"Discourse was nearly named Kraken before someone told us that was insensitive because of the Heiress' lusus! Not too proud of that one."
- One of the many startup messages for the popular instant messaging and chat client app.
You're a bit taken aback.
BONNIE: uh
BONNIE: sure?
BONNIE: i don't know what you expect me to do really
BONNIE: but i can give it a try!
BONNIE: not like i have anything better to do
ARSONN: AS PER USUA/ YOU'RE A GREA/ HE/P
ARSONN: SOMEONE HAS /O FIND I/ AND I KNOW OF NO ONE BE//ER
BONNIE: so! uh
BONNIE: who is dirack
ARSONN: WE// YOU SEE
ARSONN: /HA/ IS SOR/ OF /HE RUB ISN'/ I/
ARSONN: I /HINK IF WE KNEW /HA/ WE WOU/DN'/ BE IN SO MUCH /ROUB/E GE//ING S/AR/ED
ARSONN: I'VE BEEN CAUGH/ UP IN
ARSONN: WE//
ARSONN: /HINGS
ARSONN: AND /IKE I SAID I CAN'/ EXAC//Y GO /OOKING
ARSONN: SO /HA/'S PROBAB/Y /HE PLACE /O S/AR/
ARSONN: YOU HAVE MY NUMBER BU/ DO YOU WAN/ MY CHA/ HAND/E AS WE//
ARSONN: YOU KNOW ON DISCOURSE
They proceed to give you not only their handle but also Kiarig's. Friends get(?)!
ARSONN: BU/ /HANK YOU FOR S/OPPING BY
ARSONN: AND HEY A/ /EAS/ WE HAVE MORE OF AN EXCUSE /O SEE EACH O/HER AGAIN
ARSONN: I WAS WORRIED /HIS WAS GOING /O BE I/
ARSONN: HANGING OU/ WI/H YOU IS FUN
She scratches the back of her head, embarrassed, in a rare moment of vulnerability for her. From what you know, it's not that she's ever particularly insincere or dishonest, but she does struggle with that. With vulnerability. So you're touched, and it kind of makes you tear up a little. Which kind of makes it unfortunate that Kiarig butts in.
KIARIG: Well, III hope you solve thiiis quiiickly.
And with that, you presume it is time to go. Arsonn apologetically shoos you out the door, and loudly tells you to message her for more information. Considering they gave you both their and Kiarig's handle, you figure it's time foooooooor... a server! Surely, this cannot go wrong.
Kiarig looms at the end of the entrance hallway, staring, as Arsonn leads you out.
> WELCOME TO YOUR NEW DISCOURSE SERVER! What will its name be?
Name: Bonniequest
Channels:
#general
#bots-and-management
#key-information
=> #general - for general discussions!
> affableLapse [AL] has joined the server! we hope you brought snacks!
Okay. All set up... now to invite the other two, and maybe Zhanne? Sounds like a plan! Let's see if they show-
> lividGarishness [LG] has accepted your friend request!
> lividGarishness [LG] has joined the party!
AL: hi!
LG: HE//O HOPE A// IS WE//
LG: GREA/ IDEA ON /HE SERVER I WI// MAKE KIARIG JOIN A/SO
LG: FRE/ NO/
> sereneGrace [SG] hopped into the server!
SG: III wiiill be keepiiing up wiiith updates, but don't expect mememe to contriiibute much yet.
SG: III diiidn't know Diiirack liiike Arsonn does.
AL: aw you two have, like, matching handles! that's cute!
LG: I/ WAS MY /OVE/Y MA/ESPRI/'S IDEA AND I/ IS IN FAC/ VERY CUTE
LG: ANYWAY
LG: IS I/ FINE IF I INVI/E SOMEONE I KNOW WHO MIGH/ BE AB/E /O HE/P ALSO
AL: yeah, sure! go ahead!
AL: i also have someone i want to add anyway, so don't worry!
> Yay you made it, graveLecture [GL]!
GL: what_ is this all about then_
GL: bonniequest?
GL: are you doing_ something strange again_
AL: oh, you know!
AL: my friend LG here asked me to try find someone!
AL: called dirack!
AL: and i figured you might know of it!
