It takes a few minutes to re-learn how to walk, and by the end of my extensive training arc, the sun has gone down fully. Shit. Everything has turned dark grey and blue. I still can’t see the moon, but if I catch so much as a glimpse of it, I’m probably dead. Evolving into a slightly bigger form has certainly not done enough to close that gap.

Walking almost robotically, I enter the inner part of the island. There are pine trees. Now, to be fair, I have not been feeling any amount of cold or heat, so being able to say that this isn’t right considering the climate is not in my arsenal. But, then again… Pine trees? Really?

Okay, okay, digital world, digital assets, fine. I’m going to go with my monkey instincts and say being up in a tree is safer than not being, although I still don’t know if I have anything to fear he-,

I bump into something and clatter to the floor. What the hell was-,

Something tumbles atop me.

“Aaauu-!?” I cry, stupidly. But the thing atop me doesn’t react, and, as a matter of fact, it kind of doesn’t feel like anything at all. No, actually, it feels a lot like walking into a store shelf and having it collapse onto you.

I blink at whatever’s on top of me. Sadly, I don’t have dark vision, so I can only barely make out the outline of something large and square-ish.

I push it off me. It doesn’t fight back, so after a few seconds, I stand up and try to understand what it is that I accidentally felled. Huh. It is, as I supposed, a store shelf. A small one, too, made of wood instead of wire or metal. I have no idea what was inside it, though. Also, I kind of don’t have time to sort through it to see if there’s anything useful.

So, in a bit of a hurried attempt, I just scoop up two or three things before sprinting for a tree. Man, having arms is so useful.

I basically run up the tree. I only realise how effective this was once I’m already at the top. Since both my feet and both of my hands are clawed in one way or another, climbing a tree is easy. I really was meant for the upper world.

Now, pine trees aren’t typically known for being especially climbable, but my body isn’t especially big, either. Assuming this tree isn’t about 30% bigger than normal, I’m about the size of a nine-year-old child.

…Better than being an armless lizard.

Since I’m not especially big, it isn’t very hard for me to find a suitable branch to hold my minuscule weight.

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With that done, I take a look at what’s in my hands. It’s not entirely easy to see, especially since the branches block out what little light shines in from above, but I am relatively certain that it is, indeed, a can of soup. Oh, and also a… horn? A horn. I got a horn and a can of soup. Well, isn’t that nice?

I stab the horn at the can of soup. The horn breaks off. Alright, then. It then dissolves into pixels, but I don’t absorb them. Rather, I think I just can’t. Besides, it’s not like I want to eat a horn or anything.

…Sure, I’ve eaten fish ‘whole’ so it’s not that strange, but… Either way: soup!

I cannot tell by any means what sort of soup is in here. I only know it’s soup because of the shape of the can and the fact that if I move it around, it makes subdued sloshes. Soup… When was the last time I ate canned soup? I actually can’t remember. Probably pretty close following the divorce, but not since then. Hm. Either way, I’m ready to give it a try. Not because I’m especially hungry or anything, no, I just… I just need to see.

I flip up my visor. It really should change my vision, but it doesn’t. This is all too weird.

That said… How do I open this thing? Do I just poke it with my claw? What if it dissolves into red pixels?...

I shake my head. I’m lucky the helmet allows for such movements. I begin by trying to open it with my right hand’s claws, but it won’t go through. I wanted to avoid making my gauntlet messy since it will probably be a bother trying to clean it, but it seems I have no choice. I place my left index finger against the rim of the can and press.

It goes in effortlessly. I gulp. Then, I slide the claw around the hole. Lo and behold: it actually opened. For some reason, I had really expected it to just not be real, but, uh, apparently not.

I take a look inside the can. It’s dark and muddy. I actually can’t see what’s supposed to be in there. If I shift it around a little, I can only barely see how the faint light bounces off pieces here and there.

Welp. It’s only data, right? Right…

I take a deep breath. It doesn’t smell like anything. It should be okay, probably.

Mrmm…

I steel my heart. Well, down you go!

Shoving the can into my mouth, I bring it to my lips and take several deep gulps, getting in maybe three or four before finally spitting out the fifth mouthful, making the liquid spray through the air. Th-, that was salt water! I spit a few more times. My tongue digs around my mouth for a few seconds.

…No, not salt water, seawater. Ocean.

Who the hell cans the ocean!?

I throw the can over my shoulder, the water splashing here and there, including a bit on me. No, not on me, but rather on some cloth over my back. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but am I wearing a cape?

…How come all of my forms so far have been so inconvenient? Being a dog would be better than this. I must look completely ridiculous.

“Haahh…”

Dangling my feet over the edge of the branch, I rest my head in my hands. But it’s not very calming, simply because of this damn helmet. Since I can’t feel my own face, it barely feels real. Barely anything in this world feels real. Not the trees, not the ocean, not the creatures that live in it… Not even death feels real. There are no corpses in this world. No dead fish, no eyeless friends. Only pixels. How am I supposed to grieve when I can’t even close their eyes myself?...

But the night is starting to become bright. I’d better get some sleep. It’s strange, that even digital creatures still need food and sleep and shelter and company. It shouldn’t be necessary.

It really… shouldn’t… be…

…