==>ENTER THE MYSTERIOUS COLD AND SILENT HIVE

The hive was cold and full of silence.

A myriad of shelves covered the plain stone walls, holding everything from well-worn books to skulls and statuettes to unmarked, black-bound journals. Cobwebs and dust covered much of the room in a thick, imposing layer, though they may as well have been a testament to the hiveowner's hygiene than an aesthetic choice. Candles overhead illumined the place in a flickering, shifting light, casting dancing, gleeful shadows every place their brightness failed to touch. A young troll lay in the corner. One might assume she was sleeping, if there was not a perfectly good recuperacoon a mere three feet away. But then again, it is awfully hard to read yourself to sleep while suspended in a sea of goo.

"Mnzzf..." our sleeping subject mumbled incoherently, her voice muffled by the ragged paperback laying open on her face. "A Day for Death" the title read in a thorny print, overlayed above an image of three shadowy silhouettes in a desert. "Sun Striders - Book Five" said the smaller text below. Many would argue it was the best novel in the series, with twice as many plot twists, violent betrayals, and grisly, just murders of the damned. But we don't have enough time to go into the social dynamics between the many well-developed characters, or to explain the in-depth symbolism behind every poetically written page. Not with the ominous gong about to sound.

"GONG!" the ebony computer nearby gonged ominously. "GONG! GONG! GONG!"

"For the love of pain and misery, shut the fuck up!" the troll shouted, tossing the book that was once on her face in the laptop's general direction. It missed, thunking a nearby snakebeast on its head. The lusus hissed, coiling into a ball of anger. Nobody step on Snakedad. Nobody. Ignoring her incredibly peeved guardian, the girl leaped to her feet, running over to the noisy Gothictop as quickly as possible. Taking a moment to slip dramatically on one of the torn papers strewn about, the troll slammed her hand onto the keys, silencing the godawful noise. Who was messaging her at this time of night? Some asswipes had no appreciation for the sleep schedules of others.

[hider=Show Conversation]
-- rampantCrone [color=0054a6][RC][/color] began trolling sunlitVaudevillian [color=078243][SV][/color] at 14:21 --
[color=0054a6]RC: ço[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: howç the çmut writing going?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I do not Vrite smut, you insuVVerable tVatmuVVin.[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: why iç inçufferable the moçt uçed adjeçtive uçed when deççrribing me[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: i am inçredibly çufferable[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: the çufferableçt[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vell, you kind oV are.[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I assume tVatmuVVin is not oVten used Vor you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: As you didn't mention it[/color]
[color=078243]SV: You Vouldn't acknoVledge my Vordsmithing proVess[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhat a VorsiVul Visage I do VieV, you reek oV Vile, pupal steV[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vrote that Vor you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vrom my heart[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: want to know what my heart çayç?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Not particularly, but I Vill humor you. Vhat[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Çh[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: my heart çayç, a moçt deep and profound Çh[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vuck you.[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Çoundç like a plan[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Oh, VUCK you.[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: you know I çan run to your hive in leçç than an hour[/color]
[color=078243]SV: My snake Vould eat your pathetic Vace[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: your çnake çouldn't çatçh me and you know it[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: and he'ç familiar with me, why would he want to hurt çome of hiç preçiouç pupa'ç friendç?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: You're Voolish to Vant to mess Vith me[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I'm a rainboV drinker[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I'll kill you in an instant[/color]
[color=078243]SV: You knoV hoV Vast Ve are[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: you're right[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: thoçe terrifying teeth definetly don't look like çomething i'd win from an arçade[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vaster than your pathetic Vace[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: façter than my façe?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Shut up[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: gotta çay[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: that'ç a new one[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Shut up noV[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vill Vucking end you[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: ooooh[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: theçe çalignouç vibeç are giving me çhiverç[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: my kneeç are trembling up a çtorm[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I haVe nothing else to say[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vine[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: but hey[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I'm not againçt a çouple Vove Biteç[/color]
[color=078243]SV: You Vin[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I'll shut up and go aVay[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Now when did I çay I wanted you to go away??[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhy are you so inVuriating[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Probably a çombo of my quiçk wit and daçhing good lookç[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: i've been talking to Leçhaç too muçh[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: i'm çpeaking in punç[/color]
[color=078243]SV: That Vas horrible[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: That waç fantaçtiç[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: çtop being ço mean[/color]
[color=078243]SV: VhateVer[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I've never been anything but abçolutely Vovely to you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: You dare mock me[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I dare moçk everyone[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: It'ç how I çhow my affeçtion[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Let me shoV you some aVVection[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vuck oVV[/color]

-- sunlitVaudevillian [color=078243][SV][/color] gave up trolling rampantCrone [color=0054a6][RC][/color] at 14:44 --
[/hider]

Why did that poor excuse for an anything have to insist on bothering her every time she didn't want to be bothered? It... "GONG! GONG! GONG!" fucking hell, not again.

