SnootGame/game/script/13D.fang-plays-well,-naomi-jealous,-fang-talks-to-anon-to-break-up-while-she-thinks-about-her-life.rpy

label chapter_13D:
    #Prom is Memorable
    scene black with fade

    "-One Month Later-"
    play music "audio/OST/Appreciating the Moment.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "It’s prom night."

    "My old man was kind enough to send over his old tuxedo from his time at high school."

    "It took a bit of sewing, but I got it looking pretty good."

    "Judging by the wine stains on the sleeves, Dad’s made a lot of important announcements in this tuxedo."

    "Gives it a bit of history, I guess."

    scene home fang outside night
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show naomi prom neutral flip at sright
    with fade

    "When I arrive at Fang’s place with a cheap corsage I see the Pomegranate Parasite waiting outside the front door."

    "Great."

    "And dear god, how can she move in that dress."

    "It looks like it’s been shrink-wrapped to her body."

    N "Oh, I already knocked Anon."

    N "Naser will be out in a moment to invite us in, I’m sure Fang will be getting ready too."

    N "I’ve heard the two of you are going to prom together!"

    "Ladies and gentlemen, the next Sherlock Holmes."

    A "No, I just happen to be here in a suit to go golfing."

    "I ignore her, focusing instead on not stabbing my palm even more on this flower’s thorns."

    "Fuck it, free is free."

    "And nothing more free than a five finger discount from the neighbor’s yard."

    N "You and Fang just make the cutest couple! Did you two sign up for prom king and queen?"

    A "Nah. She said something about the ‘fascist sexist monarchy system’."

    N "Well, Naser and I have entered and we are going to be prom royalty. Ooooh, I can not wait to wear that beautiful tiara, I picked it out and everything and the crown for Naser-"

    show naomi prom happy flip

    "I’ve already tuned her out."

    show naser prom neutral at ncenter with dissolve

    "Naser opens the door."

    "Well if that isn’t the fanciest jacket I’ve seen in a while."

    "It’s certainly better than the background of Avatar he always wears."

    Nas "Sorry to keep you waiting, Naomi."

    Nas "This thing is a nightmare to get over my wings."

    show naser prom happy flip at ncenter with dissolve

    Nas "Oh, Anon! Come on in, didn’t know you were already here."

    "He waves for the two of us to enter, pecking Naomi on the cheek when she passes."

    scene home fang night
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show naser prom neutral at ncenter
    show naomi prom neutral at scenter
    with fade

    "Fang’s Mother speaks up from the kitchen."

    show fangmom neutral flip at sright with moveinright

    FM "Oh! Oh! Is that Anon?"

    Nas "Here we go."

    "The small pterodactyl comes out, a bowl she’s struggling to stir in her arms."

    FM "My, aren’t you handsome."

    FM "Pictures! I need to get pictures of you and Lucy!"

    "She sets the bowl aside on the coffee table to frantically search for a polaroid camera."

    FM "To think Lucy would have such a wonderful young man to take her to prom!"

    FM "Aha! Found it. Hold still, dear."
    scene black with fade
    "ARGH! Like getting slapped in the face by the sun’s dick!"

    "I blink the blindness away. So that’s why Naser has those fucking aviators."

    scene home fang night
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show naser prom neutral at ncenter
    show naomi prom neutral at scenter
    show fangmom neutral flip at sright
    with fade

    FM "Lucy will be downstairs in a bit, she’s just getting the last of her makeup on!"
    hide fangmom with moveoutleft
    FM "In the meantime, take a seat! I’ve got some cookies in the oven that are almost ready!"

    A "Er, yes, thank you ma’am."

    "I take my seat in the usual spot, sinking in and feeling the pillows conform around my spine."

    hide anon with moveoutright

    scene black with fade

    scene home fang night with fade
    show anon prom neutral flip at aright

    "This thing must cost a fortune."

    "Fang’s dad is a police commissioner if I recall."

    "That explains the luxurious furnishings."

    "Now that I think about it, I’m surprised I haven’t seen him yet."
    show fangdad neutral at sleft with dissolve
    FD "So…"

    "I hope I didn’t just ruin these slacks."

    A "Good evening, sir."

    A "I didn’t even see you in your chair, sir."

    A "My apologies."

    FD "Don’t sweat it, son."

    FD "Thing about humans, as well as many charnivores, is that their vision is based largely on movement."

    FD "You’d be surprised how useful staying quiet and stationary can be."

    FD "How close you can get to someone without them knowing-"

    show fangmom unimpressed flip at fmcenter with dissolve

    FM "Sweetheart."

    FM "No. Intimidating. The Suitor."

    "The big guy deflates a bit in his chair."

    FD "Point is, don’t get any funny ideas."

    A "Yessir."

    hide fangdad with dissolve
    show naser prom neutral at nleft with moveinleft

    N "We’re all taking the NasCar, right?"

    Nas "Yeah, yeah."

    Nas "Once Fang gets down we’ll skedaddle."

    A "So until then we just sit and chill?"
    show naomi prom happy at sleft with moveinleft

    N "We could take more pictures!"

    "Please no."

    show fangmom neutral at fmcenter with moveinleft

    FM "Oh! I would love to make this a little photo op!"

    scene black with fade

    "Thirty photos later and I never want to see another camera again."

    "Fang’s mom decided to take pictures of every possible combination of us."

    "I don’t know which was worse, having to pose with Naomi or Fang’s dad digging his murder claws into my shoulder."

    "I’ve lost nearly all feeling in that arm."

    "Pretty sure that’ll leave a bruise worse than my accelerated hug with the stair bollard last month."

    "At least the pics with Naser were a nice reprieve."

    "We ended up looking like the blues brothers, standing side by side in fuck ugly suits."

    "Just as I was about to resign myself to premature blindness from the camera flash, my saviour arrives."

    F "Oh, Anon, you’re already here!"

    scene home fang night
    show fang d prom happy flip at sright
    with fade
    F "Nice suit! Did ya get it from the suit store?"
    play music "audio/OST/Fuck You I Like To Shitpost.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "Fang leans over the railing of the staircase."

    "Holy shit, she can really rock that dress."

    "Fang's Dad" "Ahem."

    show fangdad neutral at sleft with moveinleft

    "Ah. Shit."

    F "Daaaad. Stop scaring Anon!"

    FD "I’ll scare who I want in my home."

    show fangmom neutral at fmcenter behind fang

    "Fang’s mom saves me, taking the mountainous pterodactyl by his head crest."

    FM "Now now, dear, Anon is a lovely guest."

    FM "Come on down and pose for pictures with everyone, Lucy!"

    A "Actually, stay up there so we can all rest."

    F "Har."

    F "Best thing to do is get it over with."

    FM "That’s right. Alright everyone, group together, this one’s going on Christmas postcards for sure!"
    scene home fang day with fade
    show anon prom neutral:
        xalign -0.1 yalign 0.1
    show fang d prom neutral behind anon:
        xalign 0.1 yalign 0.1
    show naser prom neutral flip:
        xalign 0.9 yalign 0.1
    show naomi prom neutral flip:
        xalign 1.1 yalign 0.1
    with fade
    "Kill me."

    F "Later."

    "The onslaught of flashes continues as the four of us are directed to stand and pose together in every possible combination."

    "After a millenia Fang’s mother is satisfied, or her camera ran out of storage."

    "Naser and Fang both crash onto the couch rubbing their photo-bleached eyes, Even Naomi is holding her eyes closed."

    "The whole thing left me parched."

    A "Hate to bother, but do you guys have any water?"

    F "The fridge dispenses water."

    Nas "Cups are in the cabinet closest on the right."

    A "Thanks."

    scene kitchen
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show naomi prom neutral flip at scenter
    with fade
    "While pouring my glass of water Naomi walks in after me."

    A "Oh, you need a cup too? I’ll grab you one."

    N "No thank you."

    N "Actually, Anon, can I speak with you for a moment?"

    "Oh boy."

    A "Go ahead."

    N "I’m very happy that you and Fang are together now, but…"

    "I take a long, slow sip."

    A "But what?"
    show naomi prom angry flip at scenter

    N "But, I mean… Just look at her."

    N "The school year’s almost over and she’s barely changed from being that weird punk-goth type."

    "Siiiiip. Aaaaah. Refreshing."

    A "So?"

    N "I mean, I thought you would try to make her… Presentable, you know?"

    "Mmm, love me some water."

    A "Could you elaborate?"

    N "But it’s like you aren’t even trying to fix her."

