*temp jessyandlucy false *comment Are you going to the mall with Lucy to meet with Jessy? *temp nahjunior false *comment Did you tell Junior you're going to meet with Jessy at the mall? *temp fuckoffvi false *comment When Vi helped you with Junior, did you tell her to go away? *temp vialreadyhere false *comment are you already talking to Vi when making the call? *temp vidrive false *comment Is Vi coming with you on the drive? *temp snubbedjessy false *comment Did you agree to go to the mall with Jessy, then go with Lucy without telling her? The school day is over seemingly just as it was beginning. It feels strange to think that I just watched eight hours of my life fly by with barely a thought. Almost sleep walking through it. At the start of the year, all these hallways seemed unexplored. These faces unfamiliar, hiding something. Everything made me feel alert, constantly on edge. Now, everything has become so familiar. That should make it feel more welcoming. More at home. Yet if anything, I feel more isolated than ever. All these empty faces, conversations about topics that I can barely conceptualize. Just play long, pretend to listen. Pretend to understand what they're talking about. Always lying. How was your day? I'm fine. How are you feeling? I'm fine. Anything you want to do? I'm fine. I'm fine. Just fine. Always fine. Don't know what else I could say. What could I say that anyone here would understand? What could I say about myself that wouldn't immediately destroy whatever mockery of a relationship I've been able to build? Walking through the crowd. I might as well be walking through a desert for how isolated I am. Every carefree smile I see is a reminder of how I don't belong here. I don't recognize the feel of the sun on my skin as I step out of the building. Too tempered, too soft. Too kind. Since when has the sun ever been kind? Since when has it ever brought anything other than sunburn, sweat, and dehydration? It's a strange kind of betrayal, to feel the sudden kiss of a long-hated enemy. In contrast to the warm sun, there's the biting chill of the winter winds. At least the wind is as hostile as ever. The snow that had looked like a blanket over the streets when it first appeared has become black with soot and mush, packed down by tires and footprints. When it hasn't just been pushed aside, clumping up around sidewalks and paths. I'm a little bit ahead of my so-called peers in the charge out the doorway. Keeping to the side, out of sight, as they exit out into the open world. Scattering in all directions. Across the field, along the sidewalks, at the curb and into cars. Most of them in groups. Most of them smiling. For whatever reason. [i]"Hey *if (male =true) [i]brother," *if (female =true) [i]sister," [i] I hear as he sits next to me. Crouching. "There you are. Been looking for you." "I…" [i]"Hey," he looks around before whispering. "I managed to catch a stray dog. Hid it under some rocks. What do you say about cooking it up tonight?" *fake_choice #I'm sorry... *set humanity +1 "…I'm really sorry." I tell him, "I really am." *if (hiredlucy =true) "For…what exactly?" I look again, and see Miss Stein looking at me with an expression that seems a mix between confusion, irritation, and concern. Odd mixture. *label lucy *set lucyconcern +1 "…Nothing." I inform her, "Did you need something?" "Actually, I was just coming over to tell you that I [i]don't[/i] need anything." She tells me, "My driver is over in the lot. I'll be running some minor errands before heading home." She doesn't say anything else. And there's a second where neither of us are saying anything. *choice #"Okay." "Okay," I respond. She stands there awkwardly for a little bit longer. "Yeah, minor errands. Nothing important, really. Just some shopping for winter clothes. You know, so I don't wear the same jacket every day." "Okay." She stands for a little bit longer. "And…probably get a new phone. I've been meaning to for a while." "Okay." "…And, depending on how long it takes, probably get some food, too. The mall's food court is pretty decent." *choice #Okay *label okay "Okay." She stands there for a little bit, before scoffing and turning away. "Just letting you know," is all she says before leaving me behind. …Okay. *goto over *selectable_if (tactics <85) #Does she want me to ask her something? *set tactics -1 *set combat -1 *set firearms -1 "…Do you need something?" "No, no," she says, waving the question off. "I was just letting you know my plans." "…Okay." She's quiet again. I'm starting to wonder if something might be wrong with her. Or if she's afraid of something. Haven't picked up on any hidden messages. Although she does keep mentioning the mall. To 'go shopping.' What's so special about the mall? Other than she's going to it? Does she suspect an ambush? If so, why not simply take me along? Maybe she's trying to warn me away from the mall. But then, warn against what? In my tenure as bodyguard, we haven't faced any kind of attack. And again, I fail to see why she couldn't just tell me straight out. Unless our location is inconvenient and insecure for discussing tactical matters…but then, why hasn't she brought it up at all in the entire day we've been spending together? Or why not text it to me? *if (jessyshopping =true) Or wait…does this have something to do with my planned 'shopping' trip with Jessy Stewart? "…Would you like to come with me?" Oh, now she's asking me along. …Emphasis on asking. Not ordering. So it has nothing to do with protection duties. "Why?" "Just…if you want to. My treat. I know how much you like food. Especially of the free variety." … … … Okay, I'm lost. What the hell is she trying to say? *choice *if (jessyshopping =false) #Sure, I guess? *set reflex -1 *set stealth -1 "Okay." I say, standing up. "Lead the way." "Right," she nods. "Good. Come on, you can ride with me." *goto mallwithLucy #This is too complicated. I'm leaving. "I should go home." I tell her. "Daniel doesn't like when I take a long time getting home." "Alright, fair enough." Lucy says stiffly. "Goodbye." And then she's walking away toward her car. Driver waiting. Seems she couldn't leave fast enough. *goto over *if (jessyshopping =true) #I'm actually already going to the mall. *set jessyandlucy true "I'm actually already going to the mall." Judging by the expression Lucy makes, this might be the response that Lucy was least prepared for. "You are? Why on Earth would you do that?" "Jessy Stewart invited me." "Okay…new question. Why on Earth would you go anywhere with Jessy Stewart?" "I am not certain. But she invited me, so I will go." "Okay then…" She says, slowly. "How about we go together then?" "You want to spend time with Jessy Stewart? I never pictured you two as friends." She smiles. Forced. "Your friends are my friends." "I wouldn't exactly call us friends, more…acquaintances. Classmates." "All the more reason for us to go together." She smiles again, this time with a bit more…cockiness. "You usually want to bring backup when going into unknown territory, right?" She's got me there. *fake_choice #And it's not like I can say no #Maybe this won't go wrong *goto mallwithLucy #"Bye, then." "Bye, then." She stands there for a little bit, before scoffing and turning away. "Just letting you know," is all she says before leaving me behind. …Okay. *goto over *if (tobyfriend =true) "Uhh…for what?" I look again, and see Toby standing there with a concerned look. "Are you okay? You were kind of spacing out." *label toby *set tobyconcern +1 "…Nothing." I inform him, "Did you need something?" He points with his thumb over at that group of friends I'm always seeing him with. Standing around and watching us from the sidewalk. "I was just wondering if you wanted to walk home with us." "We don't live in the same place." "I don't mean all the way home," he explains. "Just most of the way. It's the same general direction, at least, right?" "Why would you want that?" He laughs. "Cause…it'd be nice? I didn't think I needed a more complicated reason than that." *choice *selectable_if ((firearms <80) and (stealth <80)) #That [i]would[/i] be nice... *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 It's not often I do something just because it'd be 'nice.' Looking at the company, I don't know Toby's friends all that well. Mostly they've been in the background and ignored by me, and they've kindly returned the favor. But talking with Toby has been…enjoyable. I should. "…Yes." "Great!" Toby exclaims, "Come on! We should go before they leave us behind!" *goto walkingwithtoby #I [i]want[/i] to, but... *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 It's not often I do something just because it'd be 'nice.' Looking at the company, I don't know Toby's friends all that well. Mostly they've been in the background and ignored by me, and they've kindly returned the favor. But talking with Toby has been…enjoyable. I should. "I…can't." "You sure?" He doesn't take it personally. Or get angry. Overall, disappointed but accepting. "You might enjoy yourself." I might…I probably would. I should. I want to. "No…I mean…sorry, I can't." "Alright. Maybe some other time. Later!" He goes off on his way. Back to his friends. Walking off. Without me. Leaving me behind… "Please come back…" I whisper. Nobody hears. Nobody's listening. I'm alone… *choice #I could call Daniel for a ride home... It would definitely beat walking... *goto call *if (frequent =true) #I guess I could still go to Junior's There ought to be some fights going at the hangout already Sounds good. I need to hit someone. *goto Juniorhangout *if (jessyshopping =true) #I need to meet Jessy at the mall anyway *goto mallwithJessy *if (jessyshopping =true) #Already have plans (I did promise to go shopping with Jessy) "Can't." I inform him, "Already have plans." "No problem," he shrugs. Still smiling. "Maybe some other time. Later!" Nothing against Toby personally. But he's not particularly the kind of person I'd rather spend my free time hanging around. I've apparently got shopping to do. *goto mallwithJessy *if (juniorhostileforlife =false) and (juniordistance =false) #I'm not heading straight home (going to Junior's hangout) "Can't." I inform him, "Already have plans." "No problem," he shrugs. Still smiling. "Maybe some other time. Later!" Nothing against Toby personally. But he's not particularly the kind of person I'd rather spend my free time hanging around. Different worlds, mostly. He walks with his friends back home, laughing and chatting the entire way. A nice, conflict-free group activity. I guess I don't really belong in that group. The people I call friends are a bit…rougher. *goto Juniorhangout #I was just about to call Daniel to give me a ride "Can't." I inform him, "Already have plans." "No problem," he shrugs. Still smiling. "Maybe some other time. Later!" Nothing against Toby personally. But he's not particularly the kind of person I'd rather spend my free time hanging around. Different worlds, mostly. He walks with his friends back home, laughing and chatting the entire way. A nice, conflict-free group activity. I'd probably just spoil the mood, somehow…better this way. *label call I pick up my phone and tap Daniel's name. Listening to it ring several times. "Over already?" "Yes." "Well, I'm a bit busy at the moment," Daniel mutters on the other line. Clearly distracted with something, like he usually is. "It may be a bit…actually, I could ask Kenneth to drop by. That sound good?" *choice #I'd rather wait "I would rather wait here. How long will you be?" "A couple hours, at least. It's better if Kenneth does it, he shouldn't be very far at all." "…I see." I reply, "I guess I will do that. See you later." "Bye." He says, and I hear the phone click without any ceremony. Efficient as always. *choice #I was...really hoping he'd pick me up *set humanity +1 *set firearms -1 *set tactics -1 I can't help but feel disappointed. Though, I can't say it stings much. I've never been very good at hoping for things. Never get attached to something, especially not an idea. Spend your life looking forward to things, waste your life being frequently disappointed. Alone…as always. *goto nothingforit #I guess it's easier this way I guess even here, there's no transportation more reliable than your own two feet. Nothing else to do. I slip on the straps of my bright green backback and start marching through the snow. Alone…as always. *goto nothingforit #Sure, sounds good "Sure." Better than walking. "Alright, I'll call him. Shouldn't be more than an hour. See you in a bit." "Bye." I say, and I hear the phone click without any ceremony. Efficient as always. *label nothingforit *if (vialreadyhere =true) *goto backtovi Nothing for it. I sit back against the walls of the school. Watching as everyone else leaves the courtyard, one by one. The winter winds continue to blow around me. Occasionally kicking up scattered snow. Even bundled up as I am, I can feel it creeping on me. Stinging. Not sure I'll ever get used to it. Feels like if I sit still for too long, I'll never be able to move again. Like I'm being frozen in place. *if (vi_friend =false) or (fuckoffvi =true) *goto empty *if (vi_friend =true) Until I notice one of those kids moving in the courtyard start moving toward me. "Hi there." "Hey Vi." She sits down next to me. A bit closer than I'm usually comfortable, but the extra body heat is hard to say no to. "Is Daniel coming?" "No." "Aw." She whines dispassionately. "So…what are we sitting for?" "A friend of his will be coming by to pick me up. His name is Kenneth." "Is he friendly?" "I don't know." He acts friendly enough. And he doesn't seem to have any interest in hurting me. If that's the bare minimum for being considered friendly, I suppose he passes with flying colors. But it doesn't really feel right to assign that word to him. "Think I should meet him?" *choice #Absolutely not "No." I reply, "In fact it would be best if you weren't here when he arrived." "Aw," Vi mumbles. "Okay then." Always count on Vi to accept things without questioning them. Also always count on her to stick around and silently stare after an unsubtle implication that she should leave. "So, what are we doing today?" She asks after letting the silence hang for a minute. *label plans "Nothing. At all, really." "Really?" Vi scratches her head. "I always figured you were the kind of person who always had something going on." "Not really…" She might have been right a while ago. But now, every day blends into each other. Some days are spent just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Daring something to happen. "I'll just…be home. Until the next day." Our conversation, as brief as it was, get interrupted by the sound of a car horn. Looking up, I notice Kenneth sitting in a car out on the street. It seems my extraction has arrived. *if (vidrive =true) "I suppose that's our ride. Come on." *goto drive "Well, until the next day, I guess." *goto drive #I don't see why not *set vidrive true "I don't see why not." "That'll be nice," Vi remarks. "You don't have a whole lot of people around you…but they're usually pretty interesting. So, other than driving home, what are our plans for today?" She uses the word 'our' so easily. *goto plans *label empty As the courtyard starts to clear, I start to become more and more aware of how big and empty it is. In case I didn't feel alone enough. Though there's a few strays, loitering about. And I'm still aware of the sounds of traffic in the distance. The sounds of life just a few hundred yards in any direction. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to suddenly be completely alone. No people, no animals, no life. Just empty streets and the sound of the wind. Would I miss any of them? Would it be a relief, to finally be completely safe. Or would I be crushed by the silence? I'm pulled out of these thoughts by the sound of a car horn. Looking up, I notice Kenneth sitting in a car out on the street. It seems my extraction has arrived. *goto drive *if (juniorhostileforlife =false) and (juniorrelationship !="Dismissive") "What for?" *label junior "...It's nothing," I say. Standing up and brushing the snow off my pants. "What do you need?" *if (frequent =true) "You say that like I'm being needy," he has his hands in his pockets. Ordinarily a suspicious move for a weapon, but he's also leaning backward, which puts his momentum away from me. Not behavior indicating a sudden attack. "Was just wondering if you were planning to come around the store today." Query was thrown out in an off-handed way, like one would toss aside a wrapper they no longer wanted. *fake_choice #He doesn't care He has decided ahead of time that affirmative or negative does not matter to him. I'm not sure how to feel about that. I suppose it is less pressure, but I would not call it a pleasant feeling. #He doesn't want to [i]look[/i] like he cares *set tactics -1 Appear weak when you are strong, appear strong when you are weak. Deception is the key to victory. But what is he trying to win? *fake_choice #Is there any reason I shouldn't? "Why do you ask?" I normally drop by without any kind of invitation. Not always, but often enough that it could be expected. So why would he feel the need to invite me today, unless something is different? "Is there a reason I shouldn't?" "No, not really," he replies. Hastily. Panic? No, there's no sweat nor eye dilation. Nervousness? "I guess I just wanted to make sure?" "Why?" "Fucking hell, what's with the twenty questions? Are you coming or not?" *choice #Not today *set nahjunior true "Not today," I tell him plainly. "According to Daniel's workout chart, my body is currently in a recovery period from my last bout of physical exercise. I should avoid unnecessary exertion." "Well that's the most boring way to turn a guy down I've ever heard." He shrugs and says, "Well, your loss. See you around I guess." And so he leaves me alone. Alone in the snow. ...It's cold out here. *goto over #I was planning to *goto planningto *if (jessyshopping =true) #Already have plans (I did promise to go shopping with Jessy) *set nahjunior true "Can't today. I promised Jessy I would go shopping with her." "Jessy?" He seems to think for a second. "Which Jessy are we talking about?" "Jessy Stewart. We share a math class." "Wait, you mean 'drama queen' Jessy? Miss 'I spent 2 hours fixing my hair and value it more than your life' Jessy? Why the hell would you want to hang with her?" *fake_choice #I think there's more to her Over the past couple months, we have had our brief interactions. And something about her is...off. And I would like to know more. "She is not as she seems." "She's not exactly unique in that. So what?" "I am curious." She was born in this place. These people are who she grew up with. She is not like you. Not a wolf trying to pretend its a sheep. Yet she wears a fake skin just the same. Why? "Your loss, then." Junior shrugs. "See you around, I guess." And he goes leaving me alone in the snow. I doubt he'll hold this over my head. Though he may be curious later on. It's not a problem for right now. #I'm more interested in her 'boyfriend' Over the past few months, I've come in contact with the pair. Despite supposedly being romantically involved, whenever they are out of the public eye they appear to be little more than friends. Bitter friends. Allies of convenience. There's more to Jason. Always so distant, uncaring, but also guarded. He has his own secrets. And I hate mysteries. "I'm curioius about Jason." "Who?" Evidently the relationship is so distant that Junior was not even aware of it. "Someone she spends time with. It's not important." "Well it's important enough for you to shrug off a fight night." Junior shrugs, "Your loss, I guess. See you around." And he goes leaving me alone in the snow. I doubt he'll hold this over my head. Though he may be curious later on. It's not a problem for right now. #My reasons are none of his concern "My reasons are my own." "Nice," he scoffs. "Well fuck you too, I guess. See you around." He won't be mad forever. Just for a moment. He's simple like that. With Junior, what you see is what you get. At least as far as I have been able to tell so far. It might not be so easy to navigate Jessy Stewart. *goto over #I was planning to *label planningto "I was planning to." Among Junior's gang is one of the few places you feel like you can let a few layers down. No need to pretend that you're not what you are. "Sounds great," he nods. "Was just checking." *fake_choice #Sounds good then You nod back to his nodding. "Should we head over together?" "Don't see why not," he smiles. "It's been a while since I've seen you work." True. It's been a while since me and the boys engaged in [i]that[/i] recreational activity... *goto Juniorhangout #What would you have done if I said no? You [i]almost[/i] smile. "What would you have done if I said no?" "Fallen on my sword in despair," Junior laughs and shrugs his shoulder. "Then if I survived that, get over it and move on with my life. Now are you coming or not? I've been dying to see you work again." True. It's been a while since me and the boys engaged in [i]that[/i] recreational activity... *goto Juniorhangout #Do you want me to? "Do you want me to?" Junior doesn't ask stupid questions. If he's asking, it's because he has doubt that I'm going. And if he has doubt, the question arises, why does he care? Junior scoffs. "You really are bad at answering [i]any[/i] kind of personal question, aren't you?" "So are you." "What do you want me to say? That I want you to come with me?" *fake_choice #It would help "It would help. I appreciate clarity." #Do you? "Do you?" *if (juniorrelationship ="Friendly") "Fine, alright." He laughs. "Yes, I'd like to see you there. Will you come with me now?" "Gladly." "Great!" He says with exhaserbated pleasantness. "Cause I've been dying to see you work again." True. It's been a while since me and the boys engaged in [i]that[/i] recreational activity... *goto Juniorhangout "How about you meet me there." He laughs, but there's more bitterness there. "You know the way, right? Over the river and through the woods, waaaay over there? Yeah, that's where you can go fuck yourself." He walks away while I'm deciphering what exactly that meant. I do know what those words mean, right? So why do they make absolutely no sense when put together? How does one go about fucking [i]themselves? Is this an idiom? We certainly didn't learn it in school. Maybe I'll ask him about it next time we meet up. *goto over *if (jessyshopping =true) #Already have plans (I did promise to go shoppinng with Jessy) *set nahjunior true "Can't today. I promised Jessy I would go shopping with her." "Jessy?" He seems to think for a second. "Which Jessy are we talking about?" "Jessy Stewart. We share a math class." "Wait, you mean 'drama queen' Jessy? Miss 'I spent 2 hours fixing my hair and value it more than your life' Jessy? Why the hell would you want to hang with her?" *fake_choice #I think there's more to her Over the past couple months, we have had our brief interactions. And something about her is...off. And I would like to know more. "She is not as she seems." "She's not exactly unique in that. So what?" "I am curious." She was born in this place. These people are who she grew up with. She is not like you. Not a wolf trying to pretend its a sheep. Yet she wears a fake skin just the same. Why? "Your loss, then." Junior shrugs. "See you around, I guess." #I'm more interested in her 'boyfriend' Over the past few months, I've come in contact with the pair. Despite supposedly being romantically involved, whenever they are out of the public eye they appear to be little more than friends. Bitter friends. Allies of convenience. There's more to Jason. Always so distant, uncaring, but also guarded. He has his own secrets. And I hate mysteries. "I'm curioius about Jason." "Who?" Evidently the relationship is so distant that Junior was not even aware of it. "Someone she spends time with. It's not important." "Well it's important enough for you to shrug off a fight night." Junior shrugs, "Your loss, I guess. See you around." #My reasons are none of his concern "My reasons are my own." "Nice," he scoffs. "Well fuck you too, I guess. See you around." He won't be mad forever. Just for a moment. He's simple like that. With Junior, what you see is what you get. At least as far as I have been able to tell so far. It might not be so easy to navigate Jessy Stewart. *goto over *if (frequent =false) and (juniorrelationship ="Friendly") *comment You went to his hangout on the first day, not since. "You say that like I'm being needy," he has his hands in his pockets. Ordinarily a suspicious move for a weapon, but he's also leaning backward, which puts his momentum away from me. Not behavior indicating a sudden attack. "Can't a guy just want to say 'hi?'" The last time either of us greeted the other was at the start of the school day, under much more interesting circumstances. Wanting to renew contact now after that time indicates that something has changed. So despite what he's said, it is very unlikely that he is just dropping by to say 'hi.' *choice #"I should go." *set nahjunior true I can't deal with this. "I should go." I quickly remove myself from the spot. Eyes scanning the horizon as I walk away. Avoiding any terrain that could have anybody hiding around the corner. "Well fuck you, too!" I hear Junior yell from behind me, but it isn't any closer. No pursuit. Excellent. I'm safe. *goto over #"What do you need?" "What do you need?" Nobody approaches another person for the sole purpose of greeting. The greeting is always followed by something. Often times a request. I'd like to skip to that part. "Well, first off, I don't [i]need[/i] anything," he says with a large amount of exactness in his choice of words. "I was going to [i]ask[/i] if you would [i]like[/i] to come over to the hangout." Odd. I haven't been there in months. Why would he ask now? "Why would you ask now?" He sighs, though the exaspheration in his voice makes it sound more like a growl. "Does everything have to have a deeper reason in your world? Maybe I just liked having you over that one time, and everyone really liked seeing you in the ring! Is that a good enough reason for you?" I suppose it's as good a reason for anything else I've seen people around here have. "Acceptable." "Great, glad we could figure that out. Now do you want to come over or not?" *goto hit #"Hi." *set combat -1 Might as well play along like I haven't noticed. I believe that's what they call 'being polite.' "Hi." "Yeah, hi." He repeats. "You said that." "I know that!" He says, somewhat defensively. "Listen...you know you're still welcome at the hangout, right?" I wasn't aware of that. But good to know, I suppose. Wait, why would he feel I should know that? *choice *selectable_if (tactics <85) #Is he trying to invite me over again? *set tactics -1 *set explosives -1 *set firearms -1 "Do you want me there?" I ask plainly. I may not know much about Junior personally, but what I remember is that he is a straight-forward individual. And will likely appreciate a similar approach. *label comeback "I guess so," he says like he's admitting defeat. "It was pretty sweet that first time you showed up. I think the guys liked seeing some new blood in the ring. Since then, well...it's been boring, alright? So do you want to come back or not?" *label hit *choice #Yes "Okay." Junior smiles and nods. "Okay. I'll see you there then. It'll be nice to see you in the ring again." It's been a while since I had a real fight... *goto Juniorhangout #No - don't want to "No." I tell him. "I don't think we'd be good friends." "Well, shit," he scratches the back of his head and looks away. "You sure don't let a guy down gently..." *if (combat <85) Don't I? I suppose the bluntness made it sound harsher than intended. "Sorry." "Nah, don't worry about it. I like straight forward." *goto gently "What do you mean?" What would 'gently' imply in this context? And I'm not letting him down from anywhere, this is clearly a rejection. Maybe I should have been more straight. "Nah, don't worry about it. I like straight forward." So I [i]was[/i] straight forward? Cause he certainly isn't. *label gently "Goodbye." "Yeah, I guess so." He shoves his hands in his pockets and leaves me here. Alone again in the snow. ...It's really cold out here. I should move to get my body temperture back up. *goto over *if (jessyshopping =true) #Already have plans (I did promise to go shopping with Jessy) *set nahjunior true "Can't today. I promised Jessy I would go shopping with her." "Jessy?" He seems to think for a second. "Which Jessy are we talking about?" "Jessy Stewart. We share a math class." "Wait, you mean 'drama queen' Jessy? Miss 'I spent 2 hours fixing my hair and value it more than your life' Jessy? Why the hell would you want to hang with her?" *fake_choice #I think there's more to her Over the past couple months, we have had our brief interactions. And something about her is...off. And I would like to know more. "She is not as she seems." "She's not exactly unique in that. So what?" "I am curious." She was born in this place. These people are who she grew up with. She is not like you. Not a wolf trying to pretend its a sheep. Yet she wears a fake skin just the same. Why? "Your loss, then." Junior shrugs. *goto gently #I'm more interested in her 'boyfriend' Over the past few months, I've come in contact with the pair. Despite supposedly being romantically involved, whenever they are out of the public eye they appear to be little more than friends. Bitter friends. Allies of convenience. There's more to Jason. Always so distant, uncaring, but also guarded. He has his own secrets. And I hate mysteries. "I'm curioius about Jason." "Who?" Evidently the relationship is so distant that Junior was not even aware of it. "Someone she spends time with. It's not important." "Well it's important enough for you to shrug off a fight night." Junior shrugs, "Your loss, I guess." *goto gently #My reasons are none of his concern "My reasons are my own." "Nice," he scoffs. "Well fuck you too, I guess." *goto gently *selectable_if (combat <85) #I should probably let him