DeltaStuck

As you thrash about on the floor, flailing your arms wildly, you hear a soft jangling from your wrists. Feeling you have thrown a sufficient tantrum you pull yourself up and look down at your wrists. There you see a number of colored bracelets on each wrist, the first one on the left is a solid black one, which reminds you of something you were attending to earlier. You grab your LAPTOP and position yourself in a comfortable seating position on your bed. Looking at pesterchum you see that PA has responded at last.

LF: We((, I a(tua((y haven't (ooked at my (opy in detai( yet. Ho(d on.

At the inquiry from PA you remove the discs from your pocket and examine them closely. You notice that they do in fact say DELTA on them.

LF: Okay I (ooked and I (an (onfirm that my (opy does in fact say DE(TA on it.

While considering the implications of this revelation you remove the black bracelet from your wrist and fiddle with it in your hand. Deciding that you may need it for a reminder later you decide to captchalogue it in your modus. As you captchalogue the Black Bracelet, your OCD Modus ejects the Vanilla Milkshake. You look up in sudden realization of the novice mistake you just made, while the milkshake falls squarely into your face splattering over it and even into your hair.

LF: Ex(use me for a se(ond, something sudden((y came up I need to take (are of, rea( qui(k.

Running into your bathroom as fast as you can you clean the milkshake off your face and hair. Looking at your DYES lined up on the sink you suddenly feel that it's just not right. You rearrange them in the order of RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO, VIOLET. Looking up into the mirror you see your hair and decide that it must follow suit. You remove the PINK BUNNY CLIP and set on the sink as you go about washing the dye out of your hair. You then proceed to dye your hair in the natural order of the RAINBOW. looking at the PINK BUNNY CLIP you decide to place it in it's proper place the YELLOW stripe.

Feeling like something was still missing you drummed your hands on the edge of the sink impatiently, when it hit you all of a sudden. Your modus, you flipped it over and examined it...YEP SURE ENOUGH... it wasn't set to RAINBOW. You quickly press the button and watch as the BLACK BRACELET is ejected clear out the bathroom window. You guess your Modus couldn't figure out where to place a BLACK object and shrug your shoulders.

You run back to your bed and return to your LAPTOP.

LF: My apo(igies for sudde((y ga((ivanting off (ike that. I had a s(ight in(ident with my parti(ular Modus. Now a (ohort of mine is (ompe((ing me to give some thought to who sha(( assist me and whom sha(( have the (han(e to have one su(h as myse(f to assist them. Have you given any (onsideration to whom who shou(d assist and a(so have assist yourse(f?

As you await a response from PA you look at your Chum list and see that are a few other people online who you haven't pestered yet. Well that just can't stand. You should share your cheerfulness and energy with everyone you can.

-- logicalFallacy [LF] began pestering malleableAtrocities [MA] --

LF: He((o my (ute (ompanion. How does (ife find one su(ch as yourse(f this (ovely morning? Though I must (onfess that mine has not been entire(y p(easant. Cou(d you be(ieve that Sis put a pink c(ip in my green hair stripe? Just ....i(k. No (olor (ordination at a((.

-- logicalFallacy [LF] began pestering zestyForesight [ZF] --

LF: He((o, I (ertain(y hope this morning finds you we((. Or at (east in better (ondition than I found myse(f in after the morning ex(hange with my sister.

-- logicalFallacy [LF] began pestering inadvertentArsonist [IA] --

LF: He((o, I hope the morning has been (heerfu( for you. I wou(d (ertain(y hope you have not had to dea( with anything troub(esome this (ove(y morning.

Looking over the various windows now open all over your LAPTOP screen you make sure there is no one you missed...oh wait...of course how could you forget.

-- logicalFallacy [LF] began pestering fraudlentRedeemer [FR] --

LF: He((o (ranky-kun!!! It has (ome to my know(edge that you sha(( be assisting AA. I fee( I must (ompe(( you to not be so mu(h of we(( yourse(f. But I (on(ede that is not very (ike(y for you to be ab(e to do. But p(ease do try.

Zane sighed under his breath as the odd file opened itself to reveal a password prompt. Guessing he was missing something, he jumped around in the hard drive of his TECHBOOK, trying to find where the file had came from. When he eventually tracked it down, it told him that the file originated from the textbook, and was comprised entirely out of some odd coding.

Just as he was starting to double-check his results, a multitude of blips and bleeps resounded in the air, alerting him to various chums and buddies contacting him. Closing the program with a huff, he continued on his way back to his room and typed a response to Isis as he went.

ZF: i caN accuratelY claiM thaT thE volatilE onE yoU speaK oF haS noT contacteD mE.
ZF: i havE, howeveR, spotaneouslY acquireD a filE oN mY computationaL devicE thaT apparentlY camE froM saiD devicE withouT havinG beeN createD bY myselF.


Relaying the message into the digital aether, he ends up just outside his room as he begins his reply to Lucia.

ZF: salutationS, mY mosT colorfuL oF associateS.
ZF: i havE yeT tO deaL witH anythinG particularlY arduouS beyonD a paiR oF duelS froM mY unclE.
ZF: baseD oN youR phrasinG, shalL i assumE somethinG troublesomE occureD towardS yourselF?

ReCuse read through his message, her smile widened, Kie was right, this was more interesting than talking to him, though to be fair it was kind of like talking to herself, and where was the fun in that? Not that she wasn't interesting, she just needed some company other than her own sometimes. ReCuse paid no mind that him being 17 sweeps made absolutely no fucking sense, perhaps it was just her suspension of disbelief kicking in.

ST: Hom funny that you should mention a game, that's brecisely mhat I've been trying to contact some friends to do.
ST: I should brobably be trolling them about it, but it would seem that their busy....
ST: Or just being a lazy asshole in the case of one. You'll have to forgive me for this, but I believe it's an abbrobriate time to engage in a heavy sigh.
ST: *Sigh*
ST: They're so utterly absolutely combletely and ENTIRELY unreliableeee.
ST: I'm babbling again, you asked about me didn't you?
ST: Let's see, I guess you could call me the meird drama kid-- in more mays than one.
ST: Or so I'm told that I start drama. I hardly believe that, I'm just strongmilled is all. I'm not very good at saying things about myself.
ST: Oh, but I would be Mistress, thank you.

Meanwhile, somewhere on another planet, Kitt was being pestered. This would make the second unexpected pestering for the night, she was quite popular today. Well, your definition of popular was vastly different from most other peoples. She checked the chat and was assaulted by colors.

Oh jesus, right in her good eye. You just didn't go around throwing eye straining colors in her one good eye man. Of course, not that anyone would know that.

IA: While I thank you for your well wishes, this morning has been quite troubling.
IA: Between being pestered by a peculiar foulmouthed gentleman and losing in a fight with my guardian.
IA: I don't think I've spoken to you before...
IA: Or rather, I know-- I've only ever talked to MA.
IA: And as of now, volatileSlacker, which is quite missing from my list of handles and as far as I know, everyone elses as well.
IA: MA is supposed to be contacting some of the others to see if they've recieved any strange unexpected pesterings, but I hope that since you contacted me you won't mind me asking...
IA: Have you recieved any of said unexpected pesterings today?

She looked away from her screen to rub her eyes, how very inconvenient it was to have an eye and not being able to see out of it.

Meanwhile, back with ReCuse, she'd finally received a response from one of the three she pestered that wasn't Kieloe, and luckily for her it was her favorite of the three. Or rather the one that she got along with the best of them. Too bad that she was too focused on her newfound friend to respond.

illustriousAbettor [IA] began trolling scorbianTheatric [ST]
IA: Ricky, whhy do you insist on bothhering me whhen it's still lighht outside?
IA: You shhould know by now thhat thhere's a time diiference between you and me.
IA: Like by a lot.
IA: It's a bit fucking annoying whhen you wake me up thhis early.
IA: LIKE REALLY FUCKIN' ANNOYIN'.

The seadweller sat at his desk, brushing his fingers lightly across one of his stilletos.

No, they weren't heels, but were in fact knives. Small little knives that would fuck you up if he stabbed you enough with them. This particular one was one that he'd made himself out of fishbones and a broken blade-- it wasn't the most sturdy weapon in his collection, but he was pretty proud of it for it being handmade.

He was getting sort of irritated, Vadius wasn't nessicarily the patient type, especially when he was tired. What in the HELL was taking her so long to respond?

