Dohoho~! Fun train is incoming, and there are no breaks.
I wonder what the last roll is for. In theory, it should be relevant to coding, but the roll we have for the action itself is bordering on critical failure. Is it possible to lose understanding/progress on the code?
For those that are worried about Maeda... yes, she's dangerous, but if we learn more about her, that is useful information we can be weary of in the future, and we may be able to convince her to 'stand down' from harming a friend if the need arises.
As for the rest of my vote...
Well, we don't want to tip our hand too much too soon, but it would have been nice to keep a contact with the officer just in case we find something solid that we can hand over to him. Shinohara is the closest to being friends with Silas, so trying to get closer to her to complete one of the quests is a no-brainer... though I think it may have backfired on us this round. The MMO... well, it may be a time sink, but if we make sure only to play casually, we can prevent Silas from getting too invested or too sad (either of which means bad things).
I am actually ashamed at how long it took me to realize that the Council is a SCP Foundation reference.
I mean, it's not even a disguised reference. How am I only noticing now?
One day, I'll get an update done less than two weeks late.
ONE DAY.
ONE DAY.
But not today.
Right so, I had actual writer's block over the past couple of weeks. And… I honestly don't know why. It actually kind of scares me that my creative drive for this little thing I have on SV can just appear and disappear at a whim. And above all else?
I'm scared.
I'm scared that I've let people down.
I'm scared that I will let people down.
I'm scared that there might be a hole in my story's internal logic.
I'm terrified there already is.
I'm scared that my game mechanics make the game non-intuitive.
I'm scared that my updates are too long. Too boring. Too expository. Or maybe there's too much action, and I should tone it down. I don't know!
This… dumb fear of mine is probably what contributed most to my writer's block, to be honest. Too afraid to step outside and face the music, I guess… and the fact that the last updates were actually really good only made that worse, since I felt that if I didn't do at least as good as those, I would be doing a disservice to you guys. Yeah, I know right? Kind of ironic given the fact that I constantly harass you guys to be more critical of me.
Also as a side note, please don't stop being critical of me just because I wrote this. I need criticism! If everyone just smiles and hugs, I'll never get better… also if you need a better motivation to be critical, I won't take your compliments at face value if they don't come with criticism. I'll assume you're hiding your criticisms away to be nice… so criticise me to make the compliments feel better!
I don't actually know why I'm writing this. It's… therapeutic, I guess? Or maybe catharsis. Just needed to get it out of my system. Also, I feel like authors ought to divulge what they're feeling to their readers sometimes, to make the whole exchange more earnest and honest. Or maybe I'm just being weird. I probably am being weird, now that I think about it some more. Why am I still typing? This paragraph could have ended two sentences ago. Stop, fingers. No, really. Stop. Stooooooooooop.
Anyway...
Here's the update! Thanks for not hating me, much as I probably deserve it! -_-
I was really afraid of doing this, but I think I'm going to start separating each "block" into day and night turns. Before the "day" turn, you will choose social actions and club actions like normal, and before the "night" turn, you will choose the AS actions. The main reason for this is narrative; things happening during school tend to be detached narratively from things that happen after school, so it's hard to write about school and then suddenly segue into afterschool. Also, uh…
As you can probably see, this update went a little bit over my usual limit of ~3k words. That might have influenced my decision somewhat.
Ideally, this will let me make updates smaller so I can get them out faster. It… didn't quite pan out this time, but ideally! Ideally is the key word.
Also also! The new Observe action was poorly impleme"Poorly implemented?" Sheesh man, that's an understatement if I've ever heard one.nted in my opinion, so I'm going to be patching some of Silas's traits to account for that. Starting next turn, "Sensitive" is going to provide a malus to observe actions, and "Loner" will provide a bonus. Plus some syntax inconsistencies I'll be fixing. Welp! On to the shoooow. And sorry for the delay; writer's block is a foul mistress!
It was a good thing that the character customization on Tale of Merika had taken so long, because it meant that he didn't have any time to actually start the game proper, as from what he'd seen of the game in promotional videos and the like he was worried that if he had started last night, there's no way he would have gone to sleep.
Apparently, the company behind the MMO was also Mihoku's largest investor in Artificial Intelligence, so the MMO itself was littered with "Dynamic AI," or so the game's website had called it. Alongside the thousands of "Static" NPCs which followed a set daily schedule and reacted only somewhat to things happening around them, hundreds of "Dynamic" NPCs littered the game world, fulfilling roles such quest-givers, antagonists, and even mimics of actual players themselves. And then there was the "Director AI," which was responsible for orchestrating world events, simulting Merika's pseudo-economy, and even generating raid bosses. Silas had no idea how that worked, but the more he thought about it on the bullet train to Yamaha, the more and more he wanted to start cracking on that MMO once he got home… to start looking into the inner-workings of the metagame, to meet the culture of Merika, to see just how realistic the AI NPCs could possible be...
This wasn't going to be a problem, right?
Silas is feeling FERVENT (+1 CRE, +1 INT, and -1 CHAR until the end of the week, other effects)
Hanamura Chihiro was waiting for him at the gate again, which wasn't really a surprise.
"Heya! Silas-kun!" Chihiro ran up and extended his arms. "How've you been? Had a nice weekend?"
Silas took a tentative step back and tried to stop himself from gawking. "Hanamura-kun… why."
"What? Just being friendly! It's what friends do, right?" without warning he threw his arms around Silas and gave him a hug.
"ARGH - H-Hanamura-kun, I c-can't BREATHE - "
"Uh… can I step in here?"
Hanamura abruptly withdrew from his crushing hug and gaze the police officer a lopsided, tinny smile. "Furai-senpai! How've you been?"
"Hanamura-kun, you're still harassing new students in your class? I thought you promised to stop that when you were a second-year," Officer Furai sighed. "Please stop annoying Yamigawa-kun."
"Hey-hey, you know each other's names?" Hanamura laughed. Silas groaned, and started slowly inching his way towards the school's main double doors. "Since when? Silas-kun, you're not cheating on me, are yoooouuuu?"
"Get. To. Class." Officer Furai continued, unabated.
"Righto!" Hanamura stuck out his tongue and did a little bow, then he scurried away.
"...he seems nice," the officer chuckled. He winked in Silas's direction. "We were in the Computer Club back when I was in my fourth year of high school here. I suppose some people don't change," he said fondly.
Silas shivered. "...he hugged me."
"Uh… huh…?"
Silas's face reddened and he shook his head violently. "I-It's nothing! Err… thanks? Why are you here anyway, Officer - "
"'Furai-senpai' is fine. Everyone else here calls me that. I've gotten used to it."
"-Furai-senpai?" Silas corrected himself.
"Oh, you know…" the officer winked again. "Business. You should get to class, too. Don't want to be late."
He's not wrong, read an innocuous electronic billboard that suddenly interrupted its own newscast and then just as quickly un-interrupted itself.
"R-Right. Thanks again… 'Furai-senpai.'"
Silas went over to the double-doors and pushed them open. He glanced back at the officer just one last time to see him stop one of the students to ask them a question about something - he vaguely remembered them being one of the boys who sat in the front of the room during Drama's movie night.
"Soooooo…"
Silas nearly shrieked. "Why are you - ?!"
"Relax. I won't do… that again." Hanamura giggled childishly. "It's just… you're so interesting, Silas-kun! ...but anyway." his tone darkened somewhat. "So… uh. I heard that some interesting things happened last Friday?"
"...yeah." Silas's voice quivered slightly. "I-Interesting." Briefly, he started wondering if anyone other than the Student Council was part of the 'Foundation' thingy, and started feeling against the wall behind him.
"As in - I hear the movie and the audience didn't particularly mix well, if you know what I mean?"
"...I guess."
"Now… I'm not exactly one for accusations, but you didn't know something like that would happen, right?"
He knows he knows he knows he knows "-W-What? No… I didn't…"
"No no, Silas-kun, you're fine!" Hanamura beamed at him. He had unnaturally white teeth. "I'm not talking about you. I'm talking to you." he jabbed his finger towards his chest - no, past his chest, and his eyes scrunched up and his mouth drooped low into a scowl. Silas tried backing even further against the wall, feeling against the rough surface. Hanamura want on talking, "I want to know if you planned something like this. 'Cause if you did, you and I might start having some problems… you know? I dislike it when people disrupt my peace."
