==> Be the pissy yellowblood

[soundtricks]

You are now Zurahe Cadens, and you are GETTING REAL TIRED of this game's bullshit.



==> Zurahe: Deal with Meteors.



Man, fuck these goddamn meteors.

It's the last one you get to before your computer starts going off at obnoxiously frequent intervals, and you realize that despite everything, shit is still going down, and people are still playing. There's both good and bad, of course, but you could care less, even as you check your trollian list once more time for those two familiar names to light back up.

Then, your Server player trolls you, and you almost bite through your tongue in frustration.

Of course. Of fucking course the highblood princess is all yours to deal with- just your goddamn luck tonight, isn't it?

The idiot nearly breaks some of your instruments, setting down the equipment, but thankfully you've seen enough of what Eighis had to do to know what you should get going with.

You've just started to sign to him about the cruxtruder when the first imps show up. You don't bother giving him an opportunity to try and 'help'- they're weak little things, and you handle them without much trouble. You can see things rising and dropping, him testing to see what's heavy enough to get the machine open.

You decide you won't give him time to find something to drop on it.



Honestly, you just wanted a chance to let the fucker know just who he was dealing with here.

After that, it's a blur of activity- getting the cruxite to the totem lathe- kicking and punching your way through more imps as you go- and finding something to prototype your kernelsprite with. You wind up with a sprite who's part novel hero (unfortunately from one of yours and not your moirail's), part drum (that was certainly Ridian's- you'd know, you gave it to him).

Getting in was easy. Your Artifact was a score- thankfully a simple one- that you managed to play through despite the notes scrolling across the front of the 'sheet' of music your artifact had become. Once you were in the Medium, you went back to your husktop, hoping again that those two names would light up. Above your hive, your Lusii circled, and kept most of the smaller imps at bay with dive-bombs and warning screeches.

-- blackoutEtude has signed on --

After what seems like an eternity of waiting, you realize the last of you is in- the quick disconnect-reconnect of their appearance in the Medium lets you know.

And you know then that all hope for them is lost.

It takes another while still before you move again, slowly, but purposefully. You hook up the husktop to your speakers, just to make sure you can hear them outside your respiteblock and then head for the window. You probably won't answer any messages right away, but you think you deserve a break, after the hot mess that was getting Eighis into the game, followed by having that idiot highblood as your server. And now... this.

If anyone really wants you that bad, they can work their way through the order and come see you.

You drop from the window to the soft ground your hive has landed more-or-less upright in, and pause to listen to the rustling around you- there are still more imps around than the ones you already beat into submission. You whistle, and from your modus, your axes appear in hand, ready to be used- and from their perches waiting to dive-bomb more imps, you can hear your Lusii shift in place, feathers rustling.



The sound that comes from the speaker around your throat is meant to be a yell, but it's garbled and unintelligible, the volume making it impossible for it to work properly.

It works alright for a battlecry, you suppose.

Comments

[absentultima]

You really don't want to have anything to do with her anymore. It was all you could do not to find something heavy and crush her while you laid out what she would need. You even checked, just a little, for something heavy enough. You don't care what you destroyed setting things up, and might have tried to do some damage. Only the instruments you took the time to be careful with, because no instrument deserves to be destroyed.

But you aren't done. Something about building? Honestly it's vague. You can see her on screen and you'd like to tear her throat out...

`/0u
hy
1/\/\ supp0sed t0 bu1ld `/0u s0/\/\th1nq
wh∧t 1s 1t

[soundtricks]

Ugh, this guy. Honestly, you'd be more than happy if you never had to deal with him again. It's not like you didn't notice all those none-too-subtle moments of testing the weight of testing the equipment.

It's part of the reason why you'd opened the cruxtruder yourself.


you're supposed to help me get up to the gate
so you're ~supposed~ to build on my hive to make it reach
don't need any help though
not from any of you

[absentultima]

f1n!
1ll let `/0u d0 1t 0n `/0ur 0wn
see 1f 1 l1ft ∧ f1ngr t0 help `/0u
1f1 evr see `/0u h0p e1gh1s 1s there

So maybe you're too quick to take offense and you know it but oh do you hate her so much! And you already have a kismesis. Sort of.

Maybe.

It's complicated. You'd make good on your threat too, but you kind of like Eighis. And it's nice to have a quadrant filled. So maybe you won't. But if she pushes you even a little bit...

