Good and Chaos

There was never a bad time for mayhem, at least in the ever curious and crazy kitten's mind. Her feline finesse had gained her many enemies in the woods of the outer edges of Astorea. Yet, somehow, she never gave in to the larger animal's grunts and growls- even if they were fairly strong compared to a barely-trained illusion master.

Faking a shiver, she felt the hairs on her neck stand as a bear roared near her face, kept away only by the long lance she kept to defend herself. It wasn't a bad weapon- it was of pretty good condition, at least- but it wasn't enough to keep the bear's spit away from her cheeks as it got closer.

"Crikey..." She mumbled, her British outside seeping into her form. She took a step back, her tail curling into a ball. "I'm not afraid of you, you big bully!" Her own voice, which held a slight squeal to it, made her want to puke herself. I sound like a child trying to sound like a bloody duffer. What kind of comeback is that, you fool!?

The bear bared it's sharp teeth, and as she realized her 'needs' meter showed her energy was already fairly low, Lady Briar decided to take the high road and run from the monstrosity that was nature- through some bushes, until she got caught on a thorn with her dress.

"Bugger! Let go, you stupid plant!" She groaned louder, tugging at her skirt. "There has to be someone out here that'd stop that bloody bear! Please!" Her voice was a holler into the distance of the forest...

...But would a hero even want to come to the rescue of such a chaotic kitten?

@Seigi

 

Bearsharks. Wonderful creatures of legend that struck fear even in the mightiest of warriors. The bravest of adventures. They were the perfect target to get stronger. The perfect target to win a wrestling match against. The perfect creature to train against if one wanted to subdue an opponent without actually killing them.

For that, however, it needed preparation. Doing a hundred push-ups, sit-ups and squats every day coupled with a 10 kilometer run every day wasn't enough. No, what those brave people who planned to take on such mighty creatures needed was, also, practice. A lot of practice.

And what animal wasn't better to practice against than the Bear? A close relative to the Bearshark. Of course, a Bear itself was just as fearful. But it was simply a question of preparation.

Things, however, never went quite as planned. "It is I! The Greatest Heroine of all!" Her voice resounded through the forest as suddenly an orange bundle of energy landed onto the bears back. Clearly having been waiting, in ambush, somewhere in one of the countless treetops. For a second, the bear let out a furious roar as it stood upon his hind paws to assert dominance.

"Guts and Effort...!!!" Riding the bear like she was in some bullfight, the girl didn't come unprepared. There was a long stick in her hand that, on the other end, had something sweet dangling from it. Something sticky. Something very tasty.

Managing to somehow make the long branch stick onto the bears back it was just in time as finally, Seigi fell off. Even if some people called her as Seigi Lingstein, being a genius didn't equal having some beast taming skills. Nonetheless, her plan had worked, to a degree.

As the bear was on all fours again it started to eye the dangling honey just mere meters away from it. Like hypnotized, it rushed forward in a mad charge. Towards the kitty cat and... simply past it.

Watching the bear go off Seigi's face betrayed a moment of confusion. This... wasn't supposed to go like that. Then again her genius plan hadn't been complete anyways. In fact, she had only gone out to do justice.

"Are you alright?" Seigi walked over to the Felis and, if she were still on the ground, offered her a hand to help her up. Right. This time the stage was set perfectly! "I am Seigi Ling Ling! Hero of Justice! Here to save the day. And saved it...! At least it seemed like you were in need of a heroic hero such as I, Seigi!" By now, everybody should have heard of her name... probably not, but...!

@Lady Briar

 

The feline growled when she saw the blob of energy find it's way on the bear's back. She wanted to ask how long the stranger had been waiting in that tree, watching her battle. She wanted to ask why the woman hadn't come down earlier, before she was nearly in the teeth of a wild beast.

Instead, however, Briar stood mesmerized. Seeing the girl ride it like a mechanical bull had her starting to laugh despite still hiding out on her belly. It was so funny, she actually rolled around in her fit of giggles. It's a rodeo! I've managed to start a rodeo! How chaotic it all is!

She stopped when the bear was on all fours once more, charging in her direction. Her fur stood on end as it rushed past, still trying to nab the honey on the stick. She felt herself sigh, joy abandoning her small form along with the fear that had been instilled in it.

"Next time I know not to poke the bear while it sleeps," She muttered.

