The Shoreline

It seemed so dead silent, aside from the foamy waves lapping at the shore. The beach was empty. No signs of life from beast or troll alike. It was rather comforting really. Palser would grasp onto these quiet moments before it was ruined by the bothersome presence of land dwellers. And without witnesses he could indulge himself in his side hobby. Kites.

Standing ankle deep in the dark waters and watching his manta ray themed aerial device catch the breeze and light from the moon. Damn this was kinda boring too.

Palser feels that strange prickle on the back of his neck. That subtle warning that told him he wasn't alone. Though he's so wrapped up in watching his paper kite dip and sway to the smooth breeze he would never let himself be lulled into false security. It was just a quick glance to the side at first before he did a double take. For now it was just a dark shadow but steadily his eyes adjusted and made out the lone figure as another troll. It could be bothersome.

He attempts to play it off like he hadn't obviously spotted the other troll. Drawling back his cloth and wooden device from the night sky steadily as not to arise suspicion.

And when his usual small amount of patience has dwindled he finally turned slowly toward the new comer, expression as bored as always. Sometimes subtly wasn't his best assets.

There's a long pause as Palser quickly looks the other sea troll over. it seems the both of you are now having a bit of an awkward staring contest. Rolling the rest of the string to his kite before captchaloging it with a causal flick of his wrist. His brow raising at the rather boisterous hello. And as another troll with manners and prestige he made a slight inclination with his head and offered his own greeting.

"Hello~o. I ho~ope the night finds yo~ou well."

Most of that earlier tension had eased out of his shoulders though he wasn't fully letting his guard down. Just because one shared the same blood didn't mean there was any real mutual sense of camaraderie. It was that simple.

Taking the initiative and approaching carefully.

Ah, all this tension is going to give Palser a headache. Pinching the bridge of his nose with some disdain before locking both his arms behind his back and keep up a perfectly regal posture. Sighing heavily and trying to smile for once.

"I assure yo~ou my hive is far fro~om here. I have no~o interest in o~over stepping my bo~oundaries. If this is yo~our beach that is."

Best to keep from seeming like a threat. After all this was just a beach he frequently visited just to get away from his Lusus and his overbearing Moirail.

"Tho~ough I have been here several times and I do~on't think I've seen yo~ou befo~ore. Co~ould I have yo~our name?"

Hah, well it seems this fellow sea troll is rather quick to turn the tables on Palser. His slight, faux smile becoming something more genuine. Seeing the other troll under the moonlight does help and he would have to say he wasn't too bad on the eyes, in his opinion. Becoming a little more lax. Rolling his shoulders in a slight shrug.

"Well, I see no~o harm in it. Being equals and all. I am Palser. Perhaps no~ow I can get yo~our name? And why yo~ou what brings yo~ou to this lo~ovely span o~of sho~re. Alo~one, presumably?"

"Then is it a pleasure to~o meet yo~ou, Reeius. I do~on't get to~o meet many interesting sea tro~olls these days."

The little play on words does make Palser's lips twitch into a much more noticeable smile. Intrigued by the mention of exploring. Had Palser been any other usual sea dweller he would have questioned as to why a fellow high blooded seafarer would bother wading on dry land. Though he himself was in the same situation. Thus landing him in this awkward position now. The question pertaining to his kite, his bizarre hobby that required one to be on land.

His smile falters a bit.

"O~o~oh, yo~ou saw that? It is no~othing so~o interesting, I assure yo~ou."

Still uncertain of how Reeius would react to the mention of the daily visits to land. That compulsion to seek out the company of those who are genetically inferior to himself. Well, might as well go for it.

"It's so~omething I created. To~o so~oar o~on the winds as o~one wo~ould in the waves."

Palser raised both brows this time. It seemed this new sea dweller here was all sorts of probing. Whether he found that quality amusing or annoying he wasn't too sure just yet. Instead he gives another slight roll of his shoulders in a shrug. Kicking at the dark waters swirled around his feet. Averting his eyes to look out at the ocean and its reflection on the shifting waves.

"I am far fro~om an invento~or but I do~o enjo~oy wo~orking with my hands. It is called a Kite. I make them, amo~ongst o~other things in my spare time. A ho~obby mo~ore then anything. Perhaps yo~ou wo~ould care to~o try? I bring extra in the o~off chance I lo~o~ose o~one."

The offer stands but requires Reeius to scoot on a little closer. If he could trust the other troll.

It was safe to say Palser was a little saddened being turned down. He never really got the chance to share his little aereal contraptions with many trolls. It showed on his face for a moment, his disappointment, before he hid it behind a stoic expression.

