3/31 Wilds

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(I can continue this sometime today if people are available)

## Terra03/31/2019

(I wont be able to do much today. Got a flight here in a little while)

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(You went back home, so you'll be fine ^^)

## Kyrio03/31/2019

so in around 9 hours

Well hopefully that's not too late for everyone, but if it is, basilisk quest can be some other day

## Pixelnator03/31/2019

It'd be around 6am for me so I'd probably be joining it after a few hours of starting if anything

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

(I have a bit of an idea I want to play around with. If anyone else wants to join, let me know~)

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(Don't know if I'm available, character-wise)

## Trubbol03/31/2019

(Got two hours b4 I gotta be back at work)

## Trubbol03/31/2019

I meant if ppl wanted to get the basilisk quest out of the way now)

## Airyuu03/31/2019

(I am leaving for an errand in a few, I'll be back, but then I'll be going out to dinner with guests)

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

(I don't wanna clutter up the wilds with my thing if someone else is gonna need it)

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(Trub's the only one available right now so it's not going to happen probably)(edited)

## Trubbol03/31/2019

Lol

The one time I am available 2day

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

(Dammit bug, it's not ready for deployment yet! *It needs more time!*)(edited)

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(I doubt we'll get through the basilisk cavern in 2 hours)

## Airyuu03/31/2019

(I heard there's some big bugs with that server)

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

(Alright. I'm gonna do my thing then. If I need to scoot to another room, lemme know.)

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(Fair enough)

(We'll do the rest of the quest some time soon, Trubbol. Just can't do it without most people around. wouldn't be fair.)

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

Malc slips quietly out of town and into the woods beyond. The sounds of the forest and the wilderness surround her, and once she's a good way away from town, she stops, checking her surroundings for anyone who may have followed...

...all clear.

She sighs, her attention turning inward. She had put this off since her episode in the forge, but she needed to eat. And that meant she needed *its* help...(edited)

It was there, waiting. The snake. It always was, even in its weakened state. She could control it, weak as it was now, but she could never really ignore it. It made its demands clear, and she either met them however she could, or it got... uncomfortable.

But now, she needed it. Needed it to hunt, to eat. She welcomed it, and it surged forth, casting her surroundings in a new, different light.

Kaa's tongue lashed the air, tasting for the scent of prey. The thick scent of boar was strong here - a good meal, were she stronger. Foolish, weakening herself so - but regret was a waste. She scanned her surroundings, feeling... there. The telltale warmth of a rabbit, crouching in the underbrush.

She moves quietly, steadily, a predator on the hunt. Her old self was clumsy, impressive - but *she* was a huntress. Her prey never even knew she was there.

## Trubbol03/31/2019

*there was another smell like ozone that rose in the air as a staff was raised*

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

The rabbit darts away. Kaa rattles, frustrated. Who interfered? Who stole her prey?

## Trubbol03/31/2019

A small bolt of lightning struck near the rabbit as it fled, a young human in a broad wizard's hat cursing as his spell missed. "How the hell am I going to get to level two if everything my level flees..."(edited)

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

Human. Fine prey. Not fit for eating, but certainly enough to make her stronger-
Kaa- Malc rattled loudly, shaking her head. No, no. This was a player, a *person*. The snake roared inside her, but it had lost its dominance. She drove it back, breathing deeply...(edited)

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He grumbled and kicked at the stones before freezing in place, there was a sound. He raised his staff, looking around the woods warily as he slowly moved towards the source of the rattling.

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

Malc heard the player approach. She could flee, but running from a caster on open ground...

The snake screamed within her, urging her to attack, to strike now while the element of surprise was hers.

"No!" she spat.

## Trubbol03/31/2019

Unfortunately, the outburst lead the player towards her. "Oh snap! A snake, that's awesome!" Warren raised his staff towards the reptile, smoke smoldering around it as he charged a fireball.

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

Malc smells the scent of magic and fire. The snake clamors for her to attack, and if this mage hits her, she might just have to...

"Ssstop! Wait!"

She raises herself out of the grass.

## Trubbol03/31/2019

*She is buffeted by a small burst of flames, first level, nothing too damaging at all. "Got her!"*

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

Malc snarls, and the snake... taunts her. It was *right*, she can practically hear it gloat. But she isn't done yet. She just needs a different approach.

She darts forward, using all her serpentine speed to... wrap herself around the mage's ankle!

## Trubbol03/31/2019

The mage made a somewhat weak attempt to free himself by trying to bash her scaley form with his staff, striking her side. "Grappling? Not cool!"

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"Ssstop that and lisssten to me you dolt!"

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He blinked, looking confused. "The... snake just talked."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

She cringes as she shouts. Another solid hit or two and she's done for either way.

"Yesss, the sssnake jussst talked, and the sssnake would very much appresssiate it if you would ssstop trying to murder her!"

