[Open] What a lovely day for a picnic~

[bloodwriter]

Characters: Disciple, Dolorosa, and open to anybody!
Setting: Floor Twenty-Five
Format: We're comfortable with any format you decide to put up.
Summary: Dolorosa & Disciple decide they would like a nice time away from it all, so why not have a nice picnic? If you would like something cooked over an open fire, Di will happily cook it for you!
Warnings: Fire and smoke, but only if you are really careless when playing out in the open.

After running to get to this peaceful floor, Disciple happily runs out in the open to floor 25. She falls instantly on the grass and rolls in it as Dolorosa quietly sets up the big blanket and the food. Embarrassed that she wasn't helping out, Disciple gets up and does her fair share by setting up a small fire to cook on.

When done, they both smile at their accomplishment and relax.

Comments

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Nice ta meet'cha," Xue replied with a smile, taking the offered spot on the blanket and resting her catch far from the blanket on a sheet of plastic she brought out of her bag so it wouldn't ruin the picnic like environment.

"I'm Xue'Kol."

[mamadonna]

"Xue'Kol, then. A lovely name." Of course, there was still one lingering question, but no real polite way to raise it, and that discomfort was clear in Dolorosa's face. "I hope you will take no offense at the inquiry, but you bear many similarities to a troll while decidedly not being a member of my species. Would it be untoward to ask what manner of being you are?"

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue grinned and laughed a little as she shook her head, "It's nawt a problem mon, Dizzy asked da same question."

"I be a troll, but nawt from joor world. I come from a world named Azeroth, an it be seemin' like trolls from oda worlds be jus' as varied from what I be learnin' from Dizzy an da oda trolls from yer world I be meetin'."

[mamadonna]

An entirely separate world, peopled with its own distinct varieties of trolls? It was a possibility she had truly never considered! "Just as varied, meaning that your kind, too, had it's its own manifestations of variegation and diversity?"

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Well der definitely is variety I be tellin' joo dat," she replied with a warm smile.

"Tho, like always, nawt all da clans be da friendly type mon. But wat can joo do? Der always seem ta be da bad mojo in a race." she shrugged, she had nothing personal against her other kin, but some of the were downright dangerous to the entirety of the world and she found herself having to kill many of her kin in order to help the world as a whole.

"I always be likin' ta hear 'bout joo guys tho. Seems everytime I be runnin' inta one a' joo, tha stories seem to be real interestin' mon."

[mamadonna]

"Bad mojo? Well, I suppose ours only worsens as you move higher in the hemospectrum." Of course, Dolorosa had her own far more personal bitterness on that count, but not without reason. She certainly had her fair share of stories, but some of them she wasn't so fond of sharing.

Xue had certainly piqued her own curiosity, though. "Perhaps we could perform an exchange. I would like to hear more about your people, your Azeroth, and in return I will repay you with my own tale."

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Hemo--?" she wasn't familiar with the word, but she figured it was something specific of their kind.

At the request, Xue smiled broadly and nodded, "Of course mon, I be lovin' ta hear 'bout joo gurl's people an' world mon. An' joo can be askin' Xue anyting joo be wantin'!"

[mamadonna]

She caught the beginning of that question, but it worked just fine for her, as its answer would be along the lines of her own inquiry, as well.

"Of course, and in this way we can mutually dispel our respective ignorances. I believe you were about to inquire on the hemospectrum, which lends Alternia the underlying foundation of her society. It describes the array of variegated coagulatory hues our kind is known to possess." Let's hope you're in for a good ramble, Xue, because she's hardly gotten started.

"One's relative position can determine their expected place within the culture, as a cruel ladder leading upwards, with little kindness directed toward those on the lower rungs. These castes reflect the roles we are raised to fulfill, the abilities we may have inherited, then alphabet of signs we are allowed to select from, and even the fashions expected of us."

She moved her hands to her mantle, tracing the green accents with a finger before settle on the Virgo emblem above her right breast. "I, personally, am a jadeblood. Near the middle. The Disciple, in comparison, was one step below. The position I was given involved being raised by a mother grub in order to ultimately act as their handmaiden once I had matured. I spent many long sweeps in their service." Well, until she had reason to abandon it. But that isn't typical.

"You mentioned your own species having its own diversities. Would you mind expounding on this topic?"

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue looked as interested as she did when listening to a good story. She had been a 'sailor' during the beginning of her life to stories being told by mates, comrades, elders, anyone really meant a great deal to her.

Some of the words seemed to confuse her but she looked as if she worked to understand the concept and seemed to get it after some though, nodding in understanding as the story continued on.

"Oy' mon, dat's some hierarchy. Be remindin' me of da more 'civilized' races of me world. Dey be likin' havin' castes n' noble ranks and belittle odas."

She paused, looking up in thought as she tapped her chin. "So joo n' Dizzy were middle class kinda den? Wat was dat like?"

Before she continued she laughed a bit as she got ahead of herself and shook her head, "Sorry mon, curiosity is a bit of a fault in me."

"Joo see, fer trolls back in my world, we be da most plentiful race, bein' all ovah da place and branching out into almost all da environments. Da most common division is Clans, each one unique in it's own way, we be havin' different traditions an' laws an' beliefs. Some more peaceful dan odas but still."

