vanilla 4 + bizarro!cherry
vanilla 4. i can't believe you don't know how to... + malt (what if: mike in a video game) + cherry
story: second chances ; high school, senior year. wordcount: 1475. rating: pg.
Your goal is to survive this year with your sanity and self-esteem intact. What if Mike's life was a video game? A strategy guide for his worst year.
notes : Sometimes I do crazy stuff to get a cherry. This is pretty crazy. I tried to get this piece to read like an instructional guide without being boring. Let me know if I succeeded?
Your game begins with you asleep in your bedroom. And then your alarm goes off. As you hit the snooze button and roll over, you notice that this morning seems just like every other morning.
In fact, it is just like every other morning.
Yes, there is nothing special about today. You get up, take a shower, throw on some clothes and stumble off to school with the same lack of enthusiasm you've been feeling every day since your senior year started.
Let's break it down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your Stats
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SELF-WORTH METER
Your self-worth meter starts out at a conservative 25%. Your main goal will be to boost it to a healthier level over the course of the school year. There will be various opportunities to increase it along the way, but watch out-there are plenty of ways to damage your self-worth as well.
SANITY POINTS
Your Sanity Points are what get you through the day. Certain day-to-day tasks and interactions will cost you SP. Others will increase your SP, though these are a bit rarer.
SP will usually replenish themselves after a night of decent sleep, but if your day has been particularly bad, you may wake up to find they have not.
Keep a watch on these-if your Sanity Points reach zero, you will start to use up your Hope Points.
HOPE POINTS
Your Hope Points are your second line of defense. If your SP become depleted, actions and interactions that would normally cost you SP will began to cost you HP instead. Also be warned: certain certain characters and items may effect your HP directly.
If your HP drop to zero, you will become DISILLUSIONED. Once you become DISILLUSIONED, your game is more or less over. Come on, you're much too young for that! Your Self-Worth meter will drop to zero and you will lose access to all locations except your bedroom.
At this point, it may not be worth continuing. You might just want to give up and start over with a different character.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your Items
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your BOOK BAG is your inventory, i.e. where you keep all your items. Extra items may be stored in your BEDROOM or CAR. These are the items you will have at the beginning of the game:
WALLET: You start the game with $14.61 in your wallet. You get more money is by showing up to work at the DINER at collecting your tips. It's unlikely you'll need to worry about money as long as you keep showing up for work. What are you going to spend it on anyway?
BOOK: You start the game with a (randomized) novel in your bag. Sitting down and reading for a while is a simple way to restore some SP. It may also prevent unwanted interactions in public locations. Once you finish a book, it ceases to be useful and you'll need to swap it for a new one. There is a shelf with some books in your BEDROOM, but once you unlock the LIBRARY, you will have unlimited access to reading material.
CELL PHONE: Can be used to reach Darcy or leave messages for Dad. You think you used to use this more.
HOMEWORK: Hopefully you remembered to do it. You'll need to turn it in when prompted if you want to pass your classes. Making excuses will not be good for your self-worth.
KEYS : You won't really think about these until you lose them or lock them in your car. Then they will fast become the most annoying item in the game.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Starting Locations
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HOME
Your house, more or less. Home sweet home. HOME is made up of three main locations:
*YOUR BEDROOM : The only location where no one can bother you. You begin the game here and can return here at any time after school and work are through. Be warned though: spending too much time alone in your room will begin to negatively effect your self-worth.
*THE KITCHEN : You can grab some food on your way out the door. A good thing to do as you don't like much from the school cafeteria. Also it's free.
This is also the location where you're most likely to encounter DAD.
*THE GARAGE : If you're looking for something to do, you can always go to the GARAGE and mess with your car. Successfully performing maintenance tasks such as changing your oil, filters, spark plugs, brake pads etc can be good for your SP and self-worth. And it takes you a long time to get bored with this.
SCHOOL
School: You are required to come here every weekday. There wouldn't be much point in truancy anyway. Locations include the following:
*HALLWAYS: Where you're most likely to run into friends, acquaintances and the occasional bully.
*CLASSROOMS : One classroom seems much like another. You have a schedule to follow, but lately your classes seem to blur together. Just try to turn in the correct HOMEWORK, sit very still and try not to watch the clock too closely.
*CAFETERIA : Another place for chance encounters while you attempt to refuel on the bagged lunch you brought from home. It's unlikely you'll find anything here you want to eat.
*COLLEGE COUNSELOR'S OFFICE: Avoid it when you can.
THE DINER
Three days a week, you wait tables here after school. Think of it as a rather dull mini-game. Get the orders right and everything should go smoothly. Unlike your co-worker KATHY, you're already pretty good at faking a cheerful mood. At the end of your shift, don't forget to pick up your tips.
