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<<audio "firstsound" play>>
//It's funny, isn't it? The [[idea]] that everything gets so [[noisy|noisy]] around me//
//something that will
steer my mind away
from the torrential [[storm]]//
Yes, like a [[constant]] muddled tone
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3kt9iWgOukE?controls=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen> <autoplay> </iframe>
<img src="http://www.bookcity.gr/cm/ckfinder/userfiles/images/unnamed%20(4)(278).jpg" alt="oil painting of a window" />
//we live in an [[ever-increasing|midground]] swathe of blood-wet linen//<img src= "https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6vY2wK1yo1lPsC64/giphy.gif" alt="a woman in technicolor" />
//an endless [[vibration|midground]]//<<cacheaudio "firstsound" "file:///C:\Users\Ryan\Documents\STATIC\game\music\vhs.mp3">><img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/26tPbLsr9oE72erjG/giphy.gif" alt= "reality" /> [[BLANK CANVAS]] Obviously your thoughts aren't going anywhere. Your mind spins, like a top. Just unbalanced enough to swing the momentum around and keep you on your feet, ever since the day you realized that your life wasn't worth much.
//Of course, nobody's life mattered to you, did it?//
Your brother's certainly hadn't. [[>>|Step One: Diner]]It's 3am on a humid Wednesday. The wood of the bar feels like concrete under your bruised hands. The black and blue of your knuckles feels a little colder the more tightly you grasp the glass of scotch in your hand. The edge of that pain in your hands is beginning to ebb, and you see an opportunity to continue drinking. You look at the glass in your hand, only half downed anyhow.
<img src="http://hg2.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sydney-Drink-ShadyPinesSaloon-2.jpg" alt="a moody diner" />
[[Order another?|Another Drink]]
[[Pay the tab and head home|Head Home]]
[[Finish your drink and go bruise another low-life|Fight]]@@.morality_neutral; =@@
Filling the familiar void of your hands with something weighty just seemed right. The tumbler of whisky goes down smooth, though you can't help but grit your teeth slightly as it seemingly scalds your throat with bitter oak.
<img src="https://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/f640/adp-bars-22.jpg" alt="whiskey" />
The flood of renewed enibrieation blocks the cascades of memories coming back every time you close your eyes. The horrors of the last month still haunt you, as your therapist said they naturally should.
Each night you go out to get answers recently, two things happen: you end up with someone's blood on your hands, and you start to feel a little more sick. [[>>|Brady Choice]]
@@.morality_positive; +@@
It's a little after 4am, but you can't bring yourself to go to sleep just yet. Right when you're about to feel like going crazy, you usually start making connections, and more alcohol will give you something to do, anyhow.
//Think, think..Christ I've wasted the night already!//, you think as you rummage through the fridge, eventually settling on a Michelob.
You tap your phone against your leg as you drink with your right, contemplating.
Suddenly, your phone chimes, out of the blue.
It's Brady, one of your childhood friends. You had a falling out after Eric died, so this is a surprise.
It's a message from him.
//Dude, we seriously need to talk. Five minutes. Just meet me at the factory. It's..about your brother. I didn't want to call earlier, because I didn't want you drinking even more and hurting someone. Before you ask, I know you and I know you like to go to McNully's..Just come, please//
"Oh my God oh my God"
You launch the beer into the wall as you grab your keys.
[[>>|Confrontation: Brady (Neutral) and Arrest Killer(Positive)]]@@.morality_negative; -@@
//Fuck this. I'm not done tonight//
You stride out of the bar, glass in hand still. You walk a few blocks, and finally you find him: some nobody in an alley, high off crystal, blow, who even knows.
"I got a few questions for you, junkie."
You smash the glass into the side of the man's head, disorienting him. He reels back in pain, clutching his head, which is currently bleeding from your blow.
"Tell me everything you fucking know about the Raven! Associates, friends, partnerships, anything!"
>> "Jesus fuck my fucking head! Agh! I don't know anything about no serial killer, man!"
You grab the thug by his collar and shove him up against the wall.
"I want names! Surely he has associates! There's no way he gets away with it all by himself!..Talk, you fucking bastard, or am I gonna have to bruise my other hand?!"
It was at that moment that a police siren blared from the other end of the alley.
"Fuck!"
You've dropped him and are already running, but they got the car blocking your closest exit.
>>"Don't move!"
The officer who shouts at you has a gun trained on your heart already.
//Quick reflexes. Must be new.//
An older officer got out of the driver's seat.
>>"Put the gun down kid, you won't need it."
//Holy shit, I know this guy. It's Officer Davidson, from Eric's case// you think as the older officer calmly walks towards you.
He looks at you with resignation, noting my swollen hand.
>>"Didn't I tell you what would happen if I found you out here again? Or did I mislead you, because I think I clearly fucking said to stay away from this...you're gonna answer a few questions for me right now or you're going down to the precinct. Up to you, bub."
[[Answer police questioning]]
[[Dodge police questioning]]The back of your left hand is still black and blue overall, but beginning to yellow on the sides.
As the pleasant and momentary burn of the whiskey fades to a melted glow, your cellphone chimes off from your left pocket.
It's your friend, Brady. You haven't spoken to him in at least a month or two, and it's odd to see his number flashing on your screen, seeing as you two hadn't parted on good terms. Come to think of it, you haven't spoken to anyone, not since..Matt.
[[Answer Brady]]
[[Hang up on the prick]]@@.morality_positive; +@@
On the fourth ring, you decide to answer.
//This better be worth it//
The receiver is to your ear.
"What do you want?"
"...good to hear from you too, man, //sheesh//. I'm not calling to start any trouble...I want to talk. Like, in person. I heard about what happened and I know how you're handling it. That's //poorly//, by the way. Anyhow, come over to my place after you're done. I just want to catch up, man...I dunno...just get over here."
//*click*//
This seems sudden, and your thoughts quickly turn to paranoia.
