Metamorphosis

(set: $sType to "none", $didFall to false, $sAntRelationship to "none", $sPupaType to "none")You are curled up very tightly, in a little bag you barely fit in. You feel an incredible desire to stretch out; you've been curled up so long! [[Tear the bag with your mighty strength.]] [[Use your teeth to cut a hole in the bag.]] [[Call for help.]] [[Hold still, and try to figure out what is happening.]]

You writhe with all your might, pushing against the sides of the bag. It splits open, like tearing fabric, and you come tumbling out! [[Look around.]]

You carefully pinch the bag with your mouth, and tear at it with your teeth. Once you break a hole, you begin to wriggle. The bag splits open, like tearing fabric, and you come tumbling out! [[Look around.]]

You cannot make a sound. [[The bag is too tight|So It Begins]], and there is no air in here!

You listen carefully, and hear what sounds like tearing fabric all around you. Suddenly, you are jostled violently--you realize that there's someone in [[a similar bag|So It Begins]] right next to you, and they're rolling around trying to get out.

All around you, caterpillars are hatching from their eggs. These must be your siblings. What kind of caterpillar are you? [[Very fuzzy!]] [[Very colorful!]] [[Very friendly!]] [[Very smart!]]

(set: $sType to "fuzzy")You're so fuzzy, surely no one would want to eat you. You'd be a mouthful of prickly fluff! In fact, these fine spines even have little venom tips, to hurt anyone who pokes you. Confident in your fluffy armor, you climb high on the plant, chewing on leaves to your heart's content. [[You keep eating, and eating...]]

(set: $sType to "colorful")You're dazzlingly colorful. You look like a much tougher, scarier bug than you actually are: you've got some menacing hornet stripes, and even some fake giant eyes on your tail. You're also toxic to eat, but that doesn't exactly help you much other than revenge. You climb from leaf to leaf carefree thanks to your frightening disguise. [[You keep eating, and eating...]]

(set: $sType to "friendly")You and your siblings start getting to know each other right away. You're going to stick together as you look for food--safety in numbers! You and your family roam over the plant, eating whole leaves at a time. You are an unstoppable force. [[You keep eating, and eating...]]

(set: $sType to "smart")You know the best way to get things, like food and protection, is to make others do it for you. You crawl away from your siblings and find a leaf of your own, and start rhythmically drumming on it. //Hey ants, fresh suger here, come and get it!// Sure enough, a small brigade of worker ants show up. You are still a baby, and the ants are bigger than you! They protect you while you eat in peace, gently massaging your sides to secrete that sugary juice that they're addicted to. [[You keep eating, and eating...]]

You feel full, and then //very// full, and then so full you feel like you can barely move. You genuinely feel like you might burst. What do you do?? [[Take a breather from eating until you're less sick.]] [[Anchor your feet to the leaf and brace yourself...]] [[Keep eating, everything is fine!]]

You stop eating, but it doesn't make you feel better. In fact, you feel worse: you're still ravenously hungry, but now you're feeling weak from not eating. [[Quick, eat again!|Keep eating, everything is fine!]] [[Anchor your feet to the leaf and brace yourself...]]

You feel too woozy to hold on to the leaf much longer, so you spin a bit of silk to tie your feet to the leaf. For nearly a whole day, you lie there, feeling swollen and miserable. Then it happens: your skin splits, starting at your face. You crawl forward weakly, slithering out of your old skin. Your new skin is soft and baggy, but has plenty of room to grow. Your old skin stands eerily still, like a hallow statue of you, still anchored to the leaf by the silk. [[Well that was weird. Let's get out of here and find some food.]] [[Can I... eat the old skin?]]

Your hunger is insatiable. You continue to devour the leaf you're on. (if: $sType is "friendly")[Your siblings all start anchoring their feet, and look at you with concern. [[Fine, imitate them.|Anchor your feet to the leaf and brace yourself...]]](else:)[Eventually you are so full, you truly cannot move--not even writhe. Your grip weakens as you lose the ability to move your feet, and eventually you roll off the leaf and plunge to the ground. There you lie helpless, until you starve or something eats you. (link: "You have died. REDO LAST CHOICE")[(undo:)]]

You carefully nibble the old skin, tasting it. It's delicious! You devour it, then go back to eating the leaf. [[Eat, move, eat, move... this is the life!]]

