#otamatart

[raitrolling]

Vignette: Upskilling

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

A soft breeze rustled throughout the grounds of the Espino Mansion as Eichio cheerfully toiled away in the garden. The weather was perfect for outdoor activities: the twin moons shone brightly in the cloudless sky, and the air was cool but not too chilly. The yellowblood was dressed in his usual uniform, somewhat inappropriate for gardening but were the clothes he felt the most comfortable in. 

Typically, a hedge maze only required one major trim a sweep, but Eichio enjoyed wandering through it to cut off even the slightest amount of overgrowth weekly. The maze was an exact replica of one from a movie his boss had recently watched and enjoyed, a twisting labyrinth with a minotaur statue in the centre. His boss had even gone as far as to commission a small wooden version of the maze, displayed on the third floor of the mansion, overlooking the estate grounds. The hedges were perfectly maintained, despite their inevitable impermanence.

Mister Espino was the kind of troll who hated stagnation. Deliberately allergic to any sort of routine, and considered boredom to be his biggest fear. As a result, the entire garden would be uprooted and redesigned from the ground-up a couple times of sweep, sometimes to match the theme of an upcoming event or simply because he had gotten bored of the scene outside his window. 

It was a lot of work, but whenever it was time for the garden to be renovated, Eichio was never alone. There were the temporary contracted landscapers, there was Gerrel (somewhat… Unfortunately, given his penchant for showing Eichio up whenever they worked together), and a few times Akiote had also been hired to assist (much more fortunately). He felt like he could be capable of taking on most of the work, but Mister Espino would never allow that.

‘It would be quite inefficient if one of my most trustworthy employees ended up falling unwell due to excessive overwork, no?’ The indigoblood would tell him, and Eichio would have to concede that he was correct.

Tonight, Eichio’s boss was also taking advantage of the ideal weather, opting to sit outside as he performed some chores of his own. One of his pistols lay disassembled on the wrought iron table, a cloth covering the surface so that no small pieces would fall through the cracks. Sprays and bottles of cleaning oil were sorted neatly on one side of the table, alongside an assortment of cloths and medical swabs. 

Just as Eichio was methodical with maintaining the hedges, Mister Espino worked through the steps with careful precision. One must always keep their primary strife weapon in its utmost condition, especially a specibus as complex as a pistol. Each piece was thoroughly sprayed and wiped down, then reassembled the same way he had done it many times before.

By the time Mister Espino had put the gun back together, Eichio was already approaching the table.

“Mister Espino, I’ve finished in the garden! Is there anything else you’d like me to do?” he asked, cheery and polite.

Mister Espino did not have any other tasks, but he also knew that Eichio still had the entire late evening to spare. If he didn’t give the yellowblood something, he would end up cleaning the already-spotless hive again.

Eichio looked expectantly at his boss. Mister Espino’s eyes glanced at the pistol in his hands. 

Then there was a glint in his eye and his lip curled slightly into a smile, as a new idea had spontaneously constructed itself in his mind.

“Say, Eichio. Have you ever thought of trying out a new strife specibus? One that may perhaps become much handier than your current set of projectiles?” the indigoblood asked, his tone very even. As if he wasn’t asking his employee something so out of left field.

“Um-” Eichio stared at the gun, then back at his boss. “I haven’t, but…”

He couldn’t turn down a request from Mister Espino. They both knew that well. So why…?

“Oh, sure! I can learn that!” He replied after a brief moment of hesitation, a well-practiced smile on his face. 

Mister Espino chuckled. 

“Ah, good. I rarely do get the chance to teach others how to defend themselves, and mentoring others is quite the fine way to keep one’s mind sharp, no? Just as I occasionally guide Jikiro in the kitchen, teaching someone how to use a weapon may assist in refreshing myself as well. And, not to mention, it would be very helpful to me if you were capable of utilising multiple weapons, as one never knows when an extra set of hands may be required.”

He stood up, displaying a fine lack of firearm safety by spinning the pistol around his finger, then daintily handed it to his employee.

“What do you say, Eichio?” 

Eichio didn’t know what to think. He was used to Mister Espino’s impulsive decision-making, whether that be having sudden urges to cook dishes or tearing down all the curtains in the mansion because he decided he now hates their colour, but learning to use a gun is… Quite a lot. He liked his noisemakers because they were perfect for throwing at trolls using his psiionics, and were more annoyances than actively harmful. 

A gun cannot do anything but kill. 

… But, then again, he has assisted his boss with his more… Violent hobbies before. Helping hold a troll down while Mister Espino systematically broke every single bone in their limbs, passing pliers that were used to rip off fingernails and pull out teeth, submerging body parts in formaldehyde for preservation or into acid for destruction.

And he had done it all with a smile on his face, as he was happy to assist his boss. Blood was unquestionably already on his hands, and Mister Espino said that learning how to use a firearm will help him in the future, so… What was the harm?

“Oh, okay. I’ll try it out.”

Eichio accepted the pistol, feeling the cold weight in his hands. It was uncomfortable, mechanical, almost surreal to hold. He curled his fingers around the handle, and placed one on the trigger-

“Ah, ah! First rule of gun safety, one should never point a gun at something they do not intend to shoot at. Now, where is your gun pointed?” 

Eichio’s eyes followed the direction of the gun’s barrel. It was pointed directly at Mister Espino’s right leg.

“Oh-! Oh no!! Um, I’m so sorry!” He immediately moved his hands, pointing the gun firmly towards the ground, and bowed his head in apology. It has been less than a minute and already he was making silly mistakes. 

Viltau waved his hand.

“Of course. You did not know, so there is no need to be so alarmed, no? However, when handling firearms, it is of utmost importance that one takes their responsibility seriously. Now, I will show you how to check to make sure that the gun is loaded.”

He takes out a second pistol for demonstration purposes, identical to the one in Eichio’s hands. Mister Espino preferred his weapons to come in pairs. Then, as practiced many times before, he unloaded the gun, showed his employee what an empty magazine looked like, and then inserted the rounds until the weapon was once again fully loaded. Eichio copied the same technique, first very slowly but then repeating the gesture multiple times until he earned an approving nod from his boss.