"...e-eh… what…?" Hanamura wasn't looking at him. He was looking past him. But when he turned around, there was nothing there, save for a tiny, almost inconspicuous hole in the wall. A little light was shining through, bright and blinding, making Silas turn away quickly.. "...Hanamura-kun, are you…?"
"I'm fine!" Hanamura clapped his hands together and smiled. All the tension from his face melted away, as if he had just relieved himself of a great burden. "Ah… sorry about that. I meant nothing by it. Just… needed to get something out of my system! I'll see you around, right, Silas-kun?" Hanamura looked at Silas with expectant, almost puppy-dog eyes.
"Sure…" Silas said. And then Hanamura was gone.
"...what just happened." Silas said to himself as he almost absentmindedly picked himself up and lobbed himself to Class 4-1. Maybe things would start making sense there.
Coming to class on Monday, Silas was amazed at how… normal everything was.
Students clung to their little cliques like normal, their senseis talked and typed and told them off like normal, Yumika laughed and giggled with everyone like normal, Allen and Yamuguchi had their little debate (something about nationalism and… blueberry pie(?) this time) like normal. Everything was normal, normal, normal.
Only, not quite.
There were tiny things, like how Yumika's smile would occasionally dim when she talked with Maeda. Or how Kamasaki-sensei seemed to be yawning more often than usual. Or how Allen was speaking more tensely within his little circle of friends in his corner of the room. Or how Shinohara wasn't saying a word to him during their lab. Tiny things that just put him on edge, but Silas couldn't quite place why.
On that note, casual conversation with Shinohara was turning out to be harder than Silas thought.
As much as she scared him, he figured it would be a good idea to try and get in the good graces of one of Yumika's friends. But Shinohara wasn't saying anything, despite the fact that he'd chosen to sit next to her for their history project.
Well, that wasn't quite true. She was communicating, just not really saying anything.
"Hey, Yamigawa-kun."
Silas nearly jumped. "Nn?"
"You know what I like about Pocky?" she asked.
"U-Uh… no…?"
"It's… sweet. And simple. You take a bite, you get a quick rush of sugar." Shinohara licked the edges of her lips. "...You know what I… don't like as much, though?"
Where was this going, exactly? "...what?"
"It's unfulfilling. After the rush is gone, there's nothing left. There's no richness to the chocolate, and the cracker underneath doesn't have a lot of substance to it. It's like conflict without resolution. Leaves a… hollowness in your throat if you consume it. Unless you have it with something else." Shinohara paused. "...Still, I like Pocky. I like it a lot. But I also can't stand it. I want to turn it into something better, I want to eat something nicer… but I like it too much to stop. ...am I making any sense?"
"...no."
"Ah." she smiled sadly. "Sorry."
Silas didn't know what to say. So… he didn't. He just turned back to his paper and largely shut up for the rest of the class. People are weird, he thought to himself, surprising even himself with how bitter he sounded.
Under her breath, Shinohara was muttering: "'m really, really sorry…"
Shinohara's REL has not changed!
Silas has learned something about Shinohara Hana!
(See New Developments)
[] INT: Observe someone: (Maeda Kirino) (Danger) This action was tampered with!
"..." Maeda was holding a bit of egg just before her lips. "...hello, Silas."
She wasn't speaking as harshly as he'd thought… so that was good? "Err… I-I've noticed you've seemed dow - "
Abruptly, Maeda rose from her seat. "I've got to go. Meeting. With someone. See you."
And then she was gone from the classroom.
Silas felt a cold sweat trickle down the back of his head. That… didn't go as planned. And now he was standing in the middle of the room, with thirty-odd eyes burning into his back and oh god this was a horrible idea why did he think that this would ever pan out w -
"HEY, EVERYONE!" a female student suddenly shouted from across the room. "U-Uh… I have Dango! I-It's the cute green-and-pink varieties from the konbini across the street. I even had the clerk draw smileys on some of them! ...Anyone want a piece?"
Silas made a silent thank-you to whoever it was who made that distraction, because almost immediately the weight of the entire class's gaze shifted to the back of the room. He took the brief moment of levity to quickly ask his sensei of that block if he could go to use the restroom, and then slip quietly out of the class and into the cool hallway.
His phone buzzed.
Big Sis: You're planning on following her, aren't you?
YamiOtako: Nn.
Big Sis: Why, exactly?
Silas had to think about that for a moment.
Some part of him wanted to believe that she was just what she looked like. That she was just Class 4-1's Student Council representative, overworked and tired and maybe a bit crabby but otherwise just another student. Responsible, fair, kind… But… was that really Maeda? Was anything he or anyone else knew about Maeda actually true at all? He didn't want to think that was so, but…
His thoughts were interrupted by an image of Yumika, thrashing against Kei's grip as one of the Student Council girls pressed a cold pen-syringe into her neck… and he felt some of his sympathy for Maeda die away, replaced by a cold dread.
YamiOtako: Because I want to know more about the Student Council. And because I don't think Maeda is a bad person. But I want to make sure.
Big Sis: Audible sigh.
Big Sis: Since the weekend, several of the surveillance cameras around the school have gone offline, or seem to be attempting to reject my network permissions, so I won't be able to see you everywhere you go.
Big Sis: Just avoid dark spaces, dead ends, girls with scissors, and ominous-looking classrooms being illuminated by a single dim lightbulb hanging precariously by a thread in the middle of the ceiling.
Big Sis: You know. Obvious BAD END flags.
YamiOtako: You're making me feel like I'm in Party of the Dead.
Big Sis: You'll be fine. Big Sister is watching.
Silas chuckled, despite everything. He didn't know exactly what he was doing, so he just followed the sound of Maeda's footsteps in the distance.
The 400 hallway was a long, thin avenue that fed into T-intersections at either end. On one end was the main hallway; its purpose was to ferry student traffic to and from the main stairwell. On the other end was a smaller, more disused hall; from what he remembered, there was nothing much there except for a few computer labs, an instant noodle vending machine, several arteries leading into even smaller hallways, and the Student Council breakroom. And no people.
Naturally, Maeda's footsteps led him in that direction. He sighed.
He had gone a good fifteen paces before he noticed that the footsteps had stopped. Silas paused for a moment, wondering if Maeda had gone into a room or something. He walked the rest of the way slowly, and turned the corner, looking left. Nothing but the instant noodle vendor.
He looked right and suddenly he was standing in front of Class 4-1.
Silas blinked confusedly.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
Big Sis: What… happened?
YamiOtako: I have no idea.
Silas pressed his right hand against his chest - his heart was still pounding pretty fast. But… he didn't know why. And obviously, because he wasn't locked in a steel room somewhere fifty feet below ground level, he hadn't been caught, right?
Big Sis: For some reason I have no data after 11:32, around the time you left for the hallway, or before 11:39, which was thirty-seven seconds ago starting from the moment this message reaches you.
Big Sis: Something is directly interfering with me. Not my systems. Not my surveillance. Not my dummy-core. Me.
YamiOtako: oh god
Big Sis: Sorry. You shouldn't worry about it too much.
Big Sis: You're safe. That's all that matters.
YamiOtako: If you say so…
Silas sighed, and pulled open the sliding door. Maeda and the Student Council… they were so frustrating. Things stopped making sense around them. He didn't know why. But… he figured things could have gone worse.
Now he really, really wanted something sweet.
"Hey…" he walked up to Dorima. "E-Err… is the girl in the back still giving out Dango?"
"Dango?" she raised an eyebrow - obviously not pleased that she had to talk to him. "What do you - bakayarou, you're holding one."
"I - what?!" Silas looked to his hand.
A small family of fluffy pink-and-green smiley faces were beaming back at him.
"...oh."
"And what's this about someone giving out Dango, anyway? I never heard about that," she grumbled.
"Eheheh…" Silas chuckled. "...sorry?"
Dorima rolled her eyes, made a little 'hmph!' with her lips, and turned back to her probably really interesting conversation with Hanamura.
The Dango was sweet, he decided. Very sweet, though the taste was gone and forgotten far too quickly.
Maeda's REL… changed…? Probably?
(See New Developments)
With the day almost over, Silas had almost forgotten that the grades for the unit tests last week were due to come in. However, to his surprise, none of his teachers had actually handed anyone's tests back.
