My ancestor began aiding the rebellion after someone she cared for (in an undefined capacity) was harmed somehow by the government. It would behoove me if someone else's ancestor was said individual, but it isn't necessary.
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.
-- rampantCrone [RC] began trolling sunlitVaudevillian [SV] at 14:21 -- RC: ço RC: howç the çmut writing going? SV: I do not Vrite smut, you insuVVerable tVatmuVVin. RC: why iç inçufferable the moçt uçed adjeçtive uçed when deççrribing me RC: i am inçredibly çufferable RC: the çufferableçt SV: Vell, you kind oV are. SV: I assume tVatmuVVin is not oVten used Vor you SV: As you didn't mention it SV: You Vouldn't acknoVledge my Vordsmithing proVess SV: Vhat a VorsiVul Visage I do VieV, you reek oV Vile, pupal steV SV: I Vrote that Vor you SV: Vrom my heart RC: want to know what my heart çayç? SV: Not particularly, but I Vill humor you. Vhat RC: Çh RC: my heart çayç, a moçt deep and profound Çh SV: Vuck you. RC: Çoundç like a plan SV: Oh, VUCK you. RC: you know I çan run to your hive in leçç than an hour SV: My snake Vould eat your pathetic Vace RC: your çnake çouldn't çatçh me and you know it RC: and he'ç familiar with me, why would he want to hurt çome of hiç preçiouç pupa'ç friendç? SV: You're Voolish to Vant to mess Vith me SV: I'm a rainboV drinker SV: I'll kill you in an instant SV: You knoV hoV Vast Ve are RC: you're right RC: thoçe terrifying teeth definetly don't look like çomething i'd win from an arçade SV: Vaster than your pathetic Vace RC: façter than my façe? SV: Shut up RC: gotta çay RC: that'ç a new one SV: Shut up noV SV: I Vill Vucking end you RC: ooooh RC: theçe çalignouç vibeç are giving me çhiverç RC: my kneeç are trembling up a çtorm SV: I haVe nothing else to say SV: Vine RC: but hey RC: I'm not againçt a çouple Vove Biteç SV: You Vin SV: I'll shut up and go aVay RC: Now when did I çay I wanted you to go away?? SV: Vhy are you so inVuriating RC: Probably a çombo of my quiçk wit and daçhing good lookç RC: i've been talking to Leçhaç too muçh RC: i'm çpeaking in punç SV: That Vas horrible RC: That waç fantaçtiç RC: çtop being ço mean SV: VhateVer RC: I've never been anything but abçolutely Vovely to you SV: You dare mock me RC: I dare moçk everyone RC: It'ç how I çhow my affeçtion SV: Let me shoV you some aVVection SV: Vuck oVV
-- sunlitVaudevillian [SV] gave up trolling rampantCrone [RC] at 14:44 --
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.
