I love the way you call it art

[verymuchalive]

Characters: OU Aradia and OPEN
Setting: Art Gallery floor
Format: Starts in action, but will follow either
Summary: Aradia's taking in a little of the tower's version of culture
Warnings: Grim art? But otherwise not much yet.

[Up until now, Aradia hasn't really spent much time perusing the art gallery that appeared when the tower grew a few floors. Today she's decided to rectify that.

And so she wanders aimlessly about the floor, looking at the various artworks on display and lingering in front of those that catch her eye. Probably one of the more morbid ones, but she seems far more fascinated than she does horrified.

Pester her?]

Comments

[mamadonna]

[ Dolorosa has been trying to better acquaint herself with the Tower's contents, and so, leaning against her hooked staff, she made her way around the gallery, admiring the art as she went.

When she saw a young troll looking as well, she moved with curiosity to see what had her attention. She almost wished she hadn't. ]

Oh, well that's positively ghastly!

[verymuchalive]

[The voice startles Aradia out of her fixated gaze]

Yes, I suppose it is...Still, it's beautiful in its way.

[mamadonna]

I'm uncertain whether I could agree. Mightn't this one be preferable?

[ She motions to a floral landscape, which she regards with a smile. ]

[verymuchalive]

[She looks across to the landscape, smiling a little]

Oh! That one looks a bit like the floor upstairs. You know, the one right at the top?

[mamadonna]

Oh, yes, I'm familiar with it. I've spent much time in that environment as I'm becoming acclimated to these new surroundings.

[ She glances back over to Aradia. ] Do you personally enjoy the meadow, perhaps?

[verymuchalive]

[She nods]

It's definitely one of the nicer floors. One time, Sollux and I tried out this human thing called a picnic up there, which was nice. Plus, I always seem to run into someone to talk to.

[mamadonna]

I would imagine so. It isn't uncommon to be drawn to things of beauty, I think. The flowers present there are really quite lovely! Such a shame they wilt so quickly when separated from their native position.

[ She's definitely picked some to put in her room, but hasn't figured out how to keep them just yet. ]

[verymuchalive]

They do? I can't say I've ever really tried...maybe there's something in the library that might help? There seems to be all sorts of useful books there, on things I didn't even know I needed to know.

[mamadonna]

Oh, that could be a very productive use of my time, I expect! There's still much here that is new to me, but with such a degree I feel an equal level of curiosity should perhaps be raised to match it.

[verymuchalive]

Well, curiosity has never been a problem for me. I just think maybe now's a good time to learn new things, since we don't know how long we'll be here and it's not like we have much else to fill our time with.

[mamadonna]

A most sensible perspective. Especially should that time not be available to us, otherwise.

[verymuchalive]

[She can't help but giggle at that]

Time's not something I'm likely to run out of any time soon. Which makes it even more important that I find things to do with it.

[mamadonna]

[ She, of course, completely misses the humor in the statement, but nonetheless smiles politely. ]

How very fortunate for you. Though I have found myself with something of an excess, now that I'm allowed more freedom with my own.

[verymuchalive]

Oh? Well yes, I imagine you must have been very busy with...I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you did before you came here but I'm sure it was important. It must have been to have taken so much time.

[mamadonna]

[ She just...kinda pauses. ]

Well, I doubt I would consider it important, really. It was a generally unpleasant affair, and I'm glad to be rid of it, in fact.

[verymuchalive]

Oh...oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories...I'm still not very good at this yet.

["This" being talking to an adult troll, what with there not being any around when she grew up]

[mamadonna]

[ Luckily, there isn't any troll with more experience on handling children kindly. ]

It's quite alright, little one. I think we all have much to learn about one another.

I am the Dolorosa, by what name are you known?

[verymuchalive]

[She smiles. This adult is certainly the one she's found easiest to talk to]

I think so.

It's very nice to meet you, Dolorosa. My name's Aradia Megido.

[mamadonna]

Aradia? That's such a lovely name!

[ She puts her hand to her chest and takes a small bow. It in no way alleviates the fact that she is very, very tall. ]

But, I assure you, the pleasure is entirely my own.

[verymuchalive]

[Aradia smiles at the compliment, though she shakes her head in disagreement at the latter comment]

You're one of the nicer adults I've met since arriving here. And I find it fascinating that we have this chance to learn about where we came from...though that might just be me.

[mamadonna]

I find this news disappointing, though I regret that it would be naive of me to find it a surprise. Our kind have a nasty habit toward gracelessness and cruelty toward one another.

[ She places a hand on her chin, thoughtfully. They would never approached anyone who wasn't already receptive, but she certainly seemed to be. With him alive again, the message should perhaps continue. ]

Tell me, Aradia, are you familiar with the Signless?

[verymuchalive]

Unfortunate but true. The more I learn about humans, the more I can appreciate how true that is.

[She frowns a little at the question. Signless...sounds familiar but only very vaguely]

I...don't think so?

[mamadonna]

[ She folds her hands in front f her and bows slightly. ]

He was a grub born of a mutant shade, a lower red even then your own, and this status was sure to be his death, given that no lusus would select him. I elected to take him in myself, and we hid away to ensure his survival.

But the tale doesn't end with that. He had the vision of a better Alternia, one where the hemospectrum had no bearing on a troll's social standing. A world of peace for all, with no grieving against each other, and so we elected to spread his dream, to inspire those we could to assist in making this vision a reality.

And today I share it with you.

[verymuchalive]

[Her eyes widen a little. A red lower than hers? It didn't seem possible]

That was very kind of you. And brave, too. I'm sure he appreciated it.

[And she can't help but be intrigued. A world where the hemospectrum simply didn't matter?]

That almost sounds like the humans' world, at least what little I know of it.

[mamadonna]

[ Oh, that's a curious point. She apparently still had much to learn about humans. ]

Does it? I'm afraid my exposure to them is, as yet, rather limited! But should they aspire to such an existence themselves, I should certainly like to better familiarize myself.