[soundtricks]

Sometimes, you really wonder why this princess can't take a fucking hint and learn when to shut up- especially if his hate's as platonic as he says it is. The ashen quadrant's never been your thing, and you're kind of irritated with both him and Eighis for dragging you into a makeshift one against your will.

If they'd just let you handle your own problems, this wouldn't even be an issue.


if you ever see me you'd better hope I don't notice you're there
because really, you're getting on my last nerve with this shit
and I probably wouldn't hate you half as much as I do if you'd just
shut
the fuck
up♪
figuratively speaking
and stop being such a little bitch about everything

[absentultima]

/\/\∧`/be 1f `/0u d1dnt keep /\/\ess∧q1nq /\/\e 1 w0uld!

[soundtricks]

You don't have the time for this. Or the patience.

And goddammit, you're already tearing up angrily again.

you messaged me this time, remember♫
but whatever
if all you're here to do is bitch at me some more
then get lost
not like anyone's going to care if you don't do what you're supposed to anyway

[absentultima]

0nl`/ bk∧use 1/\/\ keep1nq /\/\`/ end 0f the b∧rg∧1n!
but f1ne 1ll st0p!

absentUltima [AU] is offline

[defectivesaboteur]

Mi55?;
Are you 7here?;

[soundtricks]

You almost don't answer- but you figure it really does you no good to have EVERYONE on your team pissed at you. At least you can keep it short and to the point when it comes to answering something like this.

unfortunately
what's up♫

[defectivesaboteur]

Oh, no7hing i5 "up", Mi55;
I mere1y wi5h 7o inquire a5 7o your 5afe7y;
And find ou7 how 7hing5 wen7 wi7h your en7ry;
Have you en7ered 7he game a1righ7?;

[soundtricks]

This guy is so weird- who even calls anyone 'Miss' anyway? And he's so NICE, it's really kind of bizarre.

miss♫
seriously, the fuck is up with that♫

I'm alright though
not hurt or anything if that's what you're asking

[defectivesaboteur]

Oh, '7i5 qui7e 5imp1e, Mi55;
I mu57 ca11 7hee 5ome7hing;
And I do no7 ye7 know 7hine name;
And whi1e 5ome of my friend5 have 7aken 7o ca11ing 7hee by 7hine 7ro117ag ini7ia15;
I have a1way5 prefered more re5pec7fu1 appe11a7ion;
5o, "Mi55" i7 i5, I 5uppo5e;
If 7ha7 i5 a1righ7;

7ha7 i5 cer7ain1y good 7o hear;
7hough, con5idering wha7 I have heard abou7 7hine mar7ia1 prowe55;
I did no7 have many doub75 a5 7o your phy5ica1 5afe7y;
7-7hough, if you ever are injured, fee1 free 7o 1e7 me know;
And I wi11 offer wha7 aid I can;
Bu7 I mean beyond 7he phy5ica1, Mi55;
If 7hou ar7 having any 5or7 of prob1em or di1emma;
I hope you wi11 1e7 me know;

[soundtricks]

or
and this here's just a thought, cause you know, god forbid I'm actually helpful or anything
you could just ~ask~ what my name is
seems simple enough, don't it♫


'thine'♫
what even- actually no, let me just try and parse this myself
so I take it you heard I kick ass and punch meteors then
good t' know cause

You pause there, because for all intents and purposes, this guy just made a relatively pale sort of proposition, whether he realized it or not. It wasn't even the injuries thing either.

Problem or dilemma, huh?

Yeah, you've got a problem. Your matesprit and your moirail are dead, but you doubt anyone else can actually do anything about it at this point.

Fuck.

look
I said I'm fine, alright♫
I
don't
need
help
and I sure don't need anyone trying to go out of their way for me, got it♫

[defectivesaboteur]

O-Oh;
We11, I 5uppo5e 7ha7 i5 cer7ain1y 5ome7hing I cou1d do;
I had ju57 a55umed 7ha7 if you wan7ed me 7o know 7hine name, 7hou wou1d57 have 7o1d i7 7o me;
Bu7 7ha7 i5 no excu5e for poor manner5;
If i7 p1ea5e5 7hee, migh7 I know 7hine name?;

Uh, y-ye5, "7hine";
I have;
We11;
Perhap5 a 5imp1e way 7o pu7 i7 wou1d be 7o 5ay I have 57range choice5 in dic7ion;
I 7ry 7o 1imi7 i7, bu7 5ome7ime5 I canno7 he1p i7;

