Beaches and Bros (open)

[titanicIronsmith]

Your name is Palser Delves and you are currently basking under the sweet Alternian moonlight. It's another lazy night, dawn is sill far in the horizon and right now everything is quiet and almost dreamy. Watching the clouds creep slowly across the starry sky. The only sound is the gentle lapping of the waves created by your lusus. His massive fins barely stir the waters surface as moves in large, slow circles. Resting on his back gives you that sort of rare peace. You are the epitome of tranquility. One arm propped under your head while you husktop lays on your chest. Idly browsing and finding nothing of any real interest. Popping in and out of chatrooms but you have a habit of leaving the moment someone starts to address you. You like to think you're mysterious. Glancing over at your list of friends there is only one name you are interested in and every attempt to troll them has been met with a simple away message. How did he even set that up you don't know.

-- anthropodicEmpathy [AE] began trolling chimericTernion [CT] --

AE:Hey

CT: Away on adv3ntur3! B3 back soon! <>

AE: I kno~ow yo~ou're there. O~or perhaps no~ot. Running aro~ound do~oing all yo~our o~o~od things.
AE: If yo~ou can take the time o~out o~of yo~our busy schedule mutilating o~other's beyo~ond reco~ognitio~on yo~ou sho~ould sto~op by.

CT: Away on adv3ntur3! B3 back soon! <>

You sigh and turn up the volume of your speakers. It doesn't look like your moirail has any interest in you today. After a few more attempts to get his attention you give up and decide to just try messaging anyone currently online at the moment. Someone is bound to talk to you.

[mercurialMonster]

((I hope you don't mind playing with me again <3 I just have this new dude I wanna play and there's only like four-fiveish active people in this corner of the board, and you're cool to play with!))

Your name is Llyric Sirsir and, as per usual, you are spending your time alone in your underwater hive. You don't often travel to the surface, and it's even rarer for you to step foot on land, partially because it feels strange to be in air rather than water and partially because landwellers freak you the fuck out. But you're not concerning yourself with that today, no; rather, you're sat on one of many plushy seating places within your hive, flicking through your electronic reading device (you would have books, but they get awfully soggy, and they get uncomfortably bulky if you laminate them). Ah yes, a quiet day by yourself with your stories and Liopleurodad to keep you company. How pleasant.

You are only three pages into a newly acquired horror story when your husktop pings at you. What the glub? Who could possibly be contacting you? This is such an unusual event for you that you merely gape in the direction of the sound for a moment, before setting your reading device down and cautiously swimming over to investigate. Did you leave yourself logged in? What the glub is going on?

CI: What
CI: What iss it
CI: What coulld you possssiblly want
CI: What iss happening

Well that sounds less "authoritative" and more "confused and alarmed", but alright.

[titanicIronsmith]

You close your eyes, hopping to just settle down to fully relax and bask in the pleasant sea breeze. After a moment of silence your husktop begins to ping rapidly in four sharp chimes in response. It sounds all the louder as it cuts through the classical music that flowed through your speakers. Damn you for turning up the volume in the first place. Lazily you rub your eyes and glance at the flashing chatbox. Instantly your good mood is shaken and you resist the urge to roll your eyes and ignore this guy. Seriously. Did you really message him of all trolls? You really need to watch before you type. But simply ignoring your fellow sea dweller after initiating first contact is just plain rude.

AE: O~oh do~on't get yo~our gills in a sling.
AE: Please, no~o need to~o be alarmed, my dear Lltric.
AE: I was simply having a rather uneventful night and saught so~ome co~onversatio~on.
AE: But perhaps I have snagged yo~ou at a bad time, by the so~ound o~of it.

You grin. Sure you could further antagonize your rather easily flustered companion but you are just in too good of a mood to poke fun.

[mercurialMonster]

Ah, now that you've had time to process what's happening you realize who it is that's messaged you. This Palser bloke isn't someone you've spoken to overly often, but really is there anyone that you converse with regularly? Your opinion of him is, hmmm, largely neutral, but you get the feeling he's less than amicable towards you. Objectively you can understand why, and you mostly don't care anyway, but part of you immediately riles at the deliberately disrespectful tone.

CI: Ah, no
CI: Not a bad time per sse, I wass merelly reading
CI: I am ssimplly unussed to, hmm
CI: Contact

You pause briefly before entering that last word, but you doubt there's any way to phrase that to make yourself sound like anything less than the antisocial hermit you are.

CI: I wass under the impressssion that you had a, hmm
CI: Pallemate
CI: To keep you occupied
CI: are they unavaillablle?

There. Small talk. That wasn't so hard, was it? No. You've got this.

