-- plotHooked
[PH]
began pestering loanedAllegiance
[LA]
at 20:41 --
PH: ?ssst. Aascam!
LA: Mi$$ App€££öƒ.
PH: ...Mister Ca?ita.
LA: Mi$$ App€££öƒ thi$ i$ hard£¥ th€ tim€.
PH: MISter Ca?ita!!!!!!!
PH: This is hardly the time...
PH: ...for what?
PH: What time is it that you are in now?
PH: Are you in a time that involves being saved from death by meteor?
PH: Or is that still a ?ressing issue?
LA: No, no. That i$ a non-i$$u€ at thi$ point.
LA: Though it ha$ b€€n r€p£a¢€d b¥ $om€thing mu¢h mor€ bizarr€.
LA: Wou£d I b€ right in a$$uming that ¥ou too ar€ $urround€d b¥ d€n$€ jung£€, a$ w€££ a$ having b€€n atta¢k€d b¥ $trang€ gr€€n a£i€n$?
PH: Oh, good! >:D I am glad YOU were not incinerated, ?ulverized, burned alive until you died or crushed or s?lattered into nothingness!
PH: You would also be ...
PH: ... entirely ...
PH: ... incorrect.
PH: You're surrounded by a jungle? Did your -- did your ?rototy?ing go well? >:?
PH: There have been a number of things to kill, however! >:D
PH: ... But they aren't green.
LA: Ah ¥€$, th€ protot¥ping. I thought I might hav€ mi$$€d m¥ ¢han¢€ at that, what with th€ partia£ d€$tru¢tion oƒ m¥ hiv€.
LA: ƒortunat€£¥ or unƒortunat€£¥, d€p€nding on how ¥ou £ook at it, m¥ £u$u$' ¢orp$€ manag€d to g€t pu$h€d into th€ $prit€ right b€ƒor€ I €nt€r€d.
PH: How do YOU look at it, being a connoisseur and collector of fortune in its guise of wealth?
PH: Or...
PH: ...being without your lusus for the first time, I guess. >:\
PH: I mean, I originally asked...
PH: ...because...
PH: ...well, is the s?rite around? Have you s?oken to it? >:(
LA: No, and no again. I hav€n't $€€n an¥ oƒ it $in¢€ I €nt€r€d.
LA: Though it'££ proboab£¥ $how it$€£ƒ $oon€r or £at€r.
PH: When it does, shake it down! Give it Hell! Tell it to sit down and ?ut u?!!!
PH: Because it -- he, whatever -- will be able to tell you the name of your ?lanet.
PH: Because that is where you are! Your ?lanet. I don't know how exactly to read into the use of "your" in this ?articular instance, but there it is.
PH: Mine is full of cascades of light, shadow and water; it is livid with rainbows, cliffs, ruins, tunnels and stairs, ?latforms and bridges and bottomless chasms. And monsters.
LA: I $€€.
LA: What kind oƒ gam€ i$ thi$?
LA: It'$ ju$t. What.
LA: What th€ ƒu¢k.
LA: I don't know how to prop€r£¥ voi¢€ th€ $h€€r in¢r€du£ou$n€$$ I'm ƒ€€£ing right now.
PH: For what it's worth, you're not doing too shabby.
LA: Mi$$ App€££öƒ, ¥ou'r€ quit€ v€rbo$€. $ur€£¥ ¥ou hav€ $om€thing to $a¥ about a££ thi$.
PH: ...Yes. I do. But first, sto? calling me Miss A??ellof.
LA: Wh¥?
PH: (?atience, Scam! >:P Did you really think I wasn't going to elaborate???????)
PH: We're ?laying a game together that is ushering in, as we ty?e, the destruction of all Alternia, and you know that SHE is going to raise her voice, and when she does, it won't just be all of Alternia that suffers -- it'll be every troll in the galaxy.
PH: We're ?laying a game that it is im?ossible to quit.
PH: What ha??ens when we win? We don't go home.
