[PRP] Post-Joust Jubilations (Aerona x Fellah)

[Sypon]

Aerona and Fellah hang out and enjoy some drinks after their jousting adventure.  

[Unaru]

The snowmobile joust was rough, on the farm troll anyhow. He was a little banged and bruised, but oddly enough he didn't seem inhibited by it. His fortitude was impressive if nothing else.
Fellah walked along with Aerona, heading towards the outskirts of Bloodfest, keeping eyes peeled for a place to sit down and have drinks. As they walked through the crowds the farm troll offered a smile to any troll they might pass. He was definitely a kinder troll than most, perhaps a little odd.

"That was an impressive display back there," he complimented the lady-troll. "So what do you do to pass your time?" he inquired. She was obviously of tough stock, though she didn't look like the farmerly type, though he could be mistaken.

After a bit of wandering Fellah finally pointed out a dining establishment. "This place look good to you?" the redblood asked, stepping forward to hold the door open for Aerona. Country manners seemed to be a theme with him. Though his smile was undeniably charming as he ushered his opponent, potential friend into the building.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

Aerona watched idly as the two walked together. He wasn’t such a typical “lowblood”. He engaged everyone. Perhaps he was naïve or simply stupid to call attention to himself as a gentle soul, but perhaps that piteous attitude would help him in the long run. It sure was doing a number on Aerona. It was horribly cute. She stuffed her hands into her pockets and smiled.

“Hey, thanks! I do athletics, lots of climbing mostly. Urban exploration’s been my thing since traveling to the city as a kid. I’m originally from the mountains, though, so I’m not exactly a country kid but close.” She laughed. “How about you?”

She gave him a nod as they entered the building, and Aerona reluctantly entered as Fellah held open the door. Was he serious…? Aerona decided that he was serious. How could this guy be a product of Alternia? She gave him a coy pat on the shoulder as she entered, thanking him with a nod and a smile.

The dining establishment was a cute little chain diner, close enough to the Boardwalk that it was bustling with activity but out of the way to avoid a wait. Aerona immediately staked out a place at the bar counter and hustled over, seating herself on a stool. She gave the seat next to her an enthusiastic pat.

Unaru

Thanks for your patience!!

 

[Unaru]

"The mountains huh?" Fellah asked, genuinely interested, "I used to go there a lot, had a friend who lived up there. Haven't seen or heard from him in ages though..." he trailed off for a moment, his mind wondering what had become of that blueblood.
"It's a real purdy place though. It's got some tough crops too. That's what I do, farm. Well go explorin' for new produce to bring back and farm anyhow." Caravans, dirt, and plants, if ever a farm troll fit the stereotype it was him.
"Live out in the plains though, raised there. Never ran into other trolls much till I got a little older. To be honest, I don't get a lot of the politics and whatnot, but it's been fun meeting trolls outside the plains."
He offered Aerona a charmingly rustic smile as he took a seat at the bar stool next to her. It was odd that he hadn't run into many other lowbloods, so Fellah was all too happy to find another redblood to chat with. He wouldn't call her simple by any means, but he definitely felt she was more easily engaged than a lot of the trolls he'd tried to chat with in the past.
"I'm thinkin' milkshakes. Sound good to you?"

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

“Ahh…” Aerona gave her fellow redblood appropriate ‘oohs’ and nods when the time was right. His life seemed simple (like him, really), and regardless of his charm she began to drift off. Was he boring or was it that relaxing tone of voice? She had no idea. At the very least she was kept in rapt attention by the precious smile he couldn’t help but show. Aerona propped herself up on the bar with her elbows and laughed.

“Milkshakes sound perfect. And a side of fries for this one!” She got the attention of the server and ordered her shake – chocolate, hot fudge, and cinnamon with an extra cherry. She shifted in her seat and pulled her braid around her shoulder. In the silence she started to tap her feet against the chair.

“So do you live pretty much alone? That’s like. The lowblood dream, I guess, if you’re happy with farming, you know? I was in bumpkin-land as a kid on the mountains. When I started to hang out in New Hemisect and stuff I got a face full of coolblood bullshit. My lusus is SUPER pro-hemo. I love her, but. You know. Gross.”

Her drink arrived. She looked at Fellah over the straw, curiosity in her probing eyes.

Unaru

Thanks for waiting!!

 

[Unaru]

"Yup, just my lusus and me out on the farm. It's not bad, real quiet and calm. Not real used to all this city hub-bub," he admitted with a chuckle. "Just been meeting them coolbloods lately, they're err...well confusing to be honest," he shook his head with a smile. "Some of 'em are nice, but others. Well I'll jus' say that I got my first threat of bein' culled this Bloodfest."
He looked a little fidgety when Aerona mentioned her distaste of her lusus' pro-hemospectrum philosophies. He understood the frustration, or was beginning to anyhow. But, what control did they have over that? Just gotta make the best of the situation you're handed, he thought to himself.
He happily took a big gulp of the shake once it got there, fighting off a thinkpan-freeze before turning back to his company.
"So ya don't get alone too well with yer lusus? That's a shame." His rubber-face betrayed his concern. He often forgot how lucky he was to have a lusus who cared for him, and protected him fiercely. Granted, Papabuff wasn't one for thinking too hard or having opinions on troll politics. Still, every troll should have a lusus who understands them.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

Aerona waved her hand and wiped some of her shake off of the corner of her mouth.

