When walking through the streets of urban cities desolated by war and chaos, sniper battles are the most common form of engagement. You knew that death could come from anywhere, at any time and any angle, and if you didn't make preparations then there wasn't anything you could do in the moment that could change your fate. As such, after months of wading through the bloody and desolate streets, I had to develop a sort of 6th sense for when someone was looking at me. Right now, standing in this classroom, I had the same tingle in the back of my neck. Someone was watching me; someone who was trying very difficult to not be seen... *page_break Next My first instinct is to check for open windows, but the blinds are down. Even in the unlikely event they somehow got thermal scopes, there are three students between me and it. And there aren't any windows on the door, so that scratches anyone watching from outside. I suppose it could be the camera disguised as a globe sitting in the corner of the room, but *if (destroyed_school_security =false) I've been watched by cameras ever since I entered this school and have had no issues, so that can't be it. *if (destroyed_school_security =true) I destroyed the school security when I came into the school, so that camera shouldn't be functioning. That can't be it. All this points to one possibility; the person watching me is someone inside the room. But who... *fake_choice #Maybe if I draw them out... *set met_vi true *set report_interrogated true If their purpose is to watch me, then presumably they would follow if I left the room. That means I could establish an ambush... I stand up in my seat, "Mrs. Winchester, I have to use the bathroom." She looks annoyed at my interruption but changes her tune when she sees who I am. She doesn't offer any further resistance. *page_break Next Upon stepping outside, I see the restroom directly in front of me. I immediately turn left and go around the corner, looking around to keep an eye on the space of floor between the two rooms. In a few minutes, a girl walks out with a wandering look, as if she were searching for someone. I can only imagine who. She crept forward, into the restroom that I'm supposed to be in; no possibility of this being a coincidence. And now I have whoever she is cornered. *page_break Next When I go inside I see the mysterious girl systematically checking ever stall and scratching her head, "Where did ${he} go..." She hasn't noticed me yet, giving me the drop on her. I could just take her down now, but then I wouldn't get any answers; if she's an assassin, I need to know who sent her. If she's not, I need to know why she followed me here. Either way, I need her capable of speech, or at least head nods. Still, if I don't offer proper incentive, she would likely be very resistant to just asking questions. A firmer hand might be the way to go here. *fake_choice #I just want to talk *set met_vi true *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" *set reflex -1 *set explosives -1 *set combat -1 *set vievil true *set virelationship "Lovestruck" I open the door to the bathroom again and close it, this time audibly to announce my presence. The girl gasps and turns to me; when she finally gets a good look at me, her eyes beam, "Hello..." "You evidently know who I am; who are you?" "Oh, I-I'm Vi. Vi Myrtal. I'm evil. It's nice to meet you." "That's a bold statement." "You mean, that I'm Vi Myrtal or that I'm evil or that it's nice to meet you?" *page_break Next *set met_vi true *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" "I'm more interested in knowing why you are following me. Did someone send you?" She shook her head. "Are you an assassin?" She shook her head. "Are you planning to cause any bodily damage to me?" She shook her head. So far this was looking like the shortest line of questioning in human history. "Why were you following me?" "Uhm..." she said, scratching her head, "Can I tell you later?" "How much later?" "I don't know...later?" *fake_choice #No "You're going to tell me now." "...Why?" "Because I'm telling you to, nicely." Vi bites her lip, "I'm sorry...I don't want to disobey you, but I really can't tell you..." "Is someone forcing you?" "Something like that." "Who are they?" "...Would you kill them if I told you?" "Maybe, it would depend on several different variables so I can't really give you a definite answer." *page_break Next "Well, it doesn't really matter," said Vi, "There actually isn't anyone forcing me." "Then why did you lead me on to think there was?" "I wanted to talk to you." This girl seems to have a talent for deception... "You forgot to tell me why you are following me." "Huh...I did forget that." She pauses "...Well?" "I forgot." "I find that incredibly unlikely," It's probably the worst excuse I have ever heard of for stalking someone. Then again, I've killed for less. "Why? Haven't you ever forgotten something?" "It's a fairly rare occurrence." "Oh...well, I'm forgetful." "That sounds like an excuse." #Fine... "I suppose there doesn't necessarily have to be a deadline..." "Thanks; I really don't like stress." "I would still prefer if you told me the truth in a timely manner. It would probably help avoid further confrontations." *page_break Next "Probably...oh, I almost forgot! I wanted to ask you something!" She exclaims, "Do you want to be friends?" "Why?" "Because I love you. So can we?" *fake_choice #No *set vi_stalker true *set virelationship "One-Sided Obsession" "Oh...did I come on too strong?" "I'm not typically a friendly person." "It's okay; I understand. I don't like people either, so it's okay if you don't like me. Can I keep liking you, though?" "I'd prefer if you didn't." "Oh, I'm not sure I can do that." "That's okay, as long as you retain a distance." "Uhm...exactly how much of a distance?" *page_break Next Before I can go into the specifics of what is and isn't a safe distance, the bell rings. "Oh...I think we're out of time. Can we talk later?" "That would probably violate the safe distance..." "Oh...I'll see you later then, I guess." She leaves the bathroom before I can tell her that would also violate the safe distance. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 She's gone by the time I leave the room. I could probably track her down if I put in the effort, but I have a Language Arts class to get to. #Sure *set vi_friend true *set virelationship "Strange Friendship" "...That is...amazing..." Her face has appears to have frozen in a look of awe "That's a bit of an extreme reaction." "Oh...do you think so?" She says without a single change in her facial shape. Though, I suppose this could be normal for American girls; the only other reference point I have *if (female =true) threw a piece of paper at my head, so I've come to assume American girls are just crazy as a rule. *if (male =true) is third-hour girl and she didn't appear to be completely sane either. Maybe American girls are just crazy in general. *page_break Next The bell rings shortly after, "Oh, I think we're out of time..." "It appears that way," the next thing I know, she has wrapped her arms around me in a hugging fashion. "I'm really glad we're friends..." *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After that odd scene, we go on our separate paths. It seems I now have a friend; that's nice. Pushing that thought to the side, I head to Language Arts. #I'll think about it *set vi_think true *set virelationship "Complicated" "Oh, ok. I'll be patient then." She waited for twenty seconds, "Are you done?" "It will probably be a bit longer than that." "How long?" "I'll let you know when I figure it out. For the moment, let's say a couple hours." "Oh, ok." *page_break Next The bell rung just a moment later. "I think we're out of time..." "It seems that way." "Thanks for not killing me." "Don't mention it. To anyone. Understand?" "Yes sir." Well, that takes care of that loose end. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 We separate after leaving the bathroom, and she's out of my sight in seconds. I push the task of deciding our friend/foe status to my subconscious and head off to the Language Arts room. #[i]Interrogation is the only option here *set met_vi true *set virelationship "Abusive" *if (destroyed_school_security =false) It'll be somewhat more difficult with the camera in the corner of the room, and this will likely take time meaning I need to ensure nobody enters the room. However, there are workarounds for that. The only difficulty is trying to figure out through practice what techniques work and which don't while working. *page_break Next First, I lock the door to prevent anyone interfering. Next, I reach over to the light switch and turn it off, immersing the room in complete darkness. The girl gasps and looks around frantically, but unlike me she hasn't ever gone on late night missions through the desert and hasn't learned to see in incredibly low visibility. Right now, she can barely see what's directly in front of her. *if (destroyed_school_security =false) This is for the camera also; it's illegal in this area for cameras to have sound or other special features, meaning that it won't be able to record what happens next. I move across the room quickly, and the moment I'm in range I grab her by the throat and push her against the wall, squeezing the airpipes and restricting her breath for a calculated amount of time. Just enough to disorient her but not enough to leave her unconscious. Once the time has passed I release. She falls to the ground, coughing for air; I don't let the pressure up. I grab her by the collar and push her against the wall again, letting her head smash against it; "Who are you? Who sent you? Why are you here? Why are you following me?" *page_break Next "I...I...I..." she stutters nervously, not fully comprehending what's going on. I'm purposefully asking questions that she can't answer to start off with, to put her in a state of panic and make it more difficult to think of lies. "When I ask a question, you will answer it with no hesitation. Who are you?" "Y-You're that new student..." She hesitated *fake_choice #[i]Cut her *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" *set vi_torture true *if (vi_myrtal <100) *set vi_myrtal +10 I look over to the window beside me; she follows my gaze, and her eyes widen as I punch the mirror and pick up a shard of broken glass. Before she can respond, I clamp my hand over her mouth, roll up her sleeves, and stab the shard into her arm; not deep, but past the first layer of skin and slightly digging into the muscles; she screams into my hand, but there's no possibility of anyone hearing her. I then begin to slowly cut down her arm, the screaming intensifies but the sound is all absorbed; I cut down three inches and then wait until she goes from screaming in agony to merely sniveling before I lift my hand up again, "Who are you?" "V-V-V-Vi...M-My-Myrtal..." she whimpered out, tears flowing out of her eyes and voice becoming desperate and weak. So far she was responding extremely poorly to torture, meaning she probably wasn't a professional; which just begged the question... "Why are you following me?" *page_break Next She bites her lip, "C-can I...tell you later..." I clamp my hand over her mouth again and her eyes go wide as she realizes her mistake of answering a question with another question. She's already screaming apologies into my hand before I dig the shard of glass into her arm again, then create a red line in her skin parallel to the one I made earlier. Once again, I wait awhile before removing my hand. Consistent cause and effect, so that she knows exactly what the consequences are for being uncooperative. Encourages honesty. "Why are you following me?" "I...I can't...p-please don't make me tell you..." *page_break Next I clamp my hand over her mouth again, *if (destroyed_school_security =true) and cut a third line into her arm. She screams again, but it's less loud than earlier. This is always a danger during interrogation; after a certain threshold, the subject comes to accept their position and cease fighting, making them more tolerant to the pain. I will need to change tactics. After she has returned to tormented whimpers, I ask her once more "Why are you following me?" She lets out a low groan, her eyes hanging to the side, "D-Do you want to kill me...you...you can kill me, if you want...I won't...mind..." She's at the point of wishing for death, ordinarily this takes days. I need to shock her. I hold the glass up to her eye, "Last chance..." *page_break Next Before she can respond, the bell rings. "Damn, out of time..." If I take too long reporting to my next class, they'll send a search party after me. Even if I can get some distance, there's a girl sitting in a bathroom that has recently been tortured and knows my face. If I kill her, then they'll find a body and connect it to the person who is known to have killed multiple people in the past. I'm cornered... I look down at Vi, and despite all odds, she's smiling at me. Not mocking or triumphant, but comforting. "It's okay...go to your class, I'll clean myself up...nobody will find out..." It's the only option I have...but why on earth is she covering for the person who just tortured her? The question nags me as I'm leaving. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 I half expect to hear on the loudspeaker a summons to the principal's office the entire trip to my Language Arts class, but none come. It appears Vi kept her word. I'm safe for now. *if (destroyed_school_security =false) *set novi true *set incidents +1 *set fourth_incident true but before I can get back to work, I hear a banging on the door and hold my position. "${mr} Decker! We know you're in there with Miss Myrtal! Open this door right now!" It's Principal Gardner I look back at Myrtal. This isn't good; having them catch us like this is a worst case scenario. I doubt even Daniel could cover this up... "I-I won't tell anyone..." Vi whispers through the tears, trying her hardest to give me a comforting smile. I leave the bathroom feeling that I have more questions than when we started. *page_break Next *if (incidents >1) And so here I am, in the principal's office...again. *if (second_incident =true) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, tapping his finger steadily and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "After the last time, I honestly thought you couldn't possibly surprise me again...congratulations. You found a way." *if (second_incident =false) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, angrily glaring at me and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "I've been principal of this school for twenty years...you could say I've seen quite a bit in my time. But this..." "Let's recap, shall we? Miss. Myrtal is currently on her way to the doctor to get stitches; according to her, she accidentally broke the mirror and cut herself on