image title = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/title.png")
image moon = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/moon.png")
image end = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/end.png")
image badend = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/badend.png")
image tryagain = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/tryagain.png")
image anonkitchen = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/anonkitchen.png")
image anonroomnight2 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/anonroomnight2.jpg")
image volcadera1 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/volcadera1.png")
image volcadera2 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/volcadera2.png")
image volcadera3 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/volcadera3.png")
image roadtoschool = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/roadtoschool.png")
image fangroomfuture = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/fangroomfuture.png")
image fangkitchen = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/fangkitchen.png")
image fang no pendant sad = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/fang no pendant sad.png")
image fang no pendant shock = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/fang no pendant shock.png")
image skinrow night = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/skinrow night.png")
image park_night = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/park_night.jpg")
image park_night2 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/park_night2.png")
image meadow = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/meadow.png")
image fangmoon = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/fangmoon.png")
image ciel = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/ciel.png")
image ciel2 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/ciel2.png")
image ciel3 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/ciel3.png")
image cielintro1 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/cielintro1.png")
image cielintro2 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/cielintro2.png")
image stella sad smile = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/stella sad smile.png")
image stella blush = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/stella blush.png")
image stellatable = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/stellatable.png")
image store = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/store.png")
image sunset = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/sunset.png")
image stellakiss = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/stellakiss.png")
image laptop = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/laptop.png")
image naomikabedon = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/naomikabedon.png")
image naomioffice = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/naomioffice.png")
image naomi blush = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/naomi blush.png")
image books = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/books.png")
image eveningsky = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/eveningsky.png")
image trodoonstreet = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/trodoonstreet.png")
image trish sad notears1 = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/trish sad notears1.png")
image arcade = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/arcade.png")
image trishgame = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/backgrounds/trishgame.png")
image trishsleep = Image("mods/MoonPrincess/moon/spoilers/trishsleep.png")







define audio.track01 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track01.ogg"
define audio.track02 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track02.ogg"
define audio.track03 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track03.ogg"
define audio.track04 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track04.ogg"
define audio.track05 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track05.ogg"
define audio.track06 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track06.ogg"
define audio.track07 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track07.ogg"
define audio.track08 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track08.ogg"
define audio.track09 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track09.ogg"
define audio.track10 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track10.ogg"
define audio.track11 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track11.ogg"
define audio.track12 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track12.ogg"
define audio.track15 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track15.ogg"
define audio.track16 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track16.ogg"
define audio.track17 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track17.ogg"
define audio.track18 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track18.ogg"
define audio.track19 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track19.ogg"
define audio.track20 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track20.ogg"
define audio.track21 = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/Track21.ogg"
define audio.bonustrack = "mods/MoonPrincess/moon/music/bonustrack.ogg"
define TrishFangVisit = False
define StellaEventUnlock = False
define TrishFangBreakfast = False
define TrishEvent = False
define NaomiEvent = False
define StellaEvent = False
define AnonHP = 5
define TrishHP = 5
define base = Character (ctc="ctc_end_marker", ctc_pause="ctc_mid_marker", ctc_timedpause=Null(), ctc_position="nestled")
define Ciel = Character ('Ciel', base, color="#AF9EFF", who_outlines=[(gui.name_text_thickness, '#241630')])
define Arc = Character ('Arcueid', base, color="#f5d4a6", who_outlines=[(gui.name_text_thickness, '#463e26')])
define Tracy = Character ('Tracy', base, color="#F8E120", who_outlines=[(gui.name_text_thickness, '#58260C')])






label moonprincess_storyline:


    window hide

    stop music fadeout 2.0
    scene black with Dissolve(3.0)
    pause 2.0
    play music track01 fadein 1.0

    scene moon with Dissolve(3.0)
    pause 2.0
    nvl clear
    nvl_narrator "{nw}"
    nvl_narrator "{w=0.15}I look up at the night sky."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}The moon is shining like a diamond."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}The breeze, cold yet gentle, ruffles my hair."
    nvl clear
    nvl_narrator "{nw}"
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}There is a figure standing before me, facing the same sky."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}The girl is looking up, her eyes glittering, her wings spread out."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}She wished that her wings would take her to that moon."
    nvl clear
    nvl_narrator "{nw}"
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}Her elegant figure dazzles me."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}The beauty of an angel too pure for this world."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}Am I in a dream?"
    nvl clear
    nvl_narrator "{nw}"
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}She turns to me, smiling gently."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}Her eyes are wet, but she's not crying. Not anymore."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}'Thank you.'"
    nvl clear
    nvl_narrator "{nw}"
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}As she says that, my heart skips a beat."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}I want to embrace her. I want to give her everything."
    nvl_narrator "{w=1.00}I love her."
    nvl clear
    nvl_narrator "{nw}"
    nvl_narrator "{cps=*.1}The moon is truly beautiful tonight...{/cps}"
    nvl clear
    window hide
    window auto
    
    
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene title with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    jump WakeUp
    




label WakeUp:
    play ambient 'audio/effects/outdoorLoop.ogg' fadein 2.0 volume 0.5
    
    scene room anon day alt with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    play music track02 fadein 1.0
    
    "The small bedroom is dimly lit by the early dawn."
    
    pause .5
    
    "The alarm clock I'm used to hearing is silent."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I open my eyes, and check the time."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Something compelled me to wake up two hours earlier than usual."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And yet, I don't feel tired at all."
    
    pause .5
    
    "The room looks the same as ever."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Somehow messy and empty at the same time. Things scattered all over the place."
    
    pause .5
    
    "But something seems off."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "What a strange feeling..."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I bring my hand up to my forehead."
    
    "Sweat."

    "Now that I think about it, I did have an unusual dream."
    
    "Though I can't remember it, for some reason."

    "There is no sign of sleepiness."
    
    "So, instead of lounging and scrolling the Internet for thirty minutes like I normally do, I decide to get up."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As I drag myself out of bed, something catches my eye. A notification on my phone."

    "Someone must've sent me a message."
    
    "This early in the morning though? {w=.5}Who could it even be?"

    show anonphone at center with easeinbottom
    
    "I pick up the phone and check the app." 

    "It's from Fang."
    
    "Judging by the timestamp, she sent it last night, after I went to sleep."
    
    pause 0.5
    
    
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} im down with a cold"
    
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} nothin to worry about"
    
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} tho ill probably skip school tomorrow :V"
    
    pause 0.5

    "Huh, I didn't even know that dinosaurs get colds."
    
    "Should probably text her back just in case."
    
    pause 0.5
    
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} You doing good? I can drop by if you want."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "No response. {w=.3}She's probably still sleeping."
    
    hide anonphone with easeoutbottom
    
    "Whatever, I'll think about it later."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Should probably eat something before going anywhere though..."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I wash my face and take a shower."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Then, with my morning routine out of the way, it was time to make breakfast."
    
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    
    show anonkitchen with blinds
    
    "A simple omelet with bacon would do just fine."
    
    pause .5
    
    "While the whole thing is shimmering on the pan, I stare at my phone and scroll the Mongolian basket-weaving forum."
    
    "My mind is still stuck on Fang and her sudden sickness."
    
    "Is it because she wore her usual skimpy attire in this surprisingly cold weather?"
    
    "Maybe I'll ask her if she has a jacket or something."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Damn, now I sound like her mother."
    
    "Speaking of which{cps=*.1}...{/cps}" 
    
    pause .5
    
    "I remember Fang telling me that her parents are usually out in the morning, and I know that Naser always arrives to school early, so Fang should be alone."
    
    "It wouldn't be much of a hassle to give her a surprise visit right now."
    
    pause .5
    
    "My phone's still silent, the messages remained unread."
    
    "Just to be sure, I call her number."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}..."
    
    "No response."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Now I'm starting to wonder if it's serious."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Maybe Fang got flu..."
    
    "Or, maybe not, and I'm just being a worrywart."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As my thoughts continued to race in all kinds of directions, the breakfast was finally ready."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}I think I burned it."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Guess it's gonna be {i}that{/i} kinda day..."
    
    pause 1.0
    scene room anon day alt with blinds
    window hide
    window auto
    
    "I picked up my bag and checked the contents."

    "Writing utensils, notes for today, a student ID, and a lunch card. {w=.2}Yup, everything's in place."

    "So, as I take my phone, I consider how to go about this morning..."
    
    pause .5
    menu:
        "I should just head to school":
            jump StellaAndTracy

        "I'll go visit Fang":
            jump FangMorning

    pause .5
    
    
    
    
    
label StellaAndTracy:
    "Maybe I shouldn't bother Fang so early in the morning."
    
    "I'm sure she's just resting."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "If I come right now, I'll only disturb her for no good reason..."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I pick up my bag and head outside."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene skinrow with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    play music track03 fadein 1.0
    
    
    "The morning air is chilly as usual."
    
    "The temperature has been unnaturally low for the last month or so."
    
    "People are getting visibly frustrated. Everyone planned to ditch their jackets last month, but Mother Nature had other plans."
    
    "Personally, I don't mind. It's not like I have a lot of wardrobe options in the first place."
    
    "As I walk down the street, the upcoming school day comes to my mind."
    
    "No one's planning anything special, so I guess I'll keep a low profile and see how Trish and Reed are doing."
    
    "They haven't been practicing recently, and now Fang might be out of commission as well."
    
    "What a shame."
    
    "As I ponder VVURM DRAMA's future and my own existence, the gentle breeze blows past me as if welcoming me to have a stroll."
    
    "Since it’s early, I might as well take a scenic route to the school instead of the usual one."
    
    "It would be good for my health."
    
    scene volcadera1 with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "As I went down the sidewalk, the morning crowd attracted my attention." 
    
    "Humans and dinos alike rush through the streets, hurrying to catch the bus, or get somewhere, or whatever."
    
    "Most shops are still closed, but some are unpacking the goods already."
    
    "Kids with excessively large backpacks are waiting for the school bus."
    
    "Despite the cold, the sky is clear, so today is promising to be a fine day in general."
    
    "Even in the early hours, it seems that Volcadera is as awake as it ever going to be."
    
    "When I reach the crossing, I spot a certain familiar hot dog stand."
    
    "The smell of franks wafts through the air and a yellow dino is scrambling behind the counter."
    
    "Tracy is already working at full force."
    
    "But she's not alone. A certain green stegosaurus is chatting with her."
    
    "It's Stella. A girl with her head so high up in the clouds, you have to wonder how she can stand up without tipping over."
    
    "I don't mind Tracy, but Stella's overbearing company might be a bit too much for me so early in the morning."
    
    "Though it's not like she deserves to be avoided outright."
    
    "I wonder what I should do..."

    menu:
        "I'll avoid Stella":
            jump SchoolMorningWalk

        "Let's say hi":
            jump StellaMorning

    pause .5    
    
    
    
    
    
label StellaMorning:
    $ StellaEventUnlock = True
    
    "Stella's not a bad girl, so let's go say hi."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As I approach them, Tracy is the first to spot me."
    
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    
    show tracy neutral flip behind stella with Dissolve(1):
        xalign +0.1
    
    pause 1.0
    
    Tracy "Well, if it isn't Anon! What brings you here so early?"
    
    show stella neutral at aleft with Dissolve(1):
    
    St "Oh, Anon-kun! So nice to meet you here!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella waves at me energetically. Trying to ignore her usual quirks, I smile at her and wave back."
    
    A "I could say the same to you, Tracy. Why are you working so early?"
    
    Tracy "You have no idea how many people have a craving for hot dogs before work."
    
    Tracy "Such as Stella right here!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "She pointed at Stella, who was already consuming hers surprisingly fast."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Oh, you know each other?"
    
    St "Yes!" 
    
    St "I actually live nearby, so I always visit Tracy on the way to school." 
    
    Tracy "Yup, she's been my most steady source of income for a while now."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Both girls chuckle at each other."
    
    Tracy "So can I get you anythin'?"
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "Sure, why not."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm not hungry, but standing here empty-handed would look pretty dumb."
    
    pause .5
    
    Tracy "Vegan or meat?"
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    A "You even have vegan options?"
    
    pause .5
    
    Tracy "'Course I do."
    
    Tracy "Can't survive in this business otherwise."
    
    Tracy "In case you forgot - unlike you skinnies, most dinos are either carnivores or herbivores."
    
    Tracy "Any vendor worth their salt would account for both."
    
    show anon sad flip with dissolve
    
    "...I feel dumb for asking this question. Sometimes I still forget that I'm not in a human neighborhood anymore."
    
    pause .5
    
    Tracy "I'm a herbie myself, as a matter of fact."
    
    A "I'll go with meat, thanks."
    
    Tracy "One meat 'dog comin' right up!"
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    "Watching Tracy do her thing is like watching a performance."
    
    "She juggles condiment bottles, quite literally, like she’s been doing this since birth."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "So as a herbivore, are you physically unable to eat meat?"
    
    Tracy "Well, not really. But I can barely stomach it. Always gives me a nasty belly ache."
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "It's the same for me."
    
    show stella mad with dissolve
    
    St "In grade school, a certain someone tried to prank me by feeding me a dino nugget, and I ended up in a medical room."
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
    
    A "Sounds like a pain."
    
    A "I'm glad we skinnies are omnivores, I can eat whatever I want."
    
    show tracy tease flip with dissolve
    
    Tracy "Oh really?"
    
    Tracy "Why don't you try eating grass here? Let's see how you like it, Mr. Omnivore."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "That's just mean."
    
    pause .5
    
    Tracy "I can do it though. It's kind of bitter, but edible."
    
    Tracy "Makes for a fun party trick."
    
    St "Same here."
    
    A "Aren't you supposed to be a chef, Tracy? I thought your palate was more refined."
    
    show tracy unimpressed flip behind stella with Dissolve(1):
        xalign +0.1
    
    Tracy "I'm a street vendor. Don't lump me with those pansies, hiding in their kitchens, afraid of the real world."
    
    "Sounds like I struck a nerve."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Did you work in a restaurant before?"
    
    pause .5
    
    Tracy "As a matter of fact, I did. Five years ago."
    
    Tracy "They fired me after I decided to spice up their stew recipe."
    
    A "And how did you 'spice it up'?"
    
    Tracy "I added some frog legs."
    
    A "Wh-what?"
    
    "I never took Tracy for the French cuisine enthusiast." 
    
    Tracy "For your information, they're very nutritious!"
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    Tracy "But that asshole of a sous-chef didn't appreciate it, and threw me out."
    
    Tracy "{alpha=*0.5}{i}Meanwhile, his fat ass couldn't tell medium well from medium rare, goddamn hack...{/i}{/alpha}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I could barely hear that last part."
    
    show tracy neutral flip behind stella with Dissolve(1):
        xalign +0.1
    
    Tracy "But don't worry about it. I make three times as much money doing what I love here than slaving away in a restaurant kitchen."
    
    Tracy "And I make a bunch more friends!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Tracy smiles at Stella, who's about to enjoy her second hot dog."
    
    "Stella blushes a bit and turns to me."
    
    pause .5
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "So Anon, how was your morning?"
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
    
    show anon sad flip with dissolve
    
    A "It was fine... I woke up way earlier than usual, for some reason."
    
    A "But Fang got sick, so that's a bummer."
    
    pause .5
    
    Tracy "Oh, your lady friend. I haven't seen her in a while. Send her my best wishes, I hope she gets better soon."
    
    St "Is it anything serious?"
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    A "She told me it's all fine, she just won't be at school today."
    
    show stella considering with dissolve
    
    "My words made Stella pause for a moment."
    
    St "You know, it's probably the moon's influence."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}And she just said something weird."
    
    A "Come again?"
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "The moon is influencing you both."
    
    St "Today's a special day, after all."
    
    A "I think I missed the memo."
    
    "{w=0.5}.....I swear, I just saw a twinkle in Stella's eye."
    
    show stella happy with dissolve
    
    St "It's a perigee-syzygy, a supermoon!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Now she's speaking neither English language nor the weeaboo language."
    
    A "I think you watch too many cartoons, Stella."
    
    A "Maybe lay off that stuff for a bit."

    show stella mad with dissolve
    
    "As I sighed, she got somewhat indignant."
    
    St "No, it's a real thing!"
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "It's a very rare occurrence when the full moon coincides with perigee, which is the moment that the moon comes closest to the Earth!"
    
    "I'll just pretend I got all of that."
    
    St "This can have all sorts of strange effects on people, you know."
    
    A "You're saying that's why I got up so early too?"
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
    
    St "Did you have any strange dreams last night?"
    
    A "I think I had a weird dream, but I can't remember it."
    
    St "Oh, that's a shame."
    
    St "You know, a lot of wonderful things can be divined from dreams, especially strange ones."
    
    St "But don't worry, it'll all be fine tomorrow."
    
    show tracy tease flip behind stella with Dissolve(1):
        xalign +0.1
    
    Tracy "You two remind me of my own school days."
    
    Tracy "We were all obsessed with astrology and mysticism back then."
    
    Tracy "Do kids still play with Ouija boards? Those were fun."
    
    show stella happy with dissolve
    
    St "I have two!"
    
    "Why am I not surprised?"

    window auto
    window hide
    
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "We kept talking for a few minutes."
    
    "Eventually, as Stella ordered her third hot dog, I decided to head to school before she could follow me."
    
    jump SchoolMorningWalk
    
    
    


label SchoolMorningWalk:
    if StellaEventUnlock:
    
      pause .5
      "This girl sure is something."
    else:
      "Hot dogs are well and good, but I don't think I could stand Stella's usual high-pitched attitude at this hour."
      "I leave Tracy to handle the ever-energetic otaku by herself."
      "Besides, I already had breakfast."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene roadtoschool with Dissolve(2)
    "Going down the usual road to school, I see students of all shapes and sizes walking alongside me."
    "It's hard to describe how diverse the crowd is."
    "From slender to stout, from tall to short, from green to purple."
    "If there's one thing dinos have in common, it's that they have little in common."
    "Some students are chatting with each other about upcoming lessons and events."
    "Others prefer to be alone and make their way through the crowd with earbuds cutting them off from the outside world."
    "It's still pretty early, so I imagine most of them are in school clubs of some kind, like Naser."
    "Speaking of which, he should probably be around."
    "I could ask him about Fang if I see him."
    "Although I don't want to interrupt his morning practice. So maybe we could leave this until lunch."
    "As I take a deep breath of cold air, I realize how much I miss my warm bed right now."
    "Eventually, the school gate comes into my view."
    jump RosaMorning
    
    
    
    
label RosaMorning:
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene outside school with Dissolve(2)
    "As I walk up the usual steps, I can see Rosa, already at work on her flowers."
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    show rosa considering at aleft with dissolve
    Ro "Oh, An-on! You're up early today."
    A "Good morning, Rosa. It's kinda cold today, huh?"
    show rosa unimpressed with dissolve
    Ro "¡Sí! I'm starting to worry if this could ruin the garden."
    Ro "Such tiresome weather."
    show rosa neutral with dissolve
    Ro "But I'm sure we can figure something out!"
    "It's no wonder Rosa is Stella's best friend."
    "Both are walking bundles of optimism."
    "Except when Rosa gets emotional, she gets {i}really{/i} emotional."
    
    pause .5
    A "So how's the club doing? Any new members?"
    pause .5
    Ro "No, but we're always scouting for candidates! Do you want to join?"
    pause .5
    A "Ehm{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Maybe some other time."
    "The last time I got to work in Rosa's garden, it took me a month to fully recover."
    if StellaEventUnlock:
      A "You know, I met Stella on my way here."
      Ro "Oh, that's wonderful!"
      Ro "She always spends her mornings alone, so I'm sure she appreciated your company."
      pause .5
      "Alone, huh?"
      A "Don't worry, she's not as lonely as you might think."
      A "She was actually chatting with a friend along the way."
      "I'm not sure if I should divulge the sheer amount of hot dogs I've seen Stella consume today."
      "I'm not that tactless."
      Ro "Well, that's great news too! I should ask her about it sometime."
      show rosa considering with dissolve
      Ro "By the way, if you're looking for Naser, he's at his morning practice."
      Ro "He told me Fang got sick. Terrible thing, you must be so worried."
    else:
      show rosa considering with dissolve
      Ro "By the way, if you're looking for Naser, he's at his morning practice."
      Ro "He told me Fang got sick. Terrible thing, you must be so worried."
    A "Yeah, I know, Fang informed me. I'm sure she'll be fine, just needs some rest."
    show rosa neutral with dissolve
    Ro "That's the spirit! She's a strong girl. I'm sure we'll see her again very soon."
    A "Sure. Give it a day or two, and she'll be back on her feet."
    show rosa happy with dissolve
    Ro "Maybe we should plan something for when she gets back! Like a party!"
    A "...Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
    show rosa neutral with dissolve
    Ro "You know, maybe I could arrange a bouquet of flowers for you."
    Ro "To surprise her with!"
    "I can already imagine Fang's smug grin when I'll bring her something like that."
    show askfang6 with Dissolve(1)
    F "{i}Flowers? Really?{/i}"
    F "{i}You're such a dork, Anon.{/i}"
    F "{i}What's next, a teddy bear?{/i}"
    F "{i}And don't forget your sneakers when you decide to serenade under my window. Dad's a pretty good runner.{/i}"
    hide askfang6 with Dissolve(1)
    show anon sad flip with dissolve
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    A "I appreciate the thought, but no thanks."
    Ro "Well, if you need one, you know where to ask, niño!"
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    A "Yeah, I guess I do."
    pause .5
    A "Well, I gotta go now. See ya, Rosa."
    Ro "Have a wonderful day, An-on!"
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "Sighing to myself, I enter the school."
    "It's no wonder people call Rosa 'everyone's mom'."
      
    pause 1.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    window hide
    window auto
    jump SchoolFirstPeriod
    




label SchoolFirstPeriod:
    pause 2.0
    scene classroom with Dissolve(2.0)
    play music track05 fadein 1
    "With a few minutes to spare before the bell, I walk into the classroom, scanning the usual crowd."
    "A few guys I recognize greeted me, but most people didn't seem to pay much attention."
    "Reed is nowhere to be seen."
    "Maybe he decided to skip class?"
    "No, his bag is at his seat. Something must've come up."
    show trish annoyed at aleft with blinds
    "Trish is also there, staring intently at her phone with a difficult expression."
    A "Trish, you alright?"
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "I try calling out to her, but she doesn't respond."
    "Might as well let her be for now."
    hide trish with blinds
    "I take my seat and get my usual things ready."
    "It's almost eight o'clock, so homeroom should start at any moment now."
    "The crowd is lively as ever."
    "Some guys to my right are discussing the recent happenings at the school."
    "Actually, I think one of them is a member of the student council..."
    "I tilt my head slightly, trying to hear what they're talking about."
    pause .5
    unknown "So, how's the council doing?"
    unknown "It's a fucking dumpster fire. The day that salmon-pink bitch is outta there will be the day we could actually do some fucking work."
    pause .5
    "I guess the student council doesn't hold Naomi in high regard."
    "I wonder what happened. I don't think I've seen them so agitated before."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    stop music fadeout .5
    play sound 'audio/effects/schoolBell.ogg' volume 0.2
    "Finally, the homeroom bell rings."
    "As the teacher comes in, everybody scrambles for their seats."
    "Time for yet another long day of school."
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0   
    jump ThirdPeriodLunch




label FangMorning:
    $ TrishFangVisit = True
    "Yes, for the peace of my own mind, I really should drop by." 
    "I do have about an hour to spare. Even if it's nothing serious, I just want to see her again."
    "I call a taxi, and head outside."
    window hide
    window auto
    
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    play ambient 'audio/effects/cityLoop.ogg' fadein 2.0 volume 0.1
    scene skinrow with Dissolve(2.0)
    play music track03 fadein 1.0
    
