[FIN] Conscious Symbolism (Psykgi and Azrael)

[DraconicFeline]

Like minds, a chance meeting on a mountain, a marked difference in caste, the many eyes of a swarm lusii all looking at you... Also the shapes of those mountains. SYMBOLISM????!!!!

Psykgi had mixed feelings about Busthind – few stores, fewer decent roads, and so much wilderness everywhere. Being a city-troll, Psykgi felt a little out-of-her element, as it were. It was likely some degree of agoraphobia, or perhaps a subconciosu preference for tight dark spaces osmosed from her lusus – or deriving from a desire to be her lusus. Or something – Psykgi rarely analyzed herself.

But, as she found herself lost on the winding paths of Busthind, her feet hurting and unused to the rugged slopes, that was all she really could do. The swarm chittered and tittered around her, Ma'am making her opinion clear – Psykgi should have stayed in Leeroi's hive.

”But Ma, then I wouldn't have seen Busthind, and it would have been such a waste to come here and not explore.” plus, she was hoping to find a nice infusion of beetles. Not that her wallet was hurting for the skittering bits of currency, but after playing video games with Leeroi she wanted to find some real life treasure to cap off the experience.

And now she was lost.

It was her own fault, her lusus scolded.

Psykgi shrugged. ”Well, don't you know the way back?” she asked Ma'am.

The swarm could find it's way back to that blueblood's hive, yes. But Ma'am preferred to let her troll figure it out on her own. It was the only way she would grow as a person and be responsible, and it was punishment for going on this trip and forgoing her studies.

If Psy were a rebellious troll, she would have sighed and rolled her eyes. Instead, she merely laughed. ”Well, okay then!” she chirped happily, and proceeded to walk towards a nearby hive. She knocked insistently at the door. ”Hello!” she called out, not afraid at all at what might lurk behind it, ”Anyone there?”  

[Blasphemoose]

Azrael had not been home that evening. He'd decided it was a great evening to get out and hunt. He needed some material to test a theory and both he and Scarfettle needed some adequate food.
The dragon lusus that was wound around Azrael seemed just a little on edge.
"You're a little over excited scarfettle," the young troll commented in in a hushed tone as he tromped over the terrain.

Scarfettle always got a little excited during one of their excursions. He was going on and on about the creature they had captured and how tasty it would be.
"Yes, yes, but we'll need to make this stretch for a couple days, so not all at once," scarfettle gave a slightly bummed shake of his head. If he could, he'd gorge on the beast in question.

As they were rounding the last hundred feet or so something caught his eye. It was something very red. With his curiosity piqued Azrael quickened his pace a bit. As he drew closer to the young red blood he felt a sense of excitement, he had a guest for whatever reason. Briefly a smile crossed his face but he soon changed it to a more apathetic demeanor when came close to six or so feet away. "May I assist you in some way?" He asked the troll at his door.

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

saihen

Psykgi knocked at the door again, and again, she got no answer. ”Oh well.” she said turning to her lusus with a shrug, ”No one home.” she supposed she'd just have to go find another hive. No big deal – she'd stumble into something eventually. ”Oh well, onward we...” she stopped mid sentence, turning to the blueblood with a big, tusky grin on her face. ”Oh hello there! Why, yes! You can!” she said. Apparently the blueblood was returning to his hive, and she was fortunate to have just caught him- so fortunate! And he was offering help off the bat... or being polite. Either way, she was capitalizing on it.

”You wouldn't happen to have a map, would you? I've gotten lost and that would be so helpful!”  

[Blasphemoose]

This seemed to Azrael like a troll with a lot of energy. He felt both tired. Though to his disappointment she seemed to only be there because she was lost. A common theme for guests that come calling. He adjusted the position of the beast he had so that it sat under his arm and he had one arm free to open the door of his hive. The beast in question was a small hoofbeast, likely not very old.

"I do indeed have a map," Azrael stepped next to the redblood to open the old fashioned door. First he punched out a password on a security pad before twisting the knob. "It is in the back, I do not use it very often unless I intend to visit the city," he explained, "That is, you may come in while I fetch the map," and with that said he went inside his home and left the door open in case the redblood decided to take his offer..

Just past the door on the inside of the hive was a hallway painted white with a white speckled black stone floor. The hallway lead to a main room where a table was adorned with dishes, as if the troll that lived here were waiting for a guest with exceptionally comfy looking chairs. The room could easily fit ten or more adult trolls and more than twice that in smaller trolls. to the right of the table was a large window looking out over whatever the mountain faced. To the left were two doors, one lead to an enormous ballroom. The other door some stairs that lead downward. Both of these doors were closed.
if you stood at the table and faced the front door, you would notice another room. This room was left open and contained a television. There was a final door at the very back of the room that was securely locked.

Azrael's first order of business was to take the hoofbeast down to his laboratory and put it in the fridge to keep it cool. And so he did, he opened the door that lead to his stairs and traversed until he came to his work room, dumped the beast in the fridge and went back upstairs. He then walked to the door that was securely locked at the far side of the room, unlocked it and vanished inside making sure to close the door behind him.