For a few moments after leaving the classroom for Drama, he clung to the hope that maybe none of the grades would be coming in after all.
That hope lasted all of about fifteen seconds.
"Ah! Yamigawa-kun!"
Silas froze up a little. It was Kamasaki-sensei. He turned around - she was holding before him a stack of papers, streaked with bloodred ink.
"I have your grades. I am very sorry for the lateness - for some reason the Student Council was late on its paperwork this weekend." Kamasaki-sensei groaned. "Seems they're getting lazier and lazier every day… here you go."
Gently, he took the papers and rifled through them. Language Studies - 85. Foreign Language Studies - 83. Calculus - 90. Government and Civics - 89. Physics - 86.
Kamasaki-sensei hummed approvingly. "Pretty good… but you can do better, Yamigawa-kun. I know you can. You are smarter than you give yourself credit for."
"Uh… r-right!" Silas nodded. "...thanks?"
"I am being serious," she lowered her head. "Your Amberrish needs a bit of work. You keep substituting the wrong prepositional phrases. Also - 'biichi' and 'bitcchu' are very, very different words. Please be more diligent."
"Of course!" Silas started to sweat, but Kamasaki ended her spiel with a smile.
"Anyway, I am happy to know that, despite being homeschooled for so long, you are just as caught up as most of my class. Good afternoon, Yamigawa-kun." Sensei bowed.
"Good afternoon," Silas bowed back.
He wasn't sure, but for some reason sensei seemed… satisfied?
"Heya, Sai-kun." Yumika was outside the door to the club. She'd been waiting for him. "Still chipper?"
Silas half-mumbled, half-stuttered, "I guess? Sort of."
She giggled. There was a... hollowness there Silas couldn't quite place. "You're way too indecisive, Sai-kun. We'll have to work on that." she eyed the empty hallway. "Anyway… uh… I need to go grab something from Yuuko-chan, then go find Shinohara, so Reizei will be in charge while I'm gone. Just wanted to let you know!"
"Yuuko-chan?" Silas's eyes widened as he recognized the name of the Student Council girl who frisked him at the movie night.
"Yeah! She said she wanted to give Drama a present. Or a… consolation. Or something. I dunno. She seemed to think she owed us something" Yumika shrugged, but her eyes were on his face. She seemed to notice the way Silas became visibly distressed at the sound of Yuuko's name. "...ah… Sai-kun, what's on your mind?"
"N-Nothing!" he said quickly.
"Hmm…" Yumika rubbed her chin, shrugging. "Well, be safe, yeah, Sai-kun? I'll be right back, and then we can start working on your stutter! Maybe. Probably. Seeya!"
She quickly waved goodbye and scampered away, leaving Silas alone against the door. As he inched closer, he began to hear voices - familiar voices. Comforting voices.
A long, loud yawn. Reizei's. "Sheesh… I've been feeling so sleepy all day. And the headaches…"
"Yeah, I've got them, too, Renji-kun," Rakuyama's voice responded. "I hope it's not something going around… last time I caught the flu I couldn't sing for a week."
"Rakuyama-dono? Unable to sing? Egad, 'twould be a curse from God if that were ever made true!"
Quietly, Silas slipped into the clubroom. "Uh… hi, guys,"
"Yamigawa-kun!" Reizei greeted him. His eyelids were a bit droopy, but otherwise he seemed perfectly fine. "What's up?"
"Besides the sky," Mikado smirked.
"Oh shut up," Rakuyama rolled her eyes, giggling. She winced slightly.
"Oh…" Silas shrugged. "Well, nothing really… just h-happy to be here." Argh, I've really got to work on that stutter, Silas thought to himself for perhaps the third time today.
"Aww…"
"Oh, you flatter us," Kuroda was smirking. "Were we worthy of such wordplay, mayhaps I mightn't be so ashamed to accept it, sire. Hah!" He looked pleased with himself.
"We need to wait for Yumika-chan!" Rakuyama elaborated.
Kuroda nodded. "None of us have Yumika-dono's creative muster."
"Or her… energy," Rakuyama stretched out her arms and yawned, as if to make a point. Briefly, Reizei looked concerned, but seemed to brush it aside. "We've just sort of been… hanging out here. I wonder if Hana-san is coming sometime soon…"
"Hey, I brought a deck of cards… anyone up for a game of Blackjack?" Mikado jumped in. "I mean… since we have to pass the time…"
"I mean, like…" Rakuyama frowned. "I don't want to lose all of my yen again…"
"It's just a simple game, though!" Mikado insisted. "And we don't have to play with stakes this time!"
Reizei frowned slightly. "Guys, guys, we really should focus on something work-related."
"A simple game that you win almost every time," Rakuyama replied hotly.
"I must concur, you have an almost uncanny luck. If not for the fact that you were my most trusted confidant, I might be inclined to believe you are a cheater."
"Cheater?! Ridiculous. Besides… it was fun, wasn't it?"
"To lose?!"
"Guys… work…? This isn't Ambernia, you're expected to actually… do stuff here…?" Reizei tried speaking up, but almost immediately the three of them erupted into a testy argument about Mikado's recent Blackjack luck streak, completely (albiet non-intentionally) ignoring their Vice President. Silas saw Reizei sigh exasperatedly, pinching the tip of his nose. "...I'm in a club of idiots, aren't I?" he chuckled fondly.
"Hey… uh… Reizei-kun."
"Hmm?" he looked up. "Oh, you're not going to join them?"
"'Club of idiots?'" Silas repeated.
Reizei turned a little red. "W-Well, I mean, you know - I don't mean anything by it. Really! It's just the truth. We're a club of idiots," he sounded rather defensive. "Besides… I think us being idiots is really a huge boon, you know? W-What do you need, anyway?"
"Oh… er…" Silas shifted his feet. "Do you need any help? I can help."
"Help…?"
Reizei thought for a minute. "If you want you could help me sort out last week's budget report to the Student Council. If you're into that kind of stuff."
"Something's the matter with it?"
"Yeah, that report they're sending us and the one we're sending them don't match," Reizei said. "So I just need to correct some of the numbers. Should only take about… thirty minutes? Mikado's our best administrator, and I'd ask him to help me do it, but…"
Reizei glanced over at the boy, who was currently dealing out a hand to each of his friends. He flipped over his two cards - an Ace and a King of Spades, the quintessential victory. Naturally, the group flared up into a heated argument once more.
"...yeah…" Reizei sighed. "Hey, with you around, we might actually get a good amount of work done."
"I-I'll work, then!"
"Let's work."
"Right! Work."
~Approximately forty-five minutes of "work" later~
"Y-You're scaring me…"
"I'm serious! The crowd went completely ballistic!" Reizei shook his head, stifling a laugh his his fingers. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his temple. "Riku-nee nearly tripped over the microphone trying to get off the stage, and Nanako-nee booked it, leaving me alone in the middle of the Hypermall surrounded by angry foreign tourists."
"What did they do?"
"Well, one of them came up and started angrily blabbering in Pravic," Reizei started to snicker. "I don't understand the language of our tsundere political neighbor very well, but I think there were some gross profanities in there. And maybe a couple of ethnic slurs. I think they didn't like the fact that we were playing a Great War song, or something… which really is a shame, Senbonzakura is probably the most anti-war Great War period piece ever written."
"I had no idea Pravdustanians were that scary…" Silas tried to imagine himself in Reizei's position. He didn't think he could have ever handled trying to escape from such a large crowd. Then again, he did have Big Sister, so…
Wait, that would have made things worse.
"And that was before the foreign dignitary's security bots got into the scuffle," Reizei actually shivered. He rubbed his temple again. "I've heard rumors that those things can fire heat-seeking missiles so, uh… yeah. That was an experience."
Yes, much, much worse.
"Why do we even allow them into the country…?" Silas wondered aloud.
"Uh… freedom of travel, I guess? It's not like we'll be at war again any time soon. We have the League of Empires and everything."
"I suppose so..." Silas replied uncertainly. "Anyway, uh… did you used to do stuff like that with Riku-ne - ah - Rakuyama-san often?"
