Karika has an arguement with her Kismesis, Aratan.
Themes of Manipulation, Culling, and Toxic Relationships. Allusions to Troll Reproduction. Nothing graphic.
Your name is Karika, of Arawag fame. Second-highest blooded troll on the shitty planet you call home - Laterrene. Not that that means anything, on a planet hosting only twenty-thousand trolls.
You’re basically royalty of this trash-heap planet, but it’s whatever. It’s not like you could, like, do anything with that power.
You live a rather comfortable life - jobless, as you should be. You make a living collecting valuables from abandoned hives, and spend the rest of your time hanging about online. Occasionally, you’ll indulge in a hobby - such as your authentic grubhorn jewelry creation.
Your respite block is pretty standard, you think. Recuperacoon in one corner, desk in the opposite. Various knives taped to the walls, or hung from the ceiling. A pile of unused flarp manuals and sheets by the wall. And an entire half of your room piled with junk you found in other peoples hives. Pretty normal, you’d say.
Just beyond your respite block is your Lusus’ block - he’s a giant flight beast. He takes care of himself, mostly.
And beyond that, most of your hive remains unused. Occasionally an unused block is used as a temporary respite block, but otherwise it's completely empty.
With that out of the way, only one thing sits on your mind - a question; What should you do?
Almost as though it sensed your question, and your boredom, a notification sounds from your husktop. Eager to do something, you practically race over to your desk to see what it is.
Your excitement turns sour in an instant. Rather than something fun or good, it’s a message from your beloathed; Aratan.
You sigh, and open the trollian message from him.
-- abdominalTerror
[AT]
began trolling conciousTercelet
[CT]
-- AT: h3y ar3 y0u busy right n0w? AT: 0f c0urs3 y0u ar3n’t. th3r3’s fuck all t0 d0 0n that shitty plan3t y0u liv3 0n. AT: i n33d s0m3thing. CT: what if i *am* busy? ive got things t do AT: th3n i’d call y0u th3 liar that y0u ar3, and t3ll y0u t0 hurry up. CT: *fine*, waddya want? AT: ugh, hat3 that lat3rr3n3 acc3nt. AT: anyway, i n33d m0n3y f0r n3w huskt0p parts. CT: again? CT: i litrally gave you like, five hundo troll caegars two nights ago AT: c0rr3ct. h0w3v3r, h3ir3ss-t0p industri3s r3l3as3d a n3w and impr0v3d v3rsi0n 0f th3ir m3m0ry glands, and min3 ar3 n0w 0utdat3d by thr33 r3l3as3s. AT: i'll b3 an 3mbarrassm3nt t0 th3 wh0l3 grubt3ch 3nthusiast gr0up if i d0n't g3t it. CT: ave y tried gettin a job? AT: i hav3 0n3, duh. AT: i'd hav3 b33n cull3d by n0w 0th3rwis3. AT: but i w0n't b3 abl3 t0 sav3 up f0r it by n3xt gr0up m33ting. CT: yea, an y say that evry time. what f i dont ave the troll caegars for it? CT: it's bin a while since my last gud collection AT: b0rr0w th3m fr0m y0ur m0irail 0r s0m3thing. st3al th3m.. i d0n't car3. AT: just s3nd m3 2500 tr0ll ca3gars A.S.A.P. CT: ***2500???!!!?!?!?!*** CT: **two thousnd five hundo?!** CT: yr outa yer mind if y think im sendin tha much ovr CT: this is a new low, evn fr you. gog. CT: go borrow it from yer moirail instead or somethin AT: ugh, y0ur s0 ann0ying. CT: says you. CT: sometimes im not sure if you hate me, or jus want my troll caegars. AT: 0h, h3r3 w3 g0. CT: bcos evry time ya message, its always bout needin troll caegars. or complainin bout how ol yr parts are. CT: we haven done a single hate-date. yve never asked to visit, or fr me to visit. CT: an im always tryin to push you t improve yrself, but y nevr reciprocate! CT: do y evn hate me? AT: that’s irr3l3vant. CT: nonononono, dont avoid th question CT: answer me. do you hate me? or do you jus want my troll caegars? AT: mayb3 i just dislik3 y0u. AT: mayb3 i n3v3r want3d this kism3situd3 t0 b3gin with. happy? CT: i knew it. i fuckin knew it AT: but w3 b0th kn0w th3 dr0n3s ar3 d0ing th3ir r0unds s00n, and y0u w0nt hav3 tim3 t0 fill y0ur quadrants b3f0r3 th3y c0m3. CT: yea, but as soon as thats all done with, yr gettin the boot. CT: i could get y culld with all this disrespectin highbloods happenin if i wanted. AT: 0h, s0 thats th3 way y0u’r3 d0ing this? casual culling thr3ats? CT: as if *you* aren doin th exact same! AT: fin3. i s33 h0w it is. AT: if i c0m3 t0 visit y0u 0n y0ur plan3t n3xt w33k, will y0u g3t y0ur nugb0n3 0ut 0f y0ur n00k and s3nd th3 tr0ll ca3gars? CT: fine. but dont say i dont do anythin for ya. AT: thank y0u. glad w3 c0uld c0m3 t0 an agr33m3nt. AT: i'll m3ssag3 th3 night-0f, s0 y0u can pick m3 up fr0m th3 transp0rtiliz3r. CT: yeah, whatevr
-- conciousTercelet
[CT]
ceased trolling abdominalTerror
[AT]
--
You shut off your husktop and stare at yourself in the blank screen.
Is this who you are? Is this who you want to be? A sad sack of shit, being used for her money?
