Work Text:
When Katie wakes up, something immediately feels wrong.
Her blanket is secured around her body, but everything is a bit too hot. As if she had left the fireplace burning; and she could tell it wasn't because the sounds were sharper and there was no crackling fire.
Her ears twitched towards the sounds of the wind above her place, the distant sound of dying mobs and the crunchy footsteps walking around.
That's when it hits her: why the fuck did her ears twitched?
Her fingers reached up to be met with soft fur.
"No… no, no, please no, please don't tell me-"
She jumps from her bed to the window, staring back at her were two fluffy red panda ears that stick at the top of her head. They twitch in the reflection.
Behind her, a tail slides off the to her side.
Katie closes her eyes, leaving against the wall, “…okay.” Deep breath. “Okay. Environmental mirroring or whatever the fuck this is, this bullshit is so… fucking… annoying, but this is doable. I mean its not like it shows how I genuinely- Oh, fuck I'm losing my mind." The tail flicks to the side, in response . "Its fine. I just need to wait for they to just go away."
How long did it take last time? A week?
Easy: she just had to avoid Ewron for a week. THAT'S PLAUSIBLE!
(It's what you say when you're lying to yourself).
Her eyes twitch when his name appears on the online list.
It's fine.
Completely fine.
She just needs to avoid him-
Turning around, she is met by a exploding creeper blowing up in her face.
Instant mistake. When she respawns in her bed, she's immediately bombarded by messages, and the worst is none of them are private but in the public chat.
Ewron: KATIEEEEEE
Ewron: BESTIE HELLO???
Ewron: I KNOW YOU SEE THIS :)
Katie sighs.
saucebxss: heyy
Ewron: I missed youuu, what are you doing where are u i come there
saucebxss: sorryy busy today
Ewron: BUSY?????
Ewron: WITHOUT ME?????
It's fine, this can be dealt with, she just had to not... engage.
saucebxss: yeah i'm sorry :(
saucebxss: ill see you laaateeer
Ewron: oh ok
Ewron: friendship ended publicly
Ewron: she replaced me
It's followed by a few o7 and an "L" from the Dutch crew.
saucebxss: stop being dramatic for 5 secs please
Ewron: I AM NOT BEING DRAMATIC
Ewron: I AM NORMAL
Ewron: IM COMING TO HELP YOU BE BUSY :)
Katie stops walking, her tail going between her legs as her ears lowered, ignoring the F's in the chat
“…fuck.”
This was exactly what she didn't need.
Running through the lands, as fast as her feet allowed, she tries to get as far away from Schlatt and co. As she possible can; her hood pulled down, as she tried to wrap the tail around herself under her clothing.
Now, Ewron has no way of knowing where she is. Is not like he has a GPS on her.
Maybe she'll -
“KA-TIEEEEEEE!”
His voice echoes across half the biome; she peeks back and sees the little speck of white and red catching up to her.
"BESTIEEEEEE!
Ewron comes flying over a hill at full sprint, and she lets out a little noise as she almost trips on her feet.
“KATIE! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FROM ME?!” he yells once he reaches her, her hands latching into her hood, pulling it down with all her might.
“I’m not running!”
“You are literally fleeing!”
“I SAID I WAS BUSY!”
“BUSY DOING WHAT?! IF ITS A SECRET I CAN HELP YOU KEEP IT!”
“I AM WORKING!”
“WITHOUT ME?!”
“I CAN WORK ALONE!” she tells, pausing the running to lean against a tree. Her legs were burning up as she lowered on the dirt.
He gasps dramatically as his voice lowers, “That’s actually crazy.”
A cameraman avatar wanders nearby and starts recording; Ewron instantly noticed him and pivots his body words the camera.
“Chat, look,” he says loudly, pointing at Katie. “She avoiding me because she obsessed. She nervous around me now. I do cause that effect on people, just ask Ash!”
“I am NOT nervous,” Katie snaps, voice already louder than she intended.
Her ears twitch under the hood, and she winces as she pulled it back down again. It had almost slipped from her ears, uncovering the mess she's in.
When he turns back to look at him, she's met by narrowed eyes.
“…why are you standing like that.”
“I always stand like this.”
“No you don’t.”
He steps closer, but Katie turns to move away; as they step around each other, she trips on a tree-root losing balance and letting go of her hoodie.
She feels herself drenched in cold when her panda ears pop free, flicking towards Ewron's gasp as he sees them.
For a second, she has a bit of hope that maybe he will react our of character and not overreact but it all goes to hell when he screeches.
“OOOOHHHH MY GOD!”
He jumps back, then forward again, hands in the air.
“YOU HAVE MY EARS! YOU STOLE MY ENTIRE LOOK!”
“They are NOT your ears!”
“You became me!” he shouts, laughing. “CHAT LOOK AT THIS— SHE TURNED INTO ME!”
She wants to curse at the cameraman when they decided to zoom in on her ears,
Ewron leans toward the lens. “You see this? She loves me so much she evolving. That’s dedication.”
“This isn't evolving!” Katie blurts automatically. “This is fucking devolving!”
He laughs louder.
“I’M A CHANGELING,” she tries to explain over his cackles, “Sometimes I mirror people I spend time around. It’s instinctive. One time I grew horns because of Mr. J- that was so embarrassing, Quackity obviously thought it was funny as-” she cuts her talking at a sudden gasp coming from his friend; her eyes follow his line of sight and freezes.
Her tail has curled around his arm; they both stare at it as she forces it to let go of the Polish.
“Bye," its all she says before running away.
“KATIE WAIT!”
He immediately chases her, laughing and yelling at full volume.
“BESTIE THAT’S SO CUTE! YOU WRAPPED YOUR TAIL!”
“I DIDN’T MEAN TO!”
“THAT WAS SOME BABY PANDA SHIT RIGHT THERE!”
“It’s involuntary!”
They sprint across the path, Katie trying to escape, Ewron easily gaining on her. She damned her stupid normal legs; why could she get the tail and ears and not their velocity? Or any other traits? Just decorative bullshit that didn't help her in any way.
So now she's stuck with them, incapable of escaping the faster panda of the two, with the cameraman running just behind them.
“You love me!” he shouts.
“I DO NOT!”
“YOU TURNED INTO ME! THAT'S LIKE BESTIE BEHAVIOUR, BUT EVEN BESTIER!”
“I WILL PAY YOU TO FORGET!”
“YOU CAN’T BUY ME!”
They burst past a group of players near spawn.
Ewron throws his arms up mid-run and yells at them: “GUYS! KATIE LOVES ME! LET’S FUCKING GOOOO!”
“STOP TELLING PEOPLE THAT!”