explain himself *set tactics -1 *set explosives -1 *set firearms -1 In the places I'm from, striking first was always desired. If you suspect a trap then it's usually best to treat that suspicion as certainty, and the person you're talking to as an enemy. There were few things worse than being on the receiving end of someone else's attack from surprise. Around here, however, I have found that people appreciate if you give them a chance to fully explain themselves. To reduce the chances of misunderstandings. It has required an alteration in my instincts. A hard lesson to learn. But I've learned. "I do not understand. What do you mean?" "I mean," he huffs. A sign of exaspheration. "I mean that you're still welcome at the hangout! By which I mean...look, do you want to come over or not?" "You want me there?" That's something I didn't see coming. A strange form of ambush. Not an entirely unpleasant one. *goto comeback #Possible threat detected. *set nahjunior true In the places I'm from, striking first was always desired. If you suspect a trap then it's usually best to treat that suspicion as certainty, and the person you're talking to as an enemy. There were few things worse than being on the receiving end of someone else's attack from surprise. Right now Junior is talking in circles. Approaching from an angle. Acting strange. I don't like it. Immediately my eyes are scanning around. Use the perepheral vision. Are we alone? Yes, temporarliy. Does he think he can take me by himself? Body language doesn't imply worry, but he's leaned back. Uncertainty? Fear? No, doesn't seem like fear, more like he's being casual. Maybe...too casual. This is an act. It has to be. And an act means an ambush. *choice #Attack! *set bored +1 [i]KILL OR BE KILLED! From where I stand, I quickly punch Junior in the face. "Ow! What the hell-" *if (combat >85) *goto perfect During his exclamation, I... *fake_choice #He has greater reach. I need to get close to grapple. I can't risk a retalation strike. Need to get close. I close the distance between us, getting him into a lock where he can't hit me with full force. *if (male =true) Between the sudden force forward and him already on the backpedal, we of course end up falling into the snow. When we go down, it's me in the superior position. *if (female =true) Sadly, I might have underesimated the size difference. When we colide, he's able to take the force without falling back. And ends up twisting the momentum so we end up going down together. With me in the inferior position. Not ideal. I punch him in the face. *label punch "Ow!" He says through a bloody lip and with one eye bruising. "Stop doing that!" "Why?" "Cause it hurts!" "Oh." ... *fake_choice #Punch him in the face No mercy. "Ow!" I feel his nose crunch from the impact of my fist. Then take advantage of the momentary stun to improve my position on top of him. From here, I can go for the choke... Wait...no, that might kill him. *label waitwhat? I don't want to...do that? Wait, why am I fighting someone that I don't want to kill? Suddenly I feel my balance get disrupted as my...'enemy' pushes me off of him. As well as the sudden impact of a fist coliding against my face. With enough force to knock me flat onto the ground. Ow. "Fuck...off..." I hear Junior say through a raspy voice. Imparied by his currently broken nose that he is instinctively holding with his off-hand. "You...could have said...no..." "No...to what?" I say, trying to determine from the moving images whether or not I have a concussion. Then from somewhere out of my perepheral, I see someone else running into the fray. "RESCUE!" That someone else then immediately jumps onto Junior's back and brings him back into the snow. Vi? The scuffle in the snow lasts for all of five seconds before Junior has Vi pinned to the ground kicking and screaming. He seems about to yell something, before she bites down on her hand, causing him to back off. "Ow! Get off, you little spidermonkey!" "No mercy!" *fake_choice #Hm, good instincts #Technique needs work #Should I be proud of that? "You know what, screw this!" Junior picks himself off the ground, stumbling to his feet and away from us. *if (female =true) "Fuck both you crazy bitches! I'm going home!" *if (male =true) "Fuck both you psychos! I'm going home!" Vi hisses at him as he stumbles away, presumably on his way home. I guess that's the end of our conversation. I don't have much time to contemplate what exactly just happened before Vi is fussing over me. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Do you think that's going to bruise? Did I do good?" *if (vi_stalker =true) And now I've got to deal with...this. *fake_choice *selectable_if (vi_friend =true) #She did good. She should know that. *set vikindness +1 Good work deserves a good response. Even if it wasn't the most efficient way to go about it and might have escalated things beyond necessary, it's the thought that counts. "Yeah Vi, you did good." Vi's face beams so widely that it almost looks like light is coming off of it. Funny how just a small amount of praise can leave a person looking so fulfilled. "So watcha doin?" She asks with an inflection in her voice that slowly rises before falling all the question mark. Like she was trying to sing her question, but failed due to lack of tone. *label whatnow? But yes, I guess I do need to figure out what to do now. What was I even doing before Junior came and started talking to me? *if (jessyshopping =true) *choice #Going to the mall with Jessy (I did promise I would) *set stealth -1 *set explosives -1 *set tactics -1 "Me and Jessy Stewart will be going to the mall today. Along with her boyfriend." Vi tilts her head a bit. "Jessy…who?" "Red hair. Highly social." "Uhh…" she scratches her head, trying to remember. "Oh…oh! I know who you're talking about! I have first hour with her!" She exclaims. "She threw a piece of paper at my head!" *if (female =true) "Me too. Did yours have writing on it?" "I don't know. I didn't open it." *if (male =true) "Yeah, that's her." Vi scratches her head again. "So, why are you going to the mall with her? What's there to do?" If I were to be honest, I'm not entirely certain myself. Jessy did mention something about clothes shopping, but I already have all the clothes I need. Besides, it's not like I have money of my own to spend on clothes, and I highly doubt Jessy was planning on buying anything for me. "I'm just curious. She invited me along, I would like to find out why." "Sounds like a trap." … Why did I not think of this? The local mall is a location I have almost no familiarity with. I would have no way of reliably finding my way around, outside of her guidance. Thus, she could lead me anywhere, even a secluded area. As it was a location of her choosing, she has had plenty of time to make preparations. Arrange back-up. Select ambush sites. Determine exit strategies. "This shopping trip could be incredibly dangerous..." "Do you need help?" Vi says with concern. *choice #No, I'll handle Jessy and Jason on my own *set fuckoffvi true *set viabuse +1 "I don't need your help with this." I inform her. *if (vi_stalker =true) "We aren't friends." "Oh," her concern turns into deflation. "I guess I'll go home then..." "Okay." Statement of fact acknowledged. "I'll see you later then..." *if (vi_friend =true) "Probably." *if (vi_stalker =true) "Please don't." Vi starts her own trek home. Wherever that is. I have a shopping trip to get to. *goto jessyshopping #Backup would be appreciated *set vikindness +1 *set vishopping true *set firearms -1 It's been a long time since I was on an operation with backup that I could actually count on. I should take advantage of that. *if (vi_stalker =true) Though I'm not exactly sure how much I could consider [i]Vi[/i] to be reliable. "Alright, I could use a spotter. I'll need you to watch my back. Can you do that?" "Yes!" She nods. "Alright, Vi...let's go shopping!" *goto jessyshopping #I should probably call Daniel to pick me up (That'll teach Jessy better than to trust my word) "Nothing in particular. Jessy Stewart invited me to the mall, but I don't see any reason to attend." "Uhh…" she scratches her head, trying to remember. "Oh…oh! I know who you're talking about! I have first hour with her!" She exclaims. "She threw a piece of paper at my head!" *if (female =true) "Me too. Did yours have writing on it?" "I don't know, didn't open it." *if (male =true) "Yeah, that's her." Vi scratches her head again. "So, she just asked you to go to the mall? I didn't know you were friends." "We aren't. To be honest, I have no idea why she invited me." "Sounds like it was a trap." … Why did I not think of this? The local mall is a location I have almost no familiarity with. I would have no way of reliably finding my way around, outside of her guidance. Thus, she could lead me anywhere, even a secluded area. As it was a location of her choosing, she has had plenty of time to make preparations. Arrange back-up. Select ambush sites. Determine exit strategies. "You wanna get back at her?" Vi offers up. And the idea isn't completely unwarrented. If Jessy Stewart was attempting to lay a trap, retaliation would be the best way to discourage future attempts. Those are questions for another time. Right now my immediate concern is getting home. "Maybe later. I need to call Daniel first." *goto call *label backtovi "Well?" My attention is pulled back to Vi. "Are we going to see Daniel again? "No. I am told that a friend of his will be coming by to pick me up. His name is Kenneth." "Is he friendly?" "I don't know." He acts friendly enough. And he doesn't seem to have any interest in hurting me. If that's the bare minimum for being considered friendly, I suppose he passes with flying colors. But it doesn't really feel right to assign that word to him. "Think I should meet him?" *choice #Absolutely not "No." I reply, "In fact it would be best if you weren't here when he arrived." "Aw," Vi mumbles. "Okay then." Always count on Vi to accept things without questioning them. Also always count on her to stick around and silently stare after an unsubtle implication that she should leave. "So, what are we doing today?" She asks after letting the silence hang for a minute. "Nothing. At all, really." "Really?" Vi scratches her head. "I always figured you were the kind of person who always had something going on." "I have no idea where you got that impression from." She might have been right a while ago. But now, every day blends into each other. Some days are spent just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Daring something to happen. "I'll just…be home. Until the next day." Our conversation, as brief as it was, get interrupted by the sound of a car horn. Looking up, I notice Kenneth sitting in a car out on the street. It seems my extraction has arrived. *if (vidrive =true) "I suppose that's our ride. Come on." *goto drive "Well, until the next day, I guess." *goto drive #I don't see why not *set vidrive true "I don't see why not." "That'll be nice," Vi remarks. "You don't have a whole lot of people around you…but they're usually pretty interesting. So, other than driving home, what are our plans for today?" She uses the word 'our' so easily. *goto plans #Where I go is none of her business *set viabuse +1 "That is none of your concern." I inform her. *if (vi_stalker =true) "We are not friends." "Oh," her concern turns into deflation. "I guess I'll go home then..." "Okay." Statement of fact acknowledged. "I'll see you later then..." *if (vi_friend =true) "Probably." *if (vi_stalker =true) "Please don't." Vi starts her own trek home. Wherever that is. I now need to figure out what I [i]do[/i] plan on doing next. *goto over "Nothing. At all, really." "Really?" Vi scratches her head. "I always figured you were the kind of person who always had something going on." "I have no idea where you got that impression from." She might have been right a while ago. But now, every day blends into each other. Some days are spent just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Daring something to happen. "I'll just…be home. Until the next day." Our conversation, as brief as it was, get interrupted by the sound of a car horn. Looking up, I notice Kenneth sitting in a car out on the street. It seems my extraction has arrived. *if (vidrive =true) "I suppose that's our ride. Come on." *goto drive "Well, until the next day, I guess." *goto drive #She did good. Not that I'm going to tell her that. *if (vi_stalker =true) Any amount of praise and she'll take that as an invitation to follow me around...more. *if (vi_friend =true) No praise. It might make her smug. "Good enough for a punk like him. Wouldn't work on me." "Yeah, it wouldn't," she laughs with a snort. "You'd probably break my neck." "Not exactly. It would be difficult to break your neck if you were on my back. More likely I would run backwards into that stone wall to break your back." "Ohhh," she nods her head. "Then what?" *if (combat >=80) "You have a thin frame, so that ought to be enough to make your grip loosen. So I would throw you off, get behind you, and [i]then[/i] I would break your neck." "Wow, you must think about that a lot!" "No. Your threat is relatively low, so I only plan on how to kill you whenever I see you." "Aw," she appears disappointed at learning how rarely I think about her. Maybe I should have lied. *if (vi_stalker =true) No, wait, don't lie. That's how people start thinking you're friends. *goto oh *fake_choice #Vi, I don't plan ahead of time how to kill you "Vi, your threat is not high enough for me to need to plan ahead of time on how to kill you." "Oh," she looks disappointed. "But what if you [i]did[/i] need to?" "I could think of something in the moment." With a wildcard like Vi, planning too much might be detrimental anyway. Creates tunnel vision. *label oh "So what do you want to do now?" I'm not sure if that's an invitation to kill her or a geniune question that was just oddly placed in the flow of the conversation. Better to play it safe and assume the latter. *goto whatnow? #It wouldn't be that hard *goto plantokill #I didn't need her help *set viabuse +1 I didn't need her. I don't need a civilian that's never held a gun to 'save' me. And I'm not going to pretend otherwise. "I had the situtation handled." She looks down, properly ashamed. Excitement snuffed out like a candle. "Sorry..." *label wayharsh *fake_choice #I wasn't trying to be [i]that[/i] harsh *set vikindness +1 Navigating minefields was more predictable than these conversations. "I appreciate the thought." I inform her as a concession, "It was...nice to have someone thinking of my well-being." Was that appropriately nice? I feel like that was appropriately nice. She's smiling now at least. A small one. "I'm glad you're okay..." Yeah, I was appropriately nice. I must be getting better at this. *goto oh #As well she should be Never apologize. Apologies are a sign of weakness. *goto oh #Her technique was awful *set viabuse +2 It would be faster to list the number of things she [i]didn't[/i] do wrong with that attack. "Good enough to get yourself