Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

WORN BACKSEAT OF A BLACK MOTOR CARRIAGE - The motor carriage you are currently sitting in hums idyllically along a long, windy road. You are on your way to a location you have never been.

HALF LIGHT - You're immensely uncomfortable.

VOLITION - No, you're not. You are quite okay, actually.

YOU - Wait, why would I be uncomfortable?

LOGIC - You were in a motor carriage crash last week. You can't remember a thing from before waking up in a bed that wasn't yours. Not that you remember what your bed looked like before all of this happened. 

YOU - Oh, right. You sink further into the cracked leather seats. The seat belt cuts uncomfortably into the skin of your neck.

PAIN THRESHOLD - The bend of your motor carriage causes you pain. Your body took a few hits in the motor carriage accident. You have to be more careful. 

HALF LIGHT - You will probably never ride in a motor carriage without thinking about what you lost, without holding your breath through every bend. Since you got picked up at the train station, this motor carriage is your prison and you're determined to get out of it.

YOU - Your nails dig into the seat belt and pull it away from your body as the motor carriage hits a bump on the road.

VOLITION [Challenging: Success] - Don't let this get you down. The path you're on is windy, but it will be full of new experiences.

ENCYCLO­PEDIA [Godly: Failure] - That's right because you can't remember the old ones. 

YOU - How long do I have to stay in this car? 

VOLITION - Shouldn't be long now. Hold on tight!

DRAMA - They hath deceived us! The driver of this motor carriage told us falsehoods of a "short ride" and here we are, suffering because of him.

COMPOSURE - It's only been 8 minutes and 45 seconds.

YOU - You swallow around the bump in your throat.

RHETORIC - We could just ask the driver. 

HALF LIGHT - NEVER! The driver could be kidnapping you for all you know.

PERCEPTION - We could look around, see if we can find anything?

1. [Rhetoric: Easy] Ask the driver.
   -1 could be a kidnapper.
2. [Perception: Formidable] Look around, find some clues where you're going. 

PERCEPTION (Sight) [Formidable: Failure] - Trees blur past the window, their outlines melting in the sky of the late afternoon. The sunlight streaks across the grimy glass. You see a church with a large tower on top, but nothing out there indicates where you're going. You look around the inside of the car. Sitting beside your legs, you see a cardboard box. It's barely filled.

REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - You quickly look away.

RHETORIC - Up until now, the person in the front seat was driving in complete silence, hands tight around the steering levers. As if any new words would fill up the motor carriage and make it come apart at the seams.

1. [Rhetoric: Medium] Ask the driver.
   -1 Could be a kidnapper.
   -2 Quiet for a really long time. 

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - We have to be careful how we approach this.

YOU - "So . . .," you begin. 

DRIVER - He cuts in right away. "We're here."

RHETORIC - We didn't even get to say our piece?! This does not feel like a success.

YOU - You look back out the window as the motor carriage pulls into a driveway lined with old, crooked trees.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - The trees don't know who you are either.

GRAVEL FRONT DRIVEWAY - After the motor carriage comes to a halt, you practically jump out.

PAIN THRESHOLD [Legendary: Failure] - Too much, too soon! That was a mistake.

YOU - A sharp bolt shoots through your side. You suck in a breath and press a hand to your ribs.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - That's more than just a bruise, son. A fractured rib is no joke.

YOU - You move slower after that. 

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Man, I miss those painkillers they gave us back in the hospital. We should totally ask for more! 

GRAVEL FRONT DRIVEWAY - A huge old house, three stories high, towers over you. It's painted in a grimy beige, like old paper. The façade is a little cracked in places like it grew tired of holding something in. Walking closer on the gravel, you spot a few open windows that give way to music and laughter. One shutter hangs crooked. The front yard is tidy and well taken care of. You walk past a wooden sign trailed by ivy vines. It reads:

Saint-Batiste Dolorian Orphanage
est. in 02

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Success] - The first orphanage was commissioned by Filippe II, the Opulent, in the city of Saint-Batiste. Over time, several other cities across the Isola were ordered to follow suit. This was long before the Revolution. However, the orphanage before us was likely rebuilt after the Coalition took control; its architecture looks too modern to be original.

LOGIC [Trival: Success] - Many records were lost during the shellings. No easy way to track down lost family members. The kids living here must have lost their parents one way or another.

YOU - The thought stays a while longer in your head. It's kind of obvious. Isn't it?

