but quickly regains her composure before it becomes particularly noticeable, returning to the slight smirk of arrogance and aloofness that her face seems to have forged over years of practice. *if (hurt =true) "Well hello there," she says with the same chipper voice she greeted me with the last time we spoke, "I knew you would come eventually! Just couldn't get enough, right?" She adds the last part with a coy wink. "I came to-" "Hey, do you mind if I skim a bit off of your lunch? The food today was absolutely horrid." We've known each other for a day, and she's already asking for my food. Some things never change. *choice #No "No." She didn't seem to expect that, for whatever reason. I don't think she has any reason to be surprised. Food is my lifeblood. Without it, I'll end up a skeleton like her, and eventually waste away into nothingness. Of course I'm not about to just give that kind of stuff away. "I only asked for a little..." "No." *goto 1 #Fine... *set explosives -1 Reluctantly I open my lunchbox to her and set it on the table. She looks like she could definitely use nutrition, she's practically skin and bones, she obviously needs the food more than I do. Despite this, however, she proceeds to pick through my box and setting aside almost everything before looking up at me, "Is this all you have?" "It is all I need. That lunch was specially designed by my handler to provide every nutritional requirement for an adolescent." "But it all just looks so...tasteless. Don't you have anything yummy?" "No." *goto 1 *label 1 "Fine, I guess I'll have to make do with the school lunch," she sighs dramatically while leaning back in her chair, completely ignoring the student at the far side of the table eagerly offering up his own lunch. I am guessing this fear of food might be a contributing factor to why she looks so thin. "So what happened to you? No offense, but you kind of look like crap. Did you get in a fight or something?" She's most likely referring to the marks I received from *if (hurtbybullies =true) the boys in my previous class. Not the worst scars I've received, but at the moment they are the most visible, being both very recent and in my facial area. *if ((hurtbybullies =false )and (hurtbyjason =true)) *if (interrogatebully =true) her romantic partner on my way over here. She appears to be trying to cover up her involvement and play the rescuer card. Reasons unknown at the moment. *if (interrogatebully =false) the boy I encountered on the way over here. Not the worst scars I've received, but at the moment they are the most visible, being both very recent and in my facial area. *if ((hurtbybullies =true) and (hurtbyjason =true)) With those marks combined with the ones I received from *if (interrogatebully =true) her romantic partner on my way over here, I imagine I must look bruised to say the least. *if (interrogatebully =false) the boy I encountered on the way over here, I imagine I must look very bruised to say the least. Unless she's just referring to my general unflattering appearance that I've been told to have, but that's less likely. *fake_choice *if (((hurtbybullies =true) and (hurtbyjason =false)) and (foughtjason =false)) #Tell her what happened Seems best to be honest. *if (interrogatebully =false) I'm not sure what has her so interested. It's unlikely she has any stake in it, or my well being for that matter. Nonetheless, I suppose there isn't any reason to not tell her, so I start from the beginning. *goto hopeandpray *if (interrogatebully =true) No doubt she assumes the markings are from her boyfriend's attempted attack on my person. It is pretty self-centered of her to think she's the only person who has ever wanted me hurt. Still, it would be pointless to reserve the truth from her, so I set the record straight for her to understand. *goto hopeandpray *label hopeandpray "I had an unfortunate encounter while attempting to defuse a situation in my previous class. Some individuals were attempting to intimidate Student Council President Stein and I intervened. Unfortunately my diplomatic attempts were unsuccessful, thus resulting in the markings you see." Obviously by her facial expression, this was not the response she was expecting to get. "Oh, that's, uhm...bad, I guess. Did anything else happen?" "What exactly are you referring to?" "Like...nevermind." She moves on despite the small hiccup, "You must be really tough. Hey, have you met my boyfriend?" Not exactly the most natural of transitions. *if (interrogatebully =true) Evidently she ran out of patience when the conversation did not steer in the direction she was hoping for, and is now forcing it back on track. *choice #Yes, I have *set tactics -1 *set stealth -1 *set dismiss +1 *set jason_name "Jason Stave" *set jessyhostileforlife true *set jessyrelationship "Hostile" "Yes, we met in the hallway. He tried to attack me, so I incapacitated and interrogated him to learn the reason. He told me-" "Hold on, you did [i]what?!" "Incapacitated and interrogated. I estimate about a two month recovery. He was more physically powerful, however he also seemed to have a crippling weakness to-" [i]"Where is he?! Where did you leave Jason?!"