//Christ, Brady is harmless...what should I do?//
[[Stay the night and catch up with Brady|Overnight: Positive]]
[[Blow him off and go home|Overnight:Negative]]@@.morality_negative; -@@
//It's not like that asshole will do anything but chew my ear off anyhow//
After you put the phone back in your pocketm you notice that there's a newscast going on the tiny shit TV they keep behind the bar.
"Hey, Matt, you care to turn that up a bit?"
The bartender nodded curtly as he washes one of many of his glasses, slowly turning the volume nob up enough so I can hear it.
"Thanks."
//It's clear from the evidence that this could indeed be linked to The Raven, San Francisco's most bone-chilling serial killer. So far, the police have been able to do very little in regards to finding the killer, though reports say that they are getting a lot more evidence as of late. Hopefully there will be a quick turnaround and this monster can be brought to justice. Back to you, Todd.//
The morosely chipper lead anchor cut back to a clean-cut Ken doll of a human. //Thanks, Marissa. In other news, the local Cargill factory has seemingly ''abandoned'' its resolute duty to shut down this week, seeing as it appears to be running on a ''Wednesday'' night. We reached out to the shift manager, but so far, he has declined to comment on the situation. Perhaps he's just not a friend of local news anymore, huh, Tucker?//
//Seriously, this fuckhead doesn't find that odd? What the hell would make Ed keep the factory open tonight? He always closes for...solidarity of some sort, shit, I can't remember..weird though. It might be a lead, though, and I don't have anywhere else to be, God knows. If it doesn't pan out, maybe I'll call Brady back. At least I'll have someone to talk at me//
[[>>|Confrontation: Brady (Neutral) and Kill Killer (Negative)]]<img src="https://pre00.deviantart.net/212b/th/pre/i/2014/297/f/c/mysterious_stranger_by_pietus177-d8410cl.jpg" alt="a shadowed figure" />
A month ago, this man murdered your brother, Eric, in cold blood. No reason, no specific location, only that he happened to be in the same area.
Next thing you know, your'e holding your brother as his blood soaks into your worksuit and the police are telling you that they're doing their best.
Since scarcely anyone has been able to get a good look at him, the police saw it fit to hire artists to draw and paint mockups of what The Raven looks like.
This is, according to the police, the best representation of your brother's killer.
It's an image you've had emblazoned in your mind since the day he crossed you.
The Raven //will// come to know that he should've killed you too.
[[>>|Untitled Passage 2- Main Character]]@@.morality_positive; +@@
You press the phone against your brow.
A heavy sigh escapes you. You already know Brady is probably waiting up, that's just who he is.
You pay the bartender and leave the bar. It's 3:58 am.
[[>>|Brady's Home]]@@.morality_negative; -@@
<img src="https://img00.deviantart.net/60eb/i/2010/182/0/7/gloomy_street_by_stanjamme.jpg" alt="you walk home on a dark road" />
[[>>|Head Home:Post-Brady]]
//This place looks expensive//
<img src="ihttps://cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Garden-outside-after-sunset.jpg" alt= "a nice apartment" />
You don't really see the point in such expensive tastes.
"You like it?"
Brady swings the door open as you snap out of looking at the exterior of the apartment.
//Brady has put on more muscle since May//; you notice it almost immediately as he opens the door and walks into his apartment.
You don't really know what to say, and the awkward silence between you two is stretching into eternity. "Geez, man, what did you do, //eat// a gym?"
"C'mon, come in!"
The room is decorated lovingly in contrasting monochromatic colors.
"I'm assuming you don't want another drink?"
You wave his question away, still admiring the luxury of his apartment. Shit must' cost him three times mine, maybe more.
"Anyhow, I didn't really want to drag you here at 4 am. Was kinda one of those 'Hey, get back to me?' things..I didn't expect you to answer at all, but, here you are."
This makes you feel a little uneasy. It's true it was 3- no, 4 am, by the time on your digital watch. //Good Lord, where did the night go?//
You accept a glass of water from Brady, greedily drinking it. As you gather your surroundings, it becomes aparent to you that you maybe hadn't ever been inside such a nice home.
//More importantly, where is the morning going to go?//
The thought intercepts your head, almost subconsciously. This, more than anything, makes you feel nervous.
//Kind of a weird thought. Brady doesn't want anything other than to talk//
You tune back in and realize Brady had been talking to you for a minute or more. "Do you need some more water, man? You seem a little..I dunno, //frazzled//?"
I again waved him away, like the strangely doting bird he was. [[>>|Brady Home Clue]]The factory is, by appearance, empty, as far as you know. The air smells of dirt and metal, the scent of which seems to cloud the air. High sheet metal walls curve to a dome to flank the walls in a large airfield-esque cargo door. This, and the entrance you came through, are both currently locked.
All of a sudden, the light above your head shatters.
The room is dark now, save for the beams of moonlight coming through the large industrial windows. Your eyesight is beginning to adjust, and you can make out a figure just ahead of you.
//Wait, I know who that is!//
“Brady?”
Without warning, the butt of a gun is smacked into the back of your head, and you fade into unconsciousness.
[][][]
You wake up slowly. As you try and sit up from your position on the ground, something cold presses into the side of your head.
>>"‘’I wouldn’t do that if I were you’’"
You aren’t restrained. “What kind of fucking idiot doesn’t restra-“
The butt of the gun feels like a club across your face.
>>"C'mon, you didn't need to hit him!"
//Brady..so now I know what you've been doing all this time since Eric died!//
"You fucking coward!"
This time, it's a fist in your face.
You look up, blood running down your broken nose, against the whims of the firearm pressed into your temple.
“Look, I’m gonna give you five seconds before I fuck your head in with that gun”
>>"''Such abrasive language….tsk tsk, your mother would be upset.''"
“Five…”
>>"''Don’t be stupid''"
The sound of the gun going off blasts your eardrums, and the bullet going through your thigh ignites a frenzy of pain.
“FUCK! Oh, God, fuck!”
>>"What the fuck is the matter with you?!"
>>"''Don't pretend to understand me, boy!''"
You hadn’t expected this. The pain in your leg blooms with each beat of your racing heart. “Hgh…shoot a man while he’s down, real poetic, Hemmingway.”