RHETORIC [Trivial: Success] - You've just included yourself without realizing it.

HALF LIGHT - You are one of them.

INLAND EMPIRE [Legendary: Failure] - This is the house of the left behind. That's what the sign doesn't say.

VOLITION [Challenging: Success] - I know it's hard to digest. But you can do it. This will be your new home, and we are here for you. 

PERCEPTION (Sight) - Next to the front door, you spot a small chalkboard. It reads: "Bienvenue, Harrier!" in bold white letters.

EMPATHY - Someone wrote that sign just for you. They probably don't know you, but they still did it.

YOU - Your body hums with energy, more than you know what to do with. You move from one foot to the other, clenching and unclenching your hands.

CONCEPTUALIZATION - With the new brain, you should have gotten a new name, don't you think? What kind of name is Harrier?

EMPATHY - It's the name of a deeply emotional person.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Actually, it's a wartime name. Revolutionary. 

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - The name of a warrior, then.

AUTHORITY - The name of a leader. 

LOGIC - It's just what you were called after you woke up. A name. Nothing more. No need to romanticize it.

SUGGESTION - I believe we like "Harry" better. It's soft. It fits in your mouth like it belongs there.

HALF LIGHT - But Harrier knows things. He was in the crash. He might be all that's left of who you were.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - A woman stands on the porch of the building, next to the sign with your welcoming wishes. She watches you absorb your new surroundings and gives you as much time as you need. You know her, somewhat at least. She visited you in the hospital two days ago. You remember her tired eyes and gentle smile as she told you how very sorry she was for your loss.

YOU - You stop your feet from shuffling and give her a short, awkward wave.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "Come on in, Harrier. I will show you around," she calls out to you. Her hands, formerly clasped in front of her body, reach out to you, inviting you to take one if you need it.

HALF LIGHT - What? Does she think you're a baby? Do NOT take her hand. We don't need it.

1. Take her hand.
2. Tell her your name isn't Harrier. 

YOU - As you step onto the porch, you blurt out, "I don't want to be called Harrier."

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She looks a bit surprised. "Is that so? What do you want to be called, then?"

INLAND EMPIRE - This is your chance to come up with a really good name for yourself. Get creative. Conceptualize!

VOLITION [Easy: Success] - Enough. This isn't helping. Pick something you can say without choking on it.

1. Take her hand. 
2. [Conceptualization: Medium] Invent a name for yourself.
3. "Uh, I'm . . . maybe I'm just Harry?"

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "Very well then, Harry." She slowly draws a cross in the air over your chest and closes her eyes.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - It's a symbol of the Dolorian Church: the blessing of the lungs. She traces her fingers from one clavicle to the other, then down the sternum: marking the sanctity of breath. At its center beats the heart, quiet and vital. It’s a minor gesture, half-forgotten in Revachol. Once, it was drawn before voyages into the Pale. Now, it’s only used to remind the living that breathing is both a gift and a burden.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She leads the way inside the building and makes sure she doesn't walk in front of you, staying close by your side but never uncomfortably so.

BIG ENTRY HALL OF THE ORPHANAGE - Wooden stairs, clean but scratched, greet you in the middle of the big entry hall. Colorful paper garlands dangle from the railing. A sunbeam catches a swirl of dust and makes it almost look as if the air is sparkling.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "There are some rules, of course, but nothing too strict," She beginns. "All chores are shared. The schedule is posted every week in the dining hall, so keep an eye out for that. Your homework has to be done before afternoon activities. Church is on Sundays. You can attend if you like, but it's not required for residents over the age of 16. We lock the pantry, but that's more about the raccoons than the kids."

YOU - "Are the raccoons winning?"

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "More often than not." She smiles at you.

RHETORIC - You are convincing enough not to come off as a failure of a person. That's good. That's how connections are formed.

GROUND FLOOR OF THE ORPHANAGE - You continue your tour of the ground floor. The floorboards creak under your boots as you enter a hallway painted in a soft green. The walls are covered in finger paintings and other children's artworks.

INLAND EMPIRE [Legendary: Failure] - There was a hallway like this once. Longer. Colder. Someone held your hand there. The person holding your hand made you feel safe. Try to hold onto that. When you attempt to look up, you can't see to whom the hand belongs. You struggle to remember, but you come up empty.

LOGIC [Formittable: Failure] - That's too vague. You're probably just projecting.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - Before you can dwell on those feelings, she rips you back to reality. "What do you think so far?"