killed, you idiot. Did it not occur to you that yelling 'sneak attack' undermines the concept?" I tell her, "Or that clinging to a back like a spidermonkey doesn't actually do anything unless you do something from there? You can't just cling on and freeze and expect things to work themselves out, why didn't you go for the neck? Or they eyes? Or anything at all?" She looks down, properly ashamed and taking the criticism with silent dejection. Excitement snuffed out like a candle. *goto wayharsh *selectable_if (vi_stalker =true) #I can't deal with her right now *set viabuse +3 *set fuckoffvi true Vi is trouble. And I don't like trouble. "Go away." Her face freezes mid-sentence. "But-" "I can't deal with you right now. So go away." She waits around for a moment with a pathetic look on her face. Maybe waiting and hoping for me to change my mind. When I don't, she slowly turns around and walks slowly away. I feel a little bit more comfortable once she's out of my line of sight. Good riddance. *goto over #Wait, why am I doing this again? *goto waitwhat? #He'll out-muscle me if I let him. I need to try and use the environment. *label perfect He has both a reach and a muscle advantage against me. Fortunately, I'm used to fighting men bigger then me. My bookbag. There's 3 textbooks in this thing. And straps that provide reach. Decent swinging weapon in a pinch. I'm able to make impact, though he raises up his arm to block. It gives me the opening I need to knock him off balance. Taking the fight to the ground with me in the superior position. From here, I can punch him in the face without consequence. *goto punch #Wait, why am I doing this again? Wait, I don't want to fight Junior. We're...well, not friends. Associates? No, that doesn't work either, we have associated for months. Classmates could be considered accurate, if he would even occasionally show up for 7th period. A...neutral. Right, he's a neutral. Which means he's a non-hostile. ...Well, he might be a bit hostile now. "What the hell did you do that for?" He says while rubbing the mark I've just left on his face. Will probably bruise. *fake_choice #Tell the truth "Sorry, that was a reflex." He looks at me with an arched eyebrow. How does he do that? "Your instinct to someone asking you to hang out is to punch them in the face?" "Is that what you were asking?" He sighs, though with the exhaserbation it kind of sounds like a growl. "In a round-about manner, yes!" #Lie "There was something on your face." "What?! A target?!" I probably should have thought about my lie for more than 1 second. "Jeez, that fucking hurt..." He rubs his face, moving his jaw to test that it's not broken. "Is it just your instinct to punch anybody that invites you to hang out in the face?" "Is that what you were asking?" He sighs, though with the exhaserbation it kind of sounds like a growl. "In a round-about manner, yes!" "Oh...are you still asking?" "...Against my better judgement," he seems to think about it for a second. "Sure. But only because I like people that can punch hard and it has been a long time since we had new blood in the ring. So do you want to come to the hangout or not?" *goto hit #It's a trap! Abort! *set nahjunior true Too dangerous. Must go. "I should go." I quickly remove myself from the spot. Eyes scanning the horizon as I walk away. Avoiding any terrain that could have anybody hiding around the corner. "Well fuck you, too!" I hear Junior yell from behind me, but it isn't any closer. No pursuit. Excellent. I'm safe. *goto over *if (ignoredlucy =true) "You'd better be sorry!" I look up, and see Miss Stein looking down at me. No sign of him in sight. Just her angry face. "You have some explaining to do, you asshole!" *goto pissedlucy *goto patel #I...I don't... "I…" I mutter, looking at him. Nothing adding up. Nothing making sense. How's he here? How is he so…casual? How… "I don't…" *if (hiredlucy =true) "Uhh…I eee ohh umm…" I look again, and see Miss Stein standing there making noises to mimic my own. "Are you alright? Did I wake you up or something?" *goto lucy *if (tobyfriend =true) "Uhh..are you okay?" I look up, and see Toby looking down at me. "Did I break your thoughts or something? *goto toby *if (juniorhostileforlife =false) "That some kind of mating call?" I look up, and see Junior looking down at me with a raised eyebrow. "It needs work." *goto junior *if (jessyshopping =true) "You didn't just lose your last bit of sanity, did you?" I look again, and see Jessy Stewart looking down on me with her arms crossed. "I can [i]not[/i] deal with that." *goto jessy *if (ignoredlucy =true) "Uhh…I eee ohh umm…" I look again, and see Miss Stein standing there making noises to mimic my own. "Playing dumb won't make me go away. I still want to talk to you, asshole." *goto pissedlucy *goto patel #I need to go! I don't say anything. Don't look at him, just leave. Get out. Run away. Run. Just like always. I push my way through the crowd. Knock some people over. Doesn't matter. Just keep moving. Get away. Keep moving. Don't look back. Don't stop. Don't- My feet slip out from under me the moment I'm at the sidewalk, and I fall into the snow. Wet and cold getting in my jacket, my gloves, and my hat. *if (hiredlucy =true) *set lucyconcern +2 "Uhhh…are you okay?" I look up, and see Miss Stein looking down at me. No sign of him in sight. "What was that about?" *goto lucy *if (tobyfriend =true) *set tobyconcern +2 "Uhm…are you okay?" I look up, and see Toby looking down at me. No sign of the other one in sight. "Are you in a hurry or something?" *goto toby *if (juniorhostileforlife =false) "Should...I be insulted?" I look up, and see Junior looking down at me with a raised eyebrow. "There a reason you just took a dive in the snow?" *goto junior *if (jessyshopping =true) "Uh, rude." I look up, and see Jessy Stewart looking down on me with her arms crossed. "All I said was hi." *goto jessy *if (ignoredlucy =true) "Oh no, you're not getting away that easily again!" I look up, and see Miss Stein looking down at me. No sign of him in sight. Just her angry face. "You have some explaining to do, you asshole!" *goto pissedlucy *goto patel #Not real not real not real not real *set reflex -1 "You're…not here." I tell him. Stating it outright, hoping that saying it will make it fact. "You're not. You're not here." *if (hiredlucy =true) *set lucyconcern +1 "Uhh…rude." I look back, and see Miss Stein looking at me with an expression that seems a mix between confusion, irritation, and concern. Odd mixture. "Are you okay? You're not losing it, are you?" *goto lucy *if (tobyfriend =true) *set tobyconcern +1 "I'm…pretty sure I am." I look back, and see Toby standing there instead. "Are you okay? You seem…off." *goto toby *if (juniorhostileforlife =false) "Should...I be insulted?" I look up, and see Junior looking down at me with a raised eyebrow. "You're not losing it, are you?" *goto junior *if (jessyshopping =true) "Uh, rude." I look up, and see Jessy Stewart looking down on me with her arms crossed. "All I said was hi." *goto jessy *if (ignoredlucy =true) "Pretty sure I am." I look back, and see Miss Stein looking at me with a expression that seems a mix between confusion and anger. "You still trying to avoid me, asshole?" *goto pissedlucy *goto patel *label over Still need to figure out how I'm getting home. *choice *if (nahjunior =false) #Home isn't goint anywhere. Detour to Junior's Hangout Home can wait. Not like there's going to be anything waiting for you there. Might as well go somewhere a bit more interesting. Plus, hitting something feels pretty good right now. *goto Juniorhangout *if (jessyshopping =true) #Home can wait. I'm going shopping *goto mallwithJessy #Call Daniel for pick-up. I'm going home *goto call *label pissedlucy Asshole? Me? Oh, right, she's probably upset that I ignored her earlier. Seems she's taking it a bit personally. It's not like I don't ignore lots of other people. *fake_choice #Play dumb "Did I do something?" Flawless. "You walked away just as I was trying to talk to you! Did you think I would forget?" I might have been hoping there was at least a non-0% chance of that. "I think I would remember something like that. I don't remember seeing you at all today." "We have the same class!" "We do?" "5th Period English!" "You go to school here?" "...I hate you." At this point, her anger appears to have been burnt out like a gasoline fire that's run out of gasoline. Instead she sighs, puts her head in her hands, and sits down on the steps of the building. She's no longer looking at me. TIt's a big school perimeter, lots of other places to go. I could quietly make my escape before she notices I've left, and still be within the allowed area. *choice #Freedom! *set lucyhostileforlife true *set lucyrelationship "Hostile" The snow would crunch if I stepped on it. So I stay on the sidewalk. Move deftly around...enough distance to avoid alerting her through air disturbance. She looks up to look at me, but is looking at the spot I'm no longer at. Don't run away. Just walk. Before she can catch a glimpse of me in her perepheral I'm a minimum safe distance away. Free at last. That ought to discourage any future attempts to involve me in her life. *goto over #Wait, what did she want to talk about? *set stealth -1 "So what was it you wanted to talk about?" Her fingers part just enough for her eyes to peek through. "Do not tell me that [i]now[/i] you want to hear what I have to say." "...So should I lie?" She makes a noise that I'm not sure if it's a growl or a whimper. "Just...do you want a job?" *label job? For the first time since this conversation started, I'm a little taken aback. "A job?" "Yes, for crying out - I've been [i]trying[/i] to hire you!" It is true that I don't currently have a source of income... Then again, I've never really needed one. Anytime I want something, I can just ask Daniel for it. Or take it. Money is really only as valuable as what you can attain with it. So for me money would only be worth the convenience of not having to ask for or discretely take something. Which means that for this to be to my benefit, the job would need to be less of a hassel than either of those inconveniences. "What would the job be?" My question seems to reignite some of her confidence. She sits up more straight and appears determined to look me in the eye. "Well, as you know, I am student council president." "Yes." You find a way to bring it up in every conversation we have. "And my father is also the congressman for our state. Both of these positions invite certain...dangers." I didn't realize student council presidential elections were so cutthroat. "I see. What does this have to do with me?" She's standing now. Arms crossed such as to close off and block her body language. "I'm not stupid. I realized rather quickly that there was something off about you, so I took it upon myself to do a bit of background digging." She says, keeping a level stare. "The first PI was sent a picture of his family to warn him off. The second came back with a picture of [i]me[/i] at the dinner table, taken from outside my window. I did eventually get some info on you, when I decided to snoop through the school files for a completely unrelated reason." It's hard to tell with her hands covering her mouth, but I'm pretty sure she's smirking. "I know you're the reason for all the new school security." *choice #[i]Remove the threat *label psycho *set lucyrelationship "Terrified" *set bored +1 Immediately I move closer. She's taller than me, but has less muscle density. No upper-body strength and at the moment her legs are close together, creating poor balance. A single strike to the face and she's falling on the cold stone pavement. Target down. Conscious but disoriented. Blood trickling from the nose where my fist made contact. But there's a clear expression of terror in her facial features. [i]She's afraid. Sit down on her waist. Mount position. Dominant position. Target waves her hands uselessly at me. "Please no...no no no don't hurt me..." She begins mumbling incoherently. Excessive reaction, in contrast to prior attitude. Prior trauma? Irrelevant; I cross my arms around her neck and press inward. Cross-collar choke. Can't kill her...but I can scare her. "Never attempt to contact me again. Or I will kill you." Her eyes are wide with fear. Will to resist has been effectively destroyed. Threat minimized. Even if the words didn't get across, she'll remember this fear. I get up. Need to be gone from this general location. Not authorized to leave school premesis. But the school as a large perimter. And I doubt she wants to be here either. Perhaps the reaction was extreme, but necessary. Needed to dissuade further inquiry. Possible future retaliation. But hopefully I've dissuaded that. I have a far more immediate problem that needs solving. *goto over #Threaten her to silence *set reflex -1 *set explosives -1 *set bored +1 "If you know that," I state very plainly so as to not be misheard, maintaining a steady gaze toward her. "You know how well I react to threats." Her hands immediately go up, indicating surrender. "Oh, no! I think you have the wrong idea," she nervously laughs, talking herself back up to a more agreeable position. "I'm not threatening you. It's like I already said, I want to hire you." "For?" "Bodyguard work," she explains. "As you say, you have a certain way of responding to threats. And while you may be an unbearable asshole, you're really good at...stuff. So just come with me when I call you in, deliveries, that sort of thing. And you can expect to put your unique talents to good use. And in exchange, I can open a few doors for you. You will be paid, of course, but more than that. Time out of classes, a whisper in the teacher's ear, a get out of jail free card which something tells me you will probably need in the near future, and in the long term, a recommendation from a congressman will probably make finding an occupation or university a lot less troublesome. All you have to do is stay by my side between classes and help me out with some of the side projects I get involved in. Does this appeal to you?" Using my skills... Killing skills. All the things that I'm supposed to be here to forget about. All the things that I've been made to store away in the back of my mind, to let gather dust from lack of use. Is that what I want? *choice #[i]Yes! *set lucyrelationship "Professional" *set bored +5 All these endless classes, tests, quizzes, social interactions...it's all felt so restricting. Part of me has been dying - yearning - for an opportunity to use those skills again. For any reason... Body guarding? Seems like reason enough. "Yes." She seems a bit caught off guard when I respond so quickly, and with such simplicity. "Yes, you'll..." "I'll take the job." I explain to her. "What do you need?" "Well, I [i]am[/i] planning to go to the mall..." "The shopping center?" "Yes, that's what a mall is." Hm, not exactly the most exciting of first assignments. "What do you want to do at the mall?" I ask. "I'll...tell you when we get there!" Well this employment is off to a rocky start