[/i] Jason? I see, that must be his name. So far Jessy has been reacting much more frantically than I previously expected considering it was her that sent him out in the first place. Or perhaps that is why she is reacting so frantically. Either way, there's no particular reason to withhold the truth from her. "I imagine he is still in the hallway, presuming he did not find a way to limp his way to the infirmary." Jessy stands so quickly that she almost trips on her own seat, sprinting off toward the hallway. Or at least trying to. Her high heels and tight fitting garments hinder her maximum speed, causing her to stumble most of the way out of the room until she finally leaves my line of sight. Something about what I said seemed to make her panic about Jason's health, at least that is my assumption given the lack of personal care she showed while leaving. After that display, I'm left alone at the table filled with people that I do not know. None of them seem particularly interested in getting to know me either. It creates a somewhat odd image, the way everyone in the lunchroom is talking [i]except[/i] the table of social butterflies, who have all become hyperfocused on their food. I realize pretty quickly that remaining here would be unproductive, and take my leave. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end #No, I have not *set jason_name "Jason Stave" "No, I cannot say that I have." "You really should," she gushes, "He's a real tough guy like you. Big, strong, plays football. Might want to be careful though, he can get really jealous. He once beat up a kid just for talking to me." She pauses a moment and looks at me expectantly for a few seconds. After those seconds come and go, she coughs and continues as if nothing happened, "He also doesn't like talking a whole lot, kind of like you, sometimes it's impossible to get more than three words out of the big lug. He looks like he's just always bored." She pauses once again and looks at me. I'm not sure what she's expecting me to do, but something about my face seems to unnerve her, "Uhm...can you please blink?" "Why?" "It's kind of creepy, the way you're just staring at everything. Like...just how messed up is your face? Did they smash up all your nerves or something?" "That would require surgery, or fire. The latter of which I would in all probability not survive." "I didn't mean literally! Geez, I didn't think I would ever meet someone who looked more dead than Jason, but somehow you managed to pull that off! You definitely have to meet him now. No perhaps, maybes, or buts about it. I'll make sure you two run into each other at some point." I suppose I should refrain from telling her about my previous encounter with him. She'll probably find out on her own anyway, and I would rather not be around when she does. The best kind of problem is one that occurs when you're not around. I sense she's about to say something else, but something outside my peripheral vision takes my attention from her. I recognize the uniforms immediately. Security, and heading straight for our table. The possible reasons for why they would want to speak to me run through my minds. *if (incidents >1) Come to think of it, they probably have a lot of good reasons. *if (incidents <2) I had thought I'd managed to keep collateral damage to a minimum. I had almost been proud of myself until the sight of uniformed officers made me question it. Still, I had no idea what specifically they would want to talk to me about. Probably because, as I would soon learn, I wasn't their intended target for a change. "Miss Stewart, could you come with us please." "What for?" Jessy voices the question that quite a few of our tablemates are wondering themselves, and I have to admit, I'm a bit curious myself. Someone nearby immediately starts asking Jessy if she committed some kind of crime, and somehow that idea seems to take hold and within seconds they're already theorizing before she can even answer the question. She starts to look panicked, perhaps the only facial gesture I've seen so far that doesn't appear carefully constructed. Evidently, this gets the sympathy of the security guard, who immediately steps in to clear up the matter. "It's about your boyfriend, Jason. There's been an accident. We found him bleeding." It seems the found they body I left. So Jason was his name. *if (foughtjason =true) And he was romantically involved with Jessy. Part of me wonders if that had any connection to his motivation for attacking me. Jessy, upon hearing the news, immediately looks at me. She glares, any previous trace of goodwill we might have fostered suddenly gone forever. Without another word to me or anyone else, she gets up and asks the guard to take her to him. And so our brief interaction came to an end. Without Jessy at the table, there's nobody else here that I have any reason to talk to, and none of them seem particularly welcoming to me either. I am the outsider, after all, and a couple of them managed to catch the look Jessy gave me as she marched off. Knowing when I'm not wanted, I quietly excuse myself. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end "No, I cannot say that I have." "You really should," she gushes, "He's a real tough guy like you. Big, strong, plays football. Might want to be careful though, he can get really jealous. He once beat up a kid just for talking to me." She pauses a moment and looks at me expectantly for a few seconds. After those seconds come and go, she coughs and continues as if nothing happened, "He also doesn't like talking a whole lot, kind of like you, sometimes it's impossible to get more than three words out of the big lug. He looks like he's just always bored." She pauses once again and looks at me. I'm not sure what she's expecting me to do, but something about my face seems to unnerve her, "Uhm...can you please blink?" "Why?" "It's kind of creepy, the way you're just staring at everything. Like...just how messed up is your face? Did they smash up all your nerves or something?" "That would require surgery, or fire. The latter of which I would in all probability not survive." "I didn't mean literally! Geez, I didn't think I would ever meet someone who looked more dead than Jason, but somehow you managed to pull that off! You definitely have to meet him now." "...Perhaps." "No perhaps, maybes, or buts about it. I'll make sure you two run into each other at some point." I would probably thank her for being so concerned about my social well being, but she's being so aggressive about it that I can't help but wonder at some ulterior motive. It's clear that my opinion on the matter is of very little relevance to how this will play out. "Very well." She continues talking as if I hadn't responded. The details of which run over my head. I pick out something about her opinion of the political situation of the school, but the rest is garbled nonsense to me. Just as I'm about to let it slide and, finally, begin eating my meal, the bell rings overhead. It seems I've run out of time. "Oh pooh," Jessy exclaims with mock disappointment, "I guess we'll just have to talk later. I'm really looking forward to it," she says with a wink and a grin as she skips off cheerfully. I can't really match her enthusiasm after having to miss my meal. I suppose I'll just have to eat while walking. *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 *if (foughtjason =true) #Tell her the whole story *goto fuckinghatred *if ((hurtbybullies =true) and (hurtbyjason =true)) #Tell her the whole story *label fuckinghatred *set stealth -1 *set tactics -1 "Some of them I received in my previous class, in an unfortunate encounter with some individuals attempting to intimidate Student Council President Stein. Others, I received from an individual I was confronted with on my way to this lunchroom." "Oh wow, that sounds like such an interesting story! Would you talk about it?" "I suppose. I walked into class and-" She interrupts before I can even begin speaking, "No! The other one!" *if (interrogatebully =true) and (jasonrelationship !="Grateful") "...There isn't much of a story. He punched me, we talked, and he told me about how you put him up to it." She winces when I speak as if I had somehow physically assaulted her with my words. I do not believe I have that power, or at least, if I do, then I should have been made aware of it a long time ago as that would have been incredibly useful. Having access to sonic warfare is unlikely, it is far more likely that something in the words I spoke caused her a great deal of discomfort. "He...uh, he told you that, huh?" "Yes." "Well, I'm sure he was talking about some other Jessy-" "No, he described you rather accurately, and I probably would have been able to tell if he was lying." People start whispering around the table, whispers that Jessy seem very aware of and very infuriated by. Jessy immediately stands up in a sharp motion. I instinctively stand up the moment I notice her movements, simultaneously standing at the ready as she does. Though in her case, her reason for standing seems to be less about defense. "You! Come with me!" She shouts at me, and then walks off in a stormy rage. Nobody follows us as we leave the lunchroom. Away from any possible witnesses. While moving, I make sure to maintain a distance of exactly 15ft and keep an eye on her hands, which remain clenched into fists swinging at her side. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She screeches when we are finally outside the audible range of the lunchroom. There are probably a number of character traits I possess that she could be referring to, so I choose the safest answer. "Explain." "Why were you embarrassing Jason like that?! You were supposed to play along, idiot!" "Are you saying I was supposed to lie?" "Yes!" Westerners are confusing on the topic of lying. The talking vegetables on the tv shows Daniel showed me said that lying was bad, Daniel said lying was good if done right, and now this girl is saying that lying is just flat out good. With this level of infighting, it's a wonder the United States hasn't fallen already. "I was not aware you wanted me to lie." "Weren't aware?! You...you...baka!" "Sumimasen." "...What?" "I apologize, I thought we were speaking Japanese now." "You're making fun of me! Stop it! I hate you!" *choice #That's a shame *set tactics -1 *set explosives -1 *set combat -1 *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" "That is unfortunate, because I like you very much." Jessy's face takes on a strange red color and she begins screaming at me. "You...you stupid pig! Stupid pig man, ruining everything! Go away!" She then proceeds to turn on her heel and march back into the lunchroom, thus removing the need for me to go anywhere. "Until next time then, Jessy Stewart." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 #She isn't exactly my favorite person either *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" "It really must be difficult being you," I say, utilizing the weapon of sarcasm. "Shut up, you...stupid pig man! You ruin everything! Go away." She then proceeds to turn on her heel and march back into the lunchroom, thus removing the need for me to go anywhere. Leaving me alone. "Until next time then, Jessy Stewart." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 *if (jasonrelationship ="Grateful") *goto fuckthisscene *else *label killjessy *set jason_name "Jason Stave" *set jessyhostileforlife true *set jasonhostileforlife true *set jessyrelationship "Hostile" *set jasonrelationship "Hostile" *set dismiss +1 "...We met in the hallway. He was about to attack me to I attacked preemptively, but he was stronger than anticipated and I made a tactical error in attacking from the front. I was eventually able to incapacitate him through violence." "Hold on, you did [i]what?!" "Incapacitated through violence. I estimate about a three month recovery. He was more physically powerful, however he also seemed to have a crippling weakness to-" [i]"Where is he?! Where did you leave Jason?!"[/i] Jason? I see, that must be his name. So far Jessy has been reacting much more frantically than I previously expected considering it was her that sent him out in the first place. Or perhaps that is why she is reacting so frantically. Either way, there's no particular reason to withhold the truth from her. "I imagine he is still in the hallway, presuming he did not find a way to limp his way to the infirmary." Jessy stands so quickly that she almost trips on her own seat, sprinting off toward the hallway. Or at least trying to. Her high heels and tight fitting garments hinder her maximum speed, causing her to stumble most of the way out of the room until she finally leaves my line of sight. Something about what I said seemed to make her panic about Jason's health, at least that is my assumption given the lack of personal care she showed while leaving. After that display, I'm left alone at the table filled with people that I do not know. None of them seem particularly interested in getting to know me either. It creates a somewhat odd image, the way everyone in the lunchroom is talking [i]except[/i] the table of social butterflies, who have all become hyperfocused on their food. I realize pretty quickly that remaining here would be unproductive, and take my leave. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end *if (foughtjason =true) #Tell her what happened in the hallway *goto fuckinggenius *if ((hurtbybullies =false) and (hurtbyjason =true)) #Tell her what happened in the hallway *label fuckinggenius *set tactics -1 *set stealth -1 I received these wounds from an individual I was confronted with on my way to this lunchroom." "Oh wow, that sounds like such an interesting story! Would you talk about it?" *if (foughtjason =true) *set jason_name "Jason Stave" *set jessyhostileforlife true *set jasonhostileforlife true *set jessyrelationship "Hostile" *set jasonrelationship "Hostile" *set dismiss +1 "...We met in the hallway. He was about to attack me to I attacked preemptively, but he was stronger than anticipated and I made a tactical error in attacking from the front. I was eventually able to incapacitate him through violence." "Hold on, you did [i]what?!" "Incapacitated through violence. I estimate about a three month recovery. He was more physically powerful, however he also seemed to have a crippling weakness to-" [i]"Where is he?! Where did you leave Jason?!"[/i] Jason? I see, that must be his name. So far Jessy has been reacting much more frantically than I previously expected considering it was her that sent him out in the first place. Or perhaps that is why she is reacting so frantically. Either way, there's no particular reason to withhold the truth from her. "I imagine he is still in the hallway, presuming he did not find a way to limp his way to the infirmary." Jessy stands so quickly that she almost trips on her own seat, sprinting off toward the hallway. Or at least trying to. Her high heels and tight fitting garments hinder her maximum speed, causing her to stumble most of the way out of the room until she finally leaves my line of sight. Something about what I said seemed to make her panic about Jason's health, at least that is my assumption given the lack of personal care she showed while leaving. After that display, I'm left alone at the table filled with people that I do not know. None of them seem particularly interested in getting to know me either. It creates a somewhat odd image, the way everyone in the lunchroom is talking [i]except[/i] the table of social butterflies, who have all become hyper focused on their food. I realize pretty quickly that remaining here would be unproductive, and take my leave. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end *if (interrogatebully =true) and (jasonrelationship ="Grateful") *label fuckthisscene "...There isn't much of a story. He punched me, we talked, and he told me about how you put him up to it." She winces when I speak as if I had somehow physically assaulted her with my words. I do not believe I have that power, or at least, if I do, then I should have been made aware of it a long time ago as that would have been incredibly useful. Having access to sonic warfare is unlikely, it is far more likely that something in the words I spoke caused her a great deal of discomfort. "He...uh, he told you that, huh?" "Yes." "Well, I'm sure he was talking about some other Jessy-" "No, he described you rather accurately, and I probably would have been able to tell if he was lying." People start whispering around the table, whispers that Jessy seem very aware of and very infuriated by. Jessy immediately stands up in a sharp motion. I instinctively stand up the moment I notice her movements, simultaneously standing at the ready as she does. Though in her case, her reason for standing seems to be less about defense. "You! Come with me!" She shouts at me, and then walks off in a stormy rage. Nobody follows us as we leave the lunchroom. Away from any possible witnesses. While moving, I make sure to maintain a distance of exactly 15ft and keep an eye on her hands, which remain clenched into fists swinging at her side. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She screeches when we are finally outside the audible range of the lunchroom. There are probably a number of character traits I possess that she could be referring to, so I choose the safest answer. "Explain." "Why were you embarrassing Jason like that?! You were supposed to play along, idiot!" "Are you saying I was supposed to lie?" "Yes!" Westerners are confusing on the topic of lying. The talking vegetables on the tv shows Daniel showed me said that lying was bad, Daniel said lying was good if done right, and now this girl is saying that lying is just flat out good. With this level of infighting, it's a wonder the United States hasn't fallen already. "I was not aware you wanted me to lie." "Weren't aware?! You...you...baka!" "Sumimasen." "...What?" "I apologize, I thought we were speaking Japanese now." "You're making fun of me! Stop it! I hate you!" *choice #That's a shame *set combat -1 *set explosives -1 *set tactics -1 *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" "That is unfortunate, because I like you very much." Jessy's face takes on a strange red color and she begins screaming at me. "You...you stupid pig! Stupid pig man, ruining everything! Go away!" She then proceeds to turn on her heel and march back into the lunchroom, thus removing the need for me to go anywhere. "Until next time then, Jessy Stewart." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 #She isn't exactly my favorite person either *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" "It really must be difficult being you," I say, utilizing the weapon of sarcasm. "Shut up, you...stupid pig man! You ruin everything! Go away." She then proceeds to turn on her heel and march back into the lunchroom, thus removing the need for me to go anywhere. Leaving me alone. "Until next time then, Jessy Stewart." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 *else *goto killjessy #Dodge the question *set dismiss +1 I remember Daniel taught me an old CIA trick for when people ask uncomfortable questions. He said that if someone asks something you cannot answer, sneezing will trigger their politeness instinct to bless you and thus forget what they had just asked, nine times out of ten. I try my best to simulate the sound of a sneeze. Someone outside my field of vision blesses me, but Jessy looks down at the spot in front of me with a hint of disgust. "Did you just sneeze in my food?!" I look down at the tray across the table in front of me. I suppose that must have been hers. I confess, I hadn't been paying attention to that particular detail. Though the food is still clearly edible so I don't see how this could make too drastic of an impact, "That's disgusting! There's, like, diseases and stuff! Ew!" "Your immune system should be strong enough to digest any..." "Get the hell away from me! Gawd!" Given her verbal communication and her associates' nonverbal communication, it seems that I have been dismissed from the table. At least I didn't have to answer a question. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end *if (hurt =false) "Well hello there," she says with the same chipper voice she greeted me with the last time we spoke, "I knew you would come eventually! Just couldn't get enough, right?" She adds the last part with a coy wink. "I came to-" "Hey, do you mind if I skim a bit off of your lunch? The food today was absolutely horrid." We've known each other for a day, and she's already asking for my food. Some things never change. *fake_choice #No "No." She didn't seem to expect that, for whatever reason. I don't think she has any reason to be surprised. Food is my lifeblood. Without it, I'll end up a skeleton like her, and eventually waste away into nothingness. Of course I'm not about to just give that kind of stuff away. "I only asked for a little..." "No." #Fine... *set explosives -1 Reluctantly I open my lunchbox to her and set it on the table. She looks like she could definitely use nutrition, she's practically skin and bones, she obviously needs the food more than I do. Despite this, however, she proceeds to pick through my box and setting aside almost everything before