    "The morning air is chilly as usual."
    pause .5
    "The temperature had been unnaturally low for the last month or so."
    "People are getting visibly frustrated. Everyone planned to ditch their jackets last month, but Mother Nature had other plans."
    "Personally, I don't mind. It's not like I have a lot of wardrobe options in the first place."
    "As I wait for the cab, the upcoming school day comes to my mind."
    "No one's planning anything special, so I guess I'll keep a low profile and see how Trish and Reed are doing."
    "They haven't been practicing recently, and now Fang might be out of commission as well."
    "What a shame."
    pause .5
    "As I ponder VVURM DRAMA's future and my own existence, the cab arrives."
    "It looks pretty beat up and old, but that's the kind of service you get in this part of town."
    "I get in and give the driver Fang's home address."
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    
    scene volcadera1 with Dissolve(2.0)    
    "As the car speeds through the town, I soak in the atmosphere."
    "Humans and dinos alike rush through the street, hurrying to catch the bus, or get somewhere, or whatever."
    "Most shops are still closed, but some are unpacking the goods already."
    "Kids with excessively large backpacks are waiting for the school bus."
    "Despite the cold, the sky is clear, so today is promising to be a fine day in general."
    "Even in the early hours, it seems that Volcadera is as awake as it ever going to be."
    pause 0.8
    "As we approach the more affluent part of town, I check my phone again."
    "Still nothing. She hasn't been online since yesterday."
    "I hope I don't disturb her too much."
    pause 1.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    window hide
    window auto
   
    scene home fang outside with Dissolve(2.0)
    "The driver slowly pulls to the side as we arrive at the destination."
    "I give him the tip and get out of the car."
    "Fang's house seems completely silent."
    "Hopefully, her parents are out. But if they're not, I can always tell it like it is."
    "She got sick and I'm worried, so I came to check things out."
    "Even her dad shouldn't find a problem with that."
    "...Oh, who am I kidding, he'll try to murder me regardless."
    pause 1.0
    "'Ring!' The doorbell sounds."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}No answer."
    "I pick up the key Fang hides under a garden rock, open the door, and enter."
    window hide
    window auto
    scene home fang day with dissolve
    pause 1.0
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    pause 0.5
    A "Fang!{w=0.3} You awake?"
    pause 0.5
    "A girl walks down the staircase, wearing only a shirt, rubbing her eyes meekly."
    show fang no pendant sad at aleft with dissolve
    F "I am now{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    show fang no pendant shock with dissolve
    pause 0.5
    "She looked at me, somewhat surprised."
    pause 0.5
    F "Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Why're you here, at the ass-crack of dawn?"
    pause 0.5
    A "I got your message."
    A "Called you back, but you didn't respond. So I decided to drop by before school."
    show fang no pendant sad with dissolve
    F "I think I turned my phone off so Trish wouldn't drive me up the wall with worry..."
    F "You know how she can be."
    show anon sad flip with dissolve
    A "Damn, I knew I was worrying too much{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    A "Sorry for waking you up like that."
    F "Nah, it's all good{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I usually get up at this hour anyway."
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    "Still, I'm glad I got to see her. She doesn't look sick at all, so my worries subside."
    A "So, how are you doing?"
    show fang christmas happy with dissolve
    F "Nothing to worry about, it's just a cold. I used to get these all the time when I was a kid."
    F "Well, come on in, don't be shy."
    show fang no pendant shock with dissolve
    F "Just wait a sec first. I gotta get myself ready."
    hide fang with Dissolve(0.35)
    hide anon with Dissolve(0.35)
    "As she hurries up the stairs, I close the door behind me and step into the living room."
    pause 0.5
    "Fang's house is looking as lavish as ever."
    "Spick and span too. Her mother must be taking a lot of care to keep it that way."
    "No one else is home, so thankfully, I don't have to worry about being too intrusive."
    pause 0.5
    "As I made my way to the living room, family photos on the wall caught my eye."
    "There are pictures of Fang and Naser as kids."
    "Naser still had both wings intact. Fang was always wearing Halloween costumes."
    "It looks like pirates weren't the only fantasy young Lucy indulged in."
    "I guess she really was {i}that{/i} kind of a kid."
    "Her head in the clouds. {w=0.5}Dreaming about silly things."
    "I was {i}that{/i} kind of a kid as well."
    "All the way into Junior High."
    "For whatever reason, I pretended to be a hikikomori with crippling social anxiety." 
    "Except I never had any, beyond basic introversion."
    "Guess I just wanted to be like the protagonist of that anime I watched."
    "{w=0.35}What was it called? {w=0.35}NHK or something."
    "Kids can have weird role models..."
    "But let's not dwell on painful memories."
    "As I studied the old photos, a slightly hoarse voice called out from upstairs."
    F "I'm ready! Get your ass up here!"
    "I walk up the familiar staircase and enter Fang's room."
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    
    scene fangroomfuture with blinds
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    "It's as messy as ever."
    "The air is stale, and I can see a small mountain of medicine on the shelf above Fang's bed."
    show fang happy at aleft with dissolve
    F "Come on, sit your butt down."
    "Fang is now dressed in her classic punkish attire."
    "I guess she feels incomplete without it."
    "Fang gestures to the chair at her bedside as she lies down."
    "She is trying her best to look healthy, but slight sluggishness betrays her."
    "Even after everything we've been through, it's somewhat jarring to see Fang bedridden."
    "I open the window to let fresh air in, and sit down." 
    A "So, are these dino colds contagious to homo sapiens like yours truly?"
    pause .5
    "This was on my mind for the past thirty minutes."
    show fang surprised with dissolve
    "Fang gives me a surprised look and giggles."
    show fang happy with dissolve
    F "Ahahaha~"
    F "Should've worried about that before you came here, stupid."
    F "Don't worry, it's safe for you."
    show fang surprised with dissolve
    F "Or at least it should be." 
    F "I'm not actually sure, I think I slept through that lesson."
    "Not that I'm worried about getting sick myself, but I have to admit that some aspects of her life are still a complete mystery to me."
    show fang happy with dissolve
    F "Slept well? You're the tardiest person I know, it's unusual to see you up and about at this hour."
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    A "Eh, I dunno what happened today."
    A "Had a strange dream, and woke up full of energy. Didn't even need an alarm clock."
    A "One of those days, I guess."
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    show fang surprised with dissolve
    F "I had a weird dream myself, you know. Can't remember it now though."
    "She tilted her head to the side, deep in thought."
    A "How's healing going, anyway?"
    show fang unimpressed with dissolve
    F "I've only been sick since last night, dumbo."
    F "Mom gave me the usual meds, now I'm just resting. Like I said, it's gonna be fine."
    A "You said you've been getting these colds since you were a kid."
    show fang considering with dissolve
    F "Yeah, always 'round the same time too. I might not look like it now, but I was a bit of a sickly kid."
    "As I ponder if her usual pale and thin complexion still constitutes as 'sickly', Fang suddenly perks up."
    show fang happy with dissolve
    F "Hey, why don't you stay for a bit?"
    F "Mom won't be back for at least a few more hours, so let's have some fun. Pass me the guitar."
    "Fang's eyes lit up as she pointed at the instrument on the floor. She definitely wanted me to stay."
    pause .5
    A "Actually, I was about to head out."
    A "I just wanted to check how you're doing, that's all."
    show fang angry with dissolve
    F "Come on, don't be such a killjoy."
    pause .5
    "She throws me a dissatisfied glare."
    pause .5
    "If I don't leave for school right now, I’m definitely going to be late."
    pause .5
    "And I'm not a straight-A student either, so it might cause some problems down the line."
    pause .5
    A "I feel like if I stay any longer, your dad will descend upon me from the heavens like a bolt of divine punishment."
    show fang sad with dissolve
    F "Don't worry about dad, he always comes home late!"
    F "Come on, I want you to stay for a bit longer..."
    "Those puppy dog eyes. She knows I can't resist the puppy dog eyes. What should I do{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    menu:
        "I have to go to school":
            pause .5
            A "Sorry, Fang."
            pause .5
            A "You know I'd love to stay, but school's important."
            show fang angry with dissolve
            "She scoffed at my words, and crashed on her pillow, pouting."
            F "What's so fucking important about it, we learn jack shit there anyway..."
            A "I'll need a decent scholarship if I want to get into college."
            A "So I don't want to play with fire."
            A "I'm doing it for you, you know."
            "I stepped closer to her and put my hand on her shoulder."
            pause .5
            "Fang scowled at me at first, but quickly shifted to sulking instead."
            show fang sad with dissolve
            F "Yeah{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I get it, I guess{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
            F "I won't bother you then."
            pause .5
            F "And if you see Trish, tell her I'm doing well. I'm sure she'll be a worried mess as usual."
            pause .5
            A "Sure. And don't be so sad about it, it's not like we won't see each other again."
            show fang happy with dissolve
            "Fang chuckled at the suggestion, and smiled."
            pause .5
            F "Piss off already, dweeb. You'll be late."
            pause .5
            A "See ya, sweet tooth."
            F "See ya."
            pause .5
            scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
            "I stepped out of her room, trying not to make too much noise, and headed for the front door."
            pause 2.0
            play ambient 'audio/effects/cityLoop.ogg' fadein 2.0 volume 0.1
            scene home fang outside with Dissolve(2.0)
            "I leave Fang's house and glance at my phone."
            "I'm making good time."
            "If I head straight for the school, I won't be late."
            jump RosaMorning

        "I can spend a bit more time with Fang":
            pass

    pause .5
    $ TrishFangBreakfast = True
    F "Come on, Anon. Stay a bit longer. Besides, you did wake me up, you know."
    A "Well{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "She's absolutely correct."
    "I did barge in uninvited and woke her up. Leaving like this would be pretty damn rude."
    "I certainly care about her more than schoolwork, so I can afford to be an hour or two late."
    pause .5
    A "Okay, you win. I'll stay."
    show fang very happy with dissolve
    "She smiled cheerfully, eyes full of delight."
    pause .5
    F "Knew you couldn't resist! Now come here, I'll show you something I've been working on!"
    pause .5
    "I hand the guitar to her and she sits up on the bed, getting ready to jam."
    
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    show fang happy with dissolve
    F "This is still only a baseline, so tell me what you think{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    hide anon
    hide fang
    show fangguitar
    with dissolve
    pause 0.5
    play music track04 fadein 1.0
    
    "Her thin fingers played the chords as naturally as they always did."
    pause .5
    "She didn't use a guitar pick. Instead, she plucked the strings with her long nails."
    pause .5
    "It's a curious melody."
    pause .5
    "A little melancholic, but with an undertone of tranquility to it."
    pause .5
    "It sounds like a love song."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "While I keep listening, my mind starts to wander."
    pause .5
    "I remember the first time I heard Fang play, on the school's roof."
    pause .5
    "I didn't really understand her back then. But her music helped me understand."
    pause .5
    "I remember how I visited her house for the first time, and she helped me learn the same instrument she's handling so masterfully right now."
    pause .5
    "Fang looks completely in her lane, playing with a tranquil smile."
    pause .5
    "While the melody is somewhat rough, it's as beautiful as anything she wrote before."
    pause .5
    "Maybe even more so."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    hide fangguitar with dissolve   
    
    show fang happy at aleft with Dissolve(1)
    show anon neutral flip at aright with Dissolve(1)
    "After a few more chords, she finished playing and looked up at me, her eyes pleading for applause."
    play music track03 fadein 1.0
    F "So{cps=*.1}...{/cps} what do you think?"
    A "I think it's{cps=*.1}...{/cps} great."
    A "And surprisingly lyrical. What made you come up something like this?"
    F "You did, dweeb. I want to write a love song for us."
    "Her response made me do a double take." 
    "As I felt blood rush to my cheeks, I couldn't think of an answer on the spot."
    A "{w=0.5}That's... {w=0.5}well... {w=0.5}very... {w=0.5}nice of you, {w=0.5}thanks..."
    "Watching me stumble through words, she burst out laughing."
    show fang very happy with dissolve
    F "Ahahaha~"
    F "You're too goddamn adorable, Anon! Come here!"
    pause .5
    "She set the guitar aside and spread her arms and wings, demanding a hug."
    pause .5
    "Being the man that I am, of course, I couldn't turn down the offer."
    
    "As I stood up from the chair, she sprang up herself and embraced me."

    show fang very happy behind anon:
       easein_quad 1.0 xalign 0.00
    with Dissolve(0.25)
    hide anon
    hide fang
    show fang hug at acenter:
       yalign 0.1
       easein_cubic 1 xalign 0.6
    with Dissolve(0.25)  
    hide anon with Dissolve(0.35)
    show fang hug with dissolve
    "She was slightly warmer than usual, no doubt her body temperature was still unstable. Still, her delicate hands and soft feathers felt as good as ever."
    "This drove any prior worries about school straight out of my mind."
    pause .5
    "As I let her go, an idea occurred to me."
    hide fang hug with dissolve
    show fang happy at aleft with Dissolve(0.25)
    show anon neutral flip at aright with Dissolve(0.25)
    A "Hey, I bet you hadn't gotten a meal in yet. How about I make you breakfast?"
    pause .5
    F "Sure. You know I could never refuse your cooking."
    F "Beats whatever the hell mom will be feeding me today."
    pause .5
    A "Okay, then it's settled. Wait a bit, I'll cook something up and bring it here."
    pause .5
    "As she nodded to me and picked up her phone to pass the time, I left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen."
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    
    show fangkitchen with blinds
    "The kitchen is as spotless as ever, so I try not to make a mess."
    "Fang would have to lie that she made breakfast herself if I want to remain unnoticed by her parents, so I don't want to put her in a bad spot."
    pause 0.5
    "I rummage through the fridge, looking for something I could work with."
    "It would be a good idea for Fang to eat something hot, that always helps with colds."
    "Thankfully, they have raw chicken, so I could make chicken soup."
    pause 1.0
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "Cooking didn't take long."
    "After the soup was ready, I threw the leftovers out, and looked for something to carry it on."
    "Fortunately, a breakfast tray was on the cabinet to my right."
    "A bowl of soup, a glass of juice, and some bread. This should be enough."
    "I picked the tray up, and carefully carried it upstairs."
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    
    scene fangroomfuture with blinds
    show fang happy at aleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    "Fang’s eyes were fixed on me as I brought her breakfast."
    show fang very happy with dissolve
    F "Aah{cps=*.1}...{/cps} This smells so nice!"
    F "They've been feeding me nothing but those meds since last night, thank you Anon!"
    "I didn't know the situation was that dire."
    A "If your mom asks why there's a chicken leg missing, tell her you cooked it."
    show fang happy at aleft with dissolve
    F "Hah, she'd be in for a shock, I'm a lousy cook."
    "As Fang ate her soup heartily, I lounged in the chair, feeling pride for myself." 
    "Nothing feels better than seeing someone enjoy your cooking so much."
    F "This is delicious."
    F "Damn, I wish you could be here all day, then I'd be up and running in no time!"
    "A very dangerous thought."
    "I doubt her dad could be won over with chicken soup quite as easily."
    scene fangroomfuture with dissolve
    "We both stay silent as Fang enjoys her breakfast."
    "One would expect her to be a sloppy eater, but she's surprisingly careful."
    "But suddenly, something strange happens."
    show fang shocked at aleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    "With a spoon still in her mouth, Fang's eyes widened, as if she just saw a ghost."
    show fang shocked:
        easeout .5 yalign -2.3
    "And then, coughing, she dropped on her pillow like a rock, with a pained expression."
    show anon ohshit flip behind fang:
        easein .5 xalign +0.40 yalign +0.2
    A "F-Fang! Are you okay?!"
    "I dashed to Fang, and grabbed her by the shoulders."
    "Her face wore a betrayed expression."
    show fang very sad at aleft with dissolve:
        easeout_bounce 1.4 yalign 0.0
    F "Wh-what did you put in that soup?"
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.80 yalign 0
    A "Nothing unusual, just the stuff I always use..."
    "I started listing the ingredients as they came to my mind. Chicken, ginger powder, garlic, butter, carrot, mushrooms..."
    "Fang suddenly groaned."
    F "{w=0.5}Mushrooms..."
    F "{w=0.5}Don't ever fucking use mushrooms..."
    F "{w=0.5}They make me gag..."
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)    
    scene fangroomfuture with Dissolve(2.0)
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    A "I gotta go then."
    show fang angry flip at aleft with dissolve
    "Fang is lying on her bed with her back turned to me. She’s not even bothering to respond."
    "Note to myself: {w=0.35}Fang has a very sensitive palate."
    A "Sorry, I'll be more careful next time."
    show fang neutral with dissolve
    F "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    show fang happy with dissolve
    F "It's okay, thanks for dropping by."
    F "If you see Trish, tell her I'm doing well."
    F "I'm sure she'll be a worried mess as usual, so I'll leave her to you."
    A "Sure. You take care of yourself too."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "I gave Fang a peck on the snoot, leaving her slightly flustered, and stepped out of the room."
    pause 2.0
    play ambient 'audio/effects/cityLoop.ogg' fadein 2.0 volume 0.1
    scene home fang outside with Dissolve(2.0)
    "I leave Fang's house and glance at my watch."
    "If I hurry, I should still make it to the third period."
    
    pause 1.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    window hide
    window auto
    jump ThirdPeriodLunch
    
    
    
    
    
label ThirdPeriodLunch:
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    play music track05 fadein 1
    scene classroom with Dissolve(2.0)
    "And so, lunchtime has arrived."
    pause 0.5
    "The clatter and chatter of students packing their things and hurrying out for lunch filled the room."
    pause 0.5
    "Trish has already left, and Reed was nowhere to be seen."
    "I considered what I should do now."
    "Recently, Fang and I started a tradition of eating on the roof, where I'd bring something I cooked up for both of us."
    "It's a nice change of pace, even though we'd be screwed if any of the school staff noticed."
    "But since I didn't have any kind of lunch with me today, I would have to stick with the cafeteria."
    "Their food was always lousy, but it beats going hungry."
    "As I stand up and glance around, most people have already left."
    pause .5
    A "Well, let's see what the school will grace us with today..."
    "Murmuring to myself, I shuffle out of the classroom and head to the cafeteria."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0   

    scene cafeteria with blinds
    pause .5
    "This place is full of people as usual."
    pause 0.5
    "I find myself standing in a long line for lunch."
    "I'll probably go with something simple. Like a sandwich."
    "As the line continues moving at a snail's pace, I look around for anyone I know, or a spot where I can sit down."
    "Most tables were already occupied."
    "I can't begin to imagine how these people managed to get here so fast."
    pause 0.5
    "I spot Naser and Naomi on the other side of the cafeteria."
    "It looks like they're chatting about something."
    "Well, more like Naomi is chatting about something and Naser only nods from time to time."
    "I wonder if she's drilling him on the athletics festival we're supposed to have in a month."
    "Hang in there, brother."
    pause 0.5
    "And then there's Trish." 
    "She's sitting alone, and looks very restless, nervously tapping her horn and not eating a bite as she clutches her phone."
    "Strangely, Reed doesn't seem to be anywhere."
    "I hope those two didn't have a spat of some kind."
    "Trish is not good at making peace with people, so it would be a lot of headache for me and Fang."
    "Although I can't imagine Reed getting angry with anyone for any reason."
    "Finally, I managed to grab my tray of food. Let's see{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "I think I'll..."
    window hide
    window auto
    pause .5
    menu:

        "Join Naser and Naomi":

            jump NaomiLunch

        "Join Trish":

            jump TrishLunch
        
        "Stay alone":
            
            jump AloneLunch
            
    pause .5
    
    
    
    
    
label TrishLunch:
    "On one hand, interrupting Trish now might not be the best idea."  
    "She tends to get explosive when she's nervous." 
    "But I couldn't leave her alone like that. She looks like an abandoned kitten."
    pause .5
    "I made my way to the girl sitting by herself."
    show anon neutral at aleft with dissolve
    A "Hey Trish. What's up."
    show trish surprised flip at aright with dissolve
    T "Huh?"
    "She looked up, surprised to see someone call her out."
    show trish considering flip with dissolve
    T "Oh, it's you. Sit down, we need to talk."
    "Trish looked up at me, with a somewhat tired expression on her face."
    "Is it just me, or is there something unusual about her today?"
    pause .5

    "I take a seat at her table and grab the sandwich provided by the school cafeteria."
    "It tastes like salty wet paper, which admittedly beats the usual plain wet paper flavor these things have."
    "As Trish lets out a sigh, she looks about to burst into tears."
    show trish sad notears1 with dissolve
    T "I{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I can't get in touch with Fang." 
    pause .5
    "Ah, now it makes sense."
    show trish indignant flip with dissolve
    T "I've been trying to call her all day! I'm honestly getting so damn worried!"
    if TrishFangVisit:
      if TrishFangBreakfast:
        pause .5
        A "Actually, I visited her this morning."
        A "She's fine, don't worry about it."
        show trish surprised flip with dissolve
        "Trish looked absolutely stunned."
        T "How did you even... {w=0.6}When did you..."
        show anon neutral with dissolve
        "Heaving a sigh of relief, she grins at me."
        show trish smile flip with dissolve
        T "Whatever, I should learn not to be so surprised by your shenanigans."
        T "It's good to hear that she's okay."
        pause .5
        "I expected a more negative reaction."
        show trish surprised flip with dissolve
        T "But when did you visit her? {w=0.6}Wait, is that why you were so late today?"
        pause .5
        A "Yeah, I woke up kind of early, and noticed her message from last night. So I decided to drop by, and I guess I lost track of time."
        show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
        T "I've been trying to call her about a dozen times since I woke up, but she's not picking up!"
        T "Was about to visit her place myself, but I can't afford to skip any more classes, or Spears would cook me alive."
        pause .5
        A "I guess her phone's not working right."
        show trish neutral flip with dissolve
        T "So, did she have any serious symptoms? Did you give her any meds?"
        pause .5
        "Trish talks about Fang like she's a wounded puppy."
        "I wonder if this is a common occurrence."
        pause .5
        A "No, but I cooked her some breakfast."
        A "She looked almost completely healthy, so don't worry about it."
        show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
        T "Oh, shut up. You have no idea how serious things could get with Fang."
        T "They-{w=0.6} I mean, she was always like that. First, it's nothing serious, and then boom - it's flu, or something worse."
        pause .5
        A "Don't be a drama queen. Fang's a big girl."
        show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
        T "Fuck you."
        "Fang wasn't exaggerating when she said Trish would be beside herself."
        show anon shrug with dissolve
        A "Hey, you gotta have some faith in Fang, sis."
        A "If she says she'll be okay, then she'll be okay."
        "I don't know why, but recently, I developed a habit of calling Trish 'sister'."
        "She doesn't seem to mind."
        show trish considering flip with dissolve
        T "Well..."
        T "I guess you're right."      
      else:
        A "Actually, I visited her this morning."
        A "She's fine, don't worry about it."
        show trish surprised flip with dissolve
        "Trish looked absolutely stunned."
        T "How did you even... {w=0.6}When did you..."
        "Heaving a sigh of relief, she grins at me."
        show trish smile flip with dissolve
        T "Whatever, I should learn not to be so surprised by your shenanigans."
        T "It's good to hear that she's okay."
        pause .5
        "At first, I expected a more negative reaction, but I suppose we're past that."
        show trish surprised flip with dissolve
        T "But when did you visit her?"
        pause .5
        A "I woke up kind of early, and noticed her message from last night. So I decided to drop by before school."
        show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
        T "I've been trying to call her about a dozen times since I woke up, but she's not picking up!"
        T "Was about to visit her place myself, but I can't afford to skip any more classes, or Spears would cook me alive."
        pause .5
        A "I guess her phone's not working right."
        show trish neutral flip with dissolve
        T "So, did she have any serious symptoms? Did you give her any meds?"
        pause .5
        "Trish talks about Fang like she's a wounded puppy."
        "I wonder if this is a common occurrence."
        pause .5
        A "No, I just dropped by and to say hi."
        A "She looked completely fine, so don't worry about it."
        show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
        T "Oh, shut up. You have no idea how serious things could get with Fang."
        T "They-{w=0.6} I mean, she was always like that. First, it's nothing serious, and then boom - it's flu, or something worse."
        A "Don't be a drama queen. Fang's a big girl."
        show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
        T "Fuck you."
        "Fang wasn't exaggerating when she said Trish would be beside herself."
        show anon shrug with dissolve
        A "Hey, you gotta have some faith in Fang, sis."
        A "If she says she'll be okay, then she'll be okay."
        "I don't know why, but recently, I developed a habit of calling Trish 'sister'."
        "She doesn't seem to mind."
        show trish considering flip with dissolve
        T "Well..."
        T "I guess you're right."

        
    else:
      A "I got a message from Fang last night. She said she's doing fine."
      show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
      "Trish didn't seem pleased with that comment."
      T "So did I, you retard."
      T "Do you think she only messages you?"
      T "We're still friends, you know."
      pause .5
      A "So why do you worry so much? She said it's fine."
      show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
      T "You still don't know jack shit about Fang."
      T "They-{w=0.6} I mean, she was always like that. First, it's nothing serious, and then boom - it's flu, or something worse."
      pause .5
      A "I never took Fang for a sickly person."
      show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
      T "Her loser of a brother is right there, you can ask him all about it if you want."
      pause .5
      "She gestures at Naser, who's being thoroughly grilled by Naomi."
      "Now that I think about it, both of them look pretty miserable."
      pause .5
      T "So don't lecture me on what I should worry about."
      show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
      T "Both of you don't understand her at all..."
      pause .5
      "The last comment stung a bit."
      pause .5
      show anon shrug with dissolve
      A "Hey, you gotta have some faith in Fang, sis."
      A "If she says she'll be okay, then she'll be okay."
      "I don't know why, but recently, I developed a habit of calling Trish 'sister'."
      "She doesn't seem to mind."
      A "She's just sleeping, that's why her phone is off."
      A　"Rest is the best medicine after all."
      A "So relax. Give it some time, and she'll call you back. Simple as that."
      show trish considering flip with dissolve
      "This seemed to calm Trish down a bit."
      show anon neutral with dissolve
      T "I guess you're right."
      show trish neutral flip with dissolve
      T "Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid."
      A "I can relate. I almost ran to her house myself when I got the message."
      show trish happy flip with dissolve
      "Trish chuckled at my response."
      T "Yeah, I used to do that."
      show trish smile flip with dissolve
      T "I'll try calling her again in the evening."
      
