It had to still be there. It had to. A few nights had passed since their previous trip into town, but that big, bright silver bell Masoal had spotted on the way back last time would definitely still be for sale. If it wasn't, Fossamom would never hear the end of it. Even so, she continued to loiter a steady pace behind her charge, because no matter his internal hurry, the way he walked down the sidewalk, cautiously avoiding every single tiny crack, meant each trip was certainly not a fast one.
"We shoulda just gotten it last time…" he muttered, leeeaning into a big step that would get him over a precarious spiderweb-crack. His lusus growled, ears swiveling forward. The last trip had been for supplies, for important things, there simply wasn't time to stop for yet another bell and make it back to the treehive at some sort of decent hour. Masoal was keen to grump that bells were important, but Fossamom dismissed him with a toss of her muzzle.
~~~
It had been a rather dull evening thus far, and Chigur had seen fit to wander through town, seeking something to do. Being a child, it always felt as if his choices were limited, and quaildad was always being such a worrywort. Couldn't they stay at home and entertain themselves where it was safe? Couldn't he practice the little magic tricks he loved so much? Chigur loved them no less, but he felt restless that evening and simply wanted to get out. It was incredibly annoying how badly protective his lusus acted sometimes. It was almost as if he thought they were some lowblooded duo who shouldn't be wandering the Fronds. Despite his size he had just as much right to be there as anyone, his bloodcolor deemed it so.
"Maybe the arcade down in the entertainment district. That'd be a nice distraction." Chigur muttered, his hands in his pockets as he strolled down the sidewalk like the smooth little s**t he was. The image was probably ruined somewhat with the massive white quail following along behind him, but he couldn't have cared less about that. Quaildad was really useful to have around, especially if he happened to get tired of walking. All of a sudden, however, something up ahead caught his eye. It seemed as if they were coming up on a similarly sized troll and its lusus too, but...well, Chigur could already see that the other kid's blood color was bizarrely low for where they were. How ballsy. The more notable thing, though, was the way the kid was walking. Chigur picked up his pace, and shifting through a crowd of older trolls, got himself to the tealblood's side and bypassing the awkwardness of having to address his lusus.
"Evening. This is going to seem awfully forward of me, but I must know, what sort of game you're playing there?" He asked, almost mimicking Masoal's movements as he walked. He half hoped that the lowblood would be startled by his sudden appearance, but his voice was smooth and friendly and lacking the condescension he wanted to use. His curiosity was too great not to ask, though, but he wouldn't get any answers if he let the lowblood know how stupid he looked, would he?
~~~
Slow and small, but still there, a grimace formed on Masoal's lips. An uncovered toe had stubbed against the sidewalk in his sudden haste to hit full stop. Right before a crack. Just barely safe. When there was no short rumble from behind him, no gruff disapproval, he thought himself safe from the greatest of shames. If Fossamom had seen the slight jump of his shoulders, the awkward way his leg locked up, she would have been far from amused. This sort of situation is what they spent so much time preparing for, night after night, and thoughts of cracks and bells had lowered his guard enough that his performance couldn't even be considered subpar. It simply wasn't there at all.
"It's not a game." There was an obvious hiss in his voice, no attempt to hide his distaste with sugar as he crossed his arms. That was one thing he'd never been tutored in. By now he had cast a few glances to the side and seen the telltale purple symbol. It certainly didn't keep him from opening his mouth again as he started walking anew.
"Why d'you care?" The tealblood took another large step and was finally given a moment to walk without the same kind of worry. The sidewalk was devoid of any noticeable cracks for a short distance. He noticed the way the other young troll half-mimicked the movements and it made his expression worsen, fangs even more visible, as he glanced back at Fossamom. She finally seemed aware of the purpleblood, her ears swiveled forward. She stayed back, though. However intent her eyes were on the pair, she kept behind.
~~~
Chigur's curiousity intensified as Masoal came to such an abrupt stop, easily able to see the perturbed expression on the lowblood's face. Had he really been concentrating that hard? "It's not? It looks -fun-." Chigur sneered as the snarky little tealblood didn't even grace him with a direct line of eye contact, undaunted by the way the other hissed his speech. What a feral little thing he was! Chigur couldn't help but wonder if he lived in the area. Maybe a forest dweller?
"I don't." It was a simple as that. "But that doesn't mean I'm not curious. Won't you tell me why you're walking this way?" Chigur had to hop to catch up when Masoal picked up again quite suddenly, but this time, he tried to pay attention, so as to figure out exactly why the tealblood was moving at that odd gate. His grin sharpened as Masoal looked back, obviously trying to find some kind of reassurance from that big ugly cat-monster of a lusus he had. How cute.
