Chapter Text
Sollux transcended the limits of time, space and dimension. Once he set up the appropriate connections and put the snarls of wire under a modicum of control, the trolls, in addition to pestering the four human kids, could access the human World Wide Web, reaching out from the timelessness of the Incipisphere to any point on the timeline around that fateful day. Interest was low though. Terezi seeked out embarrassing pictures to taunt Dave with, and Kanaya finally examined the tantalizing image links from the FAQ, but the majority of the extraterrestrial crew was disinterested in these archives of knowledge. What could a civilization so underdeveloped, which barely could lift itself off its own planet and under normal circumstances would be nothing more than another world ready for imperial conquest, possibly enthrall them with? What was the point of exploring their unimaginatively short-titled films, why care about their daily worries, especially if their species was doomed to be wiped out by juggernaut meteors?
But Tavros Nitram, always full of inquisitiveness, was more than eager to investigate the exploits of this another species. He first pored over their abundant amateur-produced art, depicting fairies, flight, their equivalents of Pupa Pan, and other fuel for the daydreams; then he joined a number of discussion forums and there tried, coyly, to blend in with their crowd; finally he came upon an online game, bearing the name Minecraft.
Minecraft! A concept arresting in its simplicity. An expansive, virtual clearing is provided, upon which several player, armed with unlimited amounts of blocks of various materials, erect any structures they wish. Castles, fortresses, houses, towers, dungeons deep underground or laboratories hidden in the sea, ships, walkways of glass high up in the air. Stairs, fireplaces, windows within. All of these built of nothing but cubes, yet still imposing. Hours spent on every project.
Tavros joined in, sheepishly at first. He chatted with the other players little, issuing a couple of shy welcomes upon arrival, and then beginning to build silently in some distant corner.
hiro72: huh
hiro72: adios what u building?
adiosToreador: uH,
adiosToreador: iT'S A HIVE,
adiosToreador: lIKE, A HOUSE, i GUESS,
Condemned: eh, I think its weird
hiro72: nah it looks cool
Osiris_slave: Yeah freaky but cool I guess.
hiro72: can i enter
adiosToreador: uM, SURE, FEEL FREE TO LOOK AROUND,
hiro72: whats this a swimin pool?
adiosToreador: nOT REALLY, iT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A RECUPERACOON, UMM,
adiosToreador: bUT GREEN BLOCKS LOOK BAD AS SLIME AND WATER WAS THE NEXT BEST MATERIAL,
adiosToreador: uH, i THINK HUMANS WOULD HAVE A BED IN HERE INSTEAD,
hiro72: oh i get it
hiro72: like scifi themed
Osiris_slave: Yeah man like aliens and stuff.
Osiris_slave: Haha cool
Condemned: oh cool lame rp-ing, just what I wanted ;/
The human players were surprised, but oddly mesmerized by the oblong structure. As the virtual world of Minecraft was made up of almost nothing but cubes, it resembled a ziggurat more than the desired organic shapes, but the onlookers filled in the missing curves with their imagination. The new player, apart from raising this alien edifice, also was ready to admire the other player's handiwork and comment on how much they fascinated him. Initially Tavros' new activity went unnoticed among the other trolls; but soon one of his companions caught on; and the game's overall concept was what drew her in.
grimAuxiliatrix: Tavros I Believe That You Should Lengthen This Particular Tower A Little
grimAuxiliatrix: It Will Provide Some Visual Balance Through Its Asymmetry
adiosToreador: hEY, THANKS gA,
hiro72: haha it looks prety cool
hiro72: really kinda like some ufo house
adiosToreador: uM, THANKS, i GUESS,
grimAuxiliatrix: I Must Say That Some Of Your Human Designs Are Also Quite Pleasing To The Eye
grimAuxiliatrix: I Am Mainly Referring To These Masterful Statues
Osiris_slave: You mean like mario n kirby over there ?
Osiris_slave: I just copied them from a sprite, not much to write home aboiut
Osiris_slave: But thx anyway.
Condemned: lame
Condemned: stop this and build for real, losers ;/
Kanaya and Tavros formed a perfect tandem. Tavros painstakingly layered cube upon cube, floor upon floor; Kanaya was occasionally making minor embellishments within and outside the building, but mostly she worked on the garden. Finally her landscaping skills saw their use again! The grassy surface she studded with what little virtual flora Minecraft offered; she also carved imposing trees and hedges, and diverted rivers to flow meanderingly among them.
With two parts of the auspisticism triad in the game, it took little time for a third participant to hop in. But this one seemed disinterested in meaningful contribution.