IA: ... Ricky?
IA: DON'T IGNORE ME WHHEN I'M BITCHHIN' AT YOU.
IA: You're not even fucking listening to me, you're NOT even fucking LISTENIN' TO ME.
IA: RUDE.
IA: Well I'm awake now, and you're ignoring me.
IA: AND now I'm mad at you.
IA: Sux 2 b u. *catwalks out of your life*
illustriousAbettor [IA] catwalks out of your life.

Instead, he decided to bother another friend of his, perhaps he would know what was going on with ReCuse.

illustriousAbettor [IA] began trolling volatileSlacker [VS]
IA: Ey. You.
VS: Oh you changed your color.
IA: Whhat. Read the fucking CHHAT you douche nozzle.
VS: Oh waiiit, iiit's just you Vadiiius.
VS: Man, douche nozzle iiisn't even clever by my standards, let alone your sass mastery.
VS: You feeliiing okay?
IA: Some bitchh woke me up.
VS: Oh, she's been pesteriiing you too?
VS: Iii got her off my taiiil by telliiing her to go talk to one of the others on that liiist.
IA: Whhy the FUCK would she want to do somethhing like thhat? Thhey're complete fucking strangers.
IA: Actually shhe's just naive enoughh to do thhat. WHHY DID YOU GO AND FUCKIN' PUT THHAT THHOUGHHT IN HHER HHEAD YOU FUCKIN' INBRED.
VS: Ouch. My feeliiings.
IA: Don't get sarcastic withh me, I'm not in the mood.
VS: What's the matter, not weariiing your face yet Mr. Popstar?
VS: Mehh mehh mehh my name is Vadius and I sing like a little pansy boy. Mehh mehh mehh my Moirail won't talk to me.
VS: Stop beiiing a liiittle biiitch.
IA: Really. You're resorting to wriggler tactics? Come the fuck on.
IA: Wait a minute, you confused me for one of thhose strangers didn't you.
VS: For a matter of fact, Iii did.
VS: Iii don't know how, she was poliiite.
IA: Fuck you. I'm taking my hhappy pansy ass hhome.
IA: Well, away from my hhusktop.
IA: In any case, please go eat shhit and die.
illustriousAbettor [IA] took his happy pansy ass home.
VS: How the fuck do you even get trolliiian to do that?

Kain massages the bridge of his nose, right between his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Perhaps he should be truly genuine about changing tact and offer a peace offering of sorts.



AA: To be fair, I envi$ion it would pre$umably be delightful to work with you in a game.
AA: You are the only other one I know that ¢an take a beating in a $trife and ¢ome out relatively un$¢athed.
AA: Given that thi$ i$, a$ adverti$ed, an "immer$ive" experien¢e, I require $omeone who ¢an help me.
AA: I $ele¢ted you out of everyone el$e be¢au$e I pla¢e my tru$t in you for thi$ endeavor.
AA: Will you plea$e boot your $erver ¢opy and ¢onne¢t to me?

Alt-tabbing out to ReCuse's reply, he makes a note of what she says before directing his attention towards MA's replies.


AA: I believe I may po$$e$$ $ome immediately important inferential information. ;P
AA: I will ¢onta¢t them immediately and inform you of the re$ult$ of my endeavor$.
 



Tabbing back over to ReCuse's tab, he begins his remark.

AA: Ah, my thank$. I find it di$¢omforting being ¢orre¢ted on gender pronoun$.
AA: I find your demeanor... refre$hing, Mi$$ Re¢u$e. Intere$ting, even.
AA: Perhap$ a tou¢h of exoti¢i$m pervade$ you. I am ¢luele$$ in the$e matter$.
AA: But you do bring up an intere$ting detail that one of my, ah... ¢olleague$ wa$ ¢uriou$ toward$.
AA: Would thi$ "lazy a$$hole" perhap$ be a, $ay... volatile$la¢ker?

Tabbing again, he notices he completely forgot to respond to Lucia while Sburb was loading. He quickly fires off yet another reply.


AA: $orry, I wa$ bu$y for a moment.
AA: Perhap$ mi$$ Ar$oni$t ¢ould u$e your friendly ¢harm$? Goodne$$ know$ I'm not the mo$t profi¢ient with $o¢ial intera¢tion.
AA: At lea$t not with people who don't want it. Whi¢h, in retro$pe¢t, may be why I'm in¢apable of ¢onver$ing with them.
AA: ...I'm rambling again. Maybe it'$ be¢au$e we're ¢onfidant$?

Isis had actually been paying attention to her pesterchum. For once. It was a good thing, since Finn was messaging her once again. He’d been going on about flaming swords and samurai, when she’d cut him off by mistake. Darn it.

MA: So sorry, sweetie.
MA: And rest absolutely assured I shan’t forget your fearless heroics.
MA:  Be they daily or weekly.
MA: And as for apatheticAvarice…

She paused a moment, to pull a double facepalm. AA was a good friend. He really was. But his social graces could be lacking sometimes…And that was coming from her of all people. Funnily, he seemed fine unless interacting with Finn. Sometimes she regretted ever introducing those two to each other…But that was in the past. Right now, in the present, she still had plenty to do.


MA: I’ll go converse with him real quick.

She took a quick glance at her own game discs before switching to AA’s tab. Server and client…Did it matter which order she installed those in? Well, she could always ask AA.
Hee. That string of i words. Adorable apatheticAvarice.

MA: Absolutely awesome, AA.
MA: And another inquiry for you today.
MA: Is the order in which I install these discs of particular, principle pertinence to anything?
MA: Oh, and one other thing, AA.
MA: “Oi” isn’t the ideal way…
MA: …to commence conversation with Reedy.
MA: You might want to watch your words a bit.
MA: To steer clear of any spats or fits.
MA: And maybe tone down the…er…attitude…just a bit.

Redundancy for the sake of rhyme. She did that far too often. She didn’t have time to dwell on it though. She had other messages to get to. She switched to the tab that had popped up, displaying a familiar username. Oh goody, it was her!

MA: Cordial greetings, colorful cutie~
MA: Other than a citrusy skirmish with the anomalous oddity of an Auntie, I can say I’ve been well.
MA: How she can lick me with lemons alone I’ll never be able to tell.
MA: And oh dead.
MA: Er…*oh dear.
MA: That would’ve been a color combination quite queer.
MA: Although it may have looked lovely, the lack of matching would be troubling.
MA: Where’s pink perfectly placed on a rainbow anyway?
MA: Red, I suppose, sits closest, I’d say.

Rainy was just absolutely adorable sometimes. Isis always had fun reading that rainbow text. …She was quite sure she was the only one who did, come to think of it. Ah, well, it was on to Zesty next. And Reedy, who had apparently messaged her again.

MA: Ah, alright. AA is on the case of the mysterious VS anyhow.
MA: And that’s awfully odd.
MA: There’s certainly a lot of strangeness going now.

And now- wait what? Assassin?

MA: Shall I even attempt asking about the aforementioned assassin…?
MA: As for IA, I was talking to her a mere moment ago.
MA: She said something about a list of chumhandles.
MA: Why we’re getting them I don’t really know.
MA: I’ll go check though.

A list, hm? Well, hers obviously wasn’t in the mail…Auntie would have used it as bait or something by now. Finn had found his after installing the game. Perhaps it was with the discs? She checked the case, and sure enough, there was a slip of paper that had gone unnoticed earlier.
Well, this was a bit unsettling… Not only had someone gotten ahold of their chumhandles, but they’d distributed them…along with a few others. There were hers, AA’s, Zesty’s, Reedy’s, Rainy’s, Kitty’s…and the aforementioned assassin’s.
She was only half sure Finn had been joking about that last line. She figured she had better message this PA, just to be safe. It was probably just someone with an unusual handle anyway, right?

malleableAtrocities [MA] began pestering professionalAssassin [PA]

MA: Gracious greetings to you, PA.
MA: Is there a cause to a Sburb case containing a list that happened to have your handle on it?
MA: Did you perhaps get the same game today?

What weird happenings today. She had a hunch it had something to do with the game, but shrugged it off. That was rather silly, wasn’t it? Goodness, with all this going on she’d nearly forgotten what else she was supposed to be doing today. Closing her laptop and reaching over it, she lifted the cloth that carefully covered the dearly departed, lying on a cold tray.

Sigh.

Poor Ponce.

