it's become basically tradition for me to go on some bizarre, ranting, psuedo-inspirational package of thanks every time we hit a relatively big milestone, so you know, that is what is happening. I will have a real part up tomorrow. today, you get yelling. happy yelling!!!

i want to give a huge thanks to everyone who's been here since the beginning. it's been a long time, with some definite highs and lows. riding it out this long is incredible, and playing for this long is incredible too. i also want to thank everyone who was there at the beginning, whether or not they are currently consistently playing, because getting it started was really the hardest part. your help was appreciated, and if you want to come back i will grin from ear to ear. 

everyone who joined later: thank you! a couple of you are very recent, and slogging through all the archives must have been difficult. you keep this game going, and you keep me engaged! thanks guys!  

i think you're all great for helping me do this, helping me tell this story, and helping these characters exist. i love them, and im glad you helped me make them exist. 

thank you all for visiting Emerald Springs!

@celine and moon wolf: that is very flattering, thank you. i am actually listening to your album now Celine, have you listened to Shonen Knife? it's very similar i think. ill review the album soon!

~~

YOU ARE READING THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE FINAL ACT OF THE TERMINAL 

CHAPTER TWO (OF THREE)

WHICH IS TITLED: 

PRAY THAT YOUR CHILDREN DO NOT SING THIS SONG

BE DIANA==>

Your name is Diana Zhu, and you never thought that you would be glad that Alex was so GREEDY.

She always wants shotgun. Always. She fights tooth and nail for that seat. It doesn't matter that she's just Wren's cousin and you're her girlfriend, thereby outranking her. Wait... Is she technically Wren's cousin? Considering the clone lore, possibly not? Oh well, you're still higher ranking! She only sits up there so she can pick the music. Her horrible, horrible music. (Zombie, by the Cranberries, over and over again, forever.) And you had to sit next to Ryan. Wait, you're trying to like him. Nevemind, you absolutely love sitting next to the guy who has been confirmed to hold a candle for one of your girlfriends, and smells like he was living in a desert for several months.

Wren was driving down the hill, into "town," as it is. Headed towards the separate office behind the City Hall where your dad works. He apparently needs to see you! Will was thumping around in the trunk, of course, and Zombie by the Cranberries was playing, of course, and Ryan was staring straight ahead when the huge noise happened, followed by a rumbling in the earth. You looked up and saw clones flailing in the air, many of them burning with green flames. And one of them fell right on the hood of the car. Probably? It was so fast, you didn't get a good look at all. But whatever it was, debris, a body, it fell right in front of Alex, and the hood blew up in a peal of flame.

Now you're desperately opening your door and rushing out. You pull open Alex's door and pull her out. She doesn't look badly burnt, just shocked. 

Alex: Was that me? Like, a sixteen year old me? 

YOU: Maybe? 

Ryan helps Antimony out, and you remember that the trunk can't open from inside. You open it, and Will tumbles out. You turn to see Wren, with a look of utter despair in her face, unplug her auxiliary cord and stop the engine. She stares forward, dumbfounded, and finally leaves the car. She begins playing "Crying" by Ray Orbison on the phone. 

Antimony: Wren...

Wren: The Wrenmobile. The Wrenmobile is dead.

YOU: Wren, it might be okay. Only the front is burning.

The car explodes. 

Wren: ...

She drops to her knees and screams. She puts her hands on the back of her head, burrowing into her hair. The car is burning like a bonfire. Alex prods her.

Alex: I'm, uh, a little more concerned about the version of me that just blew up, I'm gonna be honest.

Wren: You're right. I need to be strong. It's what the Wrenmobile would want.

Ryan: It's... A car?

Wren: It was my daughter.

YOU: It was our DAUGHTER, Ryan! 

It was your daughter, this is true. Pour one out for the Wrenmobile and that Alex. And by "one," you mean a mountain dew. Hmm, you're pretty far away from the Town Hall, and Sam and Tracy are probably behind you a little bit back? 

Should you wait or try to keep walking?

~~

uh, i love the song Zombie by the Cranberries. Diana didn't really cook this time! 

@azalea: thank you very much. that is why i write, so i can make the transfem clone family exist. so other people know, there is a place for weird fiction. titles are generally song lyrics i enjoy, for example, act three chapter two is from the song "long way away." otherwise it is sometimes just words i like consecutively. 

~~

OUGHTA WAIT==>

You decide to wait for Sam and Tracy, they're probably right around the corner. Just sit next to the relaxing, warm car fire. It is raining, but the car fire will keep you warm. Oh, Wrenmobile. Her heat, her final sacrifice. You're going to cry. Also some Alex died, that's terrible. 

Alex: The poor Wrenmobile. And also me. Another me. 