    "Damn, now I need a refill."

    N "Could you stop that, I’m being serious here."

    A "No no, keep going, I’m listening."

    "A quick top up and I’m good to go."

    show naomi prom neutral flip with dissolve

    N "Well I figured you would help her become more ladylike."

    A "I understand. How does that make you feel?"

    N "Well, to be honest, I’d rather Fang not be a problem to me at all."

    N "I’ve tried everything, too, but even getting her a boyfriend doesn’t work."

    N "It’s harsh to ask, but when we go to prom tonight I’d like you two to avoid us."

    N "It’s supposed to be a special night."

    A "I see."

    N "Oh, really? That’s grea-"

    A "And how does that make you feel, Fang?"
    play music "audio/OST/punk_revamp.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "Naomi goes white as a sheet."
    show fang d prom happy flip at sright with moveinright
    F "Well since you’ve asked, Anon, I’d be glad to share."

    N "O-oh, Fang, I d-didn’t see you there."

    show naomi prom neutral with dissolve

    F "You’d be surprised how useful staying quiet and stationary can be."

    F "How close you can get to someone without them knowing you’re even there."

    N "I-I see. Very impressive."

    F "Why do you look so surprised? Isn’t me being invisible exactly what you want?"

    N "W-well, n-no, I was only planning-"

    show fang d prom unimpressed flip with dissolve

    F "Oh, right! Your ‘plan’!"

    F "I’ve known for months now you were up to something retarded, but not what."

    F "But I totally get this, it’s exactly something only you would come up with."

    F "Down to the whole thing crashing and burning."

    F "I mean really, how could you mess this up?"

    F "Literally all you had to do was get some poor schmuck and get him to do everything for you."

    F "Hey…"

    F "You can’t get even one person to do what you want?"

    F "Pretty sad, right Anon?"

    A "I could do that in seconds on a certain website."

    F "Man, even Anon can do it better. Huh."

    F "So basically, fuck your stupid plan, fuck your prom crown, and fuck you."

    "In a flash Fang strikes Naomi right across the face."
    hide anon
    hide fang
    show naomi slapped:
        xalign 0.5 yalign 0.4
    with dissolve
    #Johnny test whip sound effect
    F "...And your dress sucks."

    F "Anon, you’ve got the taxi number right? We’re gonna need to leave like, right now."

    A "Yeah, I’ll give him a call."

    A "Bye Naomi, enjoy your hat."

    "We leave a speechless Naomi fuming in the kitchen and head towards the front door."
    scene home fang night
    show fangmom neutral at fmleft
    show fang d prom neutral at sright
    show anon prom neutral at acenter
    "...And are promptly intercepted by Fang’s mother still holding her camera."

    "I guess she found another card for it."

    FM "You two look so darling together! We need more photos!"

    A "...I think we’re gonna be late if we take any more pictures."

    F "Yeah mom, we need to leave early so I can get everything all set up."

    "And to avoid being anywhere near Naomi."

    "To my surprise, she seemingly relents to Fang this time."

    FM "Oh fine, you’ll be happy you have them when your own children are going to prom!"

    "An image flashes in my mind of me and Fang as parents."

    "A bit early to think of something like that, and the blush on Fang’s face tells me she’s thinking the same thing."

    F "MOM!"

    FM "Make sure to have fun at prom, you two!"

    "I glance over and Fang’s dad catches me dead in the eyes."

    FD "Home by midnight."

    "I manage a nod as Fang grabs my hand and leads me out the door with her guitar in the other."

    scene home fang outside night with dissolve
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show fang d prom neutral at scenter

    A "Let me call the taxi…"

    "I dial the number for the taxi service."

    D "City taxi service."

    A "Yes, can you come to the bus stop at-"

    D "Got it."

    "*click*"

    F "Did he hang up on you?"

    A "I dunno, maybe-"

    "The taxi skids around the corner, barreling towards the bus stop."

    "In the last ten feet it slows to a graceful stop in front of us."

    "The window rolls down and it’s the same velociraptor driver from before. Of course it is."

    D "Yep. Still got it."

    A "How did you get here so fast?"

    D "Was in the neighborhood."

    play music "audio/OST/bayside_revamp.ogg" fadein 1.0
    "The driver turns his head and looks over at us."

    D "Ay, it’s my favorite couple again! How’s the leg, skinnie?"

    "The driver chuckles at his own remark."

    "I briefly consider calling a different cab, but decide to give him the benefit of the doubt."

    A "It’s fine now, thanks for asking."

    "This guy must stake out wherever we go."

    "Aren’t there {i}any{/i} other taxi drivers in this town?"

    "I open the door for Fang and we climb in the back, fitting her guitar behind the driver’s seat."
    scene taxi night
    D "So where’re you two lovebirds heading dressed all snazzy like that?"

    A "Volcano High, it’s prom night."

    "The driver gives a whistle in response."

    D "Prom, huh? Sounds like one romantic night."

    "With that he speeds off away, leaving Fang’s house a          shrinking spot in the rear-view mirror."

    "The drive back to school is rather calm, despite the driver going at least thirty miles over the speed limit the whole time."

    "In the rear-view mirror, the driver makes eye contact with me."

    "The bottom of his eye curls, and I know exactly what he’s thinking."

    "His hand darts to the radio knob."

    A "Don-"

    "The way I dance with youuuu~"

    "Fang’s heel digs into the back of the driver’s seat, making him yelp."

    D "Sheesh, no wonder they call them stilettos."
    stop music fadeout 1.0
    "The driver kills the radio, a smug grin of victory spreading across Fang’s face."

    "Eventually the cab pulls up to the school gymnasium, illuminated by the celebratory decorative string lights."

    "I reach for my wallet to pay the toll and the driver just gives me a wave."

    D "Y’know what? It’s on the house this time, kids."

    D "Just have fun, you two."

    scene outside school night

    play music "audio/effects/prom chatter loop.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "We climb out the back of the cab and the driver gives me a wink before the taxi screeches away in a cloud of carbon monoxide."

    "I offer to carry Fang’s guitar from here which she gladly accepts."

    "The students strung up various strings of lights along the overgrowths of vines around the school."

    "A rather impressive mural of King Rex is spray painted on the wall outside by the ticket booth."

    "You could tell how recent it was by how there was smoke leaking out of the eyes and mouth."

    "I think about getting a picture with Fang by it, but I think I’ve developed a serious case of photophobia."

    "The line to get in isn’t too long, and it only takes a few minutes to get inside."

    scene prom

    "Inside is about as well decorated as outside."

    "More lights hang from the greenery and even the ceiling."

    "Those nerdy little chinese lanterns are strung about from wall to wall."

    F "Gotta wonder who picked decorations that go perfectly with her dress."
    show fang d prom neutral at sleft
    A "Perks of the job."
    show anon prom neutral flip at sright
    "Fang leads me to the temporary stage on the other side of the gymnasium where a curtain had been set up."

    "Thanks to her guitar lessons I feel like I can actually help get her set up instead of standing around doing nothing."

    "We slip behind the curtain and come face to face with King Rex, smoke billowing out of his mouth."
    show reed king rex flip behind anon:
        xalign 1.3 yalign 0.0
    Re "...’Sup?"
    "Reed must be helping Spears with the sound system."

    F "Oh good, Reed’s here."

    F "You can get everything set up like you usually do."

    Re "You got it, amigo."

    "With a mock salute, Reed takes the guitar case from my hand and promptly disappears behind one of the speakers."

    "Only to return moments later with the guitar, now with a cable trailing behind him."

    "Damn, he works fast."

    F "Yeah he does, there’s a reason he handles all this sort of stuff."

    "The MUMBLING."

    "Reed dusts off his hands and lets out a sigh, releasing another mushroom cloud of smoke from the costume."

    Re "Man… I haven’t talked to you guys in ages, y’know?"

    Re "Not since the whole… projector thing."

    A "...You know I sit two seats away from you in math, why didn’t you just talk to me then?"

    Re "Bro, I would but like… don’t wanna leave Trish alone."

    Re "She’s still suuuuper beating herself up over it, don’t wanna isolate her even more, y’know?"

    menu:
        "I’m sure Trish’ll be fine soon enough.":
            Re "Fang, why don’t you try talking to her sometime?"
        "Weren’t you going to talk to her about it, Fang?":
            A "Weren’t you going to talk to her about it, Fang?"
    show fang prom d sad with dissolve
    F "I’ve… been meaning to, but…"

    F "It’s just sort of awkward, you know…"

    F "I’ll try talking to her soon, I promise."