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    A "And where's Reed, anyway? I didn't see him in class."
    show trish smile flip with dissolve
    "As I hoped, Trish lightened up once I changed the topic."
    pause .5
    T "He should be in the auditorium."
    T "Spears asked him to fix some audio equipment. I think they had an incident of some sort yesterday."
    T "It's taking a while, but we need that stuff, so I left it for him to figure out."
    pause .5
    A "So he's not even getting lunch? That's harsh."
    show trish smug flip with dissolve
    T "Reed can subsist on his backpack reserves all day. Don't worry about him."
    pause .5
    "A smug grin stretched across her face."
    "I'm not sure if she's showing pride in Reed's resilience, or if it's her sadistic streak talking."
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    T "Listen, there's something I wanted to ask you."
    pause .5
    "Trish's tone shifted to be a lot more business-like." 
    pause .5
    T "Remember the concert at Moe's place?"
    pause .5
    A "Yup, you guys did great."
    show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
    T "Of course we did great. Don't interrupt me."
    pause .5
    "When it comes to Trish, her questions are usually rhetorical in nature."
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    T "Do you think you can put me in contact with the owner?"
    pause .5
    A "What, you wanna do it again?"
    pause .5
    T "We haven't played anywhere for a while. I think everyone's getting rusty."
    T "It's time for us to stretch our muscles a bit."
    if TrishFangBreakfast:
      "I think back to the song Fang is currently working on. I guess Trish is not aware of it."
    else:
      "She's not wrong. The band has been laying dormant for a while."
    A "I'm sure you can look up the reservations online. His joint is damn big."
    show trish annoyed flip with dissolve    
    T "No, not like that...{w=0.6} You just don't get it."
    pause .5
    "Trish sounded somewhat impatient now."
    T "I want to be there in person. I want the owner to see that I'm serious about it."
    T "If I try making the reservation by phone after you showed up there with Fang, he'll think I'm just being entitled."
    pause .5
    "The reasoning is hard to follow, but let's roll with it."
    A "Well... Then go and give them a visit."
    pause .5
    T "I{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    show trish considering flip with dissolve
    "Suddenly, Trish's cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of purple as she avoided my gaze."
    pause .5
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}I'm kind of bad with directions."
    T "I'm not sure where it is, and I always get{cps=*.1}...{/cps} off-track when I'm in an unfamiliar part of town."
    pause .5
    "I was taken aback by this rare admission of weakness."
    pause .5
    A "What about Reed? You can ask him to go with you."
    show trish explanatory flip with dissolve
    T "Reed was high as a kite that day, he doesn't even remember what the restaurant looked like."
    T "And I have no idea if he'll be available."
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    "While Trish tries to find ways not to make herself look completely pathetic, I can only imagine a lonely triceratops girl getting disorientated and panicking the moment she sees an unfamiliar building."
    "It's quite a heartwrenching scene."
    pause .5
    A "So, when are you planning on visiting?"
    pause .5
    T "I was hoping to go there this evening."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "Trish rarely asks me for help, so it could be an opportunity to make a good impression."
    "But even after we patched things up, I wonder if such an opportunity won't end badly for me."
    "I think..."
    window hide
    window auto
    pause .5
    menu:

        "I'll help out":

            jump TrishYes

        "I don't want to hang out with Trish today":

            jump TrishNo
        
    pause .5
    
    
    
    
    
label TrishYes:
    $ TrishEvent = True
    show trish surprised flip with dissolve
    A "Sure, we can go."
    show trish smile flip with dissolve
    T "Honestly, I didn't expect you to agree."
    T "Thanks for helping a sister out."
    pause .5
    A "It's no big deal, I don't have anything planned for today anyway."
    A "Maybe we could even visit Fang."
    show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
    T "No, that's a bad idea."
    T "If her godforsaken family is there, it might get ugly real fast."
    pause .5
    A "You're not on good terms with them?"
    show trish angry flip with dissolve
    T "You fucking kidding me?!"
    T "Do you have any idea how much grief they caused Fang?!"
    pause .5
    "Now here's Trish I recognize. I missed her somewhat."
    pause .5
    T "The only reason why I still haven't gored her father is that she asked me not to!"
    T "Although that's her mistake if you ask me." 
    pause .5
    "I think Fang was looking out for Trish rather than her father."
    "Fang's dad has more in common with elephants than pterodactyls."
    "If Trish tried to headbutt him, she'd have to glue her horns back on afterward."
    pause .5
    A "Yeah, I get it. I'm not a fan of her dad either."
    pause .5
    "Perhaps I should let the sleeping dogs lie."
    pause .5
    A "Anyway, when do we meet?"
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    T "I'll talk to you in class."
    T "We have the last one together, remember?"
    pause .5
    A "...That's right. Sure, okay."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "And so, our lunch continued."
    pause .5
    "Trish brought up Fang a few more times, telling me what kind of medicine she's supposed to take, and how long her colds would last on average."
    pause .5
    "I'm starting to feel like Trish knows Fang better than Fang's mother does."
    pause .5
    "Eventually, I had to bid Trish farewell and headed out."    
    pause 1.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 2.0
    jump HallwayAfterLunch




label TrishNo:
    $ TrishEvent = False
    A "Sorry, I'm pretty busy this evening. Maybe some other day?"
    pause .5
    "Trish rolls her eyes, obviously crestfallen over this refusal."
    show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
    T "Damn it."
    T "My evenings are booked for the rest of the month, no thanks to my shitty siblings."
    show trish considering flip with dissolve
    T "Whatever. I guess we'll have to put it on the back burner for a bit."
    pause .5
    "I can only shrug as we proceed to consume whatever constitutes food in this school."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "Trish brought up Fang a few more times, telling me what kind of medicine she's supposed to take, and how long her colds would last on average."
    pause .5
    "I'm starting to feel like Trish knows Fang better than Fang's mother does."
    pause .5
    "That smalltalk carried us all the way through the lunch."
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    pause 2.0
    jump HallwayAfterLunchAlone
    
    
    
    
    
label NaomiLunch:
    "I feel kind of bad for Naser, so I decide to try and take some of the heat off him."
    "Naomi can be a headache if she's too enthusiastic about something."
    "As I walked down the aisle with my tray, I realized that Naomi was a bit more excited than usual."
    "And not in a good way."
    show naomi angry at aleft with dissolve
    show naser annoyed at aleft behind naomi with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    show naomi angry with vpunch
    N "{b}I'VE HAD IT WITH THIS SCHOOL!{/b}"
    pause .5
    Nas "Naomi, listen, you gotta chill..."
    show naomi angry with vpunch
    N "{b}I WILL CHILL WHEN I SEE ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT AND ON THE STREET CORNER!{/b}"
    pause .5
    "She was truly going off."
    "Now is my entrance."
    pause .5
    A "Hey, you two. What's going on?"
    show naser explanatory with dissolve
    Nas "Oh, Anon! How nice of you to drop by! Listen, we've..."
    show naomi unimpressed with Dissolve (0.1)
    N "Shut it, dear."
    show naser sad with dissolve
    N "Anon, sit."
    "Naomi's tone was stone-cold now."
    "I sat at their table, trying to keep my distance from Naomi in case she starts throwing things."
    N "Anon. As you know, our school prides itself on its ability to provide each of our students with the opportunities they need to unleash their full potential."
    N "However, in recent times, it became increasingly difficult to achieve."
    N "As I found out yesterday, the budget for our extracurricular activities is completely unbalanced."
    N "Obviously, I started crunching the numbers."
    N "Turns out, the money is disappearing into nowhere."
    N "That is, no one knows where it's going."
    N "My dear Naser's team can't even buy new equipment because of it."
    show naser explanatory with dissolve
    Nas "It's really no big deal, our equipment is perfectly-"
    show naomi unimpressed with vpunch
    show naser surprised with vpunch
    N "SHUT IT, DEAR."
    show naser sad with dissolve
    "Naser flinched like a kid being scolded by his mother."
    N "Naturally, I can't let this stand."
    N "However, once I started rallying the student council to work just a bit of overtime and solve this problem..."
    show naomi angry with vpunch
    N "{b}THOSE BUMS TOLD ME THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO!{/b}"
    "Naomi's usual peach-colored skin was turning redder by the moment."
    N "Imagine the sheer impertinence!"
    N "Why are they even wasting oxygen in the student council office if they won't do their jobs?!"
    show naser annoyed with dissolve
    "I began to fear for Naser's health because he was turning pale."
    pause .5
    "Almost all attention in the cafeteria was on Naomi and her sudden outburst now."
    "Only Trish seemed undisturbed by it, still deep in thought about something."
    show naomi shocked with dissolve
    "Naomi noticed this, and finally decided to dial down the fury."
    pause .5
    N "Ahem."
    N "I am sorry for this."
    pause .5
    "As students focused back on their food, Naomi looked downright crushed."
    show naomi sad with dissolve
    A "You look like you're about to pop a vein. I get that things are hard, but you should relax."
    show naser explanatory with dissolve
    Nas "That's what I've been saying!"
    Nas "Relax, Naomi! You'll figure it out, I'm sure!"
    pause .5
    "Naomi was looking at us somewhat appreciatively now."
    show naser considering with dissolve
    N "Sigh..."
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    N "Thank you both."
    show naomi sad with dissolve
    N "Honestly, I'm at my wits' end."
    N "Nothing is going well today."
    N "First, the auditorium had a short circuit of some kind."
    N "A lot of very expensive equipment is not working."
    N "Thankfully, we managed to find a student who agreed to help."
    pause .5
    "Ah, so that's where Reed disappeared to."
    pause .5
    N "But now my laptop also broke! And I have a ton of sensitive information on it."
    N "I need it ASAP!"
    N "But while I'm trying to figure the budget out, I simply don't have time to deal with it."
    N "And of course, no one wants to help me."
    N "The student council office has been empty the whole day."
    pause .5
    "At this point, Naser decided to butt in."
    show naser brooding with dissolve
    Nas "I would've loved to help, but honestly, I don't understand that stuff at all."
    show naser explanatory with dissolve
    Nas "But Anon, I'm sure you do, right?"
    Nas "I've seen you fix Fang's computer before, you were a pro!"
    pause .5
    A "She forgot her password. It wasn't a complicated issue."
    pause .5
    "I can see where this was going from a mile away."
    pause .5
    Nas "See? That's what I'm talking about."
    pause .5
    "Naomi looked at me with pleading eyes."
    pause .5
    N "Anon, could you help me out?"
    N "Please, I really have no other options here..."
    N "Just drop by my office after classes."
    pause .5
    "I'm starting to wonder if this is all a plan of some kind."
    "But I doubt it, this Naomi seems much more genuine than the usual one."
    "I think I'll..."
    window hide
    window auto
    pause .5
    menu:

        "Sure, I can help":

            jump NaomiYes

        "I don't want to hang out with Naomi today":

            jump NaomiNo
        
    pause .5    
    
    
    
    
    
label NaomiYes:
    $ NaomiEvent = True
    A "Sure, why not. I have nothing better to do."
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    "Upon hearing this, Naomi clapped her hands, glowing with joy."
    show naser happy with dissolve
    show naomi happy with dissolve
    N "Oh, thank you!"
    N "You can't imagine how grateful I am."
    pause .5
    "Naser gave me a thumbs up, and finally started eating his lunch."
    "This reminded me - I still haven't eaten a bite myself."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "This tastes like processed cat food."
    "Beats the unprocessed cat food flavor they usually serve though."
    pause .5
    N "Just drop by my office after you're done with classes. You remember where it is, right?"
    pause .5
    A "Sure I do."
    pause .5
    N "Wonderful! I will be waiting. Oh, maybe I'll make some tea!"
    N "I'm sure we'll have a great time!"
    pause .5
    "Naomi was overjoyed. I guess that's what happens when something goes her way."
    pause .5
    Nas "Thanks, Anon. You saved our hides."
    pause .5
    "...How am I saving your hide?"
    A "I hope I can help, but no guarantees. I'm not a computer scientist, you know."
    pause .5
    N "Of course, I appreciate any help I can get."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "We continue lunching in relative peace and silence."
    "Eventually, I bid the two farewell and head back to class."
    pause 1.0
    stop music fadeout 2.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 2.0
    jump HallwayAfterLunch
    
    
    
    
    
    
label NaomiNo:
    "No offense, but I really don't want to spend an entire evening tinkering with Naomi's PC."
    pause .5
    A "Sorry, you got the wrong idea."
    A "I'm a nerd, but that doesn't mean I know that much about computers."
    pause .5
    "That's a lie."
    "In my young rebellious years, I was an avid Linux enthusiast."
    "But they don't need to know about that."
    pause .5
    A "I'm just an average user, not any smarter than you two."
    show naser unimpressed with dissolve
    Nas "Oh, come on. You could at least take a look at it."
    pause .5
    A "I'll be busy this evening too."
    A "Trish{cps=*.1}...{/cps} wanted to show me her bug collection."
    "Improv is an art."
    show naser considering with dissolve
    Nas "Yeah, I remember Fang telling us about it."
    Nas "It's one of the reasons why mom and dad don't wanna see her anywhere near our house."
    Nas "Fang didn't take that lightly though..."
    pause .5
    "...I can't believe I actually guessed something like this."
    pause .5
    A "Yeah. Sorry about that, Naomi."
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    N "It's okay, it's okay."
    N "I understand."
    N "I'll try asking the school staff."
    N "I didn't want to bother them, but that's the last option."
    show naomi shocked with dissolve
    N "I just hope they don't..."
    show naser neutral with dissolve
    Nas "What?"
    show naomi considering
    N "Ahem. No, nothing."
    pause .5
    A "I'm sure you'll figure it all out. You're the perfect student council president after all."
    "No pressure."
    pause .5
    Nas "Yeah, Anon's right. Chin up, Naomi."
    pause .5
    N "Yes, indeed. I'll get through it somehow."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "As I wondered which part of Naomi's lower jaw constituted a chin, we finally got to our lunch."
    pause .5
    "It tastes like processed cat food."
    pause .5
    "Beats the unprocessed cat food flavor they usually serve though."
    pause .5
    "Eventually, I bid the two farewell and head back to class."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    pause 2.0
    jump HallwayAfterLunchAlone

    
    
label AloneLunch:
    "For some reason, I don't feel like joining anyone today."
    "I just want some peace and quiet."
    "So I make my way to one of the few empty tables left, and sit down."
    "Everyone is eating their lunch merrily."
    "One particularly pathetic skinnie can be seen, sitting there and eating cheap sandwiches."
    pause .5
    "That skinnie, of course, is me."
    pause .5
    "As I take a bite out of today's meal, I can't help but flinch a little."
    "Tastes{cps=*.1}...{/cps} undercooked."
    "I'm not quite sure how a sandwich could taste undercooked."
    "But it sure does."
    "Still, at least it's cheap."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}What is this feeling of worthlessness that's washing over me?"
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    stop ambient fadeout 2.0
    pause 2.0

    jump HallwayAfterLunchAlone
    
    
    
    
    
label HallwayAfterLunchAlone:
    if StellaEventUnlock:
      $ StellaEvent = True
      
      scene hallway with blinds
      
      "As the afternoon wears on, students are seen walking through the hallways, chatting to each other."
      
      "The end of the school day is slowly approaching, so I won't have to suffer for much longer."
      
      "Then, I notice someone walking down the hallway, staring at the floor."
      
      "That wouldn't be worth noticing if that someone wasn't Stella."
      
      show stella sad at aleft with dissolve:
          easein_cubic 2.25 xalign 0.25
      
      St "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
      
      show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
      
      A "Hey, Stella. We meet again."
      
      "She glanced up at me, looking slightly confused."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Oh, Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps} It's nice to see you."
      
      show stella neutral with dissolve:
          xalign 0.25
      
      St "How is your day going?"
      
      "I would normally be glad to not hear any cringey Japanese honorifics from Stella, but her defeated tone made me wish she did use them."
      
      "That way, I wouldn't have to be somewhat concerned instead."
      
      A "Doing good, I think. You know, the usual."
      
      A "What got you so down?"
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Oh{cps=*.1}...{/cps} It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
      
      "It most certainly wasn't nothing."
      
      A "Hey, did you know? Our local hobby shop got a restock."
      
      A "I talked to the guys, and they say it's a bunch of new magical girl figurines."
      
      show stella sad smile at aleft with dissolve:
          xalign 0.25
      
      St "That's nice..."
      
      St "I wonder if I could find anything new for myself..."
      
      "She still looked kind of depressed."
      
      "For some reason, I couldn't handle her looking like that."
      
      "Being at my wits' end, I blurted out something that even I didn't expect from myself."
      
      show anon shrug flip with dissolve
      
      A "Hey, how about we go check it out after school?"
      
      "This finally made Stella perk up."
      
      show stella happy with dissolve:
          xalign 0.25
      
      St "Really? I would be happy to!"
      
      show anon neutral flip with dissolve
      
      A "It's settled then."
      
      A "Should I drop by your classroom?"
      
      show stella considering with dissolve:
          xalign 0.25
      
      St "{w=0.5}Oh, no. {w=0.5}You don't have to. {w=0.5}Just wait for me outside, okay? {w=0.5}We'll meet at the school gates."
      
      A "Ehm{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Sure. Whatever you say."
      
      A "And Stella{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Cheer up."
      
      show stella neutral with dissolve:
         xalign 0.25
      
      St "Don't worry, Anon. I just need my Tarot cards, and all will be good."
      
      show stella neutral:
          xalign 0.25
          easeout 0.75 xalign 1.6
      hide stella with dissolve
      hide anon with dissolve
      "She smiled at me, and went to her locker."
      "My gaze followed her for a bit."
      pause .5
      "This girl sure is something."
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      stop music fadeout 2
      pause 2.0
      jump AfterSchoolChoice
    else:
      jump HallwayAfterLunch
    

    
label HallwayAfterLunch:
    
    if StellaEventUnlock:
      scene hallway with blinds
      play ambient 'audio/effects/schoolLoop.ogg' fadein 2.0 volume 0.5 
      
      "As the afternoon wears on, students are seen walking through the hallways, chatting to each other."
      
      "The end of the school day is slowly approaching, so I won't have to suffer for much longer."
      
      "I was going down the hallway when suddenly, a mountain appeared on the horizon."
      
      show spears neutral at aleft with dissolve
      
      show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
      
      "Naturally, that was our principal, Mr. Spears."
      
      pause .5
      
      Sp "Good day to you, boy."
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Good day, sir."
      
      pause .5
      
      Sp "How are you doing today?"
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Doing good, sir."
      
      show spears happy with dissolve
      
      Sp "That's wonderful. Have you met a new addition to our staff already?"
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Um{cps=*.1}...{/cps} No sir. Has there been any?"
      
      pause .5
      
      Sp "Why, yes! A new teacher joined us, all the way from France!"
      
      Sp "Her name is Ms. Ciel. Don't forget to be polite if you meet her."
      
      Sp "We want to make a good first impression."
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Huh, interesting. What is she teaching?"
      
      Sp "Her specialty is remedial classes. She will help our underachieving students."
      
      Sp "I sure hope you won't need her services!"
      
      pause .5
      
      "Spears let out a deep, raspy chuckle."
      
      pause .5
      
      Sp "But as we were informed, her track record is fantastic."
      
      Sp "So I expect a sharp rise in grades soon enough."
      
      Sp "I'm very proud that she chose our school."
      
      pause .5
      
      "Why is he telling me all this?"
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Well, that's great news, sir."
      
      show spears neutral with dissolve
      
      Sp "Yes, indeed."
      
      Sp "Now, up the stairs and off to your lessons. Don't be late."
      
      pause .5
      
      "I gave Spears a silent nod, and he went on his merry way, looking very happy with himself."
      
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      
      "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}What was that all about?"
      
      pause 1.0
      stop ambient fadeout 3.0
      window hide
      window auto
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      pause 2.0
      jump AfterSchoolChoice    
      
    else:
    
      scene hallway with blinds
      
      "As the afternoon wears on, students are seen walking through the hallways, chatting to each other."
      
      "The end of the school day is slowly approaching, so I won't have to suffer for much longer."
      
      "As I was walking toward my classroom, I spotted a familiar face."
      
      show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
      
      show stella neutral at aleft with dissolve:
          xalign 0.25
      
      play music track06 fadein 1
      
      "It's Stella."
      
      "She's playing with her tarot cards, as usual."
      
      show stella happy with dissolve
      
      St "Oh, Anon-kun! Didn't see you there. Hello!"
      
      pause .5
      
      "Her smile radiates happiness. Is this girl even capable of feeling down?"
      
      pause .5
      
      A "Please drop the '-kun' and never use it again."
      
      pause .5
      
      "Talking with Stella can be difficult at times."
      
      show stella neutral with dissolve
      
      St "Want me to read your fate? I have everything I need right here!"
      