PH: So I think "Miss A??ellof" is...
PH: ...a little UNDULY formal.
PH: Under the circumstances.
PH: The circumstances being Doom, Destruction, Armageddon, A?ocaly?se, and also team s?irit. >:)
LA: I p€rƒ€r to think oƒ it a$ b€ing ¢oo£ and proƒ€$$iona£, €v€n in $tr€$$ƒu£ $ituation$.
LA: B€$id€$, thi$ i$ hard£¥ th€ tim€ to b€ argu€ing ov€r how I addr€$$ p€op£€.
PH: ?recisely!
PH: So unless the lack of a familiar title by which to call me will make you feel frightened and unstable...
PH: ...Desist! Dro? the miss.
LA: Thi$ i$n't th€ tim€ to taunt m€, Mi$$ App€££öƒ. In ƒa¢t, it'$ n€v€r tim€ to taunt m€.
LA: I'm going through a bit oƒ a ¢ri$i$ right now, OK?
PH: Ahahaha. Very well, Aascam. Kee? the familiar name. I a?ologize for trying to take your security blanket from you so soon after --
PH: well, after all this. >:|
LA: Good. Thank$. I $uppo$€.
PH: What was your question again? 'What the fuck'?
LA: I wa$ hoping ¥ou'd hav€ $om€thing po€ti¢ to $a¥ to tr¥ to bring $om€ $€mb£an¢€ oƒ r€a$on to thi$ ¢£u$t€rƒu¢k.
PH: Awwwwww. >:) I am ...
PH: ...actually a little touched.
PH: 'Aascam Ca?ita seeks a ?oetical ?erspective from Arethusa A??ellof. In other news, the world is ending.'
PH: ?hew. All right. I su??ose here's what the fuck, Aascam:
PH: I've talked to my -- s?rite. A little. He -- it told me that we're involved in a war between kingdoms, one of darkness, one of light; that these kingdoms battle for unlimited ?otential, for the s?ark of ins?iration at the center of every universe. I su??ose it's like -- do you like music, 'scam? I don't even know. But I su??ose it's like -- the ?lace music comes from. Or stories. That this game means we've got a thing to do that's im?ortant. Essential. And it might involve losing.
PH: The game's changed, but it hasn't. Not really. We're still here. We're not alone. And I know this much: if we're ensnared in some ?lot, some master ?lan, some greater than we can dream tale of who knows, then there's a ?oint. There's a reason. It's easy to kill something quickly. When things die, they don't -- linger, too long. There aren't com?licated procedures that suddenly lea? to action, manifest to save the dying --
PH: That's not how actual endings work.
PH: And I think a game that triggers, or is triggered by, imminent destruction of everything and drags a few ?layers out of time to take ?art in an e?ic battle is ?robably more than a dying universe twitching with a knife through its think?an as its nerve endings s?ark out.
PH: So.
PH: I don't really know what we're doing. I don't really understand the game yet. I kind of fucking hate it.
PH: But it can't be...
PH: ... irrational. Or ?ointless. Or without ?lot. We're alive!
PH: And hardly hel?less.
PH: And that's all I got.
LA: Thank ¥ou, Mi$$ App€££öƒ.
LA: ƒor on¢€, ¥ou d€£iv€r€d €xa¢t£¥ what I a$k€d ƒor.
LA: I don't know iƒ it ha$ €a$€d m¥ $tr€$$ too mu¢h, bit it'££ do ƒor now.
LA: Hav€ ¥ou manag€d to $ta¥ ¢a£m? I ¢an on£¥ imagin€ what ¥ou'r€ going through now that mo$t oƒ Tro££kind i$ d€ad.
PH: ?sht. 'For once.' I allllllllways deliver, Aascam. Alllllways. >;)
PH: As for me! Uhm. What do you mean, you can only imagine what I'm going through etcetera, etcetera?
PH: I'd think you could do a lot more than imagine at this ?oint, ol' boy.