[hider=Show Conversation]
-- rampantCrone [color=0054a6][RC][/color] began trolling sunlitVaudevillian [color=078243][SV][/color] at 14:44 --
[color=0054a6]RC: Hey now[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I did have a reaçon to meççage you[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: beçideç graçing you with my çharm\[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhat[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Thiç game everybodieç ço fuçking hype about[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: what do you know about it?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I knoV Strace is getting me a copy[/color]
[color=078243]SV: And I knoV it's supposed to be cool[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Oh so cool[/color]
[color=078243]SV: It'll probably disappoint me like the rest oV liVe[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Çhriçt[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: anyone ever tell you that your outlook iç refreçhing?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: EVery day[/color]
[color=078243]SV: All oV the Vriends[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I haVe so many Vriends[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I'm çure[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vouldn't be chatting Vith you iV I did[/color]
[color=078243]SV: But you're the best thing to ease my pressing ennui[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Ennui?[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Gotta remember, I'm pretty, not Çmart[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vailing, all deVouring holloVness[/color]
[color=078243]SV: That consumes my Vading soul[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: It'ç alwayç Ironiç when the Nihiliçt haç a better outlook than you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I am not a nihilist[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I am.[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Hençe the Irony[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Good Vor you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Maybe you can Vinally curl up and die[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Look what I'm çaying iç[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I don't like how muçh you put yourçelf down[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I don't put myselV doVn[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I am so happy Vith Vho I am[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I haVe eVerything I eVer Vanted[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: And I know you çouldn't be more apathetiç towardç my affinitieç[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: But you've got a niçe çmile[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: it'ç a çhame you don't çhow it off more[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vill pretend that didn't make me smile[/color]
[color=078243]SV: TVatmuVVin[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Çee what I mean?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Oh, Vuck you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I do not Vant that[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Anywayç[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Howç your writing going?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I neVer should haVe told you about it[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Very Vell, though[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: that waç a genuine queçtion[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I genuinely ansVered[/color]
[color=078243]SV: "Very Vell"[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: That'ç good to hear[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Altough your "verveç" çan be a bit overwhelming[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhy do you care[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Why wouldn't I??[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: You aren't a bad writer[/color]
[color=078243]SV: ...[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Thank you[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: No problem[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I still don't care Vor you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: No matter hoV sVeet-tongued you might pretend to be[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Yeah[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I get that a lot[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: but want to know çomething çool?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhat[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I çtopped living by what other people thought a long time ago[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: It'ç how I keep my tongue ço çweet[/color]
[color=078243]SV: And you Vant me to knoV this, Vhy?[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Fuçk if I know[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I've çeen a lot of people go down due to the weight of otherç on their çhoulderç[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Thank you Vor Vasting my time[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I haVe to go back to Vriting[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Goodbye[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Yeah[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: If you want to çhow it off[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: You know where to find me[/color]
[color=078243]SV: NeVer in a million sVeeps[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: I'll keep that in mind[/color]
[color=0054a6]RC: Niçe talkin to you[/color]

-- rampantCrone [color=0054a6][RC][/color] gave up trolling sunlitVaudevillian [color=078243][SV][/color] at 14:56 --
[/hider]

Such a self-righteous, egregiously offensive, smooth-talking asshole. It didn't help that the conversation only succeeded in deepening the hollow ache of loneliness she put up with every day. She glanced for a moment at a small slip of paper on her desk, a torn fragment with a scribbled tag. Well... she was already awake. Intense annoyance and high volume notification alerts tended to do that to a person. It might be a good time to take a chance. A good time to do something idiotic and reckless for once. Bracing herself, she opened a new chat window on her Gothictop, and began to type.