the glass, when the light switch must have fallen on its own. Thoughts?" *fake_choice #I tell the truth *set stealth -5 His face scrunches up into disgust as I relay the exact details of what actually happened in the bathroom. "...I see." He looks like he's about to vomit, "You should be expelled for this...hell, you should be arrested and deported for this! But our...mutual friend is telling me to just...'leave this alone.' Isn't that something? A student under my care gets her arm sliced up, and the CIA is telling me to 'leave it alone!'" #I go along with Vi's lie I have no idea why she's covering for me, but I'm not about to push away a lifeline when I see one. "I agree with everything Vi said." "Is that so..." "Correct." "...I don't know if you intimidated her or if she's just as crazy as you are...fine then, I'll pretend I believe this." #Don't say a goddamn word First lesson when learning how to resist questioning. Don't give them anything to work with, not even lies. Don't say a single word and they don't have any ammunition. "...Well? Any comment?" "..." "...Fine then, it seems there's nothing more to be said." *page_break Next "I suppose there isn't anything I can do with you, with the CIA breathing down my neck...but they don't have any influence over how I run this school. I am prepared to make your year very difficult..." *page_break Fifth hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 Once he's finally done ranting, I make my way to my Language Arts class. #Hit her *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" *if (vi_myrtal <100) *set vi_myrtal +5 *set hurtvi true I punch her once in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her and leaving her gasping for air. "Who are you?" She coughs, "V-Vi...Myrtal." Her voice comes out raspy due to the lack of reliable air, but otherwise she doesn't show any amount of significant pain. "Why have you been following me?" "I can't tell you." *page_break Next I hit her again, this time in the side, closer to her heart. "Everyone talks eventually. Why are you following me?" "Nngh..." So far, she is taking my beating surprisingly well, "...I-if hitting me makes you happy...you can keep doing that...I just can't tell you why..." Is this girl some kind of masochist? I've heard of those; they're extremely difficult to intimidate. If I want to get answers, I would need to take more extreme measures. *fake_choice #[i]Cut her *set vi_torture true *if (vi_myrtal <100) *set vi_myrtal +10 "You can. And you will." I say, looking at the mirror over the sinks. She follows my gaze, and her eyes widen as I punch the glass and pick up a broken off shard. "No...please, wait..." I place my hand over her mouth, roll up her sleeves, and stab the glass into her arm cutting just past the skin and digging slightly into the muscle underneath. She begins screaming and tears immediately begin rolling down her eyes from the extreme pain, but any sounds she makes is muffled into my hand. I begin cutting the shard of glass down her arm, approximately three inches, and roughly pull the glass out. It takes half a minute before her screaming reduces to soft whimpers and I deem it safe to allow her to speak "Why are you following me?" "I-I...I'm s-sorry...I..." Her words are coming out incoherently. This is a level of pain that Vi isn't used to. She has clearly never been seriously interrogated before by someone who knew what they were doing, meaning she likely isn't a professional. That strikes one possible theory, "I c-can't...tell you..." "Everyone has a breaking point, and you are swiftly reaching yours. Save yourself the pain and talk." "I...I can't...please don't make me tell you..." *page_break Next I clamp my hand over her mouth again, *if (destroyed_school_security =true) and cut a second line into her arm. She screams again, but it's less loud than earlier. This is always a danger during interrogation; after a certain threshold, the subject comes to accept their position and cease fighting, making them more tolerant to the pain. I will need to change tactics. After she has returned to tormented whimpers, I ask her once more "Why are you following me?" She lets out a low groan, her eyes hanging to the side, "D-Do you want to kill me...you...you can kill me, if you want...I won't...mind..." She's at the point of wishing for death, ordinarily this takes days. I need to shock her. I hold the glass up to her eye, "Last chance..." *page_break Next Before she can respond, the bell rings. "Damn, out of time..." If I take too long reporting to my next class, they'll send a search party after me. Even if I can get some distance, there's a girl sitting in a bathroom that has recently been tortured and knows my face. If I kill her, then they'll find a body and connect it to the person who is known to have killed multiple people in the past. I'm cornered... I look down at Vi, and despite all odds, she's smiling at me. Not mocking or triumphant, but comforting. "It's okay...go to your class, I'll clean myself up...nobody will find out..." It's the only option I have...but why on earth is she covering for the person who just tortured her? The question nags me as I'm leaving. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 I half expect to hear on the loudspeaker a summons to the principal's office the entire trip to my Language Arts class, but none come. It appears Vi kept her word. I'm safe for now. *if (destroyed_school_security =false) *set novi true *set incidents +1 *set fourth_incident true "${mr} Decker! We know you're in there with Miss. Myrtal! Open this door right now!" It's Principal Gardner I look back at Myrtal. This isn't good; having them catch us like this is a worst case scenario. I doubt even Daniel could cover this up... "I-I won't tell anyone..." Vi whispers through the tears, trying her hardest to give me a comforting smile. I leave the bathroom feeling that I have more questions than when we started. *page_break Next *if (incidents >1) And so here I am, in the principal's office...again. *if (second_incident =true) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, tapping his finger steadily and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "After the last time, I honestly thought you couldn't possibly surprise me again...congratulations. You found a way." *if (second_incident =false) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, angrily glaring at me and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "I've been principal of this school for twenty years...you could say I've seen quite a bit in my time. But this..." "Let's recap, shall we? Miss Myrtal is currently on her way to the doctor to get stitches; according to her, she accidentally broke the mirror and cut herself on the glass, when the light switch must have fallen on its own. Thoughts?" *fake_choice #I tell the truth *set stealth -5 His face scrunches up into disgust as I relay the exact details of what actually happened in the bathroom. "...I see." He looks like he's about to vomit, "You should be expelled for this...hell, you should be arrested and deported for this! But our...mutual friend is telling me to just...'leave this alone.' Isn't that something? A student under my care gets her arm sliced up, and the CIA is telling me to 'leave it alone!'" #I go along with Vi's lie I have no idea why she's covering for me, but I'm not about to push away a lifeline when I see one. "I agree with everything Vi said." "Is that