Finn was had resorted to a bit of practice while he waited for responses on Trollian. Plucking away at his guitar, he smiled a bit as he played his music. This was where Finn felt at home. Behind his guitar, his fingers flying along the strings as he sang to the music. This particular song was one that he had covered shortly after he'd met Isis. The girl had caught his eye while they were both attending a music concert in the city. He'd pushed his way through the crowd to talk to her and as his luck would have it, the band started playing just as he was about to speak up. During a particular popular song, a mosh began and the girl had been knocked into him. He had the time to catch her before getting knocked down himself. He had managed to pull her on top of him so that he took most of the fall but it had still left them in an awkward pile until a nicer member of the audience had helped Isis off of him. Afterwards, the pair had exchanged Pesterchum handles and Finn continued to find her to be one of the few people that he could have a conversation with.

As if she had some sort of ESP, Finn heard his Pesterchum ping and he set down his guitar to spin around and open the client again. He noticed that he had messages from Isis, that fucking guy, and the mysterious assassin. Thinking of the assassin as the most intriguing conversation, he pulled up the tab for that individual first. That's strange... They were apologizing?

FR: Hey
FR: Don't Fucking Worry About It.
FR: I Just Thought My Dad Might Have Some Strange Ties In This Thing.
FR: If You Don't Mind Me Asking
FR: Who The Fuck Are You?
FR: I Got A List Of Handles With My Game And You Were One Of Them.

Then, moving to get the irritating conversation out of the way, Finn opened Kain's tab and began to quickly type out a response.

FR: Who Said I Want To Fucking Team Up With You?
FR: And What About MA?
FR: I'm Not About To Fucking Leave Her In The Cold.
FR: I Mean
FR: Sure
FR: I'll Help Out.
FR: But
FR: You Leave MA Out And I'll Disconnect Faster Than The Speed Of Light.
FR: Anyways
FR: My Server Copy Is Installed Already.
FR: You Want Me To Connect To You?
FR: Give Me A Sec To Get Back To MA And I'll Be Connected.

Finally, he jumped tabs to Isis. His hands set in to the keys as he continued to hum the song that he was playing earlier.

FR: I Messaged The Assassin.
FR: Doesn't Seem Like Much Of A Threat.
FR: Whoever The Fuck They Are Just Started Apologizing Like They Killed My Cat
FR: Fuck
FR: Sorry
FR: Bad Analogy.
FR: Anyways
FR: Did You Get The List Of Handles
FR: Too?
FR: So
FR: Looks Like AA Wants To Get This Shit Started.
FR: Let's See What Happens.

Finn closed Pesterchum until he got another ping and went to the finished install of Sburb. When prompted, he entered Kain's Pesterchum handle and started the game. When the game finished loading, he was greeted to the view of a boy sitting in his room at his computer. What the fuck?

He played with the interface for a while then eventually realized he could interact with objects. He looked first realized this by sliding the desk that the boy was sitting at two the left so that it narrowly avoided disconnecting the computer on top of it. Then, he slid it back to its original position not being able to let go of the object.

"Fuck." Finn worded his irritation verbally as he tried to interact with a bookcase... And promptly proceeded to dump the literature all over the ground. Heh, Isis would've liked that alliteration. Dear lord, he was quickly understanding how to control the game but he needed to improve before he killed the young man who was now sitting in the middle of his room less than a foot away from the bookalanche that had just occured.

Lucia turned her copies of SBURB DELTA over in her hand and examined them finding one of them to say CLIENT and the other SERVER. She turned her head sideways when she pulled the server disc out of its sleeve and a piece of paper fell out. Picking it up off her laptop she unfurled it and found a list of familiar chum handles, including the one the professionalAssassin she was currently investigating. Strange, it almost seemed as if it was fated. Turning back to her laptop she slipped the disc in and began the installation as she prepared herself for the onslaught of responses she had unleashed upon herself.

Lucia’s keyboard and screen lit up as she began typing out a flurry of replies beginning with [PA]

LF: A(tua((y I’m not entire(y sure just what he is ta(king about myse(f either. A(( I (an understand is this DE(TA game requires peop(e to act as a SERVER and a C(IENT. A(( things (onsidered I guess you (ou(d try asking him yourse(f? He (ou(d use some more pra(ti(e with so(ia( intera(tion anyways. His (hum hand(e is apatheticAvarice, if he asks where you got it just te(( him (u(ia -Er that shou(d read Lucia, by the way- gave it to you.

Moving on she began typing out a response to [MA]

LF: How she (an (ick a (ovely (ady with (emons a(one e(udes me as we((, (utie.
LF: And I must (on(ur with your (onstru(tive (riti(ism on (o(or (oordination and (onsideration to my (ondition that a (ute ((ip of the (o(or pink is proper(y p(aced in red.

Next was [AA]…

LF: Quite the (oin(iden(e there, I was a(ready (hatting up miss arsonist. I rea((y shou(d get ba(k to her though. It’s a(so funny that you shou(d mention so(ia( intera(tion too, I get the fee(ing you (ou(d be getting in a bit of pra(ti(e rather soon. *(hu(k(es*

Well he did say she should talk to her after all, on to the next window containing the chat log with [IA]

LF: I do apo(ogize for the sudden (onta(t, but I (ou(dn’t (ontain the ex(itement of ta(king to you any (onger. [MA] has a(ways said su(h ni(e things about you.
LF: As for unexpe(ted pesterings, I (an’t say that I have re(eived any. Though there was a (hum hand(e that I am unfami(iar with in my (hum (ist. After ta(king with them though they seem ni(e and (ertain(y not vo(ati(e or fou( mouthed.
LF: And sorry to hear you (ost in a s(uff(e with your guardian. Whi(e I didn’t (ose per say, I didn’t wa(k away uns(athed from a s(uff(e with my sister either. She just has no sense of (o(or (oordination sometimes and de(ided to put a pink hair ((ip in my green stripe of hair…so ta(ky. Uggh.

Onwards to [ZF]

LF: I (ertain(y hope your due(s were su((essfu(( at (east?
LF: And just a minor s(uff(e with sis that I didn’t wa(k away from uns(athed, no (o(or (oordination or (onsideration for my (ondition. Pink does not (ook very (ute on green, I wou(d say.

She checked the last window to make sure, and sure enough as was typical of him he hadn't responded yet.

Switching off his TECHBOOK as he flings open the door to his sleeping chambers, Zane is immediately assaulted by a barrage of message alerts coming from his desktop. Swinging himself into the chair of his desk, he noticed that the installation of the server program had completed as he reopened Pesterchum.

ZF: i wilL havE tO trusT yoU oN thaT matteR oF coloR coordinatioN.
ZF: aS foR mY ventureS iN combaT, i havE tO reporT thaT i waS noT victoriouS iN eitheR instancE.

Activating a quick roulette program on his computer, he decided that he would ask Isis about acting as her server player.

ZF: iN alL honestY, compareD tO thE shenaniganS mY unclE caN finD himselF evelopeD iN, nonE oF whaT haS transpirE coulD bE considereD unusuaL.
ZF: a questioN, iF i maY.
ZF: thE serveR versioN oF sburB haS finisheD downloadinG oN mY desktoP.
ZF: dO yoU knoW oF anyonE whO requireS a serveR playeR?

As he sent out the message, a slip of paper attached to the remaining SBURB disk caught his eye. The page of Pesterchum handles only had one name he didn't know, though he didn't speak a lot to most of them. Actually, he had never messaged inadvertantArsonist, as far as he could remember. Well, as this game apparently wanted him to know this group of people, he may as well contact them.

-- zestyForesight [ZF] began pestering inadvertentArsonist [IA] --

ZF: greetingS, inadvertanT onE.
ZF: aS youR pesterchuM appeareD alongsidE mY owN foR thE sburB deltA aS welL aS havinG hearD mentioN oF yoU froM thE malleablE onE, i decideD iT woulD bE ratheR boorisH oF mE tO noT introducE myselF.
ZF: aS yoU caN seE, mY preferreD handlE iS zestyforesighT, thougH the malleablE onE maY havE otheR monnikerS foR mE.

ReCuse could hear a distant scuttling, undoubtedly her lusus waking up and beginning to search for breakfast. She would need to address that soon, but first she wanted to speak a little more extensively with her newfound friend.

ST: Ahh, not a broblem. I thought it mas something that you may mant to knom.
ST: And yes, that lazy asshole mould be volatileslacker.
ST: I masn't amare that he'd contacted someone that you knem.
ST: He'd been talking all morning about a.... err, give me a moment on that, I don't actually knom their handle.
ST: Let me ask for you.

ReCuse turned her attention to one of the approximately seven million chat boxes open on her screen, she was quite a popular person at all times, so sometimes she had to dig through chat windows to find one specific one-- especially what with her pestering four people this morning alone.