      "She held a tarot card, 'The Fool', between her fingers and did a pose strikingly reminiscent of Cardcaptor Sakura."
      
      pause .5
      
      A "I prefer the bliss of ignorance."
      
      pause .5
      
      "It's not like I have anything against Stella and her usual games, but I'm not in the mood for them right now."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Fair enough."
      
      pause .5
      
      "She makes a swift movement with her hand, and the card disappears."
      
      "I wonder when she learned that trick."
      
      show stella explanatory with dissolve
      
      St "Listen, I haven't seen Fang today, is she doing okay?"
      
      show stella neutral with dissolve
      
      A "She got a bit sick, but it's nothing serious."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Oh, I see! And you? Doing good?"
      
      pause .5
      
      show anon shrug flip with dissolve
      
      A "I'm feeling a bit out of it for some reason, but it's all good otherwise."
      
      pause .5
      
      "Ever since the morning, the whole day felt somewhat off."
      
      show stella explanatory with dissolve
      
      St "Oh, it's probably the moon influencing your psyche."
      
      pause .5
      
      show anon neutral flip with dissolve
      
      "...Stella just said something I had a hard time fully comprehending."
      
      pause .5
      
      A "What's the moon got to do with me?"
      
      "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}I swear, I just saw a twinkle in Stella's eye."
      
      "She smiled widely as if she expected this question."
      
      show stella happy with dissolve
      
      St "Today's a special day, actually!{w=0.3} It's a perigee-syzygy, a supermoon!"
      
      pause .5
      
      "Now she's speaking neither English language nor the weeaboo language."
      
      pause .5
      
      A "I think you watch too many cartoons, Stella."
      
      A "Maybe lay off that stuff for a bit."
      
      pause .5
      
      "As I let out a quick sigh, Stella got somewhat indignant."
      
      show stella mad with dissolve
      
      St "No, it's a real thing!"
      
      show stella explanatory with dissolve
      
      St "It's a very rare occurrence when the full moon coincides with perigee, which is the moment that the moon comes closest to the Earth!"
      
      pause .5
      
      "I'll just pretend I got all of that."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "This can have all sorts of strange effects on people, you know."
      
      A "Huh{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
      
      show stella neutral with dissolve
      
      "I have to admit, she's making more sense than I was expecting."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Did you have any strange dreams last night?"
      
      scene hallway with dissolve
      stop music fadeout 1
      
      "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
      
      play music track07
      
      ".....Dreams."
      
      ".....For some reason, that word struck a chord with me."
      
      ".....Now that I think about it, this whole day felt like a fever dream."
      
      ".....The strange atmosphere in the air."
      
      ".....The time that doesn't seem to make much sense."
      
      ".....It feels like I had been thrust out of reality, and I couldn't find my footing in any solid logic."
      
      ".....Like this day has been ripped out of some story, and left on the table by itself."
      
      ".....With no yesterday, and no tomorrow."
      
      ".....The very thought itself gets me a bit dizzy."
      
      ".....Sometimes my life really sounds like a cheap novel."
      
      show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
      
      show stella neutral at aleft with dissolve:
          xalign 0.25
      
      A "I think I did have a weird dream, but I can't remember it."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Oh, that's a shame."
      
      St "You know, a lot of wonderful things can be divined from dreams."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "Especially the strange ones."
      
      pause .5
      
      St "But don't worry, it'll all be fine tomorrow."
      
      stop music fadeout 3.0
      
      "As I try to organize my thoughts, Stella suddenly starts prattling in my ear."
      
      show stella happy with dissolve
      
      St "Oh, by the way, have you been watching anything interesting lately? The remake of Urusei Yatsura just started airing, and I think it's a surprisingly solid take on an original, I've seen all the episodes of that show and..."
      
      play sound 'audio/effects/schoolBell.ogg' volume 0.2
      
      "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}The school bell rings."
      
      "Oh sweet merciful lord, thank you."
      
      show stella shock with dissolve
      
      St "Oh no, I gotta go! See you, Anon-kun!"
      
      show stella shock:
          easeout_cubic 0.5 xalign 2.6 yalign +0.2
      pause 1.25

      "Stella hurried away, and I was left standing alone in the emptying hallway."
      
      scene hallway with dissolve
      
      A "See ya, Stella-chan."
      
      pause .5
      
      "I mumble under my breath, sardonically."
      
      "It's time to go to class."
      
      "As boring as it is, my grades can't afford a drop-off."
      
      pause 1.0
      stop music fadeout 3.0
      window hide
      window auto
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      pause 2.0
      jump AfterSchoolChoice
      
    
    
    
    
label AfterSchoolChoice:
    pause 1.0
    scene classroom with Dissolve(1.0)
    play music track08 fadein 1
    
    "The last period is over."

    "The students leave the classroom, chatting happily about their plans for the evening."
    
    "I stretch in my chair, and look outside the window."
    
    "The weather is as nice as it was the whole day."
    
    "The clock on the classroom's wall continues ticking away."
    
    "It's 3:15 P.M."
    
    if TrishEvent:
      jump TrishEventLabel
    elif NaomiEvent:
      jump NaomiEventLabel
    elif StellaEvent:
      jump StellaEventLabel
    elif TrishFangBreakfast:
      jump FangCall
    else:
      jump DeadEnd
    pause .5
    
    
    
    
label TrishEventLabel:
    
    
    T "Hey, Anon."   

    pause .5
    
    "A voice woke me up from my stupor."
    
    show trish neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    
    show anon neutral at aleft with dissolve
    
    "It was Trish."
    
    "A few classmates turned their heads in surprise."
    
    "This was probably the first time they saw Trish talk to someone other than Reed or Fang."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "So, you're going?"

    pause .5    
    
    A "Yup, let's roll."   
    
    show trish smug flip with dissolve
    
    "She grinned at me mischievously."    
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Come on, the last one to the school gate is a dumb skinnie!"    
    
    show trish smug:
        easeout_cubic 0.5 xalign 2.6
    pause 1.25
    
    "Trish picked up her bag and dashed out of the room."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}This evening is promising to be a long one."
    
    pause 1.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    play music track03 fadein 2
    
    scene roadtoschool with dissolve
    
    "Naturally, I lost."
    
    pause .5
    
    "For someone so short, Trish is a surprisingly good runner."
    
    pause .5
    
    "While I was inept as usual."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Five minutes later, I was still trying to catch my breath."
    
    show trish smile at aleft with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    show anon neutral behind trish with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.38
    
    
    A "You know{cps=*.1}...{/cps} You're pretty good."
    
    "Trish was walking ahead of me, full of pride."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "You're four younger siblings short from getting to my level, cave brother."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Never took you for a sporty type."
    
    show trish smug with dissolve
    
    T "Oh really?"
    
    show trish smug flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.80 yalign +0.3
    
    T "Just so you know, I can suplex your skinnie ass in four different ways."
    
    T "And unlike Fang, I won't even feel bad about it."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}She said, standing on tiptoes to make herself look more imposing."
    
    A "That sounds like a threat."
    
    show trish happy at aleft with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    T "What, you don't like it rough?"
    
    "Trish laughed at her idea of a joke, while could only smile and nod."
    
    pause .5
    
    "This girl is high-octane as usual."
    
    "Keeping up with her can be tough sometimes."
    
    show trish smile with dissolve
    
    T "Chin up, Anon. You never had a chance anyway."
    
    T "I was the number one athlete in this school, back in the day."
    
    show trish happy with dissolve
    
    T "Couldn't count how many times I made our boy Naser himself eat my dust."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "I would snatch his favorite baseball cap right off his crest, and he'll chase me around the entire school."
    
    show trish smug with dissolve
    
    T "He always had to beg Fang for it in the end. Didn't catch me once."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Good times."

    T "Ever since then, he avoids baseball caps like the plague."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "So you were on the track team or something?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "This somewhat explains Trish's usual wardrobe choices."
    
    A "But I only see you play music nowadays."
    
    show trish neutral with dissolve
    
    T "Well, Fang always sucked at sports, and I wanted to stick with her, so we decided to do music instead."
    
    show trish considering with dissolve
    
    T "Besides, I didn't like the idea of being separated by gender."
    
    T "I can make all the twinks in this school cry, but the school would only let me compete against girls."
    
    T "That sucked."
    
    T "I tried bringing it up with Spears."
    
    T "To explain how humiliating it felt."
    
    T "But other girls told me to shut up."
    
    T "They like having it easy."
    
    show trish angry with dissolve
    
    T "A bunch of dumb broads, all of them."
    
    T "The only contest they could win is competitive dicksucking."
    
    A "You should try being more open, you know."
    
    show trish neutral with dissolve
    
    T "Oh, shut up."
    
    T "Fang, Reed, and you are the only ones I talk to in this school."
    
    T "Others can get fucked."
    
    show anon shrug with dissolve
    
    A "Fair enough."
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    pause .5
    
    T "So, we're going by bus?"
    
    A "What did you expect, a taxi?"
    
    show trish considering with dissolve
    
    T "Nah, I don't care either way."
    
    show trish neutral with dissolve
    
    T "Where is that place, anyway?"
    
    A "Oh, it's{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Wait a second."
    
    "Where was it?"
    
    "Now that I think about it, that evening with Fang is a bit of a blur."
    
    show trish annoyed with dissolve
    
    T "Don't fucking tell me you don't remember."
    
    show anon sad with dissolve
    
    A "No, I remember."
    
    A "So, I was together with Fang{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "We were at Little Troodon{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "Then some guy tried to sell me a pocket Roomba{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    A "And he told us where to go."
    
    T "Oh, god fucking damn it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show trish neutral with dissolve
    
    T "Let's call Fang. She should know."
    
    A "No, let's not. I'm sure she's still resting."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I don't want to imagine the humiliation I'd have to endure."
    
    A "We just need to get to Little Troodon."
    
    A "I'll figure it out from there."
    
    show trish considering with dissolve
    
    T "Okay{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Whatever you say."
    
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "We boarded a bus, which was mercifully empty."
    pause .5
    "Sitting side by side, Trish and I didn't say anything to each other throughout the whole ride."
    pause .5
    "She was deep in thought about something, so I decided not to disturb her."
    
    pause 2.0
    
    scene little troodon with dissolve
    
    "Little Troodon was the same as usual."
    
    pause .5
    
    "A chaotic web of street shops and bars filled with all kinds of people."
    
    pause .5
    
    "They say you can find literally anything here, as long as you have the money."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As a proud RAYmba owner, I can attest to that."
    
    show trish neutral at aleft with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    show anon neutral behind trish with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.38
    
    T "So, where to now?"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I think we turn left right there{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "We wove our way through the gaps and tiny walkspaces..."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I think somewhere around here{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "...Like spelunkers exploring a cave."
    
    stop music fadeout 2
    
    pause .5
    
    "Five minutes later, it didn't seem like we made much progress."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    play music track18 fadein 1
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Okay, I have something to admit."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I hadn't the first clue where Moe's place was."
    
    show trish surprised with dissolve
    
    "I was there, like, twice."
    
    "And it's way outside my usual commute."
    
    "But I don't want to know what Trish would say if I admit it."
    
    "So, I lead her by the horn until she figures it out."
    
    show trish unimpressed with dissolve
    
    T "You don't have any idea where it is, huh?"
    
    "Damn, did I just say that out loud?"
    
    T "Oh yes, you did."
   
    "Fuck."
    
    stop music fadeout 1
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    scene trodoonstreet with dissolve
    play music track03 fadein 2
    
    show trish smile at aleft with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.30
    
    show anon neutral behind trish with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.43
    
    
    T "So what do we do now?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I look around."
    
    pause .5
    
    "We arrived at a narrow street full of various bars."
    
    A "Hm{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I dunno."
    
    A "We can go back and look for the pocket Roomba salesman."
    
    show trish annoyed with dissolve
    
    T "Can you answer one question, Anon?"
    
    A "Sure."
    
    T "What the fuck did Fang see in you?"
    
    A "Hmm..."
    
    show anon shrug with dissolve
    
    A "I'm really good at couch therapy."
    
    T "I think I might need some after this."
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    pause .5
    
    "Choosing not to go back, we decided to see what lies ahead instead."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Neither of us had any particular ideas at this point."
    
    show trish smile with dissolve
    
    T "Well, since we're here, might as well have some fun."
    
    "Trish looked at me, grinning."
    
    pause .5
   
    A "Any bright ideas?"
    
    "She pointed to the signboard on the other side of the street."
    
    "The place looked like a bar."
    
    pause .5
    show trish smile flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.90
    
    T "Have you seen one of these before?"
    
    pause .5
    
    show anon shrug with dissolve
    
    A "A bar? Yeah, I heard the rumors."
    
    show trish explanatory flip with dissolve
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    T "I don't mean the bar, you clown."
    
    T "That is called a barcade."
    
    T "They sell booze there, and you can also play video games."
    
    pause .5
    
    "That last part caught me off-guard."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "{w=0.5}Video games?"
    
    show trish surprised flip with dissolve
    
    T "Yes. Don't fucking tell me you never played any. You're the biggest nerd in the school."
    
    A "Well, I did, but what's it to you?"
    
    show trish smile flip with dissolve
    
    T "I like that stuff. Let's go play something."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Today, I discovered the kind of forbidden knowledge I was not meant to know."
    
    show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
    
    T "Oh, don't you fucking give me that look, skinnie."
    
    T "My family's not exactly rich, but kids love video games."
    
    T "These guys have family days when children are allowed."
    
    T "That's how we spend our Sundays sometimes."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I see. Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting that."
    
    show trish smug flip with dissolve
    
    T "So? Are you going? Or are you scared you'll get beaten by a girl?"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "You know, I'm a pretty avid gamer."
    
    show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
    
    "What the fuck did I just say?"
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Come on in before I die of cringe."
    
    pause 1.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "Trish shoved me through the entrance door. She is definitely stronger than she looks."
    
    pause 2.0
    
    scene arcade with dissolve
    
    "The place looked like a large, surprisingly clean bar. Except that almost every wall, other than the bar itself, was lined with arcade machines."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And these weren't any arcade machines - they were all retro."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Most are older than I am."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As we stroll through the entryway, Trish glances at me."
    
    show trish smile at aleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    
    T "You like what you see?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I pick up my jaw from the floor and try to regain composure."
    
    A "This is{cps=*.1}...{/cps} sweet."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "So, what are you drinking?"
    
    A "Oh, I don't really do alcohol."
    
    A "I'm too much of a lightweight. Even small amounts might cause me to go off the rails."
    
    show trish happy with dissolve
    
    "Trish snorted at my honesty."
    
    T "Damn, Fang was right. You really are the king of the dweebs."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "You're free to order me anything if you promise you'll carry my ass through Skin Row at night."
    
    show trish smug with dissolve
    
    T "I'd rather leave you for the trash collectors."
    
    show trish smile with dissolve
    
    T "Can you handle iced tea, at least?"
    
    A "Yup, that sounds good."
    
    T "And don't think booze would stop me from kicking your ass."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Trish ended up buying herself beer of some kind, and I got my tea."
    
    pause .5
    
    "We decided not to waste any time, and moved straight to the arcades."
  
    "Trish took me through the room, and pointed at an old but familiar game."
    
    pause .5
    
    "'Super Street Fighter II Turbo'."
    
    "This one's a classic."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "You know it?"
    
    A "Of course I do."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Although I never played it with real people before."
    
    show trish smug with dissolve
    
    T "Let's get to it then."
    
    "With a smug look on her face, Trish put in the tokens, and started the game."
    
    stop music fadeout 2
    
    "She picks Guile."
    
    "I decide to go with the classic, and pick Ryu."    
    
    T "Come on, you could be a bit more original."
    
    A "If it works, it works."
   
    scene trishgame with dissolve
    
    play music bonustrack fadein 2
    
    "Trish rolled her eyes, and we started the game."
    
    show trish smile at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign -0.2
    
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
        xalign +1.2
    
    "The match began."
    
    "I can tell by her movement that this was far from her first time."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She's not jumping everywhere or mashing the attack buttons."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Her movements are precise."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I need to think carefully about my own actions."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As I keep trying to figure her out, Trish jumps in, ready to hit me from above."
    

    pause .5
    
    menu:

        "Do a Hurricane Kick to counter her":
            $ TrishHP -= 1
            "Thankfully, I know how hitboxes in this game work."
            "Before Trish could react, I input the Hurricane Kick."
            "It's a classic move that sends my character flying horizontally like a helicopter."
            "I manage to hit Trish out of the air."
            "As her character plummets to the ground and tries to recover, Trish clicks her tongue, annoyed at this early misplay."
            show trish unimpressed with dissolve
            T "Damn, you're not a complete idiot."
            pause .5
            T "Guess I'll have to get a bit more serious."

        "Do a crouching block to avoid her":
            $ AnonHP -= 1
            "I sit down in a blocking position."
            "It's perfect for all kinds of situations."
            "...Unfortunately, I forgot something."
            "The one kind of attacks crouching block doesn't protect against are airborne attacks."
            "Trish hits me hard, and immediately follows that up with a kick for good measure."
            "Backing away slowly, I try to regain my composure."
            show trish smug with dissolve
            T "You don't even know the basics."
            pause .5
            T "I told you to prepare your ass."
        
    pause .5        
    
    show trish unimpressed with dissolve
    "Our battle continues."
    pause .5
    unknown "Hey, is that girl even of age?"
    pause .5
    "I can hear some bargoer whisper behind us."
    "Trish evidently heard them."
    show trish angry flip with hpunch
    T "Shut up, you cunt, I'm eighteen!"
    A "Watch the screen, sis."
    pause .5
    "I manage to get the jab in while Trish was busy screaming at others."
    show trish unimpressed with dissolve 
    T "Don't you try to sucker-punch me, skinnie."
    "She sent a Sonic Boom in my direction, which was her fireball move."
    "In response, I send a Hadoken - my own fireball."
    "They both cancel each other out in the air."
    "Trish now does a crouching block, waiting for my move."
    
    pause .5
    menu:

        "Walk up closer and throw a fireball":
            $ AnonHP -= 1
            "I might be able to take her by surprise if I get closer."
            "Throwing a fireball in the closer range has to be a safe bet."
            "But then, Trish fires one of her own."
            "Sonic Boom gets canceled out sooner than my own, giving her time to counterattack."
            "And she hits me right in the face."
            show trish smug with dissolve
            T "Didn't expect that, did ya?"

        "Throw a fireball from a distance":
            $ TrishHP -= 1
            "I should try to keep my distance."
            "She's playing a charge character - they have long windup and fast recovery."
            "So she's at a disadvantage when I'm far away."
            "We start throwing fireballs at each other."
            "Now I can push her into a corner."
            "As she throws yet another, I jump in and hit her from above."
            show trish shock with dissolve
            T "Oh, come on!"
            T "I swear I moved up, I dunno what happened!"
            pause .5
            "Likely story."
        
    pause .5  
    
    show trish unimpressed with dissolve
    "We play the neutral game for a bit, throwing jabs at each other."
    pause .5
    "I should be careful and not do anything crazy."
    pause .5
    "But then Trish backs out again."
    pause .5
    "We're a full screen apart now."
    
    pause .5
    menu:

        "Jump in on her":
            $ AnonHP -= 1
            "Hopefully, she doesn't expect that."
            "I tried to jump in."
            "What I forgot is how strong her anti-air move is."
            "Trish did an instant Flash Kick like she was expecting me."
            "It sent me flying, losing a decent chunk of health."
            show trish smug with dissolve
            T "Try jumping in on me again, I double dare you!"

        "Throw more fireballs from a distance":
            $ TrishHP -= 1
            "We go back to tossing fireballs at each other."
            "However, her movement is now more precise."
            "Trish learns fast."
            "But I do have a surprise in store."
            "Trish sends her Sonic Boom in my direction."
            "And at that point, I do a powerful Hurricane Kick."
            "This attack is capable of flying right above any projectiles..."
            "...and into my opponent's face."
            show trish shock with dissolve
            T "Oh, come on!"
            pause .5
            T "That's just cheating!"
            pause .5
            T "How did you do that?!"
            pause .5
            "I can only smile at her distress."
        
    pause .5  
    
    show trish unimpressed with dissolve
    "Now we were back in a neutral position."
    pause .5
    "Trish was getting visibly fired up."
    pause .5
    "I wasn't going to let her win either."
    "People around us also couldn't hope but to notice Trish."
    "It's striking how someone so small could produce so much noise."
    "The way she hammers the buttons is quite frightening."
    "Now, it was time for me to make a move."
    
    
    pause .5
    menu:

        "Do a crouching kick into Hadoken":
            $ TrishHP -= 1
            "Trish blocks the kick and tries to throw a fireball."
            "Now she really screwed up."
            "Her charge attacks are slow."
            "But my normals are really fast, especially on recovery."
            "She receives a fireball straight to the face."
            show trish unimpressed with dissolve
            T "Oh, god damn it!"
            pause .5
            T "Stop spamming this shit!"
            pause .5
            T "Do something that requires actual skill for once!"

        "Anticipate her Sonic Boom and counter it with fireball":
            $ AnonHP -= 1
            "I try to play the fireball game again."
            "Trish recognized it instantly."
            "She jumped in, but not on me."
            "Instead, she cut the distance between us."
            "Her fireball recovers faster as usual, and she hits me right in the face."
            show trish smug with dissolve
            T "You just don't learn, skinnie."
            pause .5
            A "I guess I don't."
        
    pause .5      
    
    show trish unimpressed with dissolve
    "The game is now reaching its crescendo."
    "Not a lot of health to spare."
    "Once again, I see Trish trying to jump in on me."
    "I can't screw up now."
    
    
    pause .5
    menu:

        "It's time for Shoryuken":
            $ TrishHP -= 1
            "Shoryuken is probably the second most famous move in fighting game history."
            pause .5
            "And that's for a good reason."
            pause .5
            "Trish wasn't expecting it this time."
            pause .5
            "I hit her straight out of the sky."
            show trish annoyed with dissolve
            T "Fuck!"
            pause 1.0
            window hide
            window auto
            scene black with Dissolve(2.0)

        "Block and try to back away":
            $ AnonHP -= 1
            "I don't want to risk it."
            pause .5
            "I expected her to land an attack, but instead, she landed right by my side."
            pause .5
            show trish smug with dissolve
            pause .5
            "Oh no."
            show trish very happy with dissolve
            "She grabbed me and sent me flying to the side."
            T "Take that!"
            pause .5
            T "My favorite move!"
            pause 1.0
            window hide
            window auto
            scene black with Dissolve(2.0)        
    pause .5      
    
    if AnonHP > TrishHP:
      
      stop music fadeout 2
      scene arcade with dissolve
      "The battle was long and grueling."
      pause .5
      "Still, my skills were nothing to scoff at."
      pause .5
      "I managed to land the finishing blow, and got my victory."
      show trish indignant at aleft with dissolve
      show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
      play music track03 fadein 2
      T "Oh, come on!"
      T "This is unfair!"
      pause .5
      "Trish definitely wasn't expecting that."
      show trish angry with dissolve
      T "How the fuck did you beat me?!"
      pause .5
      A "Well, like you said. I'm a bit of a nerd."
      A "I played my fair share of fighting games before."
      show trish unimpressed with dissolve
      T "I'm the best player in this goddamn city! You{cps=*.1}...{/cps} You{cps=*.1}...{/cps}!"
      A "Welcome to the real world."
      A "You gotta learn, sis."
      "She fell silent for a second."
      "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
      "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Did I overdo it?"
      show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
      "She turned away for a second, exhaled sharpy{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
      show trish very happy with dissolve
      T "Aah~"
      "...and faced me with a glowing smile."
      T "I love these games!"
      "Yup. {w=0.5}She enjoys this."
      show trish smug with dissolve
      T "I'm not done with you!"
      T "We're gonna play until your arms fall off!"
      T "I'm gonna get my win."
      pause .5
      "It didn't take long for Trish to regain composure."
      pause .5
      show anon shrug flip with dissolve
      A "Whatever you say, sis."      
      
      pause 1.0
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      
      "The dream of the greatest challenger is endless challenge."
      pause .5
      "Trish really personified this."
      pause .5
      "Competition is where she belonged."
      pause .5
      "I felt kind of bad that she had to abandon this side of her."
      pause .5
      "I ended up winning 10:8, but Trish was still happy with her performance."
      pause .5
      T "We're not done! There will be a rematch!"
      "Once we consumed all the alcohol, tea, and snacks our wallets allowed, we decided it was time to head out."
      window hide
      window auto
      stop music fadeout 2.0
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      pause 1.0
      
    
    else:
      
      stop music fadeout 2
      scene arcade with dissolve
      "The fight was coming to a close."
      pause .5
      "I had little to no health left, and Trish knew it when she used a grab move, which sent me into K.O."
      pause .5
      "Despite my best efforts, she crushed me."
      show trish smug at aleft with dissolve
      show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
      play music track03 fadein 2
      "The absolute smugness coming from Trish was impossible to put into words."
      pause .5
      "It's like she finally proved something to the entire world."
      pause .5
      T "I told you. {w=0.5}I. {w=0.5}Am. {w=0.5}Better."
      "I couldn't do anything other than concede."
      T "Well, I don't blame you for losing. I'm the best player in town."
      A "Seriously?"
      show trish very happy with dissolve
      T "You bet. {w=0.5}I loved this game since I was a kid."
      T "It lets me beat people up without repercussions."
      pause .5
      "Well, that sounded morbid."
      pause .5
      A "But what if you get beaten up?"
      show trish smug at aleft with dissolve
      T "Then I stand up and try again. Until I win."
      pause .5
      "She really does have a winner's spirit."
      pause .5
      T "So, how about we play some more?"
      T "I enjoyed this more than I expected."
      A "You know{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Why not?"
      "Perhaps I should take a page out of Reed's book and go with the flow."
      pause .5
      T "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."
      
      pause 1.0
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      "We went back to the game and continued our legendary battle."
      pause .5
      "I lost 6:12. By the end, Trish even stopped bullying me and started giving advice instead."
      pause .5
      T "...Stop jumping so much, it leaves you open..."
      pause .5
      "I guess that's what it feels like to have an older sister."
      "My respect for Naser grew quite a bit."
      "Once we consumed all the beer, tea, and snacks our wallets allowed, we decided it was time to head out."
      window hide
      window auto
      stop music fadeout 2.0
      scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
      pause 1.0   
    
    scene sunset with dissolve
    play music track16 fadein 1
    "As we headed down the street, the sun was already setting."
    