Locations you can unlock along the way include, the LIBRARY, COFFEE SHOP, IN-N-OUT BURGER, and THE MALL. For a full list of locations and how to unlock them, consult the World section of this guide.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Other People
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FRENEMIES
DARCY : Your best friend. Darcy is the only person you will regularly encounter who will consistently boost your SP. Additionally, when Darcy is at your side, she can act like a buffer in your other interactions and help you hold onto your points. She can appear anywhere on the map and can also be reached by using your CELL PHONE if things are getting dire. But letting her repeatedly defend you can damage your self-worth.
DAD: Will occasionally appear in the HOME location, usually at odd hours. Pep talks with Dad can increase your HP, if you can get your paths to cross, though you may have to settle for a smaller boost from the NOTES he leaves around the house. Trying to reach him by phone will almost certainly result in phone tag.
LEVEE : You think she's your friend, but you're not sure sometimes. She can provide you with useful tips and opportunities to increase your stats...or she can hang you out to dry, if that better fits her agenda. She appears mostly at the SCHOOL location and on occasion, will seek you out directly. Despite the damage she can cause, she is usually worth talking to-though she can bring your SP down to zero, she won't be able to bring herself to touch your HP at least.
KATHY : Your co-worker. Appears solely in the DINER location. She will either increase or decrease your SP depending on her mood. Fortunately, she doesn't hide how she's feeling. If she's in a bad mood, stay away. If she is an especially good mood, she may even offer you PIE.
LONNIE : Your ex. Can appear at SCHOOL and other public locations when you're least expecting it. Will cause your self-worth meter to go haywire if you don't keep your distance and will drain your SP and HP faster than any other character in this category. Fortunately, you can often recognize him by his orange hat before he sees you and exit the location. For detailed instructions on avoiding Lonnie, consult the Walkthrough section of this guide.
ACQUAINTANCES
You will also encounter acquaintances including TONY, BRIE and CHARLI at SCHOOL and other public locations. If they notice you and say hello, you will experience a boost to your self-worth meter. If they do not notice you and your SP or HP are low, your meter may decrease instead.
BULLIES
Bullies will also appear at SCHOOL and other public locations. Mostly RANDOM ASSHOLES, this category of characters can chip away at your SP. If you don't stand up for yourself, they will go for your HP and self-worth as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your goal
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your goal is to survive this year with your sanity and self-esteem intact. Easier said than done, right? Yes, it may seem like the odds are not in your favor. Yes, here will be times when you'll have no idea what you should be doing. Yes, you will find it hard to predict whether certain people will be helpful or detrimental to your quest.
Above all, you just have to keep going.
Mannnn, I can't even fathom coherent notes for this right now. I wound up putting much more time and energy into this piece than originally intended. The image toward the beginning is mostly assembled and modified elouai stuff.
Also, a big thanks to Matthew for coming up with "self-worth meter"! LOVE THAT.
ALSO, WORST GAME EVER???
story: second chances ; high school, senior year. wordcount: 1475. rating: pg.
Your goal is to survive this year with your sanity and self-esteem intact. What if Mike's life was a video game? A strategy guide for his worst year.
notes : Sometimes I do crazy stuff to get a cherry. This is pretty crazy. I tried to get this piece to read like an instructional guide without being boring. Let me know if I succeeded?
Your game begins with you asleep in your bedroom. And then your alarm goes off. As you hit the snooze button and roll over, you notice that this morning seems just like every other morning.
In fact, it is just like every other morning.
Yes, there is nothing special about today. You get up, take a shower, throw on some clothes and stumble off to school with the same lack of enthusiasm you've been feeling every day since your senior year started.
Let's break it down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your Stats
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SELF-WORTH METER
Your self-worth meter starts out at a conservative 25%. Your main goal will be to boost it to a healthier level over the course of the school year. There will be various opportunities to increase it along the way, but watch out-there are plenty of ways to damage your self-worth as well.
SANITY POINTS
Your Sanity Points are what get you through the day. Certain day-to-day tasks and interactions will cost you SP. Others will increase your SP, though these are a bit rarer.
SP will usually replenish themselves after a night of decent sleep, but if your day has been particularly bad, you may wake up to find they have not.
Keep a watch on these-if your Sanity Points reach zero, you will start to use up your Hope Points.
HOPE POINTS
Your Hope Points are your second line of defense. If your SP become depleted, actions and interactions that would normally cost you SP will began to cost you HP instead. Also be warned: certain certain characters and items may effect your HP directly.
If your HP drop to zero, you will become DISILLUSIONED. Once you become DISILLUSIONED, your game is more or less over. Come on, you're much too young for that! Your Self-Worth meter will drop to zero and you will lose access to all locations except your bedroom.
At this point, it may not be worth continuing. You might just want to give up and start over with a different character.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your Items
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your BOOK BAG is your inventory, i.e. where you keep all your items. Extra items may be stored in your BEDROOM or CAR. These are the items you will have at the beginning of the game:
WALLET: You start the game with $14.61 in your wallet. You get more money is by showing up to work at the DINER at collecting your tips. It's unlikely you'll need to worry about money as long as you keep showing up for work. What are you going to spend it on anyway?