You climb to another leaf, and dig in. You're feeling so much better already! [[Eat, move, eat, move... this is the life!]]

Suddenly, the leaf you're on starts to shake violently. You tense up in fear: //this isn't just the wind.// An absolutely enormous robin has landed on the branch, looking for its next meal. (if: $sType is "fuzzy")[ [[Tuck your head and legs in, like a fuzzy porcupine.]]](else-if: $sType is "colorful")[ [[Show off your scary colors.]]](else-if: $sType is "friendly")[ [[Your whole family huddles in fear.]]](else-if: $sType is "smart")[ [[Drum frantically to rally your ants.]]] (if: $sType is "smart")[ [[Let go of the leaf to escape!|Abandon the ants.]]](else:)[ [[Let go of the leaf to escape!|Plunge to the ground.]]]

Your family stays still, a solid mass of little brown caterpillars. The robin grabs two of your siblings in one bite and flies away with them. There is a moment of silence. Then, afraid it will return, the rest of you migrate to a new branch. [[That was close.]]

You become a little furry ball, cliningly tightly to the leaf. The curious young robin tries to pick you up, but as soon as its tongue makes contact with your toxic spines, it recoils in pain, and flies away. [[That was close.]]

Your troop of adoring ant minions immediately swarm all over your body, covering you. The robin looks at the pile of crunchy, toxic ants, and decides to move on. [[That'll do, ants, that'll do.]]

(set: $isInjured to true)You rear up and wave your colorful head at the robin, reminding it that it'll be //very sorry// if it eats you. It doesn't work. Maybe this robin is too stupid. It grabs you in its beak and flies away. [[Play dead, at least until it gets back to its nest.]] [[Try to wriggle free.]]

You are more wary in the future, avoiding leaves out in direct sunlight. It's a dangerous world, and many others do not survive, but somehow you're lucky enough to keep on eating and moving, eating and moving... [[Grow big and strong.]]

You thrash frantically, but this only causes the robin to tighten its grip. Its sharp beak pierces your side. Mercifully, your wound means the robin gets a taste of your disgusting toxic innards, and it immediately realizes you are not something it should feed to its babies after all. So it opens its beak and drops you. [[Down... //down//...|Plunge to the ground.]]

You go limp in the robin's beak, soaring between trees at an incomprehensible speed. Next thing you know, you're dropped into the waiting gullet of a baby robin. The hatchling gets very sick from your poison, maybe even dies, but you're not around long enough to find out. (link: "You have died. REDO LAST CHOICE")[(undo:)]

(set: $didFall to true, $achSkydiver to true)You plunge downward, and crash to the earth. But luckily, you're //so// small that even terminal velocity would not harm you.(if: $isInjured is true)[ Of course, the gash in your skin from the robin's beak is oozing a sticky liquid, and hurts terribly.] You lay there a moment, then roll back up onto your feet and look around. You're on a large flat stone, with wide open sky above, and no greenery in your (rather limited) sight. (unless: $isInjured is true)[ [[Start walking in one direction until you find leaves.]]] [[Find nearby cover to hide in until it's dark out.]] [[Hold very still and play dead.]]

You lay there a while. The direct sun is very hot, and you feel worse and worse. A small red ant stops to sniff you, then moves on. Just as you're about to give up and try moving, a line of the small red ants arrive, swarming you and lifting you up onto their backs. They carry you, still alive and wriggling, back to their nest. You are a feast fit for a queen. (link: "You have died. REDO LAST CHOICE")[(undo:)]

A short distance from where you landed, you find a deep crack in the rock, like a little canyon. You can fit your whole body in it, and shelter from sight and from the baking heat of the sun overhead. Periodically, the rock rumbles and you hear a terrifying growl. Whatever this predator is, it does not find you in your hiding spot. Night falls, and you cautiously emerge.(if: $isInjured is true)[ Your wound has stopped actively leaking, but still hurts terribly and slows you down.] You start a slow crawl across the surface of the rock, completely blind in the darkness. [[Keep going until you find a plant.]]