>>"''I’ll show you //fucking// Hemmingway, shitbird!''’’ This time the gun is on your throat, pointed up towards your head.
>>"Don't you fucking dare! We had a deal!"
Brady's voice broke.
>>"It's my life, or his, that's what you told me."
//I suppose I've given them long enough.//
==Arrest Brady== @@.morality_positive; +@@
==Kill Brady== @@.morality_negative; -@@
==Arrest Killer==@@.morality_positive; +@@
The result of your choices, Player: [[Let Brady go and Arrest Killer]]The factory is, by appearance, empty, as far as you know. The air smells of dirt and metal, the scent of which seems to cloud the air. High sheet metal walls curve to a dome to flank the walls in a large airfield-esque cargo door. This, and the entrance you came through, are both currently locked.
All of a sudden, the light above your head shatters.
The room is dark now, save for the beams of moonlight coming through the large industrial windows. Your eyesight is beginning to adjust, and you can make out a figure just ahead of you.
//Wait, I know who that is!//
“Brady?”
Without warning, the butt of a gun is smacked into the back of your head, and you fade into unconsciousness.
[][][]
You wake up slowly. As you try and sit up from your position on the ground, something cold presses into the side of your head.
>>"‘’I wouldn’t do that if I were you’’"
You aren’t restrained. “What kind of fucking idiot doesn’t restra-“
The butt of the gun feels like a club across your face.
>>"C'mon, you didn't need to hit him!"
//Brady..so now I know what you've been doing all this time since Eric died!//
"You fucking coward!"
This time, it's a fist breaking the skin of your cheek.
You look up, blood running down your broken nose, against the whims of the firearm pressed into your temple.
“Look, I’m gonna give you five seconds before I fuck your head in with that gun”
>>"''Such abrasive language….tsk tsk, your mother would be upset.''"
“Five…”
>>"''Don’t be stupid''"
The sound of the gun going off blasts your eardrums, and the bullet going through your thigh ignites a frenzy of pain.
“FUCK! Oh, God, fuck!”
>>"What the fuck is the matter with you?!"
>>"''Don't pretend to understand me, boy!''"
You hadn’t expected this. The pain in your leg blooms with each beat of your racing heart. “Hgh…shoot a man while he’s down, real poetic, Hemmingway.”
>>"''I’ll show you //fucking// Hemmingway, shitbird!''’’ This time the gun is on your throat, pointed up towards your head.
>>"Don't you fucking dare! We had a deal!"
Brady's voice broke.
>>"It's my life, or his, that's what you told me."
//I suppose I've given them long enough.//
==Arrest Brady== @@.morality_positive; +@@
==Kill Brady== @@.morality_negative; -@@
==Arrest Killer==@@.morality_positive; +@@
The result of your choices, Player: [[Let Brady go and Kill Killer]]@@.morality_positive; +@@
"Look, you know why I'm out here: to get answers that you guys can't get!"
The officer strides forward a few steps.
>>"Look, I understand your frustration, trust me, all of us guys in blue get it. But we can't just go and beat up some junkie at 4am on a Wednesday ni- Tuesday morning. There's a reason for that, and it's called the //law//. You know that."
You pause for a moment to consider what he's saying. The moment seems to drag, and the officer seems calm but increasingly annoyed.
"There isn't really a series of questions then, is there? You know what I did."
The officer let out a resigned sigh. The newbie behind him chimed in. "Let us do our jobs, man. It takes away from our ability to do that when you're out here, bruising for your pound of flesh."
The lead policeman nods his head in agreement.
>>"You're right, though, there isn't a series of questions. And there aren't easy answers that you can get by bein' Batman either. So //give it up//. This is your ''final'' warning. Next time, I'm going to taze you. I won't ask you a damn thing, capiche?"
You nod your head sullenly, deflated from your bout of adrenaline and rage.
//*scrch* ten, four, this is Charlie, unit 5, reporting strange activity around the old Cargill factory, please respond, over//
The police scanner announced its departure with another static-filled dribble.
//*scrch* this is Charley unit, please respond. Possible suspicious activity at the old factory, over//
The older officer and his partner return to the policecar.
//*scrch* Charlie unit, this is unit 8, responding. Don't worry about it. From the looks of it, the lights are on. Probably some freak power surge, over//
The police cruiser pulls away from the alleyway slowly. The older cop tips his cap to you as they leave the alley completely.
//I know I should just go home, but seriously? Suspicious activity at the Cargill factory? If those two won't check it out, I will.//
[[>>|Confrontation: Brady (Negative) and Arrest Killer(Positive)]]@@.morality_negative; -@@
"And what did I tell you were to happen if you found me out here again?"
The officer scratched his head.
>>"You know what? It's a little fuzzy, you wanna remind me what you said?"
He moved his hand down to his belt, unbuckling the tazer pistol on his waist. Your heart begins to race even more quickly than before, and you're starting to prespire.
"I don't quite remember stuttering, so you're just gonna have to think about that one real hard, because I'm not gonna repeat myself."
The officer chuckled.
>>"That's what I'd thought you'd say." He pulled the tazer out of his belt fully, pointing it at my chest.
>>"Last chance, man. Don't do this."
The repeating glow of the police lights is making you feel ill and your head is swimming, no doubt because of the adrenaline; it was hard to think of a good way out of this.
//I'm ''not'' getting taken in for this. Not this. Not when these are the exact same men that failed Eric.//
You grit your teeth, preparing to turn and run. Maybe you can make it behind a trashcan or something and avoid the tazer. It was worth the risk, at any rate.
Right before you fully commit, the police scanner in the car goes off.
//*scrch* ten, four, this is Charley, unit 5, reporting strange activity around the old Cargill factory, please respond, over//
The officer directly in front of you keeps his tazer aimed at you. The rookie is trying to gracefully get back in the car, though it's clear he's somewhat panicked.
//*scrch* this is Charley unit, please respond. Possible suspicious activity at the old factory, over//
"You gonna answer that, or just stare at me?"
The lead policeman just stares at you. On the third call-in, he smirks, then frowns, holstering his tazer.