so..." "Correct." "...I don't know if you intimidated her or if she's just as crazy as you are...fine then, I'll pretend I believe this." #Don't say a goddamn word First lesson when learning how to resist questioning. Don't give them anything to work with, not even lies. Don't say a single word and they don't have any ammunition. "...Well? Any comment?" "..." "...Fine then, I suppose there's nothing more to be said then." *page_break Next "I suppose there isn't anything I can do with you, with the CIA breathing down my neck...but they don't have any influence over how I run this school. I am prepared to make your year very difficult..." *page_break Fifth hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 Once he's finally done ranting, I make my way to my Language Arts class. #This is pointless... I've gotten as far as I can with her without resorting to serious torture, and attempting to go to those lengths in the middle of the school would have disastrous consequences. "This never happened." I get up and walk away. I see her trying her hardest to find me in the darkness *if (vi_friend =true) "Wait! We're still friends, right?!" *if (vi_friend !=true) "Wait! We can keep talking about other things...if you like..." There is something deeply disturbing about this girl. *page_break Fifth hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After the bell rings, I make my way to Language Arts class #Ask again *set vi_myrtal +5 *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" "If you make me repeat myself, you're just wasting my time." "I-I'm still Vi! Vi Myrtal, that's still my name!" *if (male =true) She snivels, "A-are you going to kill me?" "...Maybe. If your answers don't satisfy me." Honestly, that would probably the worst thing I could do in the scenario, having nowhere to store the body. But she doesn't need to know that. "Oh. I guess...I c-can't really stop you...if you really want to kill me..." "You could just answer honestly, and save us both the trouble." *if (female =true) "Do I have to hurt you, Vi?" "I-I guess, if you wanted, I couldn't really stop you...I-I would rather avoid it, but it's up to you..." "No, it really is up to you. And whether or not you want to answer my questions honestly." "B-but...what do you want to know?" "Why did you follow me in here?" "Y-you followed me..." "I won't play games. Why are you following me?" "I-I can't tell you..." *fake_choice #[i]Cut her *if (vi_myrtal <100) *set vi_myrtal +10 "You can. And you will." I say, looking at the mirror over the sinks. She follows my gaze, and her eyes widen as I punch the glass and pick up a broken off shard. "No...please, wait..." I place my hand over her mouth, roll up her sleeves, and stab the glass into her arm cutting just past the skin and digging slightly into the muscle underneath. She begins screaming and tears immediately begin rolling down her eyes from the extreme pain, but any sounds she makes is muffled into my hand. I begin cutting the shard of glass down her arm, approximately three inches, and roughly pull the glass out. It takes half a minute before her screaming reduces to soft whimpers and I deem it safe to allow her to speak "Why are you following me?" "I-I...I'm s-sorry...I..." Her words are coming out incoherently. She has clearly never been interrogated before, meaning she likely isn't a professional. That strikes one possible theory, "I c-can't...tell you..." "Everyone has a breaking point, and you are swiftly reaching yours. Save yourself the pain and talk." "I...I can't...please don't make me tell you..." *page_break Next I clamp my hand over her mouth again, *if (destroyed_school_security =true) and cut a second line into her arm. She screams again, but it's less loud than earlier. This is always a danger during interrogation; after a certain threshold, the subject comes to accept their position and cease fighting, making them more tolerant to the pain. I will need to change tactics. After she has returned to tormented whimpers, I ask her once more "Why are you following me?" *page_break Next She lets out a low groan, her eyes hanging to the side, "D-Do you want to kill me...you...you can kill me, if you want...I won't...mind..." She's at the point of wishing for death, ordinarily this takes days. I need to shock her. I hold the glass up to her eye, "Last chance..." Before she can respond, the bell rings. "Damn, out of time..." If I take too long reporting to my next class, they'll send a search party after me. Even if I can get some distance, there's a girl sitting in a bathroom that has recently been tortured and knows my face. If I kill her, then they'll find a body and connect it to the person who is known to have killed multiple people in the past. I'm cornered... I look down at Vi, and despite all odds, she's smiling at me. Not mocking or triumphant, but comforting. "It's okay...go to your class, I'll clean myself up...nobody will find out..." It's the only option I have...but why on earth is she covering for the person who just tortured her? The question nags me as I'm leaving. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 I half expect to hear on the loudspeaker a summons to the principal's office the entire trip to my Language Arts class, but none come. It appears Vi kept her word. I'm safe for now. *if (destroyed_school_security =false) *set novi true *set incidents +1 *set fourth_incident true but before I can get back to work, I hear a banging on the door and hold my position. "${mr} Decker! We know you're in there with Miss. Myrtal! Open this door right now!" It's Principal Gardner I look back at Myrtal. This isn't good; having them catch us like this is a worst case scenario. I doubt even Daniel could cover this up... "I-I won't tell anyone..." Vi whispers through the tears, trying her hardest to give me a comforting smile. I leave the bathroom feeling that I have more questions than when we started. *page_break Next *if (incidents >1) And so here I am, in the principal's office...again. *if (second_incident =true) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, tapping his finger steadily and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "After the last time, I honestly thought you couldn't possibly surprise me again...congratulations. You found a way." *if (second_incident =false) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, angrily glaring at me and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "I've been principal of this school for twenty years...you could say I've seen quite a bit in my time. But this..." "Let's recap, shall we? Miss. Myrtal is currently on her way to the doctor to get stitches; according to her, she accidentally broke the mirror and cut herself on the glass, when the light switch must have fallen on its own. Thoughts?" *fake_choice #I tell the truth *set stealth -5 His face scrunches up into disgust as I relay the exact details of what actually happened in the bathroom. "...I see." He looks like he's about to vomit, "You should be expelled for this...hell, you should be arrested and deported for this! But our...mutual friend is telling me to just...'leave this alone.' Isn't that something? A student under my care gets her arm sliced up, and the CIA is telling me to 'leave it alone!'" #I go along with Vi's lie I have no idea why she's covering for me, but I'm not about to push away a lifeline when I see one. "I agree with everything Vi said." "Is that so..." "Correct." "...I don't know if you