“It is quite impressive how such a highly complex mechanism can be so easy for anyone to pick up, in fact loading the gun is quite possibly the most difficult part of the job! All one needs to do is aim it at their desired target, place their finger on the trigger, and shoot. It is no wonder that handguns are standard issue for all fleet recruits, supposedly. Now, what would be the best object to practice on, hm…”

The indigoblood tapped his fingers against the pistol’s barrel in thought, eyes scanning the estates’ grounds. Of course, the answer was right in front of him: At the centre of the hedge maze, raised on an elevated platform so half the upper half of the body was visible no matter where one looked, was the bronze statue of a minotaur. All but the platform was movie-accurate, as Mister Espino had opted to forego making an exact replica of the garden in favour of its centrepiece taking on a much more imposing form. It looked like a demon, rising about the labyrinth that would spell doom for those who tried to enter.

Mister Espino aimed his weapon at the creature’s head, closing one eye and sticking out his tongue as he mentally judged the distance. Satisfied that one could make the shot, he nodded and looked back over at Eichio.

“Say, how about you aim for the minotaur? It would be quite an effective target, no? Close enough to the troll form that one can tell where a shot may be fatal, and yet lacking the realism and charisma that a troll’s face may evoke.”

Eichio nodded, and obediently raised the gun at the statue.

He thought of how he had seen his boss’ stance whenever he was using his strife specibus. Always so casual, as if he was simply playing with a toy. Eichio mimicked what he had seen from him, relaxing his shoulders and tilting the gun so it was aimed at more of a forty-five degree angle.

Mister Espino tutted quietly and reached over, gently guiding Eichio’s hands so that the gun was now perfectly upright. With a few other light gestures, he adjusted the yellowblood’s posture as well.

“Keep it straight, Eichio. That will provide you with the best aim and the most stability from the recoil.”

“Mister Espino, don’t you always hold your gun sideways, though?” Eichio asked, curious.

His boss chuckled.

“That is only for those who feel confident adding a bit of flair to their stance. Perhaps once you have gotten the fundamentals down, you can try more complex firearm-wielding stances.” 

Eichio nodded in response, then resumed staring down the target in the distance.

The statue was a large target, the centrepiece of the hedge maze, and while not depicting a troll the creature’s form was still troll-like in stature. It was and never had been alive, but its torso was sculpted with such fine detail that Eichio could picture it as a living, breathing person. He lined up the pistol with the target, closed one eye in an attempt to steady his vision, and placed his finger on the trigger.

His hands would not stop shaking. 

Why? It wasn’t a difficult task, he should be able to do it fine. Gerrel could probably pick up a gun easily, why couldn’t he?

His mind unravelled with worry. Flooded with fear of being unable to be useful to his boss, of not meeting his standards, but - most importantly, the fear that by learning this skill and putting it to use, he would be taking a life with his own hands.

Eichio lowered the weapon.

“I’m sorry Mister Espino, I… I don’t know if I can do it,” he admitted, voice low in defeat.

“Ah, that is a shame, but it does make sense. It is quite a heavy burden to be the one to pull the trigger, no?” Mister Espino nodded, surprisingly understanding. He placed a hand on his chin in thought, looking down at the gun in Eichio’s hands. Then he hummed in affirmation.

“Say, you are very skilled at operating complex instruments using nothing but your psiionics, no? It is quite awe-inspiring to watch you play multiple instruments at once using them, indeed. Perhaps, then, we should instead try a more hands-free method, then? That way it is not your own hands firing the gun.”

Eichio considered that, then nodded. That sounded like a good compromise.

-----------------------------------------------

A few weeks later, a blueblood found himself tied up in Mister Espino’s basement.

The previous night, he had struck one of the part-time employees in anger after they had accidentally spilled wine on his white suit. 

In the past twenty-four hours, he had learned two things:

One, that someone with a reputation for throwing murder mystery parties can very effortlessly pass a drugged champagne flute to his target without his expression betraying him.

And two, the indigoblood pacing around the room and monologuing at him was serious when he boasted about caring for the wellbeing of his employees, no matter how low their caste may be. The noble blood that ran through his veins was worth less than the stains on his shirt caused by a mudblood. 

The indigoblood ceased his ramblings (the blueblood had not been listening, still reeling from the effects of the sedative), and stared him directly in the eye.

“Now then, perhaps you may have any last words?” 

The blueblood squinted. He was not fully cognisant, but he could tell there was no way the party’s host could kill him from this distance. There was no weapon in his hands.

“You’re bluffing,” he slurred.

The event organiser laughed, covering his mouth with one hand to hide a rather toothy grin. Then he held up both hands in a surrendering gesture.

“Ah, I’m afraid you have caught me! I do not have any means to kill you right here, nor do I have the intention to do so.”

His eyes narrowed, and his grin widened.

Behind him, the blueblood could see a golden glow emerge from the darkness. A psiionic aura.

Then, he felt the cold metal of the barrel of a pistol pressed against his temple - cocked sideways, gangster-style, and emanating the same golden glow as the figure behind his captor.

“But, I asked my most trustworthy employee if he could comply, and he was very eager to assist.”

The last thing he heard was the click of the unmanned gun.

[raitrolling]

12th Perigees presents time:

Nancor bought a notebook which he decorated the front cover with pressed flowers, as well as a block of dark chocolate for Gliese. He sent the same gift to Argumi as well (since he wasn’t sure if he should deliver it in person due to Argumi’s psiionics), but instead of flowers his notebook is decorated in fabric scraps.

Dismas bought Maidel a couple video games (including a dating sim with a joking comment about how he’s always trying to find ones with the broodingest anime boys possible), and also restocked her pantry with all the snacks he’s eaten the last few times he was at his hive.

Eichio gave Gerrel a bouquet of flowers. The selection seems somewhat random but aesthetically pleasing when put together, but there are a number of yellow hyacinths in there... He also bought some chocolates for Ullane and some fruit for her lusus, as well as a nice pen holder for Viltau that matches a fountain pen Jikiro gave him.

Callan bought Gerrel a decent pair of trail runners that are black with green and red accents, since he’s always hearing about how his moirail goes on a lot of hikes and if he’s gonna get chased by a bigass bird again then he’s at least gotta look cool doing it (and not sprain an ankle). Izuili was given a 12th perigees stocking full of shitty cheap Kris Kringle gifts, because he’s not at the stage where Callan is trying to put thought into his gifts yet. Also a kazoo, because his name is totally Kazooli, isn’t it?