You try your best to march in a straight line. The rock is very large, much larger than any leaf or branch you have encountered before. The direct sun is very hot, and you feel weaker as you keep going. The rock begins to rumble ominously, a deep vibration you feel through your feet. Before you can even look around for the source of the rumbling, you're are crushed by a titanic black rubber wheel. (link: "You have died. REDO LAST CHOICE")[(undo:)]

These ants are very useful. And they seem completely addicted to the sugary juice you feed them, to the point they're willing to risk their lives to protect you. You start to wonder... perhaps they would let you stay in their anthill, and bring you food? You'd be much safer there. [[Start climbing down, following the ants' path to their nest.]] [[No, don't trust them to be smart enough for that.]]

(set: $achKingOfTheHill to true)The ants watch you for a moment, then realize what you're doing. They gently lift you up, and carry you like royalty to their anthill. The tunnels are a little tight for you, but they soon take you to a larger chamber that you fit in comfortably. The chamber is well guarded by the ants, and seems to also be where they house their incubating eggs. The ants don't bring you fresh leaves, but offer you food the same way they feed each other: by carrying droplets of flower nectar in pouches, and offering the droplets to you. [[Drink the nectar.]] [[Sugar-water is for ants! You want something with substance.]]

(set: $sAntRelationship to "leaf-eater")You stay on the plant, lazily eating your fill of fresh green leaves, and moving from leaf to leaf with your posse of ant guardians. They remain completely devoted, desperately addicted to the juice you feed them. [[Grow big and strong.|Grow big with ant helpers.]]

(set: $sAntRelationship to "nectar-drinker")The nectar is sugary, and fattens you up quickly. You grow and molt a few more times in the cozy safety of the ants' chamber. Truly, you are the smartest of caterpillars. [[Grow big and strong.|Grow big with ant helpers.]]

(set: $sAntRelationship to "egg-eater")Caterpillars are nothing if not voratious. You gingerly try one little pearl-like egg. It's exquistite. You turn to look at the ants, expecting them to attack you. But they still just calmly massage you for more of your own sugary juice. You're shocked. They are //so// addicted to your juice, they don't mind you eating (some of) their eggs. [[Grow big and strong.|Grow big with ant helpers.]]

You turn away from that ants' offerings, and look around the chamber. There are no greens in here, but the eggs catch your eye. You wonder if ant eggs taste good. [[Eat their babies.]] [[Nevermind, accept the nectar.|Drink the nectar.]]

You molt a few more times, getting dramatically bigger with each molt. Eventually, you become truly enormous, vastly larger than when you first hatched. Once again, you feel like you're bursting at the seams, and know it's time to molt. But for some reason, this time feels different. You're nervous, and have a feeling you're going to be even more vulnerable than you usually are during a molt. You decide to find the absolute safest-possible place you can. [[Dangle under a ledge, hidden from sight and the elements.]] [[Make a little shelter by tying together leaves with your silk, and hide in that.]]

(set: $sPupaType to "chrysalis")You shed your skin once again, but this time your new skin is hard, like a shell. You feel cozy and safe inside here. [[Who needs to leave the shell? Relax and sleep in your little home.]]

(set: $sPupaType to "cocoon")(if: ($sType is "friendly") and ($didFall is false))[(set: $achCasaFamiliar to true)You and your remaining siblings work together on](else:)[You tirelessly work on] pulling some leaves together like a tent, and then wrapping the whole thing in silk to hold it together. In fact, you decide to thoroughly cover the entire "tent" in silk, so it's more like a silky pouch with a leaf-tent inside it. [[Hurry inside, it's time to molt!]]