Aha, there he was.

ST: Alright, so you mere right, it is fairly fun to talk to them.
ST: Though I do have one question, it seems that the one you're trolling may knom the one that I've contacted, so he'd like to knom their handle.
VS: Iii don't see why Iii should giiive iiit to you. You're kiiind of a shiiit and liiike to ruiiin thiiings for me.
VS: And her name iiis Kiiitt.
ST: Mhat? I don't ruin things, don't be like that.
ST: bleaaaase?
VS: Ugh, just stop whiiiniiing. Her handle is iiinadvertantArsoniiist.

Wonderful, though just as she was about to tab back to tell him the news, Kieloe sent her another message.

VS: OH OH, BEFORE III FORGET.
ST: Uuuugh. Mhat do you MANT? I thought you manted me to leave you alone? I bromise I mon't troll her, fucking shit Kie.
VS: No, not that.
VS: Your moiii-- err, rather moirail, was looking for you.
ST: Mhat? Really? Shit mhen?
VS: He just contacted me a few minutes ago.
VS: He seems like he's in a bad mood, so...
ST: Shiiiit. : (
VS: Well... err... good luck wiiith that then.
VS: Iii don't thiiink my "charmiiing personaliiity" diiid hiiim any good eiiither.
ST: Did you tell him that I mas talking to one of the names on the list?
VS: I told him we both were.
VS: So he's probably pretty mad, especiiially siiince you iiignored hiiim.
ST: Man, you're just trying to get me into trouble.
VS: Hey, iiit's not my fault that he's iiinsecure.

She let out an audible sigh, she knew that Kieloe didn't mean to be a huge asshole all the time. He just didn't know any better, and now he'd gone and gotten her into deep shit with her moirail.

Little did she know, he did mean it.

She clicked back onto the tab with AA.

ST: She's called inadvertantArsonist.
ST: *sigh.*

The rustling outside her door was getting louder, and that wasn't helping with anything. She needed to hurry this conversation up so that she could go and deal with daddy long legs. The frown on her face deepened.

ST: You'll have to forgive me, it seems that I've got a couble of things to attend to.
ST: I'll return bost haste, berhabs it'd do you mell to look into the handle I gave you so that you might figure out mhat's going on here.
scorbianTheatric [ST] ceased trolling apatheticAvarice [AA]

She stood up, ready to go to her door, but she stopped herself. Not particularly wanting to deal with either thing-- she decides to take care of her Moirail first so that she can take out whatever venting that she needed on the other.

scorbianTheatric [ST] began trolling illustriousAbettor [IA]
ST: Ame, come on Vadius, don't be that may.
ST: I masn't ignoring you.
ST: Okay I mas ignoring you, but only because I didn't hear trollian bing.
ST: Don't be mad?
ST: You sure had some mad hib sming mhen you catmalked out of my life.
ST: You've been bracticing your strut haven't you?
ST: .... blease? : (
IA: Ughh look, I'm not all thhat mad at you.
IA: You just seemed to hhave yourself all up in a knot over somethhing and come to find out whhen I come to see whhat's thhe matter you're off talking to someone else.
IA: Plus I don't trust thhe people on thhis list. We've never even met thhem.
ST: Vadius, you're too cautious.
ST: They're not THAAAAT bad. Just go talk to one and you'll see.
ST: I've got to go deal mith my lusus.
scorbianTheatric [ST] ceased trolling illustriousAbettor [IA]
scorbianTheatric [ST] began trolling illustriousAbettor [IA]
ST: Also don't call me Ricky.
scorbianTheatric [ST] ceased trolling illustriousAbettor [IA]

Vadius turned up his nose at the thought. Sure, he liked to talk to people, but he wasn't particularly good at starting conversations. Plus that seemed a little weird to just hit someone up on trollian. What the hell was he supposed to say? "Hey what up pondscum, I've got your handle so lets fucking talk?"

He shuddered at the thought, he really didn't want to sound like Whimsy.

Meanwhile, ReCuse stood and went to retrieve her weapon from her strife specibus. She glanced around the room for something that could be useful for her upcoming escapade-- aha! This heavy glass perfume bottle would work well for a weapon if she sprayed it in his eyes maybe. Let's see, now to put it in her new fetch modus.

Aaaaaaand what the fuck just happened. She was holding the bottle of perfume one minute and within seconds it had lifted from her hand, fallen into a cupcake liner and then disappeared into the modus. What the fuck? She glanced down at the card and there was an image of the perfume bottle with a bar at the bottom that was filling with green at a snails pace.

Well okay then. She had a feeling that she was never going to see that perfume bottle again.

At any rate, well equipped with her butter knives, she was ready to deal with her hungry lusus. She slipped out of her door, glancing around to see where he was. It didn't look like he'd come upstairs yet, so she turned left and ran face first into a spindly pole. There was a soft hissing noise and she turned to see that her lusus had perched itself over her door and laid in wait for her. Fuck he was clever.

She turned and dashed away, but he was after all, a daddy longlegs, so it was fairly easy for him to trip her up. She stumbled over his leg and he bum rushed her, pressing her firmly against the wall with a rather angry look in his eyes.

She spat a bit of silk from her mouth that she'd inhaled, there were webs from him everywhere-- not that he was going to catch anything in the house, he just seemed to like to make a mess of the place. His webs weren't even symmetrical. They didn't seem to have ANY sort of rhyme or reason. They were just there to be gross and to get in the way of her every task.

"Get off of me you nutjob, I can't feed you if you've got me pinned." she hissed at him. He bounced in place and hissed back, then rushed forward with his fangs barred. She slapped him with butter knife-- admittedly not it's intended use at all-- but it made him back away from her face with those fangs. "No, don't you start with me, you're not going to bite me today."

He seemed to get angry and the leg that was pressing her against the wall flitted over, elbowing the knife out of her hand before going in to bite her again. Shit, well that backfired. She flinched and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the feeling of being bitten.

DING
ssssssshHHHHOOOOM.

What the fuck? ReCuse felt the weight pressing against her chest lift and her lustublingched and went stumbling backwards before tripping itself up and sprawling. She looked down at the ground, seeing a muffin had fallen to the floor, and when she went to pick it up she noticed that it was a very heavy muffin. She tore it open and saw that the perfume was done baking.

This modus was fucking dangerous as all hell, and she liked it.

While ReCuse was fetching some food for her conked out father, Vadius was thinking through her ReCuse's suggestion that he talk to one of the others. To be honest, he did like people and he did like to talk, but he was being grumpy today for no reason other than being grumpy. Well and because he was lacking sleep, but mostly because he was just being a diva. He figured he might give it a shot, perhaps it would take him out of his foul mood. He searched across the desktop for his glasses, lifting them up and wiping away the fingerprints he'd made on them before pushing them onto his face.

Let's see here, he picked up the list and ran a finger along the paper, checking out the names. Well, he could have guessed who ReCuse had chosen.

Hum, it would seem that he'd narrowed it down to two, though he figured-- from the note marked next to one that it would be the one to draw the most attention from Whimsical, so naturally he was enticed by the other. Undoubtedly Whimsy was probably still up anyway, so he'd probably hear from him soon. As soon as he stopped staring at the wall or... whatever it was that he spend his free time doing. Well there was no sense in dilly dallying anymore, he may as well troll one of these fools.

Or perhaps he should do his best to one up Kieloe and troll them all? No, that would require more focus than he currently had. It was too early in the night for something that ambitious. He made a note of the one with the handle that shortened to IA though, he had a grudge with that one.

illustriousAbettor [IA] began trolling zestyForesight [ZF]
IA: So it would seem thhat a couple of my friends are quite taken withh talking to random strangers.
IA: Thhat being said, now it would appear thhat I'm quite guilty of it as well.
IA: At any rate, from whhat I guess, you probably hhaven't hheard of me.
IA: Amazing withh thhe mouthh on some of thhese friends of mine.
IA: SO, allow me to begin withh an introduction.
IA: Thhe name is Vadius Deinua.
IA: I hhave faithh thhat you won't need me to repeat thhat, but in thhe case you do forget--
IA: Actually no. Just DON'T FUCKIN' FORGET. Problem solved.
IA: Forgive my outburst. I've been hhaving one hhell of a day already.

Well FINALLY after a whole load of bullshit dealing with those three little trolls, we can get back to Kitt.

The amount of incoming pestering today was almost flattering, she felt like some kind of superstar, though she supposed that she should have expected it with such a lively group of companions that she scarcely knew.