He watched his fellow high blood enter the water in an attempt to rehydrate. And perhaps not the best idea, Palser plopped himself down in the water where he stood. Legs crossed and leaning back on his hands while he turned out toward the ocean and just as the same kept his eyes on Reeius.

"We are o~of the same caste, sho~ould we no~ot have a little less to wo~orry abo~out aro~ound o~one ano~other? The tensio~on is a bit bo~otherso~ome."

Really, they were both equals, should there be a reason to be so weary? Most likely yes but Palser just was too much of a pacifist. Now taking a long moment to mull over Reeius' inquiry. Again he wasn't too sure what the other sea dweller would think of him and his admittance. Going for with with a sheepish grin.

"As fo~or yo~our questio~on, yes. I... do~o spend a lo~ot o~of time abo~ove water. It's hard to~o fly a kite beneath the waves."

"I can abide by such agreement. No~o strifing."

He nods, tilting his head back and sighing with a similar contentment. It was nice to enjoy the water and still carry on a pleasant conversation. His Moirail tended to avoid water when he could. Something about the ocean being much larger then a lake.

"O~oh, well, it's no~ot quite the same when so~omeo~one is watching me. But is yo~ou sho~ould try it with me... It's no~ot hard. But what abo~out yo~ou. Surely yo~ou were up to~o so~omething befo~ore I interrupted?"

He managed an awkward smile. There was no real way to show off with a kite but plenty of ways to fail. And something about having the other sea troll watch him made him worry if he did something embarrassing. Besides, that was just half the reason he was hanging around here. That reason coming in the form of several slowly creeping creatures beginning to crawl up on shore. Horseshoe shaped crustaceans.

Palser turned to glance at the cliff then back to Reeius. Nodding along as he fetched a capachalouged gem. Inspecting it as well as he could from this distance. The glint it gave from just the moonlight catching it at an angle proved it's worth enough. Though precious stones and metals came too easy, as a sea dweller. Any amount of excitement over it was lost but not the hint of exploration. Now that would get his attention.

"So~o, yo~ou're a treasure hunter o~of so~ome so~ort then? I tried my luck at that. But it didn't end well."

Subconsciously his hand reached up and he ran his fingers over the gem on his forehead. The large, purple jewel planted on his forehead. A physical reminder.

"I learned my lesso~on. I'm no~ot quite cut o~out fo~or daring explo~oratio~on. So~o I stick to~o so~omething a bit clo~oser to~o ho~ome. I'm a co~ollecto~or o~of a different so~ort."

He cocked his head to side, his interests obviously been peaked and old memories of sweeps past still lingering in his head.

"Maybe yo~ou co~ould share so~ome sto~ories, if yo~ou have any. So~ome particular treasures yo~ou are pro~oud o~of?"

Ah, well it seems it was bound to come up anyway. Palser sat forward, arms resting on his knees. Mulling over what he was going to say.

"Well, I wasn't the easiest to~o get alo~ong with when I was still a wriggler. I hated my lusus fo~or the lo~ongest. I ventured further and further fro~om my hive. All I cared abo~out was explo~oring, finding o~odds and ends, getting as far away as I co~ould. Getting into~o tro~ouble, flirting with danger. My lusus pursued me o~one day, as I tried to~o flee I slammed head first into~o a co~oral reef."

It was needless to say how painful that experience was. Or would have been if he could remember much after that.

"I wo~oke up, with a puzzled memo~ory fo~or the lo~ongest, with my lusus watching o~over me. He gave this to~o me. As an appo~olo~ogy o~or a reminder, I've never been sure."

And he found it pretty stylish along with covering up that nasty scar.

He scoffed and instead of lashing out and going on about honor or hurt pride Palser simply pouts. Pouts and splashes the other sea troll in a very wrigglerish manner. After that passes he resumes his usual stoic and aloft expression. That was a rather traumatic time in his life but that will teach him not to share any more deep and meaningful experiences with total strangers.

"I can see ho~ow that wo~ould be silly. It was several sweeps ago~o."

Yeah, best way to try and put that behind him. Claim it was forever ago when in reality it was no more then two sweeps. Blushing and letting it roll off his shoulders casually at the mention of how nice Reeius thought his gem was.

"No~othing wro~ong with being silly every no~ow and then. Yo~ou o~only have so~o much time to~o enjo~oy such things."

Pushing himself to his feet again he decided he would try to fly his kite again. If only to try and spark the interest in his new friend. Reeius was looking a little more relaxed anyway. Picking up a polished stone off of the sandy shore and tossed it. A moment later it returned in the form of one of his hand crafted aerial devices. Glad it wasn't a fish this time. His fling modus could be so touchy sometimes.

Unraveling the string and testing the breeze.