The door lead to another long hallway, there were some other doors here and there, rooms where he filed things away and kept his secrets, a waste facility and finally, his own room where he kept the map. He had left one of his latest paintings to dry, so he'd left it right in front of the storage case where he kept his map. Azrael moved the easel so he could comfortably slip past it and grab the map. He was very soon out of there and back into the main room to greet his guest had she decided to come in and not nose about.

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

saihen

Psykgi stood back, smiling as he opened the door to his hive. ”Oh, goodness! Thank you!” she exclaimed cheerily, ”Don't mind if I do!” she said, following him inside.

Ma'am gathered close to her troll, mildly uneasy – but not concerned – at the scale of the blueblood's hive. It was, after all, a new place, and a highblood as well – this could either go well, or poorly, to varying degrees, and the swarm wanted to be ready for anything.

Meanwhile, Psykgi began to, for lack of a better word, snoop. A troll's hive could say so much about them, even when – as it was here – there were areas closed off to entry. She admired the immaculately set table – which she admired, though it was almost three-quarters of the length of Psy's lofthive, the window with the expansive vista, the inviting TV room, and especially the ballroom... this was clearly a troll who prided himself on his social etiquette, who prepared himself for social occasions and kept his hivespace tidy... but who also probably infrequently had occasions. The ballroom, after all, was mostly unscuffed, and the table – though free of dust – had an unfinished look to it. It was set for more than one, but more than one was not expected.

”Hmm!” she exclaimed as she observed and explored. It was as much about what wasn't here as what was. Those locked doors implied secrets – things that this new blueblood either didn't want others to see, or simply wished to keep private. Psykgi looked at them hungrily, desiring to know which reason prevailed, but for now she knew she would have to hold back. There was enough implications about the open regions to entertain her curiousity.

Ma'am admonished her charge – she shouldn't be sneaking around in other troll's hives. She had told Psykgi before, and she would tell her again, it was rude and very much not befitting an intellectual and respectable troll such as herself.

”Aww, come on, Ma.” Psykgi said, petting one of the roaches affecitonately, ”I'm doing no harm, and it's not like I'm taking anything.”

But... what if the highblood was offended? The swarm with Psykgi was at a low level at the moment, which meant that a fight was a risk that Ma'am was leery to take, and certainly not lightly. Offending a blueblood in his own hive when he was clearly an able hunter was not an acceptable level of risk.

”Ma, it's not like I'm taking anything. Goodness, no! I just want to learn a little more about him!” she moved one of the roaches to her hair to inspect something more closely, ”Who knows, Ma, maybe I can get more than just the map out of him!”

The swarm grumbled in it's fluttering way. That sounded like taking to Ma'am. And also she was to call her Ma'am – they had been over this.

”Sure, Ma!” Psykgi laughed, putting the object down with care as she heard the slight noise of movement in the other room. ”And I only meant conversation. Talking isn't taking – its an exchange... ooo... Is that him?”

Ma'am sent out scouts. Yes. It was. So Psykgi should stop her irresponsible snooping and be polite.

Well, of course she would. ”Oh, gosh! Thank you!” she said, returning to the guest room to see the map in his hand. She grinned. ”I have to say, I love your hive! It's so well appointed! I bet you have tons of parties!” she had a feeling she knew the truth, but asking started a conversation, and conversations gave Psykgi information, and she loved information. She loved it so much. Besides, she wanted a break from rugged mountain paths and brisk mountain winds.  

[Blasphemoose]

So she did indeed go snooping around, well that was to be expected he supposed, which is why he locked his personal rooms away. "Thank you, I try to meet with my neighbors as much as possible, they are quite interesting.," He nodded at Psykgi and proceeded towards the table where he could unfurl the map. Sure, it was an archaic way of doing things but paper maps were much more reliable than those location devices that tended to give out. "You may come by again if you so choose, I do like to hold parties once in a while and really the more the better," he offered before unfurling the map and laying it on the table. Honestly he'd love it if she came by! She was enough to conquer the mountain even if it was just for a map so maybe she'd actually come by

The map was colored by different paths and known locations on Alternia."Alright you're right here," he said pointing to a mountain and then he pointed to a path, "the railway is here if that's what you're looking for, it should be pretty easy to find your way to wherever you're going from here,"
he folded the map back up and handed it to her. "just be sure to return this when you can, I use it pretty often and haven't another," With any luck that will give her a reason to come back and visit him. "I'm Azreal by the way, Azreal Mortis and to whom do I owe the pleasure of helping?"

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

saihen

”Oh gosh, I can definitely agree with you there! The Busthinders I've met so far have been just so interesting!” Infrequent occasions or not, she was sure that the ones he did have were interesting, just on default! She took a look at the map, and got herself oriented. ”Gosh... I did stray pretty far, didn't I!” she laughed, noting where she was and where the Busthind district that housed Leeroi was. It looked like there was a shorter trail from this district back to Leeroi's, though... she thought that maybe that would be a better option than backtracking to the railroad... Hmm, though, it might not be as safe, though...