>>"Final warning. Do ''not'' come out here again."
He returns to his car.
//*scrch* Charlie unit, this is unit 8, responding. Don't worry about it. From the looks of it, the lights are on. Probably some freak power surge, over//
The police cruiser pulls away from the alleyway slowly, the officers inside shooting you their meanest scowls.
//Suspicious activity at the Cargill factory, huh? Might as well check it out, since those guys won't.//
[[>>|Confrontation: Brady (Negative) and Kill Killer (Negative)]]The factory is, by appearance, empty, as far as you know. The air smells of dirt and metal, the scent of which seems to cloud the air. High sheet metal walls curve to a dome to flank the walls in a large airfield-esque cargo door. This, and the entrance you came through, are both currently locked.
All of a sudden, the light above your head shatters.
The room is dark now, save for the beams of moonlight coming through the large industrial windows. Your eyesight is beginning to adjust, and you can make out a figure just ahead of you.
//Wait, I know who that is!//
“Brady?”
Without warning, the butt of a gun is smacked into the back of your head, and you fade into unconsciousness.
[][][]
You wake up slowly. As you try and sit up from your position on the ground, something cold presses into the side of your head.
>>"‘’I wouldn’t do that if I were you’’"
You aren’t restrained.
“What kind of fucking idiot doesn’t restra-“
The butt of the gun feels like a club across your face.
>>"C'mon, you didn't need to hit him!"
//Brady?? Has he been with the killer all this time? What the fuck!?//
"Brady, you fucking traitor!"
This time, it's a fist cracking your orbital bone.
You look up, blood running down your broken nose, against the whims of the firearm pressed into your temple.
The blood smells like the shirt soaked with Eric's last moments.
“Look, I’m gonna give you five seconds before I fuck your head in with that gun”
>>"''Such abrasive language….tsk tsk, your mother would be upset.''"
“Five…”
>>"''Don’t be stupid''"
The sound of the gun going off blasts your eardrums, and the bullet going through your thigh ignites a frenzy of pain.
“FUCK! Oh, God, fuck!”
>>"What the fuck is the matter with you?!"
>>"''Don't pretend to understand me, boy!''"
You hadn’t expected this. The pain in your leg blooms with each beat of your racing heart. “Hgh…shoot a man while he’s down, real poetic, Hemmingway.”
>>"''I’ll show you //fucking// Hemmingway, shitbird!''’’ This time the gun is on your throat, pointed up towards your head.
>>"Don't you fucking dare! We had a deal!"
Brady's voice broke.
>>"It's my life, or his, that's what you told me."
//Jesus, Brady, how are you so stupid?!..you're gonna pay for your part in this!//
//...I suppose I've given them long enough. //
==Arrest Brady== @@.morality_positive; +@@
==Let Brady go== @@.morality_neutral; =@@
==Arrest Killer== @@.morality_positive; +@@
The results of your choices, Player: [[Kill Brady and Kill Killer]]The factory is, by appearance, empty, as far as you know. The air smells of dirt and metal, the scent of which seems to cloud the air. High sheet metal walls curve to a dome to flank the walls in a large airfield-esque cargo door. This, and the entrance you came through, are both currently locked.
All of a sudden, the light above your head shatters.
The room is dark now, save for the beams of moonlight coming through the large industrial windows. Your eyesight is beginning to adjust, and you can make out a figure just ahead of you.
//Wait, I know who that is!//
“Brady?”
Without warning, the butt of a gun is smacked into the back of your head, and you fade into unconsciousness.
[][][]
You wake up slowly. As you try and sit up from your position on the ground, something cold presses into the side of your head.
>>"‘’I wouldn’t do that if I were you’’"
You aren’t restrained.
“What kind of fucking idiot doesn’t restra-“
The butt of the gun feels like a club across your face.
>>"C'mon, you didn't need to hit him!"
//Brady..so now I know why you called me here!//
"You fucking coward!"
This time, it's a fist cracking your orbital bone.
You look up, blood running down your broken nose, against the whims of the firearm pressed into your temple.
The blood smells like the shirt soaked with Eric's last moments.
“Look, I’m gonna give you five seconds before I fuck your head in with that gun”
>>"''Such abrasive language….tsk tsk, your mother would be upset.''"
“Five…”
>>"''Don’t be stupid''"
The sound of the gun going off blasts your eardrums, and the bullet going through your thigh ignites a frenzy of pain.
“FUCK! Oh, God, fuck!”
>>"What the fuck is the matter with you?!"
>>"''Don't pretend to understand me, boy!''"
You hadn’t expected this. The pain in your leg blooms with each beat of your racing heart. “Hgh…shoot a man while he’s down, real poetic, Hemmingway.”
>>"''I’ll show you //fucking// Hemmingway, shitbird!''’’ This time the gun is on your throat, pointed up towards your head.
>>"Don't you fucking dare! We had a deal!"
Brady's voice broke.
>>"It's my life, or his, that's what you told me."
//Jesus, Brady, how are you so stupid? You know he's just gonna kill us both, and now you're complicit in a fucking crime!//
//...I suppose I've given them long enough. //
==Let Brady go== @@.morality_neutral; =@@
==Kill Brady== @@.morality_negative; -@@
==Kill Killer== @@.morality_negative; -@@
The results of your choices, Player: [[Arrest Brady and Arrest Killer]]It's a little after 4am, but you can't bring yourself to go to sleep just yet. Right when you're about to feel like going crazy, you usually start making connections, and more alcohol will give you something to do, anyhow.
//Think, think..Brady called you, ''tonight''. Why?//, you think as you rummage through the fridge, eventually settling on a Michelob.
You tap your phone against your leg as you drink with your right, contemplating the events of tonight.
Suddenly, your phone chimes again, out of the blue.
Of course, it's Brady.
//Like a doting bird//
It's a message from him.
//Dude, we seriously need to talk. Five minutes. Just meet me at the factory. It's..about your brother. I didn't want to say earlier, because I didn't want you drinking even more and hurting someone. Just come, please//
"Oh my God oh my God"
You launch the beer into the wall as you grab your keys.
