[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?"

Quadrant? [He chews slightly on his bottom lip, slightly anxiously.] Are you askin' me if you're...I mean...wwhat're you askin'?

[Inwardly sighs. No; am NOT propositioning you. Was merely a question and nothing more.]

"Nevermind."

Nevver--but wwhat wwere you askin' me?

[Must defuse FAST!!

Despite urgency to veer conversation well out of adolescent percolating hormonal waters, Luke keeps his cool.]

"I obviously don't fully understand Alternian 'relationships' and it's probably best we not discuss this further right now."

Okay... Wwell, if you still wwant to knoww anythin', Kar's an expert. It's probably better you ask him than me anywway...

[Karkat's also the one who warned Luke about Eridan's 'amorous feelings' for just about anything that moves.

Fortunately, Luke can and did dodge the bullet. He will definitely take all future inquires about troll life to Karkat. That one knows the vampire well enough not to misconstrue certain questions.]

[Mild relief in his voice] "Good." [Now praise] "Excellent idea."