Life and Times at East Marshall High - IC Thread V: Intensity Intensifies Intensely

[The TechnoGnome]

Lily sighs. "Sophmore, but thanks. I'll let you know if I need help."

Amber blinked, "Oh, I'm so sorry. You just look so young, I thought... nevermind. Still, it might be best if we keep our current... relationship on the down-low." She frowned, "I'm not sure either of our usual friends would like us hanging out with each other."

"It was cheap, and hey, one girl he took there liked it."

"Makes sense," Heather said with a shrug, "At least it gives you a reason to take me there. You know the whole 'well I liked this place, you don't own it' rant you can pull if one of them calls you out on it."

Awww. Yeah, I really should be happier more often. Becca agreed beaming it up.

"Definitely," Roger said with a grin, "Not that you aren't beautiful when you're sad, but a smile on your face adds so much more. And it brightens up everyone around you, which is one of the reasons I love you."

After a second his face turns beet red, "****, I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"No, no, not broke," Molly says, teasing right back. "I'll only take your money for good causes. Like the cakes they have, or the french fries."

Spoiler

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Strong Allure, Boyish Charm. +2

Knew I should've gone with conflict on the opposed. *grumblegrumblegrumble* Ah, well. Fukou da.

"Well, when I'm sitting in the corner of the lunchroom on a poverty-imposed fast, at least I'll know that you're getting fed," Robert said, "Though if you only get the unhealthy stuff, you might start literally getting fat off of my misery."

"Yeah, well, you know I'm not really into that last kind," Jill shrugs. Then frowns in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean 'very little' has me in it? I don't think our videos count if we've never showed them to anybody..."

"They do not? In that case none have you in it," Claire amended. "Though showing them to someone sounds like it may be fun in a way."

Rachel frowned and whispered, "You guys have sex tapes? You need to be really careful with even mentioning those, especially around this school."

"Yeah," John agreed, "I, uh, would be more careful who you told about that sort of thing."

[Illven]

"Definitely," Roger said with a grin, "Not that you aren't beautiful when you're sad, but a smile on your face adds so much more. And it brightens up everyone around you, which is one of the reasons I love you."

After a second his face turns beet red, "****, I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

Becca laughs awkwardly.

This.... Me, you and Val, really need to have a sit down talk, Sunday. She says.

[The TechnoGnome]

Becca laughs awkwardly.

This.... Me, you and Val, really need to have a sit down talk, Sunday. She says.

Roger frowned, "Really? Is she having a problem with this?"

[Illven]

Roger frowned, "Really? Is she having a problem with this?"

I... Becca really didn't want to lie. And it wasn't like lying to her parents or a teacher to cover her ass.

Not with you... She just feels insecure.

[The TechnoGnome]

I... Becca really didn't want to lie. And it wasn't like lying to her parents or a teacher to cover her ass.

Not with you... She just feels insecure.

"Oh," Roger said with a frown, "Yeah, I suppose that's understandable."

He nodded, "Yeah, it might be a good idea to hash things out and try to settle this."

[Illven]

"Oh," Roger said with a frown, "Yeah, I suppose that's understandable."

He nodded, "Yeah, it might be a good idea to hash things out and try to settle this."

Thanks for understanding. Becca replied sincerely.

[Q'telun]

Amber blinked, "Oh, I'm so sorry. You just look so young, I thought... nevermind. Still, it might be best if we keep our current... relationship on the down-low." She frowned, "I'm not sure either of our usual friends would like us hanging out with each other."

Lily looks blank. "Most of my friends wouldn't know who you are. Why wouldn't your friends approve of me?"

[Amaril]

"Don't worry, guys," Jill says reassuringly. "Hard as it might be to believe, we've been plenty careful. You're the first person I've mentioned it to, and I trust you guys."

[The TechnoGnome]

"Don't worry, guys," Jill says reassuringly. "Hard as it might be to believe, we've been plenty careful. You're the first person I've mentioned it to, and I trust you guys."

Rachel nodded with a frown, "Alright, just... seriously, be careful."

"We should probably get back to the dance," John said, "It was nice talking to you two again, though!" And with that, they danced back into their own corner.

Thanks for understanding. Becca replied sincerely.

"Well, it's understandable," Roger says, "After all, it's not like open relationships are the norm or anything. Something like this was bound to happen."

Lily looks blank. "Most of my friends wouldn't know who you are. Why wouldn't your friends approve of me?"

Amber looks nervous as she answers, "Well, you see, you aren't really the kind of girl I usually hang out with, and, well, my other friends can be a bit judgmental over who I hang out with. Cliques kind of exist for a reason, you know."

