Somewhat Special Event: The Extras Talk Back!

[Ookalf]

A... A woodchuck? *Sassafras looks distinctly surprised!* How... How does any of that happen? Were you just, like, a "natural" shapeshifting woodchuck? How'd you go from that to being a maid? ...Sorry, I know we're supposed to be done with questions, but... Seriously, there's gotta be a story there!

[AmbushCat]

Well, to answer your first two questions, yeah: the transformation was completely natural. Granted it had been induced by the constant magic that permeates this place, but that was quite a while ago. *shrugs* Long enough ago that eventually it became ingrained into our genetics. And while it's always 'there', it gets the easiest to control after we fully mature.

We can't go full human, but we can get close enough to make ourselves understood. Human-like faces and limbs, bipedal stance, recognizable speech, increased intelligence. Our aging slows down too, which is good since woodchucks only live for about 6-14 years.

[Ookalf]

Huh. That's... fascinating. So how'd you go from... that, to this?

[AmbushCat]

Well, one day I got fed up with my parents' treatment of me and flew the coop, so to speak. While I was out and about, I crossed paths with an Ovalisk. I'd heard about how they were bad news, so I fled for my life before she saw me. In my haste to escape I ended up stumbling into a science facility and got myself turned into a chimaera-girl in the process. The procedure ran roughshod over my memories, so I spent the next five years without knowing my name and my past.

[Ookalf]

An Ovalisk, huh? I still don't really know what their deal is... But those are questions for someone else, I'm sure! So, you didn't remember anything for five years? What did you do for that time?

[AmbushCat]

At first I just drifted around Muffinville and did whatever work I could. Wasn't really much at first, so I was technically homeless on account of not having enough money. I constantly had to worry about getting caught in whatever nonsense the place was involved in at the time. Eventually I fell in with an attractive guy who took advantage of my amnesia and claimed that I was his girlfriend, and I was naive enough to believe it.

*shrug* Plus side, he was hospitalized by that Callista girl while she was on one of her rampages in the fashion district, so I only had to go through that for about a week and a half. Down side I was on my own again, but at least this time I had a roof over my head.

[Ookalf]

Yeah, that guy does sound like kind of a creep... So, you lived out of that guy's house for a bit? Must have been strange...

[AmbushCat]

Yeah, it kind of was. He was stuck at the hospital for a while, but since most people who knew us bought into the whole "I was his girlfriend" thing too on account of us cohabitating, I was allowed to stay at his home without any complaints from the locals. He was fairly well-to-do, so I was allowed to use his money for expenses.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that I believed that "girlfriend" lie, too. So I would do things like visit him at the hospital, bring him gifts, that kind of thing. And it seemed from my perspective that he was reciprocating. I felt that we had something going for a while.

[Ookalf]

Right... But you found out at some point, right? I mean, you're telling me about it, so you must have. How'd that shake out?

[AmbushCat]

I was part of the group that was snagged by Circe and Smash Daisaku later on and pressed into working at the Manor. I protested, obviously, but there wasn't much I could do about my situation. So I did what I could to stay in contact with my 'boyfriend' and told him to stay away from there if he valued his masculinity.

He never did have much respect for Circe in light of those... earlier fiascos. So he eventually got it into his head to try and get me out of there.

[Ookalf]

Oh, huh. I actually forget sometimes that she did stuff like that... So, he didn't get you out, clearly. What did happen? ...Does he work with us now?

[AmbushCat]

*smiles* You'd have to ask Doris for details about that one.

Doris: *calls back* Not while I'm driving!

She just doesn't want to have a laughing fit. *snorts* I'm barely trying to keep from doing it myself. Anyway, I can at least divulge who she is nowadays: Jessie Quark. She's one of those assigned to work at the front of the Manor.

[Ookalf]

Jessie, Jessie... *Sassafras thinks a moment.* Oh, yeah, I think I know her! The one whose head doesn't stay on, right? I never knew she had a story like that... So I guess after whatever happened was when you found out he was lying?

[AmbushCat]

Yes. After rasperines became available, I ate one to become the human you're seeing now. I got my memories back over a period of years because of that. I realized that I'd been manipulated the whole time, and, uh... I had a few big blowups with Jessie as a result. The first one Doris had to stop, the second one by Lady Circe.

We did eventually patch things up between us to the point of having civil conversations now and then, but that's too long for us to talk about on a bus ride. We'll just say that happened and leave it at that.

[Ookalf]

Got it, got it. *Sassafras nods.* I'm not gonna push it. Honestly, I think you've told me plenty already. I've learned so much stuff today, about people and things I never really thought about... Just, thanks for sharing as much as you did. You and everyone else.