    Re "Trish is here… somewhere."

    A "She bought a ticket? Does she even have a date?"

    Re "Took advantage of my ‘plus one’ deal for deejaying tonight, dude."

    Re "Don’t think she wanted a dance with King Rex though..."

    "Reed’s shoulders slump a bit inside the costume."

    A "I can imagine."

    show fang prom d neutral with dissolve

    F "Think everything’s set up now, so we can just enjoy ourselves for the next ninety minutes."

    Re "You guys going out?"

    A "Yeah, see you later Reed."

    "He waves his goodbye and turns his attention back to the mix table."
    hide reed king rex with dissolve
    F "You getting hungry?"

    A "Yeah, actually."

    F "I saw there was a pretty big food table on the way in, come on."

    scene black with fade

    "Despite the selection of food being rather diverse and professional, Fang piles her plate with barbecue."

    "I myself end up with a bit of this and that, bites of sushi, various meats, a few of those tiny party sandwiches, and a few things I don’t recognize but look tasty enough."

    scene prom
    show fang prom d neutral at sleft
    show anon prom neutral at aright
    with dissolve

    F "Spears told me Rosa helped cook most of this."

    show anon prom neutral flip with dissolve

    A "Wh-how? This has got to be at least a month’s worth of food."

    F "I dunno, she just did it."

    A "Is she here now?"

    F "Probably in the kitchen working her tail off making more."

    "We sit against the back wall to wolf down our servings, and Fang makes me go back to get her seconds."

    "Eventually she decides the black hole in her esophagus is satisfied."

    F "Man, were these tickets worth every penny or what?"

    A "I’m not sure what those things filled with melted cheese were, but they were great."

    F "Let’s go see what other crap there is to do here."

    A "How much time do we got?"

    F "Spears told me I should head back once the slow dances start."

    F "Probably another hour or so."

    F "You know what, speaking of dances, we should go hit up the floor while they’re still playing the good stuff."

    A "What, you don’t like slow dances?"

    F "What I like are the bones in my feet."

    A "Woooooow."
    play music "audio/OST/its_footloose_now.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "Fang takes my hand and leads me into the crowd of dancing teenagers."

    "Reed actually has a pretty good selection of music going."

    "Instead of whatever garbage was in the weekly top-forty list, he’s been playing real music."

    "Fang’s already lost in the music, grooving along with the other students."

    "Now would be a good time to mention I can’t dance in any capacity, not just slow dancing."

    "I can’t just stand here like a sperg, need to think of something fast…"

    F "Stop being a dweeb, Anon."

    "When in doubt, improvise."

    $ i = 0

    show anon prom neutral flip with move:
        yalign 0.0
        linear 0.3
        yalign 0.1
        linear 0.3
        repeat

    "I bob my knees to the fast rhythm of the music."

    "And my hands mimic the reload animations from various first person shooters I’ve actually played."

    "For good measure I spice it up with a couple dragon punch moves from some fightan cabinets."

    show fang prom d happy with move:

    "Fang seems glad I’ve joined in, she even tries to mimic a few of my ‘moves’."

    "Then she raises an eyebrow and her smile curls a bit more."

    F "Wait, Anon, are you…?"

    F "BAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAH!"

    A "I’m not sure what you were expecting."

    F "Yeah, no, that’s great, keep doing it."

    F "Holy shit you’re weird."

    "At least I’m not flossing like some of the faggots here."

    show reed king rex behind fang with moveinleft:
        xalign -1.1 yalign 0.1
    show anon prom neutral flip at aright
    show fang prom d neutral with dissolve
    "Reed wades through the crowd and grabs Fang’s shoulder from behind."

    F "Yah! What the-"

    F "Reed, why aren’t you on stage?"

    Re "Autoplay, don’t worry about it."

    Re "Something’s come up, we’re gonna need you a bit early."

    show fang prom d considering with dissolve

    "Fang hesitates."

    show fang prom d sad with dissolve

    F "Damn it, sorry Anon, I don’t mean to leave you like this."

    A "Things happen, go ahead and fix whatever Reed tripped over."

    show fang prom d neutral with dissolve

    Re "How did you- nevermind."

    Re "Come on, there’s no time!"

    A "Good luck, Fang."

    hide reed king rex with moveoutright

    "Fang gives me a brief hug before following Reed out of the crowd, leaving me alone amongst the sea of sweaty teenagers."

    hide fang d prom neutral with moveoutright

    "..."

    "I should go get more of those cheese things from earlier."

    "It’s nice to eat like an actual human for once."

    "On my way over to the catering table something catches the corner of my eye."

    show trish prom neutral at sleft

    "Sitting alone at a table in the back is Trish, blankly staring at her phone and not touching the plate of food in front of her."
    play music "audio/OST/Appreciating her Company.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "I really don't pay any mind to her, my focus solely on getting to the buffet table."

    Re "{alpha=0.5}{i}She’s still suuuuper beating herself up over it, don’t wanna isolate her even more, y’know?{/i}{/alpha}"

    "God… damn it, Reed."

    "I really don’t feel like playing therapist again, especially at prom."

    "...But if she’s still hung up on what happened then the least I can do is talk to her, right?"

    "After getting another plate of tiny greasy delights, I begin to approach Trish."

    "Worse case scenario I get gored on her horn, and it’s not as threatening as staircases."
    show anon prom neutral flip at acenter with move
    A "Is this seat taken?"

    "Trish looks up from her phone and her face flies through a myriad of emotions."
    "At first confused, then fucking pissed, then aroused, then back to fucking pissed, all in the space of an attosecond."

    A "Hey… Lookin’ good in that dress."

    T "Y-you too…"

    "Okay, operation confused trigga is off to a good start."
    "I hold out the second plate of morsels to her." #Isn't she a fucking vegan?

    A "I snagged these for Fang, but she had some last minute stage issues to deal with."

    T "O-oh. Uh… Thanks?"

    "I sit down next to her and tuck into my meal."

    T "Aren’t you supposed to be with Fang? Why are you here?"

    A "Well, she’s got something to deal with and I’m hungry."

    T "No! I mean here!"

    A "To… eat?"

    "For emphasis I show her my half finished plate."

    T "Oh my fuck, no! As in right here!"
    show trish prom indignant with dissolve

    A "Oh!"

    A "Because it’s prom-"

    "Before her hands can reach for my throat I finish."

    show trish prom neutral with dissolve

    A "And you’re looking lonely."

    "Ah, there we go."

    "Trish locks up completely."

    "Looking closer I can see just how dry her eyes are."

    "Man, she must’ve been crying a lot."

    T "I wasn’t!"

    "God damn it mouth."

    A "Alright, alright. I was just thinking."

    A "And like. How do I say this."

    "Trish is focused completely on me now. Okay brain, help me out here."

    A "I saw you sat here. No date, no friends, no nothing."

    "Ah, bad choice, Trish’s face sunk at each word."

    A "I was thinking ’bout how lonely you were."

    A "Which is something I know quite well."

    A "Being alone and all."

    A "So!"

    A "Since I’m by myself now, and you were looking lonely, I’d figured we could be lonely together."

    A "Make sense?"

    "Trish lets out a sigh."
    show trish prom sad with dissolve

    T "...Why are you doing this?"

    T "After everything I did, you should hate me for it."

    "I sigh."

    A "Yeah… I mean, I still get called names and stuff."

    A "And Stella keeps trying to get me to watch shit with her."

    A "But fuck it. I won’t have to see those fuckers ever again in a few weeks."

    A "That shit’s gonna be in the past."

    A "But…"

    F "{alpha=0.5}{i}I’ve… been meaning to, but…{/i}{/alpha}"

    A "But it’d crush Fang if she never talks with her best friend again."

    play music "audio/OST/Appreciating the Moment.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "Trish’s eyes widen."

    A "So. Peace?"

    "I hold out the second plate of food to her again."

    "Trish takes the proffered plate. Her dry eyes start to water and a fragile smile grows on her face."
    show trish prom neutral with dissolve

    T "Peace."

    A "Cool. Also speaking of, that food’s probably cold now, too."

    "It’s a bad joke, but it works in getting a simple laugh out of the triceratops girl."

    "I make quick work of the rest of my pot stickers, noting how Trish is ravenously devouring them."

    "Huh, I guess she was looking a little thin. This month must have been hell for her."

    "We sit in silence until the music changes to something much slower."

    "Definitely not my kind of music."

