I'd like to get to know Tetra more. She seems like she's more in tune to the oddities of the world around us than some of the others. Kai being weird after we tell the story is interesting, but not necessarily actionable.
Can we assume that Beth will change her security precautions now that she's shared elements of them with the group, or would that be a write-in action?
Can we assume that Beth will change her security precautions now that she's shared elements of them with the group, or would that be a write-in action?
She initiated the conversation and saved us with the paper things, even if she's not Jessica. Maybe we'll learn more about her, building rapport with someone to bat in our corner is a nice way to get things done.
Tetra is on her way back to the medical department's building. If it wasn't for the fact that Tetra met up with her friends every day, she'd probably stay there long after classes ended every day, just to continue her studies. Some might say to Tetra that she's a workaholic.
But to Tetra, she has no choice.
Tetra freezes up as she notices someone who usually doesn't hang around here at the entrance to her hallowed grounds.
Bethany, with that sweet smile, in the building's shadow. Tetra blinks.
"U-Um..." Tetra awkwardly stutters at you. "I-Is something up?"
"Just wanted to thank you for the save back there~" You bounce up to her, rocking a now-fixed hairdo in comparison to the shamefully asymmetrical mess you let Jessica see this afternoon. "I was tired and almost made myself look weird, but you jumped in and saved my bacon! I didn't know you had paranoid home security too~"
Perhaps Tetra is a hollow doll like yourself, who yearns for the affection of one and only one person? It could be a problem, if you share the same target with her. Although you never really saw a side of her like that back in high school...
Tetra taps her index fingers together. "Ah, w-well, I'm just... Worried about my research g-getting stolen, is all." Tetra looks from side to side as if to make sure it's just you and her. "I'm h-hoping to get a PhD. out of a-all this s-so I can be on the cutting edge... I-It's very important th-that I be able to pursue the p-particular research I am..."
"So that's why you've been cagey about what exactly you've been researching even to lil' ol' me~?" you say coyly, gloved finger on your cheek.
"Y-Yeah... Not that I don't trust you, I-I'm just... Maximizing my ch-chance of success." Tetra squeaks. "S-Sorry..."
Well, you can respect that. "It's fine~ I understand completely! I wish I had that consistent of a drive, honestly!"
Tetra looks to the side and mumbles something under her breath.
"Hm?" You look at her questioningly. Just what was she mumbling?
"N-Nothing..." Tetra messes with the straps on her bag. "J-Just talking to m-myself... A-As one does..."
Tetra is a weird girl, but you suppose that's why the two of you gravitated toward each-other in high school. A sort of mutual weirdness attraction. Not attraction in that kind of way, God no! Tetra is way too spineless for you to consider her more than a friend, you're a girl who craves confidence and mirth! And that confidence and mirth is Jessica, your one true love!
Not that Tetra doesn't have her uses.
"A-Anyways, w-wanna tag along...? It's pretty boring, I'm just g-gonna be poking around at t-textbooks, but..." Tetra buries her face in her scarf. "It might be nice... W-With company..."
"Sure~"
You spent the time that day in Tetra's company in an attempt to get closer to her, but you're still no closer to figuring out what she's researching or who she's into. Still, you know that introvert likes the attention, you have a feeling this was not time wasted.
And so you went home, in the hopes that there will be no rabbits or rabbit-like objects in your house.
There were no such objects, but you most certainly saw rabbits in your dreams. You hardly feel any better than yesterday. You at least woke early enough to ensure your hair is done properly, but that's about it. Worse still, very little of your past couple days have actually involved Jessica in any special capacity. Sure, you grinded your essay hard two days ago, but that was a Pyrrhic victory. It's true that you cannot get Jessica off your mind 24/7, but it feels doubly so today.
You mentally prepare yourself for the Tom Martins meet-up as the day goes on.
[] Let the topic be what it will.
[] Talk about love.
[] Talk about the world.
[] A different topic. (Write-in)
Quite suspicious that Tetra has plans to conduct top secret research, is as paranoid about protecting her secrets as we are, is deeply driven for goals she refuses to make public and wasn't available as one of the romance options ~! One would almost think she's a villain. Kai is doing a good job of either contesting that (or doing the world's best red herring impression) with his recent actions though.
I think this is time to [] Let the topic be what it will. We are thinking about Jessica, but we aren't so debilitated by our condition that we're a visible mess. Need more data on group dynamics before we start social engineering.
