Ustuck: Get Recruited by Troll Mafia [Closed RP]

"We're going to get your lusus back! We just... need to figured out how." You sigh and pinch the bridge of your cartilaginous nub. "Come on, let's get back to the group. I think I've got an idea." You lead him back to where you left the others.

"So. Lukasz says that the group we're looking for is southeast of the forest. Why don't we get prepared and head out that way. When we get in that general area we can start asking around and figure out where to go from there. Okay?"

 

You try not to meet anyone's gaze as you walk back into the room. It's too embarrassing.

Still looking down, you grab the carrying receptacle you'd left by your chair and foist it back onto your shoulders. You really need to come up with a better name for this thing. You made it to rescue your lusus who had been kidnapped, after some trolled ransacked your hive, so you think you'll call it...

A bag.

 

You give Lukasz a confused glance (why not just use his fetch modus....?), but just shrug it off.

Okay. No one objected to your idea so you're taking that as acceptance. It's nearly midnight, but you figure of you make good time, you can make it to the town by the forest before sunrise.

You lead everyone out of your cramped hive, but before you can turn back to key in the lock, your wolfmom comes out and gives a little bark.

You wince. "Sorry, Mom, I was gonna say bye. We'll be back soon, but I want you to stay here. This trip wouldn't be safe for you."

She growls. "No, no. I'll be fine. It's lusii they want, not trolls. Okayloveyoubye." You close the door and lock it before she gets another growl in. Eheheh, you hope she doesn't get too mad at you for that.

You turn around, square your shoulders and start leading the other trolls on your way.

 

You start following Kezria - then stop, as your eye catches a familiar figure leaning against a nearby hive, watching you. You reach out, grab your moirail's shoulder. "Wait. I need to..." Instead of finishing the sentence, you just head over, trying to loosen the tension in your shoulders.

"Little Insect," your lusus greats as you approach. "Trying to sneak off and leave me to go home by myself, are you?"

"Not true, Papa. I'm glad I found you," you say. The bells in his horns chime as he tilts his head, clearly trying not to laugh at such an obvious lie. "It isn't safe to go back to our hive yet, Papa. Kezria has graciously offered the protection of her home to us for the moment, until we can resolve this issue." That, at least, is true.

"Then where are you going with this little gathering of yours, Iglora? Off to war without me, who's already been injured in this conflict?" Something in the ways his eyes flash as he speaks, the set of his mouth, the spark of his psychic abilities sliding off your skin, makes you shudder. Your Papa is very old, and has likely faced down more dangerous enemies than this, but you want nothing more than for him to stay home and let his daughter fight this battle for him - and he knows it. He must know it, and he can't possibly be willing to let you do so.

"Incorrect." You slip into the formal dialect of Ancient Alternian, the one used for grand speeches and long debates. "It is late in the day for such a war to be waged - instead an army must go for supplies, yes? We will war on the morrow, with all the blades we can gather." You aren't lying, really, but you aren't telling him anything, either. "I would much appreciate it if, in the meantime, you remained at Kezria's with several other lusii, to make sure that our current base of operations remains safe for our impending return."

The corner of Papa's mouth ticks up. You can't tell if it's because he knows you're full of shit, or because of the implication that his fighting skill is necessary to protect both Kezria's hive and the other lusii. He stands up straight, then bows formally. "I would be honored by a prestigious posting," he says. He straightens, then ruffles your hair. He starts walking towards Kezria's, tossing a, "Have fun, Imperator," in heavily-accented Modern over his shoulder as he goes.

He's teasing you, you know it. But it looks like he'll stay here, where he's safe.

At least, you hope so.

You return to the group, trying to fix your hair as you go.

 

> Keeler: Get ready to leave.

Most of the other trolls are bustling around, finishing up last minute preparations for leaving. You can't think of any additional preparations you need to make, since your things are still neatly captchalogued away, so you look toward the highblood to see if she has anything for you to do. You see her talking with a large lusus with a formidable set of horns, and take a step towards her.

As you do, she turns and stalks back to the group. Your head feels full of wool, and you only barely manage to notice that she's about to walk into you in time to jump out of the way. You shake your head to clear the fuzziness, and the clinking of your screwdrivers seems to drive away some of the buzzing.

 

The lot of you set out on the road. There's some minor bickering but you've just come to accept that as part of this group's dynamic.

When you arrive at the town near the forest where Lukasz said Kingpin said the lususnappers were, you turn to the group and say, "Okay, so we should probably split up to cover more ground. We ask around if people have noticed lusii going missing and stuff like that. ... How should we split up?"

 

You raise an eyebrow. "You joking? I'm not about to let you go alone, Kezria."

 

You blush and giggle a little. "Uh, right. So uh, does one of you want to come with us and the other two go together, or just the three of you...?"

 

> Keeler: Call dibs on Astroh.