Ashe bought Cheran some more books, as usual. He feels a little bad that he’s not the most exciting gift giver, but he does try hard to find books he knows Cheran would love! He also made little gift bags with candy canes, chocolate coins, and store-bought gingerbread men for his employees and the Crown Clinic staff.

Mikiel managed to get Lyvere booked in for a couple lessons with a professional chef that specialises in a cuisine that Lyvere enjoys cooking the most. He also took Thrixe out for dinner, and bought him some really nice art supplies and a canvas.

Lusien made Anirus a hamper with various jams, preserves, and pickled vegetables that will last while they’re out sailing, wrapped in some starry-patterned fabrics from the local market. He also gave them the sketchbook he had with him while he was traveling with them, since it’s filled with sketches of the boat and other scenery they saw together.

Viltau obviously had to make a cake for Jikiro, but also had a custom suit jacket and waistcoat combo tailored to fit him, both of which are accented with traditional Japanese silk patterns. His gift to Kitaer was distracting him with a murder case for the entire 12th Perigees night, only for his kismesis to come home and find that Viltau had completely covered his hive in tinsel and baubles. At least he left him a 12th Perigees pudding decorated with strawberries dyed black and cut into spade shapes. Lastly, his full-time employees got their 12th Perigees bonus and some movie vouchers to encourage them to go out more.

Glasya bought Mikail some new plants for his hive, a couple of small indoor plants and one dwarf fruit tree for his apartment balcony. Since they’re spending 12th Perigees with him, they made dessert: A box of chocolates, half of which are plain dark chocolate and half that are chili chocolate, and one that is actually a chocolate-covered warhead candy as a fun surprise. They also made bags of candies for all of their friends.

Vallis bought Epsilo some saltwater taffy and some interesting shells that washed up on Vernrot’s beach, because he... May have forgotten about 12th Perigees until the last moment. Whoops! 

Linnae bought some little 12th Perigees trinkets for Arctus, Aislin, and everyone at the clinic (though he asks Ullane if she can deliver Xrumon’s gift on his behalf, because he’s still wary about approaching him), probably just a novelty bauble and a candy cane. He’s not super familiar with 12th Perigees because his caretaker never celebrated it, but hearing people talking about presents made it clear that he’s supposed to buy something!

Fleure figured he might as well give Akidis something seeing as she’s allowing him to live near her hive, so he left a basket of fruit (picked from her own fruit trees so she doesn’t have to do it later) and some wildflowers at her doorstep with no indication that it came from him.

[raitrolling]

Tea For Two

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

Viltau had been busy. Not any busier than he normally would while in the process of preparing for the next big event he was hosting, but it was a different kind of busy. Plotting, scheming, trying to get all the facts together and making sure he understood what role each piece was playing in the game of finding the culprit. She had been identified as Gliese Benral thanks to the combined efforts of Jikiro and Ullane (and Jamie via proxy, who curiously had relayed Jikiro’s information to Viltau, instead of the tealblood telling him outright), and they had a lead in the form of a mutual relation between herself and a friend of both Ullane’s and Gerrel’s. Gerrel had also been helpful to brainstorm plans with, and had connections to people in places Viltau was lacking in. 

The final piece in play was of course, the troll whose dead lusus started it all. The true victim of this story, as Viltau would loath to give any credit to that annoying creature the yellowblood called a father. He had to keep Eichio in the dark for as long as possible, as if he found out prematurely the reaction would be far less cathartic. Viltau wanted nothing less than a perfect result for his plots, and for that he needed Gliese to confess to her crimes right in front of his employee. But he could not neglect Eichio, in fact to avoid any suspicion he needed to do the opposite.

This did not bother him one bit. He considered himself a good host first and a mastermind second, after all.

Eichio had also been busy. With everything that has happened, he wanted nothing more than to be constantly occupied with something to do. If he was useful to others, he could push his thoughts about failing his lusus aside. He had stuck mostly to remaining at Mister Espino’s hive, with the exception of a short outing to visit Ullane to help her with a medical experiment. But seeing her had unfortunately made him feel worse. She wanted him to play some music for her as part of the experiment, but his heart just wasn’t into it. He felt awful for failing her, no matter how much she reassured him that it was okay to have ‘off’ nights, but he couldn’t convince her to let him try again either. He left her clinic upset and disappointed, both at her for not letting him finish the job for her and at himself for feeling that way, even if he never told her out loud.

He couldn’t go home and face his lusus, and he didn’t want to see his friends at the moment either. He was trying to avoid Gerrel when he could as well, at risk of losing his temper at his co-worker yet again. Right now, he only felt comfortable around his boss.

Said boss had just knocked on the open door to the laundry, where Eichio was currently sorting some freshly-dried clothes. The yellowblood looked up at the sound, attention pulled away from finding the pairs for each sock.

“Eichio, would you care to join me for lunch?” Viltau asked, and held up a plate of sandwiches cut into quarters for emphasis.

“Oh, okay, sure. Is it okay if I leave these where they are?” He smiles tiredly in response.

“That is fine.”

Eichio dutifully followed the indigoblood back upstairs to the main dining room, and waited for Mister Espino to set the sandwiches on the table before he took a seat. The table was fit to seat twenty people, but despite the amount of space available Eichio always took the seat to the left of Viltau whenever they ate together. Which was an event that became more common recently, given his boss’ insistence on making sure his guest ate at least three meals every night. 

It was probably the most Eichio had eaten in recent memory. He was prone to skipping meals whenever he had more important things to attend to, or if he’d made too many mistakes in one night that he felt like he didn’t deserve dinner. All behaviour that was encouraged by his lusus. 

“The first four are chicken caesar; then a classic BLT; then a simple tuna and cucumber; then finally a turkey, brie, and cranberry.” Viltau gestured to each set of four sandwiches as he listed the ingredients. “Please, do help yourself.”

He takes one of each and sets them on his own plate. Eichio follows suit, out of politeness to not ignore any of the dishes his boss had carefully prepared for lunch. There was no reason for him to have prepared so many different sandwiches, but the yellowblood also knows Viltau would have done it solely because of his own indecisiveness regarding what he wanted to eat. What most people would call a ‘waste of food’, Viltau would see as a fun culinary experience.

And if there was anything left over, he would offer it to his employees to take home for later. Just like what Gerrel offered to do that time. 