    "Trish drank her fair share and looked quite tipsy."
    
    A "I think we should get you a taxi."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Yeah{cps=*.1}...{/cps} That's a good idea{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "Hey, you feeling good?"
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Just a bit tired{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "This is the first time I'm seeing Trish drunk."
    
    "I point her to a bench nearby. She doesn't protest."
    
    show trish neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.95
    
    show anon neutral flip behind trish with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.75
    
    
    "As we both sat down, I looked at her."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She was more relaxed than usual, staring nowhere in particular."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Perhaps it's now or never."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I always wanted to talk with Trish."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "You know, I was always wondering about something."
    
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    
    T "Spit it out."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Why did you have a bone to pick with me?"
    
    A "I wasn't the only dumb idiot in school."
    
    A "So why were you so focused on me?"
    
    A "Even after Reed and Fang told you to chill."
    
    show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
    
    T "What, you think drunk sis Trish will spill her guts to you like this?"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I guess, yeah."
    
    show trish considering flip with dissolve
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}I told you before."
    
    T "I was worried about Fang."
    
    T "What you might do to her."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "But what could I do?"
    
    A "Poison her mind with evil ideas or something?"
    
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    
    T "Don't act like an idiot."
    
    T "I thought you'd hurt her."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "But how?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Trish looked away."
    
    "She suddenly became very quiet."
    
    show trish unimpressed flip with dissolve
    
    T "{i}{cps=*.1}...{/cps}The same way my shitty dad hurt my mom{cps=*.1}...{/cps}{/i}"
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "I did not expect this answer."
    
    A "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}What did he do?"
    
    pause .5
    
    T "He swept her off her feet."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "And then left her heartbroken and alone with a bunch of brats."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "He didn't even bother paying child support."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Simply popped out of existence."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "I was still in grade school. Others were toddlers."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "You have no idea how hard that was."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}What was supposed to be drunk lighthearted banter turned sour too fast for comfort."
    
    "I've never seen Trish look so serious."
    
    A "Shit{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "I'm sorry."
    
    T "Don't be."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "'Sorry' doesn't put food on anyone's table."
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}But you wanna know the best part?"
    
    pause .8
    
    T "He was a human."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Looked a lot like you, too."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Mom met him in college."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "She thought he was perfect, until he wasn't."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Suddenly, the puzzle pieces started coming together."
    
    T "You're getting it now?"
    
    T "Just imagine how I felt when you rolled in and started grooming Fang."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Hey, I wasn't grooming anyone."
    
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    
    T "You couldn't leave her alone for one second."
    
    T "Even though you didn't know her at all."
    
    T "It's like you were racing to get into her pants."
    
    show trish considering flip with dissolve
    
    T "And then{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    T "Fang started changing."
    
    T "She was only talking about you."
    
    T "Like she was in love."
    
    T "With {i}you{/i}."
    
    T "Of course I got fucking nervous."
    
    T "For all I knew, you could've shattered Fang's heart, or worse{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Trish gave a heavy sigh."
    
    show trish explanatory flip with dissolve
    
    T "Before you arrived, Fang was in a very bad place, mentally."
    
    T "She would miss school for days on end, lock herself up in her room, probably even hurt herself."
    
    T "Fang hated herself."
    
    T "Because her damn brother took the spotlight."
    
    T "Because her fucking family couldn't care less about her."
    
    T "If you tried playing with her feelings at that point, Fang might've{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    T "Done something stupid."
    
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    
    T "I couldn't allow some air-headed asshole to do that to her."
    
    pause .5
    
    "This ticked me off more than it probably should've."
    
    A "Don't pretend like you weren't just as overbearing."
    
    A "It was fucking painful for me to watch Fang ignore herself as she danced to your double bass tune all day long."
    
    A "I felt like I was stopping {i}you{/i} from grooming her."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Trish fell silent."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Did I say too much?"
   
    show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
    
    T "I only wanted what's best for Fang."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "Back then, she was the only friend I had."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "And I was the only friend she had."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "I did my best to protect her."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "That's what you're telling yourself."
    
    A "Seems more like you were scared of letting her do her own thing."
    
    A "Because you were afraid she wouldn't include you."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm glad that Trish is a quiet drunk. Otherwise, she would've started shouting for sure."
    
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}You know what, skinnie?"
    
    "I turned to her."
    
    "She looked melancholic."
    
    "Surprisingly enough, I didn't feel any malice in her words."
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}You're a fucking asshole."
    
    T "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}But I know you're right."
    
    T "I thought about it. {w=1.0}A lot."
    
    show trish considering flip with dissolve

    T "I was an asshole too."
    
    pause .5
    
    T "I wanted Fang to be free from others, but I only ended up forcing shit on her like others."
    
    show trish annoyed flip with dissolve
    
    T "You know, Fang{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    T "Fang was always very sensitive."
    
    T "She always took everything close to heart."
    
    T "I told her to stand up for herself. To stop following the crowd, and do her own thing."
    
    T "I guess I just wanted her to follow me instead{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "What a confusing mess..."
    
    show trish neutral flip with dissolve
    
    pause .5
    
    T "That's life."
    
    show trish smile flip with dissolve
    
    T "But!"
    
    "She looked back at me and smiled."
    
    T "Don't you fucking think you're off the hook just because I gave you the green light."
    
    T "If I find out that you hurt Fang in any way, I'll find you."
    
    T "And I'll make you cry."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I don't doubt it for a second, sis."
    
    "We both chuckled."
    
    show eveningsky with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "Trish is a strange person."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She's very aggressive, competitive, a bit sadistic, and she has some attachment issues."
    
    pause .5
    
    "But despite it all, I can see that she cares."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Like Reed always told me, she really cares."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And I can admire that."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As minutes passed by in complete silence, I felt something on my shoulder."
    
    scene trishsleep with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "It was Trish."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I guess she's all out of juice now."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Looking at her sleeping peacefully on my shoulder, I notice how small she actually is."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Hard to believe she's the same age as all of us."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She's also surprisingly light."
    
    pause .5
    
    "No matter how much we butt heads with each other, at the end of the day, she's still a girl."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Maybe a bit too tomboyish and emotional, but even so."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I could hear her whisper something in her sleep."
    
    T "Mom{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    T "I'm home{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)

    "I ordered her a taxi, and dragged her in the car when it arrived."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As it drove away, I looked at the time."
    
    pause .5
    
    "It's time to go home."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    stop music fadeout 2.0
    pause 1.0
    
    jump TrishEnd
    
    
    
    
    
label NaomiEventLabel:

    "I remember that Naomi asked me to come by."
    
    "Her office, separate from the student council room, should be on the third floor."
    
    "I might as well head there right now."

    window hide
    window auto
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    play music track19 fadein 2
    scene naomioffice with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    pause .5
    
    "*Knock-knock*"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Please, come in!"
    
    show naomi unimpressed at aleft with dissolve:
        yalign -0.1
    
    "I peek into Naomi's office."
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
       xalign +1.3
    
    "She was behind her desk, surrounded by entire towers of impressive-looking folders."
    
    "Not taking her eyes off of one, she gestures for me to come in."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Please Anon, take a seat right there."
    
    "Naomi pointed to the smaller table on her left, with a laptop on it."
    
    N "That's the computer. Do whatever you want with it, just make sure it runs properly."
    
    A "Got it."
    
    pause .5
    
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
        xalign 1.3
        easein 1 xalign 0.90 yalign -0.1
    
    
    "I sit down and boot Naomi's laptop up."
    
    show laptop with fade
    
    "It looks somewhat old, but it's working."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Of course, it's Windows 10."
    
    "A cutesy photo of Naser and Naomi at some dinner party greets me on the lock screen."
    
    "Everything seems to work just fine."
    
    "As I press Enter, the system demands a PIN code."
    
    hide laptop with fade
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Naomi, what's your PIN?"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "That's the problem, I don't know."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Uh-huh{cps=*.1}...{/cps} In that case, I can use your password to log in."
    
    A "Do you remember it?"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Yes, it's{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    "She paused for a second."
    
    N "{w=1.0}It's 'GoToHellMia123'."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "But that won't help you anyway."
    
    A "It sure as hell should."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve
    
    show laptop with fade
    
    "There must be a 'forgot my PIN' option here somewhere."
    
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "After staring at the screen for twenty seconds, I realize that the option was nowhere to be found."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Okay, that's weird."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Let's look it up online."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "After some serious googling on my phone, I finally began to understand what the problem is."
    
    "This version of Windows 10 is old as sin."
    
    "Turns out, Microsoft outdid themselves when designing the new login screen."
    
    "Before a certain update, it didn't have a 'forgot PIN' option."
    
    "So if you actually forgot it, you were shit out of luck even with the user password."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Now that's a headscratcher."
    
    hide laptop with fade
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Hey, Naomi. So, how exactly did you manage to forget your PIN?"
    
    "She looked at me like I just insulted Naser in front of her."
    
    show naomi angry with dissolve
    
    N "I didn't forget it! My damned sister changed it! That was her idea of a joke!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Naomi has a sister? Now that's news."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Would've been easier if you asked her to change it back."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve
    
    N "I'd rather die."
    
    "There was enough cold fury in that voice to start an ice age."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Tough."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "And so, silence fell."
    
    "Quite a few minutes pass."
    
    "The only sounds one could hear are Naomi's rustling papers and the my squeaking office chair."
    
    "I span on it back and forth, trying to get my nogging jogging, and no doubt annoying the crap out of Naomi."
    
    "I glanced at Naomi."

    "She was tapping away on a huge calculator."
    
    "It looked like something my dad might have used when he was in high school."
    
    "...I guess this school does need budgeting."
    
    "My conscience told me not to interrupt Naomi, but the atmosphere in the room was getting so thick that you could cut it with a knife."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "So, how's Naser doing?"
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    N "He's{cps=*.1}...{/cps} fine. {w=1.0}He and his team have been training around the clock recently, so we don't spend much time together."
    
    show anon grin flip with dissolve
    
    A "I'm sure he misses you a whole lot."
    
    "I say with a grin."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve
    
    N "He'd better."
    
    "I guess my sarcasm didn't go unappreciated."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    A "Are you seriously planning on handling this entire mountain of paper by yourself?"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Do I have any options?"
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "I dunno, but don't push yourself too hard. We need you alive and well."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    "This made Naomi relax a bit."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    N "Thanks, but you don't need to worry. I can handle this."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "To me, it looks like the student council is exploiting you to high heaven..."
    
    "You don't usually see the queen bee shoveling honey all day long."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve
    
    "Wait a second. Exploit{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I just remembered something."
    
    "A certain old exploit in Windows 10 might help me."
    
    show laptop with fade
    
    "Turning back to the computer screen, I rebooted and entered the recovery menu."
    
    "Now I could launch the recovery command shell."
    
    "It doesn't have the admin privileges, but it allows me to copy cmd.exe over the file that's responsible for the sticky keys function."
    
    "Then, I boot back to the login screen, and press Shift five times."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Voila, I now have a command line with full administrator privileges."
    
    pause .5
    
    "God bless whatever Indian programmers Microsoft employs. They always try their best."
    
    "At that point, fixing the problem became a matter of time."
    
    "I created a new user, made it an admin, and set up new login parameters."
    
    "That allowed me to enter Naomi's user account and switch the whole login screen off."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Once again, I am victorious. {w=1}Terry would've been proud."
    
    pause .5
    
    "After I finished cleaning up the leftover mess, it was time to present my achievement to Naomi."
    
    hide laptop with fade
    
    "As she diligently crunched the numbers, I stretched in my chair and turned to her."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "I'm done here. The issue was pretty obscure, but it's all good now."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    show naomi happy with dissolve
    
    "This made Naomi cheer up for the first time since I came here."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Oh, Anon, thank you!"
    
    N "You have no idea how much headache you just saved me!"
    
    "Abandoning the calculator, she stood up, and pranced like a doe to the nearest cabinet."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25 yalign 0.2
    
    N "Remember, I promised you tea? {w=.3}Well, you're getting it now!"
    
    "Naomi opened the cabinet and took out an electric kettle with some tea bags and what looked like... {w=.3}a large cardboard box."
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "Oh, you really don't have to, it's not a big deal..."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    N "Shush. I'm not taking no for an answer."
    
    N "Good work must always be rewarded."
    
    "Well, might as well enjoy myself."
    
    "Naomi quickly got the kettle going, and pulled out two tea cups."
    
    N "Any sugar?"
    
    A "No, thanks. I like it plain."
    
    N "Oh, that's good."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve
    
    N "I wish Naser was like that."
    
    N "He refuses to touch anything unless it has milk and sugar. Such a sweet tooth."
    
    "As we waited for the tea to cool down, Naomi picked the mystery box up and brought it to my attention."
    
    show naomi happy with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.0 yalign -0.1
    
    N "We won't just be drinking tea though. I have a surprise!"
    
    "She opened the box. It was full of cutesy home-baked cookies."
    
    "They were all shaped like small dinosaurs."
    
    N "I always wanted to bake some for Naser."
    
    N "This is a test batch. I want you to try them for me!"
    
    "The pile was impressively tall."
    
    "Eating someone's first attempt at baking is always a gamble, but Naomi doesn't strike me as someone who would be bad at it."
    
    "It certainly can't be as bad as that time I almost ate a feather in scrambled eggs Fang tried making."
    
    A "Okay, sure."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    N "You're a lifesaver, as usual."
    
    "Finally, the tea cooled off enough to drink."
    
    "I picked up the first cookie and sized it up."
    
    "It looked somewhat like a pterosaur, although it could also have been a bat."
    
    "It was covered in strange black dots. I assume they're chocolate?"
    
    "Naomi was looking at me expectantly."
    
    A "Well, here goes nothing."
    
    stop music fadeout 1
    
    "I bit off the weird pterosaur's wing."
    
    show dimmer_light behind anon with Dissolve(.25)
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    play music track18 fadein 2
    
    pause .7
    
    "For a second, I forgot how to breathe."
    
    pause .7
    
    "I could feel the tears in my eyes."
    
    pause .7
    
    "My whole mouth was burning."
    
    pause .7
    
    "Barely able to swallow the stuff, I gulp down the tea and stare at the clueless Naomi, who was smiling vacantly at me."
    
    hide dimmer_light with Dissolve(.25)
    
    pause .5
    
    N "So{cps=*.1}...{/cps} how was it?"
    
    A "Wh-{cps=*.1}...{/cps} What was that?!"
    
    N "My very own recipe."
    
    "I was coughing like a sick man now."
    
    A "Wh-{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Wh-{cps=*.1}...{/cps} What the hell did you add?!"
    
    show naomi happy with vpunch
    
    N "Black pepper!"
    
    "My eyes widened."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    N "My mom always said that adding a bit of salt to sweets helps bring out the flavor, so I tried doing it with pepper."
    
    N "It's quite a fun treat, don't you think?"
    
    "My inner alarm was going off. Naomi definitely wanted to poison me."
    
    "If not for the fact that she picked one of the spotted pterodactyls herself and ate it in one bite, glowing with pride."
    
    show naomi happy with dissolve
    
    N "Ahaha~{w=1} It prickles a bit, doesn't it?"
    
    "What the actual hell is this woman?!"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "So, try another one."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    "She said as she was scarfing down her tea in one swig, stone-faced."
    
    "She was a master of hiding emotions as usual."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I didn't want to ruin Naomi's mood completely, so I gave another cookie a chance."
    
    pause .5
    
    "This one looked like a snake of some kind. Or maybe a Chinese dragon?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "It was covered in what looked like shards of stained glass."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Now I feel like I need to know more before eating."
    
    A "And this?"
    
    N "Oh, this is just colored sugar. I found it in mom's baking set."
    
    "Sounds innocent enough."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I took a smaller bite out of the cookie."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Or I would have if it didn't refuse to yield."
    
    pause .5
    
    "The cookie was hard as a rock."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Now I was getting scared for my teeth."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "How did you measure the flour?"
    
    N "I{cps=*.1}...{/cps} tried eyeballing it."
    
    "Did she forget to wear glasses?!"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Sorry, this one's a bit too tough for me..."
    
    N "Oh..."
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    pause .5
    
    "She started to realize what's going on."
    
    pause .5
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    "Well, third time's a charm."
    
    pause .5
    
    "This one looked like{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Cthulhu?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Nothing else seemed weird about it."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I snapped it in half, took a deep breath, and put one half in my mouth."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Bracing for it still couldn't prepare me."
    
    pause .5
    
    "It was the saltiest thing I've ever eaten."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I didn't have to say anything, my face said it all."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Chugging the rest of my tea like a man stranded in a desert, I silently pass the other half to Naomi."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She eats it with a difficult expression."
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    stop music fadeout 2
    
    N "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Oh."
    
    N "I think I got sugar and salt mixed up."
    
    show naomi sad with dissolve
    
    "Naomi looked like she was on the verge of tears now."
    
    N "I can't believe it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "She looked away from me, took off her glasses, and covered her eyes."
    
    A "Hey, Naomi..."
    
    play music track19 fadein 2
    
    N "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}It's fine, Anon. You can go."
    
    N "Thanks for helping me out{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "No, I couldn't leave her like that."
    
    pause .5
    
    "It was the first time I saw her legitimately try to do something nice."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Don't worry about it."
    
    A "You screwed up here, but we all do. Just try again."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Why bother?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "She looked at me again."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "I failed. Simple as that."
    
    pause .5
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "You did, so what? You're the most successful person in this school, it's hardly a setback for someone like you."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    "At this moment I realized that Naomi was reaching her boiling point."
    
    show naomi angry with vpunch
    
    N "Yeah, I can see that!"
    
    N "Working overtime, {w=.3}up to here with things no one cares about, {w=.3}with a boyfriend who's obviously avoiding me, {w=.3}feeding you this shit!"
    
    "Just like at lunch, she exploded again."
    
    show naomi angry with hpunch
    
    "She picked up the box and threw it across the room, sweets scattering all over the floor."
    
    A "Naomi{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I think the problem ran deeper than bad cookies."
    
    show naomi unimpressed flip with vpunch:
        easein 1 xalign -0.2 yalign 0.2
    
    "The girl stood up, her tail almost knocking over the chair she sat on."
    
    "She strolled to the corner of the room, and stood there, looking at me."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve:
        xalign -0.2 yalign 0.2
    
    N "You can leave now. Don't pretend like you care."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Why wouldn't I care? You're my best friend's girlfriend!"
    
    N "Because you hate me anyway."
    
    N "For what I pulled with you and Fang."
    
    N "You try to be nice, but I'm not stupid, you know."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I don't hate you."
    
    N "Why?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}This question caught me off-guard."
    
    "Why don't I hate Naomi?"
    
    "She tried manipulating me before."
    
    "She can be very selfish and annoying."
    
    "So why don't I hate her?"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Because you never mean anyone harm."
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    "Naomi looked at me, dumbstruck."
    
    A "Sure, you were pretty nasty, but you did what you did for your boyfriend, right?"
    
    A "You saw how he couldn't deal with Fang, so you tried to 'fix' her."
    
    A "It wasn't because you hated her.{w=.3} It was because you loved him."
    
    A "No matter how I look at it, I can't hate that."
    
    "Naomi let out an uneasy sigh, and slumped back in her chair."
    
    show naomi sad with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.0 yalign 0.0
    
    N "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    N "Sorry about the outburst{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I'm a bit on edge right now."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "You said Naser is avoiding you. Why?"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "No, it's just emotions talking..." 
    
    N "He's so preoccupied with the athletics festival, we barely see each other anymore."
    
    N "And then there's{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "She paused for a moment."
    
    N "My sister."
    
    A "You mentioned her before. Didn't know you have one."
    
    show naomi angry with dissolve
    
    N "She's my older sister. Mia. Fucking Mia."
    
    N "She's in college now, but she decided to visit the family home a few days ago."
    
    N "She hated me since we were children."
    
    N "Always a fucking delinquent."
    
    N "Stealing my stuff, doing stupid pranks, never apologizing for anything."
    
    N "Now she comes back, and you know the first thing she does?"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Asking me what fucking dick I sucked to get the council president position."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Naomi looked furious, clenching her fists so hard her hands were shaking."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "I always hated her."
    
    pause .5
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "I guess both you and Naser were blessed with interesting siblings."
    
    A "No wonder you hit it off so well."
    
    show naomi unimpressed with dissolve
    
    "Naomi was staring daggers at me now."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    A "Have you talked with Naser about it?"
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    N "Not really."
    
    N "Naser doesn't need to know. He'll just think I'm pathetic."
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "You don't give him enough credit. Naser's a sensitive guy, and he has a lot of his own experience."
    
    A "If you two talk it out, I'm sure your relationship would only grow stronger."
    
    A "Get this stuff off your chest for once."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
   
    N "You know{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
        
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    N "You may be right."
    
    N "I'll try."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Naomi smiled again, relieving some tension in the room."
    
    "We both relaxed in our chairs."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I looked around."
    
