*set met_toby true I stood rigidly in the doorway for a moment, taking careful note of the room. There was only a single desk at the front of the room, to my left, with an assortment of documents and a heavy lamp useful for bludgeoning. Aside from that, there was a small number of desks facing the front; a few of them were already occupied by my fellow students or otherwise crowded around by small groups, the majority of which were female. After making quick note of all potential emergency exits and weapons scattered across the room, I slowly made my way to the back of the room. The desk I chose had its back right against the wall, and it was close to the corner allowing me visual of the entire room, as well as a clear path to the doorway. I began unpacking my school supplies; I placed a pencil on the desk, and hid my scissors under my leg for concealment until needed. It's not much longer until the bell rings to mark the beginning of the first class. *page_break Next *temp honest 0 Not long after an adult woman wearing a dress rushes through the door, barely getting behind her desk before the bell stops ringing. "Good morning everyone!" She says with forced cheerfulness; at least I assume it's false, nobody could possible be that cheerful at 8AM. *if (female =true) I don't know, maybe the sight of her dress just made me bitter as it forces me to remember the skirt I could be wearing. Not only that, but the fact that this woman was doing it completely wrong just rubbed salt on the wound; a skirt worked because it was short and thus gave your legs plenty of room to move unobstructed, but hers was far too long and would just get her legs tangled if she tried to jump or kick and undid all the tactical benefits gained from a skirt. The other students stare blankly at her, apparently just as unconvinced as I am about the physical probability of being happy in the morning. The teacher, however, fails to pick up on this visual clue and continues shamelessly, "So, my name is Miss Cherry! Some of you may know me from previous years..." she takes a look around the room, "Actually, it looks like you're all freshmen! In that case, it is my honor to be your first highschool teacher!" For some reason, the way she talks reminds me of a rapid fire assault rifle, "So, why don't we start off by talking a bit about ourselves?" *fake_choice #I could think of several reasons why that's a bad idea #Well, she's the commanding officer here *set stealth -1 "Let's start with you, in the back! Please, don't be shy, stand up!" It takes a second for me to process that she's actually making this poor of a judgement call. I feel the eyes of everyone in the room staring at and analyzing me as I cautiously rise to my feet, being careful not to knock over the scissors lying on my chair, and mentally review my escape options in case someone decided to take advantage of my becoming a target. "Can you tell us your name?" "...${fullname}." A moment of silence passes and I wonder if I gave the wrong social response; "...Well, ${firstname}, is there anything you want share about yourself? I understand you're a transfer student, could you tell us where you're from?" *fake_choice #"No." *set no true Another moment of silence passes as the teacher seems to struggle to process my response. "...Nothing at all?" "There is nothing interesting about me. I am a highschool student. Please pay as little attention to me as possible." "Now ${firstname}," Miss Cherry smiled brightly, "There's something interesting about everyone! I'm sure if we just opened up and talked..." "I am a highschool student. That is all." "But-" "High. School. Student." "...Ok... *if (firstname !="Jessica") Jessica, why don't you go next?" *if (firstname ="Jessica") Jane, why don't you go next? #"I traveled around a lot..." *set travel true "Oh? Like where?" "Around. Just places, you wouldn't have heard of them." "Oh, just places?" The teacher grinned, "What a coincidence, I'm from a place too!" "Really?" my eyes narrow, "Which unit..." "Uhm...unit?" "...Nevermind." Either she's playing dumb in which case she'll be too well trained to tell the truth without extensive interrogation, or she was telling a joke and anything she says can't be taken at face value; either way, I'll be sure to keep an eye on her "Ok... *if (firstname !