[titanicIronsmith]

You chuckle, somehow just unable to help yourself. Ok, so he doesn't really annoy you as quickly as you thought with his rather reclusive, dodgy responses and all. You really have a rather dismissive feelings toward most trolls, it's only your moirail that has managed to nudge you steadily from your shell. And you really have very little opinion on Llyric. But you shouldn't be so quick to judge. You are in a good mood and it seems your friend here has taken some offense to what you've typed in already. Best not to ruin this night with making bitter chitchat. You're not one for any black advances either. Drumming your fingers on the keyboard as you try to think of a response that isn't curt. There's no reason he should be making any mention of your chronically absent moirail. It's not like you could keep a leash on that blue blood... even though you really wish you could. It would be nice to have some regular company. Your tidal island never gets any visitors.

AE: The where abo~outs o~of my "palemate" is really no~othing yo~ou sho~ould co~oncern yo~ourself abo~out. But I thank yo~ou fo~or yo~our tho~oughts.
AE: But he is currently unreachable.
AE: I simply tho~ought saying hello~o wo~ould be nice anyway.
AE: But if yo~ou are to~o~o busy to~o chat with me I can take the hint.


Ok, maybe you are baiting him a bit. Well you are now in the mood to talk and your friend here seems to be making an effort.

AE: It is such a beautiful night, are yo~ou no~ot enjo~oying it?

[mercurialMonster]

Hm, has the mention of his moirail irritated him? You'd best drop the subject, lest you appear rude. You wouldn't want to be rude, after all. Oh no. But it appears you have already appeared standoffish and oh sweet glub has he misinterpreted you? You hate to be misinterpreted, but it can be so difficult to phrase your thoughts correctly. One sharp-clawed finger taps against your jaw compulsively as you think up a response.

CI: I am, ah, not too bussy at allll
CI: If you dessire converssation then I am, hmm
CI: Willlling to obllige
CI: I apologisse if I sseem overlly brussque

There, you've successfully covered your own arse, you think. His next comment, however, makes a crease form between your brows. Is it nice on the surface? Little changes down here, save for the occasional warming of the currents.

CI: Ah, iss it?
CI: I am rather too deep down to be ablle to tellll
CI: I do not often vissit the ssurface.

If you were to leave your hive and look up then you might possibly be able to see a slight brighter patch where the moonlight streams in, but you are quite deep down. The only real lights at night are electronic lights around your hive and your own bioluminescent patterns, though during the day it is much brighter. But you wouldn't really know.

[titanicIronsmith]

Any sort of annoyance your friend might have sparked in you recedes relatively quickly. You aren't one to be so begrudging so early in what could be a very volatile relationship. And the simply perfect weather seems to help too. A simple shrug of your shoulders and you're right back to your passive ways. Typing away lazily and without much thought.

AE: I accept yo~our appo~olo~ogy. It has been a relatively uneventful night.
AE: No~ot that I'm co~omplaining.
AE: So~omeo~one to~o keep me co~ompany wo~ould be enjo~oyable.
AE: And I wo~ould agree to~o be mo~ore civil and less ho~ostile.
AE: We do~o share no~oblity, do~o we no~ot?

You glance over to the side, still just that open and endless expanse of ocean. Occasionally your lusus's fin breeches the surface and obscures your vision. It's a wondrous thing. And it's all yours. And despite feeling that pang of loneliness you are pretty greedy so you don't plan on sharing this view any time soon. Your attention drawn back to the screen with a few pings and text flashing.

AE: Well then, tell me, what do~o yo~ou do~o fo~or fun if the surface isn't a go~o to~o place?
AE: The surface can be an amazing place.
AE: With its hazards and all.
AE: But the bo~ounty is wo~orth it.
AE: O~one can't po~ossibly find all the fun clustered like a clam beneath the waves.
AE: Ho~ow else co~ould yo~ou fly a kite?

[mercurialMonster]

You blink, fidgeting a little uncomfortably. You don't much understand your fellow seadweller's desire for company, but you suppose that your, hmm, reticence towards companionship is fairly unusual. Most trolls enjoy having other trolls around, but you tend to... panic a lot.

CI: Oh, yess, I ssupposse we do
CI: I woulld happilly be more cordiall with you if you wissh it
CI: I do not llike being rude
CI: if I ever seem sso it iss entirelly accidentall

Though company often alarms you, online it is slightly easier to talk to people, and you are not secluded out of bitterness but rather anxiety. You take pleasure in pleasant interaction as anyone would, but you are often too uncomfortable to seek it out on your own.

You read Palser's next message with a slight frown. "Fly a kite"? What the glub is a-- oh, wait, you've read that before. Isn't it some sort of land contraption? Yes, a diamond of material on a string to catch the air currents. Is that fun? It doesn't seem fun to you, but if Palser enjoys it then who are you to rain on his parade?

CI: wellll, an approximation coulld probablly be consstructed
CI: thicker materiall, sstronger lline
CI: it coulld be casst into an overhead current, it woulld probablly work the ssame
CI: but perssonally, I, um, I mosstlly read
CI: hang out with Llioplleurodad
CI: grumblle at allll the damn llitter that ssinkss down here
CI: who the gllub llookss at the ocean and thinkss "I'm gonna dump a bussted up trolllley in there", that'ss what I'd llike to know
CI: but, um, I do not do an awfull llot to be honesst

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