already. But I suppose I'll take what I can get. I guess I'm going shopping. *goto mallwithLucy #I could certainly use what she's offering... *set lucyrelationship "Professional" *set explosives -1 *set reflex -1 *set bored +1 Something tells me that most of the stuff she just listed are things Daniel and the CIA could already have provided. Still, if I ever want a life away from them, it would probably be a good idea to get a contact away from those circles. "Very well. I'll take the job." You respond. "What do you need?" "Well, nothing right now, but...you have a phone?" She asks, and I nod the affirmative. "I'm putting you in my contacts. A time will come, soon, when I call on you to assist me. I will expect a prompt response." "Understood." She stands up, beckoning me to do the same. "...I look forward to working with you, ${fullname}." "You as well, Miss Stein." *page_break Next "Well, I [i]am[/i] planning to go to the mall..." "The shopping center?" "Yes, that's what a mall is." Hm, not exactly the most exciting of first assignments. "What do you want to do at the mall?" I ask. "I'll...tell you when we get there!" Well this employment is off to a rocky start already. But I suppose I'll take what I can get. I guess I'm going shopping. *goto mallwithLucy #I'd rather avoid that kind of attention *set lucyrelationship "Rejected" I've had quite enough of putting myself in danger at someone else's orders. If I have to fight, it'll be because I had to. Not because someone else wants me to. Not that officer, and not this student council president. "I refuse." She seems surprised, and something tells me she's not very used to her offers being rejected, "Very well, I suppose I cannot force you-" "That's correct." I stand, turning away from her. "Don't talk to me about this again." I leave her there in the snow, walking away. Not sure about my destination. It's a big school perimeter though, there's plenty of places to go. Just so long as it's away from her and her 'employment.' I'm sick of employers. I do have another problem though. *goto over #I personally don't like Miss Stein *set lucyrelationship "Rejected" There's something far too familiar about her. That arrogance. That need to have her authority met. That refusal of any dissension, any threat to her power and authority. It's all too...familiar. "I refuse." She seems surprised, and something tells me she's not very used to her offers being rejected, "Very well, I suppose I cannot force you-" "That's correct." I stand, turning away from her. "Don't talk to me about this again." I leave her there in the snow, walking away. Not sure about my destination. It's a big school perimeter though, there's plenty of places to go. Just so long as it's away from her and her 'employment.' I'm sick of employers. I do have another problem though. *goto over #I don't want that to ever be my life again *set lucyrelationship "Rejected" *set fittingin +5 *set humanity +3 No...never again. I'm just now beginning to settle down into a place where I can actually feel safe. I'm not going to actively seek out more opportunities to put myself in danger. That's not me...it will never be me. Never again. "I refuse." She seems surprised, and something tells me she's not very used to her offers being rejected, "Very well, I suppose I cannot force you-" "That's correct." I stand, turning away from her. "Don't talk to me about this again." I leave her there in the snow, walking away. Not sure about my destination. It's a big school perimeter though, there's plenty of places to go. Just so long as it's away from her and her 'employment.' I'm sick of employers. I do have another problem though. *goto over *selectable_if (reflex <85) #This is leading somewhere. Hear her out *set combat -1 *set explosives -1 *set reflex -1 She knows that my presence here is the reason for all the added security. If she knows that, she's probably been able to unearth a lot of other things. I don't know exactly what the school has about me on file, but they do employ Professor Patel, so it's probably more than I would ordinarily be comfortable having someone know. Still, despite this, she's sitting me down in a meeting. To talk. And without even any threatening undertones. Whatever else, it says something that she's choosing to talk alone. "Alright...and?" "And I've been peeking around, as much as I could get away with, and I've found you to be quite...capable." She explains, "That and, well, while you're an unberable asshole, you do have a certain set of skills. So, like I said before, I want to hire you." "For?" "Bodyguard work," she explains. "You have a certain way of responding to threats. I want you to respond that way to threats against me. Come with me when I call you in, deliveries, that sort of thing. And you can expect to put your unique talents to good use. And in exchange, I can open a few doors for you. You will be paid, of course, but more than that. Time out of classes, a whisper in the teacher's ear, a get out of jail free card which something tells me you will probably need in the near future, and in the long term, a recommendation from a congressman will probably make finding an occupation or university a lot less troublesome. All you have to do is stay by my side between classes and help me out with some of the side projects I get involved in. Does this appeal to you?" Using my skills... Killing skills. All the things that I'm supposed to be here to forget about. All the things that I've been made to store away in the back of my mind, to let gather dust from lack of use. Is that what I want? *choice #[i]Yes! *set lucyrelationship "Professional" *set bored +5 All these endless classes, tests, quizzes, social interactions...it's all felt so restricting. Part of me has been dying - yearning - for an opportunity to use those skills again. For any reason... Body guarding? Seems like reason enough. "Yes." She seems a bit caught off guard when I respond so quickly, and with such simplicity. "Yes, you'll..." "I'll take the job." I explain to her. "What do you need?" "Well, I [i]am[/i] planning to go to the mall..." "The shopping center?" "Yes, that's what a mall is." Hm, not exactly the most exciting of first assignments. "What do you want to do at the mall?" I ask. "I'll...tell you when we get there!" Well this employment is off to a rocky start already. But I suppose I'll take what I can get. I guess I'm going shopping. *goto mallwithLucy #I could certainly use what she's offering... *set lucyrelationship "Professional" *set explosives -1 *set reflex -1 *set bored +1 Something tells me that most of the stuff she just listed are things Daniel and the CIA could already have provided. Still, if I ever want a life away from them, it would probably be a good idea to get a contact away from those circles. "Very well. I'll take the job." You respond. "What do you need?" "Well, nothing right now, but...you have a phone?" She asks, and I nod the affirmative. "I'm putting you in my contacts. A time will come, soon, when I call on you to assist me. I will expect a prompt response." "Understood." She stands up, beckoning me to do the same. "...I look forward to working with you, ${fullname}." "You as well, Miss Stein." *page_break Next "Well, I [i]am[/i] planning to go to the mall..." "The shopping center?" "Yes, that's what a mall is." Hm, not exactly the most exciting of first assignments. "What do you want to do at the mall?" I ask. "I'll...tell you when we get there!" Well this employment is off to a rocky start already. But I suppose I'll take what I can get. I guess I'm going shopping. *goto mallwithLucy #I'd rather avoid that kind of attention *set lucyrelationship "Rejected" I've had quite enough of putting myself in danger at someone else's orders. If I have to fight, it'll be because I had to. Not because someone else wants me to. Not that officer, and not this student council president. "I refuse." She seems surprised, and something tells me she's not very used to her offers being rejected, "Very well, I suppose I cannot force you-" "That's correct." I stand, turning away from her. "Don't talk to me about this again." I leave her there in the snow, walking away. Not sure about my destination. It's a big school perimeter though, there's plenty of places to go. Just so long as it's away from her and her 'employment.' I'm sick of employers. I do have another problem though. *goto over #I personally don't like Miss Stein *set lucyrelationship "Rejected" There's something far too familiar about her. That arrogance. That need to have her authority met. That refusal of any dissension, any threat to her power and authority. It's all too...familiar. "I refuse." She seems surprised, and something tells me she's not very used to her offers being rejected, "Very well, I suppose I cannot force you-" "That's correct." I stand, turning away from her. "Don't talk to me about this again." I leave her there in the snow, walking away. Not sure about my destination. It's a big school perimeter though, there's plenty of places to go. Just so long as it's away from her and her 'employment.' I'm sick of employers. I do have another problem though. *goto over #I don't want that to ever be my life again *set lucyrelationship "Rejected" *set fittingin +5 *set humanity +3 No...never again. I'm just now beginning to settle down into a place where I can actually feel safe. I'm not going to actively seek out more opportunities to put myself in danger. That's not me...it will never be me. Never again. "I refuse." She seems surprised, and something tells me she's not very used to her offers being rejected, "Very well, I suppose I cannot force you-" "That's correct." I stand, turning away from her. "Don't talk to me about this again." I leave her there in the snow, walking away. Not sure about my destination. It's a big school perimeter though, there's plenty of places to go. Just so long as it's away from her and her 'employment.' I'm sick of employers. I do have another problem though. *goto over #Apologize *label apologize *set combat -1 *set tactics -1 *set explosives -1 Sometimes you need to dig a trench and hold out against all forms of assault. Never budging from your defensive position and not allowing the enemy a single step of ground. This is not one of those times. "It was probably wrong of me to ignore you." I tell her. "I apologize." My prompt apology appears to disarm here. "Well...good!" "What did you want to talk about anyway?" "Well, seeing as how you're finally feeling like sitting in one place and talking. I'm here to offer you a job." *goto job? #Tell her to go away "Go away, or I'll-" The second part comes out as a reflex. "Or what?" She says, standing up straighter to try and assert dominance. Great. In trying to make a threat without clarity, I've only invited more challenge. *choice #[i]Neutralize threat *goto psycho #Apologize *goto apologize #Leave *goto leave #Leave *label leave "I have to use the bathroom." I quickly stand up and walk in the direction she just came from (which appears to be toward the building). "W-what? Oh no you don't!" She quickly starts running after me, trying to cut off my escape. "You are [i]not[/i] doing that again! I am talking to you!" Persistance. How annoying. Something tells me that short of knocking her out, I won't be getting her to leave me alone. *choice #[i]Neutralize threat *goto psycho #What does she want? "Fine," I concede defeat. "What do you want to say?" "Well, it's nice to know that all I have to do is run after you [i]twice[/i] just to have a conversation!" "And now that we're having one: what do you want?" "I want to offer you...a job!" *goto job? #Apologize *goto apologize *label patel "Try not to lose your head," in the middle of my flashing out I hear a voice. An adult one. Smooth and even. Patel. "What do you want?" I say, getting on my feet. When in the presence of a predator, the ground is the last place you want to be. Focus. Steady. In the face of a real threat, my nerves steel over and my breath evens out. Much easier to focus when faced with a real threat rather than an imagined one. "You left class before we could properly talk," he explains. His painted-on smile unyielding. Untrustworthy. *fake_choice #I have somewhere I need to be "I can't. I have somewhere I need to be." "Do you?" He says. "I find it hard to believe there is anybody waiting for you." "I need to call Daniel." "I am sure he's quite too busy for you." Now that doesn't sound like Daniel at all. #I don't want to talk to you "I don't want to talk to you." "That is a shame." He says, "Especially as it seems nobody wants to talk to you, either." "I need to call Daniel." "I am sure he's quite too busy for you." Now that doesn't sound like Daniel at all. #Alright. Talk. One way or another, this conversation is probably going to be happening. I'm not sure if Patel actually has the authority to hold me here. He may be one of my CIA watchdogs, but on the books he's just the psychology instructor. Here on school grounds, he doesn't really have the physical power to keep me in one place. I could easily just walk away. Whether or not he has the authority to make me pay for it later is the greater concern. "What do you want to say?" The sooner he says his fill, the sooner he'll leave me alone. At least temporarily. "I am merely curious about your state of mind. Now that you have had some time to acclimate to this sanctuary of mundanity, you must have had [i]some[/i] development." He says with that wolfish glint in his eyes. "I should hate to think that Agent Daniel Decker destroyed his career for nothing." Liar. "I've been acclimating just fine." "Truly? Because it seems to me that you've managed to alienate and drive off everybody you've come into contact with. Over 200 students in this building, and not one to wait with you after school?" *if (vi_friend =true) *set doubtingvi true *fake_choice #That's not true! Vi is my friend! *set humanity +1 *set tactics -1 *set stealth -1 "You don't know what you're talkin about. I [i]have[/i] a friend." Rather than being the checkmate I had hoped for, Patel just nods. "Ah yes, Miss Vi Myrtal. Your sycophant with the early signs of Borderline Personality Disorder." "She's my friend." "I have found in my experience that most people have far fewer friends than they think they do. It comes to a failure to define accurately what a 'friend' actually is. What people call their friends, they usually are actually referring to casual or friendly acquaintances. Co-workers, classmates, fellow frequenters of a specific recreational activity. But when that connecting link is gone, the friendship goes away just as quickly." "Your point?" "You say you are friends. You might even believe it. But are you certain you have not misdefined what is merely a tie of convenience? To be sure, I suppose we would have to identify whatever it is that tied you together in the first place. Perhaps, a similar feeling that you don't belong here?" *label friends? Despite myself, I remember what Vi told me. [i]"Because you're evil! I can hear it. And if you're evil, then I can be evil. And if we're both evil, then we can be evil together."