SnootGameItalian/game/script/8.anon-and-fang-study-together.rpy

label chapter_8:
    scene black with fade
    #Study Session

    play music 'audio/OST/Bayside Bumming it.ogg' fadein 1.0
    "-A Few Weeks Later-"

    scene bandroom

    "Things have cooled off since the concert back in February."

    "There’s no major events coming up, so the days have gotten longer."

    "The weather has started to warm up as well."

    "Each morning I’ve been walking through a thick blanket of fog that always dissipates by lunchtime."

    "It’s a drastic shift compared to the hot/cold binary of fly-over life."

    "Maybe I should ditch the jacket soon…"

    "No, there’s no way I’m showing the world just how much of a lanklet I am."

    "Even if it means being grilled alive."

    show fang happy at sleft with dissolve

    F "Geez, Anon, you look like you’re dying right now."

    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve

    A "The sun… can go… fuck itself…"

    "Fang chuckles and pats my back as I lean over my desk."

    "On second thought, tank tops seem cool. Reed is usually wearing one."

    show jingo at sleft

    jingo "Alright class, the Principal’s got something to say, then you’ll be leavin’ early."

    hide jingo

    "With that we were all directed to the auditorium."

    scene auditorium with dissolve

    "We didn’t have assigned seating, so I immediately thought of sitting with Fang."

    "Knowing better than to look through the ocean of students, I follow my nose to Reed."

    "The fetid raptor was sitting in the very last row with Trish."

    show reed sunglasses at scenter with dissolve

    Re "YOOOOO!"

    "Reed’s bellow easily eclipses everyone else."

    "I wave back, hurrying past my awestruck classmates to claim my rightful throne."

    Re "‘Ey guys… saved ya some seats."

    "I take a glance over to see Trish pouting."

    T "Fuck, he found us."

    "The last students trickle in through the doors and take their seats."
    scene auditorium
    "Mr. Carldewskii takes the stage with an electronic mic."

    show carldelewski at scenter with moveinright

    carl "Alright, frickin’ settle down kids. We got a special frickin’ announcement from the frickin’ principal."

    carl "We got frickin’ midterms coming up soon, and he frickin’ feels the need to give all of you a frickin’ pep talk."

    "The audience collectively groans."

    "Fang and Trish throw their heads back."

    play music 'audio/OST/we just turned on the microphone in our programmers_ house.ogg' fadein 1.0
    "On cue, Principal Spears takes the stage."

    "Mr. Carldewskii holds the microphone out to him but gets ignored."

    "The student body covers their ears in preparation."

    hide carldelewski with dissolve
    show spears neutral at scenter with moveinleft

    show spears angry with dissolve

    Sp "ALRIGHT YOU LITTLE PUNKS."

    Sp "LIKE THE MAN SAID, WE HAVE MIDTERMS TO DEAL WITH IN JUST A FEW WEEKS."

    Sp "AND I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOU SLACKING, ONLY THE BEST EFFORTS WILL BE ALLOWED."

    Sp "THESE SCORES MAY NOT AFFECT YOUR OVERALL GRADE, SO MANY OF YOU MAY DECIDE TO DISREGARD THEM."

    Sp "IT’S A WEAK MINDSET LIKE THAT THAT CAN AND WILL TRAP YOU!"

    Sp "THESE TESTS ARE FOR YOU TO SEE IF YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK OR NOT!"

    Sp "I EXPECT YOU ALL TO ACE THESE EXAMS BECAUSE VOLCANO HIGH IS THE BEST SCHOOL THERE IS!"

    Sp "AND I TEACH THE BEST STUDENTS THERE ARE, HERE AT VOLCANO HIGH!"

    Sp "ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?"

    "Judging by the dead silence, there wasn’t any."
    hide spears angry
    show spears neutral at scenter with dissolve

    show carldelewski at sright with moveinright

    stop music fadeout 1.0
    "The principal gives a single approving nod and exits stage right."

    carl "Alright you kids, you’re free to frikin' go."

    hide spears with dissolve
    hide carldelewski with dissolve

    play music 'audio/effects/chatter loop.ogg' fadein 1.0
    "With that the sea of students begins to funnel out of the auditorium."