Oh where to begin, this was a little bit flustering to her. She wondered how many more people were going to contact her today. She decided she should address LF first since she'd contacted her first. To preserve the order. Or something.

IA: No need to apologize... I'm a little flattered though, when I asked MA to put in a good word for me I didn't actually think she would do it.
IA: We haven't had much of a conversation at all... just a few words about the odd pestering I've been getting all day...
IA: Which hopefully she'll get back to me about that soon... it's a little... perturbing...
IA: And I'm sorry to hear about your sister doing that... sisters are such trouble sometimes.
IA: But, you seem like a very... colorful person.
IA: It was a little jarring at first, but I must say that it's beginning to grow on me.

She sighed, then moving on to the new chum that she'd yet to speak to today.

IA: Ah, I see. Well, glad to hear that MA has spread the word about me...
IA: I may or may not have heard a few of those monikers, though I'm... I get a little bit lost in conversations.
IA: Well, I agree that introductions are in order, the name is Kitt, though if you prefer IA, that works just as well.
IA: It is a pleasure...
IA: Ah, before I forget, I don't know that MA has asked you yet, but have you received any odd pestering today?

ReCuse Level Up!
Speed +2
Strength +0
Endurance +3
Lubrication +5
Milfitude +6
Level Attained 1/16
Title: Honey Pot
Boondollars +120

Kain didn't ask for any of this. He really didn't. He got done messaging and connecting to Finn, and apparently the ghosts that haunted the house decided to wake up NOW all of a sudden and start fucking with him hardcore. Either that or this was a test in the game and his knowledge of genres told him to watch out for invisible opponents, but his precious bookshelf toppled over itself. Making a sound in-between stepping on an otter and strangling a large centipede, he lifted the bookcase back up and, after selecting a few and stashing them under his bed covers, slightly tidied up the pile before darting back to his desk and messaging Finn.


AA: Okay I'm not $ure what the hell i$ going on but I'm $pooked.
AA: $ome gho$t or $ome $hit ju$t me$$ed with my $tuff and I dunno what happened.
AA: Ju$t... I paid for tho$e!
AA: And wrote the re$t.
AA: What'$ going on in the game for you?
AA: Do I need to $trife them or $omething?
AA: La$er$ would be optimal right now.
AA: Or Je$u$ beam$.
 


Hurriedly switching tabs, he finds IA's chumhandle and quickly messages her.


AA: Yo, IA.
AA: Found out about V$ or whomever.
AA: Apparently our handle$ got pa$$ed out.
AA: They $eem foreign or whatever. Or at lea$t not $talker$.
AA: And they're playing $burb, $o maybe we ¢an work with them $omehow.
AA: Gotta go for now, hope to play with ya $oon.
--apatheticAvarice [AA] has ceased pestering inadvertentArsonist [IA]--

Quickly knocking out the rest, he gives quick, curt replies as FR gets back to him.

AA: LF, I talked to her, thing$ are ¢ool, I gue$$. Got to go $hit'$ happening.
--ceased pestering--


AA: $orry MA, AA will be good boy now.
AA: Told IA, it $hould be okay to talk to the$e guy$.
AA: I'd ¢onne¢t to $omeone el$e fir$t, and I'll a¢t a$ your $erver later.
AA: Gotta go, gho$t$ atta¢king. I think.

--ceased pestering--

He skips ReCuse and jumps up and backwards out of his chair, not bothering to flip, causing the chair to fall backwards with a bang as he pulls out his Hollow Club, looking left and right, but keeping an eye on his computer while standing on his bed.

The ping of Pesterchum once again pulled Isis away from her current task. Another quiet sigh escaped the girl. She’d have to finish taking care of poor Ponce later. She turned her attention back to the computer, clicking through chat windows to see what she needed to reply to. Well, there was Finn for one. A smile settled on her lips as her fingers touch the keyboard. She didn’t mind interuptions from him.

MA: Quite calming to hear there’s no need for fretting or fear.

She frowned for a moment at one particular line. Bad analogy indeed. Shaking her head, she continued on. There was no time for moping today.

MA:  And all phrasing faults forgiven, dear.
MA: Indeed I’ve acquired the inexplicable list.
MA: And messaged the members about all this.
MA: I can’t help but muse something may be amiss…
MA: But answer-awaiting messages I have. Be back in a bit.
MA: In your direction, I dispatch a collection of caring cuddles and a kiss~


The sounds of explosions from downstairs had ceased. It was probably safe to venture down there by now. Maybe Auntie was finished working and Isis could give her a nice, non-lethal hug. That’d be nice. Hugs and peppermint tea, mmm.
She decided to do that after checking AA’s replies, which had gotten…odd.

MA: AA, are you okay…?

Huh. Well, she could ask about that later. At the moment, she took his advice and slipped in the server copy. She could find a client to connect to when she came back.

Once again, she ventured out into the hall. It was far less eventful this time. She made it into the kitchen with no smoke bombs, no pouncing family members, and no storms of projectile lemons. Unfortunately, she made in time only to see Auntie darting back into her lab. The door slammed with an echoing bang and the neon “Keep-out” sign flashed almost mockingly. Darn it. She’d have to get that hug later.

One filled mug of sweet, sweet peppermint goodness later, and she was heading back to her room. She checked through the rest of her messages, landing on a certain backwards-capitalizing chum.

MA: Off the top of my thoughts, I think of none.
MA: But as I am also installing my server copy, I’ll assist in the search for one!
MA: The server-seeker search begins, my zesty friend.

Hm. It seemed the “assassin” had messaged her back as well.

MA: Super strange…
MA: Do you know who arranged for the devious distribution of our usernames?
MA: And as for other affairs, have you heard about the server-client chain?

Next it was on to Rainy and all of her adorablene- Oh goodness. A rainbow chain of alliteration. Isis let out a tiny squeal-like sound. There was a sudden creeping urge to hug the computer. Well, maybe just for a moment. No one would see anyway, right?
As she embraced the laptop like the silly sap she was, the sudden chime of her computer snapped her out of moment of nonsense. Ahem. Nothing to see here. Oh, other than that the server copy had downloaded. Hmm…

MA: Not only perfect precious but an amazing at alliteration as well~
MA: How you’re capable of such cuteness I’ll never tell.
MA: Also, I have a quick question.
MA: Are you certain about any server-client choices yet?

Now what else was there…Oh! Kitty-cat! She’d almost forgotten her. Her palm made swift, hard contact with her face as she clicked at the keys. She really should have checked up on her sooner.

MA: Are you alright there, Miss Kitty-cat~?
MA: Er, hope you don’t mind that moniker much.
MA: It’s a hard-to-break habit of mine to do that.
MA: Anyway, according to Reedy and AA.
MA: We’re getting the game going right away~
MA: Have any other messages meanwhile been mailed your way?

There. All messages answered. She thought. She hoped. Oh well. She had other things to do, like finding a client and installing the other disc. She switched the discs and let the client copy begin it’s installation as she mulled over her choices of client players.
Hmm…AA was already Reedy’s client, so he was out. Maybe Reedy? Playing with him would certainly be fun. She giggled a bit at the thought. Ah, but there was Zesty. And Rainy. They would need servers too. Alright, this wouldn’t be as quick as she thought.
She could consider that while she checked on Reedy.

MA: How’s the game going so far, sweetie?
MA: AA assured me he’d behave agreeably.

This was freaking great. After becoming a little bit more familiar with the controls, Finn stopped messing with the game to check his Pesterchum.

...

That was him? Oh, payback time for all those stupid ass videos, bro.

Finn typed a single message to Kain.

FR: Oooga Motherfucking Booga
FR: Dumbass

With that, he tabbed back over the the game and dropped each of Kain's pillows onto his head from above while giggling like a child at his fluffy aerial assault. After he was finished bombarding his friend with plush armaments, he tabbed back to Pesterchum realizing he hadn't responded to a certain colorful text. Goddammit.

FR: Hey
FR: I Guess I Should Ask What's Going On
FR: Considering I Fucking Ignored You For Like Fifteen Minutes Now
FR: What's Up?

Then, he switched to Isis's tab, smiling to himself a little to actually have a pleasant word or two sent his way was always nice. Isis never really got irritated by his generally foul mood and was always up for a few playful words back and forth. It helped keep his temper with the others in check actually.

FR: I Guess You Could Gesticulate That My Game Is Going Grandly.
FR: However
FR: I Grant That Our Gracious General Of Games Is Not Greeting The "Ghosts" Graciously.
FR: How About You
FR: My Gorgeous Gal?