intimidated her or if she's just as crazy as you are...fine then, I'll pretend I believe this." #Don't say a goddamn word First lesson when learning how to resist questioning. Don't give them anything to work with, not even lies. Don't say a single word and they don't have any ammunition. "...Well? Any comment?" "..." "...Fine then, I suppose there's nothing more to be said then." *page_break Next "I suppose there isn't anything I can do with you, with the CIA breathing down my neck...but they don't have any influence over how I run this school. I am prepared to make your year very difficult..." *page_break Fifth hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 Once he's finally done ranting, I make my way to my Language Arts class. #This is pointless... I've gotten as far as I can with her without resorting to more extreme methods, and attempting to go to those lengths in the middle of the school would have disastrous consequences. "This never happened." I get up and walk away. I see her trying her hardest to find me in the darkness "Wait! Do you think we could be friends?!" There is something deeply disturbing about this girl. *page_break Fifth hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After the bell rings, I make my way to Language Arts class. #I'll just remain alert during the lesson, maybe they'll slip up If I act out, my stalker will know they've been made and stop, ruining my chance of finding them. As long as they think their identity is secure, this window of opportunity stays open. I keep facing the teacher, and use my peripheral vision to keep an eye on all the students and any potential hiding places. Mrs. Winchester begins going on a thread about the function of the different tools, but I'm not really paying attention to her. She's just background noise; right now, the only thing that really matters is me and this stalker. That's where my concentration needs to be. Anything else is just a distraction to get you killed. *page_break Next Then, I spot her. A girl sitting on the other side of the room, staring at me. We've locked eyes, and she has realized that I know her face. There's shock and fear on her face, but also awe as if she just saw a work of art. I maintain eye contact, analyzing her and measuring her threat. She appears to be trying to stop existing. Suddenly, she stands up, "I need to use the bathroom!" And runs out before getting a reply. The teacher is powerless to stop her. *fake_choice #Go after her "I'll go help." I say, copying the tactic used by the girl, and walk out before she can pose any resistance. Shutting the door behind me, I don't catch any sight of her. Whoever she is, she's good at disappearing. *fake_choice #Go to the women's bathroom *if ((male =true) and (met_lucy =false)) *set met_lucy_bathroom true The female's restroom is right there, and it's where she said she was going. I go straight for it. *page_break Next *if (male =true) *set lucy_stein -30 I hurry inside and lock the door behind me to prevent her from escaping. But when I look around, the mysterious girl is nowhere to be found; instead, a completely different female is walking out of a stall. *if (met_lucy =true) "You..." "The student council president..." She doesn't speak at first, instead staring at me with a look that becomes increasingly angry, "What do you think you're doing here?!" "I am looking for a female. Have you seen one enter?" "It's the women's restroom, I'd imagine women would be coming in here! What are you doing here?!" "I am looking far a particular female." "What makes you think that gives you the right to come in here?! Why did you lock the door?!" "To keep the female in question from escaping." Her eyes widen, "Exactly what were you planning?!" "I'm mainly making this up as I go along, honestly." "...That's it, I'm calling the office! Get out of my way!" In the end, I never found that elusive female... *page_break Fifth Hour... The principal gave me a lengthy talk about the privacy of women, *if incidents <=1 though he just seemed happy that there was no violence involved this time. *if incidents =0 and a stern warning to not let this happen again. In the end, I got out with minimal consequence and was released by my Language Arts class. *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 *if (female =true) I hurry inside and lock the door behind me to prevent her from escaping. but when I look around, the mysterious girl is nowhere to be found. Instead, a completely different female is walking out of a stall. *if (met_lucy =true) "Hm? Oh, it's you; the freshmen, right?" "Student council president..." "You can call me Lucy," she says while washing her hands, "You look kind of intense. Is everything alright?" *if (met_lucy =false) "Hm? Why do you look so intense? Is something wrong? "I am looking for a female." "...I'm guessing you mean a particular one?" "Yes, though I don't know her name." "I'm sure you could just catch up to her during lunch." "It seems I'll have to do that..." By now, the trail is long cold. *page_break Next *if (met_lucy =false) "Well, I hope you find her. By the way, I'm Lucy Stein; you can just call me Miss. Stein. Everyone calls me that." She says while turning off the sink, *set lucy_name "Lucy Stein" *set met_lucy true *set lucyrelationship "Lovestruck" "So, what class do you have right now?" *fake_choice #I have to go *set lucy_stein -10 I quickly leave the bathroom, leaving her standing there without an answer. I have more important things to do; like learning about the different purposes of paintbrushes. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 The teacher gives me a stern talk when I return but otherwise nothing else of interest happens that hour until the bell rings. I still wonder where the girl could have run off to, but if Lucy is to be believed then we'll meet during lunch soon enough. For now, all I need to worry about is my Language Arts class. #Art *set lucy_stein +10 "I'm currently in Mrs. Winchester's art class." "Ah, I loved her when I was a freshmen," Lucy muses, "Though, I've never been an art fan myself. I prefer more analytical classes." "I see..." "So, are you from the middle school?" "Not exactly." "Where then?" "It's a bit of a long story..." "Well, we have the rest of the hour. I don't have anything else..." Just then, the bell rings. "Well, the rest of the hour means a few seconds, apparently." Lucy sighed, "I guess I'll see you later." "Sure..." *set met_lucy true *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8lucyfifth-1 After I go my separate way from Lucy, the next stop is Language Arts. It doesn't take long for me to realize Lucy is going in the exact same direction. #Use my other senses to track her *set met_vi true The bathroom excuse was obviously a way to throw off perusers; I need to find some other way to locate her. For a brief moment, I stop concentrating on what I see and focus more on my auditory senses. Within seconds I have it; a quick succession of footsteps, down the hallway and around a corner. I'm moving right away, determined to not let her get the chance to escape. Whoever the mystery girl was, she was going to explain to me what her purpose was. *page_break Next She's out of breath and leaning against the wall when I find her; apparently my mystery watcher was unaccustomed to physical exertion, meaning she probably wasn't a professional. "Why were you watching me?" She jumps when she hears my voice, swinging around with a look of bewilderment