    "The four of us wait until the auditorium is half empty before getting up and making our way to the door."

    play music 'audio/OST/The Hunt for more (You)s.ogg' fadein 1.0
    "Our motley crew make it to the front lawn of the school and Reed falls flat on his back in the freshly mowed grass."

    scene outside school with fade
    show fang neutral at sleft
    show anon neutral:
       xalign 0.3 yalign 1
    show trish neutral at tcenter
    show reed neutral at sright

    Re "Later guys."

    hide reed
    show reed neutral flip at sright
    hide reed neutral flip with moveoutleft
    show trish neutral at tright with move
    hide trish
    show trish neutral flip at tright
    show anon neutral at acenter with move
    "His breathing becomes a rumbling snore."

    T "So Fang, you actually gonna study?"

    F "Mmmm…"

    T "We can go to the library, there shouldn’t be anyone there."

    A "Eh, I don’t think I’m allowed there anymore. Wasted too much bandwidth."

    "Fuck using my own data to pirate all these games I’ll probably never play."

    T "I wasn’t asking you, douche."

    F "I kind of just wanna go home."

    T "...Kay… Talk to ya later Fang."

    F "Yeah… Later…"

    T "Fuck you Anon."

    A "I didn’t even do anything this time!"

    hide trish neutral flip with moveoutleft

    "Tch. Fuck her."

    A "Whatever. See you monday, Fang."

    show anon neutral:
         linear 0.3 xalign 0.9

    "Before I can turn away Fang’s hand catches the sleeve of my unnecessary sweater."

    hide anon neutral
    show anon neutral flip:
        xalign 0.9

    F "A-actually… I was thinking…"

    A "Hmm?"

    "Fang’s grip loosens on my arm, leaving her hand to rest on my forearm."

    F "Wanna like, study at my place? I uh… kinda need help… with science."

    A "Suuurrrreewaaait. Wouldn’t your dad make me into a hunting trophy?"

    F "I don’t think you’re that good of a catch."

    "Ow. My ego."

    F "Besides, he’s working a late shift tonight and my mom should be out clothes shopping or something. Again."

    "It’s okay Anon, you’re just going to Fang’s house."

    "Alone."

    "♪ Just the two of us. ♪"

    "Bill Withers shut the fuck up holy fuck AAAAAAAA."

    A "Okay then. So how are we gonna get to your place?"

    F "Shit! The bus! We can make it to the last one if we run!"

    "OH GO FUCK YOURSELF BILL WITHERS."
    hide fang neutral
    show fang neutral flip at sleft
    hide fang neutral flip with moveoutleft
    hide anon neutral with moveoutleft

    scene black with fade

    "We make a mad dash to the last bus."

    "I’m sweating like hell by the time we get there, made worse by the fact I’m still wearing my jacket."

    "Still must not take off."

    "Must not expose skeleton arms."

    scene home fang day

    "After a little while of being simultaneously fried alive and bathed in sweat, we finally make it to Fang’s place."

    "I obviously thank the bus driver again."

    "Wait. Alone with Fang? At her place?"

    "Bill Withers begins to blare inside my head again God just fuck off FUCK."

    scene home fang day

    F "Come on, Anon. We can study in my room."

    "Fang’s room?"

    "Oh, man, it’s been a while since I’ve noticed the alarms."

    A "S-sure! Lead the way."

    "Fang climbs the steps while I trail behind, weary of any hidden fathers laying in wait to ambush me."

    scene black with fade

    "She holds a door open to a pitch-black room, and I tentatively step in."

    F "Aaaaah, home sweet home."
    scene fangroom

    "Fang flips on the lights and I’m not quite sure what I expected."

    "The black walls are covered with various band posters, the spaces in between covered by what I assume are lyric ideas written in chalk."

    "A few guitar stands and a keyboard in the corner below a non-binary flag hanging on the wall."

    "Fang throws her bag off to the side and picks up a guitar, strumming a few chords."

    "I plant my hands in my pockets nonchalantly, looking around for a chair or something."

    show fang neutral at sleft with dissolve
    show anon neutral flip at aright with dissolve

    F "Just sit on the floor, dweeb."

    A "Wow, not even a beanbag chair?"

    A "What kind of lazy teenager are you?"

    F "The kind that has expendable guitars in arm’s reach."

    A "Fair enough."

    "I use my backpack as a makeshift backrest."

    A "What’s the guitar for, anyways?"

    F "Playing music."

    A "I mean, aren’t we supposed to be studying?"

    A "Or are we doing music first?"

    hide anon
    hide fang
    show fangguitar
    with dissolve

    F "Uhm… This is just how I get ready for studying."

