⛌ bluff ⛌

[ಠ_ಠ]

"Should we call the cops?"

[MarxzVulpez]

Ask if Mikki remembers what exhibit(s) were there and which one (or more than one) Mikki interacted with, and see if it's the same one that you interacted with. Hmmm, maybe ask What it looks like from Mikki's perspective: is Arcana's current form like, 100% solid, is there any indication of what Arcana looks like normally/ prior to this (Amerveille), and does Mikki have an idea of why not everyone would be able to see the Computer Form (I'm guessing not but worth a shot)

also ask what Mikki's pronouns are ya goof

[SHIVERS]

You try to ignore your own face being stared into,
and think of every possible question that you can.

Which is far too many. Your head is swimming with them.
You try to condense as best you can,
but it's a lot regardless.



ARC:\SPEECH "I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE MUSEUM; START TO FINISH."
ARC:\SPEECH "WHAT EXHIBITS WERE THERE?"
ARC:\SPEECH "WHICH EXHIBIT DID YOU INTERACT WITH? WHAT DID IT DO TO YOU?
ARC:\SPEECH "HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT AFTER?"
ARC:\SPEECH "MOST IMPORTANTLY: DID YOU DO ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO GET RID OF IT WHEN YOU WENT BACK?"
ARC:\SPEECH "ANYTHING AT ALL YOU CAN REMEMBER MIGHT BE HELPFUL."
ARC:\SPEECH "I DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK LIKE THIS ANY LONGER THAN I HAVE TO."

ARC:\SPEECH "ALSO:"
ARC:\SPEECH "LAST NIGHT, YOU SAID YOU *MOSTLY* TURNED BACK. DID SOMETHING NOT CHANGE?"
ARC:\SPEECH "YOU ALSO SAID WE WERE 'FUCKED' LAST NIGHT. I KNOW IT'S BAD, BUT WHY?"
ARC:\SPEECH "ADDITIONALLY: WHY HAVEN'T YOU LEFT?"

ARC:\SPEECH "...I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW HOW I LOOK FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE."
ARC:\SPEECH "SPECIFICALLY: AM I 100% A COMPUTER... PERSON."
ARC:\SPEECH "OR ARE THERE PARTS OF MY OLD BODY STILL AROUND?"
ARC:\SPEECH "I WAS AN AMERVEILLE, IF THAT HELPS."
ARC:\SPEECH "IN GENERAL, I'D LIKE TO HEAR ANY THEORIES ON WHY NOT EVERYONE SEES ME LIKE THIS."

ARC:\SPEECH "LASTLY: IT'S A LONGSHOT, BUT..."
ARC:\SPEECH "DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WORKS WELL WITH OLD COMPUTERS?"
ARC:\SPEECH "ANYONE AT ALL AROUND HERE?"
ARC:\SPEECH "MAYBE AN I.T. PERSON? I'M NOT SURE."
ARC:\SPEECH "I'M HAVING TROUBLE FIGURING THINGS OUT."



ARC:\SPEECH "...ALSO WHAT ARE YOUR PRONOUNS. I USE IT/ITS."
























"That everything?"



You think.







You nod.




"Alright."
The insect spins around, beginning to walk towards the store.
You follow as they talk.


"From the top,"
They wave their claw, thinking through their answers.
"I went into the museum.
There were a bunch of fuckin' stairs, and I should've bailed out right there,
but I'm too curious for my own good.
Always have been.
Gonna curb that now,
but anyway.

There were three exhibits.
Two of them sounded really boring. Don't even remember what they were.
Third one was like... somethin' about art?
Think it was 'oddities in' like... 'art education?' Or-
'Artistic education'- That's it.
Pretty sure.
Picked that one cause,
y'know,
it's a museum, lemme see some paintings at least.

Anyway there weren't any.
There were like, three Mini exhibits in the exhibit that were like... cursed stuff,
or somethin'.
Talked about 'ohhh this one's got ghosts in it!' or whatever.
Some crank garbage, whatever.
Picked the first one I came across, pretty much, cause I was gonna look at all of 'em.

Went in and-

...weird stuff happened.

And I ended up looking, Really different.
I didn't deal with it.
It sucked.
Didn't have much else to do, so...
went back to try and figure out what the hell was goin' on.

And
I don't remember
Anything that happened. While I was there.
Nothin'.
Nada.
All gone.
Like I never even went there.

Just woke up in my bed back to normal.
Mostly, anyway. Like I said before.
Nothing stayed the same as how I looked before, exactly, but there's like...


 . . .


...It left a mark, basically.
Thing on my chest - and No I'm not lifting up my shirt so you can see it.
We just met and you've never bought me a drink, so... yeah.
You're gonna just have to trust me that it's a thing.
And it's kinda reminiscent of how I looked when I changed. A bit.
That's all I can really say.
I haven't messed with it, other than I can say: it does NOT wash off.
Didn't matter what I tried.
And touching it made me feel weird.

So whatever. As far as I'm concerned, just got a weird tattoo thing,
but that's all.
I got off easy enough, I am Not going back in there again."

They clear their throat, the two of you having crossed the street now,
approaching the mini mart.




"As for Why we're fucked and Why I apparently didn't think to leave:
I did.
I tried.
Every way I knew how.
After I changed back I tried to bail on this whole awful place.

Nothing worked.

You're welcome to go try yourself, though, if you don't believe me.
Be my guest.
...But if you manage to,
you gotta come back for me or send help or whatever, alright?
Consider it payment for the info.