[[>>|Confrontation: Brady (Positive) and Arrest Killer(Positive)]]The factory is, by appearance, empty, as far as you know. The air smells of dirt and metal, the scent of which seems to cloud the air. High sheet metal walls curve to a dome to flank the walls in a large airfield-esque cargo door. This, and the entrance you came through, are both currently locked.
All of a sudden, the light above your head shatters.
The room is dark now, save for the beams of moonlight coming through the large industrial windows. Your eyesight is beginning to adjust, and you can make out a figure just ahead of you.
//Wait, I know who that is!//
“Brady?”
Without warning, the butt of a gun is smacked into the back of your head, and you fade into unconsciousness.
[][][]
You wake up slowly. As you try and sit up from your position on the ground, something cold presses into the side of your head.
>>"‘’I wouldn’t do that if I were you’’"
You aren’t restrained.
“What kind of fucking idiot doesn’t restra-“
The butt of the gun feels like a club across your face.
>>"C'mon, you didn't need to hit him!"
//Brady?? Has he been with the killer all this time? What the fuck!?//
"Brady, you fucking traitor! How could yo-"
This time, it's a fist rattling your teeth on its path across your jaw.
You look up, blood running down your broken nose, against the whims of the firearm pressed into your temple. You can taste blood in your mouth, now, too.
The blood tastes like the metal smell in the air.
“Look, I’m gonna give you five seconds before I fuck your head in with that gun”
>>"''Such abrasive language….tsk tsk, your mother would be upset.''"
“Five…”
>>"''Don’t be stupid''"
The sound of the gun going off blasts your eardrums, and the bullet going through your thigh ignites a frenzy of pain.
“FUCK! Oh, God, fuck!”
>>"What the fuck is the matter with you?!"
>>"''Don't pretend to understand me, boy!''"
You hadn’t expected this. The pain in your leg blooms with each beat of your racing heart. “Hgh…shoot a man while he’s down, real poetic, Hemmingway.”
>>"''I’ll show you //fucking// Hemmingway, shitbird!''’’ This time the gun is on your throat, pointed up towards your head.
>>"Don't you fucking dare! We had a deal!"
Brady's voice broke.
>>"It's my life, or his, that's what you told me."
//Jesus, Brady! Your life or mine?!...even this killer has a better moral code than you!//
//...I suppose I've given them long enough. //
==Arrest Brady== @@.morality_positive; +@@
==Let Brady go== @@.morality_neutral; =@@
==Kill Killer== @@.morality_negative; -@@
The results of your choices, Player: [[Kill Brady and Arrest Killer]] You arrive at the factory with Brady in tow.
"Look, man, whatever it is we're here for, we can leave right now. We can still leave."
"Shut up."
The factory is, by appearance, empty, as far as you know. The air smells of dirt and metal, the scent of which seems to cloud the air. High sheet metal walls curve to a dome to flank the walls in a large airfield-esque cargo door. This, and the entrance you came through, are both currently locked.
All of a sudden, the light above your head shatters.
"Brady, Brady!"
The room is dark now, save for the beams of moonlight coming through the large industrial windows. Your eyesight is beginning to adjust, and you can make out a figure just ahead of you. “Brady?”
Without warning, the butt of a gun is smacked into the back of your head, and you fade into unconsciousness.
>><<
You wake up slowly. As you try and sit up from your position on the ground, something cold presses into the side of your head.
>>‘’I wouldn’t do that if I were you’’
You aren’t restrained.
“What kind of fucking idiot doesn’t restra-“
The butt of the gun feels like a club across your face.
“Come on, you didn’t have to hit em!”
//Brady//
You look up, against the whims of the firearm pressed into your temple. “Look, I’m gonna give you five seconds before I fuck your head in with that gun”
>>"''Such abrasive language….tsk tsk, your mother would be upset.''"
“Five…”
>>"''Don’t be stupid''"
The sound of the gun going off blasts your eardrums, and the bullet going through your thigh ignites a frenzy of pain.
“FUCK!”
You hadn’t expected this. The pain in your leg blooms with each beat of your racing heart. “Hgh…shoot a man while he’s down, real poetic, Hemmingway.”
>>"''I’ll show you //fucking// Hemmingway, shitbird!''’’ This time the gun is on your throat, pointed up towards your head.
"Don't you fucking dare! We had a deal!"
Brady's voice broke.
"It's my life, or his, that's what you told me."
//I suppose I've given them long enough.//
==Let Brady go== @@.morality_neutral; =@@
==Kill Brady== @@.morality_negative; -@@
==Arrest Killer== @@.morality_positive; +@@
The sum of your choices, Player: [[Arrest Brady and Kill Killer]]
The gun pressed into the flesh of your neck. What The Raven didn't do was keep his eye on you. In a flash, you punch his wrist as hard as you can. His wrist crumpled.
>>"''Fuck!''"
You begin to wrestle for control of the gun, and with the blow to his wrist already delivered, his grip was weak. You wrestle the gun fully away from your face, even as The Raven pulls the trigger. Your ears are now ringing, but you can't afford to care. Fear is your energy.
You manage to rip the gun out of the killer's hands and it scatters across the floor.
On instinct, The Raven kicks you in the right leg hard enough to floor you.
"Hggg!"
He follows this up with a punch to your gut. The breath is nearly knocked out of you, but you manage to scramble away and grab the gun.
You turn on him and whip the butt of the pistol across his face. Momentarily, the killer is disoriented, and he lashes out half-hazardly, half catching your jaw. You're much stronger than he is now, though, and you know it. You land a kick to his thigh and tackle him to the ground. You strain hard as you turn the gun towards The Raven's face, his hands shakingly giving every effort to stop you.
"This is for Eric, you psychotic son of a bitch!"
>>"''NO!''"
The report of the gun blasted through the warehouse like a sonic cannon, as did the bullet out of the back of The Raven's skull.
You kneel there, covered in your own blood as well as his, in shock.
The Raven's lifeless body falls back on the ground at Brady's feet.