Fuck, Finn noted to never try alliteration again after he closed the thesaurus site that he opened while trying to think up words. He was not good at the literary stuff when it came to being creative. Isis could keep that. Then, Finn realized that he forgot about the mysterious assassin. He opened the assassin's tab and quickly typed a response.

FR: So
FR: That Must Mean That You've Got A Copy Of The Game
FR: Too
FR: Have You Tried To Install It Yet?
PA: Also, if you don’t mind me asking.
PA: What’s a Dad?
FR: Fuck
FR: Really?
FR: He Looks After Me And Shit.
FR: Makes Sure I'm Not Dead Once In A While.

Lucia stretched out on her stomach in front of her laptop, and began kicking her feet in excitement behind her. As Pesterchum lit up with responses across her screen, she glanced at the various chat windows. OH, it’s about time he replied, she thought to herself as she began typing a response in [FR]’s window.

LF: How (ou(d you possib(y ignore a (utie (ike me for so (ong (ranky-kun? I mean I (an see you don’t (ike dea(ing with my pestering right away be(ause of my (o(orfu( quirk. But it doesn’t usua((y take you THIS (ong, what in the wor(d was ho(ding you up?
LF: We(( to answer your question, just the usua( dea(ings with the sis and her (a(k of (o(or (oordination, p(us (hatting up a new friend or two. Whi(h that reminds me I shou(d get ba(k to them too.

Turning her attention back to the chat window for [PA] she started her next response.

LF: Yes it wou(d be. Zero huh?
LF: We(( that is (ertain(y a unique name for sure, but I’m not entire(y sure if I wou(d ne(essari(y (ike (a((ing someone Zero, it (ou(d be seen as a mean thing to (a(( someone here in my (ountry.
LF: Ooh! Ooh! (ike I tota((y have a (ute idea!! (ou(d I per(han(e (a(( you Z-(han instead? Pretty p(eeeeeeaaassee????

Onto the next window which contained the pesterlog with [IA]

LF: Oh it’s (omp(ete(y understandab(e, I am fu((y aware of the fa(t my (itt(e quirk (an be a (itt(e jarring but be(ause of the (ondition I have I find myse(f doing it un(ons(ious(y a(( the time. The on(y other (hum I rea((y think a(tua((y (ikes it and thinks it is (ute is the aforementioned [MA].
LF: And yes sisters (an be su(h troub(e sometimes, however the ((ip (atastrophe has been (orre(ted. Gosh darn that adorab(e (itt(e (utie [MA] and her a((iteration tenden(ies…she’s s(ow(y been infe(ting me with it!!! But I rea((y shou(d get ba(k to her as we((.

Her computer pinged that the server disc had finished installing. Quickly removing the disc and slipping the client in she clicked install as she began to open the window for [MA].

LF: Being su(h a (utie isn’t a(ways as easy it wou(d seem, sometimes a(( the pressure of being this (ute rea((y gets to me. But I’m not going (et that stop me from being my (o(orfu( (heery se(f. Nope.
LF: And I hadn’t rea((y given mu(h thought to the server-((ient (hain at a((. But AA has me (onsidering a(( the options now. I have been (hatting with [IA] but I (an’t de(ide if they wou(d be best suited as my server or ((ient and then there’s a(so [ZF] I think I’(( ask him if he (an be my server….
LF: OH MY GOSH!!! I (an’t be(ieve this!!! In a(( my pesterings with you how (ou(d I possib(y go so (ong with (etting you know my rea( name!!! It’s (u(ia. I better go respond to [ZF] now.

Well since [AA] had ceased pestering her and was probably busy right now all that was left was [ZF].

LF: Aww that (ertain(y is unfortunate and I (an on(y hope the rest of the day (omes out better. As for the ((ip issue it has been (orre(ted now anyways.
LF: And (ertain peop(e keep asking me about this who(e server-((ient thing and I was just (ying here thinking about a(( my (hoi(es. So I wou(d (ike to ask if you wou(d mind being the server for this (itt(e (utie?

Within a few moments, a new flurry of pesterings flashed across his screen. Scrolling over the names, he quickly did a double take. Was he being pestered by the same person...twice? A quick glance through both of the messages revealed that it was a simple coincidence, though this... illustriousAbettor seemed to be an associate of the people contacting them mysteriously.

ZF: aS iT sO happenS, mY inadvertanT associatE, i havE.
ZF: i waS jusT contacteD bY aN individuaL whO seemS tO bE a parT oF thaT grouP.
ZF: hE alsO happenS tO sharE thE initialS oF youR handlE.

Shifting his attention to the almost nauseating array of colors displayed by the colorful one, he quickly typed out a response and sent it on it's way.

ZF: aS i dO noT knoW whaT yoU looK likE, i shalL assumE yoU arE referinG tO yourselF.
ZF: iF thiS assumptioN holdS truE, i woulD bE privilegeD tO acT aS thE serveR tO youR clienT.

Considering the mysterious message sent to him, he starts writing back.

ZF: aS alL thE informatioN i havE regardinG youR entouragE iS secondhanD anD onlY mentioneD iN passinG, i woulD likewisE bE surpriseD iF i haD hearD oF yoU.
ZF: aS yoU havE provideD mE witH youR namE, i supposE thE civiL thinG tO dO woulD bE tO reciprecatE.
ZF: mY namE iS zanE ferraS.
ZF: iF iT iS noT presumptuouS oF mE, maY i asK whaT iS troublinG yoU exactlY?

Well hell, she’d only just intended to pester one person, this was getting a bit ridiculous, and she hadn’t expected a damn landslide to come from her chat with MA. Kitt was getting a bit flustered with these hard to keep up with conversations. At least they all seemed pleasant enough, but how was she supposed to keep up with all of these different handles.

Well, at least AA had been quick and polite about his message, but he hadn’t even given her the chance to reply. Rude.

inadvertentArsonist [IA] began pestering apatheticAvarice [AA]
IA: While I appreciate that you’ve gotten back with me on the matter of these strangers…
IA: Perhaps you could open with at least a hello?
IA: But I guess I’ll allow that one to slide under my radar… I look forward to playing the game with you as well?
inadvertantArsonist [IA] ceased pestering apatheticAvarice [AA]

She noticed that MA had gotten back with her as well.

IA: Well, he seems surprisingly mundane… I would say that calling him a slacker is fitting, though I don’t know how volatile he really is.
IA: He’s certainly not anyone from around here, he’s used words several times that I have no clue what they even mean, though I’m not going to bother making him explain them.
IA: That would get tiring very quickly, I imagine.

She read through LF’s response, but decidedly didn’t have anything to say, so she would hold off on replying until later. Things seemed to have gone dead one the end with Kieloe, as well, so perhaps there was a bit of relief to be found from the massive amount of talking that she’d done today. So the only person that she seemed to have any business left with was ZF.

IA: I see. How interesting, it’s odd that they’re all coming out right now…
IA: I get the feeling that we’ll be hearing more from them soon.
IA: At any rate, good luck in your endeavors with the other IA.

Speaking of the other IA, Vadius was feeling up for coffee, this Zane person could wait. He stood up from his chair, and walked down his stairs and through his main living area. His lusus noticed him, and hissed, slithering towards him menacingly.

Menacingly and very slowly, he walked by right in front of his lusus and turning into the kitchen, walking toward his coffee pot, putting some on to brew. In fact, he hung around long enough to let it brew and actually make a damn cappuccino, and once he had his coffee he turned around to leave.

His lusus had made it to the door, slimy arms extended to fight him. Awe, that was precious. Vadius leaned over and gave his lusus a tight hug before pushing past him and returning to his room. It was cute how angry a sea slug could get.

He sipped his coffee and then sat down to reply.

IA: As it just so hhappens, it’s very early hhere.
IA: I’m not particularly fond of getting up this early, but thhanks to a friend I didn’t hhave muchh of a say in it.
IA: Thhoughh thhis coffee seems to hhave hhelped at least a little.

Meanwhile, there was a young man quite transfixed on what he was doing, and what he was doing happened to be starting at the reflection of his screen on the surface of his cup of tea. What a fine morning it was, what a shame that he’d had to stay up all day to see it.

He pushed a bit of curly black hair back away from his eyes and he glanced up at the screen, he knew that ReCuse had been pestering him, but he didn’t particularly want to respond to her, she was on the top of his shit list and she had been for years.

She was irritating him about playing that game with her, and he didn’t feel up to talking to her right now.