~~~
Feral. The purpleblood's thoughts had shifted in quite the proper direction, though just how proper he wouldn't yet discover. The city always brought on a facade of sorts, something taught to him, unsurprisingly, by his cautious lusus. It was one of more patience, more normalcy, because standing out always put a target on your back. It was bad enough, and Fossamom told him often, that his steps were so tainted with that weak and awkward looking movement. Masoal didn't need to be darting around on all fours and climbing the little trees along the sidewalk at the same time. That didn't mean held any greater trust for the things found here, of course. As always, he was guarded, and the longer this unwelcome acquaintance—no, this unwelcome stranger—continued to follow him, the more noticeably bothered he became and the more his nostrils flared in animalistic aversion.
It wasn't particularly fun, though it also wasn't normally all that difficult, considering how practiced he was. It certainly wasn't a game, never would be, and the tealblood hoped his silence at that snarky remark would drive the point home as sharply as his answer to the next question.
"No." He looked sideways and matched that grin with a grimace. No, he wouldn't say why he was walking that way. It was as cold and simple, same as the response the talkative stranger had offered him just prior. In the next moment, Masoal bent his knees and coiled in, leaping forward across a new set of cracks that sliced the walk in half. He wanted away from this purpleblood, and for a foolish moment he let himself feel relief on the other side of the bridging lines. Unfortunately, his movement was still daunted by yet more cracks and most other trolls didn't quite believe in the same consequences as he did if they were stepped on.
~~~
Chigur had been half-expecting such a response, but it made him sneer all the more, vaguely agitated over the other troll's arrogance. Wasn't he aware who he was answering to? Didn't he know where he was? He hated it when lowbloods had the gall to act all uppity, and he'd even acted polite at first! Well...maybe not all that much. But it wasn't as if acting sweet would have gotten him any further. His nose scrunched a little bit and he was silent after his secondary rejection. That was when he saw it, however, the little jump Masoal made in order to carry himself over...cracks? In the sidewalk? The realization hit him like a brick, and he almost laughed out loud. Not a game! What a little liar he was, ontop of everything else.
If the tealblood was going to be ornery, he'd be ornery right back. "Well, if that's so, you'd better watch those cracks." He snapped, before giving the poor tealblood a good shove, right into the cracks before his feet.
~~~
He wasn't even the first to react, his lusus was. The great cat's head shot up, ears perked towards the short sound of surprise her charge made when those little hands first collided with his back and sent him forward. It was lucky he didn't fall completely, but this whole confrontation had put him off his game, and so he went stumbling as his feet tried to catch up with the rest of him. They did in a moment that felt like it lasted forever, and it wasn't quick enough to save him from a fate worse than being culled. Head drooped, he panted, but not from exhaustion. Both feet were planted firmly over too rather nasty looking cracks in the sidewalk and a sharp pang of dread rose up from the tips of his toes, chilling his entire body.
Masoal tried to choke out a curse, but nothing came. It was irrational, stupid to most, but that superstitious fear was so ingrained in him that he was sure, if he could even turn his head, his lusus would be dead on the sidewalk behind him. It took all he had to even scoot stiffly off of the cracks at all with the way his muscles had locked up. "You…" he finally sputtered, lips pulling back from his teeth. He couldn't get out anymore before Fossamom, her expression strangely similar, finally came stomping heavy-pawed from the back. She didn't directly confront the little purple child, instead she merely showed herself to her charge, proving this crack hadn't meant her doom after all. Hopefully he would calm himself and they could leave, but as the look on his face slowly twisted into even more anger, she started to think she wouldn't be so blessed.
~~~
Fossamom wasn't the only one to see the exchange, and as the big predator stomped ahead, the purpleblood's feathered lusus did the same. His little quail feet took quick, tiny steps as he drew nearer to his child, head bobbing this way and that as he kept a watchful eye on the situation. He was a bit anxious over who his son was picking a fight with, but made no move to interfere or scold. Chigur didn't acknowledge the quail at all, and laughed instead as the shove did exactly what he'd wanted it to do. Masoal hadn't been fast enough to avoid stepping on the cracks, but of course, nothing happened. "I, what? Oh, I'm sorry. I tripped. You'll have to excuse me." He said it with a cruel smile on his face as he watched the tension on the tealblood's face build up.
"You don't really believe in that silly rhyme, though, do you?" Of course Chigur had realized what the other youngster was doing the moment he'd taken the time to observe. -Step on a crack, break your mother's back-. But it was just a silly kid's rhyme! He was almost surprised when nothing changed after the kid's lusus showed her self and proved her wellbeing. Chigur couldn't quite tell if Masoal was about to cry or explode, but he was intrigued all the same. She was fine, couldn't he see that? Well, maybe not through that scrunched up face. He said nothing, letting his previous question stand as he awaited what promised to be an amusing reaction.
~~~
The ragged breaths from moments earlier were starting to even out, but still came heavy as fear most assuredly became outrage. As Fossamom stood large above the tealblooded troll, she yipped a warning, but it was one that went unheeded. There was a ringing in the young boy's ears. The time for words and distance had passed, he had tried that already. No one could so blatantly make light of his condition without retaliation. Now he was angry. A gurgle rose in his throat before words did, but he swallowed his distaste long enough to spit another hissed response at the oh so curious a*****e who had pushed him.