Brady looks at you in one part horror and another part elation. He shouldn't have ever been there, the idiot, but he made his choices, as did you.
You climb off the serial killer, gasping for air.
>>"Oh my God, are you alright?! I'm so sorry, I was scared, I didn't know what to do!"
Brady trailed off. You should be angry with him, but he did't know any better.
The murky phantom of pain and rage slowly dissipated.
"Brady..."
Brady's expression turns from shock and awe to terrified.
>>"No, no, he was gonna kill me if you hadn't done anything, man, I swear.."
"I know."
You have the gun in your hand still. Brady eyed the gun sharply, clearly thinking of pulling a move.
"Don't even think about it, Brady. I'm sure the police are on the way. If you make a move, I won't have a choice, you understand?"
Brady sobbed, but nodded his head.
As the police sirens close in, you feel relief. You got your revenge, and Brady will pay for betraying you justly.
It doesn't matter what happens to you now. You won.
[[>>|End Screen]]Your face hurts, and you have a gun pointed at your brain, but that pales in comparison to how you feel.
For a month now, you looked for Eric's killer. You drank so heavily it felt like days stopped mattering and weeks weren't so much a collection of days but a collection of fizzled light. A light that was always vibrating, numbing your head and shaking your mind into a lull that set the sails of your summer storm.
Though you and Brady had your differences, he's what eventually brought you to this point, for better or worse.
It was your choice to avoid his call after you sat down at the bar last night.
[][][]
The gun pressed into the flesh of your neck. What The Raven didn't do was keep his eye on you. In a flash, you punch his wrist as hard as you can. His wrist crumpled.
>>"''Fuck!''"
You begin to wrestle for control of the gun, and with the blow to his wrist already delivered, his grip was weak. You wrestle the gun fully away from your face, even as The Raven pulls the trigger. Your ears are now ringing, but you can't afford to care. Fear is your energy.
You manage to rip the gun out of the killer's hands and it scatters across the floor.
On instinct, The Raven kicks you in the right leg hard enough to floor you.
"Hggg!"
He follows this up with a punch to your gut. The breath is nearly knocked out of you, but you manage to scramble away and grab the gun.
You turn on him and whip the butt of the pistol across his face. Momentarily, the killer is disoriented, and he lashes out half-hazardly, half catching your jaw. You're much stronger than he is now, though, and you know it. You land a kick to his thigh and tackle him to the ground. You strain hard as you turn the gun towards The Raven's face, his hands shakingly giving every effort to stop you.
"This is for Eric, you psychotic son of a bitch!"
>>"''NO!''"
The report of the gun blasted through the warehouse like a sonic cannon, as did the bullet out of the back of The Raven's skull.
You kneel there, covered in your own blood as well as his, in shock.
The Raven's lifeless body falls back on the ground at Brady's feet.
Brady looks at you in one part horror and another part elation. He shouldn't have even been there, but he made his choices, as did you.
You climb off the serial killer, gasping for air.
>>"Oh my God, are you alright?! I'm so sorry, I was scared, I didn't know what to do!"
Brady trailed off. You should be angry with him, but he did't know any better.
The murky phantom of pain and rage slowly dissipated.
"Brady..."
Brady's expression turns from shock and awe to terrified.
>>"No, no, he was gonna kill me if you hadn't done anything, man, I swear.."
"I know...get out of here. I'll tell the police that you ran away in shock, and that The Raven coerced you into tricking me here. It's the truth, isn't it Brady?"
Brady sobbed, but nodded his head, slowly turning and then hobbling away, clutching his arms and shaking.
As the police sirens close in, you feel relief. You did the right thing, given all the circumstances. Brady was innocent, and he doesn't deserve whatever was waiting for him in jail.
It doesn't matter what happens to you now. You won.
[[>>|End Screen]]Your face hurts, and you have a gun pointed at your brain, but that pales in comparison to how you feel.
For a month now, you looked for Eric's killer. You drank so heavily it felt like days stopped mattering and weeks weren't so much a collection of days but a collection of fizzled light. A light that was always vibrating, numbing your head and shaking your mind into a lull that set the sails of your summer storm.
You followed a lead that everyone else blew off, and it has you face to face with your brother's killer.
This was your choice after you sat at the bar last night.
[][][]
The gun pressed into the flesh of your neck. What The Raven didn't do was keep his eye on you. In a flash, you punch his wrist as hard as you can. His wrist crumpled.
>>"''Fuck!''"
You begin to wrestle for control of the gun, and with the blow to his wrist already delivered, his grip was weak. You wrestle the gun fully away from your face, even as The Raven pulls the trigger. Your ears are now ringing, but you can't afford to care, with all the adrenaline in your veins. You manage to rip the gun out of the killer's hands and it scatters across the floor.
On instinct, The Raven kicks you in the right leg hard enough to floor you.
"Hggg!"
He follows this up with a punch to your gut. The breath is nearly knocked out of you, but you manage to scramble away and grab the gun.
You turn on him and whip the butt of the pistol across his face. Momentarily, the killer is disoriented, and he lashes out half-hazardly, half catching your jaw. You're much stronger than he is now, you know this. You wrap your hands around his throat and squeeze, taking him to the floor with a tackle.
>>"''No!''"
He reaches out at you, grasping for real estate on your face, but his protests grow weaker before fading alltogether.
"You don't deserve to live...but you should face justice all the same. For all the //brothers// and the //PARENTS// you've killed!"
You squeeze his throat until he's finally unconcious.
Brady looks at you in one part horror and another part elation. He shouldn't have even been there, but he made his choices, as did you.
You climb off the serial killer, gasping for air.
>>"Oh my God, are you alright?! I'm so sorry, I was scared, I didn't know what to do!"
Brady trailed off. You should be angry with him, but he did't know any better. He was scared.
The phantom of pain and rage slowly dissipated.
"Brady..."
Brady's expression turns from shock and awe to terrified.
>>"No, no, he was gonna kill me if you hadn't done anything, man, I swear.."
"I know...get out of here. I'll tell the police that you ran away in shock, and that The Raven coerced you into tricking me here. It's the truth..isn't it Brady?"