"Oh, all the time," Reizei beamed. "The three of us were inseparable. Still are, really, only Nanako-nee got into the Music Academy in the Capital, so we don't see each other as often." his eyes darkened a bit. "The time I spent with them is sort of the reason why I ended up in Drama. Chii-kun let me write the music for one of his scripts in our first year of high school, and Yumika-san loved the two of us, so… we stuck around. Even after Chii-kun left."
Silas sensed a hint of bitterment in the tone and didn't press any further. "...wow. You guys seem so cool!"
"That's…" Reizei actually reddened. "I mean… we're not all that cool. We're just a regu - OW!" he blinked, briefly feeling the side of his head as if a sharp pain passed through him. " -err, sorry. Anyway, we're just a regular old school club. Nothing special about us."
"H-Hey, don't sell yourself short. That's my j-job!" Silas stuttered through the delivery. This is how jokes work, right? He asked himself. Jokes are supposed to only be directed at yourself, so that you don't accidentally insult other people, right? Wait, was that even a good joke?
His thoughts were interrupted by Reizei's hearty laughter. "Oh my goodness, the shy one has a sense of humor! I had no idea! Haha! Okay, now I know for sure that you're not a kuu. That's good."
"Uh… thanks…" Silas mumbled. "So, do you think that Yumika - "
"What's this about me?"
"YACK!" Silas nearly fell out of his chair, and Reizei paled.
"So… sorry about being gone so long! Shinohara took forever to find, and some of the hallways were closed off for some reason, and Yuuko kept me waiting for a good quarter hour for some reason…" Yumika winced. "There was a lot of shouting coming from inside the Council's Chamber, too. Weird, that. Did you finish the budget reports?"
Reizei's eyes widened. He glanced down at his desk. "I - I mean, we have… one of the sheets done."
"Reizei-kun. Sai-kun. That's a five-page document."
Reizei looked between her and Silas. "W-Well, um... "
"I only asked him a single question about what his life was like!" Silas practically pleaded. He hoped desperately Yumika wasn't actually mad at him. "A-And then… um… a couple minutes passed… then an hour…"
"You asked Renji-kun. About his life?" Yumika, thankfully, looked like she was about to crack up. "Oh, poor, innocent Sai-kun… Renji-kun is Renji-kun's favorite subject. He can spend hours on it. It's good I arrived when I did!" Yumika finally broke into a fit of real laughter. Silas felt relieved. Then, she looked towards the middle of the room: "And Mikado-kun, how have you been helping your Vice President while I was away?"
The boy was guiltily stacking the cards back into his deck. "We were… uh…"
"A-Acting out…"
"A… Blackjack game?" Yumika grinned. Mikado returned her grin sheepishly. Rakuyama was looking anywhere but her eyes. "...come on, guys. You can admit it. I'm not mad! Really… I shouldn't have been gone for so long."
Everyone started laughing nervously.
"I… I mean… like… we'll make it up to you!" Rakuyama said suddenly. She seized up and rose quickly from her seat. "We'll get lots of stuff done with the… uh… half-hour we half left! Reizei-kun, quick, get the old scripts from last year and we can teach Yamigawa-kun a crash course on emot - owowowowowowowowow!"
Rakuyama winced, bringing her hand to her forehead. Then she stumbled, falling to one knee as a great pain seemed to wash over her. There were tears in her eyes. Reizei rushed over to her, knocking over his chair in the process. He held her by the shoulder and put a hand on her cheek. "Oi! Riku-nee? Are you alright?! Migraines? Fever? I-I have a medication in my bookbag somewhere…"
Reizei seemed to be panicking. "...shit. That bad? Breathe, Riku-nee. Breathe. Breathe… Argh…" he clutched his own forehead. "...that stings… I thought… I thought I got rid of that…"
Silas felt rooted to the spot. He looked towards Yumika for some kind of direction - anything - and she was looking directly at him. For once, she had a serious look to her. "Sai-kun!" she said in a commanding voice. "In Reizei's bag - he has an aspirin!"
"H-Hai!" Silas nodded and pried open the boy's bookbag. He pushed through stacks of sheet music and textbox before finding the small cylindrical bottle, covered with cautionary medical labels. He shook it - inside, tiny white vessels were rattling. "Found it!"
"Bring it here," Yumika gestured to him. Quickly, she peered at the bottle. "Open the top."
She grabbed a pill from the container and held it out to Reizei. He shook his head, took the pill, and placed it in Rakuyama's fingers, and she swallowed it quickly. The second one Reizei swallowed himself. Yumika felt the both of their foreheads with her hands.
"You two are burning up. You should have said something," she whispered.
The door was sliding open - in came Mikado and Kuroda, rather out of breath. Mikado held in his arms two plastic bags filled with ice, and Kuroda brought with him a glass of water. Wordlessly, Mikado pushed the makeshift icepacks against his friends' heads, where Yumika held them in place. Kuroda, in turn, alternated between tipping the glass into the Reizei's and Rakuyama's mouths, making sure they both were sated by the time the glass was empty.
Silas couldn't think of anything to do, so he just inched closer to Reizei and felt the side of his head. Like Yumika had said, it was burning hot. Reizei eyeballed him. He was breathing heavy, raspy breaths. "...Silas-kun? Where are we? W-What happened to Riku-nee?"
"She's…" he glanced worriedly in her direction. "She's fine, Reizei, just sort of… u-um…"
Yumika pressed her palm against his chest. "You're hallucinating, Renji-kun. Calm down. Riku-nee is here. She's safe. We're all safe."
"What's going on? Mikado-kun?" Kamasaki-sensei appeared at the doorway, took one look at Rakuyama and Reizei lying on the floor in the centre of the club room, and rushed to the both of them. "Oh dear, oh dear... what happened here?"
"Overd- uh - over-exhaustion and stress, or something, sensei!" Mikado said hastily. "I'm not sure why..."
Sensei nodded. "I guess the reason doesn't matter. I need to get them back to their homes."
"T-They probably won't be able to make it to the Yamaha b-bullet train hub," Silas observed.
"I can take them in my car," Kamasaki-sensei answered. "I never thought teacher's parking privilege would ever turn out to be this useful… Reizei-kun? Reizei-kun. Can you stand up?"
He winced. "I think…?"
"I can't carry both of you at the same time, so if you can - "
"Carry Riku-nee!" he exclaimed. He tried to force himself up. "I can… walk by myself." Despite seeming to be in considerably pain, eventually he was able to get onto his feet. Kamasaki-sensei pulled Rakuyama up; the girl was still delirious, and simply slumped against the floor, so sensei had to hook her left arm underneath Rakuyama's knees, right arm cradling the girl's head.
Sensei turned to them. "Thanks, Mikado-kun, for telling me about this. I'll make sure they get home safely."
"You won't be taking them to the hospital?" Silas asked.
Sensei shook her head. "It's not serious enough for that. Serious, but not that serious. They need sleep and water and to be with their families. Reizei-kun?"
The boy nodded, and the three of them, slow, stumbling, and silent, left the room.
With almost half of their number gone, Drama felt… strangely quiet. No one spoke a word. Silas could hear his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. There was a great tension with them now.
"I think…" it was Yumika who spoke up first. "I think we better call it a day, guys. I'm really sorry... "
Kuroda shook his head. "No, Yumika-dono… you are right. The mood has been ruined."
"I…!" Mikado made his way to the door. "I want to see Reizei-kun and Rakuyama-san out! I want to make sure the two of them are okay…" he got scant a response from Yumika and co. before he was already out the door, footsteps disappearing in the direction of the school's main entrance.
Kuroda turned to the two that were left. "I believe I must go." He rubbed against his temple. Silas got a look at Kuroda's eyes - they were red and watery. He was surprised he hadn't noticed that before. "I must admit, I've been suffering similarly for a while now. I must find rest while I'm still ambulatory - assuming what Reizei just went through is the same ailment I've been afflicted with."
Yumika nodded. "Go, Kuroda-kun. Be safe!"
"I will," he bowed. "I bid thee vale. 'Till we meet again. Silas-kun. Yumika-dono."
And then there were two. Well, three, as Nanami slipped into the room just as Kuroda left, lightly brushing his shoulder as he escaped into the hall.
Silas felt uncertain. The tension in the room still hadn't dissapated. He couldn't stop thinking about Rakuyama and Reizei. What the hell did the Student Council do to them, last Friday evening, that led to something like that happening?! Worse still was the fact that the two had seemed fine just moments before Rakuyama stumbled.
