05 -- text

[biwinning]

2up guy2 ii have a que2tiion that ii2 of great iimportance.
tell me the coole2t 2hiit you can do.
liike teleportatiion or fiightiing 2kiil2 or beiing a niinja or whatever.
thii2 ii2 an iimportant poll and iif you're totally u2ele22 and can't do anythiing then you need two 2ay 2o becau2e ii have money riidiing on thii2.

Comments

[punk_cute]

Different people have different definitions of cool, man.

[He thinks for a couple minutes.]

I can summon a part of my soul outta me and electrocute people with it. That ain't my strongest skill but it's probably the flashiest.

[biwinning]

yeah that count2 a2 u2eful.
you pa22.

[punk_cute]

[And here comes some awkward silence. And then he blurts it out.]

You're a troll, right? If a guy wanted to know more about you guys an' your home and shit, which one of you is the best to ask?

[He couldn't be more transparent if he tried, probably.]

[biwinning]

you could a2k me.
niicely.

[punk_cute]

[He thinks for a while. With as much as Eridan talks this guy down he isn't sure it's a good idea. Well, not for winning arguments with Eridan.

On the other hand, maybe he can compare what he learns from more than one troll? Like in school. With that he nods to himself, looking determined.]

Yeah, if you're willing. So could you tell me more about trolls, please?

[biwinning]

what do you want two know.
ii could 2ay the obviiou2 2hiit iif you don't 2peciify.
we all have grey 2kiin and orange horn2 that vary iin 2iize and 2hape.
we all have a 2ymbol dediicated two u2.
we all have a blood color, one of eleven, although there'2 twelve color2 twotal, but tyrian blood2 are extremely rare.
that'2 what color feferii2 ii2 by the way.

[punk_cute]

Huh. I didn't know her color was so rare! Cool. It's a real pretty color. Hell, all of you got nice colors. The different colors are really awesome, even if... Well I think that damn spectrum bullshit is awful, but the colors are cool anyway.

But...

More interested in how you guys grow up an' stuff? Like what's expected and what you guys respect in each other. You know. That kind of stuff.

[biwinning]

... Are you sure that'th thomething you want to know?

[punk_cute]

Not really, but I gotta know. It's important.

[biwinning]

... There'th a thing called the hemothpectrum. It'th a meansth of thocial order bathed on blood color. Lowbloodsth, like me, are at the bottom. Highbloodsth, of blue, purple, and pink tonesth are at the top. There ith no "rethpect" in each other. Lowbloodsth are often uthed for menial labor, permanently in hard labor jobsth. Highbloodsth thit on their atheth and reach the benefitsth. Thothe of my bloodcathte and abilitiesth... are uthually uthed ath "Helmsmen". That ith to thay, batteriesth for battleshipsth.

But Alternia ith dead. Thethe valuesth don't matter anymore.

[punk_cute]

[He nods repeatedly looking very serious, and increasingly angry.]

Well, none of that's right!

[It takes him a minute to calm down after the outburst.] An' I wish I could agree with you, but it's gonna still matter some while some people are still clingin' to that way of doing things.

So if none of the cool colors ever tried gettin' your respect, what would get it?

late a million years...

[biwinning]

What, you mean ... get me to rethpect thomeone? Ith thith a perthonal quethtion or another one in relation to lowbloodsth in general?

'sok!

[punk_cute]

Uh.

Well, both, kinda? But whichever you feel more comfortable answerin', I guess.

[biwinning]

Not being an idiot helpsth. Not being a pantsth-on-head moron about computersth helpsth too.

[punk_cute]

So you're real good with computers? That's awesome. But there's nothin' else? 'cause a lot of people really ain't good with computers.

[biwinning]

It comesth down to jutht not being thtupid. Which you'd think would be eathy for thome people, but it'th a lot rarer than you realize.

[punk_cute]

Depends on what you mean by stupid. There's different kinds of stupid. There's not bein' so good at school and math and science and shit, and there's goin' off on things that make you mad kinda stupid, an' there's bein' dumb about your own self stupid, an' there's being dumb about other people stupid.

[Most of those things could describe him at various points, and he knows it.]

[biwinning]

I mean everything but two'th kind of thtupid.

[punk_cute]

You're right that a lot of people are really stupid, but the last three can be fixed, man. Hell, even the first one people can get better at if they work really, really hard.

I've been told that trolls don't really do friends. Don't really know if it's true, but with humans, that's what friends can help you with. Bein' less stupid about all kinds of shit.

So if that's just you, got any general things?

[biwinning]

That'th what moirailsth do, in a thenthe. I mean, in troll-culture.

"Don't be an athhat" theemsth like a pretty normal way to get people'th rethpect.

[punk_cute]

I know. I got told all about moirails before.

And yeah, it does, but usually it's more than just that, you know? Not bein' an asshat just will make people not dislike you, but respect is somethin' different.

[biwinning]

... I ... don't know. There'th no one "thing." If I do, then I do, if I don't then I don't.

[punk_cute]

I think I can understand that, yeah. It's hard, when I try to think of it myself.

So... thanks.

[He wants to ask more but has a feeling he's wearing out his welcome. Cue more awkwardness.]