TINY CAT PEOPLE: THE MAZE TRIALS

[skinstealer]

 
You decide to go for style points on this one- screw the stairs, you’re going to jump for that water. You hold onto your journal tight and back up as far as you can before running for it and going for the biggest jump you can muster.

SUZANNE: Wh-
SUZANNE: SEE!

 


You are soaring through the air, and you feel so free.
 




Your health is now GOOD, down from PERFECT, and you are extremely sore. This may have been a miscalculation.

SEE: Ow.

  
Unseen speakers chime, and a familiar voice comes through. 

INTERCOM: See, you have made an impression. 
INTERCOM: You may collect your reward upon returning to your room.

 
The door upstairs opens back up again, but you don’t have any intention going back yet...not until you talk with Suzanne a bit, anyway.

Speaking of your new fish acquaintance, she’s scrambling over to your side. 
  

SUZANNE: See! What were you doing?!
SEE: Thought I could make it to the water...hi.

 


You extend a hand and she pulls you up, the size difference between you incredibly apparent.
  

SEE: You...are really big.
SUZANNE: Not as big as the others I’ve met here…
SEE: Like Max?

 
She nods. 

SUZANNE: He’s my friend, we both spawned around the same time and got to know the whole system together…
SUZANNE: He’s a behemoth type, so he’s really big and strong!
SEE: Will we be able to meet him, or do we just have to get lucky?
SUZANNE: Well, it seems like getting lucky at first, but I’ve figured out by now that it’s completely controlled by them.
SUZANNE: So...if we can figure out a way that they’d consider putting us in the same room “interesting”, they’ll do it. Maybe.
SUZANNE: I’ve been treating Max’s injuries, which they seem to like, so I’ve been able to visit him a lot.
SUZANNE: If we agree to use your ability on him, and make that clear that that’s something we want, we might be able to go help him the next time the rooms open up...but you’d have to be okay with that, I can’t ask you to help if you’re not comfortable with it.
SEE: Wait, wait- injured?
SEE: Did he jump off the stairs too?

 

 
Suzanne’s shoulders fall, turning away just a bit.

SUZANNE: No...he was put in a room with Monroe.
SUZANNE: Monroe is the only other TCP we’ve met before you, and I’m sure there’s more, but…
SUZANNE: They figured out how to make impressions easy, but not in good ways. 
SUZANNE:  Monroe attacked Max and injured him badly...we don’t know what type they are, but whatever they are, they were able to keep Max from using his ability and saving himself from harm.

 
You have no idea how to process this information- you’ve just now gotten hurt for the first time, and now you’re being told that other people can hurt you, or Suzanne, or anyone! 

And...the people here encourage it.

You shudder. 

SEE: Will Monroe try to hurt us, too?
SUZANNE: I think so. They’ve figured out that this can get them rewards, and I don’t think they’re planning on stopping.
SUZANNE: I don’t really know what to do about it...but getting Max help might be a start.
SUZANNE: Please, think about it…

  
Her voice grows quiet before she remembers what you came down here for in the first place.
  

SUZANNE: Right! The writing!

 


Suzanne places a hand on your head and concentrates, the weird feeling from earlier returning as your mind is flooded with knowledge on writing.

You have been taught WRITING.
  

SEE: Whoof, that feels weird.
SUZANNE: You get used to it...manual learning is always possible for us, but this is a lot faster if you have something in mind. 

 
You sit back down with your journal, the chimera fish type joining you as you take down some preliminary notes. May as well keep a record of each TCP you meet, giving them each two pages for information. 

SUZANNE- CHIMERA FISH TYPE- SHE/HER
MAX- BEHEMOTH TYPE- HE/HIM
MONROE- ????- THEY/THEM

[You will have to manually choose to write down information on TCPs in this journal, but it can be referenced at any time the journal is in hand.]