literature

Crossworld Chapter Two

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Chapter Two 'Alexsi'

The rain had fallen all day, grey curtains of rain that drifted slow across the city. Alexsi had been watching it come and go through the windows of the restaurant since she had arrived in time to open for lunch. Now night was falling cold and damp, and with the easing of the dinner rush she knew that she would be going home in rain as well.

The only good thing about the rain was that she had been spared running in and out the door all day to serve the outside tables, but even that was a mixed blessing. She needed the extra money from the tips, and now she and Kelly would be splitting the tips from half as many tables. When the restaurant was full at peak times, too many people had to just grab a slice of pizza and leave. And waitresses never got tips from carry-out customers.

"Hey, Kitten!" Jerry the evening manager and chef called to her. "You'll find a few slices of spare pizza in the back. Help yourself before you leave."

"What, did you drop another one?" she called back, trying not to sound annoyed. Why did everyone have to call her 'kitten'?

Balancing the tray that she had just stacked with plates and glasses, she backed through the swinging door into the kitchen. As soon as she had loaded everything into the dishwasher, she took a moment to visit the warming tray reserved for 'spare' slices. With the evening traffic winding down, unsold slices from the carry-out trays out front were deemed to have been setting around too long.

Kelly slid through the door into the kitchen far more gracefully than Alexsi ever could, not even bothering to slip through back-first. The lanky Gelert could move with astonishing grace, each movement as sure and effortless as those of a dancer.

"Hey, Kitten," she called out. "I've been meaning to ask if you'll being going back to school next semester. I want to work out your schedule well in advance to make sure that you get the hours that work best for you."

"No, thanks for offering," Alexsi answered reluctantly. "I was thinking that I should keep saving up a while longer. I can just barely afford to go back now, but if anything at all came up I would probably be forced to drop. It just seems better not to risk both the time and the money."

"Ah, that's a cryin' shame," Kelly remarked. "You don't belong here running pizza back and forth. I'm sure that you'll be happier doing what you need to do. Still, taking the time to do it right is better than never getting there at all."

"That's what I keep telling myself."

Kelly finished loading her plates into the dishwasher and walked over to the table to join her. "You know, you're a good artist. I'm not just saying that because I know you, or allowing myself to be convinced of that for the same reason."

"Still. . .," Alexsi prompted her, knowing that she had more to say.

"Well, I just worry that you won't allow yourself to believe that," the Gelert admitted reluctantly. "It's your habit of always looking for the bad to the point of turning your back on the good."

"You don't think I try hard enough?"

"No, its not about trying," Kelly insisted. "I'm still talking about believing. I'll admit that I don't know anything about being an artist or a musician or such. But it does seem to me that no matter how good of an artist you are, you'll never be a great one and certainly not your best until you can believe that you are."

Alexsi frowned. "I know I'm lacking something, but I just don't know what. But saying that I don't 'believe' seems a little simplistic."

"You want me to speak plainly?" she asked. "Kitten, there are people out there not nearly as good as you technically, but what they draw has life. I don't know why you can't seem to find that, if you just don't know how or if it's something you won't allow yourself to find because you don't want to believe. It always just seems like you won't allow yourself to enjoy life, and maybe your art reflects that."

Kelly frowned. "Listen to me go on. You would almost think that I knew what I'm talking about. Of course I'm aware that you know far more about art than I ever will."

"No, but you know a lot about life," Alexsi admitted, leaning back in her chair. "I honestly don't know what to think. I know that my art tends to be rather. . .static. I just assumed that I've been concentrating so hard on the technical aspects that I overlook the content. It hasn't always been this way. I used to be able to draw whatever I wanted, when I was younger."

"Before you began to try too hard?" Kelly asked. "Or maybe when you began to be so suspicious of life. Suffering for your art is just the recipe for getting there the hard way, if you ask me. But I do know that you're wrong about one thing."

"And what is that?"

"You're still young." The Gelert smiled wickedly. "Maybe it's just as well if you do wait to go back. It seems to me that you're looking for something that you know you need, and I don't believe that you'll find it in a classroom or a book. Try asking yourself what you need the most."

Alexsi frowned at the slice of pizza she held. "Where would you think I'm going to find that?"

Kelly shrugged helplessly. "Oh, I don't know! If you want me to guess, I'd have to say that maybe you just need a little adventure in your life. I worry that you'll never go anywhere if you don't rediscover your interest in life."

The rain was still falling light but steady when it was time for her to leave, and the night was almost complete. Alexsi stood for a moment under the awning above the main door of the Pizzaroo branch where she worked, waiting for the bus to appear. She wanted to spend no more time in the rain than she could help, despite having an overcoat and an umbrella. One of the faults with being a Wocky was the long, thick feline fur, and her ruff might as well have been a sponge.