Brady sobbed, but nodded his head, slowly turning. "I don't know what to say."
"Don't. Just go."
As the police sirens close in, you feel relief. You did the right thing, given all the circumstances. Brady was innocent, and he doesn't deserve whatever was waiting for him in jail.
It doesn't matter what happens to you now. You won.
[[>>|End Screen]]
Your face hurts, and you have a gun pointed at your brain, but that pales in comparison to how you feel.
For a month now, you looked for Eric's killer. You drank so heavily it felt like days stopped mattering and weeks weren't so much a collection of days but a collection of fizzled light. A light that was always vibrating, numbing your head and shaking your mind into a lull that set the sails of your summer storm.
You went on the offensive when no one else would help you, and you took matters into your own hands.
But when you stopped to think about what you'd done, you realized that you needed to be better than The Raven.
All of these things were your doing after you sat at the bar last night.
[][][]
The gun pressed into the flesh of your neck. What The Raven didn't do was keep his eye on you. In a flash, you punch his wrist as hard as you can. His wrist crumpled as did yours, the pain re-emerging from your prior fighting.
>>"''Fuck!''"
You begin to wrestle for control of the gun, and with the blow to his wrist already delivered, his grip was weak. You wrestle the gun fully away from your face, even as The Raven pulls the trigger. Your ears are now ringing, but you can't afford to care, with all the adrenaline in your veins. You manage to rip the gun out of the killer's hands and it scatters across the floor.
On instinct, The Raven kicks you in the right leg hard enough to floor you.
"Hggg!"
He follows this up with a punch to your gut. The breath is nearly knocked out of you, but you manage to scramble away and grab the gun.
You turn on him and whip the butt of the pistol across his face. Momentarily, the killer is disoriented, and he lashes out half-hazardly, half cataching your jaw. You're much stronger than he is now, you know this. You wrap your hands around his throat and squeeze, taking him to the floor with a tackle.
>>"''No!''"
He reaches out at you, grasping for real estate on your face, but his protests grow weaker before fading alltogether.
"You don't deserve to live...but you should face justice all the same. For all the //brothers// and the //SONS// you've killed!"
You squeeze his throat until he's finally unconcious.
Brady looks at you in one part horror and another part elation. He shouldn't have even been there, but he made his choices, as did you.
You climb off the serial killer, gasping for air.
>>"Oh my God, are you alright?! I'm so sorry, I was scared, I didn't know what to do!"
Brady trailed off. You should be angry with him, but he did't know any better.
The murky phantom of pain and rage slowly dissipated.
"Brady..."
Brady's expression turns from shock and awe to terrified.
>>"No, no, he was gonna kill me if you hadn't done anything, man, I swear.."
"I know."
You have the gun in your hand still. Brady eyed the gun sharply, clearly thinking of pulling a move.
"Don't even think about it, Brady. I'm sure the police are on the way. If you make a move, I won't have a choice."
Brady sobbed, but nodded his head.
As the police sirens close in, you feel relief. The Raven and Brady both would be punished accordingly.
It doesn't matter what happens to you now. You won.
[[>>|End Screen]]
Your face hurts, and you have a gun pointed at your brain, but that pales in comparison to how you feel.
For a month now, you looked for Eric's killer. You drank so heavily it felt like days stopped mattering and weeks weren't so much a collection of days but a collection of fizzled light. A light that was always vibrating, numbing your head and shaking your mind into a lull that set the sails of your summer storm.
You went on the offensive when no one else would help you, and you took matters into your own hands.
All of these things were your doing after you sat at the bar last night.
[][][]
The gun pressed into the flesh of your neck. What The Raven didn't do was keep his eye on you. In a flash, you punch his wrist as hard as you can. His wrist crumpled as did yours, the pain re-emerging from your prior fighting.
>>"''Fuck!''"
You begin to wrestle for control of the gun, and with the blow to his wrist already delivered, his grip was weak. You land a second blow with your other fist, using the momentum of him careening backwords to fully tear the gun from his grip.
On instinct, The Raven lashes out, kicking you in the left leg hard enough to take you to a knee.
"Hggg!"
You're breathing hard, and blood is filling your mouth.
You both vie for control, but you're stronger than he is.
"This is for Eric, you psychotic son of a bitch!"
>>"''NO!''"
The report of the gun blasted through the warehouse like a sonic cannon, as did the bullet out of the back of The Raven's skull.
You kneel there, covered in your own blood as well as his, in shock.
The Raven's lifeless body slams onto the ground at Brady's feet.
Brady looks at you in one part horror and another part elation. But he made his choices, as did you.
The anger you had felt towards The Raven swells as you remember what had brought you here.
"Brady..."
Brady's expression turns from shock and awe to terrified.
"No, no, he was gonna kill me if you hadn't done anything, man, I swear.."
But, you'd already tuned him out. Without another word, you shoot Brady directly in the chest, the force of the bullet knocking him down to the ground almost instantly.
>>"Why..why would yo-you.." he manages to stammer out, slumping over.
"Because //you// sold me out."
His face slowly falls to a mute stare. Tears of anger leave your eyes as you fall to the ground, cradling your head.
Even as the police sirens came, you don't feel anxious. Only numb.
It doesn't matter what happens to you now, though. You'd already lost enough. It was only a hollow victory.
[[>>|End Screen]]
Your face hurts, and you have a gun pointed at your brain, but that pales in comparison to how you feel.
For a month now, you looked for Eric's killer. You drank so heavily it felt like days stopped mattering and weeks weren't so much a collection of days but a collection of fizzled light. A light that was always vibrating, numbing your head and shaking your mind into a lull that set the sails of your summer storm.
You went on the offensive when no one else would help you, and you took matters into your own hands.
But when you stopped to think about what you'd done, you realized that you needed to be better than The Raven.
All of these things were your doing after you sat at the bar last night.
[][][]
The gun pressed into the flesh of your neck. What The Raven didn't do was keep his eye on you. In a flash, you punch his wrist as hard as you can. His wrist crumpled as did yours, the pain re-emerging from your prior fighting.