EMPATHY - She wants to see if you are ready to continue. Say something reassuring.

HALF LIGHT - She let her guard down. This is your moment to strike!

PERCEPTION - You should take a second to get familiar with your surroundings first. 

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Ask for more painkillers. We really need them for the . . . what was it again?

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - The fractured rib.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Yeah, sure, that one.

1. [Empathy: Medium] Say something reassuring. 
2. [Half Light: Formidable] Find the nearest way out and never come back.
3. [Perception: Easy] Get familiar with your surroundings.
4. [Electrochemistry: Medium] Ask for more painkillers. 

PERCEPTION [Easy: Success] - It's all pretty unremarkable. The hallway scares you too much to look at it too closely. You hear faint music. Nothing really stands out except that the air smells distinct. 

YOU - "Smells like soap. And something baking."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - That's not bad. Is this what home smells like?

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She has to stifle a laugh at that. "That’s the Banana Bread. It’s for dinner tonight. Down the hall is the kitchen and dining hall. You'll be there soon enough. As for the smell of soap? Well, Chester snuck some shampoo into the heating vents a few days ago. The scent should be gone by the end of the week, I should think."

YOU -  Smile just a little, "Creative."

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "I think you will make for good roommates. I will show you to your room now and introduce you to him and the other two. They are nice boys, close to your age as well. Hopefully, you have a good impact on them." 

LOGIC - You were told that you have to share a room with three other boys. Now you know the name of the first one.

HALF LIGHT - Three strangers. One of them probably has a knife. If they ask stupid questions, we have to be ready to punch them out.

RHETORIC [Challenging: Success] - Before we proceed, did you notice that wording? You’re supposed to have a good impact on them, not the other way around. Is she saying those boys aren’t as nice as she made you believe?

HALF LIGHT - Or maybe you're just badass beyond redemption. 

VOLITION [Heroic: Failure] - You're being ridiculous. They're just kids.

SUGGESTION - Or friends. You should try making one.

YOU - The dormitory is three stories up, right under the roof. You follow her as she leads you up a narrow wooden stairwell and pauses to let you catch your breath.

YOUR NEW SHARED BEDROOM - A wrinkled "DO NOT ENTER" sign scrawled in marker is hung on the door.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - Halting in front of the door, she turns to you. "So you know: I didn't tell your roommates about your medical condition. I wanted to leave it up to you, with whom you want to discuss it."

YOU - That hadn't even crossed your mind.

DRAMA - Let us drape ourselves in a costume of normalcy. Fool the ones around us as if we belong here. Act, sire!

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "Also, please remember to take it easy. The doctor said no running, no heavy lifting for at least a few weeks. If anything feels off, with the pain or your memory, we can call the hospital again. Alright?"

YOU - You nod and thank her. You hate how reassuring it is to be taken seriously.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - With a sharp knock, she enters the room, ignoring the sign on the door completely.

YOUR NEW SHARED BEDROOM - Two bunk beds line the walls, with two run-down dressers beneath them. A small table with only two chairs sits in a tight nook near the entryway. Lived-in clutter is scattered across the ground, and the posters on the walls look old and faded, too juvenile for someone your age.

YOU - You spot the empty bottom bunk. You stare at the bed made for you a moment too long. The blanket has been folded with utmost precision.

INLAND EMPIRE -  It looks like something prepared for someone else. Like someone made it, hoping you weren't the one walking through the door. 

TWO BOYS - Opposite your new bed are two kids sprawled out on one top bunk, playing cards. One is all knees and elbows, with red hair and freckles. The other has very short hair, a crooked nose, probably broken at some point, and hums loudly and off-key while he is apparently winning the card game.

REDHEAD - "Oi, new kid is here." He says without looking up from the game.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She gestures to the empty bed. "This'll be your bed for the near future, Harry. You can leave your little box there. It used to belong to Dominic. He turned 18 just a week ago. If I remember correctly, you will be as well in about half a year?"

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Correct. You were born at the beginning of the year ‘07, during the last year of the Commune of Revachol, right before it fell. During a snowstorm. 

LOGIC - This was 17 years ago.

YOU - You give her a short nod and set down your box on the empty bed.

Item lost: The half-empty box.

ENDURANCE [Easy: Success] - Your arms don't even hurt from having to carry it all the way here.

LOGIC - It is almost empty. It weighs nothing. Of course, your arms wouldn't hurt from carting it for the past 10 minutes.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - “So, you won’t be staying here all too long.”

