Meanwhile, Kankri had just finished typing a manuscript for the abstract of a new blog post for his silly social justice blog (WARNING: L9NG AND 69RING!).
I n9w return t9 9nce again t9 the su6ject 9f the previ9usly c9tr9versial t9pic 9f the practice 9f tw9 matesprits living t9gether in a permanent relati9nship. Alth9ugh 9ne c9uld easily 6ring int9 the discussi9n 9f this t9pic the studies c9nducted n9t five sweeps ag9 suggesting that such l9ng-term relati9nships may put a strain 9n a tr9ll's pers9nal flushed quadrant health, I will refrain as much as p9ssi6le fr9m c9njuring this idea in the mind 9f the reader. I understand that this is a study which, h9wever factual, may trigger s9me 9f my readers wh9 are reading this essay that happen t9 6e in such a matespritship, and are su6sequently triggered 6y undenia6le facts. Alth9ugh I pers9nally c9ndemn th9se wh9 deli6erately ch99se t9 disregard facts in fav9r 9f a su6jective 9pini9n that they have t9, t9 put it crassly, make themselves feel 6etter (I understand that this is a triggering statement in and 9f itself), it is very rude and hyp9critical 9f me t9 attempt t9 delie6erately trigger my readers. Such tactics c9uld 6e c9nsidered 6ullying, which after a string 9f vari9us triggering incidents regarding 6ullies, led t9 a planet-wide witch hunt, if y9u will, (again, trigger warnings a69und even in this a6stract) and I d9 n9t c9nd9ne such practices even if they are d9ne in pursuit 9f justice. And n9w I shall say n9 m9re 9n this divergence fr9m the t9pic, in 9rder t9 refrain triggering any legislacerat9rs that happen t9 6e reading this p9st. Returning t9 the t9pic at hand, I pers9nally kn9w 9f 9nly 9ne such matesprit livng arrangement, wh9se pair shall n9t 6e menti9ned, as it may 6e a triggering revelati9n t9 any9ne wh9 may kn9w wh9 I am talking a69ut. All9w me t9 clarify a few 6its 9f inf9rmati9n that have p9tential t9 6ec9me facts, 6ased 9n my limited 96servati9ns 9f the still-happy c9uple and the recent study I have perused in preparati9n f9r writing this essay. A matespritship shared in the same hive is certainly much less 9f a pr96lematic living arrangement than a kissmesis 9f the same nature, (f9r th9se triggered 6y a such an admittedly 69ld claim, factual evidence will 6e 6r9ught up later 9n in the essay), and quadrant vacillati9n int9 a 6lack r9mance, while certainly pr96lematic f9r the c9uple, is actually quite unc9mm9n. H9wever, 9ne maj9r aspect 9f maintaining a l9ng term matespritship, whether rec9gnized 6y the dr9nes that request the c9uple t9 fill 6uckets each year 9r n9t, is the relati9ns 6etween each participant's lusii (9r, if y9u are triggered 6y such a term, lususes). The lusii/lususes may have diffculty getting al9ng with each 9ther, 9f c9urse varying 9n the individual species themselves, 6ut the situati9n gets especially pr96lematic when 9ne lusus kills 9r c9nsumes the weaker 9ne, as has 6een the case in a num6er 9f instances acc9rding t9 the study I have used as a s9urce f9r my arguements. M9re detail will 6e spent 9n this t9pic in later chapters 9f the essay. 6ut what I w9uld like t9 start with 9n this t9pic is n9t the idea 9f 9ne lusus 9verp9wering the 9ther, 6ut rather, 9ne matesprit 9verp9wering the 9ther while the tw9 are in such cl9se pr9ximity. I understand that this is such a triggering t9pic, the pr96lematic idea 9f a matesprit having false flushed feelings and instead using his 9r her matesprit f9r deli6erate manipulati9n (which is merely magnified, n9t instigated, 6y the tw9 9f them sharing a hive) 6ut if y9u, the reader 9f this essay, can 6are with me f9r a while, I h9pe that I can d9 my 6est t9 enlighten y9u 9n the af9rementi9ned t9pic, and h9pefully y9u will 6e c9mp9tent en9ugh t9 pr9cess this inf9rmati9n. 9therwise, feel free t9 c9nsult y9ur m9irail and leave this 6l9g if y9u have 6een triggered 6y this a6stract. If y9u d9 n9t, then y9u will find y9urself 9verwhelmed 6y many triggering t9pics, and I am n9t resp9nsi6le f9r y9ur p9ssi6le inappr9priate handling 9f them. And n9w the 69dy 9f the essay will c9mmence:
But our little social justice hero was promptly interrupted by someone that he pitied somewhat (but not in a flushed sense). But we know what happens: Cronus talks to Kankri, and Kankri goes in the Medium. This cycle's getting a bit dull, so we'll just go to Kurloz instead.
. . . . .
