[Confronted by a tall, blond, attractive, white skinned adult stranger in equally white clothing and a cool bearing - what preteen wouldn't get jittery.

Luke's mission here isn't to intimidate, though. For starters, wants to better know these interesting beings that have captured his attention.

Gives Eridan a smile.]

"Nice of you to come." [Gloved hand waves towards the couch.] Please, make yourself comfortable. Like something to drink?"

[Eridan gapes at him briefly, his mouth slightly ajar, and then closes it, and tries to look very put together as he walks over to sit down on the couch.]

Yeah, I wwould [Oh, um, manners, yeah.] please.

"Anything in particular?"

[From the moment he walked into the room, Luke extend his senses and was busily collecting. Although he frequently conversed with them (Karkat especially), this was the first Alternian met in person. Overall appearance, vocal patterns, Eridan's own scent and what could be summarized as the trolls' base scent were put to memory. Familiarity with the boy's energy would take time, but among a primarily human topside population, shouldn't be too difficult in 'feeling' him out from the crowd.

Outwardly: Nothing physically obvious to indicate what Luke was doing. Psychic ability/sensitivity in the other party, however, may notice the subtle once-over.]

Edited 2011-08-15 05:08 am (UTC)

[Eridan is blissfully unaware. He has no psychic capabilities that single him out from the crowd. As far as he knows, this is just a very confusing invitation.]

Wwell I'm fairly certain you don't havve anythin' Alternian on you so anythin's fine, really. I don't knoww much about the human shit they havve here.

[Exits to kitchen:

Definitely no alcohol. Earth fruit juices? - maybe. Coke? - too sweet. Soda water? - too much for a young palette. Ice water? - too understated. Ginger ale? - sweet with a bit of bite - lets try that one.

Returns with two large glasses of ice and ginger ale in each gloved hand. Luke nods towards the coaster holder on coffee table.] "If you would, please."

[High speed and dexterity, he could easily take out two coasters, but Luke's not in the mood to put on a 'magic show'. Likes to keep a few secrets about himself, too.]

Edited 2011-08-15 05:49 am (UTC)

[Wow. Protecting furniture. This guy really is high class. Eridan reaches over to take out coasters and set them down.]

So is there any particular reason you invvited me ovver or is it just general hospitality?

[Puts drinks down and goes to an armchair. As he prepares to sit, maneuvers his long hair over a shoulder to drape down chest into lap. Sitting on hair causes untold breakage - *shudders*]

"Curiosity about your race." [Truth. Would also like to lessen the discord amongst the Alternian trolls by giving their shunned member an outsider to talk with. Understands, too, the want of power and being alone.]

[Eridan watches him and then goes a little flushed and tries to cover it up by taking the ginger ale and sipping at it. Pretty good, actually.]

Wwell, okay. Wwhat do you wwant to knoww?

[Notes something about Eridan's blush....

Greens eyes narrow briefly in thought. Luke can't put a mental finger on it. Best to file away for later pondering. Adjusts his glasses to cover any inadvertent staring.]

"Further explanation of 'romance quadrant'. Hemospectrum. Or, you can pick a topic."

[Eridan practically inhales his drink but manages to keep looking normal, somehow.]

Alright, wwell, the quadrants are pretty fuckin' important, more important than the one thing humans havve, probably. They come in both red and black vvarieties, as wwell as bein' either...uh, related to matin' fondness or not. [He has both his hands cupped around the glass, now.] The first red one's wwhen you really fuckin' pity someone so much that you wwant to spend all your time protectin' them and that's Matespritship. The paler vversion a' that's Moirallegiance and you're like fated friends wwho make sure that the other one doesn't do anythin' stupid.

The ashen black one's got to do wwith three trolls and it's twwo wwho hate each other wwith a third troll mediatin' them so that there isn't fuckin' blackrom all ovver the place, and that troll's called an Auspistice. Kismesissitude--

[At this point, he starts blushing again, and takes a massive gulp of ginger ale to cool his face down. Too soon.]