Timed almost perfectly to emphasize her point, Amber notices Ginny giving her an odd look. She whispers, "Look, we'll talk later, ok? I need to get back to my duties as Student Council President. Have a good rest of your night." She then quickly walks off to rejoin Ginny and her date.

***

Episode 7, Scene 11 (Final Scene)

As the dance winds to a close and you are preparing to leave, you all get a group text from Robert (minus Molly, who is just outright told this):

Hey, has anyone seen Betty? We're supposed to head back together but I can't find her anywhere.

Come to think of it, none of you have seen Betty since you arrived. You hope nothing bad has happened to her...

Spoiler: Unopposed Roll

Show

Allure D7: Ask around! There's still enough people left hanging around that someone is bound to have seen her, right? +2 VP

Skill D9: Use your investigative skills and knowledge of Betty's habits to track her down yourself. +3 VP

Conflict D8: If Betty's in trouble, there will be hell to pay. Make sure the people around you know this, and they just might open up to have seen her. +3 VP

Luck D10: Just wander around the parking lot and stumble into a major lead! +4 VP

At least one success is needed in order to avoid something bad happening.

[Esprit15]

Sakuya... Is anyone surprised? Sakuya grabs every person she can while teachers aren't watching and holds them to a wall, knife at the neck. This was not a laughing matter. "Betty Hartwell. Where is she?"

Spoiler

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Conflict (+1), Armed (+2), Terrifying (+2)

EDIT: Contingency Plan removed since I don't need it now that Becca used Do Your Best!

[Anubis Dread]

The fact she had not seen Betty was concerning. Was not tonight going to be the night that she finally went to a public venue with her girlfriend? The fact she was not here implied foul play or abuse. Neither thing something Claire wanted to have happen to someone as sweet and wonderful as Betty. Thankfully this was what her network was for. That and every other thing she could possibly want. A few texts to see if any of her contacts had seen Betty at her usual haunts should get her a lead at least.

Spoiler

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Skill, School Queen +2, Keen Eye +2

[Illven]

Okay, guys! We have a missing awkward girl. We're going to need to work together to make sure we bring her home. I want you all to send me texts every 5 minutes detailing your situation. She sent in a mass text.

Val, go to the PA station and send out a PA. Love you sweetie. She sent in a private text.

She could do this. For Betty. She was pissed at Robert, not Betty.

Now it was questioning time.

Listen up maggots. She said bashing a teaching pole against the bleachers.

One of you is going to tell me where Betty is. Okay. Because this is important! She said strutting around in her fancy dress.

And that's when the PA system was alerted... With a loud screech.

So... this is awkward. She said to Roger....

Spoiler

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Strong allure, Shameless, Scaredy cat, do your best!

[DoctorFaust]

"Alright then, come on." Molly grabs Robert by the arm, and starts tugging him around to other people, asking them all the same thing.

"You seen Betty Hartwell around? Kinda short, thin, and shy? Might be with another girl?"

Spoiler

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Strong Allure, Boyish Charm, Do Your Best. +4

[Amaril]

While Claire texts people to ask about Betty's whereabouts, Jill opts to take the more direct route and just ask around in person. If she was here, somebody must have seen her...

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Allure, +2 Shameless, +2 Runner's Glow.

[The TechnoGnome]

Sakuya... Is anyone surprised? Sakuya grabs every person she can while teachers aren't watching and holds them to a wall, knife at the neck. This was not a laughing matter. "Betty Hartwell. Where is she?"

Spoiler

Show

Conflict (+1), Armed (+2), Terrifying (+2)

EDIT: Contingency Plan removed since I don't need it now that Becca used Do Your Best!

It takes a couple of tries before you find someone willing to talk.

"I h-haven't seen her since I got here!" one guy finally says, "Last I saw her, she was out front playing with her phone!"

The fact she had not seen Betty was concerning. Was not tonight going to be the night that she finally went to a public venue with her girlfriend? The fact she was not here implied foul play or abuse. Neither thing something Claire wanted to have happen to someone as sweet and wonderful as Betty. Thankfully this was what her network was for. That and every other thing she could possibly want. A few texts to see if any of her contacts had seen Betty at her usual haunts should get her a lead at least.

Spoiler

Show

Skill, School Queen +2, Keen Eye +2

They do in fact give you a lead. Apparently, some of the members of the student council had asked her to move further from the entrance of the school because she had been loitering there for over an hour. It's unlikely she ever made it inside the building.

Okay, guys! We have a missing awkward girl. We're going to need to work together to make sure we bring her home. I want you all to send me texts every 5 minutes detailing your situation. She sent in a mass text.

