Dualrosa
Dualrosa under the cut!
Orpheus stared at the jade blood in curiosity as she called in a loud voice to him. She was one of the strange ones, to be sure. For starters, jade bloods were never supposed to leave the caverns, however, some do make the escape and the punishment for that escape had been dropped by Her Imperial Condescension sweeps ago, when she had seen for herself the remarkable weaving abilities they possessed. Also, most of the jade bloods he’d encountered were cold and quiet, never giving another troll the time of day. But in a warm voice, this one called to him, and as he made his way over, she placed on display some of the finest violet moth silk he’d ever laid eyes on.
She bowed respectfully at his presence, the first correct thing she’d done according to her caste.
“Orphaner, sir. These are the finest silks you will ever behold outside of Her own palace,” she with sureness in her voice, as if many had told her this before.
He took the material in his hand and hummed in false consideration. He already knew it was so.
“I do agree,” he spoke in gentle tone, “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen better. Very impressive.”
When he looked up, Orpheus noticed that she still bowed, and quaked in noticeable fear. He dipped his hand under her chin and raised it, despite her slight jerk at the action. She stared into his eyes for a moment, and Orpheus had no words.
Something foreign, something beautiful, was blossoming inside his heart. It was warm, and it hurt, but it left him wanting more. She continued to tremble, he felt it beneath his fingertips. Pity, loud and dramatic, was burning inside his heart, then he felt her brush his hand under her jaw.
She looked even more fearful, her eyes darting toward potential patrons and and highbloods.
“Sir, you need to release me. I fear our reputations are on the line. And our lives if indigos take notice.”
He dared not scoff as he normally would at the thought of he and an indigo going toe to toe, because the slight possibility of this girl in danger sent waves of sickness crashing inside him. Orpheus let her go and picked up the silks with the tenderness of a father.
“How much?” ghosted almost silently from his lips.
“Fifty gold,” she answered stiffly, as a small rustling was silenced behind her booth with a swift kick.
He dropped one hundred down on the table and the jade gave him a sceptical look.
“I need no pity, sailor,” she said carefully, offense locked away in a straw cage. He smiled kindly. “It wasn’t for the silk, girl.”
“Then what is it for, Orphaner?”
“Perhaps a name?” he hinted quietly.
She smirked. “I do know many names.”
“If I share mine, will you share yours?”
“Rosa Maryam.”
The seadweller looked around for any prying eyes, then looked back at Rosa, taking her hand.
He smiled at her little blush as he spoke, “Orpheus Ampora.”
As gently as he held it, he flipped her hand pressed slightly parted lips upon her pulse. Rosa stared at him, bewildered. That was a blatant pale flirt.
“I-I don’t know . . . what to say, I-”
“You don’t have to say anything. Meet me here again in early dawn and I’ll have myself a partner in crime. You’ll make my crew and I fortunes with your craft and we’ll make good company to each other.” He lowered his voice at the end, as if shy to mention it.
“I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“What!? You’ll live a life all will envy! My ship’s not the way you think it is! Whatever doubts you have, I’ll clear them.”
“No, you won’t. Just like the highbloods, you think you can take what you want when you see it.”
Ah. there was that cold indignation he thought he’d escaped. He sighed and began to walk away with his cloth when she said:
“It was fifty gold, sir. I need no more.”
“You gave me your name, and it was worth the gold.”
. . .
As she began to pack up her booth, the rustling began again along with light chirps and whines. Rosa sighed as she pulled pulled the small, inferred grub out of a sewing basket.
“You cause a lot of trouble. You know that, right?”
*Chirps happily*
“Of course you do, it’s your birthright.
She tucked him under her holey cape and began to walk back to her home as she heard footsteps on the dock. They became louder and faster and before she could realize what was happening, it was too late.
Their torches blazed in the late night sky. They roared in rage, and the moment they captured Rosa in their sights, they gave chase. One grabbed her the hair and shoved her to the ground. She yelped and curled into herself, trying to protect her precious Akrabbi.
But the angry mid and highbloods yanked off her shawl and ripped the wriggling, crying grub out of her arms and began to poke him with their weapons teasingly.
“Please, stop!” Rosa begged. She struggled against two teal bloods’ hold as they raised their torches to the grub. Rosa began to weep as he whimpered at the fire, knowing only that it hurt.
“Fried grub or sushi?”
Rosa tried desperately to pull herself free as the roars of suggestions began to overwhelm her.
“Stop, stop, stop. . . !”
“Enough.”
With that single word, the crowd was silenced, and the little mutant grub was just a little bit safer that it had been before.
“What is the meaning of this?” the newcomer asked coolly.
“She has a mutant grub, sir. On your dock, no less,” one of the teals said reverently.
He looked down at Rosa, and she felt so betrayed. The Orphaner stood before her, eying her coldly.
“I see,” he said, speaking to her. “Leave them with me. You’ve nothing to fear.”
Akrabbi was dropped into Rosa’s arms and she clung to him helplessly. As the the crowd dissipated and it was only the three, Rosa began to quake. Orpheus’ eyes had never left her, or her grub.
“I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt him.”
“I won’t. Now I see why you wouldn’t come with me.”
Rosa stared in disbelief as she gently rocked her distressed grub hummed with a, somehow even, voice.
“Alright, level with me. I have an illegal grub, and you have the power to do whatever you want with me. Tell me what I have to do to keep my child safe.”
Orpheus chuckled as he held his hand out for her to take.
“Suffer under my pail courting until you fall for me.”
Rosa laughed as she stood up, secretly considering her options. She had never experienced any quadrants, save for an adolescent pitch fling that ended in severe punishment from one of the Elder Jades. Honestly, she wanted to fall face first into what was happening, but she didn’t think it was pale. No way, at all. This seadweller was far too attractive for that. Also, something more than pity was forming inside her. When she looked into those violet eyes she was turning more and more red for this man, and she didn’t know what to do about.
But, if she can harbor an illegal mutant, maybe she can snag this unique seadweller.
She rose and kissed the captain on the mouth and pulled back, feeling rather pleased at the expansion of violet upon his cheeks.
He flashed a crooked grin. “Very well, then.”
“Very well, then.”
Rosa thought blissfully as she wrapped her grub up in her shawl and she escorted back to largest ship in the harbor:
This could be the start of something nice. . .