="Jessica") Jessica, why don't you go next?" *if (firstname ="Jessica") Jane, why don't you go next? #"I grew up in New York." *set york true "Is that so?" I recite the cover story told to me by Daniel, "Yes. My name is ${fullname}, I am from Manhattan, New York which has a population of 8,491,079. Zip Code 10007. Fulton St. I attended Tompkins Square Middle School, IS 839, where my best friend was Jacob Peta, who died in a car crash, do not try to contact him. I also had a dog named Trudy, she died in the same car crash, do not try to contact her. I was very traumatized. My favorite activity was to play hopscotch in the alleyway behind my apartment building with the other children; I think I'm not very good at it even though I actually am." Everyone quietly stares at me, and I suddenly remember that I left out a key part of my backstory; "My favorite movie is Mary Poppins. Which was made in-" "Thank you, ${firstname}! *if (firstname !="Jessica") Jessica, why don't you go next?" *if (firstname ="Jessica") Jane, why don't you go next? #"I'm a recently retired terrorist." *set violent +5 *set terrorist true *set stealth -1 "A...terrorist?" "Retired, as of last year." "I...oh, I see! That's very funny, ${firstname}!" She said pleasantly. Apparently she found something about my past life humorous...I believe they had a word for this kind of person; sociopaths. *if (firstname !="Jessica") "Jessica, why don't you go next?" *if (firstname ="Jessica") "Jane, why don't you go next?" The students after me all seemed suspiciously similar. Female (except for some kid named Toby), grew up here, 9th grade, liked to sew. I would suspect cloning technology if they didn't have different appearances, although their clothes were all suspiciously similar as well (again, except for some kid named Toby). "Now then," Miss Cherry clapped so loudly I instinctively ducked for fear of sniper fire, "We'll be working in pairs for the duration of the school year, so why not everyone find someone to partner up with! Go on, don't be shy!" *fake_choice #I suppose it's time to make friends *set combat -1 #Maybe if I just sit here, something will happen Within 30 seconds everyone has already found who they wish to spend the rest of the year with; it seemed I was the only one who did not have prior connections before coming to this high school. It's not long before I'm the only one without a partner, as I sit in my desk watching everyone rushing to team up with their friends. I begin to think I'll be working alone until *if (female =true) the only male in the classroom *if (male =true) the only other male in the classroom walks to the side of my desk and introduces himself as "Toby Hens." *page_break Next *set toby_name "Toby Hens" *set tobyrelationship "Friendly" The boy doesn't appear to be much at first glance. Golden hair that looks as though it has not been combed in some time, if ever, as well as oval-shaped facial composition. His clothes are simple, tan slacks with a white t-shirt bearing a logo from a tv show I do not recognize. Modest attire, yet at the same time it does very little to conceal his capabilities. His build is slim, not too different from myself. However he is clearly not as physically capable, seeing the lack of any kind of muscle tissue in his exposed arms. "I was wondering if you wanted to partner up!" Overall, I would say that physically, he is completely uninteresting. "Why me specifically?" *if (female =true) "Well...I don't know, you just looked kind of lonely, back here by yourself," he said with what sounded like genuine sympathy, "Everyone here seems to know everyone, but you don't seem to. So I figured I'd try and reach out. Plus, it'd be nice to work with someone who seems to know as little about this stuff than I do. I was really hoping not to be the only guy here..." *if (male =true) "I guess I'm just relieved to not be the only guy in here," he said humorously, "I'm not sure what I was expecting from a class dedicated to the art of staying home, but I'd think that with it being the 21st century there'd be more than just the two of us...guess not, though." Seeing as how everyone else had already chosen partners, it didn't seem like I had much choice in the matter, *if (no =true) "Acceptable." He chuckled awkwardly, "Are you always this intense?" When I don't respond, he coughs like Principal Gardner typically did when he didn't know what to say, "Ok then..." *if (travel =true) "Very well, let us be partners together." I believe that's the typical human response He chuckled awkwardly, "So which one of these 'places' did you learn to talk like that?" "Just a place. One of them." "Alright, you clearly want to keep it to yourself so I won't pry," he put up his hands in surrender. *if (york =true) "Very well, let us be partners together." I believe that's the typical human response He chuckled awkwardly, "That doesn't sound like any New Yorker accent I've ever heard..." "Have you heard many?" "Huh...guess not, actually. You just expect things to sound differently, I guess." "There is no such thing as a typical New Yorker." At least, that is what Daniel told me. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He smiled, "At the very least, I guess I know where to go for New York trivia..." *if (terrorist =true) "Very well, I will be your partner." "Cool, maybe you could teach me a few of your fighting moves while we're at it," he smiled lightheartedly; strange, I did not expect to find any potential psychopaths in highschool "I would get in trouble for that." "It's fine, I was just joking. So, what did you really do before coming here?" "I told the class; I was a terrorist, part of a child soldier program." "Ok, if you don't want to tell then I won't pry," he sighed dejectedly, I'm not sure why he was so disappointed, I was just being honest like the talking vegetables on television told me to. *page_break Next The teacher tells us that we'll be spending the first day just getting acquainted with our class and our partner with a series of games she liked to call 'ice breakers.' "We're going to be spending a lot of time together; so it's important that we all become fast friends!" She said with disgusting amounts of enthusiasm, completely oblivious to the tired looks she receives from the class and carrying on in her own little world, "Let's start with a fun game of I Never!" The teacher arranges us in a circle and gives everyone a pile of pencils. It appears to me at first that the teacher intends for us to get to know each other through gladiatorial style fights, until she starts explaining their purpose; "So, we're going to go around the circle, and each person says something they've never done. Then everyone who has throws a pencil into the middle! Doesn't that sound fun?" Fun? I suppose I couldn't consider myself an expert on the topic of 'fun' so for all I know this could be the epitome of a fun exercise. Though I doubt it judging by the reactions of my fellow students, who have slowly become more and more zombie-esque in appearance as Miss Cherry continues talking. "Toby! Why don't you go first?" Toby fidgets from being singled out, but takes it in stride. "Uhm, okay...I guess I never lied to my parents." Literally every other student throws a pencil into the middle besides Toby. *fake_choice #I don't want to stand out. I lie and throw a pencil in My relationship, or lack-there-of, with my parents is none of any of these people's business. #We're supposed to be opening up to each other. I hold on to my pencil *set stealth -1 *set firearms -1 *set honest +1 I suppose I never did get a chance to lie to my parents. I never knew my father, though I can assume he was a soldier given the environment I was born in, and I don't recall exchanging very many words with my mother. Mostly our dialog was restricted to the bare minimum; I learned what I was supposed to do by watching her example. I knew to always be looking for food because she always seemed so desperate for it, and I knew to avoid people because she was always so afraid of them, especially people with guns. There was never anything else that needed to be said, even up until she died. When I was taken in by my previous employers, they had to teach me a few language skills so I could take orders properly. "You see? We're learning so much about each other already!" The teacher gushes, "Okay, who's next?" The next sacrifice in line around the circle sighs, "Okay...I've never been in a fight." Only a few people throw pencils in this time around. Curiously enough, Toby is one of these; when he sees me looking at him, he shrugs, "Saw someone picking on a dog once...I, uhm, I didn't win..." Well, how very noble. I guess there's only one way I can answer this... *fake_choice #I can't go around telling people my capabilities. I lie and hold onto my pencil Part of being good at fighting was making sure nobody knew you were good at it, after all. #Obviously I know more about fighting than anyone else in this room. I throw my pencil in *set stealth -1 *set firearms -1 *set honest +1 Though, I guess my definition of fighting is a bit different than these other students. For them, fighting is just a couple punches and people getting bruised. I was taught what fighting was really all about; kill the other guy, try not to die. My 'martial arts' could really hardly be called an art of any kind. But it kept me alive, for better or worse, and made sure that nobody else ever walked away from a fight with me. "Okay...that was a bit dark, Jody!" The teacher says without a single shift in her voice. I'm beginning to question whether she's even human. "Let's try to remember that this is a school environment! Now then, who's next?" The next girl in line shrugs, "Fine, I guess I never stayed outside of the house past midnight." This time Toby is the only person who doesn't throw his pencil in, mentioning something about a curfew. I have to wonder