You know you maybe didn't get off to the best start, but this is probably the best chance you hive of getting to figure out why she has such an aversion to your honey. Maybe you can convince her that you really do know what you're doing when you cut it down. And even if you can't, a chance to finally get to bond about your futures as ships would be worth the slight differences of opinion on the subject your concoctions.

> Keeler: Call dibs on Astroh.

"Dibs on Astroh!"

On second thought, perhaps waving your hand in the air was a bit overkill.

 

Oh, dear. Both of the goldbloods who'd been messing with your hoodie, in a group together? That is a bad idea and you want no part in it. Especially if Kezria's not going to be around to rescue you. You really should go with her.

But then you see her palestruck face. She's blushing and happy and fuck, if you can't stand to look at these two for five seconds, how will you manage being stuck with them for however long it takes to track these trolls down? Every giggle is like a fucking punch to your gut reminding you how shitty your ex was that you never felt like that with her for even one moment. You can't watch that. You'll break more.

And besides, wasn't that the point of leaving, so you wouldn't let yourself be dependent on some other troll to fix your problems? You don't need "rescuing" and you don't need rescuing. You can deal with this on your own. So you say, "I'll go with them," and hope nobody notices the way you're shaking.

 

Just as you're about to split up, you notice Astroh get a Trollian message and then visibly startle and start looking around frantically. Before you get a chance to ask what's wrong, she just jumps up on Colliemom and rides off.

You sort of stare at her retreating back a little surprised. Then you get a Trollian message of your own. You frown at it and then address the trolls around you.

"Uh, it looks like Astroh got made. She says she's sorry, but she has to go off grid, at least for a while. She won't be able to join us for the rest of the mission."

You just hope she's gonna be okay.

 

You watch Astroh gallop away, eyebrows raised. "Got made?" You scoff. "Her paranoia will get her in some kind of trouble, one day." You actually
think some of her paranoia might be warranted. The Empire's likes to watch you all, when it can. Hopefully, you won't need her expertise. "Let's get going."

 

"Oh no! Is she okay? Do you think the Sufferists found her?"

Your new friend! If only you'd gotten her trollian handle before she left. You could have offered her a place to stay if she needed one. She might not have taken you up on it, with her weird aversion to bees, but you still would have liked to have offered at least.

Plus, you would have liked to have a chance to keep talking with her. Astroh may have come across as a bit of an oddball, but she was your fellow spaceship-in-crime, after all.

 

Wait, she...left?

You didn't expect that. You mean, you supposed there might be casualties on this mission (probably you), but you haven't even met the lususnappers yet.

Of course, this means you'll be spending the whole night with Keeler. Alone. That won't end well. You snort at her question. "Please," you say. "The Sufferists are just a myth the Empire uses to lure out lowbloods for culling." And you're starting things off swimmingly. Excellent work, Lukasz.

 

You freeze. Sufferists were very real, and you know exactly what the Empire does to trolls who associate with them. The last thing you want to do is be drawn into a discussion about them in broad starlight - or, worse, for Kezria to.
And it's keeping you from taking care of the lususnappers who dared to break into your hive!
You cross your arms. "Can we stop this silly talk and move on already? Or did we forget about those lususnappers we are to be chasing?"

 

Wait, where did Sufferists come from...? And why would they go after Astroh, she's a goldblood... You're about to say something, but Iglora beats you to it. And she's right, you should all focus on the lususnappers.

"Right, we should get going. Meet up back here in three tilts?"

 

Three tilts. You probably can't get into any permanent trouble before then.

"Sure." You glance over at Keeler, and point in a random direction. "I guess we'll go that way?"

 

"Great," you say, barely looking. You grab Kezria by the elbow and tug her in a different direction. After she starts moving, you loosen your grip and fold your hands just below the elbow, like you were escorting her to court. Technically, she should be hanging on your arm and not the other way around, you being of the higher caste, but the role reversal is a nice little bit of rebellious symbolism, not too loud but nice and subtle.

Plus, you'd never hurt your moirail, and that keeps you from digging in your claws, keeps you from baring your teeth. Also, it's nice and it lets you clear your head a little. Not that you'd ever admit that, of course.

 

You let Iglora lead you away and you grin when you notice that the arm-holding-roles are reversed. Though as soon as you're out of the others' line of sight, you lean your head on her arm and whisper, "So. When do I get to hug you?"

She's been so strong about this whole thing and you know her lusus is okay, but it still must be completely nerve wracking. To be honest you'd been a little preoccupied with leading this mission thing, but now all the worry is catching up with you.

 

You frown, your grip tightening a little. "I. I just need to get through this. I need to find these trolls and make them pay. And then I need to go home, with Papa, and - and clean up." You ignore the way your voice trembles and just stare straight ahead.

You'd fixed the door before you left, so at least the animals wouldn't be getting in, but that doesn't change the fact that there are corpses still rotting in your hive.