He glanced over to his sidebar, he’d added all of the handles from the game onto his list, and they were all so colorful and nice—then there was the brown one. Why would someone choose brown as the color that they typed in? How boring. He much preferred bright colors, perhaps he should inquire as to what made this particular unknown acquaintance want such a dreary color.

whimsicalMuffinman [WM] began trolling logicalFallacy [LF]
WM: I wish you a right fine morning, Sir LF.
WM: Though it has come to my attention, judging based off the color of your handle that you mayhaps type in a right knackered color of brown.
WM: I must ask, why? There are several thousand lovely colors you could choose from, so why something so ho-hum as brown?

He wasn’t a very big fan of dragging out introductions, as such, let's call him Whimsy for now until he gave a proper introduction.

Kain quickly raised his club to deflect the pillow, and when none more were forthcoming, got off his bed and hopped over to the computer again. His knuckles turning white with the force he held his club with, he immediately began typing to him.
 
AA: I believe we agreed to work ¢ooperatively.
AA: I apologize for any wrong$ or mi$deed$ I may have performed again$t your per$on.
AA: And additionally for intruding upon your de$ired affe¢tion$ $ome time ago.
AA: However, I would appre¢iate if you would kindly ¢ooperate with me.
AA: Plea$e, if you’re $till up$et about $omething I’ll ¢orre¢t it.
AA: And I’ll ¢onne¢t to MA now.
AA: And in the $pirit of ¢ooperation, what i$ happening at your end with the game?
AA: I am re¢eiving no game-related ¢omputer $timulu$, aural or vi$ual.
AA: Were you the one manipulating my environment?
 
Sighing, he turned his mind to other things… or namely, other people. He embarrassedly typed out a reply to MA.

AA: Well, the thing i$…
AA: I flipped out over nothing.
AA: Turn$ out it wa$ a game-ba$ed ¢on$tru¢t of FR’$ doing.
AA: $omehow.
AA: I'll take your offer earlier and am in$talling the $erver ¢opy on my end pre$ently.

 
He quickly received another message, this time from a new person. While their tag was strange, he had seen stranger. Popping the server disc, he typed up a quick response while waiting for the other disc to load.

AA: Oh, Lu¢ia? You know her?
AA: Anyway, if you’re playing $burb, you need two di$¢$: a $erver di$¢, and a ¢lient di$¢.
AA: You need to in$tall one, and ¢onne¢t to $omeone who ha$ the other in$talled.
AA: $o if you in$tall ¢lient, you need to ¢onne¢t to $omeone with a $erver.
AA: After that, in$tall the other, and ¢onne¢t again a¢¢ordingly.
 
Finally, he noticed IA’s response, and facedesked immediately. Not looking up, he reconnected to her chat pane and typed out:

AA: I’m in¢redibly apologeti¢.
AA: I believed I wa$ atta¢ked by a game ¢onstru¢t but it turned out to be part of the game, $omehow.
AA: In fa¢t I wa$ perfe¢tly fine, apparently.
AA: Are you having any trouble$ on your end?

The server had finished and he typed in MA's chumhandle and waited for her to connect to him.

Isis made a noise that was best described as a mix of a giggle and a soft squeal. Alliterative messages were the best. And Finn alliterating was certainly super sweet, as she'd say. Now what was this about ghosts…

MA: Reedy, you really are absolutely awesome and adorable as well.
MA: And assessing by AA’s most current conversation with me, I can tell.
MA: AA appeared fearfully frantic and freaked out about some supposed specters.
MA: I feel I should have figured it was from the game from those fraught, fleeting pesters.
MA: Do you think we’ll be forced to fight face to face with phantasmal foes too?
MA: I don’t think phantoms would fear my knitting instruments nor getting my “dictionary of doom” dropped on their heads.
MA: They’d probably pass through them.
MA: So I best fight them with something else instead.

The ping of pesterchum rang out, reminding her that she did have other messages to get to.

MA: I should certainly get to getting my own game going and quick.
MA: So I’ll be back in a bit.

Let’s see…Geez, there were a lot of messages today. She wasn’t used to having to pay this much attention to Pesterchum. She decided it best to answer AA first. She needed to check on him anyway. That reply had left her slightly worried.

MA: Happy to hear you’re alright, AA.
MA: And a little loss of composure is comprehensible, especially today~!
MA: Wait, what does Reedy have to do with rascally wraiths?
MA: Does this game allow you to attack with apparitions?
MA: That’s an anomalous but amusing addition.
MA: Anyway, ghostly game going-ons aside, I'm glad we're getting into gear.
MA: I've even already installed my client copy over here~


She clicked back to Finn’s tab, electing to ask him about these oddities.

MA: Reedy, is there reason that AA is accusing you for him being haunted by in-game ghosts galore?

She really needed to get to play this herself. She was even more excited now. She was curious. It was time to find a client. Zesty still didn’t have a server, last she checked. A grin settled on her lips as she switched to his tab.

MA: Greetings again, my zesty friend.
MA: If you’re still searching for a server, then fear not and look no farther.
MA: For I’m cordially calling for you to cooperate as my client in this game today.
MA: If that’s okay.

The colorful cutie was next. Hm, it seemed she’d decided on a server. That was good. Oh, so that was her name. Er…if she could just…read it. Cucia? No, no that probably wasn’t it. Culia, perhaps? That seemed like the most likely. There was, however, the possibility that the C was actually an L. That would make her name Lulia, right? Isis was going with Lulia for now. Hee. Lulia. Lulu.

MA: Your absolute application to adorableness is abundantly admirable, lovely little Lulu.
MA: And forgetfulness is forgivable for someone as preciously prismatic as you.
MA: Teaming up with Zesty will lock more links in this server-client chain.
MA: At this rate, completing it can’t be much of a pain.

Now who else was there to reply to…Oh! The mysterious assassin!

MA: Well no worries, for I’m here and happy to help if you have need of such~!
MA: And AA might be of assistance without minding too much.
MA: I’m not so sure I’ve acquired acquaintance with anyone named Lucia though.
MA: Anyway, as far as I know.
MA: This game, as multi-player experience, commands that we connect with two other teammates. A server and a client.
MA: I’m…not so certain what they do, but it’s beneficial to buddy up in most cases so why not try it.

Wait. Lucia. Lulia. Oh.
Isis pulled a double facepalm before returning to PA’s window. How had she managed to think of everything except that?

MA: Actually, it seems I do know lovely little Lucia. I refer to her as Rainy or LF usually.
MA: It’s no surprise she lent a helping hand happily.

She’d made a mental note not to forget Miss Kitty-cat this time around. She had to leave a reply for her as well.

MA: I’d imagine as much.
MA: And there are always search engines and such.
MA: If curiosity has you caught in its clutch.

"Alright then." Finn nodded as he began to browse through the Sburb interface. After a short while, he found an registry containing a number of strange looking devices. Thinking of these as a vital portion of the game, he dropped the cruxtruder in Kain's room and moved his view to the kitchen which conveniently enough also highlighted the bathroom. Finn managed to deploy the pre-punched card into Kain's toilet before punching a hole in the kitchen ceiling with the top of the alchemiter.

"Son of a bitch." He wasn't as good at this game as he originally had thought.

Moving his view to Kain's living room. He cracked his knuckles before setting to work of rearranging the room so that the furniture was stacked in a messy pile in one corner.

He placed the totem lathe in one corner. From this point, Finn deployed the punch designix before being forced to stop because he was "out of grist" whatever that meant.

"Fucking lame..."

Figuring that he had made enough progress for the time being, he tabbed back to Pesterchum to respond to his allies in the gamescape.

First, he decided to reply to the boy whose house he was destroying.

FR: Umm
FR: I May Or May Have Not Rearranged Your Living Room.
FR: And The Rest Of Your House
FR: I Set Down This Big Thing Called A Totem Lathe In There.
FR: And I'll Point Out That Was All Just Me Fucking With You.
FR: I Haven't Seen Any Enemies On My Screen Yet
FR: Anyways.
FR: But
FR: I Do Know That I Can Mess With Shit In Your House.
FR: There's A Bunch Of Other Shit Around Your Place
FR: Too
FR: Oh
FR: And I Accidentally Dropped Some Card Thing into Your Fucking Toilet.
FR: My Bad
FR: So
FR: Just Take A Fucking Second And Transcend Already.

After typing his message to Kain, he jumped to Isis's window and began to tap away and make a reply.