    "I peer over and see Trish staring longingly at the couples dancing."

    "Guess no one’s bothered to ask her."

    T "Reed has."

    A "Then why not dance with him?"

    T "I am NOT dancing with King Rex."

    "Poor Reed."

    A "Well, how ‘bout with me?"

    T "...Do you even know how to dance?"

    A "I can improvise?"

    T "Let me rephrase that. Do you even know how to slow dance?"

    A "There’s a difference?"

    "Trish sighs in frustration."

    T "The things I put up with…"

    T "Alright, I’ll teach you."

    A "Wait wha-"

    T "I want to dance, and so help me Raptor Jesus I’m getting a dance."

    play music "audio/OST/Skinrow Soul.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "Trish grabs me by the elbow and pulls me to the dance floor."
    scene black with fade
    "When Trish finds a spot she’s satisfied with, away from most of the other couples and open, she turns back to me."
    scene prom with fade
    show trish and anon cuck fang:
        xalign 0.5 yalign 0.5
        pause 3

    T "Left hand on my hip. Now!"
    "Oh wow, she is short as hell."

    "I need to actually reach so my hand plants itself on her hip."

    A "Okay, next?"

    "Trish’s left hand takes my right, and her right hand is placed on my left bicep since she doesn’t want to stand on her toes. Or mine."

    T "Now just step to your left."

    show trish and anon cuck fang:
        linear 1.0 xalign 0.9 yalign 0.5


    "My left foot moves left."

    T "And bring your right foot next to it."

    "Okay. That’s one step."


    T "And that’s it."

    "..."

    "Wow, dancing is simple."

    "Slowly I find myself getting into the rhythm of the dance."

    show trish and anon cuck fang:
        linear 1.0 xalign 0.4
        pause 3
        linear 1.0 xalign -0.2
        pause 3
        linear 1.0 xalign 0.4
        pause 3
        linear 1.0 xalign 1.0
        pause 3
        repeat

    "Occasionally Trish would give instructions for a new step or move."

    "One song and dance grew into three or four, I lost track."

    "But as we ease into the next song, I realize that Trish is starting to smile at last."

    play music "audio/effects/prom chatter loop 2.ogg" fadein 1.0

    "*GRRRRRRRRRLLLL*"

    "Trish’s face goes bright red."

    A "What was that?"

    T "Uhh… I think I was hungrier than I thought."

    A "Wanna head back to the food table?"

    T "Er- yeah. Sorry."

    A "For what? Come on."
    scene black with fade

    "I lead Trish out of the crowd back in the general direction of the buffet."
    scene prom with fade
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show trish prom neutral flip at tcenter
    A "Thanks for teaching me to dance."

    T "I’m coming for you if I hear Fang’s got a broken toe."

    A "Noted. You go ahead, I’ll wait at the bench we were at before."

    "I gesture towards the tables of food."

    T "Oh, sure. Gimme a bit."

    "She heads off and I go sit in the same spot on the bleachers as before."
    hide trish with moveoutright

    "Well then. Got some time to kill, time to shitpo-"

    "*THUNK*"

    A "Whoa, Trish, warn me before you jump into the chair."

    show spears neutral flip at scenter with dissolve

    Sp "My bad."

    A "Oh ffff-flint, hello Principal Spears."

    A "Is Fang doing alright?"

    Sp "Yeah, she’s still getting everything ready."

    Sp "I just wanted to have a word with you. Got a minute?"

    A "Sure."

    Sp "When you first got here I noticed you were a bit on the egotistical side, if I may say so."

    Sp "You’ve since become a fine young man."

    Sp "You were in a muddy situation and were able to get this much out of it."

    Sp "I can tell you’re going places, son."

    A "I-I see. Thanks."

    "Principal Spears leans over and places one of his gargantuan hands on my shoulder."

    show spears happy flip with dissolve

    Sp "I’m real proud of you."

    "He pats my shoulder out of its socket and gets up."

    show spears neutral flip with dissolve

    Sp "I won’t keep you any longer, I have my own business to attend to in a moment."

    A "Giving Naomi and Naser their crowns?"

    Sp "Heh. It’s a bit obvious, but I won’t ruin their moment."

    Sp "Alright, be seeing you."

    A "Later, Principal Spears."
    label chadshark:
    "He marches away to get ready for the announcement."
    scene prom with fade
    show anonphone with moveinbottom
    "I check my phone to make my post."

    "hey fagets guess whos at prom? later virgins"
    "pic rel is my date :^)"

    scene black with fade
    scene prom
    show chadshark:
        xalign 0.4
    show stella prom neutral flip:
        xalign 0.65
    with fade
    "I attach a picture I took of Stella earlier when her date was in the restroom."

    "How did she end up with the football captain, anyway?"

    "Whatever."

    "Three… Two… One…"

    "Refreshing…"

    "Forty replies AND revenge for that soda can."
    scene prom
    show anonphone
    with fade

    hide anonphone with moveoutbottom
    show anon prom neutral at aleft with dissolve
    show trish prom neutral flip at tcenter with moveinright
    T "Alright, sorry, I’m back."

    "Trish slides into the chair Spears just left from."

    T "Did someone bend this…?"

    A "Spears."

    T "Oh."

    "She puts her plate down."

    "It’s a veritable bake sale."

    A "Hey, you can’t have dessert for dinner."

    T "Piss off."

    "The music fades until all that’s left is chatter."

    "Spears takes to the stage with mic in hand for once."
    scene prom
    show spears neutral at scenter
    Sp "Alright everyone. Before we end tonight’s prom we have a couple of items to take care of."
    stop music fadeout 1.0

    Sp "First thing is-"

    "The principal pulls a tiny gold sheaf envelope from his lapel and holds it up for the audience to gawk at."

    Sp "to announce prom King and Queen."

    "Well this is a foregone conclusion."

    "A few students are already congratulating Naser as he’s led by the arm by his handler."

    Sp "A drum roll, please."

    "Reed steps onto the stage with a small block in his arms."

    "He smiles and nods, pressing one of the myriad of buttons on the block."

    "A mediocre recording of the drumline plays over the speakers as Spears clears his throat and tears open the envelope."

    Sp "And your winners."

    Sp "For the one Mil."

    Sp "Twenty-twenty class."

    Sp "Aaaaaare…."

    Sp "Naaaaaser aaaaand Naaaaoooomiiiiii!"

    "He tosses the paper over his shoulder and yanks out the crowns from a pocket inside his jacket."
    show spears neutral with moveinleft:
        xalign -0.2 yalign 0.0
    show naser prom happy at sleft with moveinleft
    show naomi prom happy flip with moveinleft:
        xalign 0.9 yalign 0.0
    "Spears backs out of the spotlight, giving a polite applause to the pair as they rush onstage to accept."

    "The rest of the class is in a celebratory uproar."

    "Spears offers the crowns to Naomi, who puts the larger one on Naser’s crest to droop off, and then dons the tiara.."

    "The whole moment is picturesque, just like Naomi wanted."

    N "Thank you all so much, Volcano High!"

    N "This is such an honor to receive."

    N "My, I don’t really have a speech prepared. But…"

    N "In just one short year, we-"

    Sp "Alright, alright, let’s stay on schedule."

    show naser prom neutral with dissolve
    show naomi prom neutral flip with dissolve

    Sp "I promised your parents we’d be out of here by ten."
    hide naomi with dissolve
    hide naser with dissolve

    Sp "To close off this wonderful night, I’ve asked a student to play one final song for us."

    Sp "Now I know she’s played before with… mixed results, but please give her a second chance."

    Sp "To finish up, please welcome Fang!"
    hide spears with dissolve
    show fang d prom happy at scenter
    "Spears puts the microphone up and gives a welcoming applause as the cheap curtains draw open."

    "Fang is standing onstage front and center, guitar."

    unknown "Wait, who?"

    unknown "She was there last time, wasn’t she?"

    unknown "I’ll just start recording…"

    "She scans the room, a nervous look creeping onto her face."

    scene prom
    show anon prom neutral at aleft
    show trish prom angry at scenter
    with dissolve

    T "Those dicks!"

    "I start waving my arms in the air, trying to catch Fang’s attention."

    "Trish sees what I’m doing and whistles with her thumb and index finger."

    unknown "Who the-"

    unknown "-that the weeb?"

    unknown "Only he would-"

    unknown "-match made for losers-"

    "Fang notices us and some of the nervousness melts off her face."

    play music "audio/OST/Amberlight Brilliance - Demo.wav" fadein 1.0

    "She takes a deep breath and starts strumming the first notes of her song."

    scene fang d ending preformance 1

    "It took half a year but she finally completed the song from the roof."

    play music 'audio/OST/Amberlight Brilliance - Live.wav' fadein 1.0

    "The cascade of chords is a slow build that increases tempo gradually."