on her face "How did you catch me..." "I asked my question first." She bites her lip, "Uhm...I don't remember." *page_break Next I have heard a lot of bad excuses from prisoners, but I think that might actually be the worst excuse in history. "The odds of that being true are less than 1%." "How do you know? I might have short-term memory loss." "Do you think I'm an idiot?" "No...I think you're very dangerous..." She smiles "What gives that away?" "Well, you could probably kill me right now if you wanted to, right?" "If you are trying to trick me into revealing my capabilities, you will have to try harder than that." *page_break Next *set vievil true "It's okay, you don't need to tell me. I'm evil too, y'know. At least that's what everyone tells me." "You have yet to answer my original question; why were you watching me?" "Well, because I'm evil." *fake_choice #I need answers, quickly If I know anything, it's that everyone has a breaking point. If I just introduce enough pain then she'll talk soon enough. I reach forward and grab onto her throat, forcing her against the lockers with an audible clang as her head bashes against them. "I do not appreciate games." "A-are you going to kill me?" "Maybe, maybe not. But I can guarantee that this will hurt very much if you do not answer my questions in a satisfactory manner. Who are you?" *page_break Next *set virelationship "Abusive" *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" "Vi, Vi Myrtal." "Okay Vi; why were you watching me?" "...Can I tell you later?" *fake_choice #[i]Hit her *set hurtvi true *set vi_myrtal +10 One punch to the stomach knocks the air out of her, leaving her struggling to breath, "Why were you watching me?" Between coughs, she takes the effort to smile at me, "If...if hurting me makes you happy...you can keep doing that..." Well, that will make interrogation much more difficult... #Threaten her *set vi_myrtal +5 I hit the wall by her head, causing her to flinch out of impulse, "Why were you watching me?" "I-I can't tell you..." *fake_choice #Hit her *set vi_myrtal +5 One punch to the stomach knocks the air out of her, leaving her struggling to breath, "You can. And you will." Between coughs, she takes the effort to smile at me, "If...if hurting me makes you happy...you can keep doing that..." #Threaten her again This time I tighten my hold around her throat, reducing her ability to breath. "It would be incredibly easy to snap your neck right now..." Vi grabs onto my hand, yet she remains smiling, "I know..." While her composure is slipping quickly, Vi has remained incredibly tight lipped. Interrogation is proving much more difficult than it should with a victim of this build. *if (destroyed_school_security =false) Then, at just that moment, the security guards round the corner with their tasers out. It appears the office got a view on their security cameras and finally decided to intervene. *page_break Next *if (incidents >1) And so here I am, in the principal's office...again. *if (second_incident =true) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, tapping his finger steadily and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "After the last time, I honestly thought you couldn't possibly surprise me again...congratulations. You found a way." *if (second_incident =false) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, angrily glaring at me and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "I've been principal of this school for twenty years...you could say I've seen quite a bit in my time. But this..." "She had information that I needed, and it is not like I did any lasting damage." "That is not the point! Do you realize how much trouble you could be in?! You're just lucky Miss. Myrtal has forgone pressing charges!" "Yes...why would she do that..." I ponder *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 The principal continues to rant but after awhile it just starts to become white noise. I spend the time trying to piece together this mystery about this girl, Vi Myrtal. There is definitely something off about her; I send the question to my subconscious while I'm heading to my Language Arts class. *if (destroyed_school_security =true) Then, at just that moment, the bell rings. It seems I'm out of time. I quickly step back before the students begin coming out of their classes, though strangely enough it is Vi who seems hesitant to let go. Before I can even threaten her to remain quiet, she whispers to me, "I guess this'll be our secret..." *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 For some reason, Vi deemed it important that I not get in trouble for hurting her. Another addition to the list of unanswered questions surrounding her; I send the problem to my subconscious while I'm heading to my Language Arts class. #If I just keep talking she'll eventually let something slip *set combat -1 *set explosives -1 *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" *set vi_trick true *set vievil true *set virelationship "Lovestruck" Brute force has a time and a place; this isn't one of those. "Perhaps that was the wrong question to lead off on; what is your name?" "Vi Myrtal." "What are your hobbies?" "I enjoy hiding and not existing." "Do you have a significant other?" "I'm not married." "Do you plan to be?" "Probably not; people typically don't like me." "Because you're evil?" "Probably." It's somewhat refreshing to meet someone who will tell me up-front where they stand on the moral spectrum; life would be so much more simple if everyone were as honest. "Why exactly are you evil?" "I can't tell you that." "Okay, I'll ask something else; why does being evil require you to watch me?" "Because evil people should stick together." "Are you saying I'm evil?" "Yes." Well, at least she's not a bad judge of character. And I've gotten an answer to my original question, even if it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Whether this girl is truly amoral is up for debate, but one way or another she can see such qualities in me which is why she became so fixated upon noticing me. *page_break Next "I've learned what I need to know." "Okay; can I ask you a question now?" "Depends on the question." "Can we be friends?" *fake_choice #No *set vi_stalker true *set virelationship "One-Sided Obsession" "Oh...too soon?" "I'm not in the habit of making friends." "That's okay; I guess we can just be not-friends together." "I'd rather we be not-friends separately." "Uhm...that'd be a bit harder." "I suggest you give it your best effort, for your own sake." "Okay...I'll try." #Sure *set vi_friend true *set virelationship "Strange Friendship" "That's really, really good." Something about the look in her eye reminds me of the expression some of my old colleagues had whenever one of their shots hit a target in an improbable area like the heart or eye. A mix between satisfaction from hard effort and sadistic glee. "Try not to get too excited. Any relationship with me will probably not end well for you." "Oh, I know. I don't mind though." #I'll think about it *set vi_think true *set virelationship "Complicated" "Oh...how long will that take?" "I'll give you an update when I figure that out." "Thanks, that's pretty considerate of you." *page_break Next Right then, the bell rings and students begin exiting their classrooms, quickly flooding the hallways. "Oh, I guess we're out of time." "It seems that way." *if (vi_friend =true) Vi hugs me quickly before leaving, "I guess I'll see you around!" And then she skips off, merging with the crowd like a natural chameleon. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After parting ways with Vi, I follow her example and make my way to my Language Arts class. #I can easily find her later *set report_lostvi true If I went chasing her now, she'd be prepared and ready. But if I corner her when she thinks she's safe, I'll have an advantage. I know her face, and there are only so many places in this school one can hide; I can easily track her down when she's not prepared. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After she left, the teacher alerted the principal but other than that the rest of the hour went by uneventfully. Once the bell rung, I made my way to my Language Arts class. #Wait, that's the old way of thinking. Just ignore it... *set reflex -1 *set tactics -1 *set humanity +1 If I were in a city engulfed in civil war, that would be one thing. But I'm in a high school, as a high school student. I'm safe here. I just need to remain calm... I push the thoughts that are surely a result of paranoia aside and instead focus on the lesson. Like the previous teachers, Mrs. Winchester opens up with a brief description of what her art class is all about. *page_break Next Time passes and the teacher moves on to explaining the function of different art tools, yet that chill in the back of my neck has yet to go away. Not able to take the anticipation any longer, I briefly look around the room. Right away, I lock eyes with a girl staring right at me. Upon realizing that I've seen her, the girl immediately jumps out of her chair. "I need to use the bathroom!" She shouts, then runs out of the room before the teacher can so much as utter a word of protest. *fake_choice #Odd, but none of my concern *set report_ignoredvi true Whoever that girl is doesn't matter to me. I'm just here to be a high school student after all. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After the incident with the girl, the teacher alerted the principal but other than that the rest of the hour went by uneventfully, to my infinite relief. Once the bell rung, I made my way to my Language Arts class. #I can't just ignore this "I'll go help." I say, copying the tactic used by the girl, and walk out before the teacher can pose any resistance. Shutting the door behind me, I don't catch any sight of her. Whoever she is, she's good at disappearing. *fake_choice #Go to the women's bathroom *set report_lostvi true *if ((male =true) and (met_lucy =false)) *set met_lucy_bathroom true The female's restroom is right there, and it's where she said she was going. I go straight for it. *page_break Next *if (male =true) *set lucy_stein -30 I hurry inside and lock the door behind me to prevent her from escaping. But when I look around, the mysterious girl is nowhere to be found; instead, a completely different female is walking out of a stall. *if (met_lucy =true) "You..." "The student council president..." She doesn't speak at first, instead staring at me with a look that becomes increasingly angry, "What do you think you're doing here?!" "I am looking for a female. Have you seen one enter?" "It's the women's restroom, I'd imagine women would be coming in here! What are you doing here?!" "I am looking a particular female." "What makes you think that gives you the right to come in here?! Why did you lock the door?!" "To keep the female in question from escaping." Her eyes widen, "Exactly what were you planning?!" "I'm mainly making this up as I go along, honestly." "...That's it, I'm calling the office! Get out of my way!" In the end, I never found that elusive female... *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 The principal gave me a lengthy talk about the privacy of women, *if incidents <=1 though he just seemed happy that there was no violence involved this time. *if incidents =0 and a stern warning to not let this happen again. In the end, I got out with minimal consequence and was released by my Language Arts class. *if (female =true) I hurry inside and lock the door behind me to prevent her from escaping. but when I look around, the mysterious girl is nowhere to be found; instead, a completely different female is walking out of a stall. *if (met_lucy =true) "Hm? Oh, it's you; the freshmen, right?" "Student council president..." "You can call me Lucy," she says while washing her hands, "You look kind of Wary. Is everything alright?" *if (met_lucy =false) "Hm? Why do you look so inWary? Is something wrong?" *page_break Next "I am looking for a female." "...I'm guessing you mean a particular one?" "Yes, though I don't know her name." "I'm sure you could just catch up to her during lunch." "It seems I'll have to do that..." By now, the trail is long cold. *page_break Next *if (met_lucy =false) "Well, I hope you find her. By the way, I'm Lucy." She says while turning off the sink, *set lucy_name "Lucy Stein" *set lucyrelationship "Lovestruck" "So, what class do you have right now?" *fake_choice #I have to go *set lucy_stein -10 I quickly leave the bathroom, leaving her standing there without an answer. I have more important things to do; like learning about the different purposes of paintbrushes. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 The teacher gives me a stern talk when I return but otherwise nothing else of interest happens that hour until the bell rings. I still wonder where the girl could have run off to, but if Lucy is to be believed then we'll meet during lunch soon enough. #Art *set lucy_stein +10 "I'm currently in Mrs. Winchester's art class." "Ah, I loved her when I was a freshmen," Lucy muses, "Though, I've never been an art fan myself. I prefer more analytical classes." "I see..." *if (met_lucy =true) "By the way, sorry if I was a bit pushy earlier. I've just been under a lot of stress lately." "Leadership does that..." *page_break Next "So, are you from the middle school?" "Not exactly." "Where then?" "It's a bit of a long story..." "Well, we have the rest of the hour. I don't have anything else..." *page_break Next Just then, the bell rings. "Well, the rest of the hour means a few seconds, apparently." Lucy sighed, "I guess I'll see you later." "Sure..." *set met_lucy true *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8lucyfifth-1 After I go my separate way from Lucy, the next stop is Language Arts. It doesn't take long for me to realize Lucy is going in the exact same direction. #Use my other senses to track her *set met_vi true *set vievil true The bathroom excuse was obviously a way to throw off perusers; I need to find some other way to locate her. For a brief moment, I stop concentrating on what I see and focus more on my auditory senses. Within seconds I have it; a quick succession of footsteps, down the hallway and around a corner. I'm moving right away, determined to not let her get the chance to escape. Whoever the mystery girl was, she was going to explain to me what her purpose was. *page_break Next She's out of breath and leaning against the wall when I find her; apparently my mystery watcher was unaccustomed to physical exertion, meaning she probably wasn't a professional. "Why were you watching me?" She jumps when she hears my voice, swinging around with a look of bewilderment on her face "How did you catch me..." "I asked my question first." She bites her lip, "Uhm...I don't remember." *page_break Next I have heard a lot of bad excuses from prisoners, but I think that might