    "The office was in bad shape. Cookies scattered all over the floor, stacks of paper piling up on the desk."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "How about we make a deal?"
    
    N "What kind?"
    
    A "I help you clean up all this mess, and you let me drag you out of this hellhole for today."
    
    show naomi considering with dissolve
    
    N "Huh?"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I think we both need some fresh air."
    
    show naomi blush at aleft with dissolve
    
    N "Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps} You know I'm taken{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "I'm not talking about a date, stupid. {w=.3}I just think you should get a break."
    
    A "We could hang out. {w=.3}Like friends."
    
    "I doubt I could handle having her as a girlfriend..."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve:
        xalign 0.0 yalign -0.0
    
    N "Friends, huh{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show naomi explanatory with dissolve
    
    N "Well, I think I could use a break." 
    
    N "Clean up the floor then, and I'll get my desk in order."
    
    stop music fadeout 2.0

    
    
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    "The whole process didn't take long."
    "Once we managed to put the office in a presentable state, Naomi and I left the building, together."
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    scene volcadera2 with dissolve
    play music track09 fadein 1
    
    "The sky is getting redder as the evening approaches."
    show naomi neutral at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    show anon neutral behind naomi with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.38
    

    
    "We walked down the street, not talking much."
    
    "I was the one to suggest this, but I have no clue what to do with her."
    
    "Even after all this time, I realize that I don't know anything about Naomi."
    
    "I wonder what Naser does in this situation."
    
    "I guess, in their relationship, she's doing everything."
    
    show naomi explanatory with dissolve
    
    N "Hey, I have an idea."
    
    N "There's a bookstore nearby. I need to buy some stuff there."
    
    N "Do you mind if we drop by?"
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    A "Lead the way."
    
    "I don't need any books, but it's nice for Naomi to break the ice."
    
    "We took a right turn, walked for five more minutes, and sure enough, there was a small bookstore."
    
    show anon neutral flip behind naomi with dissolve:
        easein 2 xalign 1.20
    
    "I opened the door for Naomi, doing my best gentlemanly impression."
    
    show naomi neutral at aright with dissolve:
        easein 3 xalign 2.25
    
    "If she were Fang, she certainly would've made a snide comment of some sort."
    "But Naomi only gave me a polite 'thanks'."
    
    show anon neutral behind naomi with dissolve:
        easein 3 xalign 2.25
    
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    scene books with blinds
    pause 1.0
    
    "The store was cramped, with a heavy smell of old books in the air."
    
    "It looked more like an old library."
    
    N "Excuse me, I'll be right back."
    
    "Naomi quickly disappeared into the maze of bookshelves and left me stranded."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "I wonder if they sell manga here."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Probably not."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Still, it's worth taking a look."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I made my way through the store, which turned out to be surprisingly big."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Most of the stuff here was educational in nature. It's no wonder, the school is nearby after all."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Naomi probably needed something for her studies."
    
    "As I was trying to squeeze myself between the shelves and made my way deeper into the store, I noticed something in the corner of my eye."
    
    show naomi keikaku flip at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign -0.2
    
    "It was Naomi, hiding among the bookshelves."
    
    "She was reading something."
    
    "But wait{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "This is the adult romance section{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show anon grin flip with dissolve:
        xalign 1.6
    
    "A mischievous smile crept up my face."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "So our student council president likes {i}that{/i} kind of literature{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "What a lewd woman."
    
    "Though, I guess we all have our ways of dealing with stress."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Still..."
    
    show anon grin flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 1.4
    
    "Trying to not make any noise, I step closer to her."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I couldn't see the title of the book she was reading, but I could see the cover."
    
    show anon grin flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 1.2
    
    "A very macho-looking topless man was holding a beautiful maiden in one hand and a huge sword in another."
    
    show anon grin flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 1.1
    
    A "Hey, prez."
    
    show naomi shocked at aleft with vpunch
    
    "Naomi jerked up like she got struck with a lightning bolt."
    
    N "A-{w=.5}Anon?! Wh-{w=.5}What are you doing here?!"
    
    A "Looking for you."
    
    A "You know, they have a great two-for-one sale on anatomy books."
    
    "I was shamelessly poking fun at her now."
    
    show naomi shocked flip:
        easein .5 xalign -0.3
    
    "Naomi panicked as she tried to shove the book back on the shelf, near the six copies of 'Fifty Shades of Grey'."
    
    show naomi blush at aleft with dissolve:
        easein .5 xalign -0.0
    
    show naomi blush at aleft:
        xalign -0.0
    
    N "Th-{w=.5}This isn't what it looks like! I-{w=.5}I just made a mistake!"
    
    A "A very likely story."
    
    A "I'm sure others would believe it right away{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "Goodness me, such vulgar literature{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    N "P-{w=.5}Please, you gotta keep this a secret!"
    
    pause .5
    
    N "If anyone finds out, my reputation is done for!"
    
    N "Everything I worked so hard for!{cps=*.1}..{/cps}"
    
    pause .5

    "Naomi looked like she was about to cry."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Her entire facade was nothing more than a house of cards, and someone just pulled out a book it was built on."
    
    pause .5
 
    N "P-{w=.5}please, I'll do anything you ask!"    
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Oh, really?"
    show anon grin flip:
        easein 1 xalign 0.70
    
    stop music fadeout 2
    
    pause .5
    
    "Something came over me at that moment."
    
    show anon grin flip:
        easein 1 xalign 0.60    
    
    pause .5
    
    "A violent impulse I haven't felt before."
    "Almost like my id suddenly decided to take the wheel."
    show anon grin flip:
        easein 1 xalign 0.50    
    
    pause .5
    
    show anon grin flip:
        easein 1 xalign 0.30     
    
    "I just had to tease this girl a bit more."
    
    play music track15 fadein 2
    scene naomikabedon at Pan((0, 300), (0, 0), 30.0) with Dissolve(1)
    pause 3    
    
    "I walked up to Naomi with the sultriest look I could muster, and slammed my hand on the opposite bookshelf, trapping her against it with my body."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She was burning with embarassment, looking away from me, her face as red as a tomato."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I guess her romantic fantasies were coming true in the worst way possible."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "An-{w=.5}Anon, this is wr-{w=.5}wrong{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    N "Wh-{w=.5}what would Naser say{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "I gently grabbed the bow on her shirt."
    
    A "Naser doesn't need to know{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Naomi's breathing was getting heavy, her knees were shaking."
    
    "I'm {i}so{/i} glad I got into a habit of eating mint candy."
    
    N "I-{w=.5}I never kn-{w=.5}knew you felt t-{w=.5}that way about me{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "There wasn't even a hint of resistance in her." 
    
    "Naomi, the high and mighty student council president{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "She who tried to control me so masterfully before{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Was melting like butter in my grasp."
    
    "I lowered my head slightly and whispered to her."
    
    A "Now, here's what we'll do{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Naomi gulped nervously."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "First, you give me your phone number{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "She nodded meekly, without saying a word."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I'll mail you a cookie recipe."
    A "The best one I have."
    A "You follow that recipe to the T."
    A "And tomorrow, we'll see the result."
    pause .5
    
    "I let go of her."
    
    hide naomikabedon with Dissolve(1)
    stop music fadeout 0.5
    scene books with dissolve
    show naomi blush at aleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
        xalign 0.30
    
    "Whatever atmosphere Naomi cooked up in her head evaporated instantly."
    
    "She looked dumbfounded, but still blushing."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve:
    
        easein 1 xalign 0.85
    
    A "That is the price of my silence, prez."
    
    "Naomi nodded."
    
    N "I understand{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "...Honestly, I expected a stronger reaction."
    
    "Maybe a slap on the face?"
    
    "But she didn't say a word against anything that just transpired..."
    
    "I guess she{cps=*.1}...{/cps} liked it?"

    "Might as well count my blessings."
    
    A "I'll be waiting then."
    
    "I said with a gentle smile."
    
    "I wish Fang saw us now. She would be rolling on the floor."
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "I decided it was time to leave."
    pause .5
    "One of us really needed some fresh air, and the other one was me."
    pause .5
    "Naomi waddled outside after me, looking like she just ate a whole batch of her special pterodactyl cookies."
    pause .5
    "Her usual million-dollar attitude was left somewhere in the romance section, I guess."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    window hide
    window auto 
    pause 1.0
    scene sunset with dissolve
    play music track16 fadein 1
    
    
    "As we made our way to the bus stop, the sun was already setting."
    
    show naomi considering at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.15
    
    show anon neutral behind naomi with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.28
    
    "I was tapping away at my phone while Naomi stayed silent."
    
    A "I just sent you the recipe."
    
    show naomi blush with dissolve:
        easeout_quad .5 yalign -0.01
    
    N "Oh."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "She checked her phone. It was a link to the website I always used myself."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    N "Oh{cps=*.1}...{/cps} That makes sense{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I should add butter{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Moments later, she was really into it."
    
    show naomi happy:
        easeout_quad .5 yalign +0.01

    N "Oh, this looks so simple!"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Yup. It should take you an hour or so."
    
    A "Try making some, and I'll come by your office tomorrow to try them."
    
    A "I won't allow Naser to eat sub-par baking goods."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve:

    "Naomi smiled, and nodded."
    
    N "Yes{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Thank you for the help."
    
    show naomi blush with dissolve
    
    N "{w=.5}Strange as it may be{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    A "That's what friends are for."
    
    "Naomi was still blushing."
    
    N "That's very nice of you to say..."
    
    N "But{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Promise me you won't tell a word to anyone about the books{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show anon happy with dissolve
    
    A "I already promised. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
    
    show naomi neutral with dissolve
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    show eveningsky with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    A "Well, it's getting late now."
    
    A "I think it's time for us to split."
    
    N "I agree{cps=*.1}...{/cps} My parents would get worried if I don't show up soon."
    
    "As I waved Naomi goodbye, she said something unexpected."
    
    hide eveningsky with Dissolve (2.0)
    
    show naomi neutral flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign +0.8
    
    
    N "Hey, Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "We both paused for a moment."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Today was fun."
    
    pause .5
    
    N "Let's hang out more sometime."
    
    pause .5
    
    "There was no usual saccharine tone in her words."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She was being earnest."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Sure."
    
    show naomi happy with dissolve:
        easeout_quad 1 xalign +2.0 
    
    "I think I just saw a rare genuine smile on Naomi's face."
    
    scene eveningsky with Dissolve(2.0)

    "We bid each other farewell."
    
    "Naomi disappeared from my view, and I headed home."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    
    jump NaomiEnd
    
    
    
    



label StellaEventLabel:

    "I told Stella I would be waiting for her at the gate."
    
    "Might as well head straight there."
    
    "I pick up my stuff, and walk outside."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    
    scene outside school with dissolve
    
    pause 2.0
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "It's been fifteen minutes since I arrived here."
    
    "Students from our class have long since vacated the premises."
    
    "But Stella was nowhere to be seen."
    
    A "Didn't take her for a tardy type..."
    
    "Maybe I got the wrong place?"
    
    "But I'm pretty sure this school has only one gate."
    
    "I don't even have her contact, so I'm completely stranded out here."
    
    "Maybe I should just drop by her classroom?"
    
    "If she's not there, I'll get back here, wait for a few more minutes, and then head home."
    
    scene hallway with blinds
    
    pause 2.0
    
    "I know where her classroom is, at least."
    
    "It should be somewhere near my own, which is convenient now."
    
    "I know that because we always bump into each other on our way to classes."
    
    "As I strolled down the empty hallway, a slightly opened classroom door caught my eye."
    
    "That's Stella's classroom, I think."
    
    "I decide to take a peek inside."
    
    scene classroom with dissolve
    
    stop music fadeout 3
    
    show stella unimpressed flip at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign 0.25
    
    "The classroom is empty, except for Stella."
    
    "I can see her standing there, hunched over a desk."
    
    "Is she cleaning it?"
    
    "But that doesn't make any sense."
    
    "We have janitors, they get paid to do that."
    
    "Or do some classes have cleaning duty?"
    
    "When I look closer, I realize that she's not cleaning the desk. She's scrubbing it thoroughly."    
    
    "Curiosity takes the best of me, and I enter."
    
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
    
    A "Hey, Stella."
    
    show stella shock flip with vpunch:
        xalign 0.25
        easeout_quart .5 xalign 0.0
    St "Aaaah!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella jumped up in place like someone pinched her tail."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Relax. It's just me."
    
    show stella sad with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    St "Oh, Anon!"
    
    St "I'm so sorry! I must've lost track of time..."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "It's fine. You should've just told me you have cleaning duty here."
    
    A "I can help out."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I walked through the empty classroom and made my way to Stella."
    
    "The table she's cleaning attracted my attention."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}What I saw on it made my heart stop for a moment."
    
    play music track20 fadein 2
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Insults of all kinds were scribbled all over the top in black markers."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Pretty much every terrible thing you could think of."
    
    A "Is that{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Your's?{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show stella sad smile at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign 0.25
    
    St "Don't worry about it, it's just...{w=0.80} my classmates... {w=0.80}playing jokes..."
    
    "I can hear the desperation in her voice."
    
    "This doesn't look like a funny joke to me."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "What the fuck{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "I look up at her, still profoundly confused."
    
    "She avoids my gaze, trying her best to keep smiling."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Don't worry about it, it's nothing{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella kept repeating that, but she was trembling."
    
    "Steeling herself, she kept trying to scrub the ink off."
    show stella sad with dissolve
    
    "I can see tears in her eyes now."
    
    "Her breathing was slightly ragged."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}This is goddamn painful to watch."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I put my hand over hers to stop this fruitless endeavor."
    
    pause .5
    
    show stella blush at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign 0.25
    
    "She gasped quietly."
    
    "I realize that her smooth, warm scales feel very different from Fang's feathers."
    pause .5
    
    A "Stella, it's a permanent marker."
    
    A "You can't scrub it off like that, you need acetone."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She looks up at me, blushing slightly."
    
    show stella sad with dissolve:
        xalign 0.25
    
    St "I'm not good at this, sorry{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Why is she apologizing?!"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Wait here, I'll get to the chemistry lab."
    
    A "I'm sure they have some."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "You don't have to{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "It's fine. Just give me a moment, okay? I'll be right back."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella nodded, and I dashed straight for the chemistry lab."
    
    show anon neutral flip:
        easeout_cubic 0.5 xalign 2.6
    
    pause 1.0
    scene hallway with blinds
    pause 1.0
    scene science class with blinds
    pause 1.0
    
    "Thankfully, it was still open."
    
    "Dr. Fernsworth was inside, working on some paperwork."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Dr. Fernsworth, sir!"
    
    pause .5
    
    Drf "Oh, Anon. I didn't expect to see you here so late. Why aren't you home?"
    
    pause .5
    
    A "My friend got a bit of a{cps=*.1}...{/cps} situation."
    
    A "With permanent markers. Could I borrow some acetone, by any chance?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "The teacher sighed."
    
    "Obviously, this was not the first time he witnessed this situation."
    
    "He gestured to the small room in the back."
    
    pause .5
    
    Drf "Of course. You can find a bottle in the cabinet there."
    
    Drf "Make sure to bring it back after you're done. I'll be here for the next 30 minutes."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Thank you, sir!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I grabbed the bottle and rushed back to Stella."
    
    pause 1.0
    
    scene hallway with blinds
    
    pause 1.0
    
    scene classroom with blinds
    
    show stella sad at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign 0.25
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    
    "She was sitting behind her filthy desk, looking out the classroom window with a dull stare."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Her hands were still grasping the sponge."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Hey, Stella! Guess what I got."
    
    show stella sad smile with dissolve:
        xalign 0.25
    
    "Stella looked up at me, smiling as usual."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Oh, thank you!"
    
    pause .5
    
    St "I'm so sorry I'm causing you all this trouble{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show stella sad with dissolve
    
    A "Don't be silly."
    
    A "I had to wipe off my fair share of markers too, you know."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I take the sponge Stella was holding and soak it in acetone."
    
    "I hope this works as well as I think it should{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    stop music fadeout 2

    "Sure enough, the markers come off instantly."
    
    show stella sad smile with dissolve
    
    "It only took a minute to wipe it off."
    
    "The table was sparkling clean now."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Well, here you go. Good as new."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As I finished and put the sponge down, Stella gazed at me, looking tired but grateful."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    scene stellatable with dissolve
    
    play music track16 fadein 3
    
    "...And hugged me."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Thank you{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "This was unexpected."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I couldn't help but tense up."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I got used to Fang's hugs, but Stella felt very different."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She was somewhat heavier. And softer."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Her hair smelled like shampoo."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Her body was warm."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I feel the round beak press against my shoulder."
    
    pause .5
    
    "The girl was squeezing me tight like her life depended on it."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Thank you so much..."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Come on, it's nothing..."
    
    A "You know, we losers gotta stick together, right?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "A rather feeble attempt at humor on my part."

    "Still, she responded with a soft giggle."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Sure..."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As I felt her letting me go, I realized I was blushing."
    
    "But Stella was now her usual cheery self."
    
    "It took me a moment to collect myself."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Okay, let's get out of here."
    
    A "We have lots of stuff to do."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 2.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "As we left the classroom, I felt like I got closer to Stella than I ever intended to."
    
    "We took the acetone bottle back to the lab and finally got to leave the school behind."
    
    pause 2.0
    
    scene roadtoschool with dissolve
    
    show stella neutral at aleft with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    show anon neutral behind stella with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.38
    
    play music track09 fadein 2
    
    "As we walked down the road, I couldn't help but ask Stella about what we just went through."
    
    show anon sad with dissolve
    
    A "So{cps=*.1}...{/cps} You're being bullied by your classmates?"
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "It's not as bad as you think..."
    
    St "It's just a few girls. They really don't like me."
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    "I don't know. What I saw there was pretty goddamn bad."
    
    A "...But why? Is it the nerdy stuff?"
    
    St "I don't think so."
    
    show stella considering with dissolve
    
    St "I think it's because they saw me with Chester."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Chester... That's the huge shark-looking guy, from Naser's team?"
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
    
    St "Yes. You see, he's actually my childhood friend."
    
    St "Our parents are long-time friends, so he's like my brother."
    
    A "Let me guess{cps=*.1}...{/cps} The girls got jealous?"
    
    show stella sad with dissolve
    
    St "I'm not sure why. I told them everything, but they didn't believe me."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "They say I should 'stick with my own kind'. {w=0.5}I thought it was silly."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "I told them so many times, but they still won't listen."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "That sounds pretty awful."
    
    A "You should just tell that guy about it, I'm sure he'll clear the air."
    
    St "I don't want him to know."
    
    St "It's embarrassing, and would only cause more trouble."
    
    A "That's just{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    show stella sad flip at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.80
    
    St "Could you keep it a secret, Anon?"
    
    St "Please."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella was staring at me with a pleading look in her eyes."
    
    "I know something must be done, but I don't want to argue with her right now."
    
    show anon sad with dissolve
    
    A "Sure, if you say so..."
    
    pause .5
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    A "But you're my friend, Stella. {w=0.5}If you need any help, I always got your back."
    
    show stella neutral at aleft with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    "Stella giggled at my cliche self-aggrandizement."
    
    St "Thank you, Anon."
    
    St "I know I can rely on you."
    
    St "I just have to be a little patient."
    
    St "I'm sure the girls will get bored eventually."
    
    A "And for how long has this been going on?"
    
    pause .5
    
    St "About a year."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I could only give a heavy sigh."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "You really should do something about it."
    
    St "It's fine. {w=0.5}Not like we will stay in school forever."
   
    A "But{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "Besides, you had it worse than me, and look at you now."
    St "Remember when you got pushed down the stairs? That was awful."
    
    A "Well, I wasn't exactly pushed, but{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
    
    "More like I fell off while trying to roleplay a ninja."
    
    "But maybe I shouldn't ruin my image in Stella's eyes just yet."
    
    A "You're kind of right."
    
    "Although if Fang wasn't there, I would've ended up in an ICU for sure."
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "I want to get through this like you did."
    
    A "I didn't do it alone. You always need someone to back you up."
    
    "At those words, Stella playfully grabbed my hand."
    
    show stella happy with dissolve
    
    "Once again, I couldn't help but notice how warm and smooth her hand was."
    
    St "It's a good thing I have you!"
    
    show stella happy flip at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.80
    
    St "Together, we can be like Honoka and Nagisa!"
    
    "Ah yes, Precure."
    
    A "Well, I don't mind."
    
    A "But I call dibs on the black costume."
    
    show stella mad flip with dissolve
    
    St "But I want to be Cure Black! I think Mepple is a much cuter mascot!"
    
    St "Besides, black and green go well together!"
    
    A "Can't argue with that."
    
    A "But I doubt White's poofy dress goes well with me."
    
    show stella considering flip with dissolve
    
    St "Hmm, that's true..."
    
    show stella happy flip with dissolve
    
    St "Then maybe you can be like Tuxedo Mask, and I'll be Sailor Moon!"
    
    A "Are you saying I should've just left a rose on your table and jumped out of the window?"
    
    show stella explanatory flip with dissolve
    
    St "Actually, Tuxedo Mask gets a bad rep because he was used too much in filler Toei produced for the show, in the actual manga..."
    
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "This chat about toy advertisements for 8-year-old girls carried us all the way to the bus stop."
    
    "The place we wanted to visit was in the mall, so we had to commute."
    
    "On the bus, Stella proceeded to bury me in magical girl trivia."
    
    St "...and that's why people believe that every time that episode of Minky Momo airs, an earthquake would strike..."
    
    "It was anything but quiet, but at this point, I started getting used to her energy."
    
    "And after what I witnessed, I never wanted to see Stella sad again."
    
    pause 1.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    scene store with Dissolve(2.0)
    play music track06 fadein 2
    
    "The store looked as nerdy as ever."
    
    "It was a spacious place."
    
    "Dozens upon dozens of anime and videogame posters covered every inch of the walls."
    
    "Display cases were full of old-school consoles and cartridges."
    
    "There was a big counter full of rare trading cards."
    
    "And right in the center of the room, they had a big display stand with anime figures of all kinds."
    
    show stella happy at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    show anon neutral behind stella with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.38
    
    
    
    "As we walked in, I waved at the store clerk, who was trying to deal with a gaggle of kids hungry for Pokemon cards."
    
    "The staff in this store knew me by name."
    
    "Naturally, Stella felt right at home."
    
    show stella happy at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.95
    
    "She ran circles around the anime figures, sizing everything up."
    
    show stella happy flip at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.75
    
    St "Oh, look! I thought Bandai stopped producing these!"
    
    show stella happy flip at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.10
    
    "Now she was almost dancing around the magical girl section."
    
    show stella happy at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.35
    
    St "Oh, and they're not very expensive! I have to get one..."
    
    "I wasn't strapped for cash, but for now, I don't even have space for any of this stuff, so I decided to browse instead."
    
    "The same can't be said about Stella."
    
    "She already held a box in her hand. A Sailor Moon figure."
    
    show stella happy at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.85
    
    St "This is so lucky! I never thought I'd see one of these in the wild!"
    
    show stella considering flip at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.80
    
    St "Oh. Too bad I don't have my loyalty card with me..."
    
    show anon shrug with dissolve
    
    A "Try giving them your phone number. That usually works."
    
    show stella neutral flip with dissolve
    
    St "Really? I never tried that before. Thanks!"
    
    show anon neutral with dissolve
    
    show stella neutral at aright with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    pause .5
    
    "We continued perusing the store in a leisurely manner."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella knew a lot about anime, and also trading card games."
    
    "Turns out Tarot is not the only kind of cards she's passionate about."
    
    "Surprisingly, she didn't seem too well-versed in video games, which gave me a chance to show off a little."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "And this one's Sonic Adventure. My childhood favorite."
    