-- rampantCrone [RC] began trolling sunlitVaudevillian [SV] at 14:44 -- RC: Hey now RC: I did have a reaçon to meççage you RC: beçideç graçing you with my çharm\ SV: Vhat RC: Thiç game everybodieç ço fuçking hype about RC: what do you know about it? SV: I knoV Strace is getting me a copy SV: And I knoV it's supposed to be cool SV: Oh so cool SV: It'll probably disappoint me like the rest oV liVe RC: Çhriçt RC: anyone ever tell you that your outlook iç refreçhing? SV: EVery day SV: All oV the Vriends SV: I haVe so many Vriends RC: I'm çure SV: I Vouldn't be chatting Vith you iV I did SV: But you're the best thing to ease my pressing ennui RC: Ennui? RC: Gotta remember, I'm pretty, not Çmart SV: Vailing, all deVouring holloVness SV: That consumes my Vading soul RC: It'ç alwayç Ironiç when the Nihiliçt haç a better outlook than you SV: I am not a nihilist RC: I am. RC: Hençe the Irony SV: Good Vor you SV: Maybe you can Vinally curl up and die RC: Look what I'm çaying iç RC: I don't like how muçh you put yourçelf down SV: I don't put myselV doVn SV: I am so happy Vith Vho I am SV: I haVe eVerything I eVer Vanted RC: And I know you çouldn't be more apathetiç towardç my affinitieç RC: But you've got a niçe çmile RC: it'ç a çhame you don't çhow it off more SV: I Vill pretend that didn't make me smile SV: TVatmuVVin RC: Çee what I mean? SV: Oh, Vuck you SV: I do not Vant that RC: Anywayç RC: Howç your writing going? SV: I neVer should haVe told you about it SV: Very Vell, though RC: that waç a genuine queçtion SV: I genuinely ansVered SV: "Very Vell" RC: That'ç good to hear RC: Altough your "verveç" çan be a bit overwhelming SV: Vhy do you care RC: Why wouldn't I?? RC: You aren't a bad writer SV: ... SV: Thank you RC: No problem SV: I still don't care Vor you SV: No matter hoV sVeet-tongued you might pretend to be RC: Yeah RC: I get that a lot RC: but want to know çomething çool? SV: Vhat RC: I çtopped living by what other people thought a long time ago RC: It'ç how I keep my tongue ço çweet SV: And you Vant me to knoV this, Vhy? RC: Fuçk if I know RC: I've çeen a lot of people go down due to the weight of otherç on their çhoulderç SV: Thank you Vor Vasting my time SV: I haVe to go back to Vriting SV: Goodbye RC: Yeah RC: If you want to çhow it off RC: You know where to find me SV: NeVer in a million sVeeps RC: I'll keep that in mind RC: Niçe talkin to you
-- rampantCrone [RC] gave up trolling sunlitVaudevillian [SV] at 14:56 --
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.
-- sunlitVaudevillian [SV] began trolling crystalWisecracker [CW] at 15:01 -- SV: You knoV IreVir GraVel CW: Yes I :Do CW: Also hi CW: who the heck are you SV: Don't Vorry about that SV: It doesn't matter SV: Like eVerything else in this Vorld SV: Tell me about IreVir CW: Oh well where :Do I start... CW: They are a very active troll, they spen:D much time out:Doors hunting beasts SV: Vhat else CW: They are generally cheerful , a very positive person to talk with CW: lots of energy, boar:Ding on hyper active CW: in a cute sort of way SV: I'Ve seen that, Vhat else CW: Wait....seen that? SV: Vell SV: Not up close CW: Are you stalking Irevir? SV: DeVine stalking CW: Like... CW: watching someone from a :Distance with out them knowing about it on a regular bases SV: No SV: Not regularly SV: She Vould smell me CW: Right, having knowle:Dge of how to avoi:D someones notice is also sort of stalkerish SV: I Vould say that's debatable CW: May I ask how you got my han:Dle? SV: Vhy does it matter CW: because I :Don't know you, but I know Irevir CW: an:D if you are just typing in ran:Dom names into trollian an:D starting off with "Do you know this troll" CW: well, that just seems unlikely SV: I Vound it Vith my special, Vantastical poVers CW: What like psionics? SV: Voolish mortal, I am Vith the ones Vhom Valk beside the sun CW: Are you telling me CW: you are a rainbow :Drinker SV: Yes CW: Well, if that is true CW: an:D I'm not saying I neccesarrily belive it is CW: but if it is true CW: that is cool as heck SV: It deVinitely is cool as heck SV: I'm glad you appreciate me 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 CW: the other stuff is cool too SV: NeVermind