she didn't know much about the guy, so she had to fall back on the little knowledge she acquired during their last encounter. However, she knew she couldn't continually go on about his strange behavior around lusus or else it would get old and no longer have any sort of sting to it. She noted his nod and eyed the painting he was admiring and smirked. Oh, here she could get some new material to work with! "Oh yes, quite a nice little number she's sporting there. Maybe it's not the lusus you'd be running up to at any royal parties, hm?" she mused with a mischievous glint in her eyes.  

[Red Th0rn]

To be honest with himself, Taquin wasn't so much paying attention to the exhibits as a source of entertainment anymore as he was using them to distract himself from the endless blabber streaming from Fuzzball's munchtrap. So she was good at parties, then? With a blabberbox like that, he had no doubt she'd fit right in with the rest of the superficial lugubrious folk. He was hoping his sarcasm would have been abrasive enough to rub her off, but it seemed her pink matter was not sufficiently wit-absorbent. Her next jab made it sound like he had actually been sincere this whole time. Ha. Taquin had to let out an amused snort as his head turned to nod at Fuzzball's suggestion of being physically attracted to such vulgarity.

"Her Tyranness isn't exactly my type, but since you're so enamored with her 'image'..." he said, repeating Fuzz's first defense for the queen when he criticized their regency. He continued by talking softly into the yellowblood's hearduct, coming up behind her and holding her jaw to turn her face straight at the painting. "...I'm sure it wouldn't take too much timorous praise from your tongue to land that princess in your paws." He may have been unappreciative when she took the liberty of touching him, but it sure was an effective way to be obnoxious. As long as it was his choice and it was under his control, Taquin had absolutely no problem with physical contact.  

[Galaxa13]

Minist froze, her thinkpan buzzing with white noise. She. . . She didn't know what to do! This went against everything she thought she knew about this guy. Her thought process spluttered as she tried to think of something to say, something to do! Anything other than standing wide-eyed like a dope! She couldn't let him see how off guard he had caught her. That would give him the upper hand!

With his breath still on her auricular sponge clots the gears in her head began churning again and she hoped he hadn't noticed her brief moment of blue screen. Taking his hand that held her chin in her own she turned her head to look at him. "You really think so? Aw, that's so sweet of you to say. Too bad seadwellers aren't my type." she said before bringing his hand to her lips and planting a kiss on his fingers. There! That should give her the upper hand! If he was willing to say she could catch royalty (no matter how insincere he may be) then she might as well throw a bit of magic his way. Either he'll be disgusted or he'll be flattered. Either way, it was a win for her.  

[Red Th0rn]

He had her. Her response faltered just enough to give away how much Taquin had caught the Fuzzball off guard, and he could almost feel the hit that her pride had taken reverberate through her as his hand was against her face. Ah, but she was not one to take a beating lying down. Desperately, at least from Taquin's point of view, she held his hand and took his words as flattery. And then she kissed his fingers.

What.

Was she flirting with him now? Oh, that was low. This girly had just run out of options and was traveling down the path of last resort. Had his actions really been that disconcerting to her? Seriously though. Ew. He knew what she wanted from this, she wanted him to be completely knocked off his transportation flaps in surprise, and if not, she expected him to just go along with it and take this even farther. Well, he wasn't planning on doing either of those things. Taquin took his hand back and stepped away from the yellowblood and began to continue along to the next painting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Well, that's rather prejudiced of you," he said with his nose in the air. "They're regular trolls just like you and me, you know." Now that should get her steaming. The poor girl has tried so hard to get under his skin and he had nothing to return her with but unacknowledgement. (And possibly hypocrisy.)  

[Galaxa13]

He. . . He just walked away! There was the second blow. Minist was left staggering in the ring. How could he not react in the slightest? He didn't even flinch! She didn't catch him off guard at all while he had knocked her off balance twice in quick succession! She was losing. Nononononono, this wasn't good! She didn't lose at this kind of stuff! She poked and prodded and then ran off giggling madly! Now here stood another troll all smug in his victory over her! Oh she knew he was proud of himself. Listen to him go on about how seadwellers were the same as them. He knew he was spouting bullshit, he had just been talking about this stuff! Look at him saunter off to judge more propaganda, the pompous a**!

Wait. . . Oh no. This was worse than she thought. She was actually starting to feel black for him! Just looking at him now was making her heart pound in her chest. He just acted so superior and knowledgable, but she knew he wasn't all that great. She had met him in the dessert where he was just a weirdo. She had won that round. She still had time to win this one! Or at least not lose so spectacularly. No! No. She would win. She wasn't going to let this troll win. Even if that weird top of his clung to his chest and his stupid hair fell in his face just so and why is god's name are you thinking about this, stop it.

She knew she had already lost the time to make a quick rebound, so there was no point in scrambling to pick up the pieces. Instead she casually slipped around behind him and grabbed his butt. Only the most stone-faced of trolls would be able to ignore that! Leaning closer she said, "You have got to be the most infuriating troll I know."