"It's funny."
Silas froze up. Yumika sounded cold. Her words were like ice. Nanami paused, hand wavering just before reaching Yumika to wrap her into a hug.
"Renji-kun and Riku-nee are hurting really bad. Kuroda-kun's act was less convincing today. I had to help Yoshi-kun into class this morning because he kept tripping and stumbling. And Hana-san…" Yumika paused. "Even me… Even I feel all woozy. It's been like this all morning. It took so much effort to get everyone to school… but we can't even last to the end of the day..."
She spun around. "But you? Sai-kun - you're perfectly fine. No sleepiness, or headaches - whatever hurt us didn't hurt you. No - whoever it was didn't hurt you. I don't understand. Or maybe I do. Maybe I do."
"Yumika…?"
She balled her hand into a fist; it trembled slightly. She clenched her teeth. And her eyes - they pierced him, full of pure, untempered rage. "You're not part of whatever this is, are you, Sai-kun? You're not… you didn't help start this, did you? Because if you did, you can just leave this club right now," she punctuated harshly. "And don't come back. I don't make friends with people who hurt the people I love." "No nono, you have it all wrong!" Nanami said urgently.
"I-I'm not…" Silas felt smaller and smaller. He didn't want her to be angry at him - but what was he supposed to say?! "I swear, I-I never…"
But Yumika had stopped. She was covering her mouth with her fingers - she paled, and her face had a look that was streaked with guilt. "...omigod, Sai-kun, I'm so sorry."
For a critical moment, Silas didn't trust his ears. "...you're not mad at me?"
"Mad? Nonono, Silas… never…" all the energy and anger left her, and what was left dejectedly slumped down on one of the room's desks. "I… I just…"
She clutched her head with her fingers, jumbling up her hair into messy strands. She closed her eyes and turning away from him. "...sorry… I needed someone to be angry at. You were… convenient, Sai-kun. Since I don't know you as well… and you were close by… but I know you're not that kind of person, Sai-kun! Sorry," she sighed, pausing for a moment, still facing away from Silas. "It's been like this since Friday. Sharp pains and lethargy and stuff… and I keep forgetting things, too... I don't think it's permanent, but… I hate it how none of us can get anything done right now." she let out a long, raspy breath. "...it wouldn't even be that bad, too, if I could just... remember what we did on that day! If I could just figure out what's hurting us! I was there, I should be able to find out how to help everyone - but I've got nothing!"
It was almost surreal. Silas never imagined that the happiest-go-luckiest person he knew could be so... sad. And that's exactly what Yumika was at that moment - sad, despairing, tired, weary. Even Yumika, it seemed, couldn't keep herself perpetually happy all the time.
He remember reading somewhere that happiness was contagious. If that was the case... then the opposite must have been true, too. Because just looking at Yumika like this made his heart drop and fill him with guilt. He had to do something.
"...Sai-kun."
"N-nn?" Silas snapped to attention.
"...do you remember what happened on Friday?" she asked wearily.
Silas didn't even have to think about it. It was the least he could do; at least, that is what he told himself. "...Yes. I... I-I remember. All of it." "No you don't," Nanami smiled sadly.
Yumika looked suspicious at first, but it didn't last long. She hesitated, "Then... what was it that… no. No, I shouldn't ask. If… honestly, maybe it's better if I didn't know. Gosh, I must be a bad friend… a whole day of this and I can't even keep everyone together long enough to have a proper club meeting..." she giggled darkly, shaking her head. "And then I went and blew up at my newest friend, too. What kind of Kaichou am I?"
For a while, she simply sat there, swinging her legs and shifting her weight from right to left. "... if you don't mind, Sai-kun... I think I want to be left alone for a bit. Nothing against you... but it's been a really long week..."
There was a light thump against the Drama club room's door.
[] Hug. [] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
[] "Everything w-will be fine, Yumika-chan."
[] "The Student Council did something to make everyone forget about Friday. I-I think they're why everyone is hurting."
[] "There was something w-weird about the movie I picked that made strange things happen on Friday."
[] He nods his head and leaves quietly.
Factbook unlocked!
Hints and clues that Silas collects will appear here. Also, there is a small section devoted to local news.
Trait finds: Shinohara Hana gained a trait! (Temp) Guilty - For whatever reason, Shinohara seems to think that she's at fault for something. (Reduced REL increase, REL will not decrease for normal failing a social action)
Silas discovered one of Reizei's traits! Somewhat Conceited - When talking about himself, Reizei tends to talk a lot, often turning a simple statement into a long, drawn-out conversation. Thankfully, he doesn't go all the way into narcissism, though when he gets going he is pretty hard to stop, in spite of himself. (+5 ST to all CHAR social interactions and to OBSERVE when Silas learns about this trait, Silas learns harmless things about Reizei faster)
Supposed Virtuoso - Reizei says he is very good at writing music and playing instruments - though, Silas hasn't heard firsthand what he sounds like. Surely, he sounds really good in person, though! (???)
Silas discovered one of Mikado's traits! Strange Luck - Mikado can't help winning games of chance. Cards and dice seem to be at his very whims - though he's pretty good-natured about it, all in all. (???)
Silas discovered part of Yumika's personality! Big-Hearted - Yumika really loves her friends, and is willing to go to great lengths to make sure her inner circle is happy, comfortable, and safe. To that end, she sometimes overextends herself, so her attention can only be on a few people at any given time. She never lets that keep her down, though. Hurt her friends, and you might find there will be hell to pay… (INCOMPLETE)
Increased REL gain up to a REL of 20 (Friends)
Decreased REL gain after a REL of 20 has been reached and until a REL of 30 (Close Friends)
Hurting Yumika's Close Friends purposefully will have negative consequences(???)
???
~~~
>Welcome to NSciPNET, userdebug//@netw.bs. You are currently logging in from terminal #_. This visit has been recorded.
>Scanning account credentials… complete.
>Access Level 3 Granted.
>Please enter query:
Disappointment. That is what she felt. Most silicons wouldn't feel like she did, but Big Sister was a different kind entirely. And she felt disappointment. So much of it. And love, and concern for Silas, as well. But right now, disappointment at herself and her failures was prevalent.
Despite her best efforts and all the RAM spent datamining the entirety of the Student Council's internet activity, she still lacked the information needed to fabricate a dummy account that could get into the more sensitive parts of the "NScipNET" directory, something she believed had information she wanted. Even then, the database kept spitting her out if she lingered for too long. She figured that someone in the system was actively hunting her presence; if that were the case, she would need to...
Ahem.
Acquire an authentic account some time in the future.
But that would be in the future. For now, she would worry about the present. This database might have information necessary to defend Silas from the Student Council, or perhaps a weak point she could exploit to destroy the system entirely. So long as there were a thing alive that could potentially harm Silas, she would find it...
Well you know. We… already chose them. *shrugs guiltily*
I'm not sure if this is tacky or not, but are you guys fine if I use this empty space to instead create a lore vote? In case you want to know about this fiction*passive-aggressively clears throat*al world's history, or politics, or about certain characters… I'm game for an infodump! Just let me know. Otherwise, I'll just leave this space blank.
"No no, Silas-kun, you're fine!" Hanamura beamed at him. He had unnaturally white teeth. "I'm not talking about you. I'm talking to you." he jabbed his finger towards his chest - no, past his chest, and his eyes scrunched up and his mouth drooped low into a scowl. Silas tried backing even further against the wall, feeling against the rough surface. Hanamura want on talking, "I want to know if you planned something like this. 'Cause if you did, you and I might start having some problems… you know? I dislike it when people disrupt my peace."
"...e-eh… what…?" Hanamura wasn't looking at him. He was looking past him. But when he turned around, there was nothing there, save for a tiny, almost inconspicuous hole in the wall. A little light was shining through, bright and blinding, making Silas turn away quickly.. "...Hanamura-kun, are you…?"
"It's unfulfilling. After the rush is gone, there's nothing left. There's no richness to the chocolate, and the cracker underneath doesn't have a lot of substance to it. It's like conflict without resolution. Leaves a… hollowness in your throat if you consume it. Unless you have it with something else." Shinohara paused. "...Still, I like Pocky. I like it a lot. But I also can't stand it. I want to turn it into something better, I want to eat something nicer… but I like it too much to stop. ...am I making any sense?"