    F "Strumming along puts me at ease."

    "Fang picks up a spare guitar pick from a shelf."

    "She begins playing a short riff that I recognize from one of VVURM DRAMA’s songs, smiling and relaxing as she goes on."

    "Like my own personal concert."

    "When the song is finished, Fang gives an expectant glance my way."

    "I smile and give a tasteful nod."

    F "You wanna try?"

    "Fang takes off the guitar strap and extends it for me to play."

    "I’m not sure what she expects me to do but I could give it a shot."

    "Though aren’t we supposed to be studying for midterms?"

    Sp "{i}{alpha=0.5}THESE SCORES MAY NOT AFFECT YOUR OVERALL GRADE, SO MANY OF YOU MAY DECIDE TO DISREGARD THEM.{/alpha}{/i}"

    Sp "{i}{alpha=0.5}IT’S A WEAK MINDSET LIKE THAT THAT CAN AND WILL TRAP YOU!{/alpha}{/i}"

    Sp "{i}{alpha=0.5}THESE TESTS ARE FOR YOU TO SEE IF YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK OR NOT!{/alpha}{/i}"

    "..."
    stop music fadeout 1.0
    "Is it really alright to slack off?"

    menu:
        "Play The Guitar":
            jump LetFangPlayGuit
        "Get to Studying":
            jump GetStartedOnStudy


    label LetFangPlayGuit:
        $ fangscore += 1

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

        A "Er… why not."


        "I take the guitar from her hands and put the strap on, letting its weight hang from my shoulder."

        "Fang hands me the pick and I aimlessly strum the guitar, the mess of a noise sounding a far cry from her elegant playing."

        "Well I tried."

        F "Here, like this."
        hide fangguitar
        show fanganonguitar
        with dissolve
        "Fang grabs another guitar and motions me to copy her hand movements."
        "I try to mimic her hands on the fretboard but it feels like my fingers are twisting into pretzels."
        F "Not like that, your hand’s gonna get cramped as fuck like that."

        "Fang sets her guitar down on a stand and comes over to me."

        F "Holy fuck no wonder you sound like a horny cougar."

        A "Wait, like the cat or-"

        F "Here, like this."

        "Her hand covers mine as she tries to readjust the position of it."

        F "No like- Gah stop fighting back!"

        A "Ow hey- Quite tha- OW!"

        F "Oh my fuck, Anon. Just relax your hand!"

        "I would if I could but the god damned alarms weren’t freaking me out!"

        F "UUUUUUUURG… Hold on."

        A "Wha-"

        "Fang walks behind me."

        F "Don’t turn around!"

        A "Why-"
        stop music fadeout 1.0
        "She’s standing right behind me!"

        "She’s standing RIGHT THE FUCK BEHIND ME!"

        "Her body presses against my back and her arms come around, each of her hands taking my own and guiding them into proper position."

        "..."

        "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
        play music 'audio/OST/Dragging on and on....ogg' fadein 1.0

        F "Anon, are you paying attention?"

        A "Y-yeah! Totally!"

        "I hope my voice didn’t just crack."

        "Fang’s hands move mine along the neck of the guitar."

        F "Alright, try these chords."

        "Her fingers press mine down, holding down the strings in an awkward position."

        F "Then this."

        "My hands are slid down closer to the base of the neck and too close to my crotch."

        F "And then finally this."

        "My fingers are shifted back up to the middle of the fretboard."

        F "Try that out, Anon."

        "Fang let’s go of my sweaty hands. She doesn’t move from behind me though."

        "I try and replicate the movements."

        "The first strum sounds… not bad…"

        "The second note is horrendous. I blame my pants."

        "And the last chord comes out alrightish."

        F "Now do it all together."

        "I repeat the pattern and it comes out all sounding alrightish."

        F "Again."

        "Oh hey, that didn’t sound too bad now."

        F "You’re getting it now."

        A "Am I? I have no clue what these chords are?"

        "I keep strumming, each time progressively sounding better and better."

        F "Now try playing chords of your own."

        A "My own..? I thought you were showing me how to play a song."

        F "I’m teaching you how to play guitar you dork."

