A week later…
In a dimly lit area in the living room, Luna peacefully snoozed on a soft, plump pillow, completely devoid of noise and aggravation. However, comes a loud ring from Kore's bedroom alarm, and immediately the fluttermoth slumber is interrupted. Squeaking in aggravation, she stretched out her bug legs and wings to shake off the leftover drowsiness.
That is when she noticed her friend and owner are not in bed. It was still made and clean just as it was three days ago.
Luna squinted her eyes and let out an angry huff, hopping onto the dark oak floors as she stomped to her owner's work office…
Kore's head was slumped against a canvas of blue paint, snoring away as the palette from their hand slips off, paint blotting the carpet as it clattered against the floor. The flutter moth huffed as she flickered her wings and took flight, pulling on the folk troll's hair. And when that failed, poking Kore's face with her nubby legs.
"Ugggh, five more minutes Lucio…" Kore drowsily groaned, swatting Luna away as their eyes remained shut.
Luna lets out a sigh as her loaf body slumps.
Alright, you asked for it.
The Fluttermoth got close to the folk trolls' ears, took a deep breath in…
And lets out a loud, shrieky scream that no bug should ever make. But somehow, she did. But luckily, it got Kore to wake up and fall over, their easel and canvas crashing on top of them. Luna flinched at the scene, her saddened look masking her statement that 'okay, maybe that wasn't a good idea…'
Kore let out a grumble as they pushed their art stuff off them, pressing a palm to their head.
"Luna, *groans* what did I say about screaming in my ears, they're sensitive…"
Luna let out a remorseful whimper, fluttering down to her owner and nuzzled their cheeks as an apology.
"You know these nuzzles won't work on me forever…" Kore sighed.
Luna squeaked, and her boggish eyes sparkled.
"Noooooo not the puppy eyes- fine. I forgive you." Kore giggled as the fluttermoth crawled onto their lap and purred as the folk troll began to pet them. Kore looked over to the fallen canvas set, letting out a deep, solemn sigh. "Needed to redo the whole thing anyway…"
Kore hummed out in thought. "What time is it?"
Luna squeaked and zoomed out of the room for a moment, a second later zooming back in with the alarm clock in numb arms, promptly dropping it in Kore's lifted right hand.
"F9:15?" Kore yelled as their eyes widened, quickly getting themselves up and out of the room. "I was supposed to be at work an hour ago!"
A blackberry-haired classical troll drummed her quill against the clipboard she held in her tiny, baby hands. She was making sure everything was well-prepared and organized, to her criteria, of course. After all, she wasn't handsomely rewarded many times for naught, and if anything were to fall out of place; endless discourse will ensue.
And sure enough…. something was missing- no.
Some troll was missing…
"Ms. Pearcup?" She called out, and suddenly Flora popped out behind the counter, and unknown to the elder classical troll, a hint of nervousness hiding behind her sweet smile.
"Yes, Ms. Dionea?"
"Where is Mx. Skywater…?"
"O-oh, uh- "
Flora fiddled with her fingers as she tried to come up with a valid reason for Kore. But as the few seconds passed, Ms. Dionea silently groaned in annoyance. "Well- "
"Forget it. You don't need to make up an excuse for that flawed excuse of a- "
The classical troll ceased their tirade as the sounds of the bell ringing came to her attention, her body turning to stare at the troll who walked through the door.
It was none other than Kore, who was panting and letting out heavy breaths, indicating that they must have ran, or flown because they have wings, all the way here.
"Ah, Mx. Skywater, glad to see you show up to work around…" Ms. Dionea paused, looking at the pocket watch. "…One hour, 5 minutes, and 2.5 seconds."
The folk troll let out a sigh as they walked past her skin-piercing glare in favor of putting on their work apron. "I know, Ms. Dionea, and I'm- "
"Ooooh, save it…" The classical troll sneered, floating towards her office. "And take off your apron, I would like to have a private discussion with you…."