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - She gives you the same warm smile she greeted you with. It is practiced but not untrue.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "These are Mack Torson and Chester McLaine. Say a proper hello, boys."

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - He sighs and drops his cards dramatically. "Hey. I'm Mack. That's Chester. Don't touch our stuff."

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She looks around, searching. "Is Kim not here? I told you all to be here to greet your new roommate."

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - Glances are exchanged between him and the other boy. "Don't care where the binoclard is." He shrugs.

REDHEAD - He snorts, "Probably whining somewhere because Dom is gone."

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She sighs, more out of habit than anger. "Well, everybody needs some time alone sometimes. And he seems to avoid crowds if possible. I'm sure you will meet him soon enough."

AUTHORITY - No respect? We'll have to teach him some manners. 

HALF LIGHT - He's already chosen not to like you. He sounds weak. Punish him for disrespecting you. 

VOLITION - Withhold your judgment. We haven't even met him.

YOU - "Is he okay?" You don’t even know whether you're asking about his mental state or if he’s pleasant to be around, but you’d like to know both.

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - Shrugs one shoulder. "Kim is a . . ." He eyes the head of the orphanage and settles for the word, "a little weird."

YOU - Sadly, that doesn't answer either of your questions.

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - What he wanted to say was way worse. He probably knows better than to say something like that in front of the head of the orphanage. 

REDHEAD - "Dominic was the one who could get to him." He adds, softer than the other.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She clears her throat. "Harry, your luggage arrived yesterday and is already in the dresser, along with a change of bedding and two sets of your new school uniform. After you've settled in, Mack and Chester will show you the dining hall. Don't be late, boys. Dinner starts at 6 sharp." With that, she leaves you behind.

YOUR NEW SHARED BEDROOM - The door doesn't slam, it just closes. 

YOU - You stare at the door long after the Head of the Orphanage has walked away. There's a shape in your chest you can't quite name. It's hollow, framed in dust. It feels like an inevitability: eventually, everyone is gonna leave you behind. One blink and the room feels too full, too real for you.

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - "Do you snore, new guy?"

1. Start crying. 
2. [Drama: Medium] Say something funny.
3. Er, do I snore?
4. Sit down on the bed. 

LOGIC - You don't know, just be honest about that.

YOU - "Don't know. I'll let you know if I hear anything."

REDHEAD - His laughter is high-pitched. "He's got jokes. You might survive here like that. Welcome to the room." Gesturing at the space below him. "If you break anything, blame Kim. That's what I do at least." He returns to their card game without another word, lost on you.

1. Start crying. 
2. [Drama: Medium] Say something funny.
   -3 The moment is gone.
3. Sit down on the bed. 

YOUR NEW SHARED BEDROOM - You sit down on the bed with a soft creak of the bed frame under your weight. You eye the room from this new, lower angle. The bed across from yours is neatly made. The same precise folds.

EMPATHY - Your bed was made this neatly by someone hoping a different person would sleep in it tonight.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - It's not neat anymore, Harry-boy. Your ass made sure of that.

YOUR NEW SHARED BEDROOM - You look further. On the nightstand, you see 3 books and a small desk lamp. A blue poster that hangs above it is less faded than the others you saw.

1. [Encyclopedia: Formidable] What are those books? 
2. [Interfacing: Medium] Look closer at the poster.
3. [Perception: Challenging] Does something else catch your eye?

PERCEPTION (Sight) [Challenging: Success] - In the corner of the bed, something does catch your eye. It seems to be a small crane folded from white lined paper, hung by an almost invisible thread.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Heroic: Failure] - Delicate work. Gentle hands. Probably into arts and crafts, the guy.

1. [Encyclopedia: Formidable] What are those books?
2. [Interfacing: Medium] Look closer at the poster. 

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Formidable: Failure] - "From C-003 to X-57: The big Aerostatics Almanac", "In System - Dimensions Through Time" and "How to start your engine: A beginner's guide to Motorics" Those are books, alright. You've never heard the titles, though. 

LOGIC - The edges of the books are worn and discolored. They are old and have been read many times. Not one dog ear. He did take good care of them. 

ENDURANCE - Sounds like a big nerd. 

1. [Interfacing: Medium] Look closer at the poster.
   +1 Nerd books. 

