== > Reminisce.

Yeah not right now you're sort of about to die. A meteor smashes your bedroom and you quickly slip your card in and get your totem. You alchemize it as fast as possible and... right on schedule.

Throw that flippin' pine tree at the meteor!

== > Enter

*musxc*

Your house shakes wildly and then

and then

and then...

you look out the windows. There is fog settling over the entire world like a thick blanket, to use an overused and slightly pretentious metaphor.

No seriously. This fog is thick! But through it you think you can just make out... barely... A forest. A thick, impregnable forest.

And a... waterfall? That's nice.

The whole place is actually extremely relaxing. But something about it is... strange. Familiar.

Well, could be worse. You should probably contact your server player.

consequentialGravity [CG] began trolling anarchistCreatures [AC]

CG: ok x^m xn. what now?

CG: uh, hello?

CG: hello?

CG:

CG:

The other girl is not responding.

== > Be the other girl.

You are now the other girl.

What is her name?

== > We already know her name gogdammit!

No we don't. This is a new other girl. Suck it up and give her a name already. She does not have all day for this.

== > Enter name.

Outdated Catlady.

'scuse me that's miss effing catlady to this asshat and you are not outdated at all!

== > Try again.

Iferna Bastet.

I knew you could do it. Hah.

Your name is IFERNA BASTET and out of the twelve trolls (and then there's Pixela but she ain't a part of this) you pride ( as in pride of lions) yourself on being the ONLY ONE with LEGITIMATE POWERS.

Sure, Hestus has his box. Ninfy is a Fiduspawn wizard. That one hag more commonly referred to as Hekata (bleh) is an actual wizard. (Bleh again). But you? You can SHAPESHIFT, a power rare even amongst the umberbloods.

You use this power to interact with the MANY MEOWBEASTS OF ALTERNIA. That is all.

Yeah, there are a lot of other things you COULD do, but you may lose the trust of the meowbeasts! You have spent SWEEPS, yes, sweeps, BECOMING ONE OF THEM. You only leave them to UPHOLD YOUR SMALL RESPITEBLOCK, and you only travel there when the green and pink moons of Alternia are on opposing phases. That doesn't happen TERRIBLY OFTEN.

Your lusus was your QUEEN, or mother, and then MENTOR when you were a young MEOWBEAST, but now you are a valued MEMBER of the DUALMOON CLAN. Your loyalty to this clan is ABSOLUTE AND IRREVOCABLE. Breaking their Code is worse than death. You refuse to be a traitor.

You do... well in the clan. You have one or two trolls you actually talk to.

Ninfia.

She's... she's good with animals.

You consider yourself MORE OR LESS ONE.

When you do use those forsaken troll gadgets, your trolltag is clawmarkedClanmember and your statements are usualy brief and comonly mispeled because you hate trol devices gogdamit///

== > Talk to your fellows.

Your leader, Fallen Star, is a nine-mouthed cat. You see, meowbeasts have more mouths the more powerful they are... you yourself are only one-mouthed, being a shifter, and although you could just SHIFT to have more mouths they would call you out on it and it would so be cheating.

Here, you are Shifting Sky.

== > Go talk with the kittens.

Your life-long matespirit... (well, you thought he was, but he had kits with another cat), is in there, talking with his kittens.

You frown a bit but stay strong. He approaches you, giving you a sad smile.

BROKEN HEART: how are you, Shifting Sky?

SHIFTING SKY: im good how are you

BROKEN HEART: i was about to talk with Fallen Star would you like to come

SHIFTING SKY: yes that sounds great actually! i miss you sometimes... now that you have...

BROKEN HEART: we can still be friends Shifting Sky... i hope you understand

SHIFTING SKY: ... its... you have three mouths. im a one mouthed meowbeast whos not really even a meowbeast. maybe its fur the best.

BROKEN HEART: lets go then

You walk to Fallen Star's den.

She informs you that a meteor has been sighted near the edge of your territory. You decide to go investigate.

== > Investigate.

You follow Broken Heart to the cliff where it was sighted. A meteor? How peculiar. Surely, there are no meteors around...

You are reminded of a letter sent to you by a friend.

BROKEN HEART: could be a purrophecy

SHIFTING SKY: i severely doubt that. i have heard something from... the others. its a warning from our ancestors!

BROKEN HEART: you are sure it was them and this has nothing to do with your other furiends?

SHIFTING SKY: yes. it is definitely from the ancestors, okay? just trust me.

That will be hard, considering you can't trust yourself.

You are sorry you had to lie.

You are also sorry you had to do this.

You run as fast as possible to your respiteblock.

The game is ready.

This is unfair! You didn't agree to it! You didn't want to play. The clan comes first. You revert to troll form and try to turn off the power, only for the music to play louder.

Why.

No, really, why.