The lights of the bus appeared over the hill and she made a dash for the corner stop, splashing through the cold standing water. Seldom wearing shoes had become one more way to save money on replacing them, especially on such a wet day even if it meant cold, damp paws. As always her tail had a mind of its own, shifting back and forth to help maintain her balance and getting wetter by the moment. She leaped up the steps of the bus the moment it stopped, taking the seat just inside the door. No one was out on such a night if they could help it.

The ride was not long; if not for the rain, she would have walked to save even that small bit of money. As she watched the lights of Neopia City roll past, Alexsi found herself thinking about travel, of perhaps seeing some place different for the first time since she had started to the university four years earlier. Not that she would; in her quest to save money for her classes, she refused to allow herself to go anywhere or do anything. But Kelly had spoken of adventure, and she was surprised that a deeply-buried part of herself had responded eagerly to that suggestion.

Another, more consciously vocal part of herself found that terrifying even to contemplate.

The bus pulled to a stop and Alexsi hurried inside, rushing up the stairs to her own small apartment. She locked the door behind her and paused just long enough to start up her computer; the little beast was getting old and needed a small slice of forever to boot itself up. Not stopping to look back, she continued on into the bathroom to remove all her clothes and attack her wet fur with a towel. Thick-furred even for a Wocky, she always found clothes a vague discomfort at the best of times. In her quiet solitude she intended to remain as nature had intended her, and scratch.

The computer was waiting dutiful and patient by the time she returned to front room. Sweeping her long, full tail down between her legs, she seated herself.

After a quick check of her mail, she went immediately to the Neoclans main page to log in. The cynical voice in her mind all but sneered at her in her eagerness to lose herself in what it wanted to dismiss as a children's game. But this was the only refuge left in her life, the source of those few enjoyments she would still allow herself. That harsh aspect of herself had already thrown away everything else she had ever cared about.

User Name: Silent_Seeker
Password: **********

As she had expected, all three of the boys were already online, their names appearing in her Family box. Sometimes she wondered if they somehow lived there permanently, occupying that comfortable house in a fictional Meridell under the protection of their Guardian Amber. She was also not surprised to see that Bartholomew had sent her Humail. The vigilant blonde Aisha was the oldest of the boys, at least as far as she knew, and certainly the smartest. But she was still the oldest of the siblings, and they deferred to her guidance.

[Fork_Ears] Bartholomew
» This user is a member of your Household
Sent: 6:12pm
Subject: Quarterly Report
Message:
The end of the Quarter is coming up, and we've been able to put quite a lot into the Bank lately. I've been talking to the others, and we think the time has come for you to ask Amber for something for yourself. We suspect that you would like to be painted, although we have no idea what. As long as our savings cover it, this is the time to do it. Otherwise we shall be forced to stuff you in a pickle barrel and roll you downhill like a cheese.

Alexsi sat for a long moment unsure how to answer that, absently running her hands through the deep fur of her belly to fluff it out. Yes, it was true that she wanted painted. In real life she was just a brown Wocky, and that was all that she would ever be. As beautiful as they might be, nature had never intended for anyone to go through life as Fire or Ice or Darigan. Natural selection probably discouraged it. But here at least she could be Royal.

Which was not to say that Amber would agree.

Neoclans had been created as a reflection of the way the world used to be, or more accurately as an alternate version of the real world as it might have been if the Humans had not been lost so long ago. The Humans had been related to the Faeries, but quasi-mortal and wingless. Once upon a time this had been their world, as few as they had been. And they had been the first to see that the other species were not just animals, no matter how they looked. And so the Humans had begun a grand plan, gathering in representatives of the various species into a Household where they lived together as if they were a family. The Humans had intended to teach them, preparing them to return to their own kind to begin the foundations of their own civilizations.

But then the World had been swept up in the Faerie Wars and the Humans, so few and so weak compared to their Faerie kin, had not survived. Battles raged to no effect year after year, century after century. Perhaps it would have never ended if not for the coming of the Aisha from whatever world they had once called home. Their ways and their technology had allowed the mortal species to become something of a force in their own right, enough to break the long stalemate and end the ancient wars.

The Neoclans world had been created in the style of the ancient Human Households. Four Users of various species but about the same age were assigned to a Household when they first created their account, granted a home somewhere in the fictitious Neopia and set to work gathering the wealth needed to advance themselves. But things were not quite that simple. No matter how much they might earn, each User was allowed to keep only 1000 Crowns a day for their own use, and no more than 10,000 Crowns in their Personal Coffer. That meant that they could never make any of the large purchases for themselves.

That was the part of their Guardian, the virtual Human who was the head of the household.

Once every three months the members of the Household could recommend the purchase of a major item such as a paintbrush or a Battledome item, and at times the Guardian would bestow spontaneous gifts. Some said that a Site Monitor reviewed the Household accounts and made the final decisions, while others said that the servers were designed to make those choices. Whatever the case, the only certainty was that only the hard-working members of the household were rewarded.