    "Thinking back over all the practice sessions, Fang fretted over what exactly she would play."

    "Turns out, a rock ballad fit perfectly."

    "Both as a final song for prom."

    "And as a summation of Fang."

    "After all, as she plays her heart out on stage to the growing surprise and cheers of the crowd, this song is the best representation of her."

    "Trish and I cheer Fang on loudly."

    "The lyrics we composed together were a mix of her, admittedly, overly flowery and edgy poetry from her wall and my own shitposting."

    "Surprisingly it mixed well."

    "Apparently the rest of my classmates thought so too."

    "I spin around to get a better look at all the cheering students and immediately fix my eyes on Naomi."

    "And she looks pissed."

    "Naser looks like he’s enjoying the show, however."

    "Not wanting to let the moment go to waste, I get my phone out and zoom in as stealthily as I can."

    "I snap a picture of the seething prom queen before she stomps off, probably complaining how her perfect night was ruined."

    "Shame that someone other than her gets the spotlight for once."

    "Satisfied that Fang will enjoy seeing the picture, I begin pushing and squeezing my way towards the front of the crowd."

    "As soon as Fang’s eyes lock with mine, I catch a look of unreserved glee on her face."

    "That same look she had during their concert at Moe’s, or when we even found Moe’s in the first place."

    "She is finally in her element, and loving every second of it."

    "Fang’s voice is beginning to grow hoarse as she nears the end of her song."

    "As the song reaches its crescendo, her final lyrics are echoed by the crowd and reverberates throughout the hall."

    F "GOODBYE"
    F    "VOLCANO"
    F        "HIIIIIGH!"

    "Her voice shakes as the words trail off, delivering a meteoric finale to her show."
    stop music fadeout 1.0
    "The guitar echoes for several seconds before applause begins to fill the air, cheers that I didn’t initiate this time."

    "I begin to join in, but take notice of Fang’s utterly stiff posture."

    "Eyes wide, wings pressed against her back, legs locked like a statue."

    "She looks like she’s about to faint from shock."
    "I realize I have an opportunity here and stone the fuck up."

    "God damn it, I’m going to take it."

    "I push my way through the crowd and jump up on the stage, taking the nearly catatonic Fang into my arms."

    "Standing in an embrace on stage, my mind barely registers the crowd of students in front of us."

    "Fang gasps and snaps back to reality."

    "I can see the embarrassed mirth playing across her beautiful eyes."
    scene fang d ending preformance 4
    "No thought at all, I press my lips against hers."

    "Behind me I can hear the audience’s cheers grow louder."

    "I can hear Rosa and Stella’s wolf whistles inside the crowd."

    "I can even make out Naser, Trish and Reed’s own supportive calls."

    "It’s a picture-perfect moment."

    "Wait. Missing one thing."

    "I extend one arm out toward Naomi, who I know is suffering from rectal-ragnarok by now, and raise one finger in particular at her."

    "There, picture-perfect."
    scene black with fade
    stop music fadeout 1.0
    "..."

    label FastTimesAtVolcanoHigh:
    #Fast Times at Volcano High
    "-Two Weeks Later-"

    scene beach with fade

    show anon neutral at acenter
    play music "audio/OST/Skinrow Soul.ogg"
    "Time seemed to fly after prom, honestly."

    "Probably the stress of finals."

    "And graduation rehearsals."

    "And graduation itself."

    "I nearly gouged out my eardrums having to sit through Naomi’s speech."

    "Of course the bubblegum blockhead was the valedictorian."

    "Her speech, as rehearsed as it was, still sounded like we were at a funeral."

    "Even now I think she’s still seething from prom night."

    "Or maybe it’s the photo of her face that’s currently circulating a certain Albanian Car Trading chatroom."

    "Infinitely better than any reaction I could’ve made."

    "About a week after, Fang came to me with news that Trish got the idea for a celebration and Naser was organizing it."

    "Naser organizing any party meant that he’d make sure nobody had any real fun, so Fang convinced him to split up the work between the rest of us."

    "It was Fang’s job to get the pizza."

    "I, the broke fuck that I am, was put in charge of the fire and finding a good pit for it."

    Nas "{i}You people are good at making fires, right Anon?{/i}"

    "I wonder if I can sue him for hate speech."

    "That aside."

    "The party is at St. Hammond Beach, which is just below the cliffs that make the town’s namesake."

    "The sun has already set when we get there, the starry sky illuminating the whole place in a pale blue."

    "I got to the site a bit earlier and got to set up an impressive firepit with meticulously set stones surrounding it, and logs set in an ideal tower for an overnight blaze."

    "Everything is ready, so where is everyone else?"

    "We agreed to meet at seven, right?"

    "Right as I reach into my pocket for my phone, a van chugs onto the sand from the distance."

    "It stops right in front of me and Trish flies out the side door, gasping for breath."
    show anon neutral flip at aright with move
    show trish neutral at scenter with moveinleft
    T " *huff*, *huff*..."

    A "You look like you just got choked out by Spears."

    "She just points back to the van."

    "The drivers’ door opens, letting out a gust of smoke from within."

    "Reed emerges from the cloud as if nothing’s wrong."

    T "Reed... *huff*... Your car.... *huff*..."
    show reed explanatory at sleft with moveinleft
    Re "Oh yeah, you like it? It’s an electric!"

    "Trish collapses in the sand."

    "Before I can check if she’s still breathing, a stereotypical mariachi car horn catches my attention."

    "I swing around and catch Stella and Rosa exiting a hot pink Prius, each with a pair of phone speakers in their hands."

    "Waving to them, my focus returns to Reed now helping Trish off the ground."
    show reed with move:
        xalign -0.55
    show trish with move:
        xalign -0.05
    show anon neutral with move:
        xalign 0.25 yalign 0.0
    show fang neutral behind anon with moveinright:
        xalign 0.45
    show naser neutral flip with moveinright:
        xalign 0.85
    show rosa neutral flip with moveinright:
        xalign 1.05
    show stella neutral flip with moveinright:
        xalign 1.05
    Re "Need a light, amigo?"

    "Before I can respond, he reaches into his pocket and fishes out a lighter which is promptly tossed my way."

    "Catching it out of the air, I only briefly catch the words ‘FUCK COMMUNISM’ engraved in its side when I hear yet another car approaching."

    "Recognizing it by sound alone, I see the NasCar glide to a halt next to Rosa’s car."

    "That name might still be dumb as hell, but I gotta admit it’s growing on me."

    "Fang emerges from the backseat and waves at me."

    "She hunches into the car to get out the pizza boxes and starts striding towards us."

    Nas "...c’mon babe, please. You know she didn’t do it on purpose!"

    show naser neutral flip with move:
        xalign 1.25
    show rosa with move:
        xalign 1.35
    show stella neutral flip with move:
        xalign 1.25

    "Naomi erupts from the car in a frothing rage, her shirt noticeably stained an orange-red."

    show naomi angry flip behind naser with move:
        xalign 0.70

    F "Ha! Wish I did."

    F "Oh yeah, the box on top is a bit messed up. Long story."

    N "How on *EARTH* did you throw a pizza on me from the backseat and get it back in the box?!"

    Re "Naser, bro... you were driving the whole time, right?"

    Nas "Yeah, why?"

    Re "Just a feeling."

    N "This stuff has been happening ever since that picture of me was posted online."
    show naomi sad with dissolve
    Nas "Relax, babe, it’s the start of summer."

    Nas "Here, take my jacket."

    "Naser starts sliding the jacket off his back and…"

    "What the-...?"

    "What is this noneuclidean bullshit I see before me."

    "Why is there a second jacket below the first…?"
    show naomi neutral flip with dissolve
    "Reed taps my back and pulls my eyes away from the spatial anomaly."

    Re "Hurry up and start the fire, man…"

    Re "I got the booze all ready."

    "Once the bonfire was set ablaze Stella and Trish started setting up the speakers around in a radius."

    Ro "Are you sure these will be loud enough?"

    Ro "They’re only a few dollars at the supermarket."

    Re "Oh yeah, those’ll be louder than the carfe this time."

    Ro "Why would coffee be louder than a stereo?"

    show rosa considering flip with dissolve

    Re "Anyway!"