WHO DID THIS TO YOU?! The meowbeasts are angry! They grumble as they prowl around your feet.

You need to contact Ninfia. She'll know what to do, right?

clawmarkedClanmember [CC] began trolling anarchistCreatures [AC]

CC: whats this ninfy///

CC: i dont like it/// i really dont///

AC: It's a game, Iferna.

AC: Y(o)u'll be playing it with me and s(o)me (o)thers.

CC: not/// not al of them///

AC: That's the general idea, yes.

CC: Al of them///

AC: Yes. I'm s(o)rry, but there's n(o)thing y(o)u can d(o) (o)nce the game is d(o)wnl(o)aded.

CC: who downloaded it/// not me thats for damn sure///

AC: I d(o)n't kn(o)w right n(o)w. D(o)es it really matter?

CC: i want to know who so i can scratch their eyes out///

AC: IFERNA. I'm s(o)rry, but I'm kind (o)f busy right n(o)w. I need t(o) check (o)n Pixela.

CC: why///

AC: She's my Kismesis.

CC: no shes your matesprit///

AC Shush. N(o)t true.

CC: true///

AC: N(o)t true.

anarchistCreatures [AC] gave up trolling clawmarkedClanmember [CC]

CC: you didnt tel me anything///

CC: thanks for nothing ninfia///

Hmmmph. Trolls these days. Being a cat is so much simpler.

Alright, you've had enough of being Crazy Cat Lady. Time for you to be other girl.

You are now a certain NINFIA RAIYEN (again).

== > Ninfia: Check on your Matesprit.

She's your KISMESIS, okay?!! And you are really worried about her. With all these meteors, she and her hive could be in deep. trouble.

Time to act fast.

You pull out your trusty satchel and stuff some fiduspawn into it. Never know when you're gonna need some! Then you head off toward Pixela's hive. Your sprite hovers behind you. It's already been prototyped with a poor, dead fiduspawn who didn't survive the meteor that hit near your house. ZapMouse or something like that. It's a bit annoying but also extremely adorable.

That is all that matters now.

== > Hurry up before another meteor hits!

You are really sprinting now. The countdown on your Cruxtruder said forty minutes or so, and Pixela's hive is a long way away! "If these meteors are the apocalypse," you think, now very out of breath, "is the only way to survive to get in the game!?" And what if you don't get in the game? You don't want to think what would happen if the meteor hits your hive when you're not in it.

You keep running. The meteors are now falling even more thickly. Finally, you see it - up ahead is Pixela's hive.

Oh, good - it's fine! You are just about to go inside when a huge meteor droops from nowhere. It lands right inside the house, crushing most of it to smithereens. You hear a long, tapering shriek. "PIXELA!" You bellow, and hurtle inside.

She's trapped. Part of her torso is caught under the meteor and she's screaming for help. She sees you and looks up.

DIALOGLOG

PIXELA: Ninfia... help, please

NINFIA: D(o)n't w(o)rry! Y(o)u're g(o)nna be fine! Y(o)u're gona be (o)k, y(o)u're g(o)nna be (o)k...

PIXELA: No, I 'd'on't think so, actually

NINFIA: D(o)n't die (o)n me, Pixels!

NINFIA: This w(o)uld be a really bad time f(o)r y(o)u t(o) die!

PIXELA: *groans* I'm alright for the time being, I think.

NINFIA: Pixela, please! I d(o)n't want to l(o)se y(o)u!

PIXELA: Ninfia, you're tough. This is getting kind of soppy. We're Kismesees, remember?

NINFIA: *sniffs* Right. We abs(o)lutely hate each (o)ther.

PIXELA: Yeah, 'd'on't cry. You're not the soppy type.

NINFIA: You're right.

PIXELA: So my last wor'd's are going to be awesome.

PIXELA: How about -

NINFIA: Last w(o)rds... last w(o)rds. Pixela, you d(o)n't have t(o) die!

PIXELA: I'm bleeding out while trapped un'd'er a space rock. How much more "'d'ying" are you going to get?

NINFIA: G(o)g, Pixela... y(o)u're making me laugh while y(o)u're dying. Y(o)u are certainly... s(o)mething else.

NINFIA: (O)k, first I have t(o) get this r(o)ck (o)ff y(o)u.

NINFIA: Pixela?

PIXELA:

NINFIA: Pixels?

NINFIA: *s(o)bs*

NINFIA: Pixela?

It's now or never. You take out your strongest fiduspawn, a horseapony. It breaks from the hose plush and you direct it toward the giant meteor. With a grumbling lurch, the huge rock rolls off of Pixela's body.

You call your sprite forward. You've heard you can program it twice. Lifting dead Pixela onto your shoulders, you hurl her toward Fidusprite.

There's a flash of dark-jade-colored light, and then...