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - Those are blueprints of an aerostatic, which is a hybrid semi-rigid airship commonly used to traverse the Pale. The depicted model is simply called F-16. They're famous for being loud and fast.

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - He pumps his fist in the air and lets out a loud cheer. "Ha! Beat you again, loser."

REDHEAD - He throws his cards against him in frustration. He looks down from the bunk bed and catches your eye. "Every time. Absolute cheat. Let's get out of here."

SUGGESTION - You should use this time to get to know them before you go to the dining hall. Establish a relationship. 

AUTHORITY - It’s been like ten minutes, man. You want to propose next? 

SAVOIR FAIRE - We could come up with a cool line for that.

EMPATHY - You should dig deeper into what's up with the third from your room. 

VOLITION - Or you just go to the dining hall. We wouldn't want to be late for our first dinner. 

1. [Perceptions: Medium] - Get to know them first by observing. 
2. [Suggestion: Heroic] Build rapport with them.   
3. "We should really get going. I don't want to be late for dinner."
4. [Empathy: Medium] Ask about Kim again.
   +1 Nerd books. 
5. [Authority: Godly] Establish yourself as the new boss of the dorm room. 
6. Start crying. 

PERCEPTION [Medium: Success] - Mack goes down the ladder of the bunk bed, but not without shoving the other roughly out of his way. Chester kicks after him, and they both begin to laugh. 

EMPATHY - They seem to have an understanding of one another that has a simple base of hurting and insulting each other. Chester tells you almost immediately that Mack once glued his eyelids shut with super glue, and how they manage to sneak soap into the heating system. 

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Maybe we could plan a prank? They seem to enjoy something like that. 

1. [Suggestion: Heroic] Build rapport with them.   
2. “We should really get going. Don't want to be late for dinner.”
3. [Empathy: Medium] Ask about Kim again.
   +1 Nerd books. 
   
4. [Authority: Godly] Establish yourself as the new boss of the dorm room.
5. Start crying.
6. [Conceptualization: Challenging] Play a prank on the Duo. 

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - You already gathered information about him, this is going to be easy. 

YOU - "Kim’s got a lot of books about mechanics and stuff." You gesture loosely toward the stack of paperbacks on his nightstand.

READHEAD - He doesn’t answer right away, just smirks and shakes his head like it’s some private joke. "Dom used to get him to shut up about space or whatever. Now it’s just him and his fantasy crap."

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Incorrect. That’s science fiction, actually. Vastly different. 

BUZZ CUT WITH CROCKED NOSE - "Yeah, he is a fucking nerd."

AUTHORITY - This guy gets it. 

REDHEAD - He met your question only with badly hidden laughter.

EMPATHY - That wasn’t just plain mockery. There’s a tightness there, maybe frustration? They don't understand him, and they clearly don't want to.

1. [Suggestion: Heroic] Build rapport with them.  
2. "We should really get going. Don't want to be late for dinner."
3. [Authority: Godly] Establish yourself as the new boss of the dorm room. 
4. Start crying.
5. [Conceptualization: Challenging] Play a prank on the Duo. 

SUGGESTION [Heroic: Failure] - Oh, these are straightforward guys, blunt even. No harm in just putting it out there. What could go wrong? 

YOU - "So, do you guys wanna be friends?"

SAVOIR FAIRE - NOT LIKE THAT! For the love of God, not raw and vulnerable. Where’s the charm? The spin? The laid-backness?

REDHEAD - He raises his brows like you just asked to kiss him on the mouth. "Awww, that’s cute. Should we hold hands, too? Oh, we can make friendship bracelets and braid our fucking hair, too!" He laughs, a little too loud, looking to Mack for backup.

EMPATHY [Formidable: Failure] - Oh, that sounds so nice. They're laughing with us. Right?

AUTHORITY - No, you moron. You walked in with open wrists, and they smelled the blood. Rein it in before they eat you alive.

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - He doesn’t laugh, just watches you for a beat too long. "We’re not your welcome committee, dude."

SAVOIR FAIRE - This was hard to watch. This was a social suicide, in real time. Painful. Like a backflip into broken glass.

ENDURANCE - Do not start crying, Harry. I mean it! Pick something else. ANYTHING else!

DRAMA - Quick! Flip it! Make it ironic. Pretend you were joking all along. That’s the trick, isn’t it?