You molt a few more times, getting dramatically bigger with each molt. Eventually, you become truly enormous, vastly larger than when you first hatched. Once again, you feel like you're bursting at the seams, and know it's time to molt. But for some reason, this time feels different. Luckily, you feel perfectly safe with your ant minions. [[Curl up into a ball--this is going to be a long molt.|Dangle under a ledge, hidden from sight and the elements.]]

You crawl, and crawl, //and crawl//... The rock feels endless. You are exhausted from not sleeping or eating in so long.(if: $isInjured is true)[ Your wound throbs painfully.] [[Keep on crawling...]] [[Stop to rest a bit.]]

You force yourself to continue. You have never crawled this far in your life. At last, you get to the edge of the rock, and a clump of grass. Normally you'd rather eat leaves, but you're on the verge of collapse, so grass will have to do. [[Eat some blades of grass, then pass out in an exhausted sleep.]]

You lay still, and doze off. You're awakened by another rock-rumbling. You freeze--this time you're not in the safety of your canyon. You hear the predator's growl, and then are crushed by a titanic black rubber wheel. (link: "You have died. REDO LAST CHOICE")[(undo:)]

When you wake up, the sun is already fully up. You start slowly walking through the grass, eating it as you go, looking for a good plant to climb up into. Eventually, you find the kind you like, and crawl up into its leaves. It's not the one you were in before, but this one will do. It feels like finally being home.(if: $sType is "friendly")[ You miss your siblings though, and live in constant fear without the safety in numbers.] [[Grow big and strong.]]

Your mind drifts off, and your body does too. You're vaguely aware that your body turns to a liquidy soup inside that hard skin-shell you made. Then in this soup, //new// solid pieces begin to form. Your new body grows and grows from this primordial soup, and it is like being born again in a whole new egg, except you haven't died. You can even still remember your life as a caterpillar. Eventually, the transfrmation is complete, and you feel a familiar feeling of being stuck and desperately wanting to stretch out. You are also very hungry... [[Alright, time to leave your little home. It was nice while it lasted.]]

You climb into your comfy new house. Why didn't you make something like this sooner? This is so safe and cozy! You shed your skin once again, but this time your new skin is hard, like a shell. You feel cozy and safe inside here. [[Who needs to leave the shell? Relax and sleep in your little home.]]

You wriggle, cracking the old hardened skin, and emerging from your shell. You are unrecognizable--your legs are long and thin, instead of short and fat. Your body on the other hand is much shorter, no longer worm-like at all. You have much better eyes, and can suddenly see a shocking new world of colors and patterns. And most excitingly of all: now you have wings, and can fly. (if: ($sType is "fuzzy") and ($sPupaType is "chrysalis"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Small Tortoiseshell]]](else-if: ($sType is "fuzzy") and ($sPupaType is "cocoon"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Southern Flannel Moth]]](else-if: ($sType is "colorful") and ($sPupaType is "chrysalis"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Monarch Butterfly]]](else-if: ($sType is "colorful") and ($sPupaType is "cocoon"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Lily Moth]]](else-if: ($sType is "friendly") and ($sPupaType is "chrysalis"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Doris Butterfly]]](else-if: ($sType is "friendly") and ($sPupaType is "cocoon"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Spongy Moth]]](else-if: ($sType is "smart") and ($sAntRelationship is "leaf-eater"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Miami Blue Butterfly]]](else-if: ($sType is "smart") and ($sAntRelationship is "nectar-drinker"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Lilac Silverline Butterfly]]](else-if: ($sType is "smart") and ($sAntRelationship is "egg-eater"))[ [[Congratulations, now you're a...|Moth Butterfly]]](else:)[ [[UNRECOGNIZED LEPIDPTERAN ALERT!|Achievements]]]

''Your Achievements:''(if: $achSkydiver is true)[ 🪂 Skydiver](if: $achKingOfTheHill is true)[ 👑 King of the Hill](if: $achCasaFamiliar is true)[ 🏠 Casa Familiar] ''Locked Achievements:''(unless: $achSkydiver is true)[ 🪂 Skydiver](unless: $achKingOfTheHill is true)[ 👑 King of the Hill](unless: $achCasaFamiliar is true)[ 🏠 Casa Familiar] [[Play again to get all the achievements!|So It Begins]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[= //''[Metamorphosis]''// [[Play|So It Begins]]