“Thank you,” Eichio says, and takes the pitcher of ice water off the table to pour both of them a drink. Then he finally sits down.

The two ate in relative silence, one not having any conversation they were willing to impart on the other, and the other simply having nothing to say at all aside from giving their compliments to the chef. The food was nice as always, the bread baked to perfection and careful attention given to how much butter should be spread to enhance the flavours of the fillings without overpowering them. The bacon is crispy and the other meats not overly chewy, the greens are crisp and fresh, the cheeses artisanal, and the condiments made from scratch. If he had time to make things himself and he was confident they would be just as good if not better than store-bought, Viltau saw no reason to not make his own.

 As Eichio nibbled his way through his tuna and cucumber sandwich, his thoughts drifted away from the quality of the meal, and back towards what - or who - he was abandoning in favour of enjoying a nice lunch with his boss.

He can’t stay here forever. He has to go back and confront his lusus at some point, and the longer he puts it off, the angrier his custodian will become. His lusus can hunt for itself, sure, and it knows which windows in the hive it’s able to slide open so it can go out looking for food. It’s perfectly capable of looking after itself, but it still expects Eichio to be there. He dreads the rant he’ll have to hear about leaving his dad to starve while he gallivanted off with that annoying soft employer of his. A good boss wouldn’t be cooking for his employees and letting them take time off work, they know how to keep their workers in their place. 

He can’t keep taking advantage of his boss’ kindness like this. He can’t keep avoiding his responsibilities like this. His lusus doesn’t need him, but he needs to be there for it. He needs to just suck it up and accept the well-deserved anger that will be launched towards him, just like he used to.

“Mister Espino,” Eichio puts down the sandwich in his hands. “I think I should go home soon.”

He glances over at his boss, who for a split second seems surprised by his words. 

“Hm, I see. And why do you think that?”

The indigoblood looks over at Eichio, his voice calm as always while his eyes reflect a glint of curiosity. It can be difficult to tell exactly what he’s thinking at times, but the neurons are definitely firing off right now. 

“Oh, well…” The pressure of having his boss stare at him erodes Eichio’s confidence, and he ends up staring down at his half-eaten sandwich on the plate. “It’s been nice living here, and you’ve been really kind, really! But… I think if I stay much longer my lusus might be angry that I’ve taken so long to come home.” 

“He’ll be angry regardless, no?” 

A quick and very deliberate response from Viltau stops Eichio in his tracks. He is right, his lusus is always angry… He doesn’t wait for a response from the yellowblood, and continues.

“Of course, it is very understandable to be concerned. No doubt this is the longest you have been away from your custodian, no?”

Eichio nods, guilt present in his eyes. That look does not deter the other troll.

“In that case, would it not be best to wait a little longer? With how volatile he can be, perhaps it may be best to ensure as much time has passed for his emotions to settle. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. For all we know, he may come to discover how much your absence pains him, and he might learn to be just a little kinder!”

For as assured as Viltau’s words may be, Eichio is not sure if he’s convinced. That sounds so… Easy. All he needed to do was just leave for a period of time, and his problems would be solved on their own? Not to mention, he doesn’t think he could ever picture his lusus being kind, as upsetting as that train of thought is. But, when he looks over at Viltau, he doesn’t see a liar. He sees someone who knows how to say the exact words people want to hear, someone who exudes confidence, and someone Eichio can trust. The indigoblood, in turn, only smiles. He knows when he’s struck gold. 

“Or, perhaps it may be better to think of it this way: By not returning hive so quickly, you are, in a way, standing up for yourself, don’t you think? This can be your way of proving that you are independent and capable of doing things on your own, and that you are not willing to bow to demands that are legitimately unreasonable. It’s always a good thing to set boundaries and then enforce them, no?”

In their initial discussions about Eichio’s lusus, Gerrel had mentioned thinking it would be best if Eichio could learn to stand up against the creature. And if Gerrel had told this to Viltau, then he almost certainly would have had this discussion with Eichio.

There is a look of recognition on the yellowblood’s face upon hearing that argument, but he fails to miss Viltau’s gaze taking on a hint of slyness before the indigo breaks eye contact to take a sip of his drink. Another calculated move on his part.

“Oh, is it?” Eichio tilts his head slightly, considering the proposition. Is this what Gerrel meant when he said that his lusus only has as much power as he gives it? Thinking about it, there was no way his lusus could have stopped him from simply never going home. It has no power over Eichio here, and it knows it. The ball is in Eichio’s court now, he could go home now and return to be constantly under the wing of the parrot-chameleon hybrid, or he could keep doing what he’s doing now. Neither option feels particularly good to him, but if he had to choose…

Mister Espino has always been the better role model. Eichio’s tired smile seems a little brighter upon coming to that conclusion.

“Okay, maybe I’ll stay a little longer. Is that okay? I can do whatever you need to make up for me imposing on you for so long.” He sounds a little less troubled now, more reassured that he might be making the better decision.

“That is perfectly fine, Eichio. Take as much time as you need, I do understand the unusual circumstances for your imposition. And, there is no need to work any harder than you already do. I require no payment of your time or literal funding.”

Was that, for a brief moment, a look of relief?

“Thank you, Mister Espino.” Content and feeling a bit more perked up than he did before, Eichio picks up his sandwich again and resumes eating his lunch. 

Viltau also went back to the sandwiches that had been left neglected on his plate. Manipulating Eichio was far too easy that it provided no entertainment to him whatsoever, he’s far too trusting of the indigoblood and inclined to agree with everything he says. But there was still a chance this newfound knowledge that he is capable of making his own decisions will cause all of Viltau’s plans to be for naught. No matter what, Eichio cannot return to his hive until Gliese has been caught, it’s simply far too risky. He doesn’t want to play the role of the bad boss and trap Eichio within his hive with no desire to escape, doing anything that even remotely resembles the tactics of his lusus could jeopardise their working relationship. That was what concerned the indigoblood above all else, he could not lose his best employee.

It was a good thing, then, that he was raised to be so obedient. 