actually be the worst excuse in history. "The odds of that being true are less than 1%." "How do you know? I might have short-term memory loss." "Do you think I'm an idiot?" "No...I think you're very dangerous..." She smiles "What gives that away?" "Well, you could probably kill me right now if you wanted to, right?" "If you are trying to trick me into revealing my capabilities, you will have to try harder than that." *page_break Next "It's okay, you don't need to tell me. I'm evil too, y'know. At least that's what everyone tells me." "You have yet to answer my original question; why were you watching me?" "Well, because I'm evil." *fake_choice #I need answers, quickly If I know anything, it's that everyone has a breaking point. If I just introduce enough pain then she'll talk soon enough. I reach forward and grab onto her throat, forcing her against the lockers with an audible clang as her head bashes against them. "I do not appreciate games." "A-are you going to kill me?" "Maybe, maybe not. But I can guarantee that this will hurt very much if you do not answer my questions in a satisfactory manner. Who are you?" *page_break Next *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" *set virelationship "Abusive" "Vi, Vi Myrtal." "Okay Vi; why were you watching me?" "...Can I tell you later?" *fake_choice #[i]Hit her *set hurtvi true *set vi_myrtal +10 One punch to the stomach knocks the air out of her, leaving her struggling to breath, "Why were you watching me?" Between coughs, she takes the effort to smile at me, "If...if hurting me makes you happy...you can keep doing that..." Well, that will make interrogation much more difficult... #Threaten her *set vi_myrtal +5 I hit the wall by her head, causing her to flinch out of impulse, "Why were you watching me?" "I-I can't tell you..." *fake_choice #Hit her *set vi_myrtal +5 One punch to the stomach knocks the air out of her, leaving her struggling to breath, "You can. And you will." Between coughs, she takes the effort to smile at me, "If...if hurting me makes you happy...you can keep doing that..." #Threaten her again This time I tighten my hold around her throat, reducing her ability to breath. "It would be incredibly easy to snap your neck right now..." Vi grabs onto my hand, yet she remains smiling, "I know..." *page_break Next While her composure is slipping quickly, Vi has remained incredibly tight lipped. Interrogation is proving much more difficult than it should with a victim of this build. *if (destroyed_school_security =false) Then, at just that moment, the security guards round the corner with their tasers out. It appears the office got a view on their security cameras and finally decided to intervene. *page_break Next *if (incidents >1) And so here I am, in the principal's office...again. *if (second_incident =true) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, tapping his finger steadily and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "After the last time, I honestly thought you couldn't possibly surprise me again...congratulations. You found a way." *if (second_incident =false) Principal Gardner sits behind his desk, angrily glaring at me and obviously trying to keep from shouting, "I've been principal of this school for twenty years...you could say I've seen quite a bit in my time. But this..." "She had information that I needed, and it is not like I did any lasting damage." "That is not the point! Do you realize how much trouble you could be in?! You're just lucky Miss. Myrtal has forgone pressing charges!" "Yes...why would she do that..." I ponder *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 The principal continues to rant but after awhile it just starts to become white noise. I spend the time trying to piece together this mystery about this girl, Vi Myrtal. There is definitely something off about her; I send the question to my subconscious while I'm heading to my Language Arts class. *if (destroyed_school_security =true) Then, at just that moment, the bell rings. It seems I'm out of time. I quickly step back before the students begin coming out of their classes, though strangely enough it is Vi who seems hesitant to let go. Before I can even threaten her to remain quiet, she whispers to me, "I guess this'll be our secret..." *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 For some reason, Vi deemed it important that I not get in trouble for hurting her. Another addition to the list of unanswered questions surrounding her; I send the problem to my subconscious while I'm heading to my Language Arts class. #If I just keep talking she'll eventually let something slip *set combat -1 *set explosives -1 *set vi_name "Vi Myrtal" *set vievil true *set virelationship "Lovestruck" Brute force has a time and a place; this isn't one of those. "Perhaps that was the wrong question to lead off on; what is your name?" "Vi Myrtal." "What are your hobbies?" "I enjoy hiding and not existing." "Do you have a significant other?" "I'm not married." "Do you plan to be?" "Probably not; people typically don't like me." "Because you're evil?" "Probably." *page_break Next It's somewhat refreshing to meet someone who will tell me up-front where they stand on the moral spectrum; life would be so much more simple if everyone were as honest. "Why exactly are you evil?" "I can't tell you that." "Okay, I'll ask something else; why does being evil require you to watch me?" "Because evil people should stick together." *page_break Next "Are you saying I'm evil?" "Yes." Well, at least she's not a bad judge of character. And I've gotten an answer to my original question, even if it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Whether this girl is truly amoral is up for debate, but one way or another she can see such qualities in me which is why she became so fixated upon noticing me. *page_break Next "I've learned what I need to know." "Okay; can I ask you a question now?" "Depends on the question." "Can we be friends?" *fake_choice #No *set vi_stalker true *set virelationship "One-Sided Obsession" "Oh...too soon?" "I'm not in the habit of making friends." "That's okay; I guess we can just be not-friends together." "I'd rather we be not-friends separately." *page_break Next "Uhm...that'd be a bit harder." "I suggest you give it your best effort, for your own sake." "Okay...I'll try." #Sure *set vi_friend true *set virelationship "Strange Friendship" "That's really, really good." Something about the look in her eye reminds me of the expression some of my old colleagues had whenever one of their shots hit a target in an improbable area like the heart or eye. A mix between satisfaction from hard effort and sadistic glee. "Try not to get too excited. Any relationship with me will probably not end well for you." "Oh, I know. I don't mind though." #I'll think about it *set vi_think true *set virelationship "Complicated" "Oh...how long will that take?" "I'll give you an update when I figure that out." "Thanks, that's pretty considerate of you." *page_break Next Right then, the bell rings and students begin exiting their classrooms, quickly flooding the hallways. "Oh, I guess we're out of time." "It seems that way." *if (vi_friend =true) Vi hugs me quickly before leaving, "I guess I'll see you around!" And then she skips off, merging with the crowd like a natural chameleon. *page_break Fifth Hour... *goto_scene 1-8fifth-1 After parting ways with Vi, I follow her example and make my way to my Language Arts class.