==>

Arethusa: Continue to torment your friend.

Torment? You aren't tormenting him! You're helping him. What the Hell does this look like? A magic carpet ride? 

...Idea!

You thought the movie with a name too long to type was fucking awesome. If you were going to try to describe this movie to a member of an alien species, you would probably say it is the equivalent of a Bollywood Romantical production of DISNEY'S ALADDIN. And, as already mentioned, it is fucking awesome. You send the cursor ZOOMING (too bad there's no speed adjust, since it probably shouldn't be used this way) around and around the tower in a dizzy spiral.

Eventually, you drag the Ezreki Avatar back inside. 

Ezreki: Be not very amused by the cursor's antics.

FA: > ARETHUSA -->

FA: > I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME -->

FA: > STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY -->

FA: > WE HAVE THINGS TO BE DOING. -->

PH: Neat. No, dare I say ... Exquisite! The little...

PH: ...screen Ezreki ...

PH: ... SOUNDS just like you!

PH: Heh, Heh, Heh.

PH: Buuuuuuuuuuuut ...

PH: ... can it ...

PH: ... REACT ...

PH: ... as quickly as you?????????

Ezreki: Too bad you're not at your computer.

Arethusa: Shake Ezreki.

You shake the cursor around, trying to dislodge him. Use all force necessary. You could, of course, just stop using the cursor, or drag it off your screen, or use it to select your Trollian window, but that would be far too easy, wouldn't it? In case it isn't already amply clear, you prefer to do things the hard way. This is not because you can't see the easy way.

It's just because you like trouble.

Ezreki: Continue to not be impressed by cursor antics.

You slide off the back of the cursor, but retain the chain of your CHAIN SICKLE. Because you are holding on to it and all. You continue not to be impressed by cursor antics.

That just had to be said again.

Arethusa: What do you do now?

Be highly amused by cursor and Ezreki Avatar antics. BEGIN TO SHIP THEM? No, no. Don't be ridiculous. It's a CURSOR. God. You DO have STANDARDS. You decide to check out some of the doodads in the menu at the top of the screen after all. You're a little curious to see if the Ezreki Avatar will glitch out of his own hive.

You kind of hope he won't, though. You haven't tested its reaction times yet!

Ezreki: Chase cursor.

You can't do that. As far as you can tell, the cursor has disappeared entirely.

Cursor: Be used as intended.

The indigo-blooded troll has apparently decided to look more closely at the menu options. Alchemiter, Cruxtruder, Totem Lathe. Scroll further, then Pre-Punched Card and Punch Designix. What are these things? She has no idea. You don't either, being just a cursor. She doesn't actually choose to deploy any of the things, instead scoping out 'Grist Cache.' Blue is Arethusa's favourite color, so she is very pleased to see that she has 20/20 of "Build Grist." Should she build things? Like an obstacle course? Hmm.

Arethusa: Remember your plan!

How could you have forgotten! Oh, right! You were going to 'test' the Ezreki Avatar's 'reflexes.' You decide to start out small. After checking the Ezreki Avatar's position, you select the TRAPROOM SINK. The lowercastes call it a "FILTH RECEPTACLE" or the "MINIATURE ABLUTION TRAP." You just call it sink, and if choosing the shorter way to refer to a thing makes you a snob, well, guess you're a snob. (You really are.) 

FA: > ARETHUSA WHERE DID YOUR SILLY CURSOR GO -->

FA: > WE HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME NOW -->

Arethusa: Throw sink at Ezreki's head.

Ezreki: DO A BARREL ROLL!

IN MID AIR

Acrobatic fucking pirouette motherfucker.

Like the PROTAGANIST would ever let his guard down!

FA: > IS THAT MY SINK?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY HOUSE?! -->

PH: Aaaaahahahahahahaha! Well ?layed, Ezreki Luceri, well ?layed...

PH: ...However...

PH: ...I am ?er?lexed by your decision to only s?eak through your avatar. ?er?lexed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PH: AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PH: Again, totally im?ressed by your commitment to the jest!

PH: >;) Very heroic.

FA: > stop this IMMEDIATELY ARETHUSA. -->

FA: > this is not FUNNY -->

PH: ... and I'm not going to warn you ...

PH: ... when I ...

PH: ... enact my next CUNNING CHALLENGE ...

Ezreki: Get to your computer already!

Arethusa: Build something.

You select the 'revise' option on the menu. However, rather than making a room larger, you create a gigantic wall. The wall is immense. The wall is floor to ceiling. There's a little gap near the top. The wall conveniently blocks Ezreki from most of his hive. Unless he scales the wall. Or goes outside. Or topples it, somehow. 

Cost you some of Build Grist, but whatever. Totally worth it. It's not like that's going to come back and haunt you in the future or anything.

Ezreki: Look at wall. Sigh.

You put your fingers in your mouth and whistle. What the?

STUPID LIZARD LUSUS: Charge into room!

Ignore wall. Create hole in wall. Exit room. Hah! There is a reason this building has thick walls.

PH: Ooo! The game even has your LUSUS!

PH: ...Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

FA: > are you DONE? -->

FA: > can we HALT this FOOLISHNESS and BEGIN?! -->

FA: > I am COMING CLOSE to the END of my GRACE, ARETHUSA -->

FA: > I shall become ANNOYED. >;( -->

PH: GAS?!!!!!

PH: An ...

PH: ... END??????

PH: TO

PH: YOUR

PH: GRACE? Heavens!

PH: Im?ossible!!!!!!!!!!

PH: Im?lausible.

PH: Com?letely unlooked for, unwanted, disbelieved, Ezzy. I would bet my left horn ...

PH: ... that yoooou ...

PH: ... could take oh so much more. >:) 

PH: Heh Heh Heh.

Arethusa: Deploy the whatever it's called already.

You DEPLOY THE TOTEM LATHE. By hovering it over Ezreki Avatar's head ominously...

...then DROPPING IT. He'll move in time!

Ezreki: Avoid Imminent Death. QUICKLY.

Ezreki: Inspect Totem Lathe.

[details would be posted I guess]

PH: Why don't you mess around with that?

PH: While I ...

PH: ...just...

PH: ... rearrange your entire room!

Arethusa: Examine Ezreki's Room.

You proceed to mess around Ezreki's room. You select games. You rearrange them. You try to move one of his bookcases, but OH NO WHOOPS YOU LOST CONTROL. THE BOOKSHELF TOPPLES. DOES THE RECUPERACOON GET IT? BOOKS AND GAMEGRUBS IN SOPOR? Nope. The recuperacoon is safe for now! The bookcase, alas, is not. You're fairly certainly you see some squished what-were-once-beloved-games. Maybe there's a secret door behind the bookcase? You've always thought there just HAD to be secret doors SOMEWHERE.

Maybe you can make one with the game? YES. Another PERFECT IDEA!

Arethusa: Deploy Alchemiter.

You deploy the ALCHEMITER. Like it says. Then you move a bookcase so that it is cunningly hidden, like a secret.

This ... does not work very well.

PH: Do you know what I'm about to do, Ezreki?

PH: I...

PH: ... am about ...

PH: ... to de?loy the laaaaast of the gadgets.

PH: I'll let you give me some in?ut if you s?eak u? soon!

PH: ... What's that? The roof? >:)

FA: > WHAT IS GOING ON NOW?! -->

Ezreki: Follow source of noise back to room.