[/i] *fake_choice #Is that all that ties us together... She thinks we're alike. And that alone drew her to me on that first day of school. Since then she's always been in my shadow. Praising. Loving. Somehow she could catch a glimple of my past, and she loved it. But what about me? Who does she really love? ${fullname}, or Cockroach? "...You don't know what you're talking about." #No. He's just messing with my head. No doubt the CIA has trained him well at finding and picking apart people's psychology in order to manipulate or break them. If he wants to do that with me and Vi, he'll have to try harder than a few vaguely suggestive leading questions. "It's like I told you: we're friends. "Of course." He still smiles. Always smiling like he knows something I don't. Smug bastard. "You can go now." He says, dismissing me. "I thought this was supposed to be you psychoanalyzing me or something." "It was, and I have. I got everything I needed. Enjoy the rest of your day, ${fullname}." Professor Patel... *if (bored >2) I'm going to kill you someday. *goto over I hate you. *goto over #Vi is most definitely my friend. But I'm not going to tell him that. *set humanity +1 *set tactics -1 Vi is definitely important to me at this point. And I know people like this: the moment he discovers something important to me, he'll find a way to turn it into a weakness. I've dealt with his kind before. "I don't need any friends. I just need to be normal. A normal American high school student, that was the deal." "A normal American high school student has friends. At least that is the propaganda. In reality, I have found in my experience that most people have far fewer friends than they think they do. It comes to a failure to define accurately what a 'friend' actually is. What people call their friends, they usually are actually referring to casual or friendly acquaintances. Co-workers, classmates, fellow frequenters of a specific recreational activity. But when that connecting link is gone, the friendship goes away just as quickly." "Your point?" "I'm wondering how this compares to your relationship with Miss Vi Myrtal. Your sycophant with the early signs of Borderline Personality Disorder." Of course he would know, the bastard. "You might even believe you are friends. But are you certain you have not misdefined what is merely a tie of convenience? To be sure, I suppose we would have to identify whatever it is that tied you together in the first place. Perhaps, a similar feeling that you don't belong here?" *goto friends? "I don't need any friends. I just need to be normal. A normal American high school student, that was the deal." "So you believe that your lack of ability to have a single friend in this school stems from lack of trying?" *fake_choice #I could make friends if I wanted *set combat -1 "I could if I wanted. I just haven't had any motivation to." "Something more motivating than the threat of incarcration?" "Like I said: the deal was just that I be a normal American high school student. And plenty of high school students don't have friends." "You say so. But your actions have said otherwise," there's a glint in his eyes. "Perhaps you simply don't belong here." #Maybe me and them aren't compatable "Maybe I just don't have anything in common with them. Maybe we're incompatable." "And you're fine with that?" "Absolutely. Like I said: the deal was just that I be a normal American high school student. And plenty of high school students don't have friends." "Hm," there's a glint in his eyes. "In this, I think we would agree. You definitely don't belong here." #Why is he asking? "Why do you even care? Why are you asking?" "Perhaps I despise few things more than seeing things where they don't belong." There's a glint in his eyes, "And you definitely don't belong here." I recognize that look now. A glint in his eyes like he just struck gold. Or just discovered a weapon. The same look [i]that officer[/i] had when he first saw me fight. "I will admit, I may have miscalculated when I first assessed you to only be useful as a source of information. Perhaps you could have use in a more long-term arrangement than I, or even Agent Daniel Decker, had in mind." "As what?" "An asset to the agency, of course. An agent to replace Agent Daniel Decker." "Replace him? Is Daniel in danger?" *if (daniel_warden =true) Not that I would particularly mind. *if (daniel_warden =false) They wouldn't kill him just for helping me...would they? "His days as an agent were numbered before ever meeting you. The spontaneous display of irrationality merely accelerated that decay. But the agency always has need of people who don't fit anywhere else." *fake_choice #I don't want anything to do with this *set bored -1 I don't need him to say it. I know what he's offering. The same life that [i]he[/i] was 'offering' me. Killing. Always killing. The only value he places on my life is my ability to take the lives of others. I got out of the thumb of one monster. I'm not going under the thumb of another. Never again. #Well, what would I do? *set bored +1 "If I did...what would I do?" "What you're good at." What I'm good at... I've haven't been good at anything since I came here. Can't socialize. Can't handle economics. Can't be a good student. Can't be a good person. But...I can fight. I can stalk. I can hunt. I can kill. I'm good at that. "I-" "Don't answer now," he interrupts me. "Don't worry, there is no hurry to decide. You are young, after all. Plenty of time to decide what you want to do with your life. And as Agent Daniel Decker will soon learn, there is no truly leaving the CIA. When you join, you should not have second thoughts." He leaves me with that statement. Walking away with the last word. As I'm sure he's used to. *fake_choice #"I'm going to kill you someday." He doesn't get to have the last word. And I'm going to make sure he knows how I feel about his 'offer.' "I'm going to kill you someday." Without turning around, he simply waves and continues on. Smug bastard. #"I am [i]never[/i] going back to that." He doesn't get to have the last word. And I'm going to make sure he knows how I feel about his 'offer.' "I am [i]never[/i] going back to that." Without turning around, he simply waves and continues on. Smug bastard. #I have nothing to say to him. He can have the last word if he wants. I don't care. I have things to think about. *goto over *label mallwithLucy *set mallwithlucy true *comment going to the mall with Lucy. *page_break To the mall! Miss Stein apparently comes from a household somewhere between upper-Middle Class and lower-Upper Class. I might have presumed this from her personality and attitude alone. But if that was not enough confirmation, the presence of the high quality sedan that picks her up and the driver who is clearly an employee and not her family member would be. Lucy stands up from our sitting position on the school bench when the sedan parks in front of us and the driver steps out to open the door for her. She barely glances at him when she sits inside. The driver himself appears to be middle-aged. Taller than me by about half a foot. No gray hairs, he still has two or three decades before that, should he live to see it. However he puts effort into standing up straight despite walking with slumped shoulders just moments before, indicating chronic back pain. His arms are merely average, but he doesn't seem to have any trouble walking and he's reasonbly thin by American standards. If he exercises, it's likely walks. Legs will probably be strong, but not used to kicking and any attacks from them would be clumsy. If I needed to take him down, I would try to remain low and at angles that requires him to twist. His muscles likely aren't used to that motion and would respond slower than- "Are you coming or not?" Miss Stein asks from her seated position in the back of the sedan. "...On my way." *fake_choice #I will have to finish this assessment of the driver later Make no mistake, driver. Our hypothetical battle is not over. #What's his name, anyway? *set tactics -1 He's not wearing a nametag. How inconsiderate. The interior of the vehicle is spacious. Brown leather seats with plenty of legroom in which Miss Stein puts her backpack, and a darkened window between the seats in the back and the driver. Privacy for either us or him. The windows that peer outside also have the option to be darkened. Good for concealing numbers and positioning, though in this case considering I have yet to ascertain the trustworthiness of our driver I would prefer for them to remain clear so as to be able to monitor that we are, in fact, going to the local shopping center. Not that I actually know the exact location of said shopping center. But I can make the deduction that it will likely be in the center of a commercial district. He shuts the door once I am seated. And as the vehicle goes into motion, I am hit with the feeling that I have forgotten something. "So, ${firstname}," Miss Steid says. "Have you ever been to the mall before?" *fake_choice #No, I can't let her distract me. I've forgotten something, and it's important. Focus! *set badworker +1 Think for a moment. Combat breaths. Don't let the unfamiliarity of the situation distract me. What is I normally do whenever breaking from rooutine? The first thing I always do if something unexpected comes up. Of course! I call Daniel! "I need to make a phone call." "Uh, okay?" It's the only contact in my phone, so it isn't long before the call is going out. It rings only a few times. "School over?" "Yes, but I do not require transporation." "I see. Why's that?" "I am going to the mall with Lucy Stein." There's a moment of silence on the line. Was I disconnected? "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" He asks. "I am going to the mall with Lucy Stein." "Right, I thought that's what you said...okay. Call me if you need a ride home. I'll send Kenneth." "Okay." I hang up the phone. Good thing I remembered at the last minute. It probably would have been bad if the tracker had shown me drifting from the authorized area. It would be unfortunate if Miss Stein had to watch a CIA squad barge in to arrest me. Thinking of, I wonder what she's doing. I look over and see her looking at me, arms cross and an annoyed look on her face. "Finished?" Not sure why she would be interested in the duration of my phonecalls, but that's her perogative. "Yes." "...Fuck you." ...Okay? #It's probably not important *set goodworker +1 *set reflex -1 *set forgottocall true If it were important, I wouldn't have forgotten. Besides, I believe it would be rude to ignore Miss Stein as she's talking right to me. "No, I have never once been to the mall." Throughout most of my time here, I rarely go anywhere that I don't need to. Part of it is to avoid the hassle of asking permission. Most places I've gone have been either authorized by or accomponied by Daniel. "I went to a grocery store once." "You went to a grocery store...once?" Miss Stein asks. "Do you mean exactly once?" "Yes." "Why?" "To acquire food." "No, I mean...why was it only once?" "I'm not allowed anymore." "...Okay?" *if (jessyandlucy =true) or (snubbedjessy =true) Suddenly my phone makes a dinging sound in my pocket. Looking down, it appears I have received a text message. Jessy. [i]"hey, im here! where r u?" *if (snubbedjessy =true) Oh right, I was also supposed to meet Jessy there. *fake_choice #Text Back: "Enroute." [i]"Enroute." The one word acknowledgement ought to be enough to assure her for the brief time it will take for me to get there. *label were My phone chimes not long after. [i]"were is that?!?!" I feel as though my ability to read English is being hurt by this text. *if (jessyandlucy =true) "Is that Jessy Stewart?" Miss Stein asks. "She's asking how long it will be." I reply. "She sounds impatient. Which lines up with what I know of her." She rolls her eyes at the very concept of Jessy Stewart. "Well we won't be long now. The mall should be coming up soon." *if (snubbedjessy =true) "Is that a friend?" Miss Stein asks. "Kind of." "Well we won't be long now anyway. The mall should be coming up soon." #Text Back: "Enroute. Arriving in approximately 5-20 minutes. Will approach from main entrance." [i]"Enroute. Arriving in approximately 5-20 minutes. Will approach from main entrance." A fairly detailed reply. That should satisfy her. *goto were #Don't text back. We'll meet soon anyway. We'll be there soon. She can wait. *fake_choice #It occurs to me that I don't actually know much about malls Shopping centers. Places of congregation for a large number of businesses. That explains their function, but not so much why they have such a presence in American media. Perhaps you need to be a native to understand. "Miss Stein, I do have a question." "Go ahead." "What do we intend to do at the mall?" "Didn't I mention before?" She exhales. "I need my bodyguard while running errands. The mall is a promenade with numerous shops, some branded and some not, that are useful for day-to-day existence. While they are likely to fall out of public interest in the next few decades due to the rise of online stores, the mall is still an ideal location for merchandisers to establish their shops, which makes it an ideal place to go when desiring to buy numerous things. Also, they have a food market, which I believe ought to be all the incentive you need to come along." "Yes, that was a large motivation for my coming. But while I would be alright with doing nothing but eating nutritionally deprived food, I find it hard to believe that you don't have any plans beyond that." "Well, if you must know, I am planning to improvise. That's what you do at a shopping mall, you go there without a plan and then you seek out means of entertaining yourself. Preferably with friends." I think a moment about this. "But neither of us have friends." She exhales again. Deeper this time. "I know. We'll have to settle for each other then." #Is the driver okay? "How well do you know the driver?" As the driver presumably belongs to her, she's the best source of information. "You mean Benny?" Ah, so his name is Benny. "Yes. Is he trusted?" "I hope so," she says. "At least, I can trust him to not do anything outside his job desription. Which is to drive me places. And, I presume, report where I go to my dad, who actually pays his salary. As long as I can trust my dad to not want to hurt me, I can probably trust Benny. Though of course, I feel better with you around. I'm [i]pretty[/i] sure you can take him." So not likely to turn hostile, but not exactly friendly either. Understood. "What are his weaknesses?" Suddenly there's a massive shaking in the car and I brace myself. Fortunately, the car settles almost immediately. "He's a terrible driver." #Is this car safe? "How secure is this vehicle?" "As secure as money can make it," she explains. "The glass is bulletproof, and the doors are reinforced with kevlar ceramic coating. The glass can also dim to conceal our location in the car. It would take multiple rifle rounds to penetrate." Nice. Very nice. Looking