Uh, it's wwhen you really fuckin' hate someone and they hate you back. You're rivvals. [He pretty much rushes the next bit.] The matin' quadrants are really important cos if you havven't...got them filled wwhen the imperial drones showw up, they cull you. [SO EMBARRASSING.]

[Reproduction was NEVER this complicated on Wild Kingdom.

He thinks back to what the ball (http://trollsbackwards.livejournal.com/5873.html?thread=512497#t512497) and Karkat's brief explanation of it.]

"If the Queen - one mother - is solely responsible for producing future generations, then why are matespritships mandatory?"

[Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. That is so...he probably has the wrong terminology. Stay calm, Eridan.]

Uh, there isn't a Queen invvolvved. It's the Mother Grub and-- Wwell, kismesissitudes are also mandatory...

[He clears his throat nervously, pulling up an end of his scarf to chew on it.]

It's all so they can collect the, uh, genetic material in p---um, collect it. And bring it back to the Mother Grub where it's all sort a' mixed together and it...gets turned into grubs.

[Although these alien trolls appear to be an insectasiod race, Alternian definition begs to differ with Entomology's over key terms.

Eridan's increasing distress begs for a change of topic. Leaning across the coffee table, Luke calmly reaches over and plucks the potential choking hazard out. Retreats back a ways to give Eridan some space, but keeps hold of the scarf's end so it won't wind up back in the anxious boy's mouth.

In a equally calm tone,] "May change the subject."

[Staring at Luke a moment, he eyes the end of his scarf, and then rallies, rushing very slightly.]

Wwell, that's about all there is to say on that topic anywway. The hemospectrum's easier. Basically, trolls rank in a hierarchy based on their bloodtype, lowwest and commonest bein' red and highest bein' purple. The higher up the line you get, the better the troll is, until you get to trolls wwith purple blood like myself wwho are aquatic and just generally superior.

[Corner of Luke's mouth quirks up in response to that last statement. Lets go of the scarf and settles back in his armchair.]

"In the olden days of my world, purple dye originated from sea snails. Was rare and expensive, only upper most classes could afford it. Hence why the color became associated with royalty."

Okay, wwell, that's a fuckin' wweird coincidence but it's all about bloodtype wwhere I'm from.

[No different from skin color discrimination.

Luke repositions himself into a psychologist pose: Legs crossed, elbows proped on chair's arms, fingers steepled just below the chin.]

"What is your view of those not of your race?"

[Eridan shrugs and picks up his ginger ale again.] I don't knoww, I'vve only met a few a' them, really, and three a' them are major fuckin' assholes to me. They're incredibly fuckin' wweird, mostly, I don't understand them.

"Let me rephrase that: Are quadrants and the hemospectrum applied to them as well?"

[Luke's posture doesn't change, but his tone does - subtle reassurance. The questioning is becoming 'personal' again. This time around, however, a gentler approach allows Eridan to pass on answering.]

[Shruuuuug.] Wwell kinda. I mean, they obvviously all havve red blood but you can just tell wwhich ones are meant to be at the top a' their society. I don't think there's any wway to really fuckin' make them understand the quadrants, though. The closest they'vve got is somethin' like pity, but it's not really.

"Does make the head swim." [Presses right index and middle fingers against temple for emphasis.]

"Where would you place me?"

Wwell you're definitely at least a blueblood. [He sounds confident about this.] No question.

[Hellsing and her dog would have fits over that statement being applied to the likes of commoner Valentine. Luke understands doesn't mean 'upper crust' in troll terms, but would fly over the two's heads.

Can't help finding it VERY amusing. Bit of mirth plays across the vampire's features as he takes up his glass and sips ginger ale.]

"Kind of you to say about a red blood - yes, I am one."

Wwell, it wwas pretty obvvious that you wweren't a troll. I wworked that much out.

"Dare I ask what quadrant or," [Giving the troll yet another out] "Do you want to question me for a change?"