"What do you think?!"
Without another moment of thought, or lack thereof, he swung his little fist backwards while he turned, hoping to catch him across the face. This night had gone from average to putrid in seconds. All Masoal had wanted was that nice silver bell. That one glinting in the shop window… It would have been rather surprising to most anyone to learn that this little monster now sick with childish rage was just minutes ago daydreaming about rolling a bell across the floor of his hive like a kitten.
~~~
Oh, he was going to throw a little fit right here, wasn't he? How unsightly. Chigur watched eagerly as the tealblood panted and huffed and worked himself into a frenzy, teeth bard like the nasty little shark that he was. There went his lusus, trying to defuse the situation, but to no avail. When the noises finally started, Chigur managed to choke back his own snicker of disdainful merriment, leaning back as Masoal made some sort of gutteral, animalistic sound. The purpleblood would have loved to make a witty retort to the question he received for his answer, but instead the unexpected happened.
The tealblood's fist had collided with his face before he ever thought to flinch away or duck, and a cry of surprise tore from his throat. The yelp quickly turned into a snarl of indignation, and he held his nose as a trail of purple blood sprang from between his fingers. It was all he could do to bite back the tears at the sudden pain of being struck, cursing beneath his breath and not even caring if his lusus heard. "Augh!! H-How dare you! I think you must be pretty dull in the head if you believe a childish thing like that." He jeered, taken aback by the hit to his face. Cooper's head bobbed about, and he fluffed his feathers in a panic over what was happening, though he still did not intervene, the same as fossamom.
~~~
The child's fingers were clenched in two still-tight fists and there was a faint hint of teal across his cheeks. And yet, the smear of purple across the back of his hand appeared to have sated him for the moment. At least, it was enough to keep him from taking another swing or tackling that snarky highblood to the ground for a wrestling match. It might have even ended that way if the other kid had stayed quiet, but as soon as the insult smacked Masoal in the face, he was riled up all over again. Snarling, he gnashed he teeth. He was not childish! Mom had taught him how to be a fighter, and if nothing else, he was more grown up than this purpleblood was! Little did he know, it was most definitely a sign of his age to think something like that. "You dunno anything!" It looked like any second he would raise his hand again.
By now, Fossamom's eyes had slid away from the altercation and up to the other lusus as he grew obviously more perturbed. There was no outward sign that she felt much of anything at all, but in truth she was beginning to grow tired of this pointless scrap. Tired, and also aggravated. Masoal didn't often blatantly ignore her, but he would certainly regret it when they got back to the hive. She churred out a low noise, meant for the giant quail, and it was as if, could she have spoken with words, she would have said 'it's about time this ended.' Especially with where they were, in the middle of the Fronds, she didn't want extremist blue or purplebloods to catch wind of her charge's insubordination and come running with ropes and daggers.
The disobedient tealblood was in the middle of a swing when Fossamom leaned in and hooked her fangs in the back of his clothing, and a little bit of skin, and lifted him straight up from the sidewalk. The troll let out a pained squeal, writhing for a moment before going limp, understanding quickly that it was a futile effort to get away. It irked his mother to have to resort to this, she hadn't carried him by the scruff since he was a tiny, tiny thing. But this was getting old and she was done. Masoal cast the dirtiest look his could at the purpleblood he'd just met and just as quickly greeted with a fist. Fossamom, on the other hand, momentarily regarded the other lusus once more.
~~~
Chigur seemed to bristle as Masoal snarled, sneering and growling back, a little more ready to fight now that he was bleeding and aware of the tealblood's intentions. "More than you, you little monster!" He snapped, his own hands balling into fists as he got ready to defend himself, quite forgetting any and all of the manners or smooth politeness he was usually capable of. Like hell he was going to let this little hellion get the best of him, even though he really already had. Amazing how one little altercation could bring him down to a ruffian's level, but he would have the rest of the night to contemplate that.
The fossa lusus was not the only one becoming fed up, of course. Cooper chirred right back to her in agreement, his feathers all fluffed out, eyes narrowed even more tightly than they usually were. Usually his son was just a little more cool-headed than this, so he tended not to butt in when Chigur was dealing with trolls his own age, in harmless interactions that could only end in small tussles at worst. But, out on the street like they were, such a petty fight would be nothing short of embarrassing (especially since Chigur was not the best combatant) for everyone involved.
Chigur was about to meet the oncoming attack when he found himself being enveloped suddenly from behind, in the thick chest feathers of his father. He only protested slightly until Cooper finally managed to shift around so that the little troll was pinned at his side beneath one stubby wing, looking quite miffed and horridly indignant. It was all the lowblood's fault, of course. He sneered back at him as the ugly weasel creature seemed to pause, and the quail nodded to its fellow lusus before quickly shuffling away with Chigur in tow.
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