"Christ, first Beth gets all messed up and now it's Kai's turn." Rowan leans on the cafe table, causing it to creak a bit. "What's up, man?"
Kai's bowl cut isn't on point today, their hair is a mess and their casual clothes look particularly thrown on today.
Kai laughs dryly. "Oh, I was just out drinking with most of my peers from my major last night, ended up getting black-out drunk." They shrug. "Whoops!"
Jessica squints at Kai with suspicion. "You don't drink. What the heck happened?"
"A lot of your major got together for this?" you remark. That particularly stuck out to you.
Kai stretches their arms out across the table. They've hardly touched their drink. "Mhm, because guess what? An earth-shattering paper for computer science as a whole got published just a couple days ago and we found out about it yesterday. That's why I was getting all mopey and stuff yesterday."
"A paper...?" Tetra scoots a bit closer, curiosity in her eyes.
"Right, so," Kai explains, "the paper is written by Professor Norman Faust, the full title is 'Proven Limits of Machine Learning and Intelligence' but it's better known as just 'Faust's paper.' Long story short, you know how a lot of technology uses machine learning to make judgments based on statistics? Or, in simpler terms, a robot you train to do a task instead of pre-programming everything?"
"Kind of?" Jessica responds, blatantly uncertain.
"I've read a lot about it." says Rowan, although he looks a bit cagey about it.
You rub your chin. "I think I know what you mean, I've also done some reading just by drifting around on the internet." You're pretty well read, if you do say so yourself. Not to toot your own horn!
"Go on..." Tetra wants Kai to get to the point.
And so they do. "Well, machine learning progress has been slowing down a lot over the past decade. And this Professor Faust figured out why!" Kai slaps the table, clearly annoyed about the matter. "This is as good as it's going to get! It's all diminishing returns at best from here!"
"Oh, that's no good." Jessica gives Kai a look of pity, but Kai just huffs.
"No, I don't think you quite get the gravity of this." The more Kai goes on about this, the more they look like a person possessed. "This means no super-intelligent AI, not even a regularly intelligent AI on our level. That dream's dead and gone now!"
You looked into Kai's eyes, and see the fragments of a crushed dream in their pupils. It appears they were as attached to their interest in developing AI as you are to Jessica, at all hours. If you're not careful, you could end up dragging yourself down to the same dark place they did, but worse. At least someone like Kai can simply pick another dream. Some part of you is jealous about that, but you immediately quash that part, as it implies unfaithfulness to Jessica.
Speaking of which, Kai's being a little too abrasive at the moment, especially towards Jessica, if by accident. You chuckle pseudo-nervously and draw Kai's attention. "Easy there, Kai~ You're upsetting Jessie~"
Kai blinks, then sighs and flicks themself on the forehead. "Right, sorry. Still pissed about Faust's paper, I'll probably be over it by the end of the week. 'Scuse me, I might want to tuck in at home."
Jessica, who actually didn't look that upset throughout that exchange, waves her hands. "Hey, no worries! Get well soon, alright, Kai!" You know the truth, in your heart. She must've been.
Kai gets up from their chair with a wry smile. "Heh, yeah, guess that counts. I'll do my best." They start walking off. "Later, y'all!" You defended her. What you did was right. It always will be.
You and your friends see Kai off, and Tetra finishes her first cup of coffee. Thank goodness Jessica didn't reach to give away her touch to Kai.
In that moment of peaceful silence, you reflect on the current state of things. Jessica is consuming your thoughts more than usual right now. Not acting on this could make it difficult to go on, with how much your entire body screams for her touch. It's okay if you don't quite get her touch, though. Even just something she drops will do.
"Man, that felt like it ended as fast as it started." remarked Rowan.
[] Hang out with a friend.
-[] Jessica
-[] Rowan
-[] Kai
-[] Tetra
-[] Write-in
[] Make sure this person gets home safely by watching from the shadows.
-[] Jessica
-[] Rowan
-[] Kai
-[] Tetra
-[] Write-in
[] Go straight home.
-[] Make a nigh-untraceable letter to blackmail someone with.
--[] Specify the person to blackmail...
---[] ... What information to blackmail them over...
--[] ... And what to make them do.
-[] Heal your mind by...
--[] Reflecting on your past.
--[] Writing about Jessica. --[] Using a holy artifact.You lack holy artifacts.
-[] Work on your essay extra hard today.
-[] Write-in