[raitrolling]

💋 Otamatart! Cuz I am -curious-

unfortunately this one would not amount to anything, sorry! viltau isn't interested in crossing that line because eichio is his employee first and foremost, and he's got his heart set on another troll. and while eichio knows that standing under mistletoe means you have to kiss someone, he'd be Obviously Uncomfortable the entire time and vil doesn't want to do that to him

so if they did get caught under the mistletoe they would just silently agree to ignore it lmao

[raitrolling]

Quiet

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

Eichio was returning home tonight. It was partially his decision and partially Mister Espino’s, who was kind enough to allow Eichio to stay over during this whole debacle with his lusus, but felt that it would be best for him to take some time away from work to get back into a better headspace. For once the yellowblood agreed to take time off, but not without some negotiation: He needed to be away from the mansion for a week at minimum (his boss wanted more), and then he could return whenever he felt ready.

Eichio already felt ready to come back to work, but he couldn’t disobey his boss. And maybe he was trying to use work as a distraction.

He dutifully tidied up the room he had been staying in, but he had no possessions he needed to take with him. His departure from his hive was a spur of the moment decision, so Mister Espino had gone out to buy him some toiletries and extra clothes for him which could be kept at the mansion in case he ever needed to return. His boss had also admitted that he had investigated the hive a couple times while Eichio was away: Once out of curiosity where he first discovered someone had broken in and his lusus had mysteriously disappeared, and a second time with Gerrel to properly investigate the scene of the crime. He had informed Eichio that he had bought him a new lock for the front door as the intruder had busted it (but had not had time to replace the broken one), and also he made sure to pour the milk stored in the fridge down the sink before it could expire. Knowing that Mister Espino had been aware of the situation for so long didn’t sit right with Eichio, but he understood the logic behind it.

He even got a hug from Gerrel as he was on his way out - which, while unusual, wasn’t unwelcome. He didn’t say anything, and Eichio wasn’t sure if he did it out of sympathy or obligation, but the sentiment came across all the same. He thanked his co-worker for the support, and then quietly turned and left so he could go back to work. He’ll probably need as little distractions as possible to keep up with the workload while the yellowblood is away.

The walk back to his hive felt both quiet and alien, and staring up at the building up in the treetops felt lonelier than ever. He climbed up the rope ladder the same way he has hundreds of times before, and felt the anxiety building up in his gut. By the time he placed his hand on the doorknob, he was already trembling. He knew his lusus would not be there to greet him, was he dreading seeing the truth with his own eyes, or did he always feel this nervous to be home without fully comprehending it?

There was no sound of wings flapping or talons scraping against the wooden floors or birdlike screeches when Eichio opened the door. There were no blood splatters or loose feathers, either, just a layer of dust along the furniture that would be imperceptible to anyone not conditioned to make their living space spotless. It was as if the hybrid creature who raised him never existed at all. Its lack of presence was palpable, yet somehow, it felt easier to breathe. The absence of noise and fury, but also the absence of fear and dread. Eichio stood in the doorway for a long moment, taking in every nook and cranny of the room, making sure everything clicked as his new reality.

Strangely, while the hive had not been cleaned since he was last here, all the flowers indoors and out on the balcony appear to have been looked after. He wondered if Mister Espino had been watering the plants as well. 

He pushed the wooden wedge up against the door with his foot to keep it open, and began his usual routine of opening every curtain and window in the room to let in the fresh air. The inside of the hive was stuffy, but not stiflingly so. With each window opened, Eichio would look over his shoulder, expecting to see his lusus there waiting to lecture him about a chore he had not completed correctly before leaving for work. Of course, there was nothing there, and he felt a paradoxical wave of grief but also a release of tension in his shoulders. His hands were no longer shaking.

Is this how the atmosphere of a hive is supposed to feel? He knew there was something missing, and he felt awful about why that void now exists, but it’s all so… Quiet.

He headed over the kitchen to check the fridge. Sure enough, the carton of milk was gone and had not been replaced. The rest of the fridge was relatively bare, some vegetables in the crisper that he had intended to use in the meals he planned out the other week, a tub of butter, a carton of eggs, and various drinks to be used as mixers whenever he practiced his bartending skills. The pantry tended to fare much better, filled with staples that could be used to throw together a quick meal that takes as little preparation and ingredients as possible because- 

What do you think you’re doing? You’ve been home for five minutes and you’re already dodging responsibilities? This hive isn’t going to clean itself!

Of course, those words are solely in Eichio’s head, because the one who normally told him that is no longer alive. He instinctively flinched at the thought, but then it dawned on him that he won’t be forced to prioritise his lusus’ many tasks over his own needs anymore. He could eat whenever he wanted. He could sleep whenever he wanted. He could even wear whatever clothes he wanted without his lusus chastising him for looking ‘unprofessional’. It would be just like how he lived at Mister Espino’s hive (with even more freedom, as his boss would still look for him to make sure he was eating enough every night), or how Gerrel talked about his hive life. 

He grabbed a couple ingredients from the pantry - a bottle of olive oil, a bulb of garlic, a small jar of chilli flakes, and a handful of spaghetti noodles - retrieved a bag of grated parmesan from the fridge, and began bringing a pot of water to boil to prepare something to eat. He’d never gotten this opportunity to cook so early into the night for just himself, and it was around the time most trolls would normally be eating dinner. 

As he sat at the dining table with his bowl of pasta, he thought of what still needed to be done. He needed to dust and polish all the furniture, most obviously, then clean all the windows, vacuum and sweep the floors (redundant, but that was what his lusus always wanted), clean the bathroom (but he hasn’t used it in over a week so it should only be dusty, right?), wash the bedsheets and swap the pillows and duvet with manchester that had fresh sopor (again, he hasn’t slept here in over a week), and… That’s it. He could do it all tonight, but then what would he do for the rest of the week? And even with spreading out all the chores over a couple days, how else is he supposed to fill his new-found free time?

He could visit friends, since that privilege was recently taken away from him by his lusus. He could spend time brainstorming the best way to repay Mister Espino for his kindness without his lusus accusing him of ‘slacking off’ by not actively working on something. He could even-

God, what was he thinking? He almost choked on his forkful of pasta. All this talk about freedom, meanwhile his lusus is still dead. That is precisely why he’s free. How could he be so selfish, so quickly? Gliese said she killed his lusus because of what it was doing to him, as if she was doing him a favour. To be entertaining these thoughts so freely was sickening, and he could no longer enjoy the half-eaten meal left in the bowl. He can’t bring himself to agree with someone who acted so cruelly for no good reason. 