''Small Tortoiseshell Butteryfly'' //(Aglais urticae)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Aglais_urticae_LC0310.jpg" height="400"> These are one of a //very// small number of butterflies with fuzzy caterpillars. Even the adults have fuzzy, moth-like bodies! //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_tortoiseshell")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Southern Flannel Moth'' //(Megalopyge opercularis)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Megalopyge_opercularisPCCP20040714-5799B.jpg" height="400"> Flannel moths are incredibly furry both as caterpillars, and as adults! The toxin in their spines is very potent: "Victims describe the pain as similar to a broken bone or blunt-force trauma, or even white hot." //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopyge_opercularis")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Monarch Butterfly'' //(Danaus plexippus)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Monarch_In_May.jpg" height="400"> The monarch is perhaps the most iconic butterfy of all. They are key pollinators in North America, and migrate en-masse to Central America every year. //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Lily Moth'' //(Polytela gloriosae)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Lily_moth_Adult_Up_Polytela_gloriosae_%2829856335143%29_%28cropped%29.jpg" height="400"> Many moths have extraordinarily colorful caterpillars, but most turn into plain, well-camoflagued brown adults. The lily moth retains its beautiful patterns. //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytela_gloriosae")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Doris Butterfly'' //(Heliconius doris)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Doris_Longwing%2C_blue_morph.jpg" height="400"> Unlike most butterfly species, the doris butterfly comes in multiple different bright colors and patterns. It mimics the appearance of multiple other species of butterflies in the Amazon. //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_doris")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Spongy Moth'' //(Lymantria dispar)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Lymantria_dispar_MHNT.CUT.2012.0.357_Col_de_Cricheto_Bastelica_male_Dos.jpg" height="400"> Formerly known as the "gypsy moth," spongy moths are one of the most iconic kinds of moth. Unfortunately, they are an invasive species in North America, and their caterpillars do considerable damage to forests. //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymantria_dispar")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Lilac Silverline Butterfly'' //(Cigaritis lilacinus)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Apharitis_lilacinus_Moore%2C_1884_%E2%80%93_Lilac_Silverline_%2843728995301%29.jpg" height="400"> Many butterflies in the family //Lycaenidae// rely on ants to protect them, and possibly even feed them. The lilac silverline is so dependent on receiving nectar from its ant hosts, after a couple molts it doesn't even have the organs to properly digest leaves. //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigaritis_lilacinus")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Miami Blue Butterfly'' //(Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Miami_Blue_%281%29.jpg" height="400"> Many butterflies in the family //Lycaenidae// rely on ants to protect them. Once common throughout Florida and the Caribbean, the Miami blue is now critically endangered and soon to be extinct. Captive breeding programs sometimes utilize ant caretakers, just like Miami blue caterpillars do in the wild! //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_blue")]// (display: "Achievements")

''Moth Butterfly'' //(Liphyra brassolis)// <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Liphyra_brassolis_fia.png" height="400"> Many butterflies in the family //Lycaenidae// rely on ants to protect them. The moth butterfly (which is actually a butterfly that happens to //look// like a moth) secrets special chemicals in its sugary juice that make ants docile, which allows it to eat their eggs and larvae unabated. The butterfly adult emerges still in the anthill, but at this point the chemically-induced godwill has worn off, and the butterfly must fight its way out of the anthill. //(link:"Learn more on Wikipedia.")[(open-url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liphyra_brassolis")]// (display: "Achievements")

You plunge downward, and crash to the earth. But luckily, you're //so// small that even terminal velocity would not harm you. You lay there a moment, then roll back up onto your feet and look around. You're on a large flat stone, with wide open sky above, and no greenery in your (rather limited) sight. Unfortunately, without your ant minions, you quickly discover just how helpless you are. (link: "You have died. REDO LAST CHOICE")[(undo:)]

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Metamorphosis

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