And I have indeed heard 5uch abou7 7hee;
'7i5 mo57 impre55ive;

Oh, I apo1ogize, Mi55, if I have offended 7hee-er, you;
'7wa5 cer7ain1y no7 my in7en7;
I mere1y wi5h 7o offer any aid I may;
If you do no7 require a55i57ance now, 7ha7 i5 more 7han a1righ7;
Bu7 know 7ha7 I am a1way5 avai1ab1e if you have need of 5omeone;
And 7ha7 i7 wi11 never be ou7 of my way;
7here i5 no di57ance I wou1d be unwi11ing 7o 7rave1 7o aid a friend;

[soundtricks]

or I coulda just thought you didn't care
dunno if you've noticed mate, but I'm a bit the black woolbeast in this chipper fucking flock
but since you went and asked, I'm Zurahe
and since I figure it's only ~polite~ to ask back
what's ~your~ name♫


so I'm noticing
ain't never heard anyone talk like that before
any real reason for it, or d'you just like sounding so stuffy♫

hey, a girl does what she can

not really offended, but see there you go with that 'friend' thing again
should you really be calling everyone your friend like that♫
kind of a dangerous thing for a troll
especially in our caste
besides, you still barely even know me
why would you go through that much trouble♫

[defectivesaboteur]

Given 7he way 7he majori7y of our race ac75, I canno7 b1ame you for 7hinking I wou1d no7 care;
Bu7 I am a bi7 of a b1ack woo1bea57 my5e1f in 7ha7 regard;
I wou1d apo1ogize for 7he pun inheren7 in comparing my5e1f 7o a woo1bea57;
Bu7 5ince you do no7 know wha7 I 1ook 1ike, 7ha7 i5 probab1y unnece55ary;
I 5uppo5e I did no7 even need 7o men7ion i7;
5-5orry;

And you do no7 have 7o worry abou7 being po1i7e in re7urn, if you do no7 wi5h 7o;
You wi11 no7 hur7 my fee1ing5 in doing 5o;
Bu7 regard1e55;
He11o, Zurahe;
My name i5 Bhara1;
I7 i5 a p1ea5ure 7o make your acquain7ance;


I have no7 ever heard anyone e15e 5peak 7he way I do, ei7her;
7here i5 no rea1 rea5on for i7, in par7icu1ar;
'7i5 ju57 7he way I wa5 7augh7 7o 5peak, and '7i5 a hard habi7 7o break;
If you wi5h, however, I 5ha11 7ry 7o refrain from 5peaking in 5uch a way 7o you;
I know i7 can be ra7her bo7her5ome;


We11, ordinari1y, I am margina11y more carefu1 wi7h who I ca11 a friend;
Bu7 5ince 7he on1y profani7y you have u5ed in our conver5a7ion5 7hu5 far ha5 no7 been aimed a7 my fee1ing5;
You are a1ready being far more friend1y 7han mo57 7ro115 I have 7a1ked 7o, regard1e55 of ca57e;
And my p5ionic5, much 1ike your5, he1p keep me 5afe;

And rea11y, we are in a ra7her unique 5i7ua7ion;
U5 being on 7he 5ame 7eam in 7hi5 game, I mean;
We have a 1o7 7o gain by working 7oge7her, and a grea7 dea1 7o 1o5e by no7 he1ping one ano7her;
N-No7 7o 5ay 7ha7 i5 7he on1y rea5on I wan7 7o he1p you;
Even 7hough we do no7 know each o7her we11;
I wou1d 57i11 1ike 7o he1p you, and make 5ure you are a1righ7, in5ide 7he game or ou75ide;
Regard1e55 of how much 7roub1e i7 i5;

[soundtricks]

you sure talk a lot, Bhar
seriously there were about five or six lines of unnecessary text in the first two paragraphs of that alone

you do whatever you want, I can't much say as I care
but if you want me to understand more than one or two words a sentence, then yeah
I'd suggest toning down the thees and thous a bit

though if you think I ain't trying to hurt your feelings I must not be trying hard enough
should work on that really, can't have any of you lot thinking I ~tolerate~ you or anything

Or that you feel like relying on anyone that isn't yourself to get you through this game. You don't need them, and you'd rather they get it sooner rather than later.