A visible sweat rolled down Kore's cheek as they slowly hung their apron back up and walked towards the office with a hand holding on to a strand of hair. Flora looked on with equal nervousness as the folk troll disappeared into the room.
Meanwhile, in techno kingdom, Trollex was casually relaxing on a sponge-like sofa, his loyal friend and beat fish snoozing on the other end, his snoring comparable to a game of rhythmic beats. Every few minutes, the marking can be seen popping a sea grape into his mouth, its juice giving a sense of pleasure and lax. Ah yes, nothing beats a lazy day.
"Good morning sir, I see you are enjoying your day off." Trollex heard behind him, followed by the living room door closing shut with a loud thud.
The blue techno troll smiled as his royal advisor and the main scheduler came into view. Their name was Selache, a dark magenta techno troll with a monotone voice, but a huge and understanding heart.
"Sure am!" The king beamed, his tail flicking upwards in contained excitement. Selache gave him a subtle smile, before going back to their neutral expression as they flipped through their clipboard.
"And it seems for the next couple days you are also free from regal duties," the advisor paused as the king dropped another grape into his mouth, giving a thumbs-up as he silently chewed. "However, since you need a portrait, I'll have to schedule an appointment with an artist."
The kind furrowed his unibrow in visible confusion. "Why do I need another portrait to be done?"
"…"
"Selache? My dude?"
"…" The troll let out a slight cough as they fixed their visor. "Someone in the castle has asked that I keep that information private."
"…. Was it Synth?"
"Again, private information."
The king let out a soft groan. "Alright. Make an appointment."
The advisor nodded as they clicked their pen and started dotting it down. "And which techno artist would you like to paint your portrait?"
"Well, actually Selache, how about we offer the job to different trolls? Considering the tribes are reunited and all, how about we give non-technos a shot?"
The advisor let out a flat hum. "Seems reasonable, but, not to undermine your suggestion, do you know any trolls that can take the job?"
The techno king paused, tapping his chin as he mused on it. "Well, actually, there is this one troll I just met recently…"
"…Kore Skywater."
The folk troll winced as the elder classical troll slammed a scroll on her desk, their name etched into a waxed seal. As Ms. Dionea breaks the seal to unroll the scroll, Kore felt their anxiety spiking tenfold.
"Ms. Dionea, may I ask, what is the scroll for?"
The classical troll snapped her head towards the green troll, causing them to flinch as she stared coldly.
"This is your record of flaws…" She sneered, grasping the edge of the scroll.
"…I'm sorry, my what now?"
didn't even bother to listen, instead proceeding to list off the 'flaws' she has written up.
"Arriving to work late, Arranging plants in the incorrect order, Late responses to my demands and requests, Sometimes taking an extra minute during a break, Conversing with co-workers-"
"Why is having a small conversation with a friend a flaw?"
Dionea glared at the folk troll, her lips curled into a tight frown. "…Speaking WITHOUT permission, and thinks coworkers are friends."
slammed the scroll back onto her desk, her facial expression glowing with contained aggravation. "And luckily, those are the only things I can read off of you, but who knows, maybe there will be MORE things to list off shortly."
The folk troll remained silent for a couple of minutes, before narrowing their eyes at their boss.
"This. This is not normal. This 'scroll' isn't normal! Isn't it normal for trolls to have a certain number of flaws, some they can fix, and others they can't?"
The classical troll gave them a curled-lip grin, her hands pressing together as if she's some sort of dealer making an uneven bargain with their victim. "Well, actually Mx. Skywater, the idea that 'Everyone is flawed' is just a cheap ploy to halt others in what I call 'the perfection process'?"
"…The perfection process...?" Kore grimaced, highly suspicious of this 'idea'.
"Yes, well, of course, I'll have to explain it to you, since you won't be able to grasp the concept!"
I probably won't end up understanding it, but okay…
"You see, there's a line between the perfect and the flawed. To get to the side of the perfect, one must adapt and work hard to get to that area, with or without consequences. Take my daughter for example,"
Dionea paused for a moment to retrieve a photo of another, younger classical troll, with green hair and a birthmark above her lip.