Big Sis: Just avoid dark spaces, dead ends, girls with scissors, and ominous-looking classrooms being illuminated by a single dim lightbulb hanging precariously by a thread in the middle of the ceiling.
Gently, he took the papers and rifled through them. Language Studies - 85. Foreign Language Studies - 83. Calculus - 90. Government and Civics - 89. Physics - 86.
"That's…" Reizei actually reddened. "I mean… we're not all that cool. We're just a regu - OW!" he blinked, briefly feeling the side of his head as if a sharp pain passed through him. " -err, sorry. Anyway, we're just a regular old school club. Nothing special about us."
"I… I mean… like… we'll make it up to you!" Rakuyama said suddenly. She seized up and rose quickly from her seat. "We'll get lots of stuff done with the… uh… half-hour we half left! Reizei-kun, quick, get the old scripts from last year and we can teach Yamigawa-kun a crash course on emot - owowowowowowowowow!"
His thoughts were interrupted by Reizei's hearty laughter. "Oh my goodness, the shy one was a sense of humor! I had no idea! Haha! Okay, now I know for sure that you're not a kuu. That's good."
And then there were two. [/color=transparent]Well, three, as Nanami slipped into the room just as Kuroda left, lightly brushing his shoulder as he escaped into the hall.[/color]
She balled her hand into a fist; it trembled slightly. She clenched her teeth. And her eyes - they pierced him, full of pure, untempered rage. "You're not part of whatever this is, are you, Sai-kun? You're not… you didn't help start this, did you? Because if you did, you can just leave this club right now," she punctuated harshly. "And don't come back. I don't make friends with people who hurt the people I love." "No nono, you have it all wrong!" Nanami said urgently.
"I-I'm not…" Silas felt smaller and smaller. He didn't want her to be angry at him - but what was he supposed to say?! "I swear, I-I never…"
But Yumika had stopped. She was covering her mouth with her fingers - she paled, and her face had a look that was streaked with guilt. "...omigod, Sai-kun, I'm so sorry."
I'm not sure if this is tacky or not, but are you guys fine if I use this empty space to instead create a lore vote? In case you want to know about this fiction*passive-aggressively clears throat*al world's history, or politics, or about certain characters… I'm game for an infodump! Just let me know. Otherwise, I'll just leave this space blank.
Sure, what the hell. I'll take a primer on the Great War and/or how Pravs are tsundere, if'n that's okay?
[X] Hug.
It is delicious bait and I can't help but take it. Also, she's in the running for Best Girl. Also also, no secrets because this area's compromised AND it seems someone is right outside.
[X] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
[X] [BS] >open file O5memo_23.txt
Sensitive seems the best option.
Hugging is NOT a good idea at present with an invisible girl who can get jelly watching.
I was about to push for hug to keep developing the Waifu route, but this is an exceptionally good point.
[x] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
I mean, you might've asked these questions sarcastically, but for the benefit of the lurkers I'll call this one out; It's a Doki Doki reference. Comments on that below.
(Can somebody tell me if Spaghetti posting rules are still in effect? Reactions will go in spoilers, since I'm pretty sure it's the stop-gap.)
One day, I'll get an update done less than two weeks late.
ONE DAY.
ONE DAY.
But not today.
Right so, I had actual writer's block over the past couple of weeks. And… I honestly don't know why. It actually kind of scares me that my creative drive for this little thing I have on SV can just appear and disappear at a whim. And above all else?
I'm scared.
I'm scared that I've let people down.
I'm scared that I will let people down.
I'm scared that there might be a hole in my story's internal logic.
I'm terrified there already is.
I'm scared that my game mechanics make the game non-intuitive.
I'm scared that my updates are too long. Too boring. Too expository. Or maybe there's too much action, and I should tone it down. I don't know!
This… dumb fear of mine is probably what contributed most to my writer's block, to be honest. Too afraid to step outside and face the music, I guess… and the fact that the last updates were actually really good only made that worse, since I felt that if I didn't do at least as good as those, I would be doing a disservice to you guys. Yeah, I know right? Kind of ironic given the fact that I constantly harass you guys to be more critical of me.
Also as a side note, please don't stop being critical of me just because I wrote this. I need criticism! If everyone just smiles and hugs, I'll never get better… also if you need a better motivation to be critical, I won't take your compliments at face value if they don't come with criticism. I'll assume you're hiding your criticisms away to be nice… so criticise me to make the compliments feel better!
I don't actually know why I'm writing this. It's… therapeutic, I guess? Or maybe catharsis. Just needed to get it out of my system. Also, I feel like authors ought to divulge what they're feeling to their readers sometimes, to make the whole exchange more earnest and honest. Or maybe I'm just being weird. I probably am being weird, now that I think about it some more. Why am I still typing? This paragraph could have ended two sentences ago. Stop, fingers. No, really. Stop. Stooooooooooop.
Anyway...
Here's the update! Thanks for not hating me, much as I probably deserve it! -_-
If you don't see a PM from me in 24 hours, remind me. I'm a bit sleepy and just starting this reaction post, so I might not make it through and remember to message you. Although this message would serve as a reminder...hm.
I was really afraid of doing this, but I think I'm going to start separating each "block" into day and night turns. Before the "day" turn, you will choose social actions and club actions like normal, and before the "night" turn, you will choose the AS actions. The main reason for this is narrative; things happening during school tend to be detached narratively from things that happen after school, so it's hard to write about school and then suddenly segue into afterschool. Also, uh…
As you can probably see, this update went a little bit over my usual limit of ~3k words. That might have influenced my decision somewhat.
Ideally, this will let me make updates smaller so I can get them out faster. It… didn't quite pan out this time, but ideally! Ideally is the key word.
Also also! The new Observe action was poorly impleme"Poorly implemented?" Sheesh man, that's an understatement if I've ever heard one.nted in my opinion, so I'm going to be patching some of Silas's traits to account for that. Starting next turn, "Sensitive" is going to provide a malus to observe actions, and "Loner" will provide a bonus. Plus some syntax inconsistencies I'll be fixing. Welp! On to the shoooow. And sorry for the delay; writer's block is a foul mistress!
Not a single heck was given. Although since we're planning to lose Loner soon we might want to pump Observe actions since we'll be running mostly unpenalized (-5) for now.
Listen, I'll be upfront. I don't like Hanamura. I've never liked him, in fact. I think he's creepy, uncomfortably driven, and sinister in a way that would be entirely negative for us to interact with in any way.
For example, the above. Silas wasn't comfortable, isn't comfortable, and continues to do this anyway. To put it another way that might be more obviously understandable regarding my position: Imagine this scene if Silas was a girl. With Fem!Sila still uncomfortable and still pretty obviously not consenting to the contact? We'd have a capital-P Problem.
This is not the same as disliking his writing. I think he's interesting in a way I don't want to interact with (like a forest fire), and I admit that I've seen a very surface depiction of his character and his depths may be 'redeeming', for lack of a better word.
I don't care. We don't have a lot of time on this earth, and I'd rather read about Shinohara than him, because at least it seems like she's trying to improve.
"Hey-hey, you know each other's names?" Hanamura laughed. Silas groaned, and started slowly inching his way towards the school's main double doors. "Since when? Silas-kun, you're not cheating on me, are yoooouuuu?"
Is the Fem!Silas argument against Hanamura okay? Because if it is, this line is pretty damning. If it isn't, I'd love to discuss. I'm not mad, even if it would seem like I'm spitting invective like the former reactions might read.
"Relax. I won't do… that again." Hanamura giggled childishly. "It's just… you're so interesting, Silas-kun! ...but anyway." his tone darkened somewhat. "So… uh. I heard that some interesting things happened last Friday?"
"...yeah." Silas's voice quivered slightly. "I-Interesting." Briefly, he started wondering if anyone other than the Student Council was part of the 'Foundation' thingy, and started feeling against the wall behind him.
"As in - I hear the movie and the audience didn't particularly mix well, if you know what I mean?"
"...I guess."
"Now… I'm not exactly one for accusations, but you didn't know something like that would happen, right?"