    A "Dreamcast games are actually very rare in this part of the country."
    
    A "That's 'cuz few local chains carried them back in the day, and shops like these rely on the locals bringing old stuff in."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella hung on my every word as she looked at the games."
    
    "This made me unexpectedly happy."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "I wonder if my old Dreamcast is still alive."
    
    A "Wanna come over and play sometime?"
    
    pause .5
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "Sure! I never played video games with other people before."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I think she just said something incredibly depressing."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Then, Stella's gaze fell on a sealed copy of Donkey Kong 64."

    "The price tag of 200 dollars got quite a reaction out of her."
    
    show stella shock with vpunch:
        easein 1 xalign 0.15
    
    St "Do the old ones really cost that much?!"
    
    A "That's not nearly as high as they go."
    
    A "These are boxed copies in good condition, so they're collector's items. Rare stuff."
    
    show stella considering with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    St "Oh, so it's like Pokemon cards. I have a few expensive ones too."
    
    A "Yup, pretty much."
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
  
    pause .5
    
    "Stella ended up buying two different Sailor Moon figurines, three Pokemon trainer cards for her collection, and for some reason, a refurbished Game Boy Advance."
    
    show stella happy flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.80
    
    St "I had one of these as a child!"
    
    show stella considering flip with dissolve
    
    St "Unfortunately, it broke when I sat on it once."
    
    show stella happy flip with dissolve
    
    St "Now I can play my old Pokemon games again!"
    
    A "I also have one, I think I even have a complete Pokemon Emerald dex."
    
    show stella neutral flip with dissolve
    
    St "Maybe we could trade!"
    
    A "If your battery didn't die, we sure can."
    
    show stella neutral flip with dissolve
    
    St "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Stella gave me a vacant smile."
    
    A "Where do you store your cartridges?"
    
    St "My mom keeps them in an attic."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Oh, you're screwed, girl."
    
    A "Don't get your hopes up, your save file could be gone."
    
    A "If it doesn't work, you can bring the game here, these guys know a thing or two about cartridge batteries."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "That's okay too. It'll be a good reason to start a new adventure!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Eventually, Stella finished her shopping spree, and we decided to leave."
    
    show stella neutral at aright with dissolve:
       easein 1 xalign 0.25   
    
    "As we walked out of the store, Stella grabbed my arm."
    
    "I felt her cheek rub on my skin as she giggled quietly."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Hey, Stella{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "If Fang saw us right now, she probably would've bitten my head off."
    
    show stella explanatory with dissolve
    
    St "You know, human skin feels funny. A bit rubbery."
    
    St "I never had any human friends, so I never knew..."
    
    "Stella gently pinched my forearm."
    
    show stella neutral with dissolve
    
    "She didn't look feisty or romantic."
    
    "Instead, she was at peace. Innocent, like a child."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}It's not like I was uncomfortable."
    
    "I decided to let her hang onto me as we made our way out of the mall."
    
    pause 1.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    scene sunset with Dissolve(2.0)
    play music track16 fadein 2    
    
    "It was evening now."
    
    "Stella and I spent more time geeking out in that store than I thought."
    
    show stella neutral flip at aright with dissolve:
        xalign 0.85
    
    show anon neutral flip behind stella with dissolve:
        xalign 0.70
    
    "We sat on a bench together, resting and looking at the beautiful sunset."
    
    "Stella laid her head on my shoulder, humming some song I couldn't recognize."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "You know, I always wondered..."
    
    A "Where did you learn all the divination and astrology stuff?"
    
    show stella explanatory flip with dissolve
    
    St "Oh, it was my aunt. She taught me at an early age."
    
    show anon shrug flip with dissolve
    
    A "Do you actually believe in it?"
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Kind of."
    
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve
    
    St "I may not be able to see the future clearly, but the cards help me set my mind in order."
    
    St "It's like casting a magic spell that helps with anxiety."
    
    St "They can't tell me what will happen, but they can point me in the right direction."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "It's a great thing to have."
    
    show stella happy flip with dissolve:
    
        xalign 0.80
    
    St "For example, today they told me a friend will be there to save me from peril!"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Once again, Stella hugged me."
    
    scene black with dissolve
    
    "I'm starting to think that this girl simply likes hugs."
    
    pause .5
    
    "But then..."
    
    show stellakiss with dissolve
    
    pause .5
    
    "I felt a soft peck on my cheek."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella gave me a kiss."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Thank you, Anon."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "I know I can be a bit too much sometimes, but..."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "I'm very happy that you're here."
    
    pause .5
    
    St "Fang is really lucky to have you."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I admit, this made my heart flutter just a little."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She let go of me, and stood up."
    
    scene sunset with dissolve
    
    show stella blush at aleft with dissolve:
        xalign 0.80
        easein 1 xalign 0.25
    
    
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    
    St "Well, I have to go now."
    
    St "It's getting a bit late, my mom would be worried..."
    
    "Stella was staring at the ground as she stood up."
    
    St "See you in school tomorrow, Anon-kun."
    
    show stella:
        easeout_cubic 0.5 xalign -2.6
    
    pause 1
    
    A "See you, Stella-chan."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I said without a hint of irony."
    
    hide anon with dissolve
    
    pause .5
    
    A "And don't forget, the black costume is mine!"
    
    "I shouted to her as she was walking away."
    
    "Stella laughed and waved to me."
    
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Now I found myself sitting alone."
    
    pause .5
    
    "The evening chill became rather noticeable."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Perhaps it's time to head home."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    pause 1.0

    jump StellaEnd



    




label FangCall:

    "I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket."
    "Fang is calling me."
    "Weird, she usually prefers to text."
    A "Hello?"
    F "Anon? {w=0.3}Hi. {w=0.3}How's your day going?"
    A "Not very eventful."
    A "And you? Feeling better?"
    F "Yeah, your soup really did a number on this cold."
    F "Hey, you wanna hang out?"
    F "This evening, I mean."
    F "If you're free, let's meet. I have something cool planned."
    A "Hmm..."
    "This is somewhat unexpected."
    "I wasn't planning on going anywhere this evening."
    "And Fang was sick."
    "It sounds exactly like something she would try to pull off while still unwell."
    "Should I encourage her and go with her idea, whatever that may be?"
    "Or should I be cautious about it?"
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "Well, this is Fang we're talking about."
    "The answer is pretty obvious to me."
    
    menu:

        "I'll go with Fang":
            A "Sure. What are you planning?"
            F "Oh, sweet! Go home and eat something first, I'll call you back in a couple of hours."
            F "This is gonna be so fun!"
            A "I'll be waiting then. See ya."
            "She hung up."
            "Judging by her tone, she was pretty excited."
            "I'm not a huge fan of surprises, but if it's Fang, I can trust her."
            "Whatever she has in mind, it's bound to be interesting."
            "But for now, I should head home. Seems like food is not part of her plan, so I don't want to go hungry."
            "With my school bag in tow, I leave the classroom."
            jump MoonPrincess

        "I don't want to":
            A "Sorry Fang, I'm a bit busy this evening."
            A "Reed asked me to help him out with something."
            A "A huge problem, he's been dealing with it all day."
            A "So let's postpone, okay?"
            "Better safe than sorry."
            F "Oh... Sure."
            F "I don't mind."
            "Her voice sounded pretty depressed now."
            F "Let's just meet tomorrow, then."
            A "Yeah. I'll be waiting for you."
            "Fang hung up."
            "I don't trust her judgement enough to let her do something like that."
            "If she gets sick even more, I know the blame will fall on me."
            "And I don't have time for that."
            "So she'll just have to wait until tomorrow. What's the worst that could happen?"
            "I lean back in my chair. The classroom is completely empty now."

            jump DeadEnd
        
    pause .5    
    
    
    
    
    
label DeadEnd:
    "Now that I think about it, there's one person I still haven't seen."
    "I wonder if he is in the auditorium."
    "That's the only place he could be."
    "I have absolutely nothing else to do, so I decide to go check out what’s going on there."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    
    scene door auditorium with blinds
    pause 1.0
    scene auditorium with blinds
    "As I enter the auditorium, sure enough, Reed can be seen tinkering with the cables on the stage."
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    A "'Sup. They're running you ragged today, huh?"
    show reed neutral at aleft with dissolve
    Re "Oh, bro~ Didn't see y'there."
    pause .5
    "The stage was cluttered with various tools, cables, and a few tables with audio equipment on them."
    "Reed himself didn't look tired at all. In fact, he looked sharper than usual."
    "I walked up and perched myself on one of the tables."
    pause .5
    A "What happened here?"
    show reed shocked with dissolve
    Re "Dude, you wouldn't believe it. There was a massive electrical surge last night. Fried half of the equipment here."
    pause .5
    A "Shouldn't this place have protections against that?"
    pause .5
    Re "You fuckin' bet it should. I've been tryin' to salvage some of this stuff the entire day, but it's no good."
    Re "It's like some higher power wants this school to upgrade the hardware, I tell ya."
    pause .5
    "He continued fiddling with stuff that looked like alien technology to me."
    pause .5
    A　"Well, at least you got to skip classes."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "You're damn right. I'd rather tinker with this stuff than sleep through common dinosaur history or whatever."
    pause .5
    "A subtle sickly sweet scent around the stage clued me in that Reed wasn't only wasting time on tinkering either."
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    A "So, how's it going?"
    pause .5
    Re "Not good. I tried just about every trick in the book. Shit looks busted."
    pause .5
    A "Shouldn't there be a school technician figuring this stuff out?"
    pause .5
    Re "You're looking at 'im." 
    Re "We have a deal with the student council. I help them fix stuff, and they close their eyes on my stuff."
    pause .5
    "To be brutally honest, people don't need eyes to know about his stuff."
    pause .5
    A "I'm surprised Naomi agreed to it."
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "I'm not sure she knows."
    Re "We decided to leave her out of this arrangement."
    Re "Tho' I wouldn't be surprised if she did."
    Re "Naomi acts dumb, but she's shrewder than anyone here."
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    A "You don't have to tell me."
    pause .5
    "I think back to my personal history with the student council president."
    pause .5
    A "Did I ever tell you how she tried to get me to 'fix' Fang before?"
    A "You know, straighten her out. Without anyone's consent, obviously."
    pause .5
    Re "That sounds rich."
    pause .5
    A "Yeah, and Fang ended up slapping the shit out of her."
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "Damn, I'd pay good money to see that. When did it happen?"
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    A "Oh, that was{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause 0.5
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause 0.5
    "It felt like there was a hole in my memory."
    pause 0.5
    "I should know this, but the answer eludes me."
    pause 0.5
    A "I can't remember, for some reason."
    pause 0.5
    Re "Must've been one hell of a day then. I can relate."
    Re "By the way, have you seen Trish today?"
    pause 0.5
    A "Yeah. She was way more nervous than usual."
    show reed unimpressed with dissolve
    Re "No wonder. Whenever Fang coughs funny, Trish loses her mind."
    Re "I got my earful about it this morning."
    pause 0.5
    "Reed reconnected a few wires and tried to turn the amp on. Nothing happened."
    pause 0.5
    A "Is she always like that?"
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "Oh, you bet."
    Re "I 'member Fang telling me a story. When they were kids, she got super sick, and Trish refused to leave her place."
    Re "She was literally camping out under Fang's bedroom window."
    pause 0.5
    A "Trish always takes things one step beyond, huh."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "That she does."
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    Re "But I always found it kinda endearing, y'know."
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "Guess she wants to be Fang's emotional support animal or somethin'."
    pause 0.5
    "I think back to how nervous Trish looked at today's lunch."
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    A "That can get unhealthy though."
    pause 0.5
    Re "It did. You saw it yourself, how Fang was when you first arrived. She couldn't tie her shoes without Trish." 
    Re "And, well, it went both ways - you have no clue what mess Trish turned into when Fang ditched her for you."
    "I'm reminded of those days when Trish was still out for my blood."
    pause 0.5
    "Back then, she reminded me of a hound, hellbent on protecting her owner by any means necessary."
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "I'm glad it all worked out. With you around, those two became a lot more chill."
    Re "I guess they both needed some distance, especially Fang."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "You were like an ice bucket for us, dude."
    pause 0.5
    A "I'll take that as a compliment."
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    "Reed chuckled as he kept trying to navigate the web of cables and wires."
    pause 0.5
    A "And you should get props too. If it wasn't for you, I doubt I could've survived Trish."
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "Nah, it's no problem, dude. I know she can be a handful."
    Re "But y'know, when you give her a chance, you get to see the real Trish."
    Re "Ain't no one in this world would go as far for their bros as Trish would."
    Re "I have that kind of a story too. Last year, I almost got caught by Spears himself."
    Re "Trish was there too, and y'know what she did? She took the whole bag off my hands and said it was hers."
    Re "She got fucking blasted for it, but her school record was clean as a whistle back then, so shit kinda resolved itself."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "But if she didn't do it then, we wouldn't be talking right now."
    show reed neutral with dissolve
    "Once again, I think back to my early days at Volcano High."
    pause 0.5
    A "She really put me in a spot though."
    show reed considering with dissolve
    Re "Yeah, that wasn't cool."
    Re "I honestly have no idea why she had such a chip on her shoulder. Maybe it's past trauma or some shit."
    pause 0.5
    "Perhaps I should ask her someday. I wonder if she would be willing to talk though."
    pause 0.5
    A "Well, it's all water under the bridge now. I think we managed to find some common ground after all."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "Hey, I appreciate that about you, dude. You know how to make friends."
    pause 0.5
    "I ponder that statement for a moment."
    "It sounds completely insane to me, but Reed's kind of correct."
    pause 0.5
    A "I learn as I go."
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    scene auditorium with Dissolve (1.0)
    "We went on to chat about various stuff. Video games, movies, whatever came to mind."
    "Eventually, after a long hour of attempts, Reed seemed to admit defeat."
    show reed unimpressed at aleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    Re "I know my shit, but I ain't no wizard. Spears would have to foot the bill for the new equipment."
    pause 0.5
    A "They should be paying you for doing all this, if you ask me."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "I wouldn't mind."
    show reed unimpressed with dissolve
    Re "Damn, I need a smoke right now."
    Re "Wanna join?"
    pause 0.5
    A "Sure, why not. Where?"
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "Rooftop, of course."
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "As Reed gathered his things, we got up and moved to the rooftop."
    scene roof day with Dissolve (2.0)
    show reed neutral at aleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve
    "As usual, Reed had an entire arsenal of substances."
    "I sat idly by and watched him."
    pause 0.5
    Re "You wanna try some?"
    pause 0.5
    A "I'm a skinnie, remember?"
    pause 0.5
    Re "Don't worry, I have lighter stuff."
    pause 0.5
    "A certain alarm was going off in my head, but I learned to tune those out."
    pause 0.5
    A "Sure, why the hell not."
    pause 0.5
    "Reed passed me something from his stash, and lit it."
    show reed explanatory with dissolve
    Re "Here ya go, dude. It's all good stuff."
    pause 0.5
    "I gave it a shot. At first, it didn't feel like anything, but there was is a certain pleasant ringing in my ears."
    pause 0.5    
    Re "Y'know, we don't get to hang out like this often."
    pause 0.5
    A "Yeah. The girls always get in the way."
    pause 0.5
    Re "Women, amirite?"
    pause 0.5
    A "Sometimes, you just gotta let them go."
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "Exactly, bro. Exactly."
    hide reed with Dissolve(0.5)
    hide anon with Dissolve(0.5)
    "We both look up at the darkening sky."
    "{w=0.80}Wait, why is the sky darkening? It's not that late."
    show reed unimpressed at aleft with dissolve
    Re "You know, this shit's kinda weak. Am I developing a tolerance or somethin'?"
    show reed shocked with dissolve
    A "I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout, I feel {cps=*.1}ffffiiiinnn-{/cps}"
    stop music
    scene black with vpunch
    "{w=0.80}Suddenly, it's like the lights everywhere went out."
    play music track10 fadein 1
    "{w=0.80}My body falls to the ground like a bag of rocks."
    "{w=0.80}I feel numb."
    "{w=0.80}I desperately try to move."
    "{w=0.80}But my body refuses to listen."
    "{w=0.80}I can hear distant noises, but I can't distinguish them."
    Re "{w=0.80}...it was the wrong..."
    "{w=0.80}Is this a nightmare?"
    "{w=0.80}Am I having a bad dream?"
    "{w=0.80}I having hard time breathing."
    "{w=0.80}The air is refusing to enter my lungs."
    "{w=0.80}It's like someone is suffocating me with a pillow."
    "{w=0.80}All I can feel is cold sweat."
    "{w=0.80}Terror grips me."
    "{w=0.80}Am I going to die?"
    "{w=0.80}I can't believe this."
    "{w=0.80}Of all the possibilities..."
    "{w=0.80}This is such a dumb way to go."
    "{w=0.80}Unable to breathe, I'm losing consciousness."
    "{w=0.80}I can feel my heart slowing down."
    "{w=0.80}It's quiet..."
    
    window hide Dissolve(3.0)
    stop music fadeout 5.0
    scene black with Dissolve(5.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene badend with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 4.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    
    play sound 'audio/effects/schoolBell.ogg' volume 0.2
    play music track03
    scene cielintro1 with dissolve
    pause 1.0
    scene cielintro2 with blinds
    pause 2.0
    scene cielintro1 with blinds
    pause 1.0
    scene ciel with dissolve
    Ciel "Bonjour!"
    Ciel "This is the hint corner for the overly cautious Anon-kun who ended up in a lonely Dead End,"
    Ciel "It is time for 'Teach me, Ciel-sensei!'"
    Ciel "My students are thousands of Anon-kuns all over the..."
    scene ciel2 with blinds
    Arc "What-nya?"
    Arc "I'm barely visible from under this textbox-nya!"
    Arc "Chiel, this isn't Tsukihime-nya!"
    Ciel "Indeed, Arcueid-san."
    Ciel "Perhaps the author thought that since he borrowed the music, he could borrow our services as well."
    scene ciel3 with Dissolve(0.5)
    Arc "This is wrong-nya! I'm here to help Shiki-kun, not some losers! I'll sue-nya!"
    Ciel "Now-now Arcueid-san, this is not in the spirit of doujinshi culture at all."
    Ciel "We should help all our students. Perhaps they were Tohno-kun in another life."
    Ciel "Now, let's start our first (and only) period!"
    scene ciel with blinds
    Ciel "Goodness, this won't do at all, Anon-kun."
    Ciel "You reached this Dead End because you refused to socialize with people you met, and ended up in a dangerous situation as a result."
    Ciel "Your friends are your strength, and you should let them in once in a while."
    Ciel "Try starting from the beginning and be a little more open."
    scene ciel2 with blinds
    Arc "And why is everyone here a scary monster? Is that what the kids are into these days?"
    Ciel "Arcueid-san, please don't interrupt the lesson."
    scene ciel with vpunch
    Arc "Unyaaa!~"
    Ciel "This Dead End is actually fairly hard to get because the story gives you many opportunities to avoid it."
    Ciel "So if you tried looking for it on purpose - congratulations on discovering the secret!"
    Ciel "And if you're yet to find the True End, I shall give you a hint."
    Ciel "You can only go out with your lover if she's fed and you're alone."
    scene ciel2 with blinds
    Arc "Chiel, there's a big green dinosaur chasing me, she thinks I'm a plush doll-nya!"
    Arc "Save me-nya!"
    scene ciel with blinds
    Ciel "Well, that's all for our lesson. Please continue enjoying the story."
    Ciel "Goodbye, everyone."
    window hide Dissolve(2.0)
    stop music fadeout 2.0
    scene black with Dissolve(3.0)
    pause 4.0
    
    return
    
    
    
    
label TrishEnd:
    
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    scene anonroomnight2 with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "The rest of the evening went without a hitch."
    
    "I ate my dinner and got to my gaming console."
    
    "For some reason, I was itching to play some old Street Fighter games again."
    
    "Fang called me earlier and told me that she's coming back tomorrow."
    
    "So that's good news."
    
    "Overall, nothing special happened."
    
    "And then{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Ringing, my phone awoke from its slumber."
    
    "I wonder who could be calling me at this hour."
    
    "I picked up."
    
    play music track18 fadein 2
    
    T "{cps=*.1}YOUUUUUUU AAAAASSHOLE!{/cps}"
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}And I think I just lost hearing in my right ear."
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO LECTURE ME LIKE THAT?!"
    
    A "Trish... How the hell did you get my number?"
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "FANG TOLD ME, YOU APE!"
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "DID YOU THINK YOU CAN GET ME DRUNK AND THEN PROBE ME FOR PRIVATE SHIT WHILE I'M HALF ASLEEP?!"
    
    A "I'm pretty sure you're the one who got yourself drunk..."
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "NO FUCKING EXCUSES!"
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW!"
    
    "{cps=*.1}Hoo boy.{/cps}"
    
    "Then again, what did I expect?"
    
    "It's not like she was blackout drunk, of course she would remember."
    
    "Still, she sobered up surprisingly fast."
    
    "That's athletes for you, I suppose. No substances work for long."
    
    "I guess her goodwill vanished once the hangover arrived."
    
    "Well, I was a bit intrusive, all things considered."
    
    pause .5
    
    A "Okay, sorry about that. Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut."
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "YOU GODDAMN RIGHT!"
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "I FORGIVE YOU THIS TIME!"
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "BUT DON'T YOU PULL THAT SHIT ON ME AGAIN, YOU SKINNIE COCKSUCKER!"
    
    A "Love you too, Trish."
    
    show anonroomnight2 with vpunch
    
    T "FUCK YOU!"
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}She hung up."
    
    "Eh, it'll be fine tomorrow."
    
    "I think she just released years worth of built-up pressure."
    
    "And now, with my newfound headache, I should go to sleep."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    stop music fadeout 2.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    play music track21 fadein 1
    scene room anon dark with dissolve    
    
    "Quiet of the night soothed my ears."
    
    pause .5
    
    "However, falling asleep proved difficult."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Trish was still on my mind."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She is a curious person."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I doubt most people would be able to stomach her."
    
    pause .5
    
    "In nerd terms, I'd describe her as all 'tsun' and no 'dere'."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm yet to find a part of her that doesn't have thorns sticking out everywhere."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And yet, something about her is alluring."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Maybe I can't help but appreciate the passion she carries herself with."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Or maybe I appreciate her loyalty to her friends."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Or maybe I'm developing the same Stockholm syndrome Fang and Reed had."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}Then, I remembered her telling me excitedly about her athletic achievements."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And how she was battling me in that video game."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Perhaps that is what she is missing."

    pause .5
    
    "She just doesn't realize it herself."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Trish has a lot of energy, but nowhere to let it out."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She wants to prove herself."
    
    pause .5
    
    "...Maybe I should talk to Fang about it."
    
    pause .5
    
    "We could try to get her back into sports."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Wouldn't that be a fun project for us four."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}I'm happy that I met Trish after all."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Sometimes, we all need some spice in our lives."
    
   
    window hide Dissolve(3.0)
    stop music fadeout 5.0
    scene black with Dissolve(5.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene tryagain with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 4.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    return
    
    
    
    
label NaomiEnd:
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    scene anonroomnight2 with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    "My apartment was as quiet as ever."
    
    "I ate my dinner at my PC desk while scrolling various cooking websites." 
    
    "My mind was still digesting everything that just transpired."
    
    "Today was a weird day."
    
    "Naomi and I were never anything more than acquaintances."
    
    "And yet, we had fun together."
    
    "Naser's not a jealous type, so I'm sure he would be happy to know that."
    
    "Fang though{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "She would probably be pretty angry."
    
    "She and Naomi are not on speaking terms."
    