and yeah funny thing about that whole team bit
not really too sure how much I feel like trusting any of you
or how much I should even with this dumb game
considering I'm pretty sure my server spent half my entry trying to murder me
so you're gonna have to excuse that I ain't really too willing to believe that someone 'just wants to make sure I'm alright'
or some shit like that
outta the goodness of their vascular pump

we're trolls, mate
we're out for ourselves and nobody else, even when we think we ain't

[defectivesaboteur]

O-Oh, 5orry, 7hen;
I can 7ry 7o be more brief, if you wou1d 1ike;

And du1y no7ed;
I 5ha11 do my be57 7o keep my dic7ion a5 curren7 a5 po55ib1e;
7hough, if I 51ip up, do 1e7 me know;

No7 7o ca57 any doub7 on your abi1i7y 7o hur7 peop1e'5 fee1ing5 or any7hing?;
Bu7 fee1 free 7o 7ry harder, Zurahe;
You wi11 find 7ha7 i7 i5 qui7e difficu17 7o up5e7 me;
7hough you are we1come 7o 7ry, if 7ha7 i5 wha7 you'd wi5h 7o do;
You wou1d hard1y be 7he fir57;

We11, I hard1y expec7 you 7o ju57 b1ind1y 7ru57 me;
7ha7 wou1d be a ra7her 1arge 1eap of fai7h;
And qui7e a 1o7 7o a5k of 5omeone I rea11y ju57 me7;
I wou1d much ra7her earn your 7ru57, anyway;
I7 mean5 much more 7ha7 way;
Mean5 7ha7 I am wor7h 7ha7 7ru57;
Bu7 I rea11y do wan7 7o make 5ure 7ha7 you are a1righ7;
And wou1d 1ike 7he chance 7o prove i7;
5o if 7here i5 ever any way I can he1p, do 1e7 me know;
Even if we do no7 know each o7her we11;
And even if we never do;
I 57i11 wi5h you no7hing bu7 7he be57;
And, if po55ib1e;
I wou1d 1ike 7o make 5ure 7ha7 7he be57 come5 7o pa55;

Ye5, we cer7ain1y are 7ro115, 7ha7 much i5 7rue;
Bu7 who i5 7o 5ay 7ha7 7ha7 i5 wha7 being a 7ro11 ha5 7o mean?;

whoops she accidentally REALLY MAD

[soundtricks]

oh yeah
you're trying real hard there, ain't you♫

no fun if you go on and ~let~ me, geez
fuckin' killjoy, holy shit

you know you're a real weird troll
all this blabbing about trust and caring and shit
saying how you want to earn all this
y' wouldn't happen to just be one great big fucking pale slut, would you♫
'cause I mean I know it's the end of the world and all
and shit might be getting a little desperate
but SOME OF US just got finished having all our quadrants kind of FORCEFULLY EVACUATED
so if you're going to be pitching pale all over the fucking session
you can right goddamn well keep me out of the motherfucking lineup
'cause in case the whole line about my quadrants didn't make it obvious
you might wanna at least wait until the corpses are cold, yeah♫♪♪♪



and gee I dunnom what ~does~ say we've got to be relentlessly violent nookwipes♫
oh, I know♪
how about our species' ENTIRE HISTORY, hmm♫
seems about right to me

oooooh, boy

[defectivesaboteur]

O-Oh my, 5orry;
5ome7ime5 I do no7 rea1ize when I'm going on and on;
7h-7hank you for 1e77ing me know;

5-5orry, I do no7 mean 7o be a "ki11joy" a7 a11;
W-Wha7 5hou1d I do in order 7o...no7 be one...?

P-Pa1e 5--!
N-No, 7ha7 i5 cer7ain1y no7 7he ca5e!;
And even if i7 were, I have enough comp1ica7ion5 in 7ha7 quadran7 a5 i7 i5;
O-Oh my;
I-I did no7 mean 7o imp1y...;

...I am 5o very 5orry for your 1o55, Zurahe;
I 5hou1d have given my word5 more 7hough7;
Re57 a55ured, I wi11 no7 pi7ch any 5or7 of fee1ing5 a7 you 7ha7 you are no7 comfor7ab1e wi7h;


A-And, pardon me for 5aying, and I hope I do no7 5eem rude;
Bu7 I am no7 abou7 7o 1e7 cen7urie5 of vio1ence and bu7chery dic7a7e my ac7ion5;
I 5uppo5e if 7ha7 make5 me weird, 7hen I wou1d ra7her be weird 7han norma1;
Bu7 I ac7 7he way I wi5h 7o ac7, no7 7he way A17ernia 5ay5 I 5hou1d;