1. "We should really get going. Don't want to be late for dinner."
2. [Authority: Godly] Establish yourself as the new boss of the dorm room.
   -3 Asked them to be friends awkwardly.
   -1 Would rather cry.
3. Start crying. 
4. [Conceptualization: Challenging] Play a prank on the Duo.
   -1 Would rather cry.
5. [Drama: Challenging] - Do it, do it now. Flip it good!
   -1 Would rather cry.
   

DRAMA [Challenging: Success] - We've got this!

YOU - "I was thinking matching anklets, actually. Spell our names out in little beads?"
You deliver it deadpan. Like you've done this before. Like you own this joke.

REACTION SPEED – They weren’t ready for the pivot.

REDHEAD – He pauses, then a smirk spreads across his face. 
“You’re such a weirdo. I like you.”

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE – He just shakes his head, unimpressed. But not hostile either.

SUGGESTION - You should call it. Thank everyone, we made it out alive.

1. "We should really get going. Don't want to be late for dinner."
2. [Authority: Godly] Establish yourself as the new boss of the dorm room.
   -3 Asked them to be friends awkwardly.
   -1 Would rather cry.
3. Start crying. 
4. [Conceptualization: Challenging] Play a prank on the Duo.
   -1 Would rather cry.

REDHEAD - "Fuck, we're going to be late." He hops down from the bunk with a thud, landing heavier than he looks.

BUZZ CUT WITH CROOKED NOSE - Mack shoves past you without and is already halfway out the door. 

YOU - You trail after them down the stairs, it’s clear they won’t be waiting for you. 

DINING HALL - Long wooden tables, mismatched chairs and benches adorn the large room. All are mostly already filled in by children and teens of almost all ages. Dinnertime hums with voices, silverware clinking, and chairs scraping over the wooden floorboards. There's music playing faintly, a cassette deck on a windowsill. The walls are lined with framed photographs of residents in front of the orphanage. You are so stunned by your surroundings that you lose sight of Mack and Chester almost instantly.

EMPATHY [Legendary: Failure] - Why does it feel like a waiting room for people who didn't get picked?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Too many faces. Too many names. Impossible to remember them all, already gone. They're smiling. They're loud, not mean, but scary nonetheless. 

HALF LIGHT - One wrong word. One weird look. That's all it takes.

YOU - After you get your tray, you look around one final time in hopes of finding where Mack and Chester have settled themselves.

Item gained: Dinner on food tray.

YOU - The knot in your stomach is winding itself tighter. 

ENDURANCE - You feel the dread creep up your spine. You can still avoid a panic attack if you find them fast enough. 

PERCEPTION [Challenging: Failure] - Can't hear or see shit, sorry Harry.

INLAND EMPIRE - Once again alone, sad boy. 

EMPATHY [Heroic: Failure] - You're new, so they ditched you.

HALF LIGHT - Because of your weird friendship proposal. 

VOLITION - You don't need them. There are hundreds of kids who are just as alone as you.

YOU - That’s not really helping. 

DINING HALL - Your gaze drifts across the crowded room until it lands on a scrawny boy near the far window. Despite all the distractions around you, he’s the only thing you can focus on. The quiet boy in the corner calms you. So much so that your breath evens out, almost as if breathing becomes optional. He’s got one leg tucked onto the bench, his chin resting on his knee, as if no one ever told him not to.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - Thin, curled into himself and taking up as little space as possible. Like a small forgotten paperclip, resting quietly at the edge of the world.

PERCEPTION (Sight) - Light spills through the window behind him, backlighting him in soft silver glow.

THE PAPERCLIP - Luckily, he doesn't notice you staring. Just flips a page in his book and keeps on reading through thick round glasses. His nose is long and curved, sharp in the best way. The dark hair falls in loose strands around his face, kinda messy and overgrown. He is chewing mindlessly on a chunk of bread.

SAVOIR FAIRE - It's effortless. You've never seen anyone look this cool.

EMPATHY [Challenging: Success] - He is alone, similar to you. Although he is better at it. He had more time to practice.

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - Go to him! Let the two of you be alone together.

YOU - And you do. Your feet move before you tell them to. Your lungs forget what they are meant to do.

DRAMA - Oh. ’Tis a moment. Do not be shy about it, now! History remembers the brave.

SUGGESTION - Say something cool when you get there. Something clever. Just don't say anything dumb.

PERCEPTION (Hearing) - The cassette deck on the windowsill grows louder with each step, like it notices you coming. It's just him and the music now.

