The Inspection

[acciomod]

On the whole, the weather had been temperamental lately. One minute, it was absolutely bucketing it down, and the next, it was bright sunshine. The amount of rain had turned the ground into a muddy mess, but at least the tents provided perfectly adequate shelter, and a gazebo had been erected over the community dining table to protect everyone from the elements.

Despite the temperamental weather, however, it had been fairly warm throughout the past two weeks, so the chill in the air during dinner that evening was particularly noticeable, even before the dark, hooded figure by the Ministry's representative's desk had been seen.

Nervously, the Ministry representative approached the table.

"I'm afraid we have a visitor," he said, addressing everyone at the table and hoping that anyone not there could hear him. "This is a Dementor, one of the Guards at Azkaban. It's a high security prison. He's just here to, well, ensure that a certain escaped criminal isn't hiding amongst you.

"I don't expect he'll be here for more than an half an hour, so do try not to worry too much. They can make people rather, well... uncomfortable."

Bowing his head slightly, he left the Outsiders to their meal.

[And so, a Dementor is lurking around the camp, just in case one of the Outsiders is secretly Sirius Black. They're known to sap the happiness out of the environment, and - in cases where there are true horrors in someone's past - cause traumatic memories to resurface.

The chilly, depressed feeling can be lifted by the deliciousness of chocolate, though the Outsiders will need to discover this on their own. Good thing there's dessert.]

Comments

[windseye]

[Ah. Forgetting bad memories. Vaati was an expert at that.]

If you're cold, then just go get a cloak.

[Gods, no. He didn't want someone else crying all over him, and even something like a snarky remark would probably set this guy off again.

Not that it was a very good snarky remark, though. The dementor was still making Vaati feel terrible, but not the kind of terrible that let him act like a TOTAL JERK.]

You're trying to forget a bad memory, I guess.

[....that much was obvious....]

Just tell yourself don't care about it at all. It should still work even if you just pretend you don't care about it.

[....he didn't really know why he was even bothering to say that. His way of forgetting things only worked because he found it easier to be an asshole than admit he had a problem to sort out.]

[no1troll]

[Despite Vaati's worries, his snarky remark passes by almost unnoticed. Tavros is used to far worse. It's the advice that provokes a fresh fall of brown tears.]

I'm trying! But I couldn't-!

[He drives his balled up fists into his eyes, as though he could rub the tears away.]

I'm pathetic.

[In his mind, his imaginary friend (and personified self-confidence) flinches. He's even letting Rufio down now!]

hic

[windseye]

[What was Vaati supposed to say now? No, you're not pathetic, don't worry, you're great?

He was a liar, but not the sort who lied to spare other people's feelings.

He LAUGHED at people who admitted they were worthless.]

Hmph, well I've certainly seen people worse than you, believe me.

[What had made him say THAT? If this Dementor was sapping his powers to be ~snarky~, he wanted to get as far away as possible from it.]

[no1troll]

[He lowered his hands and peered at Vaati. The word 'Really?' was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it. That sounded kind of like a compliment, and he's willing to pretend it was. He attempted a shaky smile, although it came out as some kind of lopsided grimace.]

Thanks.

[Oddly, it did make him feel a little less hollow. Very few people could delude themselves quite as effectively as Tavros Nitram.]

[windseye]

[Someone was actually thanking him? Well, that was new. Vaati was pretty much just used to people mutterly darkly as he went by, or blaming him for something stupid.

Then again, that was back at Hyrule. The people here seemed really.... different. In more than one sense of the word.

Still, it was weird that he was being thanked for telling someone they weren't the most pathetic person he'd ever met.]

It wasn't like I said anything that nice, but you're welcome.

[no1troll]

[His sorry attempt at a smile fades, but not entirely. Vaati might not feel at his best, but Tavros is drawing strength from how unaffected he seems to be. His peer has turned into more of a curious stare, as though he's really seeing Vaati for the first time.

What kind of guy is this, anyway?]

[windseye]

[Wait, now this kid looked sad again? What had Vaati done now? Hadn't....hadn't he been trying to help him? By telling him to just pretend not to care?

He was sure his confusion looked obvious now, but it was no use trying to hide it with that Dementor still around, playing on his bad feelings. Situations like this were why he didn't usually bother with people. Ugh.]

[no1troll]

[The stare continues for longer than is probably comfortable, but eventually Tavros points out:]

You're not human.

[Non-humans are kind of a rare commodity around these parts, okay? He probably wouldn't have blurted it out like that if he was still in his right mind, but he is curious.]

[windseye]

Of course I'm not human.

[Well...Hylians were technically humans..but he wasn't fully Hylian either...this guy didn't need to know the full details, though.]

You don't seem to be either.

[no1troll]

I'm just a troll.

[He wiped the last of his tears away on his arm, then tilts his head curiously.]

But you look kind of like them, it's just the ears...

[windseye]

The ears, huh? People tend to mention my eyes.

[That wasn't the strangest thing someone had picked up about Vaati's appearance. Then again, this boy looked stranger than even him.]

I suppose I do.

[no1troll]

Your eyes?

[He stares at them, looking for something unusual. A troll's blood colour fills in their irises towards the end of adolescence, but he's noticed that humans seem to have that no matter how old they are. And also that there are a lot of variations of brownblood, bluebloods, greenbloods, and a few others. Tavros's own eyes are yet to fill in, so his irises are gray.]

I thought you were probably just in a really rare caste, if you were a human.

[windseye]

A really rare...caste?

[Vaati had no idea what he meant by that, and although it seemed an innocent comment, it reminded him a little too much of some of the things he'd heard about his appearance before.. He frowned slightly, suddenly not eager to lift his gaze again.]

[no1troll]

Yeah, uhh. Because of your blood colour.

[He's beginning to question his assumptions. Does it not work that way for his species?]

[windseye]

[Strangely enough, it didn't. Although....]

Red is pretty uncommon where I come from, I'll give you that.

[no1troll]

Really? Red's the most common on Alternia, I think; they have the lowest blood and die fastest. But it's different from your eyes. Our redbloods are all dark red, like maroon.

There's never, ever been a troll with bright red blood like in your eyes... it's kind of cool.

[Although he was hit hard by the dementors, Tavros is also remarkably resilient. Very few things keep him down for long, and the creature's influence seems to be fading with almost the same unusual speed that it broke him down. He's even started stabbing at the food in front of him again, although his heart isn't in it.]