Wren: Right. Do you want to talk about it, Alex?

Alex: Not really? I just hope she came out before she died. I'd rather she died as herself, you know? 

Wren: Yeah. I hope so too, you know? 

Antimony: Would you like a mountain dew, Alex?

She nods quietly, and Antimony pulls a mountain dew out from nowhere. Alex cracks it open.

Alex: I think it's time to make bad decisions. Like drinking mountain dew. Jeez, this is like a shot of vodka. I, I imagine. This is so carbonated, it burns.

YOU: Mmmm...

Alex: Do you want to finish this, Diana?

YOU: Yeah. 

She hands it to you, and yeah, it burns. It burns so GOOD. Ryan looks up at the sky, and you do as well. Hm. It appears to have bruised black, somehow. Frightening. It's like 2:30. You didn't have lunch today, so you're kind of hungry. Maybe that's why your mind is so scattered. You can hear Tracy's "hog" roaring around the corner. Did you use that right? Hog? Chopper? 

YOU: Is it called a hog or a chopper?

Antimony: I do not know.

Wren: It's a hog. 

Ryan: I think it's a chopper. 

YOU: Alex, you are the tiebreaker!

Alex: What? I don't care.

YOU: >:( 

Tracy is on their chopper, and Sam has his arms wrapped around their waist, and his head resting on their shoulder. You know who wears the pants there, and it is not Sam. They're really sweet, actually. You shouldn't be mean. 

Sam: Is your car on fire?

Will: Yeah it blew up

Sam: Huh.

Wren: The Wrenmobile, Sam. :(

Sam: Oh man :(

Tracy: All of you are alright? No healing necessary? 

Ryan: I think so. Alex, are you aright?

Alex snaps to attention after spacing out for a bit.

Alex: Huh? Yeah, I'm okay.

Tracy: That's good. 

Wait, how were you planning to keep going? You can't all ride on Tracy's motorcycle, it won't fit anyone else...

What do you do? 

one of my oldest and closest friends is working on fanart for the terminal! im gonna frew up!!!

okay elly brand completionist brain wont let me sleep without posting this because its done so

Updated Character Designs (post timeskip):

Diana Zhu: Diana is Asian-American. She’s about 5’1 or 5’2. She has a small scar on her lip, and oversized yellow-tinted glasses. Her hair is a short, messy, purple mullet. She’s kind of leaned away from being butch in the sense that she dresses like John Wick, and more butch in the sense that she dresses like Jon Arbuckle. She wears polo shirts and argyle sweater vests, and huge khaki “shorts.” She probably doesn’t really wear makeup.

Alex: Post transition, very little of her clothing style has changed. She still wears her dumb yellow beanie, and oversized jackets. Maybe band t-shirts as well? She’s very pale, with freckles all over, and big staring eyes. She has a long, beak-like nose. She is about 5’4, maybe? She’s a little bit chubby. She has dark eyebags, and long, curly brown hair, sort of a reddish brown. She looks kind of cute, in a somewhat creepy way.

Wren: She is 6’2. She has very long dark brown hair, down to her waist maybe? She’s very muscular, but pretty thin. She’s been on HRT for about three years, and is now more or less comfortable in her own skin. She has the same sort of big staring eyes and pointy nose that Alex has, and thin lips. She probably wears makeup. She likes hoodies, sweaters, skirts and sneakers. Maybe light up sneakers actually(?) She also wears long striped socks.

Sam: Maybe 5’10? Albino African-American, with long white dreadlocks. He wears ironic t-shirts and shorts. Incredibly blank expression. Dark tinted glasses with an eyepatch underneath. He’s a total noodle. Spaghetti limbs, twitchy. He wears black lipstick, sometimes. He also has swords on him at all times, although he doesn’t like swords. He also wears crocs. 

Tracy: Big dead fish eyes and gray lipstick. 5’4? They have a curly, gray dyed mullet. They have darker skin and high cheekbones. They are muscular in a wiry, twitchy way. They have black eye bags. They tend toward polo shirts, black jeans, and sometimes trench coats. Honestly, if you need clothing inspirations, they dress like Neo from The Matrix. They also have odd blackened scarring covering their entire left arm and shoulder, and it stretches up to their face now. The scarring is Growing. 

Ryan: Kind of a Big Guy. 5’11?  Broader shoulders, a longish black beard, kind of choppy overgrown hair. His left eye is a weird, yellow color, with a very dilated pupil. It’s Apophis! He sort of looks like a young jeff bridges. He wears metal shirts, and sweatpants, maybe. He has scarring on his arms and chest. Burn scars? He’s pretty pale, and he has… bad skin. 