PH: I did a cou?le of acrobatic pirouettes off the fucking handle when E
PH: Er
PH: Whoo?s, enter key!
PH: Earlier.
LA: Wh¥ $hou£d I ¢ar€ about th€ ƒat€ oƒ our $p€¢i€$? I'v€ n€v€r b€€n parti¢u£ar£¥ inv€$t€d wh€n it ¢om€$ to d€a£ing with oth€r p€op£€, €x€pt, oƒ ¢our$€, wh€n it ¢om€$ to th€ir mon€¥. Pr€tt¥ mu¢h €v€r¥on€ I know i$ p£a¥ing thi$ gam€ with u$, $o un£€$$ $om€on€ $uƒƒ€r$ $om€ $ort oƒ untim€£¥ ƒat€ at th€ hand$ oƒ m€t€or$ or mon$t
LA: ¥ou, on th€ oth€r hand ar€ a mu$t mor€ $o¢ia£ tro££, and I ¢an on£¥ a$$um€ how bad th€ damag€ ha$ b€€n to ¥our $hipping wa££ $o ƒar.
PH: ...
PH: Oh my ? god?.
PH: D8<?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
PH: W?H?Y WO?ULD Y?OU S??AY T?HAT????? Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck
LA: Ar€ ¥ou OK, Mi$$ App€££öƒ?
PH: You?re right. Oh fuck. Oh god. Oh god oh god.
LA: Oh m¥, hav€ I $tru¢k a n€rv€?
PH: D?D YOU ?MEAN TO?
LA: ...
LA: P€rhap$.
PH: Did you mean to, Aascam? Were you scavenging? WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? WHY?
LA: I'm a££ow€d to point th€$€ thing$ out, I ju$t had to g€t ov€r mon€¥ not matt€ring an¥mor€.
LA: I $ti££ hav€n't ¢omp£€t€£¥ gott€n ov€r it, €ith€r.
LA: But h€r€ I am, ¢a£m, ¢oo£, and ¢o££€¢t€d.
PH: MONEY STILL MATTERS as much as it ever did >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
LA: Mor€ ¢o££€¢t€d than ¥ou, an¥wa¥$.
LA: I m€an r€a£ mon€¥, not g€m$ that di$$ap€ar a$ $oon a$ ¥ou tou¢h th€m and ƒak€ mu£ti¢o£our€d ¢oin$.
LA: I ju$t wa$t€d ha£ƒ oƒ m¥ gri$t making a b€autiƒu£ pi£€ oƒ ¢a€gar$ b€ƒor€ r€a£izing that no on€ wi££ a¢¢€pt it h€r€ in ƒanta$¥£and.
PH: DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:<
PH: DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD:<
LA: ¢a£m down, It'$ not £ik€ $hipping matt€r$ or an¥thing.
PH: Do you hear that
PH: Aascam
PH: that sound
PH: right now
PH: HINT: Not a jungle noise. Listen. DO you hear it???
LA: Th€ di$tant wihning oƒ a d€ƒ€at€d highb£ood?
PH: No.
LA: Th€ ¢run¢h¥ $inking oƒ a thou$and $hip$?
PH: No.
LA: Th€ $w€€t, $w€€t $ound oƒ an €go popp€d £ik€ a ba£oon?
PH: No.
LA: I'm at a £o$$, Mi$$ App€££öƒ.
LA: What i$ it?
PH: Although you may be hearing the hissing of a greenblood's head inflating a little too ra?idly. >':| That may be blocking your auricular s?onge clots.
LA: ¢om€ on, giv€ m€ thi$ on€ vi¢tor¥ £ap, p£€a$€? I'm not g€tting th€$€ a$ oƒt€n a$ I u$€d to.
PH: ...It was the sound, 'scam, of my heart sto??ing. Well ?layed.
LA: $o, ƒor a££ int€nt$ and purpo$€$ w€ ar€ th€ £a$t 8 tro££$ in €xi$tan¢€. On£¥ 8 tro££$ to $hip, ma¥b€ €v€n £€$$.
