Didn't realize it'd been a week, but I'm not late and that's what counts! Hello new favouriters and followers Sora Matasuki and NepetaAndTerezi!

~ CHAPTER 38 ~

Soap Sudding the Nutrition Plateaus

Dwayne balanced the stack of books and laden tray carefully as he moved down the corridor to the holding cells. His eyes were tired but nightmare-riddled sleeps was something he supposed he'd just have to grow accustomed to. Wesley and Camila were talking a lot more, probably due to the limited people to talk to and because Dwayne wasn't really talking to anyone. Maybe Dwayne should be feeling jealous? That'd probably be a typical Moirail reaction, but he just didn't care. He was in no rush to fix things with him and Wesley.

So not involving himself with pointless discussions like they'd done during their one week grounding, Dwayne decided to be productive. Reagan would have been in captivity for exactly one week, with only that one book and an irritating Camila to sate her boredom. Dwayne walked into the white room, carefully balancing the precarious load. It blocked off his view of the prisoner but when he was in front of her cell he turned so he could see her running at him.

"Rar!" Reagan dived at the glass between them and the shorter boy leaped in fright, the books clattering to the floor but he managed to save the tray before all the food spilled on the ground. Dwayne blinked his green eyes astounded as she started cackling with humour. The white-haired girl was doubled over laughing.

"What is wrong with you? I'm carrying all this stuff for you! Or don't you care if you get nothing to eat?" he frowned as she kept laughing madly but when Dwayne peered closer he could tell she did look thinner. He felt guilt about that. But this laughter was bizarre, had Camila really had that much of an effect on her? "Reagan, step back. You know the drill."

Wiping her eyes she complied and stepped back to the end of her cell. Dwayne opened the chute and lay the food down, he then sighed before getting on his hands and knees to pick up the mess of books. Reagan watched him with that dark humour glinting her eyes. And yet... even though it seemed just as crazy as her typical emotionless hostility, it was less frightening. It was more life-like. Dwayne put the books in neatly and pushed the shelf through.

Reagan's dark brown eyes remained on him as she sauntered gracefully forward. But Dwayne clenched his jaw and refused to back away. Her eyes flashed to the contents of the drawer and she picked up a book lazily.

"'Comprehensive Guide to Troll Romance'?" she read the cover sceptically and Dwayne rolled his eyes.

"It helps... in a psychological understanding..."

She pawed through for another book but then stopped. Picking up the food tray she stared pointedly at the hearty beans on toast and the poached egg with the cut-up bread slices and side of bacon.

"What the fuck is this?"

"My Mum used to make it when I was a kid," Dwayne shook his head, a little embarrassed "It's called 'Soldiers', don't ask me why. You break the top shell of the egg and then dip the buttered bread pieces inside..." he stopped when she looked at him.

"Are you kidding me?"

"And that glass is lemonade. The bottle's water."

"Whatever," she sighed and threw it back down.

"I think reading that faded black book will appeal to you the most."

"What is it?"

"The mother grub dug up information about all our ancestors. You'd probably know a little bit about them if you read the hemospectrum book I gave you before. Those recordings look like decrees passed by a former Alternian tyrannical ruler, a highblood General."

"Hmm."

"The mother grub is gone, by the way." and at that she scoffed. Dwayne was quiet for a moment before asking "How often does Camila come in here?"

"Every day. Why?" her eyes were probing.

"What do you two talk about?"

"Stuff."

"Well I'm out of here, it's not like I expected a 'thank you'. Hopefully she'll continue to mellow you out," and Dwayne started to leave.

"How do you know it's not me having an effect on her?" she followed him from inside the cell.

"I'm just really hoping you can be trusted soon, Reagan." Dwayne muttered.

"Trust me now. Open the cell."

"Fat chance." Dwayne said with a ghost of a smile and left the room.

He had no idea how the other two un-imprisoned trolls were keeping themselves occupied but Dwayne wanted to be doing something. He wanted to be keeping busy and if that wasn't by making plans for their next move it might as well be cleaning up the base that was neglected of him for three days. So Dwayne gathered all the cleaning supplies to start his day of work. Wesley was sitting in the lounge room and Camila was probably outside. Dwayne started with the front room because it's been disgusting ever since it had sopor slime tracked through it. He mopped the surface well and by the time he was finished it was shining.

No one better run dirt through here, he thought menacingly. Then he went to the garage so he could wipe down the transport crate they'd used to move the giant corpse out of the base. Afterwards he went back to the living room to start on the mountain of dishes. The way the other two had cooked a few nights ago the entire kitchen could do with a good scrubbing as well. Dwayne rolled up his sleeves and started working while Wesley hung back in the other room. Eventually the other boy appeared from around the cupboards and Dwayne thought that it might've been to help.

"Are you still annoyed at Camila?" he asked and Dwayne went back to what he was doing, forcefully wiping the grease off a plate with a soapy sponge.

"She's been really getting to me lately." Dwayne admitted.

"We're all getting to each other, after what happened." Wesley said and it appeared to be one of those rare moments he was reasonable these days. Dwayne said nothing and dunked the plate after it was done to get most of the suds off, placing it with the rest upside down beside the sink. "About the mother grub, Camila might've been insensitive but you're also being unreasonable."

"Really?" Dwayne didn't turn around.

"You were the only one able to communicate with her. To us she was just an intimidating figure that was there. We weren't able to understand her and because of that we weren't able to care about her. Camila's relationship with her wasn't as intimate as yours was and that's why she said what she said. The mother grub never really seemed human to us."

Dwayne scrubbed the platter slowly while thinking hard.

"Okay, I understand what you're saying Wesley." Dwayne didn't get a response and when he turned around the taller boy was gone. Getting back to his work he thought again about Camila with a frown and supposed he hadn't needed to fire up like he did. He remembered the mother grub quelling his anger before, telling him he had to remain calm because he was the reasonable one. Dwayne sighed, they all had quite a lot of work to do.

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