outside the window, I can see the commercial buildings I was expecting. Stores and parlors and services for sale. We enter into a large parking lot. Massive congregation. There has to be over 100 cars on this side of the building alone. Exactly how many people go to shopping malls? I've mostly managed to get my...nervousness around crowds under control. Mostly. I can at least walk through the school halls once they've thinned a little. Maybe to about 5 or so people within my arm's reach. But by the look of all these cars, there has to be more people in there than the halls during peak traffic. Hundreds of potential threats. Any one of them might have a gun. Or a knife. Or a bomb. Or be abnormally large with strong hands. "Hey, are you alright?" Voice from my left. Inside vehicle. Female. Miss Stein. Automatic response. "I'm fine." *set lucyconcern +1 "Okay..." Her voice trails. Doubt. Concern? Concern would be natural. I'm the one that's supposed to be bodyguarding her. If I'm alert, she ought to be as well. *fake_choice #She needs my professional opinion as her bodyguard *set stealth -1 "It's dangerous in there. Too many people." "Look, uhm..." she's hesitant. Was I too honest? If she questions my assessment, she might reconsider having me as her bodyguard. "Whatever happens, I think we'll be able to handle it together. So...let's just go in, okay?" #She needs to feel safe. Honesty is [i]not[/i] the best policy *set explosives -1 "It's fine. There's nothing to worry about." Lie. Lies are good. "Well...if you're confident." Her voice is still uncertain. Was my lie not good enough? "Let's just go in, okay?" If she still wants to go in, I suppose that'll have to be enough for me. We step out into the sun and into the cold wind on our faces. The concrete is covered in salts and wet from the recently melted snow. Miss Stein stays close to me as we walk closer to the building. People pass by us. A family of three: man, taller than me, but thin, pants and jacket with pockets deep enough for weapons. Woman, same height as me, both hands visible as they are wrapped around the man's arm. Child, shorter than me, runs a few feet in front of them, hands visible. None of whom are looking at us. Another man comes up on our right. Alone, jacket with popped collar, hands in pockets, staring at the ground and walking with a slow pace. Two women on our left. They're turned in our direction. Straight ahead and on collision course, small gathering of children. They're running all over the place. Coming toward us. Car coming up on right. Might pass us by with we continue at current pace. 20mph and currently 30 meters away. But coming toward us. *if (jessyandlucy =true) *goto jessyandlucy *if (jessyandlucy =false) and (jessyshopping =true) *set snubbedjessy true *goto jessyandlucy More on our left. And right. People. They're everywhere. Everywhere... The women on our left have gotten closer. The children are stopped at the foot of the pavement. Waiting for something. Car is slowing down. 15 meters away. *fake_choice *selectable_if (reflex <=80) #No, don't do anything, just...freeze! *goto freeze #I need to get out of here! Car hasn't left yet. Still time. I grab Miss Stein's hand and retreat from the approaching threats. She shouts in protest. No time to explain. Car wasn't parked far away. Almost there. I approach it, open the door and shove Miss Stein in before jumping in myself. "Drive!" I shout to the driver. "Hold up!" Miss Stein overrides me. "What are you doing?!" "Escaping! There's no time! Just drive!" "${firstname}!" I hear Miss Stein shout as I keep my eyes out the window. Those that were approaching us have stopped and are now staring. "Are we-" Hand on my shoulder. From behind. Swiftly turn. Reach for a weapon. Hand lands on my empty hip. Nothing there. Look ahead at threat. Lucy stares back at me. Eyes canted upward. Concern? Hurt? "${firstname}...are you okay?" The pedestrians have gone on their way. The car has passed. I am alone in the vehicle with Miss Stein. Nothing is happening... Hands are trembling. Am I...sweating? *fake_choice *selectable_if (firearms <20) #No...I'm not okay. I'm not okay #I'm fine Shove my hands into my pockets. "I'm fine." Nothing here. Just me and Miss Stein. There are no snipers on the roof. No IEDs in the road. We're fine. ...I think. From my perepheral, I see Miss Stein reach forward and press an intercom button. "Benny...we're going to need you to go in to get our food. It's too cold outside and I don't have my jacket." She's lying. There's a stylish winter coat right at her feet. "What do you want to eat?" She's asking me now. *temp food "what" *fake_choice #This is unnecessary *set food "same" *if (firearms >80) I don't know why she's doing this, but it doesn't make any sense. We're both fine to go in. *if (firearms <=80) She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. I'm supposed to be the security blanket. "This is unnecessary. We can both go-" "No, we can't." She says firmly, "I already said it's too cold." I look outside at the wintery parking lot. It's probably around 50 degrees Fareinheit. Chilly, but not so cold that, with jackets, we wouldn't be able to make it across the...wide open parking lot. With unknown pedestrians. Unknown cars. Obscured corners. "${firstname} will just have what I'm having," Miss Stein says into the intercom. "So that's two servings of that pasta I like from the Itallian place, and a side of something sweet. Like a pastry." *goto sittingincar #Something nutricious *set food "nut" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "...I'll have a fruit salad. Milk beverage." "Trying to live forever, hm?" Miss Stein smiles. "Understandable. You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Something minimalist *set food "min" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "...I just need a small salad. Water to drink." "Are you on a diet?" Miss Stein asks. "Sorry, ignore that, I shouldn't have asked. You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Something...sweet *set food "sweet" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "...I'll have a pastry dish. And a soda." "With how much you work out, yeah. I'd say you've earned that," Miss Stein smiles. "You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *label sittingincar The driver, who is allegedly named Benny, walks out into the brisk winter air in our stead. Leaving the car on and the doors locked for our comfort and safety. "He shouldn't be too long." Miss Stein says. "So you uh, think we're safe in here?" *fake_choice #No How could we be? "We're far from backup, in a vehicle that neither of us have experience driving, and there are hiding places all around us. So no, I would not say we are safe." "Right, of course..." she mutters. "Well, it's a good thing I've hired you, then." 'Assuming you're good enough to take out anyone that can get through an armored car' is the part that goes unsaid. #As safe as we can be Nothing is ever certain. But our odds could be worse. "The car is strong, and I don't think there's any threats in our immediate vicinity." "You have a pretty good judgement about things, so I'll trust it." She says, "It's a good thing I hired you." Despite the sudden change in schedule, Miss Stein hasn't been complaining. It's odd. She seemed to have some investment in going to the mall. But now that we're actually here, she doesn't seem overly concerned with going inside. "Don't you want to go inside?" She shrugs, "There's not really anything in there that I need in that den of consumerism. Anything I actually desire can be bought over the Internet without so much as waggling eyebrows at a cashier." "Then why come at all?" "For the experience of buying things with a friend. Or, well...buying things with my trusted employee. And we don't need to go in there for that, just eating food in a car accomplishes the same goal. Speaking of which, where is...oh, there's Benny!" She points out across the parking lot, and I can see the driver allegedly named Benny coming toward us with the desired foods. "Oh, I guess you might have wanted something from inside the mall too," she says as if it just occured to her. "Well, ${firstname}, if you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?" *choice #My food "My food." I say, my mind squarely on the approaching food. Miss Stein laughs. "Well, lucky you." *goto branch *if (female =true) #A skirt "A skirt," you tell her. "Around knee-length. Pockets both internal and external. Colored and patterned to camoflague with the surroundings. Preferably with a top and footware that match." "Wow, that's uhh..." she hestitates, then chuckles. "That's so [i]almost[/i] girly." "Is it?" *goto branch #A puzzle "A puzzle." I say at once. "Like one of those cube things. Or maybe those...pictures that come in pieces and you have to assmemble." *goto branch #A gun *set bored +1 "A gun." I say at once. It's been a long time since I held one that I personally owned. It's never felt natural being without one. "That...uhhh..." Miss Stein looks at me with an arched eyebrow. "Okay." I knew she'd understand. *goto branch *label freeze I...can't move. I'm holding a breath that I can't let out. [i]"Hey, what's wrong?"[/i] Lucy is talking to me. She sounds so far away. Can't stay still. Threats are nearby. But...I can't move. [i]"There's nothing worse than freezing up in a crisis," I hear him say. "There will come a time when you panic. It's not your fault, just a flaw in our biology. But there are right and wrong ways to panic. When you do, remember: Anything is always better than nothing. If you're in a bad situation, and you feel the sudden urge to freeze up, I want you to scream. Scream as loud as you can, and then attack the first thing you see with the most straight-forward method that comes to mind. It might not be right, but it's better than nothing."[/i] Attack the first thing I see... That's what I'm supposed to do. Why aren't I? "${firstname}!" I hear a voice. Female. Behind me. Turn to look. "Come on! We're in the middle of the road!" Miss Stein shouts. I look up. Staring face to face with a driver. Looks annoyed. "Let's go!" "...Right." We cross the street. Closer to the mall. Closer to the doors. The inside is...packed. So many people. [i]So many threats... Need an alternative. Any alternative... *fake_choice #Let's go back to the car. "Let's go back to the car." I promptly turn around and start walking away from the mall. "Wait, what?" I hear Miss Stein calling behind me. "The mall looks bad." I explain. "The car is better." "But we just got here!" I grab Miss Stein's hand and retreat from that dangerous place. "No time to explain!" Car wasn't parked far away. Almost there. I approach it, open the door and sit down inside. "${firstname}, we're not going anywhere! We just got here! What about food?" "...We can eat in here." She looks at me for a second. Looks like she's still trying to process. Like she just got mental whiplash. "Fine, if that's what you want. Schooch." She orders me, sitting back down in the car. "...You're alright with this?" "Well I'm going to have to be now!" She huffs. From my perepheral, I see Miss Stein reach forward and press an intercom button. "Benny...we're going to need you to go in to get our food. It's too cold outside and I don't have my jacket." She's lying. There's a stylish winter coat right at her feet. "What do you want to eat?" She's asking me now. *temp food "what" *fake_choice #Something nutricious *set food "nut" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "...I'll have a fruit salad. Milk beverage." "Trying to live forever, hm?" Miss Stein smiles. "Understandable. You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Something minimalist *set food "min" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "...I just need a small salad. Water to drink." "Are you on a diet?" Miss Stein asks. "Sorry, ignore that, I shouldn't have asked. You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Something...sweet *set food "sweet" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 She's trying to make me feel safer. That's the opposite of our arrangement. But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "...I'll have a pastry dish. And a soda." "With how much you work out, yeah. I'd say you've earned that," Miss Stein smiles. "You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Let's eat outside. "Let's eat outside." Miss Stein looks at me, confused. "Why?" "It is lovely outside." "It's Winter. There's snow on the ground." "It's not windy," I point out. "The lack of windchill means that despite the ambient temperature, the effective temperature will be much more comfortable. Also, the sky is pretty." Lying. My most valuable skill. "Okay, fine." She relents. "But uh, someone still needs to go in to get the food." Shit. "Can't your driver do that?" "Benny?" "Allegedly." "...Allegedly?" "Yes, the driver [i](allegedly)[/i] named Benny should be able to go." She pauses, then sighs. Then pulls out a phone and tells the driver allegedly named Benny the news. "So yeah, just bring it out to us." She says at the end of her explanation. "We'll be sitting at the table. Hey," she turns to me. "What will you be having?" *temp food "what" *fake_choice #She has been here more times than me. I'll let her pick. *set food "same" "I will have whatever you have." "${firstname} will just have what I'm having," Miss Stein says into the phone. "So that's two servings of that pasta I like from the Itallian place, and a side of something sweet. Like a pastry." *goto sittingincar #Something nutricious *set food "nut" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 "I'll have a fruit salad. Milk beverage." "Trying to live forever, hm?" Miss Stein smiles. "Understandable. You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Something minimalist *set food "min" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 "I just need a small salad. Water to drink." "Are you on a diet?" Miss Stein asks. "Sorry, ignore that, I shouldn't have asked. You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." *goto sittingincar #Something...sweet *set food "sweet" *set firearms -1 *set stealth -1 But if the choice is between correcting her and going back out there... "I'll have a pastry dish. And a soda." "With how much you work out, yeah. I'd say you've earned that," Miss Stein smiles. "You heard ${him}, Benny. For me, I want a pasta with a side of pastries. You should be able to get both our orders from that Itallian place." "He shouldn't be too long." Miss Stein says. "So you uh, think we're safe out here?" *fake_choice #No How could we be? "We're far from backup, in a public place, and there are hiding places all around us. So no, I would not say we are safe." "Right, of course..." she mutters. "Well, it's a good thing I've hired you, then." 