    "Reed drops the ice chest he was holding in the sand."

    Re "Went all in man, got the name brands and everything."

    A "I’m surprised you got Naser to let you bring this stuff."

    "Naser returns to the rest of the group, wearing his jacket again."
    show naomi neutral flip with dissolve

    Nas "Got me to agree to what?"

    show reed neutral with dissolve

    Re "About that..."

    show naser shocked flip
    show naomi shocked flip
    with dissolve

    Nas "You brought alcohol?!"

    Re "I mean, I usually call it liquor, but…"

    Nas "Darn it, Reed!"

    Nas "We’re all underage, you know even if I were to agree Naomi would pitch a fit!"

    Re "Dude, we all just graduated…"

    Re "If now isn’t the time to live a little, then when?"

    "Naser hesitates."

    Re "Besides, I did think of you and Naomi."

    Nas "Huh?"
    show reed happy with dissolve
    Re "Yeah, I got a special brand just for the two of you. Great beginner stuff."

    show naser annoyed flip
    show naomi neutral flip
    with dissolve

    Nas "You… Whatever, I’ll try to keep Naomi from calling the police, fine."

    Re "You’re a real bro, man…"
    show naser neutral flip with dissolve
    Re "If everyone’s ready then let’s get started!"
    show black with fade
    "Soon enough the pizza and booze are passed out and we’re all sitting in the sand around the blazing fire and the weekly top-forty list playing on the speakers."
    play music "audio/OST/Beach Chill Out.ogg" fadein 1.0
    show reed neutral
    show rosa neutral flip
    show stella explanatory flip:
        xalign 1.2 yalign 0.0
    "Everyone is conversating amongst themselves."
    scene d01 with fade
    T "-are totally in! Come on, you’d look great in it!"

    F "No fucking way that’s fucking real! ‘Beach maid’?! Have you been sneaking Reed’s stash again?"

    N "And-and-and another thing!"

    N "Her song wasn’t even that good! *hic*"

    N "Why was it us who gets *hic*, gets the short end of the stick?!"

    Nas "I mean, I mean, I liked it…"

    N "You’ve said that a dozen times already…"

    Re "Y’know, I’m something of a gardener myself."

    Ro "Oh! Really? You should have joined the gardening club back at school, we had the loveliest little poppy bed."

    Re "Poppies, you say? The coincidences keep piling up, don’t they…"

    St "-And the robots are powered by their blood! Super cool right?!"

    "Oh right, Stella was talking to me. Forgot why I was zoning out for a bit."

    A "Sure, yeah."

    St "Great, I’ll get my copy and we can watch it at your place sometime."

    St "Oh! Bring Fang too! She’d love this movie too!"

    "Did I just agree to something?"

    St "Oh, oh! Enough about Escaflowne, I want to show you something neat!"

    "She brings a small box from her front pocket."

    St "I got a new set of tarot cards! You want to be the first to use them?"

    A "I don’t see why not."

    "Stella shifts to a criss-cross position and fans out all the cards for me to pick from."

    "I pull one out and turn it over."

    A "The lovers…?"

    "The illustration depicts a human and pterosaur in embrace."

    "I raise an eyebrow at Stella."

    St "What’s that look for?"

    A "Oh come on."

    St "Oh, you know, the heart of the cards and all that."

    St "Go ahead and keep that one."

    "I sigh and tuck the card into my jacket pocket."

    A "You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

    "Stella’s not-so-innocent smile tells me all I need to know."

    Ro "I think it’s so cute!"

    "Rosa and Reed apparently finished their botanical conversation and were listening in on Stella’s entire ‘fortune’."

    Re "Ooh! Do me next, man."
    #show stella unimpressed flip with dissolve

    St "Maybe later, Reed."

    "Reed deflates a bit and my attention returns to the inebriated couple behind him."

    #show anon neutral flip with dissolve

    A "What did you even give Naser to get them that wasted?"

    "Reed glances behind him before throwing his head back in laughter."

    Re "Little party trick, bro…"

    "He grabs one of Naser’s empty cans and tosses it in my lap."

    "Holding it up to the light, I barely make out the words ‘NON ALCOHOLIC’ written in microscopic font."

    A "So you mean they’re-"

    Re "Totally sober, dude."

    "It’s my turn to laugh at the pair making fools of themselves when Fang suddenly gets up and starts walking towards the parked cars."

    #show anon neutral with dissolve

    F "Got something I want to do, be right back."

    #hide fang with moveoutright

    "I give her a smile and turn back to Reed."

    Re "We can still mess with them, man. Watch this."

    Re "Hey Naser! What’s your plan now that you’re, like, out of school?"

    "The two virgin drunks turn their attention to us, Naser clearly ‘deep’ in thought."

    Nas "Aw, man, like… I’m gonna be- gonna go and be a nur- nyros- sturgon."

    #show naomi neutral with dissolve

    N "My bad boy’s soooooooooo smart!"

    "Gross."

    "I lean towards Reed and lower my voice."

    #show anon neutral flip with dissolve

    A "Should we tell them?"

    Re "Nah, dude. Naomi’s having fun for like, the first time ever."

    A "...So tomorrow then?"

    Re "Definitely tomorrow, bro."

    "Reed lets out a sigh and turns back towards me."

    Re "So, like, for real though... what are you gonna do now that school’s over, man?"

    menu:

     "Go to college":

      A "Well… Spears convinced me to send out a couple application letters for college."

      A "I’m thinking of doing something with music… maybe becoming a sound engineer?"

     "Not certain just yet":
      A "I’m not sure yet."

      A "I’m thinking of doing something with music… maybe becoming a sound engineer?"

    Re "Oh nice, dude! You can be the band’s sound technician when you’re done!"

    #show reed explanatory with dissolve:
    #   xalign -0.55

    A "Yeah, something like that… What about you?"

    Re "Me? Flow with the go, dude. Like the dinos of old, gotta get in sync with the universe first, y’know?"

    A "Riiiight. What about-"

    T "I’m gonna get my cosmetologist license and open my own horn salon!"

    "The miniature triceratops bursts out from the other side of the bonfire, catching me off guard."

    T "We’ll do hair and horns and piercings and- oh! Engravings too! Fang even said-"

    F "That I’d be your first customer, I’ve told you a million times by now"

    "Fang returns from wherever it is she went, now carrying an object in her hands."
    #show fang neutral flip with moveinright:
    #     xalign 0.45

    "The flickering light of the bonfire is enough to illuminate the cover of the school yearbook she’s holding."

    "Without a word she walks in front of us, conspicuously carrying the yearbook right towards-"

    A "You’re not going to burn your yearbook, are you? That thing was like, eighty bucks!"

    F "What? No! How drunk are you, you dork?"

    A "This many."

    "I hold up three fingers, though why is it suddenly nine?"

    "Hmmmm… Gonna need some more beer to fix that."

    F "God, Anon, I was thinking we could all… I dunno… sign it? I saw a lot of others doing that."

    A "Oh…"

    "I always thought it was a silly tradition."

    "I think back to all the yearbooks I have back home."

    "And how they’re all blank inside the cover."

    "Totally just a silly tradition."

    F "Why else would I even have one of these things?"

    A "Your mom-"

    F "Aside from my mom."

    T "Me first me first!"

    "Trish is already fumbling through her hoodie pocket for some writing implement."

    Ro "Yes! I would love to, Fang!"

    St "Oh I know exactly what to write! First let me do a palm reading!"

    Re "Heh… I’ll sign it too."

    N "WOOOOOOOOOO!"

    "The yearbook makes its way around the fire, each of us leaving some meaningful message on it’s inside covers."

    "I’m the last to receive the book and I look at what each of our friends wrote."

    "{i}You’ll always be my best friend, no matter what happens, Lucy. - Trish{/i}"

    "Lucy? Heh, nah, Fang will always be Fang to me."

    "{i}Stay frosty. - Reed{/i}"

    "Wow, he even drew King Rex, complete with ‘fire breathing’."

    "{i}Even the most wilted flower flourishes under God’s light. -Rosa{/i}"

    "I think reading that one counts for my next few church visits. Amen, Raptor Jesus."

    "{i}The future is something that you build by yourself. - Stella{/i}"

    "So close to kneecapping her with this book. Fuckin’ Sailor Moon."

    "I can’t decipher either Naser or Naomi’s. Naser’s looks like a bunch of chicken scratched scribbles, while Naomi’s looks like her chickens went to college and got a doctorate."