SPRITELOG

Pixelsprite: What

Pixelsprite: The fuck

Pixelsprite: Just happene'd'!!?

NINFIA: Pixela!

NINFIA: Y(o)u're alive!

Pixelsprite: It seems so, I guess, that is, well... I'm not entirely sure, so let's just go with "yes" for now.

NINFIA: S(o)...

NINFIA: D(o)u y(o)u kn(o)w a wh(o)le bunch (o)f crazy stuff ab(o)ut the game n(o)w?

Pixelsprite: What game?

NINFIA: (o)h g(o)g...

NINFIA: I've g(o)t a l(o)t (o)f explaining t(o) d(o), d(o)n't I?

NINFIA: Anyway, there's this game. It's the reas(o)n all these mete(o)rs are hitting and the apocalypse has started.

Pixelsprite: A computer game 'd'i'd' all this?

NINFIA: I guess s(o). And in the game there have t(o) be chains (o)f players. (O)ne bec(o)mes a server f(o)r the (o)ther. I'm Ciphre's server, s(o) I get to mess ar(o)und with his bl(o)cks.

Pixelsprite: This game's scrrrrrrewed up.

NINFIA: Yup! ;)

NINFIA: It's called Sgrub... can y(o)u tell me ab(o)ut it?

Pixelsprite: Yeah, I think so. There's all this weird knowle'd'ge insi'd'e me now...

Pixelsprite: Gog, it's weir'd'.

Pixelsprite: And I'm suppose'd' to be all cagey and evasive about it but you're my uh, Kismesis, so I'll just tell you I guess. Why not?

NINFIA: G(o)(o)d! S(o), questi(o)n (o)ne: What is the purp(o)se (o)f the game?

Pixelsprite: To create a new worl'd'. A whole new universe, in fact.

NINFIA: A wh(o)le new w(o)rld? Like that s(o)ng Zenana's always singing?

Pixelsprite: Maybe. I haven't hear'd' the song.

NINFIA: Lucky!!! It's stuck in my head all the time!

Pixelsprite: Well this is an o'd''d' conversation consi'd'ering the circumstances. I have... one horn an'd' a Fi'd'uspawn ear now. Okay.

NINFIA: (O)h, d(o) y(o)u really?

NINFIA: (weird)

Pixelsprite: I hear'd' that.

NINFIA: ...

NINFIA: S(o) what's it like, being a sprite?

Pixelsprite: Alright, I guess. It's sorta... floaty.

Pixelsprite: There are two conflicting personalities. There's the fi'd'uspawn (a ZapMouse), and then me. But my personality is stronger than the ZapMouse's, so I'm 'd'ominant. That's why it's Pixelsprite, not ZapMousprite or Fi'd'usprite.

Pixelsprite: Better than being 'd'ea'd' lol.

NINFIA: W(o)w, that's pretty c(o)(o)l!

NINFIA: Alright, an(o)ther questi(o)n:

NINFIA: What sh(o)uld we expect in (o)ur vari(o)us lands in the game? Actually, what sh(o)uld we expect fr(o)m the game itself?

Pixelsprite: Nothing goo'd', I think.

Pixelsprite: The game 'd'estroye'd' Alternia altogether. Anything that starts like that can't be good. And the meteor apocalypse was just the start.

NINFIA: ...

Pixelsprite: You and the other players will encounter the 'D'ersians.

NINFIA: Dur-shans?

Pixelsprite: The 'D'erse Royalty. There's a king and queen who you need to 'd'efeat. They will have all the powers of all the sprites combined, though.

NINFIA: S(o)... they will have the c(o)mbined p(o)wer (o)f all the tr(o)ll sprites!?

Pixelsprite: Yup.

NINFIA: D(o) we have any chance at beating th'em?

Pixelsprite:

Pixelsprite:

Pixelsprite:

Pixelsprite: I 'd'on't know.

NINFIA: (o)(o)(o)(o)(o)(o)k.

NINFIA: Anyway, what's Derse?

Pixelsprite: It's one of the 'd'ream planets. There's another one too, called Prospit. Prospitans are your allies, while the 'D'ersians stan'd' against you and your team. All of the trolls who are 'd'estined to play this game (so not me, obviously) have a 'd'ream self - someone who is them but lives on 'D'erse or Prospit.

NINFIA: S(o) there's an(o)ther me? On Derse or Prospit?

Pixelsprite: Exactly. But you are not awake yet, there.

NINFIA: I guess I'd better wake myself up, then.

NINFIA: (blarg, weird sentence)

Pixelsprite: Good luck!

Pixelsprite: Now, if I were you, I''d' start gearing up because, if I'm not mistaken, there's a meteor hea'd'ing right for us!! ;D

NINFIA: GAH I'M N(O)T PREPARED

== > Enter.

*music*

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO USE THAT!

You are now the other other girl.