FR: I Might Have Something To Do With The Phantasms That Our Friend Is Currently Flipping His Shit About.
FR: What I Actually Fucking Mean By That Is That I'm Totally Just Fucking With Him.
FR: It Seems This Game Gives My The Ability To Manipulate His Belongings From A Distance.
FR: It's Kind Of Like Some Really Fucked Up Version Of The Sims.

Then, the musician moved on to responding to Lucia. It took him a moment to decipher her rainbow-colored text and parentheses but after he was finished doing so he was able to muster a response.

FR: Well
FR: I'm Currently Tricking AA Into Thinking He's Being Attacked By Ghosts.
FR: So
FR: I'm Not Exactly Fucking Sonic Fast In This Scenario.
FR: New Friends?
FR: Let Me Guess
FR: A Fucking Assassin And An Arsonist
FR: Right?

Finally, he moved to Zero's tab and began to respond to her. This conversation was confusing at best. How did she not know what a parent was?

FR: Well
FR: You Need A Client To Connect To Before Anything Will Happen.
FR: How Do I Fucking Put This?
FR: It's Somebody That Makes Sure You Don't Go Off And Die.
FR: And They Teach You Shit.
FR: Like Honor And Discipline.
FR: Well
FR: That's My Dad
FR: Anyways.
FR: He's Not Exactly Normal.
FR: But
FR: Neither Is This Fucking Explanation.

As Lucia lay comfortably on her bed, a ping from her computer brought up a new window from a whimsicalMuffinman... odd she didn't know anyone with that handle. Quickly reading over the text she giggled to herself, boy would they be in for a suprise at her response.

LF: I appre(iate your we(( wishes for a fine morning...though it hasn't been entire(y fine.
LF: And a(tua((y it wou(d be mademoise((e. A(so, I (ove a(( the (o(ors, IN((UDING brown..just (ause it isn't as ni(e and we(( maybe a (itt(e bit "ho-hum" as you (a((ed it. It doesn't mean it shou(dn't be (oved too. P(us I (ou(dn't figure out how to make the (humhand(e (ook (ike a (ove(y rainbow.
LF: And we(( I do o((asiona((y a(tua((y type in brown when...I'm terrib(y sorry that's a(tua((y a (itt(e bit persona(. I'm a (itt(e ta(kative and sometimes (et my thoughts get away from me without rea(izing it.
LF: But maybe (ater when I'm a (itt(e more (omfortab(e about that (itt(e part of me I'(( be ab(e to exp(ain it proper(y.
LF: We((, I be(ieve that's p(enty about me. How wou(d you find yourse(f this morning? Hope it is we(( for you.

Sighing Lucia, rolled over on to her back, and lay there in thought. She had only ever typed in brown with two people, those being AA and MA. Whenever she was experiencing the negative emotions that she disliked so much, such as anger or sadness or the like, she would find herself dropping the color quirk. In an extreme case she would drop her quirks entirely. She couldn't believe she almost told a complete stranger that detail about her. Stretching her arms above her, she glanced at the bracelets on her wrist and had a few sudden recollections.

The first one, was simple enough just a bunch of meteors raining down everywhere. The second she found herself in front of a strange lake, at least she thought it was a lake, it was shrouded almost entirely in mist. If she squinted she could just make out what appeared to be the silhoutte of her house on the other shore. The third she was on Prospit, the strange place she found herself in when she slept, standing before some Prospitians, looking up at them, being short she often found herself having to look up at people. These Prospitians however seemed different than the others, they felt...important.

Looking at the bracelets once more she remembered which ones stood for each of these visions. However since none of these had to come to pass yet, there was no need to remove any. Turning back over to her stomach and returned to the computer. IA hadn't responded yet, but she had asked about strange pesterings...returning to the tab with IA, Lucia typed a simple reply.

LF: We(( it wou(d seem I am (urrent(y on the re(eiving end of a strange pestering now as we((.
LF: They (ertain(y appear to be friend(y enough. Even if they didn't (onsider the possibi(ity that I was a gir( and not a sir.
LF: I po(it(ey (orre(ted them on that though. Sti(( awaiting a rep(y though.

Looking over her windows she turned back to the window with Zero, and read over it wondering how someone couldn't understand the negative connotations of Zero, and then facepalming when she read Z-lhan and L-lhan.

LF: We(( ummm how shou(d I exp(ain this? Umm here in this (ountry, Zero is something someone is (a((ed when they're thought of as a (oser -loser- or nobody? And is genera((y viewed as not a ni(e thing to say.
LF: I rea((y don't know how to exp(ain it better than that.
LF: And a(tua((y it is supposed to be Z-chan.
LF: It's a (u(tura( honorifi( here used for a ((ose friend.

Switching to the next window containing the chat with MA, Lucia quickly read over the text and..facepalmed...she'd done it twice? She really needed to work on that. But Lulu sure was a cute nickname she thought to herself...

LF: We(( it wou(d seem I need to pra(ti(e not (etting my (itt(e quirk (ontinue into names or even ni(knames.
LF: It shou(d have read Lucia. But for you Lulu is fine.
LF: I know how you (ove your (itt(e ni(knames and a((iteration, p(us it IS a rea((y (ute one, Neko-chan. And ZF has agreed to be my server, now I just to need to figure out a ((ient I guess, per(han(e IA, but I am not (ertain on how re(eptive she wou(d be to someone she has on(y re(ent(y had (onta(t with?
LF: Maybe you (ou(d (onvin(e her to be my ((ient?

Next she moved on to Grumpy-Kun's window...interesting it seemed as though he'd had some intereaction with PA and IA as well this morning.

LF: Sti(( the same o(d Grumpy-Kun as a(ways huh?
LF: And yes the new friends wou(d be, a(though it wou(d seem I may be dea(ing with a potentia( third (urrent(y.
LF: I take it from your abso(ute(y (orre(t guess, that you have had simi(ar dea(ings with the two new (humhand(es this morning as we((?
LF: And that's not rea((y ni(e of you, though it wou(d exp(ain AA's re(u(tan(e to ta(k with me sin(e awhi(e ago.

That seemed like enough of a responce to FR for now.

All that was left was ZF, as she opened the window to respond her computer alerted her that the client had finished installing. Shifting position she sat up and placed her laptop against her knees as she bent them towards her hiking her skirt a little, where if someone had a view from the right angle they would get a little peek at her panties. It's not like anyone would be looking into her room from just the right angle anyways right?

LF: We(( it wou(d seem the ((ient has finished insta((ing on my end. So I suppose I sha(( just go ahead and start it up for now. And wait for you to (onne(t.

Leaving it at that Lucia clicked on the SBURB Delta client icon and watched as the game booted up.

A sudden shrill beeping sounds from his computer, a long forgotten program coming to life as he goes to reply to a few of the messages he had received. Deciding to ignore it until he had gotten at least a few conversations dealt with, Zane brought up the communique involving one Deinua.

ZF: I caN sympathizE witH yoU iN thaT regarD.
ZF: recentlY, i havE ofteN beeN awakeneD prematurelY bY thE onE whO careS foR mE.
ZF: thesE awakeningS havE almosT invariablY leD tO somE forM oF contesT oR combaT.
ZF: whilE i understanD thE desirE tO ensurE mY preparednesS, i mucH prefeR morE resT tO iT.

Switching screens to his alliterative associate, he replies quickly.

ZF: i accepT youR offeR tO becomE thE serveR tO mY clienT.
ZF: yoU maY neeD tO puT ofF sucH a dutY foR a timE, howeveR.
ZF: thE ratheR archaiC desigN oF mY circulaR informatioN storagE analyzeR limitS thE speeD oF thE downloaD.

Seeing that replying to Lucia would require most of his attention, Zane decided to investigate what the secondary alert was. A cursory glance revealed that it was a joke program from one of his more pessimistic phases. It supposedly counted down to the ruination of the world and sent an automated alarm as the threshold of a few hours had been reached. Dismissing it as the novelty it was, he brought his attention back to the matter at hand.

ZF: i aM launchinG thE serveR prograM noW.

An interwoven circular symbol flashed across the screen for a split second before the image shifted to a Japanese style bedroom and it's sole occupant.

ZF:...
ZF: i maY havE erroneouslY installeD onE oF mY uncle'S... oddeR programS.
ZF: aS iT standS, alL thaT iS visiblE aT thE momenT iS a chromatiC haireD femalE inadvertantlY exposinG heR undergarmentS whilE usinG heR portablE computinG devicE.
ZF: i shalL seE iF i caN ascertaiN whaT wenT awrY.