Alexsi agreed that the system was fair, but she had far less time to spare online than the boys. She generally brought in about half as much revenue. Fred was their designated fighter, the master of every attack, every defense and every odd trick; a large part of their money always went to keeping him in training and supplied with Battledome items. Even his Pirate brush had been a random gift from Amber, no doubt a reward for his impressive string of victories.

She turned her attention back to her keyboard, still not certain exactly what to say.

Re: Quarterly Report
As much as I appreciate the suggestion, I'm hesitant to ask Amber to empty our Household bank account on something as frivolous as a paint brush. It might be better to wait until we've built up more of a reserve.

She knew that the matter was far from settled; the boys were never good at making practical decisions. At least they could do nothing in her despite. All requests to the Household Guardian had to be made unanimously.

At least the matter was settled for the moment as she clicked away to the Household Main Page. At the top of the page was Amber looking back at her, as tall and lanky as a Faerie, furless with a long, limp mane. No one really knew all that much about real Humans, and Neoclans took the approach that they were essentially wingless Faeries; Amber was even dressed much the same in a type of loose, sleeveless top and light pants in bright colors as the Faeries wore.

Alexsi clicked on her own image, the same nondescript brown Wocky that she was in real life. This led her to her Room and Personal Page, some of its information available only to herself; others, even her brothers, saw only an abbreviated form when they visited. Her online self had reached the stage of politely hungry, not surprising since she had not logged in since the previous night. She had just under 2000 Crowns in her Personal Coffer, but the boys had stocked their virtual pantry with items from their Dailies and she helped herself to some. Visitors could look anywhere in their Home, something she disliked for some reason, but only the four members of the Household could interact with the various items placed there.

The reply to her message arrived before she could do anything else.

[Fork_Ears] Bartholomew
» This user is a member of your Household
Sent: 7:18pm
Subject: Quarterly Report
You wrote:
As much as I appreciate the suggestion, I'm hesitant to ask Amber to empty our Household bank account on something as frivolous as a paint brush. It might be better to wait until we've built up more of a reserve.

Fork_Ears replied:
[Report Message]
Who cares whether or not it may be frivolous? As long as it makes you happy. That's what this place is about, isn't it?

Alexsi sat in silence for a long moment before she decided not to reply. Yes, they knew that she wanted to be painted. But they would surely assume that it must be something appropriate to her mood, like Darigan or Halloween. The simple truth was that she was just too embarrassed to admit that the only thing she wanted to be was Royal. Every Quarter passed with her wish remaining unspoken, as it would again.

That was when the first of her messages arrived. The Instant Messaging service was open only between members of the same Household. While it was not private, it was easier than trying to mail everything.

[Crabapple_Tea] Carl
I give up! I can't seem to hit the Mordwan hard enough today. I'm putting the Oak Club back in the Commons if someone else wants to try.

Apparently the boys were trying to tease various Monsters into challenging a fight in the Battledome which they would then be able to hand off to Fred, since the Mordwan was too much for Carl to handle. The tougher Monsters were a good bet for some of the better prizes. The next message arrived moments later.

[Tangler22] Fred
I just got an Air Faerie Quest.

Alexsi knew that this message was directed at her. The Quests were always left for her, since her deep knowledge of Neoclans trivia made it easier for her to figure out the riddles that were the clues to the Quests. She clicked open the map and worked her way directly to the Faerie Quests, where an Air Faerie was waiting to meet her.

Abandoned is this icy shell
Yellow he who used to dwell

Oh, this one was almost too easy. Alexsi knew that the Moonlight Sea Slorg was yellow when alive, its coiled shell a pale icy blue. She went to Mystery Island and found the shell on the beach on her third attempt, just beside Beach Volleyball. She immediately placed the shell in the Commons so that Fred could turn it in, although that was no guarantee that his avatar would receive the increase in speed.

For now Alexsi was able to turn to her Dailies, to be followed by earning some money from her Favorites. The boys returned to their own inane banter, their IM boxes jumping up every few seconds.

Why do I keep coming back? she asked herself. Why do I even look forward to it?

So that the boys could torment her with their immature behavior and boundless enthusiasm? Although she did not know their full names or where they lived, they had almost grown up together since Neoclans had the policy of putting Users of about the same age together into Households.. The boys were actually closer to her age, as hard as that was to tell.

Because this place is as good for wasting my time as any other, since my life is going nowhere anyway?

That was when Amber sent one of her private messages, one of several dozen that the Guardians gave supposedly at random.

What can I do to make you happy?

Alexsi sighed. I wish I knew.
And now we really step through the looking glass.

It was actually fun to reverse-engineer a version of Neopets from the point of view of the Pets themselves, where we are the mythical beings.
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Comments2
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Nimras's avatar
Trippy. I had to read though it twice to catch what exactly was happening.

I suppose this means Virtupets has taken over then? *grin*