Antimony: Looks like Diana, given that she’s a clone and all,  but she is very muscular, and covered in scars. Mostly indistinct scarring. With her skin sort of like tire tread. She does have a few very apparent scars, for example, a long one across her nose. She thinks her scars look awesome, so she wears muscle shirts and shorts so people have to see them. She also has a metal cane to help with walking. Her hair is its natural black color, and she generally wears it in a messy bun.

yeah it's been three days, so new part. 

~~

WALK==>

You decide just to walk to the Town Hall. It'll take a while, but whatever. You can scope out the way things are on the way. You turn to Sam and Tracy.

YOU: I guess you guys can keep riding your hog to Town Hall. We will walk. 

Tracy: "Hog?" 

Antimony: Motorcycle.

Tracy: Oh, I'm more partial toward chopper.

Antimony: Oh. 

YOU: Well, you are the coolest person I know, so you would probably be right.

Sam: Hey, am I not the coolest-

YOU: You are a loser, Sam! Said with love.

Sam: Fair.

Wren: Am I not the coolest person you know?

Antimony: You are kind of a huge nerd, but that is part of why we love you.

Wren: Okay, I gueeess I can settle for being loved. 

The, uh, "chopper" roars to life, and Tracy and Sam zoom away, leaving you coughing in a cloud of fossil fuels. Really really nice. It also nearly splashes  Alex with a puddle, but she steps out of the way. Ryan is already walking into town,  past the trees on opposite sides of you, towards the more populated areas. Huh, it looks like it's flooding a tiny bit around here. 

You follow, walking with your short little legs. You sort of have to run. Antimony limps quickly, and Wren notices, slowing her pace to match yours. Ryan is still further ahead. 

Wren: (do you think that he's intentionally staying away from us?)

Alex: (yeah, for sure. it's actually a little awkward :| )

YOU: (i will be honest, i am not... thrilled? by the fact that he is apparently still in love with you?)

Wren: (me neither, you know.)

Antimony: (i do want you to know that we would like for the three of us to get married, eventually. if you want to!)

YOU:(we did not want to seem like we were trying to one up sam and tracy, or showing up ryan.)

Wren turns to you and grins, with wet eyes. She sniffs and giggles. 

Wren: Obviously I'll marry you. I love you guys. That was never a question, you know. But we're going to live, okay? We're going to live, and get married years from now, and maybe adopt, you know? But we're gonna live long enough to do all that, okay? Promise?

YOU: Yeah :)

Antimony: Okay :)

You walk in comfortable, happy silence, and then a noise comes from the forest. A hoof steps out of the trees, and a massive deer walks out. It turns it's head to look at you, and it smiles. It's eyes are a clouded yellow, and it laughs.

>FIGHT 

>RUN

>STAND YOUR GROUND 

STAND YOUR GROUND==>

This deer isn't really a deer, as you can tell when you get a better look at it. Oh, sure, it has the same general shape as one, and all the required pieces. Four legs, hooves, antlers. But it shifts and moves, somehow. It looks like those mock-ups of four dimensional movement. It makes you feel a little sick to look at it. And i's like your thoughts are being drowned out by white noise. But you don't run, even though you seriously want to. And you do seriously want to. Run, or fight, or something. 

YOU: WREN, DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE SAME DEER AS THE ONE WE SAW A FEW DAYS AGO?

Wren: Honey, why are you yelling?

YOU: Sorry! This thing is making my thoughts too loud!

Antimony: YEAH ME TOO

Wren: This might be the same deer, yes. But it's giant, so maybe not?  I mean, it talks, so we could ask it?

You guess you could just talk to it, yeah. What are you going to ask, though? " Hey, mister deer, are you that same deer we saw before, but horribly mutated?" Huh. Actually, that's pretty good.

YOU: Hey, mister deer, are you that same deer we saw before, but horribly mutated? 

It doesn't respond, it just smiles horribly. It turns to look at you 

Deer: Hnnn...

Antimony: Hey, we are trying to talk to you, deer! Please respond!!!

Wren: (okay, uh, maybe don't egg the giant deer on honey)

You turn to see Ryan running towards the deer with a crazed look on his face, almost knocking Alex down. She steps out of the way, and Ryan lifts his sword, swinging it at the deer. The deer keeps smiling, leaning down and parrying the strike with it's antler. It stabs him in the chest, and he staggers back.

Alex: Dude, we were trying to avoid a fight! 

Ryan: ... oh. Sorry. 

You guess that this ended up as a fight anyway. You are so mad. You are so angry. You do not want this fight to happen, but here it is all up and happening.

YOU: Okay guys, I do not think this thing can understand us! Do you want to strategize?

Wren: Yeah!

What strategy do you want to make?