for a moment if I count for this considering I never had a house until about 8 months ago... *fake_choice #I decide that either way, I want to reveal as little about myself as possible, and hold onto the pencil How I spent my time back then is my business. #I probably count, since she used the word 'outside' and I spent quite a bit of time outside. I throw the pencil in *set stealth -1 *set firearms -1 *set honest +1 Granted, me and my mother tried to stay inside during the day to avoid soldiers and the sun; though, inside usually meant broken down ruins of houses with gaping holes in them from mortar shells and battles that had since passed us by. Night was usually the only safe time to be wandering around thanks to the cover of dark masking us from everyone that held a gun, so we spent that time scavenging for anything that could serve as food. Though it got harder as time went on as the soldiers usually got the best pieces, being the first on the scene at any ruin; of course, since they were the ones who usually caused them. In the end, my mother ended up dying partly due to not being able to find enough food for both of us. Finally, it's my turn to offer up a statement to the classroom, *fake_choice #"I never had a cheeseburger." Not a single person throws a pencil in. Out of everything I could have said while remaining honest, that was probably the least personal, yet it still gets me one look of sympathy. "Wow, really? I think that's the most surprising thing so far," said Toby, "Hey, if you want I can buy you one for lunch if you'd like." #"I never went on vacation." Needless to say, vacation time was not something my previous employers believed in. For the most part, whenever I finished a mission I would just be given a meal and a nap then sent on another one unless I was wounded. Though in some cases that still didn't change things. For some reason, this gets me some sympathy from my partner, Toby. "Wow, that's actually kind of sad. You know, I could probably convince my parents to take you with us on our next summer trip, if you want." #"I never lived in one place for more than a year." The organization that my previous employers belonged to never kept a home base; we mostly just went where our clients wanted us. Individual operatives were even more mobile so of course the concept of home was about as foreign to me as everything else I'd encountered since crossing overseas. For some reason, this gets me some sympathy from my partner, Toby. "Wow, that must be rough. Does that mean you won't be staying here? I was kind of hoping we could hang out, sometime." #"I never killed someone." A small effort to spread false information *set toby_hens -5 Of course, I've killed more people than anyone here has fought. If you put the blood of everyone I'd killed in a pool, you could probably swim laps in it. As expected, nobody else throws a pencil in. Though I get some odd looks, and a comment from my partner. "That's kind of sick...I mean, I guess it's alright if that's your sense of humor, but it doesn't seem right to me." #I abstain I don't see how the teacher can force me to play along with this. If she was briefed on my circumstances, as she should have been, then she should have known better than to try and intrude on my privacy with this kind of game. "Uhm, I don't think that's how the game works," says Toby, "I mean, it's okay if you're shy and all, but..." "Now now, no chatting please!" Says Miss Cherry, "Let's keep the game going, please!" I would think that a game designed to make strangers get to know each other would encourage chatting but evidently Miss Cherry has a different view. *if (honest =0) Not that I'm complaining. *page_break Next The bell rings quickly after that, signaling the end of first hour and entry into the 4-minute period I had to get to my next class. "I guess I'll see you later," he smiled at me, "Oh, I just remembered that you never told me your name!" "Didn't you hear it during rollcall? It's ${firstname}." He chuckled, "Yeah, well I guess I wasn't paying a lot of attention...well, I'm glad we met, ${firstname}!" *fake_choice #"Thank you. I will see you tomorrow." He laughs, "I'll look forward to it." Then he hurried off to his next class; what a nice human being. *set toby_hens +10 #I say nothing He shrugs and hurries off to his next class. It seems he was in too big a hurry to pay much mind to me. Perhaps I should follow his example. #"Unfortunately..." *set tobyrelationship "One-Sided Friendship" He looks confused for a moment, "Uhm...did I say something wrong?" He says for a moment before checking his watch. "I...nevermind, we can talk later." Then he hurriedly left for his next class, thankfully. *set toby_hens -10 *goto_scene 1-5passing1-1