'Assuming you're good enough to take out anyone that can get corner us here' is the part that goes unsaid. #As safe as we can be Nothing is ever certain. But our odds could be worse. "We're in public, it's daylight, and within view of the building's security camera. This is not where I would attack." "You have a pretty good judgement about things, so I'll trust it." She says, "It's a good thing I hired you." Despite the sudden change in schedule, Miss Stein hasn't been complaining. It's odd. She seemed to have some investment in going to the mall. But now that we're actually here, she doesn't seem overly concerned with going inside. "Don't you want to go inside?" She shrugs, "There's not really anything in there that I need in that den of consumerism. Anything I actually desire can be bought over the Internet without so much as waggling eyebrows at a cashier." "Then why come at all?" "For the experience of buying things with a friend. Or, well...buying things with my trusted employee. And we don't need to go in there for that, just eating food in a car accomplishes the same goal. Speaking of which, where is...oh, there's Benny!" She points at the door, and I can see the driver allegedly named Benny coming toward us with the desired foods. "Oh, I guess you might have wanted something from inside the mall too," she says as if it just occured to her. "Well, ${firstname}, if you could have anything you wanted, what would it be?" *choice #My food "My food." I say, my mind squarely on the approaching food. Miss Stein laughs. "Well, lucky you." *goto altbranch *if (female =true) #A skirt "A skirt," you tell her. "Around knee-length. Pockets both internal and external. Colored and patterned to camoflague with the surroundings. Preferably with a top and footware that match." "Wow, that's uhh..." she hestitates, then chuckles. "That's so [i]almost[/i] girly." "Is it?" *goto altbranch #A puzzle "A puzzle." I say at once. "Like one of those cube things. Or maybe those...pictures that come in pieces and you have to assmemble." *goto altbranch #A gun *set bored +1 "A gun." I say at once. It's been a long time since I held one that I personally owned. It's never felt natural being without one. "That...uhhh..." Miss Stein looks at me with an arched eyebrow. "Okay." I knew she'd understand. *goto altbranch *label altbranch *if (forgottocall =true) The driver allegedly named Benny is taking his time crossing the parking lot. And I feel my stomach growl at the slowly approaching food. Then he suddenly stops. Looking at something. Drops the food. Reaching for his sidearm. Someone behind me. Grabs my shoulder. I quickly turn, try to break the grip with a blow to the elbow. This is anticipated, my arm is grabbed. Momentum pushes me forward, and my attacker lets me fall to the ground. Look up, expecting follow-up blow. None comes. Finally get a clear look at- "Daniel?" Daniel is there. Brushing off the sleeve of his suit. Looking at me. Device on his belt is beeping furiously. He presses a button on it, and the cuff around my own leg beeps in response. Oh right. I was supposed to call if I went anywhere. I knew I forgot something. "Don't just sit there!" Lucy is screaming at me. "Do something!" Voice response comes from closer to the mall door. "I wouldn't advise that." Kenneth's voice. I look and see him standing next to Benny. Pistol being held inconspiciously toward his gut. Though the crowd began to disperse the moment me and Daniel started fighting. In his left hand, he's holding up his badge. CIA. "Trust me, Miss Stein, it's not as serious as it looks." Kenneth (kind of) explains. "We're just here to pick the kid up from school." I look at Daniel. And he's looking at me with that stupid stoic non-expression. "Come on, ${firstname}. We're going home." He says, holding a hand down to help me up to my feet. I can't exactly say no here... *fake_choice #But I can make my displeasure known "Fuck you, Daniel." I mutter as I stand up on my own. If he's offended, it doesn't show on his face. Trying to act like a professional and concerned father while your buddy is holding a gun to my friend's driver. People say I have gall. But he's an absolute sociopath. Kenneth apologizes to the driver allegedly named Benny for holding a gun on him. Something about "couldn't take the chance." Miss Stein finally recognizes Daniel as "Mr. Decker" from her PI's photographs. Which is about all the assurance she has that I'm not being kidnapped. And Daniel doesn't say a single goddamn thing to me as we drive home. ...Worst mall trip ever. *goto final #But I can make sure Miss Stein doesn't freak out *set combat -1 *set reflex -1 *set explosives -1 "It's fine, Miss Stein." Someone needs to make sure she doesn't freak out at the sight of her bodyguard getting kidnapped. And I know Daniel doesn't have the social skills for it. "He's my...dad." She sees me take the hand offered and get helped to my feet. Her fear is replacecd by confusion. "Your...what? Why is your dad here?!" "It's a long story," I tell her. "I'll explain it later. But apparently I need to go." As I step away from the table, Daniel at least looks embarressed when he addresses Miss Stein. "...Sorry about the confusion." And people say my social skills are bad. Kenneth apologizes to the driver allegedly named Benny for holding a gun on him. Something about "couldn't take the chance." Miss Stein forces me to promise to explain all this tomorrow at school. And Daniel doesn't say a single goddamn thing to me as we drive home. ...Worst mall trip ever. *goto final *if (forgottocall =false) The driver allegedly named Benny takes his time walking over. My stomach is growling by the time the food finally reaches us. *if (food ="same") Two orders of the largest bowl of Itallian styled Fettuccini Alfredo I've ever seen. With a side of cinnamon biscuits. I...might not actually be able to finish this. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." I'm not entirely sure how to eat it at first, needing to watch Miss Stein's example. She stabs into the noodles with her fork and twirls it so they wrap around the utensil. Like twisting the knife after a successful puncture to deal a more permanent and debilitating wound that the target might bleed out of. I try to follow her example. Something must have gone wrong, because the force of the stab causes alfredo sauce to splatter and probably stain my shirt. "Geez, you're eating it, not killing it." Miss Stein criticizes while handing me a napkin. *if (food ="nut") A fruit salad with a variety of nutritious toppings and a milk to drink. Good portion, excellent source of sustinance. Something I can trust to keep me alive. It's small compared to Miss Stein's meal though. Apparently Itallian pasta comes in large portions, because I'm pretty sure you could fit my meal inside hers. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." The fruit is juicy and ripe with a satisfying texture. The salad dressing is flavorful without being overpowering. A satisfying combination that makes it both delicious and nutricious. *if (food ="sweet") A few pastries topped with cinnamon, and a side dish of strawberries sprinkled with powdered sugar. There's probably more calories contained in this meal than I've consumed all the rest of the day. I wouldn't say I mind though. Though even so, it might be beat by Miss Stein's meal. Apparently Itallian pasta comes in large portions, because I'm pretty sure you could fit my meal inside hers. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." The pastries are have a satisfying crunch to them that lets the teeth sink in slowly to savor the cinnamon flavor. The strawberries are juicy and ripe, with the powdered sugar adding flavor without overpowering the natural sweetness of the fruit. A satisfying combination that makes the task of eating more than a mere means of sustaining my life. *if (food ="min") A small salad with a few fruit toppings. And water. It's positively tiny compared to Miss Stein's meal. Apparently Itallian pasta comes in large portions, because I'm pretty sure you could fit my meal inside hers. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." The salad is minimalist, but what is there is satisfying enough. The salad dressing is flavorful without being overpowering, and the toppings are well-textured. Overall, a decently pleasant way to preserve my life. "How is it?" "It's okay." *goto final *label branch *if (forgottocall =true) The driver allegedly named Benny is taking his time crossing the parking lot. And I feel my stomach growl at the slowly approaching food. Then he suddenly stops. Looking at something. Drops the food. Reaching for his sidearm. Door opens on Lucy's side. She shouts, scrambles for safety. I look. "Daniel?" Daniel is standing right next to the vehicle. Holding the door open. Looking at me. Holding a device in his left hand that's beeping furiously. He presses a button on it, and the cuff around my own leg beeps in response. Oh right. I was supposed to call if I went anywhere. I knew I forgot something. "Don't just sit there!" Lucy is screaming at me. "Do something!" Voice response comes from the other side of the car. "I wouldn't advise that." Kenneth's voice. I look and see him standing next to Benny. Pistol aimed at his side in order to keep Benny's own pistol holstered. In his left hand, he's holding up his badge. CIA. "Trust me, Miss Stein, it's not as serious as it looks." Kenneth (kind of) explains. "We're just here to pick the kid up from school." I look at Daniel. And he's looking at me with that stupid stoic non-expression. "Come on, ${firstname}. We're going home." I can't exactly say no here... *fake_choice #But I can make my displeasure known "Fuck you, Daniel." I mutter as I open my door. If he's offended, it doesn't show on his face. Trying to act like a professional and concerned father while your buddy is holding a gun to my friend. People say I have gall. But he's an absolute sociopath. Kenneth apologizes to the driver allegedly named Benny for holding a gun on him. Something about "couldn't take the chance." Miss Stein finally recognizes Daniel as "Mr. Decker" from her PI's photographs. Which is about all the assurance she has that I'm not being kidnapped. And Daniel doesn't say a single goddamn thing to me as we drive home. ...Worst mall trip ever. *goto final #But I can make sure Miss Stein doesn't freak out *set combat -1 *set reflex -1 *set explosives -1 "It's fine, Miss Stein." Someone needs to make sure she doesn't freak out at the sight of her bodyguard getting kidnapped. And I know Daniel doesn't have the social skills for it. "He's my...dad." Her fear is replacecd by confusion. "Your...what? Why is your dad here?!" "It's a long story," I tell her. "I'll explain it later. But apparently I need to go." As I step out of the car, Daniel at least looks embarressed when he addresses Miss Stein. "...Sorry about the confusion." And people say my social skills are bad. Kenneth apologizes to the driver allegedly named Benny for holding a gun on him. Something about "couldn't take the chance." Miss Stein forces me to promise to explain all this tomorrow at school. And Daniel doesn't say a single goddamn thing to me as we drive home. ...Worst mall trip ever. *goto final *if (forgottocall =false) The driver allegedly named Benny takes his time crossing the parking lot. My stomach is growling by the time the food finally reaches us. *if (food ="same") Two orders of the largest bowl of Itallian styled Fettuccini Alfredo I've ever seen. With a side of cinnamon biscuits. I...might not actually be able to finish this. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." I'm not entirely sure how to eat it at first, needing to watch Miss Stein's example. She stabs into the noodles with her fork and twirls it so they wrap around the utensil. Like twisting the knife after a successful puncture to deal a more permanent and debilitating wound that the target might bleed out of. I try to follow her example. Something must have gone wrong, because the force of the stab causes alfredo sauce to splatter and probably stain my shirt. "Geez, you're eating it, not killing it." Miss Stein criticizes while handing me a napkin. *if (food ="nut") A fruit salad with a variety of nutritious toppings and a milk to drink. Good portion, excellent source of sustinance. Something I can trust to keep me alive. It's small compared to Miss Stein's meal though. Apparently Itallian pasta comes in large portions, because I'm pretty sure you could fit my meal inside hers. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." The fruit is juicy and ripe with a satisfying texture. The salad dressing is flavorful without being overpowering. A satisfying combination that makes it both delicious and nutricious. *if (food ="sweet") A few pastries topped with cinnamon, and a side dish of strawberries sprinkled with powdered sugar. There's probably more calories contained in this meal than I've consumed all the rest of the day. I wouldn't say I mind though. Though even so, it might be beat by Miss Stein's meal. Apparently Itallian pasta comes in large portions, because I'm pretty sure you could fit my meal inside hers. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." The pastries are have a satisfying crunch to them that lets the teeth sink in slowly to savor the cinnamon flavor. The strawberries are juicy and ripe, with the powdered sugar adding flavor without overpowering the natural sweetness of the fruit. A satisfying combination that makes the task of eating more than a mere means of sustaining my life. *if (food ="min") A small salad with a few fruit toppings. And water. It's positively tiny compared to Miss Stein's meal. Apparently Itallian pasta comes in large portions, because I'm pretty sure you could fit my meal inside hers. "This place serves the best pasta I've ever had," Miss Stein says. "And I've had a lot of good pasta." The salad is minimalist, but what is there is satisfying enough. The salad dressing is flavorful without being overpowering, and the toppings are well-textured. Overall, a decently pleasant way to preserve my life. "How is it?" "It's okay." *goto final *label jessyandlucy *comment most recent thing said was panicking over being surrounded by people. "There you are!" And...Jessy Stewart. "Do you know how long we've been waiting? I had to send Jason ahead to...wait, what's she doing here?" "Hello, Miss Stewart." Miss Stein says with some kind of smirk. "${firstname} mentioned you'd be coming along with us." "I'm sure ${he} did. Aren't you supposed to be running the school right now?" "Aren't you supposed to be performing for a mob of fans?" It appears the threat I had been anticipating was not of the physical, but rather of the social. While I am relieved to still be alive, this does present a problem that I am not sure I have the tools necessary to resolve. *fake_choice #"I didn't know you knew each other." #"Will this present a problem?" #"We should not remain in the open." *label snubbedjessy "There you are!" And...Jessy Stewart. *label mallwithJessy *page_break To the mall... Meeting Jessy at the malls *label Juniorhangout *page_break Time to fight... *comment cut to fistfight *label walkingwithtoby *label drive Being driven by Kenneth. *if (vidrive =true) Vi is with you *label final *page_break Next *goto_scene 2-6Home