Gliese said that his lusus was never going to change, and that was why he had to die. Mister Espino said that the animosity would cool down in time, and his lusus may learn to appreciate him more after a period of separation. Gerrel said his home life was not normal, and a loving lusus would not act this way. His lusus said that it did everything because it wanted the best for him. Everyone did what they thought was best for him, but none of it made him feel good. 

He’d spent the last few weeks wondering if he ever felt good in the first place. 

His thoughts had circled around from dreading seeing his empty hive, to considering the freedom this empty hive now brought him, and back to dreading the freedom because the hive was so empty. He knew he had to get himself out of this conflict loop so he could start moving on like he’s supposed to, but he didn’t know where to start. He couldn’t listen to his heart like his boss had told him when the heart has no idea what it wants. All he could do was think.

And there was much for Eichio to think about: How to fill the void and the silence his lusus left behind, what to think about the advice and motives behind every one he knew who was personally involved with the matters of his lusus, and how to pick himself up and start feeling okay again. But most importantly, how to make this empty hive feel once again like his own home. 

[raitrolling]

What do you think of how Eichio is currently handling himself, Viltau?

i would SSay that he iSS going well, FFrom my perSSpective aSS hiSS boSSSS. he haSS returned to work and iSS aSS dutiFFul aSS ever, which iSS all i require oFF him.

oFF courSSe, i cannot SSay FFor certain what iSS happening behind cloSSed doorSS. i'm SSure he knowSS that he can SSpeak with me iFF he haSS any iSSSSueSS he would like to addreSSSS. but, i think thiSS queSStion would be beSSt reSServed FFor thoSSe who care about him on a much deeper level than i, no? i believe there are otherSS he iSS cloSSer to, in termSS of a platonic relationSShip.

[raitrolling]

Ripple Effect: Full Plot Masterpost

In which one murdered lusus causes things to rapidly spiral out of control. Primarily focuses on Eichio and Viltau, and their various friends, allies, and enemies (belonging to @cloudbattrolls and @trolloled). 

complete tag in chronological order

PROLOGUE

RP Thread - Gerrel visits Eichio’s hive

MAIN STORY

A House Divided

Deadcrush

Hunger Of The Pine

RP Thread - Viltau interrogates Ullane

Tea For Two

You & Me (Part 1)

You & Me (Part 2)

RP Thread - Jikiro meets up with Viltau

Left Hand Free

RP Thread - Gliese is brought to Viltau’s hive to confront Eichio

Blackbird, Fly

Quiet

BONUS CONTENT

Cover Image by Cloudbattrolls

Reticulation Matrix / “Reality’s Song” - Musicbox utilised in Left Hand Free 

when you gotta herd all these cats into coming together to form The Most Immoral Plan Of All Time

[raitrolling]

some 12th perigee gifts which is early but i drafted this last night and im too impatient to save posting this till christmas LMAO -

nancor bought lonnen a large bouquet of flowers which he dried and preserved so that they can potentially last forever, and also a nice block of peruvian dark chocolate 

dismas bought aislin some manga that he figured out she was interested in by stalking her twitter, and bought maidel a couple new dating sim games :)

eichio put together some little gift boxes full of 12th perigee-themed candies and chocolate to give to viltau and the other full-time employees at the mansion, apparently forgetting gerrel’s aversion to overly sugary stuff. oops!

callan bought a two pop culture-themed cookbooks for gerrel, with the caveat that if he didn’t understand any of the references then they have to watch the movie or tv series together. he also maybe forgot to buy something for maidel because he was too busy trying to think of Another Perfect Present for his moirail, so she just gets some random cheap kris kringle shit from a dollar store rip. and izu gets signed photos of callan so that he knows who the real star is B)

ashe once again spent all of the holiday season panicking over what to buy cheran because What If He Buys Something Cheran Hates Because Hes Not Very Good At This Whole Boyfriend Thing and probably went overboard with buying gifts for him, oops. hopefully cheran doesn’t feel too overwhelmed with the combination of new hardcover books, some art supplies for his anatomical drawings, a nice new mug with some fancy tea, and a few extra cute cat-themed goodies that ashe couldn’t not buy. he also bought his employees some little 12th perigees stockings filled with chocolates as a little gift, which helios and rotavh probably didn’t want lets be real here lMAO

mikiel bought lyvere some professional-grade cooking utensils that he happened to be lacking. what do you mean you’re lacking this set of knives with highly-specific purposes that are vital to this one cuisine you mentioned wanting to try cooking once?? 

lucy put together a notebook full of recipes for anirus and painted the cover a nice seascape for some extra personal flair, and wrapped it up in a scarf made by the local tailor so they have something extra to wear whenever they’re out sailing in the middle of winter. he also made and painted a wooden box for thrixe so he has something nice to put his own art supplies in

viltau put together an entire fucking 12th perigee-themed escape room for kitaer to solve, which may or may not have involved a little bit of friendly kidnapping to actually get his kismesis into the room to begin with LMAO his employees also got paid time off over the 12th perigee-new sweeps eve break and he booked them activities like restaurant outings and movie tickets and whatnot to force them to actually take time off. youre not getting out of it that easily eichio and gerrel!!

glasya made candies for all their friends obviously, and themed both the candy and their packaging to suit each person’s tastes. ullane got some medical-themed candies in test tubes, thrixe got pink (patrick) starfish candy in this honestly cursed mug, and mikail got some candy cigarettes in appropriate packaging and some sea creature themed candies in a fish-shaped ceramic box. they genuinely considered putting mikail’s gift in a foxy grandpa hat so everyone thank god for giving them just enough common sense to think that’s not a good idea

vallis acquired some nice specimens for epsilo to study, namely a couple sea urchins that are native to vernrot and also happen to be good pets. he also got him some miscellaneous squid-themed paraphernalia because of course he did

[raitrolling]

some oc 12th perigees gifts:

aislin made batches of sugar cookies for everyone at the office, and a batch for campir as well. her decorating is getting better every year, but she still worries people will make fun of her wonky candycane stripes or christmas tree lights that came out blobbier than she was wanting (no one ever does)

eichio bought mugs for his boss and co-workers, and filled them up with store-bought candy canes and christmas-themed chocolates. his co-workers all got mugs with cute designs and positive sayings on them like these, while viltau got one thats a lil fancier

callan got some silly novelty kris kringle gifts for gerrel, which he put a good 0.5 seconds of thought into. of course he’s gonna love this $10 mix-your-own-martini cocktail kit and a baseball cap with reindeer antlers, they’re gifts from the coolest guy ever, callan!