He knows he knows he knows he knows "-W-What? No… I didn't…"
"No no, Silas-kun, you're fine!" Hanamura beamed at him. He had unnaturally white teeth. "I'm not talking about you. I'm talking to you." he jabbed his finger towards his chest - no, past his chest, and his eyes scrunched up and his mouth drooped low into a scowl. Silas tried backing even further against the wall, feeling against the rough surface. Hanamura want on talking, "I want to know if you planned something like this. 'Cause if you did, you and I might start having some problems… you know? I dislike it when people disrupt my peace."
"You know what I like about Pocky [Fear]?" she asked.
"U-Uh… no…?"
"It's… sweet. And simple. You take a bite, you get a quick rush of sugar." Shinohara licked the edges of her lips. "...You know what I… don't like as much, though?"
Where was this going, exactly? "...what?"
"It's unfulfilling. After the rush is gone, there's nothing left. There's no richness to the chocolate [Emotion], and the cracker [Foundation on which Fear is usually built] underneath doesn't have a lot of substance to it. It's like conflict without resolution. Leaves a… hollowness in your throat if you consume it. Unless you have it with something else." Shinohara paused. "...Still, I like Pocky [Fear]. I like it a lot. But I also can't stand it. I want to turn it into something better, I want to eat something nicer… but I like it too much to stop. ...am I making any sense?"
Makes sense to me. My interpretation of her actual conversation is in [brackets], although I freely admit I might be off the mark. I'd also like to discuss Shinohara's nature with someone at some point.
If that color text is any indication, I have an idea of who. I don't remember my reactions, for one. Hello again, my dear. I hope you two are doing good work on whatever is happening to you. I want you to keep reaching out, because at some point the hivemind will muster enough traction to devote Effort into saving you. Not that we aren't now, but we're out of ideas currently.
With the day almost over, Silas had almost forgotten that the grades for the unit tests last week were due to come in. However, to his surprise, none of his teachers had actually handed anyone's tests back.
For a few moments after leaving the classroom for Drama, he clung to the hope that maybe none of the grades would be coming in after all.
That hope lasted all of about fifteen seconds.
"Ah! Yamigawa-kun!"
Silas froze up a little. It was Kamasaki-sensei. He turned around - she was holding before him a stack of papers, streaked with bloodred ink.
"I have your grades. I am very sorry for the lateness - for some reason the Student Council was late on its paperwork this weekend." Kamasaki-sensei groaned. "Seems they're getting lazier and lazier every day… here you go."
Gently, he took the papers and rifled through them. Language Studies - 85. Foreign Language Studies - 83. Calculus - 90. Government and Civics - 89. Physics - 86.
Kamasaki-sensei hummed approvingly. "Pretty good… but you can do better, Yamigawa-kun. I know you can. You are smarter than you give yourself credit for."
Silas froze up. Yumika sounded cold. Her words were like ice. Nanami paused, hand wavering just before reaching Yumika to wrap her into a hug.
"Renji-kun and Riku-nee are hurting really bad. Kuroda-kun's act was less convincing today. I had to help Yoshi-kun into class this morning because he kept tripping and stumbling. And Hana-san…" Yumika paused. Even me… Even I feel all woozy. It's been like this all morning. It took so much effort to get everyone to school… but we can't even last to the end of the day..."
She spun around. "But you? Sai-kun - you're perfectly fine. No sleepiness, or headaches - whatever hurt us didn't hurt you. No - whoever it was didn't hurt you. I don't understand. Or maybe I do. Maybe I do."
"Yumika…?"
She balled her hand into a fist; it trembled slightly. She clenched her teeth. And her eyes - they pierced him, full of pure, untempered rage. "You're not part of whatever this is, are you, Sai-kun? You're not… you didn't help start this, did you? Because if you did, you can just leave this club right now," she punctuated harshly. "And don't come back. I don't make friends with people who hurt the people I love." "No nono, you have it all wrong!" Nanami said urgently.
"I-I'm not…" Silas felt smaller and smaller. He didn't want her to be angry at him - but what was he supposed to say?! "I swear, I-I never…"
But Yumika had stopped. She was covering her mouth with her fingers - she paled, and her face had a look that was streaked with guilt. "...omigod, Sai-kun, I'm so sorry."
For a critical moment, Silas didn't trust his ears. "...you're not mad at me?"
"Mad? Nonono, Silas… never…" all the energy and anger left her, and what was left dejectedly slumped down on one of the room's desks. "I… I just…"
She clutched her head with her fingers, jumbling up her hair into messy strands. She closed her eyes and turning away from him. "...sorry… I needed someone to be angry at. You were… convenient, Sai-kun. Since I don't know you as well… and you were close by… but I know you're not that kind of person, Sai-kun! Sorry," she sighed, pausing for a moment, still facing away from Silas. "It's been like this since Friday. Sharp pains and lethargy and stuff… and I keep forgetting things, too... I don't think it's permanent, but… I hate it how none of us can get anything done right now." she let out a long, raspy breath. "...it wouldn't even be that bad, too, if I could just... remember what we did on that day! If I could just figure out what's hurting us! I was there, I should be able to find out how to help everyone - but I've got nothing!"
It was almost surreal. Silas never imagined that the happiest-go-luckiest person he knew could be so... sad. And that's exactly what Yumika was at that moment - sad, despairing, tired, weary. Even Yumika, it seemed, couldn't keep herself perpetually happy all the time.
He remember reading somewhere that happiness was contagious. If that was the case... then the opposite must have been true, too. Because just looking at Yumika like this made his heart drop and fill him with guilt. He had to do something.
"...Sai-kun."
"N-nn?" Silas snapped to attention.
"...do you remember what happened on Friday?" she asked wearily.
Silas didn't even have to think about it. It was the least he could do; at least, that is what he told himself. "...Yes. I... I-I remember. All of it." "No you don't," Nanami smiled sadly.
Yumika looked suspicious at first, but it didn't last long. She hesitated, "Then... what was it that… no. No, I shouldn't ask. If… honestly, maybe it's better if I didn't know. Gosh, I must be a bad friend… a whole day of this and I can't even keep everyone together long enough to have a proper club meeting..." she giggled darkly, shaking her head. "And then I went and blew up at my newest friend, too. What kind of Kaichou am I?"
For a while, she simply sat there, swinging her legs and shifting her weight from right to left. "... if you don't mind, Sai-kun... I think I want to be left alone for a bit. Nothing against you... but it's been a really long week..."
There was a light thump against the Drama club room's door.
Trait finds: Shinohara Hana gained a trait! (Temp) Guilty - For whatever reason, Shinohara seems to think that she's at fault for something. (Reduced REL increase, REL will not decrease for normal failing a social action)
Silas discovered one of Reizei's traits! Somewhat Conceited - When talking about himself, Reizei tends to talk a lot, often turning a simple statement into a long, drawn-out conversation. Thankfully, he doesn't go all the way into narcissism, though when he gets going he is pretty hard to stop, in spite of himself. (+5 ST to all CHAR social interactions and to OBSERVE when Silas learns about this trait, Silas learns harmless things about Reizei faster)
Supposed Virtuoso - Reizei says he is very good at writing music and playing instruments - though, Silas hasn't heard firsthand what he sounds like. Surely, he sounds really good in person, though! (???)
Silas discovered one of Mikado's traits! Strange Luck - Mikado can't help winning games of chance. Cards and dice seem to be at his very whims - though he's pretty good-natured about it, all in all. (???)
Silas discovered part of Yumika's personality! Big-Hearted - Yumika really loves her friends, and is willing to go to great lengths to make sure her inner circle is happy, comfortable, and safe. To that end, she sometimes overextends herself, so her attention can only be on a few people at any given time. She never lets that keep her down, though. Hurt her friends, and you might find there will be hell to pay… (INCOMPLETE)
Increased REL gain up to a REL of 20 (Friends)
Decreased REL gain after a REL of 20 has been reached and until a REL of 30 (Close Friends)
Hurting Yumika's Close Friends purposefully will have negative consequences(???)
Yumika Friendship GET! I'm annoyed Close Friend is harder to get, but Genki Spirit will make up for any failed Social actions.
All in all, good chapter.