“Oh, no no no. I love my mum, we get along just lovely. She’s a real sweetheart, but around coolbloods she’s a doormat. I don’t personally think you can get anywhere in life by lying down and letting folks take what’s yours, and that’s what those trolls think they can do. See? If you’re gonna be in the city you gotta be ready for those culling threats, more than at Bloodfest! Every night! Don’t see why we should stand for that.”

She didn’t bother lowering her tone. Aerona went back to sipping on her straw, but soon found herself ranting again. “Fellah, coolbloods may be confusing now, but as you get older it’s just gonna get worse. Protip: Bein’ a redshirt’s a bit of a double meaning and that’s what we’re bound for in the military. Best thing is to snag a nice on-planet job. You can probably get away with farming, I reckon, ‘less they make drones to do your job.”

Aerona immediately realized the abrasiveness of her statement and changed gears. “But see, just havin’ gruntwork on the farm’s not gonna be as good as a reall farmtroll, right? Requires some finesse, lots of knowledge?”

Unaru

 

[Unaru]

The farmtroll was quickly made nervous at the tone and volume of Aerona's assertions. He glanced around and tried to slump in his seat a bit, but he was such a large troll it was a bit difficult for him to look small. He may not understand the full extent of the hemospectrum but he knew enough to know that it generally was frowned upon to talk like that so openly. ”Uh, I get ya but, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to bring down the volume a notch or two?” he suggested sheepishly, a pleading look on his face. He really wasn't a fan of confrontation.
”I guess there probably are some bad seeds among the coolbloods,” he made sure to say such a statement quietly, ”but for the longest time my two best buds were bluebloods. I hadn't seen them in forever, well not till tonight anyhow. I used to pal around with Sarcel some sweeps back. It was good to see her. There was another nice blueblood at some dancebooth.” he said, trying to play devil's advocate.
”Can't say I know what some trolls might'a done to ya, and if someone hurt ya real bad I'm sorry about that. I just don't think that all coolbloods gotta be out to stomp all over us, ya know?” He seemed a little awkward speaking. He could empathize with Aerona, and he felt for her, but it sounded like she was just so passionate about the topic.

At the mention of the farming drones, the redblood fidgeted a bit, kind smile fading. They couldn't replace him like that...could they? ”Well, yeah...there's a lot more ta farming. 'Specially if ya teraform some plots of land to grow crops from other environments. I get a lota compliments on my produce actually,” he said, perking up a bit again.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

Aerona leaned back. Farmboy had started out at a ten, and he was quickly dropping in the ranks. The frown on her face grew before she distracted herself with another sip on her drink. “I mean I guess if you want to be a highblood apologist, then sure.” Aerona quipped. She dropped her hands down to her sides and cracked her knuckles.

“I’m not stupid – of course there’s coolbloods you can pal around with, but when s**t hits the fan who’s getting the axe? Three guesses.” She finished her drink and scooted it back on the table, arms crossing over her lap. At least Fellah had something going for him – self-sustainability would only take you so far as a doormat, though. She managed to bite back her words. “Hey, that’s good. Maybe you can chance staying on planet instead of getting’ strapped to a rocket for conquest fodder. Unless you’re interested in intergalactic terraforming, huh?”

Unaru

the discomfort continues!

 

[Unaru]

"I think it's all just a load of hoofbeast manure," Fellah muttered under his breath. He still wasn't very good on talking about the hemospectrum. No matter who it was, it seemed like he just couldn't win. Either he didn't know his place well enough, or he was too complacent. It seemed a bit harder to find just where he fit than he really realized.
Trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling away he forced his smile back on as Aerona went back to the topic of farming. "It's nice ta just be off the grid, grow all my own stuff, not have to deal with much trouble. Though it can get a little boring if I'm bein' completely honest. Definitely doesn't mean I wanna try taking the job off planet though." It was true that something had been stirring in the farm troll lately. An urge for something a little more, an urge he was still figuring out.
"Sounds like yer pretty self-reliant. You into agriculture too er somethin'?"

Sypon

A peek under the surface is revealed *el gasp*

 

[Sypon]

There we go. Aerona lit up as he cracked a little. She tapped her now-empty glass with a fingertip and listened to him, looking rapt. “Mmm. Interesting.”

He’d make a pretty good rebel if she thought he could survive a week in the swamp. Maybe, given his bulk, but not his brains. At least he knew the land!

“I lived up in Busthind all my childhood life. Nice community up there, but you’re still livin’ in a cave, you know? I wanted something more so I spent a lot of time in the city and learned about the shitshow that is Alternian culture. Can’t go back from that. Now I’m kind of doing a communal thing with some buddies. And hell yeah, we farm.” She winked at him. Strange how their conversation had flipped so quickly. She thought about the ‘farming’ going on in the PI. With swamplands, food was always a challenge. She had incredible privilege to just be able to go outside of it without a disguise, without being watched by the government. Eh. Still not as privileged as this guy though, or any other higherblood around.

He was right, though, farming was hella boring.

“What’s the most trouble you’ve ever been in?” She asked, smile devilish.

Unaru