The orange hero soon started to introduce herself, offering a hand up which Briar gladly took. She wouldn't say her thanks, but she'd snicker s Seigi made her debut of an introduction. There's no better flattery or mockery than there is in mimicry. I'll have to use that method to respond in 'kind'~

"I am Lady Briar, kitten of chaos~ I am followed by chaos wherever I go. Your hand was handy, hero, but you've aided my magic with only your mind. Your plan- quite sneaky for a hero, I might add- was purrrrfect. You made the illusion of food to chase the bear away by its gluttony~ It has taught me an idea of an illusion to use myself next time... For I am a user of the phantom arts. I am chaos incarnate... And next time, I won't allow you to steal my job~"

 

"Chaos?!" Seigi gasped in surprise. "Incarnate?!" She added in a dramatic fashion as if one would think this was just a stage-play. Nonetheless, Seigi seemed seriously offended!

"You... you villainous villain of villainy!" The hero-girl took a step back, seemingly ready to fight before she jumped into the air full of excitement. "Yahoo! This is my chance!" Clearing her throat for a second, Seigi pointed at the Kitten of Chaos.

"Listen to me, villain! This is your chance at redemption and, instead, do good in the world! It doesn't matter what chaotic acts of illusionary chaos you have done in the past. My heart has enough love for even the vilest of men. I will save each and every single one of you. Be it from bears or from yourself. Just see how I saved you from the fangs of this wild beast? I even sacrificed my wrestling session with it! This isn't about stealing your job, it's about doing GOOD!" Seigi gave Lady Briar a rather stubborn glance as if she could drill her own will into the kitten's head!

Nonetheless, the introduction of the chaos kitten seemed to have triggered quite an unpredictable response from Seigi... or was this exactly what Briar wanted? Clearly, the girl didn't take any mockery from it.

@Lady Briar

 

While this was certainly a game, she was already beginning to regret playing along with the wannabe hero. Of all the gormless... Why do I end up with the dog's bollocks?! Internal rage set in, but she managed to fake a smile like the imp she was. Naturally, Briar had learned to be a good actor. She couldn't be a little girl if she couldn't do that much, after all.

Besides, playing superhero and the villain wasn't the worst she'd done in her life. And at least she was the villain, wasn't she?

"And why should I redeem myself, Hero? There are plenty of heroes that side with chaos! The chaotic good is still good, is it not? Not that I am, of course- I am still surely a villain... but even moreso, I know my onions about chaos. Why should I, for the love of madness, join your side, Hero? Why shouldn't I make you join me in spreading madness instead?"

Her grin became cocky, her hands on her hips with legs spread wide. Her feline tail wrapped around her waist like a belt, pulling tightly against her blouse to show that, just like her height, she was small in all areas. Yellow eyes narrowed as she peered directly at her 'enemy'.

"Who says a villain doesn't do good, though? I do plenty of good in the real world. In this world, it should be fine for me to have a little funya~" Her kitten purrs plagued her speech pattern, each 'r' rolled into lengthening her words. "I see no reason to help strangers here. While I may be glad to be alive, I'm not glad to boost your ego, Hero. I enjoy the thrill of a fight, nya know~ Even if the bear was baring it's fangs, I have no brass neck. Even I feel fear for my life. That's what makes it the most exciting and purrfect experience! Why else would you fight in this world?"

 

What Lady Briar was talking about wasn't quite wrong but... also not right! Was this supposed to be a heated clash of ideals?! "There's only one kind of Justice! The Good kind of Justice! If you're already thinking about different kinds of good you're doing it wrong. Don't do to others what you don't want to be done to yourself is quite a fitting line!" That's something Jesus had said, wasn't it? The hero girl wasn't really religious but that guy had a point!

"Of course, playing a game is all about having fun! But is it truly fun if you're betraying who you are? You call yourself a villain, so clearly you take joy in doing villainous acts of evil! If you were truly a good person you wouldn't find joy in whatever vile things you indulge yourself in!" Seigi wasn't quite finished yet as she stopped to gasp for some air. "I'm not helping people to make myself feel better! I..." She stopped for a second as rather annoying thoughts started to cloud her mind. Her face visibly becoming sadder as the hero girl thought about some rather ugly things. The flames in Seigi's eyes losing in intensity.

No. This wasn't the place. This wasn't the time. Especially not in front of this fluffy ball of cute which sole appearance seemed like to prey on the innocent! She wouldn't be undone by such a chance encounter. "I am helping people to make this world a better place! Is it so hard to just love each other?!" It wasn't the entire truth, but also not a lie. "And boosting my ego?! I don't need anyone to tell me how awesome I am. I'm already quite aware of that."

Giving a loud sigh, after having said all this, the girl added a bit more civilized. "I know the thrill of challenging oneself against greater and greater odds though. If I got in your way, I will apologize for that. It looked like that bear was about to turn you into a kit-cat. B-But that doesn't mean I forgive you for being evil!" She looked so adorable though.