And for the record: You're all computer.
No amer-whatever.
I've got no theories, for any of it.
Nobody was able to see me like I was, and considering I don't even remember changing back,
I just assumed I got slipped somethin',
got really fucked up,
and got a bad tattoo.
Wouldn't be the worst thing that's happened while I was Indisposed.

The only thing that breaks that theory - other than not being able to leave,
which
Still could've been aftereffects of me getting slipped something, but Whatever -

point being: It's You."



The corvice stops walking,
hanging around the side of the mini mart.


"...That's how I knew we were fucked.
Seeing you, and actually being able to talk with you...

...told me that:
This is real.



And I'm stuck here."






Mikki rests against the brick wall of the building,
looking off at the treeline.








Wind whistles through the air.









You think about your camera, for the first time in a while.












The corvice suddenly claps their claws together.
They turn to you and make a wide gesture, almost a shrug,
as they back up towards the door.

"But THAT'S why cigarettes exist.
Aaaand cheap shitty alcohol.

Just for me!
Right now." They put a claw on the door handle.

"Oh, and:
No, I've barely seen anyone around here, no I.T. guy; ask around if you wanna find someone.
And pronouns; they/them, whatever, I don't really care."

They push it open.
































 

▶ SENZA CAFFEINE
vcr-classique

A chime above the door sounds.




The mini mart is about what you expect.

Tinny radio music come from some a single speaker in random corner of the building.
A few rows of shelves are laid out with various snacks, supplies, and knick-knacks.
Some refrigerated and frozen sections are located along the back and side for cold drinks and cheap ready-made food.


You have no time to take it in, though.



"Morning."
Someone speaks from the front counter.

You don't look at them.
You panic, and hurry behind one of the aisles.
A very slight crouch is just enough to hide yourself completely behind the aisle.

"How ya doing." Mikki gives a slight wave in the register's general direction.




The corvice stares at you as you hide,



then follows you over.

"...You're being weird.
Don't be weird."


ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"I DON'T WANT TO BE SEEN LIKE THIS."*

"Look, you wanna figure this out, right?
That's why you asked me eight million questions?"

ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"YES, BUT--"*

"Then chill.
When you go up to the counter,
either they don't see you, and you're fine,
or they Do see you, and you have another person to ask questions to."

ARC:\SPEECH\WHISPER *"IT MAKES ME FEEL... BAD."*

"Bud.
It's gonna be fiiiine."

They look at you again,

and sigh.

"I'm just gonna pick out some stuff.
Then I'm gonna go check out. You can come up to the front when I do that.
Or if you wanna hide back here, you can.
Frankly it doesn't matter much t' me.

But I'm tellin' you: Wasted Opportunity."

Mikki gives you a couple pats on the shoulder.
"Think about it."

They head to the very back aisle with a whistle,
out of your view.














You somehow feel even more self-conscious now,
especially hiding like you are.

ARC:\TR_TH *COWARD.*

You feel like a nuisance bothering Mikki about the whole thing.



ARC:\TR_TH *STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.*
ARC:\TR_TH *WISH I COULD CALM DOWN AND BE NORMAL ONCE IN MY GODDAMN LIFE.*


ARC:\TR_TH *...IS THIS POPPING UP ON-*
ARC:\TR_TH *UGH.*


You 'speak' a bunch of dashes, one per line, to get rid of the other text on your screen.

At least you're getting better at using this terrible body.











You give the aisle you're in a cursory glance,
because you have nothing else to do while Mikki shops.

It is only now that you realize you forgot your wallet in your cabin.
So, you can't exactly buy anything, anyway.

You narrowly resist 'thinking' more expletives at yourself for fear they may be show up visually.



A small display on the aisle's endcap catches your eye, however,
and you walk over to check.













GIMME POINTS!
Value Vendor

Save up your Gimme Points,
spend them on great products!
Our stock rotates, so check often!







Various items are hung in little bags along the display,
each having a price tag in points rather than cash.
It's likely just a way to get rid of items they can't sell, you think.

A few of them are cheap toys clearly intended for kids,
though you think some might be worth it, especially if they're free.



You make a mental note of each.

Cheap Speakers (for Headphone Jack) - 5 points
Phone/Touch Screen Stylus - 4 points
Small General Toolbox - 3 points
Multi-Purpose Pocket Knife - 2 points
Pocket Notebook & Pen Set - 2 points
Eight-Hour Phone Battery Pack - 2 points
Erasable Pen - 1 point
Pocket Radio - 1 point
Cheap Earbuds - 1 point





You fish around in your pocket,
pulling out three of the Gimme Points coupons,
each worth a single point.

[ಠ_ಠ]

If the toolbox comes with tools in it, get that.
Otherwise get the battery pack and a radio.

[Lilium Mortem]

Ask Mikki to spot you a point for the stylus since your hands don't work with your phone. If that fails ask the cashier. If *that* fails just steal it.

[knux400]

Buy the erasable pen for one point, then erase the price tags of the speakers and stylus and rewrite them to be one point each! It's genius!

Okay, but seriously. You get three more points every day, right? If Mikki isn't willing to spot you any for the stylus or the speakers, you can always come back tomorrow. Personally, I would prioritize the speakers here, since we can get around the lack of stylus by just having someone else use our phone for us. It's not great, but not being able to speak out loud is a far bigger issue here IMO.