        "I reposition my fingers and try something new, producing several more horrid sounds from the instrument."
        stop music fadeout 1.0
        "My pinky slides off the fretboard and when I strum again a strange look appears in Fang’s eyes."
        label musicalchoices:
        menu:
            "Slap the guitar":
                play sound "audio/effects/badA.ogg"
                F "Pfft hahahaha, wow you suck at this."
                jump musicalchoices
            "Try Something Cool":
                play sound "audio/effects/goodA.ogg"
                F "Wow that was really pretty."
                A "Really?"
                F "Pretty shit."
                jump musicalchoices
            "Keep it simple":
                play sound "audio/effects/correctA.ogg"
                F "Hmm. Interesting, keep going."
        menu:
            "Jam out hard":
                play sound "audio/effects/badB.ogg"
                F "You {i}really{/i} suck at this."
                jump musicalchoices
            "Strum with confidence":
                play sound "audio/effects/correctB.ogg"
                F "That’s pretty good."
                F "Don’t stop you idiot, keep going."
            "Keep a soft tone":
                play sound "audio/effects/goodB.ogg"
                F "C’mon Anon, you can do better."
                jump musicalchoices
        menu:
            "Press this button or else your mother dies in her sleep":
                play sound "audio/effects/badC.ogg"
                F "Oh come on now, impress me."
                jump musicalchoices
            "Try to impress":
                play sound "audio/effects/goodC.ogg"
                F "Nah… That’s not it, but you’re getting there."
                jump musicalchoices
            "Play something random":
                play sound "audio/effects/correctC.ogg"
                F "I like this."

        F "Play that one again for me, will you?"

        "I oblige, and repeat notes several times."

        "Fang’s tail starts wagging along with my strumming, turning into her usual metronome."

        F "...Wait..."

        "She takes the guitar from me and sits on the edge of her bed, toying with the chord I was strumming."

        F "I... I think I’ve figured that song out, Anon."

        play music 'audio/OST/Amberlight Brilliance - Demo.ogg' fadein 1.0

        "Her tail slaps a simple beat on her mattress as she slowly builds up a rhythm in her strumming."

        "Her head bobs along, wings relaxing as the guitar’s tone starts picking up."

        "The song borne from the guitar was mesmerizing."

        "It started soft, with gentle tumbling trills, a slow jam at first, but eventually it grew into something more."

        "The crescendo crossing the strings reshaped the music, the transformation into a weightier rock piece was seamless."

        "More than just fingers and a pick, it was as if Fang put her entire life’s effort into this."

        "Thinking back, she must have made countless songs like this, most of them never heard by anyone and left forgotten."

        "She soon started to hum with the song she was playing, harmony and melancholy blending with the melody,"

        "As Fang poured her very being into that instrument in her hands it dawned on me what this was."

        "A lyricless ballad."

        "An instrumental aria."

        "Musical notes that bore the weight of words she couldn’t define."

        "All of which sounded beautiful, melding together into a harsh yet intoxicating piece of dissonant serenity,"

        stop music fadeout 1.0

        "Eventually she started to diminuendo, the fading softness of strings and harshness in her humming as she slowly laid the guitar to rest."

        "The music had stopped but her own emotions warred on."

        "Fang sat there, looking down at her guitar realizing she showed me something she had never shown anyone before."

        "Fang bit back tears, fighting the sob that threatened to spill from her."

        "She sets her guitar down and slouches, rubbing her eyes and trying to repress her inner turmoil."

        "Instinct pushes me to my feet, carrying me forward to the vulnerable girl sat on plush duvets."

        "All that matters is her."

        "The part of me that felt scared at that thought, that wanted to remain isolated in my comfort zone,"

        "That wanted to pretend that no one else mattered,"

        "That part was ejected. Forcibly."
        hide fanganonguitar
        show fanganonhug
        with dissolve

        "Fang gasps as I wrap my arms around her."

        F "A-Anon-"

        "The frailty of her voice makes my heart ache."

        A "The song was amazing, Fang."

        "It truly was. Because it was her. Her heart and soul were carried within it. Her very being."

        "My heartfelt words reached her."

        "The dam burst."

        "She felt like a porcelain doll in my arms. Tears of sorrow and relief stain my shirt and wet my chest."

        F "thank you...thank you...thank you..."

        "Unlike the rooftop Fang’s voice was a weak mumble, broken by hiccups and uneasy breaths."

        "My embrace is soft as I cradle her, soothing her with slow rocking."

        "We stayed like this, my arms calming the fragile and spent girl."

        "I have no clue how long it lasts, but Fang is able to compose herself with time."