She then went to point to her skin, markings and hair, "Den joo got da different kinda trolls, like dose dat live in different environments change rapidly ta adapt and become much different. Like for example, I be a Jungle Troll from da South Seas. I don't be havin' a clan because I be born on a ship wit pirates."

Getting off track Xue...

"Anyways, der also be Forest Trolls, Ice Trolls, Sand Trolls, and da elusive Dark Trolls amongst a few rare odas. And den joo be havin' different social groups dependin' on da clan. Some didn't follow a hierarchy, but some a dem did. Usually wit a Shaman or powahful Witch Doctor as da head of da clan."

[mamadonna]

"So, your divisions were more along geographic than biological lines, aside from your own personal exception?" It was a curious idea, one she thought could open the possibility to less rigidity, at least in theory. "Was it kind to you?" It would be nice to hear that it was.

"My position did not come without its favor, given the importance of the duties it carried, but it was also highly isolated. Upon our being reported to the brooding caverns, there were very few circumstances which allowed for our exit. We were typically very isolated outside of these cases."

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Joo could be sayin' dat yes. Unless joo be a special breed, like dem Berserkers an' Loa mastah's." She shrugged and smiled.

"It be a bittah sweet time in mah life I suppose. Ups an' downs, but we all be havin' dose."

She narrowed her eyes curiously at the last part. "Were joo like slaves?"

[mamadonna]

Well, that was an uncomfortable question, and her answer was quick and sharp. "No."

She might have supposed otherwise at some time earlier in her life, but having an unambiguous point of reference for life in slavery had changed her mind. Her body language closed off considerably as she continued. "We may have been heavily limited in our movements, but we were no more slaves than those of the lower castes. Slaves are rarely treated so kindly."

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue nodded and looked up in thought, noticing the change in her. "Ah mon, sorry ta be tinkin' it dat way. Joo see, slaves are really common back 'ome so it jus' came out dat way. Hell, I be sure dat if my mum wasn't da captain of da ship I grew up on, I would be doin' da feral style daily as one of da slaves fer da pirate crew."

[mamadonna]

Dolorosa relented, shaking her head with some quiet embarrassment. "My apologies for the misunderstanding, I didn't mean to imply that slavery was particularly uncommon on Alternia. Only that to draw a comparison of that with the duties of the Mother Grub's midwives is an inapt parallel. Not when so many others regularly suffered across the lower castes."

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue rubbed the back of her head offering an apologetic and awkward smile, "Sorry mon, dis is jus' real different. But it be tings like dem dat make dem interestin'."

Xue allowed for a bit of the redness to leave her cheeks before speaking again. "Is it a life ya regret leavin' since arrivin' here or?"

[mamadonna]

"I don't. I had already abandoned my position in the caverns many long years ago, and for reasons I do not regret." Of course, the end she'd come to was something she didn't miss, either. She would worry occasionally how the other slaves fared in her absence, but wasn't aware of exactly how close her death was prior to leaving.

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue nodded in understanding and looked to the distance. "Sometimes I wondah if dis place really is dat bad." Hearing that thought out loud made her realize how silly it sounded and she chuckled, shaking her head.

"I be meanin' dat... it's not as bad as I originally thought it be. I've been meetin' some ratha amazin' people, like Dizzy, and no joo mon." she offered a smile.

[mamadonna]

"I can understand the impulse. I had long thought similarly upon my initial arrival." Now she largely must weigh the benefit of seeing individuals she never would have again otherwise, along with those she might not have at all, against what the Tower demands in recompense. It's a very difficult thing to deduce.

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Well, ya know, all tings considered, I be glad ta have met ya two at least." she added in an attempt to lighten the mood again.

It didn't do well to eat on a somber stomach after all! Bad juju mon.

[mamadonna]

Dolorosa gave Xue a wan smile as she took a sip of her tea. "It's matters of that type which are exactly what have inspired me to recognize the kinder aspects of this Tower. This gladness is certainly mutual."

[snowyvalemaiden]

Xue grinned and gave her a thumbs up before looking back. "Tink we be ready ta eat! Food's a callin'!" she said with a hearty chuckle and getting up to get the fish and such.

[mamadonna]

"One moment, let me see if I cannot better accompany this!" And she dug into the basket, bringing out some of her sandwich ingredients. Bread, mayonnaise, lettuce? Yes, they will do fish sandwiches.

[snowyvalemaiden]

"See der now dat I like mon! A womon of action!" Xue chuckled as she brought the fish over and set them down near them.

"Workin' togetha always be bringin' a good feelin' mon." At least to her. While she was a loner and kind of a hermit back in her world, she did love being around others and working in teams.

[mamadonna]

"Well, we can achieve results through collaboration which may never have possible from a solitary effort."

Dolorosa began building the sandwiches on their own before finishing them off with the filets. She'd known her fair share of isolation, and decided long ago that she far preferred the company of others, even if that wasn't easy during the darkest times.

She handed one plate to Xue with a smile. "And perhaps the best moment of such occasions is taking the opportunity to enjoy those results."

[snowyvalemaiden]

"Ya know it gurl!" Xue gave her a big thumbs up and grabbed the plate with a big smile.

"A good meal wit a good group wit a couple'a good stories ta toss 'round da fire makes fer sum'a da best evenings one can ever have." They were certainly some of the most pleasant memories she had. So simple and so much fun.