[hider=Show Conversation]
-- sunlitVaudevillian [color=078243][SV][/color] began trolling crystalWisecracker [color=a36209][CW][/color] at 15:01 --
[color=078243]SV: You knoV IreVir GraVel[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Yes I :Do[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Also hi[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: who the heck are you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Don't Vorry about that[/color]
[color=078243]SV: It doesn't matter[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Like eVerything else in this Vorld[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Tell me about IreVir[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Oh well where :Do I start...[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: They are a very active troll, they spen:D much time out:Doors hunting beasts[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhat else[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: They are generally cheerful , a very positive person to talk with[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: lots of energy, boar:Ding on hyper active[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: in a cute sort of way[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I'Ve seen that, Vhat else[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Wait....seen that?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vell[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Not up close[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Are you stalking Irevir?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: DeVine stalking[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Like...[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: watching someone from a :Distance with out them knowing about it on a regular bases[/color]
[color=078243]SV: No[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Not regularly[/color]
[color=078243]SV: She Vould smell me[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Right, having knowle:Dge of how to avoi:D someones notice is also sort of stalkerish[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vould say that's debatable[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: May I ask how you got my han:Dle?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhy does it matter[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: because I :Don't know you, but I know Irevir[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: an:D if you are just typing in ran:Dom names into trollian an:D starting off with "Do you know this troll"[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: well, that just seems unlikely[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vound it Vith my special, Vantastical poVers[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: What like psionics?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Voolish mortal, I am Vith the ones Vhom Valk beside the sun[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Are you telling me[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: you are a rainbow :Drinker[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Yes[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Well, if that is true[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: an:D I'm not saying I neccesarrily belive it is[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: but if it is true[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: that is cool as heck[/color]
[color=078243]SV: It deVinitely is cool as heck[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I'm glad you appreciate me[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Du:De, I'm like the closes a troll can get to being the opposite of a rainbow :Drinker, so being compleatly imnue to light soun:Ds ra:D as heck[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: the other stuff is cool too[/color]
[color=078243]SV: NeVermind that I don't Vant to hear about you[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vant to knoV about IreVir[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Okay like two questions on that my sunbeem stri:Ding frien:D[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhat[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Like thats a big sort of thing to ask, care to narrow :Down what you want to know[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: an:D two[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: why?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I Vant to knoV hoV to get to knoV her better[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vithout looking like an idiot[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Like...as a frien:D? cause its not that :Difficult to befrien:D her.[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vell[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Not exactly[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Oh frack[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: :Do you feel flush for her?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: No. I Vant to be her Vucking auspistice[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Welp, this is awkwar:D[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhy[/color]
[color=078243]SV: It doesn't need to be aVkVard[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhy are things alVays aVkVard Vith me[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: I'm not talking about the converstation in general[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhat, then[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: okay, so maybe a little bit with that, but that was not what I was refering to just now[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: I...also have flush feelings for her[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vuck[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vucking Vuck Vuck Vuck[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Just my Vucking aVVul luck[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Torn aVay by all this pain in me[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Hey, its okay, no nee:D to lose your silt over this[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Darkness Vakes my mind, and I can't breathe[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Nothing but a nothingness oV Vucking nothing[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: You goo:D? You get your tremmor tantrum out of the way?[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Cause its sort of unnessary[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: for a few reasons[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: I sure has hack haven't ha:D the rocks to tell her how I feel[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: an:D bless her a:Dorable tail, she :Doesn't have clue one about it[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vhy didn't you say so[/color]
[color=078243]SV: She isn't taken[/color]
[color=078243]SV: So you Vill help me get her![/color]
[color=a36209]CW: I...I :Don't know...[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: maybe...[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vould you Vant to risk crossing me[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I could gnaV through your throat in a second[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: normally I woul:D fin:D that humors an:D kin:D of awesome[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: But that sort of lea:Ds me to the other problem I've ha:D recently in my love life[/color]
[color=078243]SV: VhateVer, I don't Vant to hear you moping about VhateVer's got you Veeping[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vill you help me or not[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Tell ya what[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: I certainly promise not to get in your way, partily out of respect of a cool-ass :Day walker, but mostly beacuse I just want Irevir to be happy[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: an:D given what just went between me an:D her morail I :Doubt that will be me[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: If you a:Dvice, or to run i:Deas by me, go for it[/color]
[color=078243]SV: You knoV her moirail[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Yes, she short of threate:D to kill me to:Day[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: hence the not fin:Ding your threats funny[/color]
[color=078243]SV: GiVe me her handle[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: Sure[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: viciousEmpress[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Thanks[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I probably Von't talk to you again[/color]
[color=078243]SV: But not because you suck[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: but because you :Do?[/color]
[color=078243]SV: VoV[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: rainbow :Drinker joke[/color]
[color=078243]SV: I got it[/color]
[color=078243]SV: GiVe me[/color]
[color=078243]SV: moment[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Vuckin[/color]
[color=078243]SV: Okay. I'm good[/color]
[color=078243]SV: That Vas Vucking hilarious[/color]
[color=a36209]CW: ha, gla:D you like:D it[/color]
[color=078243]SV: VareVell and all that Vuckshit[/color]

-- sunlitVaudevillian [color=078243][SV][/color] gave up trolling crystalWisecracker [color=a36209][CW][/color] at 15:29 --
[/hider]

This was it. Her chance. She finally had a chance, finally had an in, finally had a reason to act on how she felt. All thoughts of her conversation with Fortid were forgotten, along with the all-important game. That shit didn't matter, it was all pointless, meaningless, arbitrary in the shadow of this massive bundle of emotion. She had to come up with something to say, had to write something down. A long, detailed art session might have begun if the still-agitated Snakedad didn't choose that time to strike.

"GET OFF ME YOU FUCKING DEMON OF THE INFERNAL ABYSS!" the girl cried as the giant lusus fwomped painfully on top of her. She grabbed it's open fangs, wresting them away from her neck with all her strength. Snakedad was furious, Snakedad was proud. Nobody step on Snakedad unless they want to suffer his scaly wrath. As for messaging this "viciousEmpress"... that could come after the threat of imminent death at the teeth of her guardian passed.