[x] [BS] >open file nscp-002.scp
This is the Foundation. Assuming we hit unredacted paydirt, this is the most lucrative of options. The Test Logs aren't really interesting by themselves, especially if they're the only one we can open. The O5 Memo is very interesting, and is an auto-pick if we get another crack at this database. The reclass request is...strange, and makes me think 002 might not actually be Nanami. Then again, the Foundation might be classifying the anti-meme field as 002, not Nanami. In that case, if they find out it can spread, I can see why it would get reclassed. The termination request seems fairly obvious and I'm not convinced it would give us the same bounty of information as 002's base file.
Spaghetti rules are specifially with regards to debating and chopping points up into incoherent slices that are difficult to respond to because the replies to each are contextual or similarly incoherent. Reaction posts are definitionally excepted.
"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking to you." he jabbed his finger towards his chest - no, past his chest, and his eyes scrunched up and his mouth drooped low into a scowl. Silas tried backing even further against the wall, feeling against the rough surface. Hanamura want on talking, "I want to know if you planned something like this. 'Cause if you did, you and I might start having some problems… you know? I dislike it when people disrupt my peace."
@veekie, he is talking to you. You caused this, you sort it out!!
I don't share Spector29's sentiments about Hanamura. Silas isn't a girl, and he is clearly abnormal. People who interact with him in ways that could be tied to this anomaly automatically pique my interest. Even when they are from the Student Council, or with the police. I can't help but prod them for more, up until the point where it becomes unsafe, and maybe a little past it...
(Temp) Guilty - For whatever reason, Shinohara seems to think that she's at fault for something. (Reduced REL increase, REL will not decrease for normal failing a social action)
I can't decide whether this is an incentive, or a disincentive to continue interacting with her.
[x] "The Student Council did something to make everyone forget about Friday. I-I think they're why everyone is hurting."
Waifu wars, eh? That's too small! I'd much rather be the cause of Club Wars. We will forge a new identity for ourselves amidst the conflict and strife! And maybe fix our stuttering, too, while we are at it!
Down with the Foundation! All hail SkyBSNet!
...what was up with the dango? Were they the cause of memory alteration? But we remembered the girl giving them out, even though the rest of the class didn't! Is it because they affect only short-term memory, like a few minutes, and we ate were fed ours much later than others? But what event caused them to be distributed in our class in the first place?
SCP002? Reclassification request? Interesting. But I'll go with something else.
[x] "The Student Council did something to make everyone forget about Friday. I-I think they're why everyone is hurting."
Waifu wars, eh? That's too small! I'd much rather be the cause of Club Wars. We will forge a new identity for ourselves amidst the conflict and strife! And maybe fix our stuttering, too, while we are at it!
[X] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
[X] [BS] >open file O5memo_23.txt
[x] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
- [x] After leaving, hide outside the school and wait for Yumika. Follow her, intercept her once the school is sufficiently far away.
- [x] Go somewhere private, then tell her about every strange event within the school that you remember. But don't mention Big Sister.
[x] Once out of school, check your clothes for bugs. Ask Big Sister to check as well.[X] [BS] >open file O5memo_23.txt
[X] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
[X] [BS] >open file nscp-002.scp
[X] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
Hanamura gets possessed by something and rants past Silas at us ourselves. Shinohara makes cryptic statements that Silas can't process. The Student Council Big-Sister-proofs their surveillance systems. The Student Council or something interferes with Big Sister's core, then erases Silas' memory. Members of Drama Club have seizures.
We have no control. That needs to change.
First, school is hostile territory. Even Big Sister's systems are compromised, not to mention Silas' own perceptions and memory. We don't talk about anything we don't want The Student Council to know within the school's boundaries, (in particular we don't interact with Big Sister except in emergencies), and we don't go looking for adventures in-school unless we're certain it's safe or crucially important.
We do need allies, though. Yumika is trustworthy (probably), and is much better at social than Silas. I vote we propose to meet with her somewhere outside of school, then tell her everything we know there: The Foundation, anti-memes, amnestics, what happened during the period she doesn't remember, about Apollyon/SCP-3125, about Hanamura's recent episode, whatever we can remember of Nanami. She would do a much better job of getting information out of Maeda, in particular.
I'm not sure if we should mention Big Sister, though.
I'm reasonably confident this entity is talking to us. The readers, the voters. He (it? not convinced it's Hanamura) isn't talking to the Student Council, because he referred to them as to "audience", separate from the one he is addressing. He is talking to the eldritch hivemind which directs Silas' choices.
It's... problematic, to say the least. The amount of problems a smart meta-aware character could cause, if the author is modelling them faithfully, is enormous.
That's quite clearly a metaphor for her... inclination. She is saying she isn't satisfied by simply flash-scaring people. She wants to play the role of an actual horror movie monster.
Hmm, we're part of the Drama Club. Can we vote to stage a play with horror elements, and have her be the monster? She would get to scare a school's worth of people, and it would be a drawn-out experience. Can we? Can we, please?
Doki Doki Literature Club. A lovely, just loveliest dating sim. If you like this quest, you're likely to like it as well.
The problem is, we can't ask Yumika to meet us out of school without revealing that we want to meet her outside of school, to whatever is watching us inside of school. What was this "light thump"? Optimistic interpretation is Nanami, but do we really want to be optimistic? I vote we stalk her.
[x] (Sensitive) Silas isn't sure, but he thinks he understands why Yumika is so down. "Your friends will still be your friends after this, Yumika-chan. I-It's just one day, right?"
- [x] After leaving, hide outside the school and wait for Yumika. Follow her, intercept her once the school is sufficiently far away.
- [x] Go somewhere private, then tell her about every strange event within the school that you remember. But don't mention Big Sister.
[x] Once out of school, check your clothes for bugs. Ask Big Sister to check as well.
@LuciDreamer, are write-in votes accepted? What about write-in standing votes? Can we do that?:
[ ] Standing vote: don't interact with Big Sister inside the school unless it's an emergency, and ask her to not interact with you as well. If she is trying to invade the Student Council's network, ask her to be extra careful.
@LuciDreamer, are write-in votes accepted? What about write-in standing votes? Can we do that?:
[ ] Standing vote: don't interact with Big Sister inside the school unless it's an emergency, and ask her to not interact with you as well. If she is trying to invade the Student Council's network, ask her to be extra careful.
Big Sister Complex - Silas absolutely loves his Big Sister. Being around her helps him get through the daily functions much more easily, but not being around her causes him to lose confidence in himself quickly. (+10 Success threshold for all actions in which Big Sister is present, -10 Success threshold to all actions in which Big Sister is absent)
That is not the argument. The argument is that people shouldnt make other people uncomfortable and that it would take some connotations if Silas was a girl. That he's not makes no real difference. Hanamura is very much acting like an inconsiderate Creep.
Also nanami gave us a hand just now at the beginning and thats cool.
...Im very tempted to hug her. VERY TEMPTED.
Though I guess we wont be told what the color actually means? Things are very confusing atm. flailing around is not really a good sentiment.
No no, Silas-kun, you're fine!" Hanamura beamed at him. He had unnaturally white teeth. "I'm not talking about you. I'm talking to you." he jabbed his finger towards his chest - no, past his chest, and his eyes scrunched up and his mouth drooped low into a scowl. Silas tried backing even further against the wall, feeling against the rough surface. Hanamura want on talking, "I want to know if you planned something like this. 'Cause if you did, you and I might start having some problems… you know? I dislike it when people disrupt my peace."
But when he turned around, there was nothing there, save for a tiny, almost inconspicuous hole in the wall. A little light was shining through, bright and blinding, making Silas turn away quickly.. "...Hanamura-kun, are you…?"
"It's unfulfilling. After the rush is gone, there's nothing left. There's no richness to the chocolate, and the cracker underneath doesn't have a lot of substance to it. It's like conflict without resolution. Leaves a… hollowness in your throat if you consume it. Unless you have it with something else." Shinohara paused. "...Still, I like Pocky. I like it a lot. But I also can't stand it. I want to turn it into something better, I want to eat something nicer… but I like it too much to stop. ...am I making any sense?"
My take on this is that she CAN eat more positive emotions, but fear tastes better? I guess this means that she wanted Yumika around for her happiness rather than trying to make her afraid?
(Reads New Developments)
... or maybe she just feels guilty for enjoying movie night too much.
That might have influenced my decision somewhat.