amarys bought her boss a nice and expensive bottle of wine, and also insisted on cooking dinner for him if he hadn’t made any other plans for 12th perigees. hopefully damath can stomach the ‘’’fun’’’ twist she put on a classic roast lamb (read: picked whatever random herbs and spices she could find in the cupboard and also attempted a dark chocolate pepper sauce because she saw it online and it sounded interesting)

ashell fretted for literal weeks over what to buy cheran, but he eventually settled on some books (a medical textbook and two novels). and also some toys for his cat

as per their yearly tradition, velour and aiolos regifted each other some older gifts they didn’t want. aiolos got some chocolates and a pair of ugly hand-knitted socks a fan sent velour, and vel got a candle and some soaps he had already regifted to aio two sweeps ago

aiolos also gave a few vintage comics and some custom-made hoodies for poludi based off some of his favourite Nerd Things, and sent skreia some stupid horror games and two tickets for some ghost tour that’s supposed to be the most haunted location closest to her hive. also, liiore received a giant squishy ditto plush on his doorstep

mikiel remembered lyvere mentioning how he wanted to try making a certain dish, so he did his research and found a cookbook of The Most Renowned Chef who specialises in that particular dish

lusien tried to make a ceramic mug for anirus using the coil pot technique they taught him, but unfortunately it was a victim of sharing a kiln with the town’s local art class group. so he improvised and made some jars of different jams and preserves, and also bought them a nice handmade blanket from the town market

daimon wanted to buy nice and expensive personal gifts for his friends, but thanks to his bad luck the orders got lost in the post and are probably sunken to the bottom of the ocean by now. so he had to rush out before the shops closed on 12th perigees eve to buy whatever was left. hope dismas and fukkau like boxes of cheap chocolates and some christmas keyrings

viltau bought movie vouchers for his employees, as well as booking some restaurant outings and other recreational activities specifically at times they were supposed to be working because he cannot trust those idiots to actually take breaks unsupervised. he also set up an elaborate murder plot and anonymously sent out clues for kitaer to solve and he’s absolutely certain he won’t be able to crack this one for at Least two weeks. enjoy not having a 12th perigees-new sweeps break asshole :)

[raitrolling]

Viltau vs his staff. All of them (or Eichio I guess if you wanna be bORING, assuming that this is some freak au where Eichio wouldn't immediately impale himself on Vil's knife if Vil asked)

i mean the only full-time staff that would be willing to throw hands at viltau would probably be lyvere, but he’s technically not canonically part of the squad yet

im gonna be Boring and just stick w. vil vs ei, cuz i dont wanna make assumptions abt characters i dont own, and obvs Freak AU 100% applies here since neither character would be willing to fight each other in p much any other scenario (as vil does not harm the employees he trusts enough to offer a full-time position, and ei is too much of a Useful Asset that him being injured/dead would be detrimental to vil)

----------------

but i feel like viltau would quite easily be victorious, given that he’s naturally physically stronger due to being a highblood and has no qualms against hurting or killing others. neither have any particular experience in combat, but vil is far more comfortable with using his strife specibus than eichio is (and also has Actual Weapons as opposed to eichio having noisemaker toys as his weapon of choice lol). also eichio would not want to harm a highblood under any circumstance because that would make him a Bad Person, so even in a Freak AU he’s not likely to fight back

though eichio does have the element of surprise on his side thanks to his psiionics, which when he activates his telekinesis he can passively pick up nearby objects that are caught in his psiionic ‘forcefield’. if backed into a corner, thered be a good chance he’d unintentionally activate them as a last-second survival attempt, so if there happened to be an improvised weapon lying around he could probably bonk vil in the head with a book or something LMAO

but ultimately, guns tend to beat squeaky party favours in most fights ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[raitrolling]

vil has asked ei to assist him with Edgy Murderboy Activities cuz sometimes you need an extra set of hands when torturing someone, and he knows he could easily get ei to commit murder on his behalf but the only thing that stops him is that he knows ei would do it without hesitation and thats just not fun

[raitrolling]

World building for Viltau!

B A S I C S

full name: Viltau Espino

gender: male

sexuality: gay

pronouns: he/him

O T H E R S

family: The Swindler/Pavlov Espino (ancestor, deceased), water vole lusus (abandoned)

birthplace: hatched in the caverns, raised in some lakeside estate I never bothered to name

job: event organiser, caterer, chef

phobias: dying without making a name for himself / leaving some sort of legacy behind, fear of boredom

guilty pleasures: the amount of desserts he makes just to eat on his own should definitely count as a guilty pleasure

M O R A L S

morality alignment?: swings between true neutral and neutral evil depending on his mood

sins - gluttony, pride, wrath

virtues - diligence

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert/extrovert: introvert

organized/disorganized: organised

close minded/open-minded: open-minded

calm/anxious: calm

disagreeable/agreeable: disagreeable, generally willing to hear people out but he can get very stubborn

cautious/reckless: usually cautious, but prone to reckless behaviour when he's bored

patient/impatient: patient, but you really don't want to test your luck

outspoken/reserved: outspoken

leader/follower: leader

empathetic/unemphatic: unempathetic

optimistic/pessimistic: optimistic

traditional/modern: modern

hard-working/lazy: hard-working

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp: Kitaer (Kittau)

ot3: n/a

brotp: Eichio (otamatart), whatever the fuck him and Belamy have going on (strawberry shortcake), and his friendships with both Amdzah and Jikiro

notp: n/a

[raitrolling]

Hard Work Actually Works

(continuation of this drabble)

You expected to wake up on the floor - or the more probable option, kicked out of the mansion, possibly with a gun to your head. Instead, your still-hazy mind notes that you’re still in the library, lying on the very couch you tried to move. You shift to a sitting up position, prompting a wet cloth that was placed on your forehead to slide down your face. You place it onto a side table that happened to be moved next to the couch, almost knocking over a glass of water and a box of headache medication in the process. Your jacket, bow tie, and shoes had been removed at some point and were now neatly draped over the other couch. You move your legs off a small stack of pillows grabbed from various rooms in this hive, but another wave of dizziness prevents you from standing. That’s right, you passed out, didn’t you? What were you doing again?