"At a young age, she made instruments screech and howl with pain, and couldn't get a SINGLE word out of her mouth. Now she is 1st chair of the Troll Orchestra, a master of all instruments, and can speak 17 different languages, INCLUDING troll-Latin."
"That…seems like an awful amount of pressure and capabilities latching onto a single troll..." Kore argued, with a shaky smile. Ms. Dionea responded with a huff,
"It is if you are flawed, however, my daughter was able to surpass my- the theory's expectations. I would say the same for you but…"
She gestured to the folk troll with a wave of her hand and a sour expression on her face. "You are an imperfect individual. One devoid of anything positive about oneself!"
Kore stared her down with crinkled eyes, their muscles tensing around their mouth
"I- okay, Ms. Dionea, I may have…issues, But I swear that I have reasons, or at least one…"
"Oh?" Ms. Dionea drawled, her eyebrows raised in mock curiosity. "And whatever could this reason be?"
Kore took a deep breath, exhaling as they repeated a mantra inside their head.
"Providing a reason why I'm late sometimes, is because, well…I am an artist. Specifically, a painter. And I have at least a couple of commissions I need to get done so I tend to stay up late." The folk troll paused, letting out a sigh, their fingers clasping together. "So with that, the least you can do is bear with me."
went silent for a few seconds, before giving Kore a sympathetic grin. "Oh dearie," she muttered, fluttering close to the folk troll, the smile remaining as she gazed into their eyes. "I am so sorry…"
Kore gleamed back with genuineness. "Thank y-"
"…that you are wasting your time in general."
"…what?"
"You have never mentioned that you were an artist, and now I understand; You think creating art is fun, relaxing, or both. But really, it's a waste of time and effort and distracts you from the self!"
The old classical troll lets out a fit of laughter, devoid of kindness and cruel to the folk troll's ears. Meanwhile, Kore continues to sit there, their hands grasping at the edge of the seat, embarrassed, confused, and conflicted with the classical trolls' sense of mind.
"B-but-"
"No buts! I don't want to hear it from some troll who thinks painting is a line of passion and beauty!" she scoffed, fluttering away to look out the window behind her desk. "It's a joke, and you, Mx. Skywater, is a part of it."
Kore remained silent. After that comment, they utterly accept to remain silent. They can feel the tears forming in their eyes, but they don't ever dare to cry in Ms. Dionea's office. She'll probably call them weak and add them to their flaw list.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Work time is precious, and you're wasting it. Get going."
Kore gave her a slacked nod, before getting up and quietly slumping out of the office, the door opening and closing with stiff movement.
It's been a few hours since the conversation ended, and with Ms. Dionea leaving the flower shop to run 'errands', Kore has allowed themselves the opportunity to play the radio; something the employees wasn't allowed to do while she's around and turned into 'Zummba's Lo-fi Hours' in favor of making a potential scene in the shop. As the folk troll worked themselves away, repotting plants and discarding wilting plants, Flora would peek in once or twice to check on them, asking if they would like help or suggest taking a break. Both of which they had declined. And each time, Flora slumped her shoulders in defeat.
As time inches towards closing time, Flora hummed as she drafted original designs for flower arrangements, seeing that no troll had been coming in the past hour.
Oh, how Flora dreamed to own a flower shop of her own. And having been working at this establishment for at least four years, she's so close to quitting and getting her dream shop. But then…what will happen to Kore? Hmmm, maybe she can offer to work at her flower shop..?
Flora gasps at the doorbell chimed, and a dark magenta techno troll donning a vivid cyan visor is inside the store.
"O-oh! Hello and welcome to 'The Perfect Blossoms'!" The classical funk chimed, though the stranger before her didn't respond. "Um, if you are need of a bouquet, we sadly sold out for the night but we can-"
She paused as the techno troll swiftly held up one hand. "I'm not here for bouquets. I was wondering if a troll by the name of Kore is here?"
"Oh!" she exclaimed, holding up her index finger. "Give me one moment please!"