 

"And what makes something 'good' in your view of justice?" The cat purred, though she would only stay mild so long. "What if the things I do are things I would enjoy myself~? You can't guess what people like, or can you~? Are you purrhaps a mind-reader, little lady?"

She internally scoffed at herself for her choice of words. If either of them was a little lady, it was Briar- the heroine before her was at least five inches taller, maybe even half a foot. She just knew in reality, she'd still tower over them- assuming they weren't like her and purposely made a character nearly half their size.

When Seigi happened to say something rather uncouth for a true hero- something many a person had told Briar was what made her herself a villainous type- the cat fell to her knees, curling into a ball to try to muffle the howling laughter that would soon ensue. "Not modest at all, are you, hero? Haha! It's been so long since I've seen someone say something so devilishly self-assured!"

She rolled around like a little brat, laying on her back and staring up at the stranger when she felt her uneven breath calming down. Her tail moved from under her, trying to wrap around the girl's ankle and just barely made contact. Her arms reached up, as if trying to get closer to the heroine she'd just been teasing.

"I've honestly never met a 'hero' like you. One so in denial that 'doing good' helps yourself. Why do you think doctors become doctors, why police become police? Is it only to help others? Those are professions said to be for the sake of humanity..." She purred each time the 'pr' sound came, rolling her r's every time they tried to catch her humanoid tongue. She was still a cat, or playing one, and her accent would make sure to show it if she had anything to say about it.

She was a feline and a girl, in this world.

"If you were to forgive me for being 'evil', I'd laugh even louder." Her lips became a coy smirk as she reached her hands further, stretching her arms as high as she could. "For once in my life, I almost want to apologize myself. For feeling embarrassed such a girl would help the likes of me. I should know better than to think you were looking down on my ability to defend myself! You don't need to save others to feel sure of yourself, right? So you weren't thinking of people as unable to do their own bidding~ Nyes?"

 

This was difficult. The purring dialect, the fluffy tail around her leg. If the hero girl had realized one of her biggest weaknesses so far it was the fluffiness of the Felis race. That such adorable creatures could be so villainous as the adversary in front of her, this was truly a difficult trial.

The feline midget, who wasn't that much smaller than Seigi, had quite a lot to say. Words that meant to confuse Seigi? Didn't she already explain what 'being good' meant and that it took an 'evil' person in real life to receive pleasure from evil acts inside a game?!

"I-I don't know what you're doing in your free-time! Besides playing Terrasphere as a small adorable and cute cat." Putting in adorable and cute wasn't even on purpose, it simply slipped in without too much thought. "BUT you called yourself a villain like 5 seconds ago! And I told you, if you enjoy doing evil things here you are clearly a villain in real life, too!" She nodded in confirmation to herself.

"Doing good is pretty easy. My 'view of justice'? Treat others as you would want them to treat you!" She kinda repeated herself. Ultimately, it all boiled down to that, no? Of course... the girl herself had to use temporary force to convince people, too, but she'd never kill someone.

"And this has nothing to do with denial!" Was the kitten just going around in a circle or did she not want to listen? But a hero had to be patient. " No. It has to do with conviction. Absolute conviction of one's own ability. If you start doubting yourself, you already lost. Why do you think the good guys always win?! Deep within ourselves, we don't want to hurt others. Absolutely never. Thus, the baddies lack fundamental conviction compared to the heroes! Sure... we... have to hurt the bad guys, too. But a true hero would avoid killing someone at all costs!" Seigi paused for a second as she remembered the failure that she actually was. The girl still had a long way to go. "The first step to succeed in any task is to believe in yourself." She added.

 

"Purrrhaps I did say that... But if I do recall, and I'm rather proud of my intellect so I'm sure I am recalling correctly... You are the one who said I was a villain first. After all, you think of chaos as villainous. But don't you know? It's through chaos humanity has striven. Where do you think medicine comes from? Trial and error is but one form of chaos, you know~"

Though she purred as she spoke, she was beginning to hate herself more than she was angered at the stranger. Jeez, I'm acting like a bloody brat myself. Why do I need to explain myself to a runt? She hadn't realized, it seemed, just how competitive she could get. That, or she was in denial of that more than anything.

Her lips curled further upwards as she started to laugh again. This girl was just so interesting! Irritating with her black and white view of the world, sure- but it wasn't like Briar needed to be 'accepted'. What was funny was how, for a girl that was claiming disdain, this Seigi fellow really gave a lot of compliments.