Val, go to the PA station and send out a PA. Love you sweetie. She sent in a private text.

She could do this. For Betty. She was pissed at Robert, not Betty.

Now it was questioning time.

Listen up maggots. She said bashing a teaching pole against the bleachers.

One of you is going to tell me where Betty is. Okay. Because this is important! She said strutting around in her fancy dress.

And that's when the PA system was alerted... With a loud screech.

So... this is awkward. She said to Roger....

Spoiler

Show

Strong allure, Shameless, Scaredy cat, do your best!

"So much for our fearless commander," Roger said with a smirk.

Regardless, the PA did convince someone to come forward and say that they saw a girl matching that description waiting outside most of the night. Strangely enough, a lot of them didn't even realize she went to East Marshall and thought she was a middle-schooler trying to gate-crash the party.

"Alright then, come on." Molly grabs Robert by the arm, and starts tugging him around to other people, asking them all the same thing.

"You seen Betty Hartwell around? Kinda short, thin, and shy? Might be with another girl?"

Spoiler

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Strong Allure, Boyish Charm, Do Your Best. +4

"Oh yeah, I think I saw her," Charlie said as she was prepping to leave, "I went outside to get some air earlier and saw her begging Student Council to give her 'five more minutes' for something. Couldn't get her to tell me what she was waiting for, but I ended up giving the poor girl my water bottle after they left, the poor thing looked dehydrated."

While Claire texts people to ask about Betty's whereabouts, Jill opts to take the more direct route and just ask around in person. If she was here, somebody must have seen her...

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Allure, +2 Shameless, +2 Runner's Glow.

And indeed someone had. While most people had a hard time placing a name to a face, they did see a girl somewhat matching Betty's description waiting outside. One person even tried to convince her to come inside, to no avail.

***

Thanks to the power of teamwork, you all manage to find Betty around roughly the same time. She is curled up and fast asleep on a bench by the bus stop right outside the school, looking quite worse for wear. Her hair is a mess from being outside for so long, and her new yellow dress has dirt stains on it from the bench in several places, indicating she had been there a while. Your arrival has not woken her up.

How do you want to deal with this?

Spoiler: Results

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Rebecca, Jill, and Molly gain +2 VP. Sakuya and Claire gain +3 VP.

[DoctorFaust]

Molly sits down next to Betty and gently taps her on the shoulder. "Hey, Betty," she says, trying to keep her voice low and soothing. "This isn't a great place for a nap. You wanna wake up now?"

[Illven]

Becca texts Val and Roger.

Spoiler: Text

Show

We found her, she's safe.

As for the girl in front of them. Becca waits for Molly to wake her up.

[Esprit15]

"Betty?" Sakuya says, patting the girl on the head gently in hopes of rousing her. "We need to get her inside. It's still really cold out. Robert, turn the heater up in my car," Sakuya says, tossing the boy the keys.

[The TechnoGnome]

"Betty?" Sakuya says, patting the girl on the head gently in hopes of rousing her. "We need to get her inside. It's still really cold out. Robert, turn the heater up in my car," Sakuya says, tossing the boy the keys.

Robert catches the keys, and gives Betty a worried look, but seeing how many people are already helping her, decides that this is the best way to make himself useful.

"Got it," he says with a nod. As he turns to leave, he adds, "Just make sure she's ok for me?"

Becca texts Val and Roger.

Spoiler: Text

Show

We found her, she's safe.

As for the girl in front of them. Becca waits for Molly to wake her up.

Becca receives replies rather quickly.

Spoiler: Texts

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Roger: Oh thank goodness she's alright.

Val: Really? She's not hurt then?

Molly sits down next to Betty and gently taps her on the shoulder. "Hey, Betty," she says, trying to keep her voice low and soothing. "This isn't a great place for a nap. You wanna wake up now?"

Betty shifts slightly under Molly's hand, and mutters something unintelligibly, but doesn't really wake up. This close, you can see that she's clutching her cell phone close to her chest.

[Esprit15]

"Hm?" Sakuya says, looking at what Betty is holding. Unless the girl resists, she tries to take the phone from her, see if anything could be learned from it. The guy said she was looking at her phone before the dance.

[Illven]

Ah crap. She might be succumbing to hypothermia if she's been outside for hours. Becca said.

Claire, Sakuya, help me lift her. Becca orders

Spoiler: Text

Show

Sans possible hypothermia, she's been outside all night.

[DoctorFaust]

Molly reaches down and shakes her harder, and says "Hey, Betty, c'mon, time to wake up now. We need to get you somewhere warmer." She glares at Sakuya as she reaches down for Betty's phone, but doesn't move to stop her. "Seriously, Betty, come on, you need to wake up now."

