File 001. Why save a rookie?

[hardknoxlife]

Characters: Ronald and YOU LOT
Setting: Room 3-02 if you wish or the cafeteria!
Format: I'll match you!
Summary: A reaper falls out of bed and rambles about how he's been jipped.
Warnings: Nada! Fairly clean, all things considered but he may try to chat you up should you be a pretty young thing.

[ He's had better wake up calls from his alarm clock back home. Unlike those, however, this one causes his eyes to jerk open. Something wasn't right. Of course, there's the ensuing panic that sets in when he finds himself in the hold of sleep paralysis. Mentally, he's straining to get free, trying to will his limbs to move. This is worse seeing as no one's ever had a hold on a reaper like this before. But before he can even try to summon his death scythe, it's all over. That one burst of energy he called upon to release him renders him crashed out of bed and on the floor.

However, should you be fortunate enough to miss that cry of panic and the ensuing "Bloody hell, that hurt.", you would find him in the cafeteria. Here, he looks to be an absolute mess: poking at his oatmeal occasionally with a spoon while he mulls over the letter, free hand passing through his own hair to brush it out of his face. If you would chance upon him here, he'd be muttering away as he looks the information given over. ]

--World has been destroyed? That's a load of bollocks. You would have thought we'd be given a heads up as to when it's gonna be destroyed. Big number of deaths like that, there wasn't even anything on the To Die list. We've been bloody diddled if I'm supposed to believe th--

[ And a face as he takes a spoonfull of that... slop. ]

What in blazes is this stuff?!

[ Sliding bowl away. No me gusta.
Dare to bother a reaper his first day in? Ask about his ramblings? Make him eat? ]

Comments

[verymuchalive]

[She nods]

Then there are those who are from different versions of my world, which gets really confusing sometimes.

Yes. My blood colour is the lowest on the hemospectrum.

[hardknoxlife]

[ And it's finally occurred to him. ]

Imagine that. Every theory they could ever muster on multiple universes... but you mean to tell me there're other colors of blood on your world?

[verymuchalive]

Yes. It runs from red to purple with rank increasing accordingly.

[hardknoxlife]

A whole society that runs on what runs through your veins.

I'd guess it was a right mess trying to adapt here then. All we bleed's red. No matter what sort you are.

[verymuchalive]

It might have been if we didn't know about humans already. Not that I really care either way. There's more to someone than blood, after all.

[hardknoxlife]

Fine bird like yourself surely managed to prove that already, eh?

[ A small smile, turning his attention back to his so-called meal. ]

Wouldn't be surprised if you did.

[verymuchalive]

[She'd be flattered by that if she weren't confused by his use of language]

Bird? Oh, no. I know I have wings but I'm just a troll.

[hardknoxlife]

A troll? Don't think you look like any troll I've seen in books before. What I've seen, they're all squat and knobbly and live under bridges and things.

[ But a pause to nibble at his bowl. ]

And what I meant by bird... well... it's another word for a lady. You... are a lady, right?

[verymuchalive]

[She can't help but giggle at his description of trolls]

Humans are so silly in the stories they'll make up. But I promise you, a troll is what I am and we're as many and varied as humans can be. Especially around here.

[And more giggles at his question]

Apparently.

[She's just playing with you, don't mind her]

[hardknoxlife]

[ Hey, it's what he knows, man. ]

Oh, I hear you. What they think death looks like is a right bleeding riot if you ask me.

[ A small smile back though. ]

Guess we've got quite a bit of yarn to unravel here when it comes to what humans think we're like.

Glad to see on good authority that not all trolls look like the unsightly sort from the picture books, eh?

[verymuchalive]

Oh really? Well that begs the question, what does he look like?

[Can't leave her hanging on this one!]

Oh, yes. Lucky I found you first, really. I think some of the others here might have been insulted if you even hinted that they were unsightly.

[hardknoxlife]

Just my good luck then. If anyone needed a good first impression on a troll, you're a proper candidate.

[ Though his head moves to watch Aradia over the frame of his glasses a moment at the question of how Death looked like. ]

Well, you tell me.

[ A smirk as he leans forward, head on his hand. ]

Course, I have it on good authority that he looks cracking in a suit though. But you're the one looking at him. What do you think?

[verymuchalive]

[You know that look kids get when they meet Santa. Now imagine that look if it were the real Santa, multiplied by a lot and you might be close to the expression that lights up Aradia's face at his comment]

...You're Death? Well no wonder I've been so interested in dying so much if you're what waits for me...except, well, I don't think our world's Death is so pleasant. But still!

[hardknoxlife]

[ That look just makes his little grin a bit wider. Talk about recognition. ]

Well, technically speaking. That's what a grim reaper is, yeah? Course, can't say the same for the rest of us. I mean, we all don't look alike.

Tell you what, though. If anyone else from the department comes around, I'll have them swing by and give you a bit of a hello. See if anyone looks familiar.

[verymuchalive]

Well I always thought the reaper served death rather than being it. But if any of your friends do arrive, I'd love to meet them.

[Yup, death fangirl right here]

[hardknoxlife]

Well, it's more of we're kind of death since there was the first death and all. Don't really cover that in basic training... or they prolly did and I skipped off that day.

[ He'd so get it if his boss ever heard that. ]

Don't you worry your head about it. If I ever see anyone who looks familiar, I'll send them your way for good measure.

[verymuchalive]

[Her whole expression brightens at that]

You will? Thank you...is there anything I can offer in return?

[hardknoxlife]

[ A look of momentary surprise. Well this one was eager. ]

Well, you don't really need to do anything. I'm sure they'd be happy to meet you! You're not all that bad for someone who isn't a reaper or a human.

[ Bit of a stir in his oats though before looking back up at her. ]

Oh, but don't let me keep you from anything!

[verymuchalive]

[She giggles]

You know, I could almost be offended for the rest of the trolls, but I think I'll let them fight that one themselves.

[She shakes her head at his latter comment]

You're not. I wasn't busy.

[hardknoxlife]

Sorry 'bout that.

[ Have a sheepish smile back though. ]

Really didn't mean no offense, Miss Aradia. Just an observation, mind. Not too often I meet a troll, like I said.

[ A pause as he considers. ]

Well, good for me then. Not bad for my first day in, getting into conversation like this. I think we'll be alright, yeah?

[verymuchalive]

[She grins]

It takes a lot more than that to offend me.

[And a more genuine smile as he continues]

Yeah, I think so.

[hardknoxlife]

Right. I'll have to keep that in mind then.

[ A small smile back as he rests his head on his hand again. Ah, the best company. ]

You mentioned the rest of the trolls... you mean there are others like you here? What're they like?

[verymuchalive]

[She nods]

Yeah...more than one version, in some cases. It's kind of hard to describe what we're like as a whole, by the time you consider the alternates and how they're different to the originals and really you'll only figure it out by talking to them. But I will say, watch out for the adult highbloods. They don't need much of an excuse to cull someone.

[hardknoxlife]

[ Another pause. Things were just getting more and more complicated by the minute. The bit about the highbloods, he makes sure to take a note of though.

But that other bit... ]

Hold on. Alternates and originals? You mean... alternate kinds? There's more than one of one kind here, you mean?

[verymuchalive]

Well...like for example, there are two trolls here called Eridan but neither of them is the same Eridan I knew before I came here. One is a sea dweller just like the one I know but in his world, the sea dwellers are at the bottom of the hemospectrum. The other one has jade blood and has the same Time powers I do.