    F "Anon? Hellooooo. You’ve been staring at the page for the past five minutes."

    A "Right right. Just uh… thinking of what to put."

    "Okay, Anon, something meaningful. Something that’ll remind Fang of you every time she reads it."

    #show anon neutral flip with dissolve

    $ renpy.input("What will you write?")

    "Perfect."

    "I hand the yearbook to Fang."

    "She skims the page and then shakes her head."

    F "Really Anon? You’re such a dweeb."

    A "It was very fitting if you ask me."

    "As the night draws on and the temperature falls we move closer to the fire."

    "My fingers find themselves interlocked with Fang’s, and her wing drapes over my shoulder as a natural blanket."

    "I can’t help but smile as we slowly drift off to sleep around the campfire."

    "I can regret the hangover tomorrow, right now I want to just enjoy the night with my friends."

    "..."
    stop music fadeout 1.0
    scene black with fade
    label tink:
    "-Six months later-"

    play music "audio/OST/Appreciating the Moment.ogg" fadein 1.0
    "After prom night and graduation life slowed down."

    "I’ve been accepted to a college a few states away for a degree in sound engineering."

    "No worries about school except for the lunch card I still had to pay back."

    "Moe had been kind enough to give me a summer job to help with that."

    "Though I don’t think I can talk about some of the things I’ve seen."

    "I’ll never be able to look at marinara the same way."

    "But pasta-based trauma aside, it’s now the day after Christmas."

    "I’m sitting in my bed, looking through one of my favorite presents."

    "Fang’s mom was right, I am happy about all those photos."

    "As I look through the scrapbook spread across my lap I can’t help but reminisce about the best year of my life."

    F "*SSSSNRRRRRRK*"

    "I have to contain my laugh, but Fang looks ridiculously cute curled up beside me in my bed."

    "Curled up around my pillow, suckling on her thumb."

    "And my present to her still hung around securely on her neck."

    "I go back to the scrapbook, enjoying the memories I’ve shared with my friends."

    "And to think I wanted to stay a loner when I first got here."

    "*Beep boop beep*"

    "*VRRRRRRRRRMMMM*"

    F "‘M UP!"

    play music "audio/OST/west_coast_kicking.ogg" fadein 1.0
    "The loud noise of Trish’s present makes Fang bolt upright."

    A "OOF!"

    "And sends me tumbling onto Reed’s present."
    scene room anon day with dissolve
    "The new Metal Gear RAYmba Mk.II bumps against my face, turns, and continues eating the crumbs off my new carpet."

    "Even from the floor I can say that both were really thoughtful gifts."

    "Reed was right, the carpet really helped to tie the room together."

    F "...Anon? You here?"

    A "On the floor."

    "Fang’s face appears over the edge of my bed."

    F "Why are you on the floor?"

    A "...Yoga?"

    F "Riiiiight."

    show anon neutral at aleft with moveinbottom

    "I sit up from the floor and shiver."
    "Volcadera Bluffs may not get snow, but the cold air and the ocean definitely make the town cold as shit."

    "I crawl back on to my bed and try to find my spot that I warmed."

    A "Fang you stole my warm spot!"

    "In fact she’s taken up the entire bed. Her wings are spread wide and all of my blanket has been piled over her."

    F "Mine!"

    A "Come on, you gonna let your boyfriend freeze?"

    F "Yes."

    A "That’s just cold of you."

    "She groans at my pun but acquiesces, holding open the blanket and shuffling over."

    F "Hurry up! You’re letting the warm escape."

    "I slide into the blanket next to her, my arms automatically wrapping around Fang’s waist and drawing her against my chest."
    hide anon neutral dissolve
    scene black with fade

    F "Mmmm."

    "Her beak rubs against me as she hums."

    "Aw yes. Cuddles. Best way to spend a cold day."

    F "Damn right."

    "I chuckle and reach for the scrapbook."

    F "You’re looking at that again?"

    A "...Yeah?"

    "Her face glows a soft pink in embarrassment."

    A "D’aaaaawww… Someone’s embarrassed."

    F "And someone is about to be on the floor again."

    "*VRRRRRM* *Beep boop beep*"

    F "I think Mark Two would like the company."

    A "Sheesh, you’re always so grouchy in the morning."

    "I laugh even as her elbow digs into my chest."

    "Fang crawls on top of me and puts all her weight down on my lungs."

    "I only laugh more."

    "Not like Fang can do what a staircase could."

    F "Stop. Cuddles now. Scrapbook later."

    A "Hahahahalright. Cuddles it is."

    "She squeals when I roll us on to our side, bringing us face to face."

    "I can feel my own face glow as warm as hers, but I also have the same smile as her too."

    "I place a chaste kiss on the end of her snoot, eliciting some giggles from Fang."

    F "What did I say about that."

    A "Bout what?"

    F "Kissing that!"

    A "Mmmm gonna need to be more specific."

    F "Kissing my nose!"

    A "Oh! You mean this!"

    "I kiss her snoot again."

    F "Ugh, stop messing with the snoot."

    "I chuckle again."

    F "Fuck!"

    A "I made you say it."

    F "Fucking insufferable."

    "I kiss the snoot one final time and get another elbow as my reward."

    F "In.suf.fer.a.ble."

    "I snatch the scrapbook at last."

    "Fang groans and hides her face in my chest."

    F "Why do you like that thing so much?"

    A "Because your mom was right."

    "Fang groans again."

    A "Come on, there’s some embarrassing pics of me in here too."

    F "Like you making out with an anime girl again?"

    A "Okay not that embarrassing."

    "I turn onto my back and Fang adjusts herself to lean on my shoulder."

    play music "audio/OST/appreciating_the_scenery.ogg" fadein 1.0
    "The rest of our morning is spent cuddled in my bed, going through the scrapbook together."

    "When lunchtime rolls around, I have to face reality and make something to eat."

    "Especially since no restaurant in the city will deliver to this neighborhood."

    A "Alas, I must leave the warmth of the bed to make lunch."

    A "...This is gonna suck."

    F "Wear the thing."

    A "I’d rather just carry the blanket around."

    F "Mine."

    A "Pfeh."

    "I reach under the bed to retrieve the bag I tried hiding, and I pull out the jacket from within."

    "Two expertly stitched gorilla heads stare back at me, with the text ‘MNKY 4 LYF’ embroidered in gold thread."

    "I still don’t know if Naser is racist or if he really is just that clueless."

    A "This is great."

    F "It looks freaking fantastic, I don’t know why you don’t want to wear it."

    A "And you don’t see anything wrong with this?"

    F "Nope."

    A "...You realize last month was Homo History Month, right?" #lol homo

    F "What’s that have to do with an ugly jacket?"

    "I’ll sue them later."

    A "Alright, here I go."
    scene room anon day
    "I zip the abomination on and step out of bed, the wall of cold stinging my toes."
    show anon monkey at aleft with dissolve
    A "Carbonara sound good?"

    F "Why do you make it so weird? Most people just use tomato sauce."

    hide anon with moveoutright
    A "...Don’t ask questions you aren’t prepared to know the answer to."

    "I crack four eggs, separating the yolk from the whites and saving them in a tupperware for later."

    "Maybe a simple custard pudding for dessert later."

    "I grab some bacon, cheese and milk from the fridge, grating a healthy handful of cheese into the yolks and mixing with a splash of milk before dicing the bacon."

    "Boiling some water in the kettle to save time, I measure out the appropriate amount of spaghetti and toss it in the pot with the water and some salt before grabbing a pan and setting it on the stove."

    F "Stop acting like you’re on the cooking channel, Anon."

    "I start frying the bacon to render out the fat before adding in some pre-chopped garlic, sauteing until it’s fragrant."

    "When the bacon turns crispy, just in time for the spaghetti to finish cooking, I remove the pan from the heat while throwing in some of the pasta water to bring down the temperature."


    "The final step was to add the yolks, cheese and milk to the bacon and garlic with some more pasta water and toss it with the spaghetti until it all came together as a creamy, salty and delicious lunch."

    "All in less than ten minutes."

    A "It’s all ready."

    A "Alright, RAYmba, nap time."

    A "Move to the rug so we can eat."

    show fang christmas neutral at sleft with dissolve

    "Fang grumbles and starts shifting in the bed, so I turn my attention to making the plates."

    show anon monkey flip at aright

    "I grab a few sodas from the fridge and place everything on the new rug for an indoor picnic setup."

    "Fang’s moved from being wrapped up on the bed to being wrapped up on the rug, laying on her stomach."