After rubbing your eyes a couple times to try and rid the dizziness away, you spot a familiar indigo figure out of the corner of your eye, a stack of books in his hand, grumbling quietly to himself as he places a copy of Oliver Twist back onto the shelf. First edition, first volume, published under a pseudonym and with the plates the author reportedly disliked. A priceless piece in your boss’ collection.

You’re instantly hit by a wave a guilt as soon as you see your boss. Of course, that’s what you did. You ruined his library trying to improve your psiionics. He’s definitely mad at you, you’re certain of it, even if you’re feeling too dizzy to properly discern his expression. Why wouldn’t he be mad? He loves his books, more than anything - or anyone - else. It’s the very reason why you used them as a self-punishment for not perfecting your psiionics in the first place. He seems to be absorbed in his work at the moment, so you give him a couple minutes to finish with his current handful of books before you speak up.

“M-Mister Espino♪ I’m so-”

“i thought SSomeone had broken into the manSSion,” he interrupts you, not turning to face you as he grabs another stack of books from the ground. “i waSS quite SSurpriSSed to SSee you here, even aFFter i had told you to get SSome reSSt. you didn’t appear to be well.”

You thought you were hiding your fatigue incredibly well. Mister Espino had never made any indication that he had thought you were feeling anything but perfectly fine as you usually did. Even after working for him for so long, you guess you still don’t know him after all. He continues.

“i underSStand that you’ve been working hard, and perhapSS it waSS incorrect oFF me to not properly acknowledge that. i apologiSSe.”

He’s apologising to you? But you’re the one who’s been bad, you got too preoccupied with your petty feud to focus on what mattered most: making sure that he was happy with your performance.

“But♪ Mister Espino♪♪ I’m sorry♪♪ I should have listened♩♩ I can put the books back♪  it’s okay♪ ♪  please don’t be mad♩♩♩” Your words are desperate, and you feel like you’re close to tears. You’re scared of how he’s going to react, but you keep talking regardless, “I’m sorry I ruined your collection♩♩♩ I- I can fix it ♪♪♪ I promise♩♩♩ I’m really sorry♪♪♪ what can I do to help♪♪♪ I-”

He turns around, smiling…? It’s that same unreadable smile he always has, only this time you feel just a hint of genuineness from it. You’re not sure why he would be happy, but it makes you feel a little better that he’s in a good mood rather than trying to break the nearest piece of furniture. Or breaking your limbs one bone at a time, which you have seen him do to those who have broken his trust once before.

“they’re juSSt bookSS, eichio. very expenSSive bookSS, but nothing i cannot eaSSily replace, i have the FFundSS to do SSo. my employeeSS, however, while replaceable, are very much more valuable than a couple SStorieSS. i could eaSSily FFind new oneSS, but none will ever match the work ethic and a deSSire to do their beSSt quite like my current FFull-time employeeSS do. thuSS, it iSS logical that i keep them around and value them higher than mere material poSSSSeSSionSS, no?”

His words, while vague and devoid of any sort of real tenderness, feel like the kindest thing someone has ever said to you.

“and, aSS your boSSSS, i would like FFor you to take my wordSS into conSSideration when i tell you to take a break. i appreciate your propenSSity FFor working hard, and i’m quite FFlattered by how much dedication you put into making my liFFe much eaSSier than it already iSS, but you SShouldn’t do anything at the coSSt oFF your own well-being. i would be a FFool to expect perFFection FFrom anyone, and even more oFF a FFool to loSSe my moSSt truSSted employee to SSomething aSS eaSSily fixable aSS exhauSStion. not to mention, it would reFFlect rather poorly on me, eSSpecially when i am highly critical oFF other highbloodSS FFor miSStreating their employeeSS, don’t you think?”

You nod without thinking. You’re always predisposed to agree with everything he says, but this time you feel more like genuinely agreeing with him. You always knew that you were his most trusted employee, but hearing him actually say it feels… Special, in a way. You know he’s not the type to truly care about anyone apart from himself, but you feel like you’re definitely in that grouping of things he appreciates the most and believes to be the most beneficial. You feel a little silly for doubting him and going against his wishes, but you don’t think all the apologies in the world will ever make up for what you’ve done. You’ll have to thank him in the way you know best later, you’ll spend all your money on the biggest and brightest bouquet anyone has ever seen.

“Is there anything I should do now♩♩” You ask, though you already know the answer. You just want to hear him say it. He waves his hand dismissively.

“it’SS FFine, juSSt take it eaSSy the next FFew nightSS. iFF you don’t FFeel well enough to walk home on your own, you’re FFree to SStay here.” He returns the last of the books back to their rightful place. “but, i SSuppoSSe i SShall not diSSturb you any FFurther, i’ll be in the kitchen iFF you require any aSSSSiSStance.”

And with that, he leaves the room. You only just noticed that one of the library doors is missing. He must have decided that the most logical way to get into the room after you had locked yourself inside was to simply break it down. Mister Espino is always full of surprises, no wonder you enjoy working for him so much.

[raitrolling]

Eichio for world building?

B A S I C S

full name: Eichio Maccau

gender: male

sexuality: pan

pronouns: he/him

O T H E R S

family: The Songbird/Adrile Maccau (ancestor, deceased), "Dad" (parrot/lizard hybrid lusus)

birthplace: Hatched in the caverns, raised in the Evergreen Woods

job: housekeeper/bartender/occasional musician for Viltau

phobias: failure / not living up to other people's standards / not being a 'perfect' lowblood

guilty pleasures: don't tell anyone but sometimes... he likes to rest for a couple minutes after work...... Scandalous

M O R A L S

morality alignment?: neutral good

sins - just a little bit of envy lmao

virtues - charity, diligence, humility, kindness, patience

T H I S - O R - T H A T

introvert/extrovert: introvert

organized/disorganized: organised

close minded/open-minded: close minded upbringing, but tends to naturally be more open-minded

calm/anxious: anxious

disagreeable/agreeable: agreeable to a dangerous extent

cautious/reckless: cautious

patient/impatient: patient

outspoken/reserved: reserved

leader/follower: follower, also to a dangerous extent

empathetic/unemphatic: empathetic

optimistic/pessimistic: optimistic

traditional/modern: traditional

hard-working/lazy: hard-working, also to a dangerous extent

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

otp: gerrel (butler royale)

ot3: n/a

brotp: viltau (otamatart)

notp: n/a