LG: YOU CAN SAY MY NAME IS ARSONN /HA/ IS FINE BU/ I APPRECIA/E YOUR ABI/I/Y /O NO/ GIVE AWAY UNNECESSARY INFORMA/ION BONNIE
AL: aw thanks!
GL: okay_ strange_
GL: are you sure you're_ doing something useful_
LG: DIRACK NEEDS /O BE FOUND
LG: ONE WAY OR ANO/HER
AL: yeah! and i really don't have anything better to do right now haha
You wince just a little bit. No sense in not being honest though. Also, wait, again?
GL: well_ your funeral_
GL: i don't think_ i can be that much help_ but i can put out the word_
LG: I HAVE MORE PEOP/E /HA/ CAN HE/P
> Yay you made it, guiltlessAddress [GA]!
AL: oh! hi!!!
AL: you made it!
GA: oh, wow. hi bonnie!
GA: and who are the rest of this illustrious company?
AL: we have a real motley crew here :D
AL: get it
AL: like the band
GL: i got it_
AL: THANK you
GL: you should_ make a channel describing what the point is_
GL: if you're going to_ add more people_
AL: no i think this is enough people!
AL: GL is my good friend who i've been helping lately and she makes me tea!
AL: LG and SG are a couple i've been also helping get settled in!
AL: everyone, GA is my friend from talking about the heiress' inaction online!
GL: that is a lot of exclamation marks_ are you okay_
AL: i'm just excited :D
GA: oh, she just gets like this.
LG: YES I CAN /E// /HIS ISN'/ AN UNUSUA/ OCCURRENCE
LG: DESPI/E NO/ KNOWING BONNIE /HA/ /ONG
You've been typecast. Or maybe cityflapbeastholed.
AL: so! the point is to find dirack
AL: i'll just use everyone's names actually since the group is so small
AL: cyntia, you're good at like, finding out information right?
AL: so i want you to start looking! but like privately
AL: no big posts yet!
GA: oh, so there's a missing person and we can't let anyone know?
AL: exactly!
AL: quick on the uptake :D
GL: i will_ keep an ear out_
AL: i also have its address! so that is where i should be going!
Okay, you have everyone in a group now. That's great! You've got a great thing going. People can become friends! You very swiftly recall that this sort of thing tends to immediately fucking die out if no one proactively stimulates conversation though, as the empty silence after your last message indicates. You wait a little bit, but when no one says anything for 10 minutes, you pull out your trick. The ultimate way to make everyone be friends! From the wonderful warmth and safety of this café you're stealing the internet of before you set out, you post:
AL: so, other than trying to find dirack it might be helpful for everyone to get to know each other!
AL: so why don't we do one of those little introduction games :D
AL: if you would post your name pronouns and maybe a little bit about yourself!
AL: i'll start
AL: my name is bonnie! bonnie belleh! and my pronouns are she/her
AL: in my spare time i like to help people and i also actually run a grubtube channel!
AL: the videos are just new though so no one really has seen them yet haha
The subsequent five minutes of silence hurt.
Fortunately, Zhanne comes to the rescue.
GL: zhanne_ you might know me from_ getting video'd doing something stupid_
GL: and then subsequently_ being given too much weight_ as a "thought leader"_
GL: my leading thought_ is that being appointed leader_ in a decentralised movement_ is stupid_
GL: also_ she/her_ corpse/corpse_
You exhale a sigh of relief and a faux prayer to your saviour, and start to walk out of the café. You switch back to your mobile plan, with the self-assured confidence of knowing the rest of the group is essentially peer pressured into also doing the introduction game!
As you try figure out the map, messages roll in, your eyes flicking to the top of your palmhusk so you can read them as they happen. These streets are a little confusing...