>>"''Fuck!''"
You begin to wrestle for control of the gun, and with the blow to his wrist already delivered, his grip was weak. You land a second blow with your other fist, using the momentum of him careening backwords to fully tear the gun from his grip.
On instinct, The Raven lashes out, kicking you in the right leg hard enough to nearly floor you.
"Hggg!"
You breathe hard from the exertion as Brady looks on in terror.
You both vie for control, but you're stronger than he is.
You whip the butt of the pistol across The Raven's face before standing and tackling him to the ground. You're much stronger than he is, the coward. You wrao your hands around his throat and squeexe.
>>"''Please, no!''"
His resistant punches weakened as you tightened your grip, eventually fading altogether.
"You don't deserve to live...but you should face justice all the same. For all the //brothers// and the //SONS// you've killed!"
You squeeze his throat until he's unconcious.
Brady looks at you in one part horror and another part elation. He shouldn't have even been there, but he made his choices, as did you.
Slowly, like a red ghost, the intangible anger you had towards The Raven directs it's way towards your once friend.
"Brady..."
Brady's expression turns from shock and awe to terrified.
"No, no, he was gonna kill me if you hadn't done anything, man, I swear.."
But, he'd already turned on you. "You shouldn't have brought me here, Brady. //This// was you."
You shoot Brady directly in the chest, the force of the bullet knocking him down to the ground almost instantly.
>>"Wh-..why would..I'm..sorry" he manages to stammer out, before slumping over.
"I'm sorry, too."
His face slowly falls to a mute stare.
As the police sirens close in, you feel anxiety. But you feel victory too. You won. And The Raven would pay for his crimes like someone should. You'll have to live with Brady's blood on your hands. But he betrayed you. You'd won out in the end.
[[>>|End Screen]]
Brady began again, launching himself as always into a long and ultimately self-centered conversation. You tune out almost immediately.
You find yourself asking Brady if you can carry this conversation outside. The dark of the city and the cool breaze beckons you again as you step out into Brady's porch area. Something about the view was just strange.
"Well, as I was saying, my car wasn't barely damaged, nothing more than a fuckin' dent, y'know? So, I ask her, 'Maybe you can make it up to me some other way, that way we don't have to get the police involved', because I smoke a lot nowadays, man, and I just don't like doing risky shit like that? You know what I mean?..yo, dude? Hello? Are you even listening, man, this is a great fucking story you're missing!"
//Fucking Christ, can't leave me to think for two seconds?//
"Yeah, yeah, that's great Brady, fantastic actually, but..doesn't something seem bizzare about this?"
You gesture broadly to the city in front of you. He looks at you incredulously.
"Like, look, it's probably just me, but..humor me. Just, like, look out at this and tell me something just doesn't sit right with ya, huh? What's off about this?"
Brady looks at you, his mouth slightly open. "Are you serious, man? You pulled me out of reminiscing about this hot chick to ask me to look at t-"
"Do it."
The friendly facade was gone now.
"Okay, sheesh. No need to get your panties in a bunch...no, it looks the exact fucking same as every night, dude."
You were about to give up, but then it hits you.
"Isn't the factory supposed to be closed on Wednesdays? Like ever since the manager kinda went nuts and wanted to honor..whatever, it doesn't matter. If that's the case, then why are the lights at the factory on?"
Brady did a bit of a double-take.
"Look, man, I don't know why they'reon, and wh-who cares why? Let's just chill out, smoke some weed, maybe?..It's been nice talking with you again, man."
Literally whenever he opens his mouth, you close your ears.
"Uh huh, yeah. We got to check that out man. I'm going, and you're coming with me. I need backup, and you're all I got."
You don't even let him squeak out a reply before you're on your way there.
[[>>|Confrontation: Brady (Positive) and Kill Killer (Negative)]]
You've known Brady ever since you were a kid; you two used to be inseparable. Whether it was getting ice cream cones down at Doug's Ice Cream Emporium or late night videogame sessions smashing controllers in rage, you two were always game to hang out.
That changed when the Raven killed your brother. Eric hadn't done anything, or at least anything more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But Brady had tried to console you. You hadn't listended. But how could he understand you? The blood on his hands wasn't his kin. [[>>|Untitled Passage 2- Main Character]]//Links in this passage will add to your comprehension of the game's world//
As the main character of this game, you are a man that sides as a vigilante to gather clues as to who killed your brother Eric, or why.
The only information you have on the man that killed him is his media-influenced alias, [[The Raven|anonymous]].
You've been at this self-imposed investigation for a month, or as long as you can remember nowadays. Your life's meaning fundamentally changed since Eric's passing.
Frequent alcohol consumption neither seems to enlighten you or depress you. It's just something that you need to numb you from the pain a now lonely world causes you.
You live alone, and apart from having a few friends in town, like [[Brady|Untitled Passage 1- Brady]], you don't see much of anyone.
Welcome to Blank Canvas, Player, where your choices have weight.[[>>|opening encounter]]
@@.morality_negative; -@@ @@.morality_neutral; =@@ @@.morality_positive; +@@Thank you, Player, for running through this digital piece.
I hope the conclusion you got was one you felt fair to your decisions.
If you didn't feel that way, replay the game. Each decision has some different dialogue and effects the ending in a (hopefully) dynamic way, whether it's a change in the Player Results *spoiler alerts* or a change in character attitude. You should check 'em all out ;)
I'm going to work on refining it and adding more media and new ways to interact with the piece over time, hopefully, so come back every once in a while to check out what's changed.
At the end of the day, I just hope that you had fun. It was a piece I accomplished in about three and a half days, and it changed a lot over the course of that time.
Things I want to change are audio on the whole. I could never get a song to play no matter how hard I tried. I would also just love to generally stylize the whole thing better, but I'm learning!
Anyhow, thank you for playing BLANK CANVAS. Hope you enjoyed! If you want to leave me any feedback, please feel free to email me at [email protected], or comment on Medium.
@@.morality_negative; -@@ @@.morality_neutral; =@@ @@.morality_positive; +@@