[Q'telun]

Lily spots Robert in the parking lot and breaks off her talk with Charlie to go and talk to him. "Hey Cheekbones, is Betty okay? Charlie said you and Crazy were asking where she was."

[The TechnoGnome]

Molly reaches down and shakes her harder, and says "Hey, Betty, c'mon, time to wake up now. We need to get you somewhere warmer." She glares at Sakuya as she reaches down for Betty's phone, but doesn't move to stop her. "Seriously, Betty, come on, you need to wake up now."

Betty still doesn't really move at first, only shifting and muttering again.

"Hm?" Sakuya says, looking at what Betty is holding. Unless the girl resists, she tries to take the phone from her, see if anything could be learned from it. The guy said she was looking at her phone before the dance.

This, however, gets a reaction. The second Sakuya tries to pry the phone from her hands, Betty tenses up and tries to pull it away, though is nowhere near as strong as Sakuya. After a moment, her eyes snap open and she bolts upright, "I, I'm awake! I'm awake!" she shouts, more to herself then anyone nearby.

It takes her a couple seconds to realize that there are other people nearby. "H-H-Hi e-everyone," she mutters as she starts shivering again, "W-Why aren't y-y-you a-all i-i-inside? I s-said I'd b-be r-right th-there..."

Ah crap. She might be succumbing to hypothermia if she's been outside for hours. Becca said.

Claire, Sakuya, help me lift her. Becca orders

Spoiler: Text

Show

Sans possible hypothermia, she's been outside all night.

Spoiler: Text

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Val: What?!? Why the hell would she do something like that?

Roger: should I call 911?

Lily spots Robert in the parking lot and breaks off her talk with Charlie to go and talk to him. "Hey Cheekbones, is Betty okay? Charlie said you and Crazy were asking where she was."

"Yeah, we found her," Robert said, not stopping his walk towards Sakuya's car, "Apparently, she's been outside all night waiting for her date to show up. I'm trying to find Sakuya's car so we can get the heater running for her."

[Esprit15]

"The dance is over, Betty. Why didn't you come inside?"

[DoctorFaust]

Molly immediately strips off her jacket and puts it over Betty. "I think the more important question is, who were you waiting outside for for so long?"

[Q'telun]

"Yeah, we found her," Robert said, not stopping his walk towards Sakuya's car, "Apparently, she's been outside all night waiting for her date to show up. I'm trying to find Sakuya's car so we can get the heater running for her."

Lily blinks in surprise, matching Robert's pace. "Wow. Her boyfriend stood her up and she waited for him? I'm gonna have a long talk with Greg on Monday."

[Illven]

And why did you wait for hours? Becca asked.

We should take her to the hospital. Just in case. Becca recommends.

Spoiler: Text

Show

She seems conscious and coherent.

[The TechnoGnome]

"The dance is over, Betty. Why didn't you come inside?"

"Wh-What?" Betty stammers. She checks her phone in a panic, then lets out a pitiful whine, "I m-missed the d-d-dance?"

Molly immediately strips off her jacket and puts it over Betty. "I think the more important question is, who were you waiting outside for for so long?"

"I... I w-was w-waiting for St-St-Stacy..." Betty whimpered, trying to fight back tears, "Sh-She said sh-she'd be h-here..."

Panic set into her eyes again, "Y-You don't th-think she's in tr-trouble, d-do you?"

And why did you wait for hours? Becca asked.

We should take her to the hospital. Just in case. Becca recommends.

Spoiler: Text

Show

She seems conscious and coherent.

"Sh-She s-said s-she'd be h-here as s-soon as she c-could," Betty repeated.

She frowned as Becca suggests taking her to the hospital, "B-B-But wh-what if St-Stacy c-comes wh-while I'm g-gone! Sh-She might th-think I st-stood h-her up! I t-told her I'd w-wait."

Spoiler: Text

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Roger: That's a relief.

Val: Should I run out and try to get soup or something?

Lily blinks in surprise, matching Robert's pace. "Wow. Her boyfriend stood her up and she waited for him? I'm gonna have a long talk with Greg on Monday."

"It wasn't Greg," Robert said curtly, "And even if they were dating, he's banned from school dances after the stunt he pulled last time."

[Esprit15]

"For he sake, she better have been in danger..." Sakuya says to herself. "I'm just happy you're okay, Betty. Excuse me for a moment." Sakuya types in Stacy's number and walks a good distance from the others. Assuming Stacy picks up...

Spoiler

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"WHERE THE F***ING F*** ARE YOU!?"

There is a tiny chance that everyone heard her anyways...