And she skipped towards the green room, the door promptly closing behind her.
"Hey Kore?"
The folk troll looked up at Flora with raised and curved brows, slowly shutting off the radio. "Yes Flora?"
"Uh, there's a troll who wants to see you!" She explained, twiddling her thumbs together.
"Ah!"
Flora grunted as they rushed to get on their feet, dusting off the remains of dirt off their apron and race walked out the greenroom. Spotting the techno troll, they were relieved that it wasn't one of the trolls that commissioned them.
"Uh, hello," Kore stammered, "You said you wanted to see me?"
"Depends," The techno troll said, cocking their head to the side. "Are you Kore?"
"…Yes, yes I am. Am I in trouble or something…?"
"No. Not at all." The troll said, taking a clipboard and pen out of their dreads, scribbling something down. "My name is Selache, and I have been sent by King Trollex of Techno Reef to request that you come to the palace to paint a portrait of the king himself."
Kore's eyes grew in shock and surprise. "King Trollex…wants me to…paint his portrait..?"
"That is correct. Now first things first, will you be available on Monday of next week?"
Kore recoiled. "I actually have work here on Monday so-"
"I can cover for you Kore!" Flora grinned, earning a stunned look from Kore.
"Wha- But Flora-"
"Ah bup bup! Personally, I think you should take this job because, well for starters, you need a break from here, even if you're still working. And you might get higher pay!" She snaps her head towards Selache. "They are getting paid right?"
The dark magenta troll smiled. "Of course. And not only that, but the king is also throwing in a gift basket and because it might take a while, a dinner as well."
The two other trolls' eyes flashed with astonishment. While Flora's remains, Kore stopped, rubbing their arms with hidden nervousness.
"Wow, the king is indeed kind but…" The folk troll paused, tugging on a strand of their own hair. "I am still unsure. Plus, there's…my boss."
"And as I said, I can cover for you," Flora stated, putting a hand on their shoulder and giving them an apologetic smile. "I've been working here for four years, so by now I can put up with Ms. Dionea's insensitivity!"
"And I can happily write some sort of pass for you." Selache stated. "But that's only if you accept the offer."
Kore thought for a few minutes, their brain calculating the pros and cons of taking this offer. On one hand, a free day and a higher pay. The other hand, another series of backlash. On the other, OTHER hand, they get to see techno reef AND the techno palace itself.
A second later, Kore let out a exhale. "All right, I accept the offer."
Selache smiled softly, continuing with their writing. "Thank you for your kindness. Now a couple more things.."
"Okay-"
"You are needed at the palace around 11:15 am, being late is allowed but no later than 30 minutes. If those 30 minutes are up then we'll assume something bad had happen and have a search party."
Kore slowly nodded their head. "Ookaaay?"
"Since the trip to Techno Reef has a 50/50 chance rate of disaster, I'll personally send a ride to come pick you up and take you to the castle itself via the safest, but quickest route."
"All right."
"And finally, would you prefer a seashell themed or rave themed gift basket?"
The folk troll tapped their chin as they mused for a minute. "…Seashell."
"Excellent, and this completes your form." Selache chimed, ripping a piece of kelp-like paper out of their clipboard and handing it to Kore. "I look forward to seeing you on Monday."
And with that, the techno troll had left the building the same time the clocked tolled.
"Oh, it's closing time!" Flora squealed, slipping off their apron and taking Kore's as they took theirs off.
"Good thing we have a two-day break! That at least should give you some time to prepare and compose yourself, right?" Flora asked, turning her back towards the folk troll as she put their aprons away.
Kore let out a nervous chuckle, proceeding to grab the door keys behind the cashier counter. "Y-yeah!"
The funk classical troll smiled, opening the door as the two employees walked out of the flower shop, and Kore locking the door.
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you on Tuesday then!"
Kore paused for a second, their lips curled into a tight-lipped smile. "Yeah, I guess."
"Well, goodnight Kore!" Flora said, her wings fluttering as she took off for home.
"Goodnight," they said, watching her fly away. "and…good luck."