        "I let her move away, choosing to sit next to her on the soft mattress."

        "Her eyes are puffy and red, and once again her make-up has left tracks of orange and black on her cheeks."

        "And once again she shares with me that smile."

        "But this time I can tell exactly what that soft expression means."

        "Relief."

        F "God Anon, that’s twice now..."

        A "My bad. How are you feeling?"

        F "...I don’t know..."

        "She looks down at the guitar she set aside."

        "I lean over her lap, carefully taking the instrument by its neck and bringing it to my lap."

        A "Can you teach me?"

        F "W-wha-"

        A "The song. Can you teach it to me?"

        "She looks at the guitar and then me. Her surprise slowly turns to happiness."

        F "Sure I can. Hold up a second."

        "She stands from the bed and goes for another one of her guitars."

        "Along the way she grabs a shirt off the floor, using it to wipe her face."

        "When she comes back Fang sits closer than before, our shoulders together."

        F "So, for the opener-"

        "After what feels like hours of back-and-forth to learn guitar, my arms feel like they’re about to fall off."

        "Fang is an unexpectedly patient music teacher."

        "She ends up correcting the same mistakes I make over and over with little more than ‘dweeb’."

        "I ended up calling it quits halfway through the twentieth practice song."

        "By that point my acoustic screeching turned into something that resembles actual music."

        F "You’re no StegoSlash, buuuuut... not half bad for one lesson."

        A "I’ll take it. I fuckin’ suck creatively."

        F "Do you? You made that railgun way back when."

        A "Ah, that, that was just something I read online."

        F "Still managed to make it."

        A "Yeah but that had like, instructions and shit."

        A "Anything that needs imagination and it’s like I’m an epileptic with downs syndrome."

        F "Pffft. What about your word play?"

        "...Not telling her about my shitposting needs…"

        A "That’s the best I can do I guess."

        F "Hmmm…"

        "Fang’s fingers trace along the strings of her waiting guitar."

        F "How bout a jam session?"

        A "J-jam session?"

        "Not that kinda jam session. Fuck."
        A "So what’s the whole pirate princess thing about?"

        "She doesn’t have a candle so I’ll be fine."

        "A guitar pick bounces off my eye."

        A "Gah!"

        F "I told you not to mention that!"

        A "I know, I know, sorry, geez!"

        A "But, really though. What was the deal with that?"

        F "... It’s just… Something that I did sometimes."

        A "What, play pretend? All kids do that."

        F "Yeah, but I mean, this was a bit different."

        F "When I pretended the world seemed so much better."

        F "So I’d end up doing it for months at a time."

        F "Years, even."

        A "But that’s all over now?"

        F "Yeah."

        F "Just embarrassing memories."

        F "Sometimes I do miss it, though."

        F "Being someone new, trying to figure everything out again…"

        Re "{i}Fang wasn’t Fang.{/i}"

        "Hmmm…"

        F "Anyways, go ahead and just try playing."

        "She reaches over and plucks a string on the guitar I'm holding."

        A "Just whatever comes to mind?"
        F "Yeah. Just try and play whatever."
        stop music
        "And then… All hell broke loose."

        show fangdad neutral at scenter with dissolve
        hide fang happy
        show fang shocked at sleft
        FD "What the HELL are you doing here, Anon?"
        play music 'audio/OST/you can_t sage here.ogg' fadein 1.0

        show anonfacecloseup at truecenter

        "Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got in this situation."

        "Well you see, it all started with me here, in the girl I like’s room. "

        "I was learning to play guitar, maybe even getting a little good at it!"

        "Then right out of nowhere, nowhere I tell you…"

        "The scariest motherfucker I have ever seen in my life shows up."

        "Yep, you guessed it, it’s the lady’s dad. No warning or anything!"

        "And he brought his murder weapon."

        "My life flashes before my life and my first thought is: god my life sucks."

        "The Fang bits were pretty cool I guess."

        "I at least hope someone deleted my browser history."

        "Anyways, back to the show."

        show anonfacecloseup at truecenter

        FD "Out. Now."

        "It takes all my strength to prevent my bladder from doing its best Stella impression right about now."

        "I silently head to the door with Judge Dredd to my back, catching a sympathetic glance from Fang on the way out."

        "Walking out the front door, I feel my heart stop as his talon-like nails begin to dig into my shoulder."

        "At that moment I learned a very important lesson."

