Nepeta stood outside, feeling the rain soak her hair and roll down her shirt. She was cold and didn't particularly enjoy the water, but it was the only way she knew of to bathe.
Her lusus stood at the entrance of the cave, watching diligently. As always, her eyelids were slightly drooping, and her smiles were small. Nepeta knew, however, that should harm come to her, the powerful pawbeast would be on her attacker in a second.
She stepped back inside and grabbed a small rag sitting on a rock. She dried her hair quickly, letting it fluff up on her head. She peeled off her soaking tee-shirt and replaced it with a fresh new one, still bearing her symbol of course. She was just pulling off her pants when her computer made a "Ping!" noise. She completely pulled off the pants, picked up a new pair and read the message as she put them on.
gallowsCalibrator [GC] began trolling arsenicCatnip [AC]
GC: *GC SM1L3S 4T TH3 STR4NG3 N3W TROLL*
GC: WOULD YOU H4PP3N TO BE K4RK4T'S FR13ND?
GC: *SH3 4SKS*
AC: uh…
AC: oh!
AC: i am *ac says*
AC: my name is Nepeta.
AC: what's yours?
GC: *TH3 GR3AT DR4GON3SS M1GHT1LY R41S3S H3R H34D*
GC: MY N4M3 *SH3 ST4T3S* 1S T3R3Z1
AC: oh! i've heard about you before.
AC: karkat told me you live in a forest, just like me!
GC: H3H3, Y3P, TH4T'S M3.
GC: WH4T 3LS3 H4S H3 TOLD YOU 4BOUT?
AC: about you?
AC: not much. he doesn't talk about you guys that much
AC: he likes to tell me about what life is like for "normal trolls".
GC: NO WOND3R H3 H4SN'T S41D MUCH 4BOUT M3.
GC: NOBODY WOULD 3V3R S4Y TH4T 1'M 4 GOOD 3X4MPL3 OF NORMAL TROLL B3H4V1OR.
AC: he did say that you're kind of crazy.
AC: i thought it sounded like fun, though!
GC: YOU'R3 BOTH R1GHT.
GC: 1 4M CR4ZY, 4ND 1T 1S 3XTR3M3LY FUN.
GC: H4V3 YOU 3V3R HUNG 4 STUFF3D 4N1M4L UNT1IL STUFF1NG W4S SQU1SH1NG OUT 1TS 34RS?
AC: no…
GC: 1 W1LL F1ND 4 W4Y TO SHOW YOU SOM3 DAY.
GC: YOU H4V3 NOT KNOWN 3XC1T3M3NT UNT1L YOU'R3 B3TT1NG W1TH YOURS3LF ON WHO W1LL LOS3 TH31R H3AD F1RST.
AC: that sounds fun and all…
AC: but since we can't do that right now, why don't you tell me about that thing you were doing earlier?
GC: WH4T TH1NG?
AC: you know, that thing with the stars and stuff.
GC: OH, TH4T W4S ROL3PL4Y1NG.
GC: 1T'S PR3TTY POPUL4R WH3R3 1'M FROM.
AC: it looks like fun.
GC: 1T 1S!
GC: YOU C4N CR34T3 4 CH4R4CT3R 4ND GO ON QU3STS, 4ND FORM GROUPS TO F1GHT 1N.
GC: NON3 OF MY ROL3PL4Y BUDD13S 4R3 ON R1GHT NOW, SO W3 COULD S3T YOU UP, 1F YOU L1K3.
AC: sure! that sounds great.
Working together, Nepeta and Terezi spent the next half hour getting Nepeta ready should she ever choose to play the game. It would have been difficult to manage all of the stats, character info and rules of roleplaying, but luckily Terezi knew everything about it quite well. She bragged a few times about how she had not only memorized the rules, but even created a few of them. Nepeta wasn't sure whether she was joking or serious, so she gave a, "nice one!" and continued without much mention of it.
As time went on, though, they became less focused on role-play and more just chatting. Nepeta felt that Terezi had a far more interesting life than she did, but that didn't stop the other girl from asking all sorts of questions.
GC: SO, WH4T D1D YOU DO W1TH YOURS3LF B3FOR3 TH3 1NT3RN3T?
AC: not much.
AC: it was mostly hunting and sleeping, though of course i ate and went to the waste disposal room.
AC: i guess the most exciting thing that ever happened was when we could leave home for a few days to visit karkat.
AC: we didn't get to very often.
CG: SOUNDS PR3TTY BOR1NG.
AC: maybe it was.
AC: i've never had internet before, so i don't know what i would have thought of my life if i had used it before.
The conversation slowly turned away from Nepeta so that she began to ask Terezi questions. She was more than happy to answer them.
AC: so, how long have you known karkat?
CG: 4BOUT THR33 SW33PS. W3'V3 B33N FR13NDS MOST OF OUR L1V3S.
CG: WH4T 4BOUT YOU?
AC: we met each other around a sweep and a half ago.
AC: we didn't really start talking until last sweep, though.
CG: 1 TH1NK H3 TOLD M3 4BOUT YOU 4T SOM3 PO1NT. 1T W4S B3FOR3 H3 KN3W YOUR N4M3.
AC: really? what did he say?
GC: 1 DON'T R3M3MB3R MUCH.
GC: 1 TH1NK H3 W4S COMPL41N1NG 4BOUT SOM3 STR4NG3 N3W G1RL 1N H1S TOWN.
GC: H3 W4SN'T 4 F4N OF YOU WH3N YOU M3T. :[
AC: i don't think i liked him that much either.
AC: he was really rude, and called me a bunch of names for one little accident.
They talked more, and asked each other questions. Eventually, though, Terezi had to leave, and Nepeta was left alone once again. She walked up to the cave entrance and sighed. It was still pouring.
Her lusus walked up to her and nuzzled her hand. Nepeta smiled and scratched the large kitty behind her ears. She purred, and Nepeta did her best to imitate the sound. She giggled as the noise tickled her throat.
Her lusus yawned, and nudged Nepeta over to a warm pile of pelts. They snuggled up together, and Nepeta gladly took a nice, long nap.
Not everyone was sleeping at that moment, though.
centaursTesticle [CT] began trolling arsenicCatnip [AC]
CT: D- E%cuse me, miss.
CT: D- If you are not busy at the moment, I would like to ask why you decided to contact me.
CT: D- I was very busy when you did so, and I do not appreciate being bothered by mid-bloods such as yourself.
CT: D- If there was any real reasoning behind your actions I would greatly appreciate you informing me what that would be.
CT: D- Miss?
CT: D- What a shame. It appears you are out at the moment.
CT: D- I will contact you again at my earliest convienience.
centaurTesitcle [CT] ceased trolling arsenicCatnip [AC]
And there's the second chapter! I'm sorry for the long wait, I wasn't allowed on my computer for a while, so I couldn't work on it at all.
I promise that Equius will play a larger role next chapter, whenever that appears. Reviews are appreciated, and thanks again for reading!