looking up at me, "Is this all you have?" "It is all I need. That lunch was specially designed by my handler to provide every nutritional requirement for an adolescent." "But it all just looks so...tasteless. Don't you have anything yummy?" "No." "Fine, I guess I'll have to make do with the school lunch," she sighs dramatically while leaning back in her chair, completely ignoring the student at the far side of the table eagerly offering up his own lunch. I am guessing this fear of food might be a contributing factor to why she looks almost ready to fall apart. I sense she's about to say something else, but something outside my peripheral vision takes my attention from her. *if ((interrogatebully =false) and (foughtjason =false)) *set met_jason true The boy from earlier, the one I saw in the hallway. He stops when he sees me sitting at the table. I keep my eyes on him, sensing the most likely threat of his presence and watching his body, analyzing his movements. That's all that happens for a moment. Over time, the others sitting at the table notice the tension in the air and quiet down, watching the two of us. Partly dreading, but underneath that surface, eager to see what excitement might come. Not too unlike confrontations at my old workplace. "Uhm...have you two met?" Jessy intervenes with a question. "No," he says, "Never." *fake_choice #Tell the truth *set jason_name "Jason Stave" *set jasonrelationship "Tense" "Not formally at least, although he was looking for me earlier. I sensed hostile intent and made careful work to avoid him." Nobody says anything. Jessy's hand comes up to her face and the boy shuffles in his place. It seems I did something to make the setting uncomfortable, not entirely sure what though. "You must have had me mistaken with someone else." "He matched your appearance exactly. I have excellent recall when it comes to individuals." "Well you're wrong, this is my boyfriend, Jason!" Jessy says and then pauses as if expecting something. "Jason, is there a reason why you wished to attack me?" Jessy immediately stands up in a sharp motion. I instinctively stand up the moment I notice her movements, simultaneously standing at the ready as she does. Though in her case, her reason for standing seems to be less about defense. "You! Come with me!" She shouts at me, and then walks off as if expecting me to follow. *choice #Go with her I know more about her than I do anyone else at the table, and there's more for the two of us to talk about than anyone else. Going with her seems the logical option. Nobody follows us as we leave the lunchroom. Away from any possible witnesses. While moving, I make sure to maintain a distance of exactly 15ft and keep an eye on her hands, which remain clenched into fists swinging at her side. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She screeches when we are finally outside the audible range of the lunchroom. There are probably a number of character traits I possess that she could be referring to, so I choose the safest answer. "Explain." "Why were you embarrassing Jason like that?! You were supposed to play along, idiot!" "Are you saying I was supposed to lie?" "Yes!" Westerners are confusing on the topic of lying. The talking vegetables on the tv shows Daniel showed me said that lying was bad, Daniel said lying was good if done right, and now this girl is saying that lying is just flat out good. With this level of infighting, it's a wonder the United States hasn't fallen already. "I was not aware you wanted me to lie." "Weren't aware?! You...you...baka!" "Sumimasen." "...What?" "I apologize, I thought we were speaking Japanese now." "You're making fun of me! Stop it! I hate you!" *choice #That's a shame *set combat -1 *set explosives -1 *set tactics -1 *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" "That is unfortunate, because I like you very much." Jessy's face takes on a strange red color and she begins screaming at me. "You...you stupid pig! Stupid pig man, ruining everything! Go away!" She then proceeds to turn on her heel and march back into the lunchroom, thus removing the need for me to go anywhere. "Until next time then, Jessy Stewart." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 #She isn't exactly my favorite person either *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" "It really must be difficult being you," I say, utilizing the weapon of sarcasm. "Shut up, you...stupid pig man! You ruin everything! Go away." She then proceeds to turn on her heel and march back into the lunchroom, thus removing the need for me to go anywhere. Leaving me alone. "Until next time then, Jessy Stewart." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 #Stick around *set jessyrelationship "Annoyed" I'm not sure why she expected me to go off with her. I haven't even gotten a chance to eat my food yet. Before she gets too far, Jessy looks behind her and realizes my absence, then is presented with a choice between awkwardly going back and sitting down or continuing with her chosen course of action and marching off in anger. She chooses the latter. "You really don't like making things easy," Jason says in a tired voice, seemingly drained of the ability to care. "I was asking an honest question." "Right, well, honest suggestion. Next time you have something to say, keeping quiet might be a better option. Trust me, it's a lot easier that way." When in doubt, remain silent. Useful survival technique. He doesn't have to tell me anything about it. I know all about keeping quiet when necessary. When an officer is talking to a client, you're supposed to stand there and look intimidating, or kill someone if things end up going that way. Under no circumstances, however, are you expected to speak. When dealing with an officer in general, silence was always the best policy. They had the power of life and death. Their decisions decided entire futures, or lack thereof. But none of these individuals were officers, and they lacked that particular power. "I will make that decision on my own." Jason looks at me for a moment, then eventually just sighs defeatedly, "Fine, whatever. Just be careful about not getting lost in the hallways." *page_break Sixth hour... *goto_scene 1-10sixth-1 #Play along *set jason_name "Jason Stave" *set explosives -1 *set jessyrelationship "Confused" *set jasonrelationship "Confused" I nod in agreement. Not the first time I've lied to maintain a story for someone else. When I acted as a bodyguard for my previous employer, I occasionally had to sit in during his 'business meetings.' For obvious reasons, in that line of work, the truth was a liability, and I quickly grew to understand that the truth was whatever my employer said the truth was. Much like this situation. What actually happened is irrelevant. He has decided the truth is that this is the first time I have ever laid eyes on the boy in front of me. "Right, thought so," Jessy replies, sharing a form of knowing smirk with myself and the boy. Was there a communication that I missed? She seems to believe the story almost immediately, and the way she acts afterward by steering the dialogue toward something involving other members of their social circle. Either she is unnaturally trusting of the boy, or she has a stake in the fantasy being true. Yet how would she know? "By the way, this is Jason," Jessy says to me, "We're in love. Isn't that right, J.J?" "Sure," Jason shrugs, only paying half attention to the conversation. "It's like, fate or some shit. Just thought you should know," she says with a tone of voice indicating that there's supposed to be some deeper meaning. A change in pitch as the words form from the vibrations of her vocal cords that is distinctly different from how she has been talking up until this point. For some reason, she wanted me to notice those words. My mind immediately begins studying exactly what she said. The most loaded words: Jason, love, fate, and shit. If I'm going off of the assumption that she's trying to communicate some form of covert message, it probably has something to do with those. This process frustrates me, I'm not particularly good with codes, it never really became relevant until my time with the Western Cell of our organization, and as such I never really practiced it diligently. Still, I might just know enough. Jason, love, fate, shit. Could it have something to do with the first letters? JLFS? Might be an acronym. Hold on, I remember that she said something about them being inside of love, could that be relevant to the code? Inside of Love was the title of a song released by a rock band in the early 2000s. An obscure fact, why did I remember that? Then it hits me, the name of one of the singers of that band was Daniel Lorca. The last name is incidental, but the first, the very same name as my handler. It becomes clear to me, Jessy might just be trying to insinuate some sort of connection between Jason and Daniel. But then what about the other two words, fate and shit? "Uh, hello? Earth to whoever? Are you alright?" Jessy is talking to me, it seems I've run out of time to analyze. I need to act. Now. *choice #Demand to know the connection between Jason and Daniel *set tactics -1 "I see, I believe I understand what you were trying to say," I respond to Jessy "What I was trying to- what? What are you talking about?" It seems she is trying to continue being subtle. "No matter. Further input from you is unnecessary." "What did you just-" "Jason," I say while standing, "I am not adept at social subtlety so I will instead ask directly. What have you done with Daniel? *if (daniel_father =true) Tell me immediately, with clear and precise wording, and if he has been unharmed then I shall allow you to live. If he is not, then everything you value shall become forfeit." *if (daniel_father =false) I need you to answer clearly and concisely. His well-being is important to my placement here." "...What the fuck are you talking about?" Jessy speaks out, which comes as a surprise. Shouldn't she understand the situation better than anyone. She is the one who gave me the hint after all. "Your message indicated there was a connection between Jason and Daniel. I am acting accordingly." Jason, for his part, looks more tired than anything. "Look pal, you're obviously on something, so why don't we all just sit down, okay? No reason to make a big deal out of anything." "Perhaps, if you tell me what you have done with Daniel." "What message are you even talking about? I didn't send you any kind of message!" Jessy. "A few moments ago you accentuated your words to indicate a connection between Jason and the phrase Inside of Love, of which a person named Daniel is a member, and who shares the name of my guardian. Do you not remember?" "I was talking about how me and Jason are in love! Idiot!" She could be telling the truth. Then again, it could just be a ploy to cover up a conjoined attack against Daniel. *choice #I'll call Daniel to be sure *set dismiss +1 *set humanity +1 *set hatedan -1 *set frienddan +1 "I will be the judge of that." I immediately pull out my phone and navigate the strange box until Daniel's speed dial comes up. From there it's an easy click to begin ringing his personal line. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings. "What is it?" He finally answered. He's breathing hard, but not excessively, indicating the aftermath of a successful physical altercation. "Are you unharmed? Has someone attacked you?" "Attacked me?" He pauses a moment, "No, nobody has attacked me. I'm just doing some work for the agency. Is there something wrong?" I look at Jessy and Jason, "No. Nothing is wrong." "In that case, please don't call while I'm working unless it's an emergency. Enjoy your classes." Click. "He is unharmed." Jessy rolls her eyes in a clockwise manner, "How wonderful. Anything else to add?" "No." "In that case, ba bye," she says while waving me away. It appears I am no longer welcome in this table. I look at Jason, and he seems to have forgotten my existence, instead focusing on his lunch tray. There's nothing here for me anymore. *page_break Next *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end #I'm probably being paranoid *set dismiss +1 *set reflex -1 "Of course. There is nothing wrong." "Glad we could clear that up then," Jessy rolls her eyes in a clockwise manner, "How wonderful. Anything else to add?" "No." "In that case, ba bye," she says while waving me away. It appears I am no longer welcome in this table. I look at Jason, and he seems to have forgotten my existence, instead focusing on his lunch tray. There's nothing here for me anymore. *page_break Next *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end #Tactical retreat! *set dismiss +1 Her latest message makes me realize, the earlier message was just to get my attention. Daniel isn't the one in danger. It's me! I quickly take multiple steps away from the table. "I should go," is the only explanation I offer. Any longer puts me at further risk. I receive odd looks, but nobody pursues. Jason retakes the seat I left behind, and nobody else stands to take his place, meaning I am able to leave the effective range of the table and am once again left alone. It appears I managed to avert a crisis. Who knows what might have happened if I stuck around? As it stands, I'm now left alone in the lunchroom. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end *if ((interrogatebully =true) or (foughtjason =true)) *set dismiss +1 *set jason_name "Jason Stave" *set jasonhostileforlife true *set jessyhostileforlife true *set jessyrelationship "Hostile" *set jasonrelationship "Hostile" *comment guards come, take Jessy away to talk about her boyfriend being hurt. Leads to a dismiss. I recognize the uniforms immediately. Security, and heading straight for our table. The possible reasons for why they would want to speak to me run through my minds. *if (incidents >1) Come to think of it, they probably have a lot of good reasons. *if (incidents <2) I had thought I'd managed to keep collateral damage to a minimum. I had almost been proud of myself until the sight of uniformed officers made me question it. Still, I had no idea what specifically they would want to talk to me about. Probably because, as I would soon learn, I wasn't their intended target for a change. "Miss Stewart, could you come with us please." "What for?" Jessy voices the question that quite a few of our tablemates are wondering themselves, and I have to admit, I'm a bit curious myself. Someone nearby immediately starts asking Jessy if she committed some kind of crime, and somehow that idea seems to take hold and within seconds they're already theorizing before she can even answer the question. She starts to look panicked, perhaps the only facial gesture I've seen so far that doesn't appear carefully constructed. Evidently, this gets the sympathy of the security guard, who immediately steps in to clear up the matter. "It's about your boyfriend, Jason. There's been an accident. We found him bleeding." It seems the found they body I left. So Jason was his name. *if (foughtjason =true) And he was romantically involved with Jessy. Part of me wonders if that had any connection to his motivation for attacking me. Jessy, upon hearing the news, immediately looks at me. She glares, any previous trace of goodwill we might have fostered suddenly gone forever. Without another word to me or anyone else, she gets up and asks the guard to take her to him. And so our brief interaction came to an end. Without Jessy at the table, there's nobody else here that I have any reason to talk to, and none of them seem particularly welcoming to me either. I am the outsider, after all, and a couple of them managed to catch the look Jessy gave me as she marched off. Knowing when I'm not wanted, I quietly excuse myself. *if (dismiss =1) *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1dismissed *else *goto_scene 1-9lunch-1end