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Damara Megido opened the door to her hive, barely surprised to see Cronus Ampora there. She rolled her eyes and allowed him inside.
“Damz, I got problems,” the sea-dweller began.
“(You say this as if you are the only one who does),” she replied. “(Vantas again?)”
“Well, yeah, this time anyway. You know how it is…”
She smirked. “(Your failed romantic exploits will go down in history as both comedic and pathetic.)”
“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“(You may pretend as you wish, it is truth.)”
Cronus’s fins flared in indignation. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered with Damara. Most of the time, all she would do is insult him. Then again, that was hardly different from anyone else. At least with her, he could say he didn't understand a word of it. He could say it. It was not always a correct statement. She was also the only one who actually smoked, even if it wasn't human cigarettes. Cronus very much disliked admitting he had the most in common with someone so low on the hemospectrum, though he did have to admit that hanging around her did make it look like his claims about not caring about said spectrum were genuine.
Damara was already lighting up a joint. She knew what he was here for. To smoke and complain. Mostly complain. She was okay with that. It gave her a break from actively wrecking Nitram's shit. Sometimes a troll just needs to relax. After making sure the cherry wouldn't go out, she handed it to the sea-dweller. He took it gratefully, taking a drag and holding it a moment before letting the smoke out through his gills. She wasn't about to point out that it was impossible for humans to smoke that way. She was not willing to entertain that argument again, not today, though she kept it in her arsenal of petty jabs. It never hurt to have plenty of ammunition when you wanted to destroy someone.
Cronus fell back onto her loungeplank, looking up at the ceiling in contemplation as his arms rested over the back of it.
"I'm a fuckin' idiot, aren't I?"
"(Of course, you do not need me to tell you this.)"
"Why the fuck am I gettin' bluebulge over some asshole who took a vow of celibacy?" he groaned.
"(You already said it's because you're an idiot)," Damara giggled, taking the joint away from him as she fell onto the cushion next to him. She gracefully swung her legs over his lap, leaning back on the arm of the couch. "(And because even Porrim won't sleep with you.)"
Cronus sighed, closing his eyes. "I think I might be getting some actual red feelins for him."
"(It's a mistake. Red feelings only lead to trouble)," she murmured, taking a deep puff.
"Don't I fuckin' know it… I can't say anythin' to him about it. He'll probably go off on a tangent of how my feelins towards him are unwanted and are triggerin' him and then that's a whole thing, not to mention he keeps saying he's platonic with Latula but I think he's waxin' red and won't admit it. Then if I tell anyone else, EVERYONE will know and I can't be havin' that…"
"(It seems you must keep your unrequited feelings to yourself)," Damara said.
"It's startin' to hurt," he replied. "Really hurt. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this fake shit."
"(Aw)," Damara clucked in fake pity. "(But highbloods such as yourself are so good at being fake.)"
He frowned at her, snatching the joint away as she giggled. He took a long drag, starting to smoke more like a human, as if to spite her for reminding him of his rank on the spectrum.
"I don't think I wanna be like this anymore…"
"(What choice do you have? You put yourself into this tricky position. It will be difficult to get back out.)"
He sighed, eyes starting to glaze over. "I'm startin' to realize I can't make anyone like me. You barely tolerate me so you can complain about Nitram pushin' you out of the picture for Zahaak cause you know I won't tell anyone."
Damara began to seethe at the mention of Zahaak. If she tried to make his life miserable, he'd get weird and probably even enjoy it. She didn't know exactly what about him seduced Rufioh away from her but she despised him deeply for it.
"(You are good at keeping secrets, at least.)" She took the joint back, taking an aggressively long drag, nearly burning her finger tips. "(Maybe too good. No one will believe you if you admit to your entire affectation being an act.)" She considered putting it out on her arm, but thought better of it. It's not as fun to do that with Cronus around.
"Am I gonna have to put on another act?" he asked, primarily to her ceiling. "Is that gonna have to be my entire fuckin' life? One act on top of another, masks on fuckin' masks?"
"(I told you that you put yourself in a tricky position)," she mumbled, holding a new joint between her lips as she spoke.
Cronus put his head in his hands, trying to keep himself from spiraling. "Goddammit, Damz, I'm in such a bad way… I thought I wanted everyone to think I didn't have real feelins but it just made them think I'm a creep… What do I do…?"
"(You get in enough trouble for harassing people as it is. I do not think any advice I could give you would put you in more favorable standing.)" She offered him the joint, watching him take a long drag this time. "(But my advice is to steal something he loves and hide it, make him work to get it back.)"
Cronus started coughing, choking on his own breath at her advice. Damara laughed at him, taking the joint back.
"Fuck, Damz, what the hell…?"
"(It's how I get Rufioh's attention. Though Zahaak usually is the one to return his things, being good with gadgetry and all.)"
Cronus managed a smirk as he recovered. "You truly are a witch."
"(And you are hopeless.)"
"What a fine fuckin' pair we are, huh?" he muttered, leaning back on the couch again. He pushed a hand back through his hair, mindful of his horns. "We gotta figure somethin' else out or we'll be stuck like this forever."
"(Change is a hard and difficult road. You have your masks to discard. I have rage that will not subside until I get what I want. And neither of us have anyone who can truly share our burdens)."
"You get so much harder to understand when I'm high."
Damara sighed. Cronus was such a lightweight. She looked back up at the ceiling as she took another puff. Releasing the smoke with a sigh, she tipped her head back, speaking in terms he could understand in his state. "We. Are. Fucked."