And compliments were never bad to a hedonistic egoist. Even if said ego wasn't normally interested in being considered cute. "I'm glad you think I'm a cute kit. I take much purride in my aesthetic sense. Perhaps it's the result of being a cat." Still, her mixture of entertainment and irritation blended into a rather strange sound in her voice. Her purrs were catching her throat, as if the irritation just made her want to retch at the same time.

"In our world, I work hard to save lives, I'll have you know." Even if it wasn't because 'she' wanted to, it was a fact, and it was simple in that way. "I don't actively take lives unless it's bastards that are ruining my fun~ Monsters and the like, you kill them too, don't you? And why are warriors considered heroes if killing is villainous? Does that mean a war hero is actually a villain?"

Then again, there were many that might agree to that. Even Briar found war fairly pointless- but she'd take part, if it would be fun to her. At least in the game, she would. "A true villain, or so I've seen, wouldn't take your words too kindly, little lady. Most socio and psychopaths are very confident naturally. That's where you get the worst scum in the streets, isn't it? I've met them. Fellows far worse than me... And I still saved them from nearly dying, because it's my duty." Her Hippocratic duty, and the only way to keep her medicinally-inclined family off her backs, but her duty nonetheless.

 

"Don't give me that crap about monsters!" For being a villain, the cat did way more talking than shanking. "It's not like I'm a vegetarian because of what I believe to be right either." Monsters were here for the experience and all, yup! That said, Seigi was actually, really, only killing the ones that were aggressive towards her by default. ... Wrestling a bear didn't mean she'd kill it.

Though Briar had a point, chaos didn't equal villainy and "Hmpf. I suppose calling chaos the same as a villainous act of evil is true. After all, true justice stands over established law and order, too! Which is kinda like chaos, too?" Seigi would pretty much be a vigilante if the judiciary system in this world was more present.

But... wait, Seigi didn't just admit Briar was right and she was wrong, no. "That said, you ARE wrong! So you're a doctor of sorts?! You should help people because you want to and not because out of necessity! Even the most scumbaggery scumbag has a good heart! He, or she, just needs a little, or strong, push in the right direction."

The hero girl now looked down at her hands before continuing. "You know why I decided to not use any weapons?" Of course, Briar did not. But she didn't ask anyways. Goddamn Seigi went even rhetorical now.

Regardless, the girl who had a sort-of steam-powered-rocket-launcher in her virtual inventory continued. "It's so I can punch sense into people without slicing them or something but also get a hold of someones, anyone's, else's hand and pull them onto the good side! My heart is big enough to be anyone's friend. Even yours! You just have to let it happen."

 

Did this girl just say she chose to go without arms... To give love punches? It sure sounded like that, but then again, Briar had a way of twisting things in her mind to make them sound more cynical than they really were. At least here, she wouldn't bother with blatantly calling it that. Punching sense into people wasn't something she'd never thought of or tried. Hell, she would happily stab a friend if it was to get them into reality.

Then again, 'friends' were an unusual concept to the cat. Offline or online, she was more or less doing things for herself. 'She' had become a doctor due to familial practice and perhaps some old British bloody pride. She left England by force, more or less- but in the USA, she was still a doctor. Now that she thought about it...

A slight grumble caught her lips. This was the second time a woman out of nowhere ended up making her question herself and her views of chaos. She muttered a good ol' "bloody hell" under her breath, realizing this was going to get to her.

Despite herself, she admitted it though. She was a hedonist, but even she could admit when her ego was being scarred. "My reasons for becoming a doctor weren't nearly as pure as your mind assumes is normal, young lady. However, you do make a point... Why did I opt to stay a doctor when I was finally free of the cage that forced me on the path? Perhaps it's as simple as pride... Or perhaps there really is a-" She mimicked the idea of wretching with her finger, a playful intent behind it. "-'good' in me afterall. Or perhaps I just lost my sight of what I actually wanted as a child."

She gave a soft huff as she turned away for a moment, taking a few steps afar and then turning with a mixture of a smile and glare in her eyes. "You choose to hold the hands of strangers and to punch sense into them. A vigilante you may be, but from where I stand... It's merely idealism. If you punch too often, you'll learn to punch someone dead like the beasts that battle you. If you really care, I'd recommend learning some other skills besides punching people into reality. Though I must say, that's a good way to deal with hallucinogens. Keep that in mind if you are ever going to try them. Pain is great for bringing people off the brink to insanity~"

 

Seigi pointed her finger at the retreating Briar. "AHA! There we have it." Seigi said with the gusto of a scientist who had just discovered electricity. "You just admitted it yourself! 'Lost sight of what I actually wanted as a child'! There's nothing as close to who you truly are than the child that you tried to kill off!" Seigi nodded multiple times to confirm her point as if to make it more relevant.