    "Her feet wagging back and forth in a pair of plush green dino slippers." #we had a guy on our dev team who had a fetish for massive animal slippers, I blame him for this line.

    A "Better hurry, in this weather this’ll get cold in minutes."

    A "Then again, the computer’s right there, I could always try running the snootcoin miner." #based;snoot coin on the ETH network will come out soon

    F "That sounds like it’ll only work once."

    A "True."

    "We both start eating the pasta."

    "While I take the classic approach of just slurping the noodles, Fang has a harder time and resorts to just twisting the fork around and eating a whole clump at once."

    A "You plan on enjoying any?"

    show fang christmas happy with dissolve

    F "It’sh good. Like the uh, cheese."

    A "Why thank you."

    "Eventually lunch is reduced to greasy plates and crushed soda cans."

    show fang christmas neutral

    "Fang moves her trash aside and rests in her arms."
    A "Oh, I just remembered."

    A "I have something else for you."

    F "Another christmas present?"

    A "You’ll see."

    "I take my phone from my pocket and lay it face-up on the carpet."

    F "Your phone?"

    A "Hold on."

    "From under my bed, RAYmba Mk1 hums to life and instinctively makes a beeline for the phone."

    "It struggles a bit due to the small package strapped around it like it’s a pack mule."

    "Fang has to raise her arm after it bumps into her to let it pass."

    "It reaches my phone and starts happily scraping the dust from it."

    show fang christmas happy

    F "Impressive."

    F "You get Reed to make it do that for you?"

    A "Maybe, however..."

    A "That’s not what I wanted to show you."

    scene d02a with fade

    "I remove the small package from the robot and hand it to Fang."

    A "Go ahead."

    "She examines the box carefully before removing the paper packaging."

    "Sliding the box open reveals an amber pendant on a silver chain."

    scene d02b

    "I take the necklace from the box and hold it up for both of us to inspect."

    "As the amber dangles in the air, it catches the light from outside and glows the same brilliant orange as her eyes."

    F "Anon… it’s beautiful."

    A "Here."

    scene black with fade

    "I take the pendant from her hands and hold it open to put around Fang’s neck."

    "She holds her hair up for my hands to reach across."

    "I try to fumble with the clasp, it’s a bit tricky with the wings getting in the way…"

    "The tip of her beak is mere centimeters from my face."

    F "..."

    A "..."

    A "...There."

    scene d02c with fade

    "Fang lets her hair down again and holds up the pendant."

    F "This is… thank you, Anon."

    A "The moment I saw it, I knew it would have been the perfect present."

    F "Speaking of presents…"
    scene room anon day
    show anon monkey flip at aright
    show fang pendant happy at sleft
    with fade
    "She gestures her snout to the ukulele resting against the corner of the room."

    F "You gonna try playing that?"

    A "I could, yeah."

    F "Do uh... do that song I taught you."

    "I happily oblige and rip off the bow still wrapped around the small instrument."

    A "I’m not singing for you, you know that, right?"

    "Fang giggles as I begin plucking away at the tiny little strings, producing a very familiar melody."
    "She starts thumbing her new pendant absentmindedly."
    "My shrill rendition more resembled that first time Fang played it on the rooftop than her energetic performance at prom."

    "Despite my occasional fumbling, it still possesses that same nostalgic tone it always had."

    "When Fang begins humming along, I soon find myself joining in to make the song sound complete."

    "I wish moments like these could last forever."

    "But just like the music in the air, they always do and before long we reach the end of the song."

    "A comfortable silence fills the room after the notes fade."

    F "...I love that song."

    A "I hope so, you wrote it after all."

    F "Yeah, but you know we-"

    show fang pendant shock with dissolve

    "Her thought is interrupted by a knock at the door."

    show fang pendant neutral with dissolve

    F "You expecting company?"

    "I give her a puzzled look in return before getting up and heading to the door."

    show anon monkey with dissolve

    "My momentary fear of it being a potential addict or murderer are quelled upon opening the door, revealing-"

    A "Principal Spears? What are you doing here?"
    show anon monkey with move:
        xalign 0.7
    show spears neutral flip behind anon with moveinright:
        xalign 1.3
    "Our ex-principal is squeezed into the narrow hallway, holding a delicately wrapped gift in his hands."

    Sp "Anon, I trust that you had a good Christmas?"

    Sp "Normally I wouldn’t visit a former student like this, but I intend on making light of my offer during the school year."

    "He extends the gift towards me and I cautiously accept, beginning to open the wrapping paper."

    "Inside is a box set of some anime I’ve never heard of before."

    A "...’Rurouni Kenshin’?"

    show spears happy flip with dissolve

    Sp "As I said, I am always open to giving some quality anime suggestions."

    Sp "I think you’ll find this quite enjoyable."

    A "I, uh… thank you, Principal Spears."

    "Spears gives a fatherly smile as I shake his hand."

    Sp "I hope you and Fang enjoy the rest of your holidays."

    A "Thanks, yeah. I’ve had fun exchanging gifts with my friends."

    Sp "I can see you’re wearing a new jacket now-"

    show spears neutral flip with dissolve

    "He stares with a certain thinly veiled disgust creeping on his face."

    Sp "Anon, I get that we live in a postracial world and all…"

    Sp "But come on, have a little pride in yourself."

    show fang pendant happy with dissolve

    "Fang struggles to keep her laughter in behind me."

    A "No it’s cool, Mister Spears."

    A "I’m taking monkey back."

    show spears happy flip

    Sp "If you say so."

    Sp "At any rate, I shouldn’t keep you too long."

    A "You sure? I have some leftover lunch if you want to stick around a bit."

    Sp "I really appreciate the offer, but I have my own plans for lunch with my family."

    A "Alright. Thanks again for stopping by."

    play music "audio/OST/Appreciating her Company.ogg" fadein 1.0
    Sp "Had to do it at least once before you leave next month."

    Sp "Be seeing you. Fang."

    "Fang throws a handwave back at him."

    hide spears with dissolve

    "Spears clambers out the door and shuts it behind him, leaving just Fang and I in the room again."
    show fang pendant sad with dissolve
    F "... That’s right, you’re leaving next month…"

    "Fang curls up in the blanket."

    show anon monkey flip with dissolve

    A "...Yeah…"

    "I sit next to her on the ground and wrap an arm around her shoulder."

    F "Do you really have to go?"

    F "Can’t you just go to community college here in the city?"

    A "You’ve seen the acceptance letter, Fang."

    A "I got a scholarship to stay there at a fraction of the cost. I can’t just pass that up."

    F "But five years?"

    A "You got plans of your own, don’t you?"

    F "Yeah. So…"

    A "So…"

    F "We’re still gonna talk."

    A "Obviously."

    F "But…"

    "Fang takes a deep breath."

    F "I’m not doing a distant relationship."

    "Oh…"

    "Oh wow…"

    A "Is this a break up?"

    "Because ow, my fucking heart."

    show fang pendant neutral

    "Fang shakes her head from side to side slowly."

    "Oh thank fuck."

    F "I don’t want to break up, Anon."

    F "But I was thinking…"

    F "You’ve been helping me ever since you got here."

    A "Yeah, and you’ve helped me too."

    F "I know."

    F "But you’re leaving for college."

    F "So…"

    F "I… Want to do some thinking."

    A "More thinking? Wow, that’s new for you."

    "The plastic plate bounces off my head harmlessly."

    show fang pendant happy with dissolve

    F "...Ass…"

    "Fang giggles as I fake like I’m on a soccer pitch."

    show fang pendant neutral with dissolve

    F "I want to do more thinking. Self-reflecting."

    F "This entire year has been one of the best in my life."

    F "And I want more of them like this."

    F "But with you gone I gotta make them good on my own, ya know?"

    A "I get you."

    "I pull Fang closer, my chin resting atop her head."

    A "So, not breaking up."

    F "No, just…"

    A "A break?"

    "She giggles again."

    show fang pendant happy with dissolve

    F "Yeah. A break sounds right. Not breaking up, just taking a break."

    A "Plus, I’m not leaving for a few weeks."

    "Fang perks up."

    F "True. That’s a few weeks to cram in all the cuddles I’ll be missing."

    A "Cuddles or cuddles?"

    "Fang’s grin is just shy of mischievous."

    F "On the bed. Now. I’m collecting on those cuddles right now."

    A "Yes ma’am."

    scene black with fade
    stop music fadeout 4.0
    pause 6
    "..."

    return