LG: ARSONN AND MY PRONOUNS ARE SHE /HEY
LG: /HA/ IS /HEY NO/ HEY I KNOW S/ASHES ARE USUA/ BU/ YOU SEE /HE ISSUE
LG: CURREN//Y I DO NO/ DO MUCH WI/H MYSE/F I AM A S/AY A/ HOME PAR/NER FOR KIARIG BU/ I AM GOING /O FIND A SERVICE INDUS/RY OR OFFICE JOB NOW /HA/ WE ARE MORE SE///ED IN AND NO /ONGER NEED /O UNPACK BOXES
LG: I WI// A/SO MAKE KIARIG DO /HIS ONE SECOND
Ladies and gentletrolls: we did it. Introduction game win! Kiarig next.. or Cyntia? Cyntia's probably busy arguing with someone on Chittr. Come to think of it, so is Kiarig, probably. You hope they're not arguing with each other. That would be bad.
GA: cyntia, you might know me off chittr. she/her, cis actually. i've had a couple of people assume due to my unwavering allyship that i'm "one of the girls", and i'm very flattered!
GA: but i think it's best to head off that sort of thing immediately.
GA: i'm a jade, as you might be able to tell, so i'm currently in the tertiary schoolfeeding assessment that all jades must go through to decide whether you get put into the caverns or oversee other important biotechnological processes!
GA: it's all very exciting.
GA: some of my classmates are very insane, though, there's this one girl called khidna, and she seems to, you know.
GA: be a real fan of the chemicals!
GA: but i can talk about that some other time, we have more important things to do. trolls to find! and introductions to do.
Wait, Khidna? Khidna Vigean? Didn't it leak those drone pheromone synthesis recipes? It's still in the class and hasn't been culled?
Also, you're lost. That's probably more important right now. Time to stroll around and try find free wifi so you don't have to reload the entire map on data...
You find a free network you throw a throwaway email into and huzzah! Bonnie's online!
AL: thank you everyone so far! that's really cool stuff there cyntia :D
AL: and i hope you find a job soon arsonn!
AL: zhanne i'll keep working on trying to figure out how i can help you!
AL: kiarig just message when you're ready!
Palmhusk in hand with directions to Dirack's, you make your way across the city, through Arsonn and Kiarig's area, and into a different area of just general poorness than yours or Zhanne's. You avoid the centre of the city this way, as the couple's area is to the south. Both of these areas are generally not kind to bronzebloods, but one is suffused with midbloods and the other is filled with purples and up. There's a clear winner here.
The city is sort of concentric, in a way. The poorer areas are located on the outside, most of them far from the river that bisects it. The centre is on the south side of that river, with the properties located right next to the water being reserved for seadwellers. Those on the other side of the river are industry that requires the water, or docking spaces for ships, which is why to the north of the river is poor - access to labour right next to the terrain they work on. You're mostly unfamiliar with that part of the city. You just don't get to that side often, especially as it requires going through the richer centre to cross the river, and you actually live outside the city proper, unlike the others. You could go all the way around, you guess, but then you still have to use a ferry downstream and make a long trek, as the public transport on the other side fucking sucks.
While you wander into the neighbourhood Dirack was last seen living in, you think about public transport a little more. It's odd how it still goes into the centre despite only higher strata living there... until you remember that rich trolls have servants. Ah. That and tourism, if the tourists can stand being around lowbloods. You're sure the ceruleans use first-class anyway.
Your musing is interrupted by finally receiving more notifications.
SG: You miiight already know mememe.
SG: Kiiiariiig. She/her.
SG: I liiike niiiche onliiine subcultures, and my matespriiit, Arsonn.
Ah. Well, you can't convince everyone to be open and friendly right off the bat. With a bit of time you're sure she'll come around!
You start typing out a message to reply so that you can invite her to be a bit more open, but you're interrupted by your palmhusk loudly telling you you've arrived at your destination.
You look up, and are faced with a huge hivestem, the size of which you're generally unaccustomed to. Must have been one of the structures built when there was a huge sudden influx of new workers. Time to go into the lift (sneaking past the ground floor's locked door by just following in behind someone else) and be unable to send your message because elevators mean you don't get cell reception. The lift dings, and you amble out onto the gallery, waiting for your husk to pick the reception back up. Dirack's place (number 8282) ends up being closer to the lift, though, so you don't get time to press send before you're met with a horrible sight.
The door is clad in dark purple paint, arranged in a sign commonly associated with the juggalo faith. A clownish visage stares you right in the eyes, surrounded by arcane symbols, paint dripping like blood, and you scream, just a bit.