"But that child is immortal! It's just hiding. So all I gotta do is help you find yours and VOILA, you're a good person again." Yes, it was THAT easy, wasn't it? Hmpf.

"You can call me an idealist all you want! I'm supposed to be too young to truly understand such stuff anyways! I'll promise myself to NEVER lose sight of my ideals. If I can't even keep such a simple promise to myself, what good am I? Exactly! THAT said, haven't you read and comics and stuff?! The good people and the bad people always beat each other up before becoming bestest of friends and everyone is good again! Yeah." Such a smol cat girl couldn't be THAT old, right? Even if she was a doctor in real life...? Or... was she actually a 60-year-old creep playing the game completely naked? A... A CREEP?!

 

A snicker left the girl's curled mouth as she could feel small dimples form on her cheeks from the wideness of her smile. "You seem to think that all children are naturally good, but you could very well be wrong~ I've seen children nearly kill one another on purpose, and I'm not talking about in a ghetto, you should know." Sure, it was during 'her' rounds during her school years and learning what it was like in a psych ward, but still! The kids really did seem to try to kill each other there!

Was it only British children that did that? Nonsense. She'd heard all sorts of stories since moving to the states that she felt would support her claim: children were just as horrible than their older counterparts!

"Too young to understand the difference between reality and an ideal...? Is that even a thing?" She soon scoffed. "I knew reality was cruel from the time I was a toddler. Idealism is not a good thing~ It's a disease all it's own~"

At least, that's what she'd been raised to think. As she looked back, what would it be like to be a child again? If it would make her as delirious as this girl sounded to her, Briar wasn't sure she'd like or hate being a child once more.

"Well... I guess I should give you the benefit of the doubt. That's part of an adult's job when teaching a child the truth. The question is... Will you be able to handle a child Briar when the current already taints your adorable mind~? It would be a purrfect shame to let such a cute girl be dirtied so soon, you know~ A shame, a shame~!"

 

"You're wrong." Seigi flat-out denied when Briar explained that not all children are naturally good. "Or are you saying a new-born baby is evil?!" That was quite something. "Of course not!" It was that what was around them that corrupted people from a young age. But if everyone would just 'be good' then nobody would be in such an environment in the first place? Of course, that was way too thick for Seigi to actually say.

That said, though, Seigi smiled as there finally seemed to be some form of success on the cat-child. Oblivious to her flirtatious attempt. "I, SEIGI, AM UNTAINTABLE. It's a Heroes duty to sacrifice her all to make that light shine inside you once again!" Yeah, totally! Seigi was quite happy with what she had said, making her smile just so much wider.

 

This girl was interesting, there was no doubt in the Lady Briar's mind. She could only wonder what the 'hero's' reaction to her real self would be. Her real self- a pessimistic codger born and raised by similarly pessimistic, downright greedy bastards. The cat could only wonder what kind of family led to such a disillusioned state of mind.

Well, it's just a game. Perhaps she has some smarts in the real world.

"Untaintable is impossible, silly girl~ It's not a word for a reason, you know~ Purity is impure, impurity is pure. Impurity is the natural way of the world. The brightest stars in the sky were created by chaos~" She purred lightly as she spoke, a finger upon her lips. Her ears twitched lightly upon the air. "One day, you will know the pleasure that is chaos, that is the darkness that blends with the light you desire. Purrhaps I'll be able to help show you it."

The girl was, in reality, the kit's real type. She rather liked the innocent ones, when she went for women in general. They were fun to tease, and even more fun to teach the beauty of what many considered 'evil' or 'wrong'.

"If I play my cards right," She mused, "I might get to see your face when you contort in pleasure. I can only imagine how beautiful you'll be then, when your confidence in your justice is already so alluring."

Spinning like a playful child, she pranced away a few feet and glanced behind her. "But that day isn't today. It's fun to play the villain to a cute hero, but this chaotic cat doesn't like to be held down~ Next time we meet, I'll show you the true beauty of chaos, perhaps. Or, you can show me more of your cuteness as you try to tempt me towards the light~"

With a wave, the cat snickered and gave a maniacal laugh before prancing further away from the 'heroine'. Today, she played the villain because this girl was the 'hero', and every hero needed a nemesis. However, chaos would rule this villain's mind. Evil or not, she had a plan in her heart.

Her plan, however, was not something she understood completely. She just knew she would enjoy playing with this girl in the future- and playing the villain that worked to turn her over to the dark side. The 'dark side' in question was something she'd find out on her own.