Kurloz arrived in the Land of Plains and Thunder (LOPAT). His half of the hive lay in the middle of an open field, full of tall grass that was constantly shaken around by the strong winds of the planet. The sky was almost always dark and covered in storm clouds, and Kurloz stared in awe at the lightning that flashed so close to him. Thunder was almost always booming in this planet. It and the wind were the only sounds he could hear. Just the way he liked it. A perfect place for the mirthful messiah to establish a private residence, if he wished to have a home that most visitors would be too frightened to visit. No imps were in sight, but the hive had to be fortified. He telepathically called to Meulin:
LEIJON! CEASE YOUR PLAYFUR ANTICS AND RETURN TO OUR HIVE IMEDIATELY! THE MOTHERFUCKIN WALLS MUST BE FORTIFIED ON MY PLANET!
DON'T GET YOUR FUR IN A KNOT, MASTER! I WILL RETURN SHORTLY!
Meulin was beginning to enjoy her world a little more. She had found that her consorts were these adorable little kitty cat sailors! And they would sell her stuff and she could shake their adorable little paws when the deal was made!
"Extra grist fur building will be furty boondollars!" the kitty merchant said to Meulin. How exactly she heard while technically deaf is a mystery that not even I, the author of this crappy fanfic, know. The building grist was only the latest thing she had bought under Kurloz's orders, right after she had bought the yarn balls and the chalk for her new shipping wall, as well as a life preserver and a pair of lifejackets, and also some fresh fish, which was obviously in abundance around here. Meulin capthalogued (what, did you think I wasn't going to be doing that in this story?) and went back to her hive to help Kurloz. That's not all that interesting, so we'll move on to Kankri trying to get Latula Pyrope in the Medium.
. . . . .
The troll in question was busy playing Trollo 4 (she couldn't help but notice that it had a different atmosphere than Trollo 3) when Kankri tried to troll her. He, with help from Mituna, had installed Trollian through Latula's gaming headset. (Kinda like the ones used for Xbox live.) Both of them had flushed feelings for her, and as such they usually took turns trying to ask her out while she was trying to get run over some grunbs on a Warthog.
Critic of Generality (CG) began trolling Gaming Creationist (GC)
GC: yo K4ns! wh4zzup! 4r3 you gonn4 try 4nd h1t on m3 or som3th1ng? :] 1 don't r34lly h4v3 4ny t1m3 for your fl1rts r1ght now, 1'm pl4y1n' th1s n3w r4d g4m3!
CG: I am n9t here t9 engage in futile flushed pursuits, Pyr9pe. I merely wish t9 inf9rm y9u that this is the very m9ment in which y9u must make all necessary arrangements t9 enter the Medium. Have y9u decided 9n what t9 pr9t9type? 6ef9re y9u 6egin, please tell me what it is; y9u sh9uld attempt t9 minimize any p9tential f9r triggering 6y d9ing s9; we can't aff9rd t9 leave a team mem6er incapacitated simply 6ecause they are triggered 6y what y9u pr9t9type. I w9uld refrain fr9m using a 6ucket, due t9 its 96vi9us...are y9u listening?
GC: uh, y34h, sur3, wh4t3vs! 1 4lr34dy d3c1d3d on som3th1ng! 1t's compl3t3ly tr1gg3r-fr33. 1t's just 4 toy!
CG: Very well, then. I 4m depl9ying the necessary c9mp9nents needed t9 6egin y9ur sessi9n. I wish y9u the 6est 9f luck in y9ur w9rld.
GC: 4ww, th4nks! but h4v3 you forgott3n how 4w3som3 1 4m 4t g4m3s? 1'll b34t 1t b3for3 you guys c4n 3v3n b34t th3 f1rst l3v3l!
CG: Judging fr9m what I see ar9und me (I am currently in the Medium as we speak), the game d9es n9t functi9n that way. Alth9ugh there d9 appear t9 6e gates 9f s9me s9rt that transp9rt y9u t9 vari9us areas ar9und the planet y9u are assigned, p9ssi6ly in 9rder t9 challenge the player 6ef9re they g9 thr9ugh the seventh gate and fight their denizen. I d9n't kn9w h9w sucessful each 9f us will 6e, 6ut I am certain that the c9mplexities 9f the game will 6e revealed t9 us in time. I have particular c9nfidence in Aranea, wh9 seems t9 have 6een end9wed with m9st 9f the kn9wledge 9f this game, fr9m 69th Meenah and her ancest9r, allegedly. 9f c9urse, 69th Aranea's and Meenah's ancest9rs are extremely pr96lematic individuals and are 69th very triggering, 6ut that is 6eside the p9int.
GC: wow, K4nkr1! 1 d1dn't th1nk you would b3 so 34g3r to d1sm1ss 4 top1c l1k3 th4t! ok, ttyl! ;]
CG: Excuse me, 6ut I can't say I'm familiar with the vari9us terms used 6y y9u and s9me 9ther individuals during sh9rthand 9nline c9mmunicati9n. Were y9u declaring that y9u had left just n9w...?