        "PTERO-CLAWS HURT LIKE CRAP, MAN."

        scene home fang outside night
        show anon neutral at acenter
        show fangdad unimpressed flip behind anon at sright

        FD "The next time I catch you alone with my daughter, I will use your head as a rubix cube."

        hide fangdad unimpressed flip
        show fangdad unimpressed at sright
        hide fangdad unimpressed with moveoutright

        "He gives me a shove off the porch and I hear the door slam behind me."

        stop music fadeout 1.0
        "I can hear her father’s raised voice from here."

        "Sheesh… guy needs like… all the chill pills…"

        "Or maybe some Carfe…"

        "God dammit Reed."

        "I turn away from the luxurious home and walk down the pathway to the sidewalk."

        scene skinrow
        show anon neutral at aleft
        play music 'audio/OST/Skinrow Soul.ogg' fadein 1.0
        "Shit. And things were getting…"

        "Getting…"

        "Argh, I dunno."

        "But like, after Fang’s song she was…"

        "Fucking hell, why are emotions so fucking difficult."

        "As I wait at the bus stop I decide to break down everything that happened."

        "We didn’t study at all."

        "Well, maybe music I guess. Raptor Jesus, Mr. Jingo is a shit teacher compared to her."

        "But really, all I can think about is how she was after that song."

        "I saw something… something…"

        "How do I fucking contextualize it."

        "In the moment I thought I knew."

        "Holding her in my arms…"

        "*Bzzz bzzz*"

        "A text? Shit, that’s rare."

        hide anon neutral
        show anonphone at scenter with moveinbottom

        "Fang: Hey"

        "Fang: About earlier"

        "Fang: Thanks"

        "Fang: For like hanging out"

        "Fang: And sorry about dad"

        "There was a pause, the animated ellipsis showing Fang was writing something longer."

        "Fang: About that song. I wanna work on some lyrics for it."

        "Fang: So like how about we hang out again and write some?"

        "I consider my response thoroughly."

        "Anon: Sure"

        "Another session like that?"

        "I think of Fang, standing behind me, guiding my hands again."

        "My cheeks warm as I recall the feeling of her hands over mine."

        "Fuck… I wonder… how does she feel about me?"

        "I mean, she’s shown me so much of her now."

        "And all the cheek nuzzling."

        "Just like Naser and Naomi."

        "Maybe?"

        "..."

        scene black with fade

        "-Two weeks later-"

        "I’m looking over my final grades for this semester."

        "My science score is barely passing."

        "I want to say it’s because of Fang and mine’s ‘study sessions’."

        "Every time we would try to study it would always become jam sessions or lyric writing."

        "But I wouldn’t have it any other way."

        "Spending more and more time with her was fun."

        "And seeing this side of her."

        "It makes me feel so lightheaded, like I’m floating on clouds."

        "Although the sheet-rope escapes from Fang’s dad were starting to leave serious rugburns on my palms."

        "As a bonus, I aced Music class."

        "The midterm was a demonstration."
        stop music fadeout 1.0
        "And the fact I was able to play guitar, even shittily, was enough."

        "..."

        if anonscore >= 3 or fangscore >= 3:
            "Fang seemed proud of the fact that I was able to play well enough to get a passing grade."

            "Or rather proud of herself that she was that good of a music teacher."

            "Her way of ‘congratulating’ me was to hip-check me right into my locker, only to apologize while laughing her ass off."

            "Actually, the whole ordeal made me remember I had this old music program installed on my computer."

            "It’s incredibly outdated, but free is free."

            "Several hours of decade old tutorials later I finally start cobbling together a loosely musical sounding rhythm."

            "I couldn’t find a reverb option, so I just overlaid the same instruments with a lower volume where I wanted it."

            "People probably won’t notice."

            "I’m starting to get why Fang likes doing this sort of thing."

            "It’s sorta like just the act of creating something and being able to say ‘I made this’."

            "Exporting the file and uploading it to a music site, I await my audience to start amassing before me."

            "See, I already have a comment!"

            "{i}Never make anything again. Ever.{/i}"

            "Ah, just a day in the life of an underappreciated artist."
        return

    label GetStartedOnStudy:
        play music 'audio/OST/Dragging on and on....ogg' fadein 1.0
        "No, I should focus more on my midterms."

        A "I’d rather get started with studying, actually."