that I don't Vant to hear about you SV: I Vant to knoV about IreVir CW: Okay like two questions on that my sunbeem stri:Ding frien:D SV: Vhat CW: Like thats a big sort of thing to ask, care to narrow :Down what you want to know CW: an:D two CW: why? SV: I Vant to knoV hoV to get to knoV her better SV: Vithout looking like an idiot CW: Like...as a frien:D? cause its not that :Difficult to befrien:D her. SV: Vell SV: Not exactly CW: Oh frack CW: :Do you feel flush for her? SV: No. I Vant to be her Vucking auspistice CW: Welp, this is awkwar:D SV: Vhy SV: It doesn't need to be aVkVard SV: Vhy are things alVays aVkVard Vith me CW: I'm not talking about the converstation in general SV: Vhat, then CW: okay, so maybe a little bit with that, but that was not what I was refering to just now CW: I...also have flush feelings for her SV: Vuck SV: Vucking Vuck Vuck Vuck SV: Just my Vucking aVVul luck SV: Torn aVay by all this pain in me CW: Hey, its okay, no nee:D to lose your silt over this SV: Darkness Vakes my mind, and I can't breathe SV: Nothing but a nothingness oV Vucking nothing CW: You goo:D? You get your tremmor tantrum out of the way? CW: Cause its sort of unnessary CW: for a few reasons CW: I sure has hack haven't ha:D the rocks to tell her how I feel CW: an:D bless her a:Dorable tail, she :Doesn't have clue one about it SV: Vhy didn't you say so SV: She isn't taken SV: So you Vill help me get her! CW: I...I :Don't know... CW: maybe... SV: Vould you Vant to risk crossing me SV: I could gnaV through your throat in a second CW: normally I woul:D fin:D that humors an:D kin:D of awesome CW: But that sort of lea:Ds me to the other problem I've ha:D recently in my love life SV: VhateVer, I don't Vant to hear you moping about VhateVer's got you Veeping SV: Vill you help me or not CW: Tell ya what 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 CW: an:D given what just went between me an:D her morail I :Doubt that will be me CW: If you a:Dvice, or to run i:Deas by me, go for it SV: You knoV her moirail CW: Yes, she short of threate:D to kill me to:Day CW: hence the not fin:Ding your threats funny SV: GiVe me her handle CW: Sure CW: viciousEmpress SV: Thanks SV: I probably Von't talk to you again SV: But not because you suck CW: but because you :Do? SV: VoV CW: rainbow :Drinker joke SV: I got it SV: GiVe me SV: moment SV: Vuckin SV: Okay. I'm good SV: That Vas Vucking hilarious CW: ha, gla:D you like:D it SV: VareVell and all that Vuckshit
-- sunlitVaudevillian [SV] gave up trolling crystalWisecracker [CW] at 15:29 --
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.
The Vingers oV Death A “Sun Striders” VangVic by Hecare Eritas
Chapter 1
VangVall Bloodire Vas unamused. The Alternian diplomat she had been chasing Vor the last tVo days had suddenly Vanished, as iV he Vas turned into smoke. She knelt on the rocky outcrop in the unVaVering Alternian desert sun, Vatching the caVe Vhere the Vleeing troll had last took shelter. He Vent in just a VeV hours ago. Thinking she had him trapped, Bloodire had Valked in aVter him, but he Vas noVhere to be Vound in the tiny creVice. And so she Vaited. Vaited like the sun Vaits on the moon to Vlee its Vrath, Vaited like a predator stalks its helpless prey.
The Vaiting made her remember an earlier time.
A time Vhen all oV this made sense. But that liVe Vas years past, and this Vas the present. No time to reminisce, no time Vor lost memories. Only time to hunt the sorry Vucks Vho hurt her loVe. They Vould pay, one by one, pay at the mercy oV her Vangs oV death. And as they looked into her Vormless eyes, asking Vhy she murdered them, she Vould reply: Vor reVenge, Vor passion, and Vor peace in the Vorld. Yes, that Vas the noble thing to do and the most poVerVul lesson to teach. Karma exists, and it Vill come knocking at your door in the shape oV a six Voot tall gloVing monster.
Author’s notes: This Vas based on the eVents precluded in Volume 2, chapter 5, paragraV Vour oV the “Sun Striders” series. I took artistic liberty in Bloodire’s motiVes, as Ve don’t really knoV Vhy she hunted oVVicials. I mean, any person Vho isn’t an idiot can put tVo and tVo together. I hope to put in another Vriting soon.