LA: How ar€ ¥ou going to hand£€ that, Mi$$ App€££öƒ?
LA: ¢an ¥ou?
-- and then there was a long pause --
PH: Jegus, I really don't think so.
PH: Shi??ing always kee?s me
PH: It's a distraction from
PH: Fuck fuckfuckfuck oh well.
PH: Fuck.
LA: A di$tra¢tion? $om€ $ort oƒ €motiona£ t€th€r? But ƒrom what?
LA: ¥ou ¢an ¢onƒid€ in m€, I'v€ torm€nt€d ¥ou €nough ƒor tonight.
LA: Toda¥.
LA: It'$ a kind oƒ twi£ight, a¢tau££¥.
PH: Here, too. Twilight, that is. Or night. Actually, the lansca?e is ?retty da??led and gloomy, ?atchwork of radiance. That's what it's called. The Land of Falls and Radiance.
PH: I didn't realize you had a torment quota, Aascam.
LA: It'$ a traditiona£ Bui$n€$$a$$in thing. I'd €xp£ain it, but th€ ritua£ i$ $t€€p€d in hi$tor¥ and it'$ a bit ¢onƒu$ing €v€n to m€.
PH: I see.
PH: I've got ?lenty of stee?ed in tradition rituals in my head now, too, I su??ose. Too bad. I was looking forward to some of them.
PH: Fuck. >:(
PH: I wish that word actually hel?ed.
LA: Whi¢h word?
PH: Fuck. Re?eating it is not as calming as you might think.
LA: Ahh.
LA: W€££, I ¢an hard£¥ ju$t £€av€ ¥ou th€r€, writhing in $€£ƒ-pit¥, now ¢an I. It wa$ di$r€$p€¢tƒu£ oƒ m€ to tr€at a ¢u$tom€r £ik€ that, I admit.
LA: What ¢an I do to h€£p?
PH: You could ... Clone yourself, ?erha?s? Maybe turn back the clock? How about just giving me a good oldfashioned hy?othetical doomsday armageddon shi??
LA: I am $ti££ a££ $hipp€d out ƒrom our gam€ oƒ 20 qu€ri€$, I'm aƒraid, and I don't hav€ ¢ontro£ ov€r tim€. What h€£p wou£d ¢£oning b€?
PH: You did ?retty good for a rookie.
PH: And get on that, Aascam. Geez. >:P
PH: Aascam <3 Aascam Clone 5? Surely you can see the ?ossibilities if one were to throw some clones into the mix.
PH: >:)
LA: ...
LA: I don't think I r€gr€t torm€nting ¥ou an¥mor€, Ar€thu$a.
LA: Mi$$ App€££öƒ.
LA: That i$.
PH: It's all right. I will treasure that brief moment of regret as if 'twere tears from the Last Mother Grub
PH: distilled with the seagra?es of Her Im?erious Condesce
PH: and maybe the Grand Highblood's finest jest.
PH: Anyway.
PH: 1) Shi??ing is like so?or, except so?or is for dreaming.
PH: 2) Grist can make things, huh? I bet some trolls won't be as good at gathering grist as other trolls, and yet they'll still want cool stuff. Gee, gosh, GOLLY.
PH: 3) I do enjoy socializing. I like other trolls. They kee? things interesting. Weren't you always bored?
LA: ¥€$, but at £€a$t I wa$n't anno¥€d.
LA: I'm wi££ing to £€t it $£id€, though. I am a£iv€ b€¢au$€ oƒ th€ p€op£€ I know, aƒt€r a££.
LA: Good ¢onn€¢tion$ ar€ a¢tua££¥ €n¢ourag€d b¥ Bui$n€$$a$$in$, but I n€v€r $aw th€ point.
PH: Huh. Wow. Yeah? I hadn't noticed.
PH: >;)
PH: Monsters incoming.
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