        "Fang lowers her arm with the guitar in rejection."

        hide fangguitar
        show fang neutral at scenter
        show anon neutral flip at aright
        with dissolve
        A "Cmon, Fang. You know I can’t afford to waste my time here with all the money my family’s spent already."

        F "Yeah, yeah. You only got this one shot and all."

        F "Ffffffffffiiiiine. What’re we doing first?"

        A "Ehh, why not science first since that’s your hardest subject."
        play music 'audio/OST/Those Other Two Weirdos.ogg' fadein 1.0

        F "Ugh. Got a textbook?"

        A "What happened to yours?"

        F "Tried throwing it at Naser and it flew over the cliff."

        A "H-how? Why?"

        F "I dunno, felt like it."

        F "You got a textbook or not?"

        A "Yeah…"

        "I retrieve the tome from my backpack, science is easily the heaviest thing in there."

        A "So, what? We take turns reading it?"

        F "Too slow. Let’s just huddle and read it together."

        A "Why not just switch it back and forth?"

        F "Don’t feel like it. We reading or not?"

        "Fang sits beside me on the ground, Her oversized beak obscuring a good portion of the side of the page in my peripheral vision."

        "I can feel the prickle of her feathers barely brushing against my back."

        F "We’re on chapter sixteen, right?"

        A "Eighteen. Are you even paying attention during class?"

        F "What do you think I hang out with you for?"

        "We read about electric currents in silence for a few minutes."

        "How do I know when she’s done so I can turn the page?"

        "..."

        A "..."

        F "..."

        A "You done?"

        F "Oh, I wasn’t reading it."

        A "Argh, fuck you."

        F "Ha, you wish."

        "Don’treadintothat."

        A "If I read the first page out loud, would you read the second?"

        F "Sure, sure."

        "Fang leans back onto the floor, hands behind her head."

        F "Get started already."

        A "Ugh."

        hide fang with dissolve

        "In conductors, electrons are free to move around and flow easily. This is not true for insulators, in which the-"

        F "*SNNNRRRRRRRRRK*"

        A "...Electrons are more tightly bound to the nuclei (which we'll discuss next). When current is applied, electrons move-"

        F "*SNNNRRRRRRRRRK*"

        A "Dammit Fang, I’m trying to read to you here, cut that out."

        F "*SNNNRRRRRRRRRK*"

        "She really did pass out!"

        "Hmm…"

        A "Fang, seriously, get up or I’ll poke you."

        F "*SNNNRRRRRRRRRK* mmmrrrrfooouurmooooreminuuuutes."

        A "Don’t think I won’t Fang! These guns are cocked and loaded!"

        F "*SNNNRRRRRRRRRK*"

        "Target locked."

        "Weapons hot!"

        "Battery 1!"

        show fang angry at scenter with dissolve

        F "AAAAAAAAGH! THE FUCK?!"

        A "Quit falling asleep during class."

        F "It’s my room, I’ll do what I want."

        A "Come on, I’m trying to take this ser-"

        FM "I’M HOOOOOOME!"

        show fang shocked with dissolve

        F "Oh no."

        FM "Luuuuucy? Naaaaser? Are you here?"

        FM "I got your favorite, dino nuggies!"

        show fang surprised with dissolve

        F "Those're for Naser."

        A "Suuure."

        show fang neutral with dissolve

        FM "Helloooo? Anyone home?"

        "I hear footsteps getting progressively closer as Fang’s mother searches for any sign of life in the house."

        "A door down the hall opens."

        FM "Sweeeetie? Naseeeer? Oh, I guess he must be bowling with Moe again."

        show fang sad with dissolve

        F "Anon, you need to leave now."

        FM "Lucy, are your headphones in again?"

        F "I’ll open the window, just jump!"

        A "This is the second floor!"

        F "Broken bones are better than-"

        show fangmom neutral at fmleft with moveinleft

        FM "OH Lucy, there you are! I didn’t realize your boyfriend was over to visit!"

        "WHAT."

        show fang hiding with dissolve

        "Fang’s hands cover her bright red face."

        "I wasn’t aware their beaks got red too."

        F "Moooooooom! He’s not- what did I say about knocking!"

        FM "That you and lil’ Nassie need to knock on our door at night when it’s your parent’s ‘special’ time."

        F "Not what YOU said!"

        FM "Oh, sweetie, that’s no way to talk to your mother. Especially in front of a guest."

        "The tiny Ptero turns to me with an apologetic smile."