Well, she was here! She could ask the troll's advice. Azrael. That, apparently, was his name. ”Oh, well I come up to Busthind fairly often these days, so no need to worry! I'll return the map before I head homewards!” she laughed – likely, she would use the map to return the map.

”Psykgi Mentha!” she said, offering her hand, ”And Home is usually Civisect city, for me! Have you ever been there?  

[Blasphemoose]

So, she came from somewhere else in busthind? Well, that was interesting to say the least. On top of it, she knew trolls from busthind? He couldn't help but want her to stay for a little longer, but he knew that she needed to get back to wherever she was going," Oh, you're around often then?" He gave the redblood a bit of a smile. " Well if you're ever my way, you ought to visit, i'll have better accomadations if I know you're coming," The fact that he had this guest filled his chest with a warm fire.

The young blueblood happily took her hand, noting how warm it was to the touch. Huh, were all trolls this different heat wise? Interesting. " It's a pleasure psykgi and yes!" He'd been to civisect city few times to visit a certain bookstore that carried his favorite comicbook. But it was kind of a long ways from his home even by railroad and he didn't make it very often. "There is a bookstore there that I enjoy very much," He wasn't going to lie, it was one of his favorites. Actually he had an idea, how about he take her home? Yes, the route was kind of dangerous and as a highblood it was his duty to protect her. " Hey, how about scarfettle and I take you to the rail, I know the route pretty well," The young blueblood gestured to the door, " I don't want anything to happen to you, Busthind isn't a forgiving place,"

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

saihen

”Oh yes! I come up here to visit my friend Leeroi! she said graciously, ”I usually stay with him, but thanks for the offer. Oh, but you should visit him too – do you like video games?”

”Ohhh, which bookstore?” she said, curiously. Chances were, she knew it. Or, alternatively, didn't – some places in Civisect wouldn't serve her, even if she was hemoanon dressed. But that was easily circumvented by going in with friends while hemoanon... and sometimes they weren't worth the effort anyway. But still, she did know them. ”Well gosh! I'll offer the same to you, then – if you're ever in Civisect, you can stay at my hive if you want and have a longer stay – it really is the sort of city you need a few nights to really enjoy!” she said, taking out her notebook and writing down her address on a slip of paper before handing it to him.

She beamed at him. ”Oh gosh, you'd escort me there? That's really thoughtful of you, thank you!” Yes, she could see how Busthind would not be a forgiving place – a whole different slew of dangers than her home city. More risks of falling from great heights and being eaten than Civisect... though with some highbloods, well... she was on the menu in more ways than one. It was fascinating, really. Either way, it would be good to have a guide – a map could only do so much – and Azrael seemed... like a very interesting troll. She would have to remember to visit him while she was up here in the future... ”You don't mind...” she said, as she let him go ahead, ”If we walk and talk?”  

[Blasphemoose]

" Video games?" Azrael repeated then shook his head. " I don't play them so I can't say that I like or dislike them, but sure, I wouldn't mind getting to know the rest of busthind, I don't think I'll be able to stay for a visit today though," the blueblood said glancing at psykgi before turning to a coat closet just by the front door. " Oh, maybe you know it? I can't think of the name off the top of my head, but it was a small green-ish building between a post office and a fast food building," Azrael had only been there a couple times, so the name escaped him. he only knew how to get there from where he was. " You don't say?" Azrael said kind of amused at the offer. Well, it was cute how enthusiastic she was, he had to give her that. " Alright," He took the scrap of paper and put it in his coat pocket. " I'll write you when I decided to come by,"

When she said it like that he almost felt embarrassed, why was he going so far for this redblood? Finally he closed the coat closet and glanced behind him at her before he approached his door and opened it. " Well yeah, sort of, I figure that we get there, I have some satisfaction and if we don't, then I have more material to work with later," this was only half joke and with an indifferent shrug he walked out the door. " That's fine, I can't say whether or not I'm much of a good conversation, but feel free to talk if that's what you want, just remember that you're the one with the map,"

DraconicFeline

 

[DraconicFeline]

saihen

I wrote a finisher

Of course she had the map, and she also knew that she had to return it later, giving her an excellent excuse for a future visit. The trip to the rail station was uneventful, aside from her sore feet, but that was good. That meant she could talk to Azrael, though she didn't get much in response. That, she felt, was fine – there was always another visit. From what she was able to glean from what he did say, she could tell that he was an intelligent troll, that would be absolutely wonderful to talk to. If that excellent conversation was – as they said - “drip fed”, that was fine. If Azrael decided to talk more later, that was fine too. She had only just met him, after all. Unraveling the mysteries of other troll's minds took time.

Alas, though, the time for that day was up. She said goodbye to Azrael at the rail station, and was left to contemplate how to get back to Leeroi's hive (she ended up hiring a hardworking lowblood's lusus-pulled cab and made it back just fine)... and how to meet Azrael again in the future.