INLAND EMPIRE [Legendary: Success] - You heard this song before. It played along to a warm and comforting voice from a memory: "Finish your vegetables first, then dessert." The memory is already gone and took the voice with it.

YOU - That voice . . . for a second, it sounded like . . . Mom?

1. [Composure: Legendary] Be cool. Keep walking.
2. [Logic: Godly] Dig deep into your mind in search of more of this.

COMPOSURE [Legendary: Failure] - Your mind goes blank as your eyes drop to your plate. Without warning, you tumble, faltering mid-step. For a horrible split second, you feel nothing, just weightlessness before the crash. Your food slips from the tray, silverware clatters, and banana bread soars into the air.

Item lost: your dinner.

YOU - Someone is shouting, "Man down!" A few kids are laughing.

HALF LIGHT - They're all watching. They'll never stop watching now. You've shown weakness.

DRAMA - Fall, my liege! Let all bear witness to thy wounded pride and noble suffering.

1. [Logic: Godly] Dig deep into your mind in search of any more of this.
   - 2 You dropped your food.
2. [Drama: Easy] Fall to your knees.
   +2 You dropped your food.
3. Just don't do any of those things.
   +1 New kid on the block.

YOU - You stare at the mess on the floor for a moment. You don't really know why, but you throw your empty tray down with a loud, hollow clang.

Item lost: the food tray.

PERCEPTION - The laughter stops and with it, most of the chatter. You feel eyes on you. Slowly, you turn toward the nearest table. They're eyeing you, waiting to see what you'll do next.

YOU - With a crooked smile on your lips, you loudly declare, "Sorry guys! I swear I have a black belt in clumsiness."

1. [Logic: Godly] Dig deep into your mind in search of any more of this.
   -2 You dropped your food.
2. [Drama: Easy] Fall to your knees.
   +2 You dropped your food.

DRAMA [Easy: Success] - Bravo! With a single kneel you touch the floor softly, dramatically. A noble ode to fallen pastry! 

YOU - "Floor, I apologize for disrespecting you. Banana bread, may you rest in peace."

DINING HALL - The boys at the nearest table begin to laugh. At you or with you, you can't quite tell. But you start making a show out of cleaning the floor with your bare hands, and it seems to get a bigger reaction than before.

??? - Quietly, almost out of nowhere, a small hand offers you a blue checkered handkerchief.

YOU - As you look up, your gaze lands on two round glasses perched on a sharply curved nose. 

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - This is what you call an aquiline nose. The word aquiline means "eagle-like", alluding to the curved beak of an eagle.

YOU - You look into the eyes of the paperclip from the corner of the room. With a steady hand you accept the handkerchief from him, feeling its soft fabric between your fingers.  

Item gained: Blue checkered handkerchief.

BLUE CHECKERED HANDKERCHIEF - I'm made from delicate fabric, not for cleaning up your mess. Be careful with me.

THE PAPERCLIP - He kneels next to you, picking up your fork. His dark, tousled hair falls in strands across his face as he looks up. It’s medium-length with a bit of fringe that falls to the sides. He still hadn't said a word.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - A silent pact is made, the two of you kneeling on the cold floor.

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - "Harry, is everything quite alright? Did you hurt yourself?" She sounds concerned.

1. "My soul is bruised beyond repair, but sure, let's pretend it's just the banana bread."
2. "I tripped." Start crying.
3. "Madame, this floor attacked me."
4. "I'm good. Just one of my ribs whispering death threats. No big deal."
5. "No, it's okay I think. Sorry for making such a mess."

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She gives a short nod but doesn't look at you again. "Apparently, you met Kim." She turns to him. "You were supposed to be setting an example. First impressions are important. Where were you?"

THE PAPERCLIP - He meets her eyes, as he fishes a few strands of hair out of his face and behind his ears. "Apologies, madame, I must have lost track of the time while I was listening to the radio."

CONCEPTUALIZATION - His hair is not styled, not polished, but it makes him look cool without even trying. 

HALF LIGHT - Why are still thinking about his stupid hair?

HEAD OF THE ORPHANAGE - She sighs loudly but without any real heat. "I don't see how listening to the radio is more important than greeting your new roommate. Be more considerate in the future. Now, go back to your seat."

YOU - Before you can thank him for his help, he's already disappeared. The cassette deck plays something softer now. The laughter has faded. You look after him, still clutching his handkerchief, heart thudding slowly.

ENDURANCE - Suck it up, you pathetic sack of shit.

EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - He was the only one that helped.