        FM "Since you’re here, why don’t you stay for dinner?"

        "Something tells me Fang’s dad would make me the dinner."

        "Beef Strog-Anon does not sound palatable to me."

        F "Actually he was just leaving. Now."

        FM "Oh but I wanted to show him your baby pictures!"

        F "Right now in fact! He’s gonna miss his bus!"

        FM "I have one with me right now!"

        "She reaches elbow-deep into her purse and pulls out a small flipbook."

        FM "Oh Lucy, this is my FAVORITE little picture of you and Naser!"

        "She shoves the photo in my face that I immediately make out as a bathtub with an infant Fang and Naser playing in the water."

        "Well it IS kinda cute…"

        "Before I can open my mouth, Fang jabs me in the ribs."

        F "Oh my god mom, he doesn’t have time for this!"

        "Fang pulls me off the ground and begins to push me towards the door."

        scene black with fade

        FM "Well I hope you enjoyed spending time with my little tooth fairy, Anon!"

        FM "You’re welcome back ANY time you’d like!"

        "I manage a weak wave as Fang continues to rush me towards the door in embarrassment."
        show fang surprised at scenter
        scene home fang outside

        "We reach the front door and she quickly turns back inside."

        F "OkaybyeseeyouatschoolAnon."

        scene home fang outside night
        show anon neutral at aleft
        "I hear the door slam behind me and am left alone on the porch."

        "Well that was… interesting."

        "Guess I’ll go wait at the bus stop."

        "Does Fang’s mom really think I’m her boyfriend?"

        "I know we spend a lot of time together…"

        "Fang seemed REALLY quick to deny that though."

        "Does it mean anything?"

        "*Bzzz bzzz*"

        "A text? Shit, that’s rare."

        show anonphone at center with moveinbottom

        "Fang: Hey"

        "Fang: About earlier"

        "Fang: Sorry about mom"

        "Fang: Just ignore anything she says"

        "Fang: Also don’t tell anyone what you saw"

        "Fang: ANYONE"

        "Anon: ten bucks"

        "Fang: I have my dad on speed dial"

        "Anon: five bucks"

        "Anon: lol jk"

        "Fang: gobble a knob"

        "Anon: see you monday."

        "Fang: see ya"

        hide anonphone with moveoutbottom

        "The bus hasn’t gotten here yet."

        show tracy neutral at scenter with dissolve

        SV "Yo, you’re that kid with the date from before, ain'tcha?"
        play music 'audio/OST/Tracy was fired from her real job.ogg' fadein 1.0

        A "Huh?"

        "I flip around to see the street vendor from a few weeks ago."

        A "You remember me?"

        SV "Kid, I’ve been working this corner for the better part of two years now."

        SV "I know how to tell faces apart."

        SV "Plus, this ain’t exactly the skinnie part of town, y'know?"

        A "I guess…"

        SV "You just get back from another date?"

        A "What? No, it was a study session- Why am I telling you this?"

        SV "Yeah, a ‘study’ session."

        SV "I get ya."

        A "No, it really was just studying."

        A "Fang tried to get me to play the guitar, but I made sure to keep on track."

        SV "You WHAT."

        A "Hm?"

        SV "Kids these days… She was coming onto ya, dummy!"

        "Oooooooohh."

        "Fuck."

        A "...Oh."

        SV "Still, point stands."

        A "What’s that?"

        SV "I was right! HA!"

        SV "By the way, that wasn’t your ride, was it?"

        "I look back to see the tail end of the city bus rounding the corner onto the next street."

        SV "Next one comes in forty-five minutes."

        A "...Shut up and gimme a Danger Dog."

        SV "Well, someone knows their franks."
        SV "Comin’ right up."

        "..."

        stop music fadeout 1.0
        scene black with fade
        play music 'audio/OST/Skinrow Soul.ogg' fadein 1.0
        "-Two weeks later-"

        "I’m looking over my final grades for this semester."

        "My science score is lower than normal."

        "I couldn’t study with Fang anymore since the Mother Incident."

        "She doesn’t want me to be seen by her anymore."

        "Instead, I’ve been studying at home."

        "Got a pretty great grasp on the core subjects, too."

        "In the end, Mr Jingo screwed us over by making music midterm a live demonstration."

        "Horrid marks there. But I did get things pretty great with math and english."
        stop music fadeout 1.0
        "My GPA was secured at least for whatever the fuck I decide on."

        "..."

        return