    "So I gotta choose my words carefully when I break her the news."
    
    "Although Fang is not dumb enough to get jealous over Naomi of all people."
    
    "She'll understand."
    
    "Maybe I could even build a bridge between those two."
    
    "Although that would be quite a challenge."
    
    "I'll have to ask Naser about it."
    
    "Maybe we'll organize a double date or something."
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "I hear my phone buzzing."
    
    "Is it Fang? But she already called me an hour ago."
    
    show anonphone at center with easeinbottom
    
    "Oh{cps=*.1}...{/cps} It's Naomi."
    
    "She sent me a message."
    
    "{i}Naomi:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} I tried following your recipe, it worked really well!"
    "{i}Naomi:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} You have to drop by my office tomorrow and try these, I'm so happy with them!"
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} You got it, prez. I'll be there."
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Might even bring Fang with me, she's coming back tomorrow."
    "{i}Naomi:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Please no."
    
    hide anonphone with easeoutbottom
    
    "Eh, it was worth a shot."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    stop music fadeout 2.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    play music track21 fadein 1
    scene room anon dark with dissolve
    
    "It was time for me to get some sleep."
    
    pause .5
    
    "But sleeping proved to be somewhat difficult."
    
    pause .5
    
    "My thoughts were on what Naomi told me in her office."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Her sister is a complete mystery to me."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Is she really that bad?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "Or is it the same story as with Fang and Naser?"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I don't think I can handle another Fang though."
    
    pause .5
    
    "One is plenty enough for me."
    
    pause .5
    
    "So maybe I should just leave her for some other sucker to figure out."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As I relax under my nice, warm blanket, a curious thing dawns on me."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow's cookies."
    
    pause .5
    
    "As long as Naomi doesn't add any garlic or something..."
    
    pause .5
    
    "It should be pretty great."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    "Now that I think about it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm definitely taking Fang with me tomorrow."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm sure our perfect student council president would handle her just fine."
    
    window hide Dissolve(3.0)
    stop music fadeout 5.0
    scene black with Dissolve(5.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene tryagain with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 4.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    return
    
    
    
    
label StellaEnd:
    window auto
    pause 1.0
    scene anonroomnight2 with Dissolve(2.0)
    
    pause .5
    
    "My apartment was as quiet as ever."
    
    "After a quick uneventful dinner, I played video games as I usually do."
    
    "The game I went with tonight is an old classic, DK64."
    
    "The same game that got Stella spooked a few hours ago."
    
    pause .5
    
    "It's quite an annoying pile of jank though..."
    
    "Fang messaged me earlier, saying she's feeling much better now, so we'll see each other tomorrow."
    
    "It was a good idea to let her rest a bit after all."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Suddenly, my phone starts buzzing."
    
    "Someone must've sent me a message."
    
    "I can even guess who that is."
    
    show anonphone at center with easeinbottom
    
    "I open the messaging app, and sure enough..."
    
    play music track17 fadein 1
    
    "{i}Stella:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} ANON MY GAME'S WORKING ^_^"
 
    "{i}Stella:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} IT EVEN HAS ALL OF MY OLD POKEMON, SO NOSTALGIC ^_^"
    
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Who was your starter?"
    
    "{i}Stella:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Mudkip of course ^v^"
    
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Mine was Torchic. Wanna trade?"
    
    "{i}Stella:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Promise me that you'll take good care of him first *3*"
    
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Your Mudkip is safe with me, believe it."
    
    "{i}Stella:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} We'll do it tomorrow then, I can't wait =^3^="
    
    "I wished Stella good night, and put the phone away."
    
    hide anonphone with easeoutbottom
    
    "Now this will be one hell of a thing to explain to Fang."
    
    show fang very angry at aleft with dissolve:
        alpha .5
    
    F "I leave you alone for ONE day, and you're already trading Pokemon with OTHER WOMEN?!"
    
    hide fang with dissolve
    
    "Well, maybe not quite that dramatic."
    
    "But I think everything will be okay."
    
    "I wonder if Stella would help me explain all these things to Fang."
    
    "Somehow, I know she will."
    
    "I think Fang would enjoy Precure. It has a lot of action after all." 
    
    pause .5
    
    "God damn it, what am I saying..."
    
    window hide
    window auto
    stop music fadeout 2.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 1.0
    play music track21 fadein 1
    scene room anon dark with dissolve    
    
    "it was time for me to go to bed."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Trying to fall asleep proved difficult."
    
    pause .5
    
    "My thoughts were still on Stella."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I'm glad I gave her a chance today."
    
    pause .5
    
    "I always assumed she was just an airhead."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Talking first and thinking second."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Not picking up on any social cues."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Obsessed with silly things most people would cringe at."
    
    pause .5
    
    "But she encountered as much adversity in life as any of us did."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Maybe even more so."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She was misunderstood and harassed by those who envied her."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And through it all, she always keeps smiling."
    
    pause .5
    
    "And it's not Naomi's fake smile. It's a genuine one."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She's not trying to hide her true feelings."
    
    pause .5
    
    "She just wants those feelings to be positive."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Surrounded by the harshness of reality, she wants to spread joy."
    
    pause .5
    
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}I could never do something like that."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Stella is far stronger than I am."
    
    pause .5
    
    "Perhaps I have a thing or two to learn from her."
    
    pause .8
    
    "Yup. This girl sure is something."
    
    
    window hide Dissolve(3.0)
    stop music fadeout 5.0
    scene black with Dissolve(5.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene tryagain with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 4.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    return
    
    
    
    
label MoonPrincess:
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene volcadera2 with Dissolve(2.0)
    play music track09 fadein 1.0

    "As I went down the sidewalk toward the bus stop, all kinds of thoughts were running through my mind."
    "Today was a peaceful day."
    "I don't even remember the last time I had such a peaceful day."
    "I met a few friends, and we had a fun time together."
    pause 0.5
    "Friends."
    "Such a strange thing for me, to call so many people friends."
    "When I first arrived at this school, I was a loner."
    "I was a loner for a while."
    "And that wasn't an issue for me."
    "It, too, was peaceful. But a different kind of 'peaceful'."
    "Perhaps a lonelier kind of 'peaceful'."
    "Now I have so many people around, it’s hard to exist for five minutes without encountering a familiar face."
    "And that's not bad. Not at all."
    "Humans are social creatures after all."
    "And so are dinosaurs, I guess."
    "It makes me wonder. What if dinos didn't dodge that meteor all those millions of years ago?"
    "I imagine Fang, standing there with others, waiting for the doom to come."
    "A painful hypothetical."
    "I'm glad they're all here."
    "The world would've been much emptier otherwise."
    "Perhaps we skinnies need them. To keep us balanced. To remind us how different everyone truly is."
    "There's no better way to keep that in mind than to have a purple triceratops as a friend."
    "...Sometimes I'm still surprised I call Trish my friend now."
    "People do change."
    "And so do dinos, as my girlfriend would gladly tell anybody."
    pause 0.5
    "And I changed a lot."
    "I shudder when I look back to my middle school years, when I was still that quiet kid sitting in the back."
    "A fool on his high horse. A fool who refused to see the people around him as anything more than static characters in his boring story."
    "Who was too lazy to dig just an inch deeper and preferred to be imprisoned in his safe space of solitary confinement."
    "It feels like a completely different person lived in my body back then."
    "I think of Fang again."
    "It would be selfish to say that only I changed a lot."
    "Perhaps we all become different people, all through our lives."
    "And that is good."
    "You have to keep moving. So long as you remember all the people that you used to be."
    "...I feel like I'm quoting a cheap TV drama now."
    pause 0.5
    "The evening streets seem deserted and quiet."
    "The only sounds are distant sirens and the gentle rush of cars on the freeway."
    "The tranquility makes moments like these feel somewhat lonely."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "As the bus made its way down the sidewalk, its wheels groaned a little."
    "It's time to go home."

    stop music fadeout 3.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0

    scene room anon night alt with Dissolve (2.0)
    pause 2.0
    play music track02 fadein 1.0
    "The dinner didn't last long, and ended up being pretty uneventful."
    "The sun had fully set."
    "Fang said she'd call me, but it was dark outside now, and I hadn’t received any calls from her yet."
    "Could something have happened?"
    "No, it's the same as in the morning. She's probably resting, or maybe she just forgot."
    "This girl makes me worry way too often."
    pause 0.5
    A "At this pace, I might turn into a new Trish."
    pause 0.5
    "I imagine myself running through the hallways with a baseball bat, hunting anyone who looked at Fang funny."
    "I should have some dignity. If she wants to, she'll call."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "To pass the time, I boot up my gaming console."
    "There's a new game I picked up recently."
    "I don't usually play visual novels, but I've been waiting ages for this one."
    "It's a remake of an old classic."
    "A story about an average boy with strange powers, who met a powerful vampire girl one day, and they fell in love."
    "There is also a love triangle with another girl and a bunch of other vampires for them to fight."
    pause 0.5
    "...Now that I think about it, isn't that just 'Twilight' for guys?"
    pause 0.5
    "Makes me wish I had superpowers."
    "Like being able to turn back time."
    "Just imagine what I could achieve if I were able to roll back anything I did in the past."
    "Had a shitty day? Just try again, as many times as you want."
    "Sounds like something my younger self would dream about for days on end."
    "As I squint at the tiny text on my screen, I realize that it might be time I got an eye check."
    "The text is a bit blurry and hard to read."
    "Years of nighttime gaming and reading in the dark must be catching up to me."
    "Still, the visuals are superb. Truly an achievement for the genre."
    "I wonder which route I should go with..."
    "Too bad the older sister's route is not available in this version. She was always my type."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    "Suddenly, I hear a buzz coming from my phone."
    show anonphone at center with easeinbottom
    "I check the phone's notification and see that it's a text message."
    "It's from Fang."
    "But isn't it a bit late for dates? The sun has already set."
    "Maybe she wants to apologize for oversleeping."
    
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Anon"
    pause 0.5
    play music track10 fadein 1.0
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Please come"
    pause 0.5
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} I'm in the park"
    pause 0.5
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} The usual place"
    pause 0.5
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} I need you"
    pause 0.5
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Please"
    pause 0.5
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "A cold chill runs down my spine."
    "What is she doing in the park at this hour?"
    "Something is definitely wrong now."
    "I try to give her a call."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause 1.0
    "No response."
    "I quickly type a message."
    
    "{i}Anon:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} Why are you not picking up? I'll be there ASAP"
    pause 1.0
    "Then, the phone buzzes again."
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} I want to talk in person"
    "{i}Fang:{/i}{fast}{w=.2} I'll be waiting"
    hide anonphone with easeoutbottom
    "I drop everything I was doing in an instant."
    "All earlier thoughts disappear from my mind."
    "I call a taxi."
    "Thankfully, it should be here soon."
    "I bustle through the room back and forth, cramming the keys, some cash, and a knife into my pockets."
    "There's a certain tightness in my chest." 
    "What happened to her?"
    "Is she okay?"
    "I stare out through the window, waiting."
    "A car makes a turn onto my street. This must be it."
    "I slam the door shut with a bang and run down the stairs."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene skinrow night with Dissolve(2.0)
 
    "The moon illuminates the street."
    "As I hurry into the car, the driver turns to me and smiles."
    scene taxi night with blinds
    D "Well, whaddya know. My favorite client."
    pause .5
    "I think I've seen this guy before."
    pause .5
    D "What got you so hot and bothered?"
    pause .5
    A "Central Park, now. Fucking floor it."
    pause .5
    D "Say no more, chum."
    scene volcadera3 with blinds
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "The car darts through the streets quickly, with only occasional traffic to hinder its progress. "
    "At this hour, the roads are almost completely empty."
    pause .5
    D "Central Park, huh? At this hour?"
    D "You got yourself a date or somethin'?"
    pause .5
    A "You can say that..."
    pause .5
    D "Well, ya know. Don't get too nervous about it."
    D "The park might look scary, but it's a chill place."
    D "In more ways than one, considerin' the cold."
    pause .5
    "He gave a wry chuckle."
    pause .5
    A "Listen, man... I'm having a hell of a night right now."
    pause .5
    D "Relax. Maybe the night has saved the best for last."
    D "You never know what to expect in this city."
    pause .5
    "I try to tune out his words as we keep driving through the night."
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    scene taxi night with blinds
    "We arrive at the park faster than I even hoped for."
    pause .5
    "The car stops on a dime, tires screeching on the asphalt."
    pause .5
    D "Well, here you are. Central Park."
    pause .5
    "I scramble for cash in my pockets."
    pause .5
    D "Don't bother, this one's on the house."
    D "Now go. She's waiting for you."
    pause .5
    "Without questioning his words, I get out." 
    
    scene park_night with Dissolve(2.0)
    "As the brisk cold of night creeps down my neck, I sprint through the park's entrance."
    pause .5
    "The park is dark and freezing. As if it's trying to frighten people away on purpose."
    pause .5
    "The roadway is dimly lit by the street lamps."
    pause .5
    "I keep on running."
    pause .5
    "The lack of exercise is making itself known as my chest starts to ache."
    pause .5
    "Turn after turn, I get closer to the place where Fang and I usually hang out."
    pause .5
    stop music fadeout 3
    scene black with Dissolve (2.0)
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "Finally, I arrive at the location."
    scene park_night2 with blinds
    play music track11 fadein 2.0
    show fang anguish at aleft with Dissolve(1):
        yalign -0.2
    "I can see Fang."
    pause .5
    "She's sitting alone on the bench, her wings wrapped around her body, trying to keep warm."
    show anon neutral flip with dissolve:
        xalign 2.0 yalign +0.0
        easein 1 xalign 1.0
    A "Fang!"
    pause .5
    "She looks at me as I approach."
    "Her eyes are red, mascara is running down her face."
    pause .5
    F "Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    A "Fang, what happened?!" 
    show anon neutral flip at aright behind fang with dissolve:
        easein .5 xalign +0.50 yalign -0.1
    show fang ear cover with dissolve
    "I take a seat by her side and wrap my arms around her."
    pause .5
    F "It-{w=0.3}it's my family{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I{cps=*.1}...{/cps} f-{w=0.3}fucking hate them{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "Fang stutters as she struggles to restrain her tears."
    pause .5
    F "I was about to call you{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "But they tried to stop me{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Ordered me to stay in the fucking bed{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I told them to stop fucking coddling me{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Dad started shouting{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Naser didn't even bother doing anything{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I couldn't fucking take it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "So I ran away{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I'm still such a fucking idiot{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    "Fang takes a deep, slow breath. I feel her relax a little."
    show fang very sad with dissolve
    pause .5
    A "Fang{cps=*.1}...{/cps} you could've just called me..."
    A "It's fine, no big deal, we could've gone out tomorrow or something."
    pause .5
    F "You don't get it, Anon!{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    show fang ear cover with dissolve
    pause .5
    "Her body tensed up as she exhaled sharply."
    show fang very sad with dissolve
    pause .5
    F "I'm sorry{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "It's a long fucking story, you don't wanna hear it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day, and that's saying something."
    pause .5
    A "Of course I want to! Please, tell me what's going on!"
    pause .5
    "I can barely hold myself from shouting in frustration."
    "Her wings are cold, but her body still feels as hot as it did in the morning."
    "She looks me in the eyes, trying to put her thoughts in order."
    pause .5
    F "When I was a kid{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Our family had this thing{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "At this time of year, we would get together and visit the park{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Just a small family outing, you know{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Mom always liked watching the moon, it was her excuse to get us together{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "At first, I thought it was dumb{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "But it was the only fucking thing we all did together{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Even on Christmas, dad would be working or something{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I couldn't believe it, but that dumb fucking thing became fucking important{cps=*.1}...{/cps}" 
    F "But then Naser grew up, and it's like they fucking forgot about it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "So I thought{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I'll just do it with Trish{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "But she was always busy with her own family{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "So in the last few years, I was coming here by myself{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Just so I could throw myself a goddamn pity party{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    "Fang tensed up in my arms."
    "I could only listen and try to keep her warm."
    pause .5
    F "Now I wanted to invite you{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I wanted it to be like a romantic moment for us{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I wanted to bring the guitar and everything{cps=*.1}...{/cps} Do something nice for you, for once{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I know I'm a bit sick right now, but it's no big deal{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "And when I told them about it{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "Fang winced as if she was in pain, and tears rolled down her face again."
    show fang anguish with dissolve
    F "They didn't even fucking remember what I was talking about!{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    show fang very sad with dissolve
    F "They forgot{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    "Fang held my arm so tightly, it was starting to hurt."
    "Her family, while not dysfunctional, did neglect her somewhat."
    "Like an artist would neglect his lesser work."
    "They didn't abuse her, but they didn't support her much either."
    "For them, those outings were probably just a small thing they did before getting bored of it."
    pause .5
    "But to Fang, it became important."
    pause .5
    "And nobody seemed to ever care what was important to her."
    pause .5
    "The girl was shaking in my arms, her wings pulsating with the rhythm of her sobbing."
    "I can only imagine how much she was hurting right now."
    pause .5
    A "It's okay, sweet tooth."
    A "I get it. I'm here now."
    "I can only hold her in my arms and caress her."
    "I feel her wing glide across my back, holding me."
    "Words aren't necessary."
    "She knows what I want to say, and I know what she wants to say."
    "Her tight embrace tells a million words worth of emotions."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    "{cps=*.1}...{/cps}" 
    "Eventually, her sobs started to calm down."
    scene park_night2 with Dissolve(1.0)
    
    show fang sad at aleft with dissolve:
        yalign -0.2
    show anon neutral flip at aright behind fang with dissolve:
        xalign +0.50 yalign -0.1

    
    "She clung to me in complete silence."
    pause .5
    F "I'm such a fucking retard, Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "I dragged you into this shit again{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    pause .5
    A "It's all good."
    A "You could say your family is almost like my family now."
    A "I gotta know all about your feuds."
    pause .5
    "Fang gave me a weak chuckle."  
    "We held each other for what seemed like an eternity."
    "Even this night's cold stopped bothering me."
    pause .5
    A "So{cps=*.1}...{/cps} about that moon..."
    "Fang slowly let go of me, plucked a feather from her wing, and used it to wipe her tears."
    show fang happy with dissolve
    "She was smiling faintly now."
    F "Yeah, sorry{cps=*.1}...{/cps} I'm such a mess{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Come, follow me. I know a great place."
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    "She stood up and gently pulled my hand."
    "Together, we moved deeper into the park."
    pause 1.0
    stop music fadeout 3.0
    window hide
    window auto
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 2.0

    scene meadow with Dissolve(1.0)
    play music track12

    "When we finally got through the trees, what I saw stunned me."
    pause .5
    "It was a big open meadow."
    
    show fang happy flip at aleft with Dissolve(1):
        xalign 2.0
        easein 1 xalign 1.3
    show anon neutral flip at aright with Dissolve(1):
        xalign 2.0
        easein 1 xalign 1.3
    
    "A solitary tree was growing in the center."
    pause .5
    "It's like something straight out of a picture book."
    pause .5
    "I never even knew that this park had such a place."
    pause .5
    "Fang smiled gently as we walked through the grass."
    pause .5
    
    show fang happy flip at aleft with Dissolve(1):
        xalign 1.3
        easein 1 xalign 0.85 yalign -0.2  
    show anon neutral flip at aright with Dissolve(1):
        xalign 1.3
        easein 1 xalign 0.95 yalign -0.2
    
    "We sat under the tree."
    pause .5
    "I took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky."
    pause .5
    "The moon was clearly visible."
    pause .5
    "Not a single cloud blocked the view."
    pause .5
    "It seemed larger than normal."
    pause .5
    "I guess Stella was right."
    pause .5
    "I glanced at Fang by my side."
    pause .5
    "She just sat there, her arms wrapped around her knees, and looked up, mesmerized."
    pause .5
    F "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"
    pause .5
    "Her sudden statement made me smile."
    A "You know, in Japan, when people say that, it means 'I love you'."
    pause .5
    "Fang got slightly flustered, and laughed."
    pause .5
    show fang very happy flip with dissolve
    pause .5
    F "Ahaha~" 
    F "You sound like Stella now!"
    pause .5
    "I guess I can't hide my obsessions from her forever."
    pause .5
    show fang happy flip with dissolve
    pause .5
    F "It's pretty romantic though."
    pause .5
    "Fang looked up to the sky once again."
    pause .5
    F "Hey{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "Can I tell you something really fucking stupid?"
    pause .5
    "She was blushing even more now."
    pause .5
    A "Of course."
    pause .5
    F "You know, when I was little{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    F "We would sit just like this."
    F "And I would always dream that one day, my wings would grow large enough so I could fly."
    
    show fang happy flip with dissolve:
        easein 1 xalign 0.70 yalign 0.0
    
    "Suddenly, Fang stood up."
    F "I would stand here, look at the moon, and try to fly up."
    "She spread her wings wide."
    F "I always hoped that I'll be able to reach the moon one day."
    F "I would get there, be crowned the princess of the moon, and all my worries would go away."
    F "{w=0.3}No dumb school, {w=0.3}no dumb little brother, {w=0.3}no dumb parents. {w=0.3}Just me alone."
    "Fang giggled to herself."
    F "I must sound so damn silly right now."
    pause .5
    "I didn't see any reason to laugh."
    pause .5
    A "I don't think it's silly at all."
    A "I think it's a beautiful dream to have."
    F "Anon{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    scene moon with Dissolve(3.0)  
    "{w=1.00}I look up at the night sky."
    "{w=1.00}The moon is shining like a diamond."
    "{w=1.00}The breeze, cold yet gentle, ruffles my hair."
    "{w=1.00}There is a figure standing before me, facing the same sky."
    "{w=1.00}The girl is looking up, her eyes glittering, her wings spread out."
    "{w=1.00}She wished that her wings would take her to that moon."
    "{w=1.00}Her elegant figure dazzles me."
    "{w=1.00}The beauty of an angel too pure for this world."
    "{w=1.00}Am I in a dream?"
    "{w=1.00}She turns to me, smiling gently."
    "{w=1.00}Her eyes are wet, but she's not crying. Not anymore."
    scene fangmoon with Dissolve(2)
    F "{w=1.00}Thank you."
    "{w=1.00}As she says that, my heart skips a beat."
    "{w=1.00}I want to embrace her. I want to give her everything."
    "{w=1.00}I love her."
    "{w=1.00}The moon is truly beautiful tonight{cps=*.1}...{/cps}"
    "{w=1.00}We keep gazing at the sky for what feels like an eternity."
    "{w=1.00}This day will end soon."
    "{w=1.00}I'll take Fang home, and then go back to my apartment."
    "{w=1.00}I'll go to sleep."
    "{w=1.00}And when tomorrow comes, this will all be like a distant dream."
    "{w=1.00}Perhaps I'll forget all of this."
    "{w=1.00}Memories are fickle like that."
    "{w=1.00}But I know one thing."
    "{w=1.00}I don't want to take my eyes off Fang."
    "{w=1.00}I feel like if I do, she will disappear."
    "{w=1.00}Her figure framed against the moonlight."
    "{w=1.00}The princess that was denied her happiness for so long."
    "{w=1.00}I want this moment to be imprinted in my memory."
    "{w=1.00}Even though this fairytale must end, I want it to remain in my heart forever."
    A "{w=1.00}Fang..."
    "{w=1.00}She turns to me."
    A "{w=1.00}I love you."
    "{w=1.00}I really do."
    F "{w=1.00}I love you too."
    F "{w=1.00}I really do."
    window hide Dissolve(3.0)
    stop music fadeout 7.0
    scene black with Dissolve(6.0)
    pause 2.0
    scene end with Dissolve(2.0)
    pause 4.0
    scene black with Dissolve(2.0)
return