Somewhat Special Event: The Extras Talk Back!

[AmbushCat]

((OOC: Feeling better now, back in action.))

It's okay, child. Is the aura bothering you? It's a side effect of me being present here without actually leaving our ship, so there isn't much I can do about it...

[Ookalf]

*Sassafras shakes her head.* No, no, I'm fine. It's just a little... intense. You must be something pretty big, huh?

[AmbushCat]

Not to toot my own horn, but... yeah, we are. I and my friends... *gestures at the screens behind her* ...who are hiding their identities with malevolent shadowy imagery because we're massive nerds, alternatively call ourselves the "Game Masters" or "Rules Committee" depending on the context. We're universe-tier reality warpers who spend all of our time stationed past the bounds of reality, spending our waking hours playing games of all types. *gestures at the Parcheesi board by way of an example*

[Ookalf]

Oh, wow. You don't just mean, like, board games when you say that, right?

[AmbushCat]

*laughs* Oh, no. Hardly. Tabletop games, role-playing games, fighting games, video games, puzzles, sports, strategy, cards, pinball, parlor... if a type of game exists and it's in good taste, we play it. You name it, we've delved into it at least 9-10 times.

Of course, that's not to say we don't have our specialties, and board/tabletop games are mine. Hence my name "Risk". I changed my name when I joined the GMs, so that's why it might seem a bit odd to you.

[Ookalf]

Uh-huh... So, do you ever do things besides games?

[AmbushCat]

*grabs a Dorito and nibbles on it* Speaking for myself... well, I guess you could say that I serve as a safeguard for Callista so that she doesn't end up like me.

[Ookalf]

You're... protecting her from it? Is being like you a bad thing, then?

[AmbushCat]

In a way.

See, I'm not really as young as I look. I'm actually more than 500 years old. When I was young, maybe right around your age, I used to go to a universe very similar to this one. I had a string of bad experiences... well, I call them bad, anyway. Anyway, the result of it is that while I was there, I took a guess at someone's death crystal menu and ended up getting reality warping powers. Similar to Callista's, but on a much broader scale.

[Ookalf]

*Sassafras nods.* I see... So, is that how you became a Game Master?

[AmbushCat]

No, that comes a little bit later.

See, normally reality warping's not really all that bad in the right hands. Thing is, the death crystal neglected to mention something important:... *expression sours* ...Once I hit 30 years of age, I just stopped aging or getting sick. Entirely. That was not something I wanted.

[Ookalf]

Really? You don't get old or sick at all? ...Is that really all that bad?

[AmbushCat]

It is when you're faced with the possibility of outliving your own kids. How many parents want to see that happen? ...Hold on, let me rephrase that: how many intelligent parents want to see that happen?

[Ookalf]

...Ah. I didn't think about it like that... Did that... happen to you?

[AmbushCat]

*sighs, seeming a bit forlorn* ...Yes. I had three of them by the time my condition fully manifested. Two boys, one girl. Jason, Rylan, and Cassie. I stopped having kids after that.