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He looked confused, lowering his staff. "Is this an npc thing? Like, they got some kind of AI going on?"

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"I- that isss complicated." Malc sighs. "If I let go, are you going to try and kill me again, or can we have a reasssonable, murder-free dissscusssion?"

## Trubbol03/31/2019

"I... guess?" He looked down sheepishly, almost ashamed. "But isn't this like, a videogame?"

Warren put his hands on his hips. "Is this game really going the undertale route? Cause like, great games, but I dont think that works for an mmo."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

She sighs, slipping loose of his ankle. "Kid, that isss a loaded quessstion. For you? Yesss, for the moment."

"Three thingsss," Malc begins. "Firssst, sssomething hasss gone ssseriousssly wrong with the game. I'm a player, but my character isss... you could sssay it'sss glitched out. I'm ssstuck in the game, asss a ssstupid sssnake, getting kicked around by low-level numbssskullsss for s@^tsss and gigglesss."

"Sssecond," she continues, not giving the poor mage a chance to speak,

## Trubbol03/31/2019

With a pause, he groaned, putting his hand to his forehead. "Oh God. Are you... are you a roleplayer?"

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"If you go sssouth any further, you will be ssstuck. It sssucks. Don't do it."

"Third, ssso you believe me," she concludes, "I took down Sssansss without taking a hit. Ssso no, I am not an eassster egg, I am not a weird NPssse, and I am *definitely* not a roleplayer."(edited)

## Trubbol03/31/2019

"Huh... weird. Have you tried getting an admin on this stuff? I could go grab one."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"Yeah, good luck with that," she replies. "I don't even know if I show up asss anything other than a normal mob in game anymore."

"Ssstill, go ahead and try. I'd love to sssee what happensss."

## Trubbol03/31/2019

"Welln you can talk, so that's a thing." He said with a shrug. "So I cam bring down an admin saying I found a talking snake looking for an admin or something."

## Trubbol03/31/2019

With a nod, he went into his private chat and tapped away at the menu. "Huh. My chat is glitching out right now dude."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"Thought asss much." She pauses.

"...can you ssstill log out?"

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He shrugged. "Probably? So, find any cool lore stuff?"

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He rolled his eyes. "Fine..." He tapped his menu, which started to flash red a few times. "Huh."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

Malc goes very, very still.

"...sssouth," she mutters after some time.

"You need to go sssouth."

She sounds... quiet. Hurt.

## Trubbol03/31/2019

"What's south?" He glanced trying to see over the trees. "Want to uh, come with?"

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"No."

Her reply is immediate.

"Go to the town. The people there can help."

## Trubbol03/31/2019

"You need some healing or like, something."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"Think of it... like a quessst..."

She turns and slithers off into the grass.

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He scratched his head. "Hey wait I got a question."

## Trubbol03/31/2019

"Do you ah, still respawn and stuff? I feel really guilty."

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

"Yeah," she says quietly. "We do."

She looks back at you over her... well, she looks back.(edited)

"Don't feel guilty. You're not the guilty one here."

## Trubbol03/31/2019

He nodded, he did not look like he believed her at all, however.

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(a heads up, if this is going to come back to the city, I can have a newcomer meet benny but I can't type out a tf right now)

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

The snake slips away into the grass without another word.

(Pixel, perhaps?)

## Pixelnator03/31/2019

I could! Though I have no idea what to turn someone into

## Airyuu03/31/2019

(I could do something)

(I'll be leaving before too long but I have enough time for TF

("There's always time for TF" (c))

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

A mistake. It had been a mistake, letting things go for as long as they had. They were on the perimeter of the convergence - if she had struck first, driven the wandering mage back... instead, she'd allowed him to become another addition to their freakshow.
The snake slipped forward, a single thought on its mind: *weakness*. And... Malc had to agree. She had hesitated, and because of that, she had let someone else fall into the same trap as the rest of them. And what if someone stronger came along? She couldn't hope to fight even a level two in her current state, let alone any of the higher levels she *knew* frequented the area...

Her mind drifted back to... Idylwood. She hadn't remembered it at first, but the snake had supplied her with the details. Hazy, indistinct, but details nonetheless. She had been uncontrollable, mindless, savage... unstoppable. The snake had taken the reigns by force, driven her back to the deepest corners of her own mind, left only to suggest motives as the snake did for her now. She didn't want to be that *thing* again... and she paused. Perhaps she didn't have to.

She slithered on, a harsh smile slipping over her face. That might just work.

Kaa ate well that day.

## Kyrio03/31/2019

(I find Malc's story arc to be very compelling )

## Malc Modnar03/31/2019

(Glad to be of service ^,,^)

(I have quite a bit to go yet~)

## Pixelnator03/31/2019

(It's definitely fun! Even though ICly Pixel is grumpy about it |3)

(~~Mostly because Pixel can see itself in Malc a bit too much~~)