BOOK: You start the game with a (randomized) novel in your bag. Sitting down and reading for a while is a simple way to restore some SP. It may also prevent unwanted interactions in public locations. Once you finish a book, it ceases to be useful and you'll need to swap it for a new one. There is a shelf with some books in your BEDROOM, but once you unlock the LIBRARY, you will have unlimited access to reading material.
CELL PHONE: Can be used to reach Darcy or leave messages for Dad. You think you used to use this more.
HOMEWORK: Hopefully you remembered to do it. You'll need to turn it in when prompted if you want to pass your classes. Making excuses will not be good for your self-worth.
KEYS : You won't really think about these until you lose them or lock them in your car. Then they will fast become the most annoying item in the game.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Starting Locations
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HOME
Your house, more or less. Home sweet home. HOME is made up of three main locations:
*YOUR BEDROOM : The only location where no one can bother you. You begin the game here and can return here at any time after school and work are through. Be warned though: spending too much time alone in your room will begin to negatively effect your self-worth.
*THE KITCHEN : You can grab some food on your way out the door. A good thing to do as you don't like much from the school cafeteria. Also it's free.
This is also the location where you're most likely to encounter DAD.
*THE GARAGE : If you're looking for something to do, you can always go to the GARAGE and mess with your car. Successfully performing maintenance tasks such as changing your oil, filters, spark plugs, brake pads etc can be good for your SP and self-worth. And it takes you a long time to get bored with this.
SCHOOL
School: You are required to come here every weekday. There wouldn't be much point in truancy anyway. Locations include the following:
*HALLWAYS: Where you're most likely to run into friends, acquaintances and the occasional bully.
*CLASSROOMS : One classroom seems much like another. You have a schedule to follow, but lately your classes seem to blur together. Just try to turn in the correct HOMEWORK, sit very still and try not to watch the clock too closely.
*CAFETERIA : Another place for chance encounters while you attempt to refuel on the bagged lunch you brought from home. It's unlikely you'll find anything here you want to eat.
*COLLEGE COUNSELOR'S OFFICE: Avoid it when you can.
THE DINER
Three days a week, you wait tables here after school. Think of it as a rather dull mini-game. Get the orders right and everything should go smoothly. Unlike your co-worker KATHY, you're already pretty good at faking a cheerful mood. At the end of your shift, don't forget to pick up your tips.
Locations you can unlock along the way include, the LIBRARY, COFFEE SHOP, IN-N-OUT BURGER, and THE MALL. For a full list of locations and how to unlock them, consult the World section of this guide.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Other People
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FRENEMIES
DARCY : Your best friend. Darcy is the only person you will regularly encounter who will consistently boost your SP. Additionally, when Darcy is at your side, she can act like a buffer in your other interactions and help you hold onto your points. She can appear anywhere on the map and can also be reached by using your CELL PHONE if things are getting dire. But letting her repeatedly defend you can damage your self-worth.
DAD: Will occasionally appear in the HOME location, usually at odd hours. Pep talks with Dad can increase your HP, if you can get your paths to cross, though you may have to settle for a smaller boost from the NOTES he leaves around the house. Trying to reach him by phone will almost certainly result in phone tag.
LEVEE : You think she's your friend, but you're not sure sometimes. She can provide you with useful tips and opportunities to increase your stats...or she can hang you out to dry, if that better fits her agenda. She appears mostly at the SCHOOL location and on occasion, will seek you out directly. Despite the damage she can cause, she is usually worth talking to-though she can bring your SP down to zero, she won't be able to bring herself to touch your HP at least.
KATHY : Your co-worker. Appears solely in the DINER location. She will either increase or decrease your SP depending on her mood. Fortunately, she doesn't hide how she's feeling. If she's in a bad mood, stay away. If she is an especially good mood, she may even offer you PIE.
LONNIE : Your ex. Can appear at SCHOOL and other public locations when you're least expecting it. Will cause your self-worth meter to go haywire if you don't keep your distance and will drain your SP and HP faster than any other character in this category. Fortunately, you can often recognize him by his orange hat before he sees you and exit the location. For detailed instructions on avoiding Lonnie, consult the Walkthrough section of this guide.
ACQUAINTANCES
You will also encounter acquaintances including TONY, BRIE and CHARLI at SCHOOL and other public locations. If they notice you and say hello, you will experience a boost to your self-worth meter. If they do not notice you and your SP or HP are low, your meter may decrease instead.
BULLIES
Bullies will also appear at SCHOOL and other public locations. Mostly RANDOM ASSHOLES, this category of characters can chip away at your SP. If you don't stand up for yourself, they will go for your HP and self-worth as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your goal
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your goal is to survive this year with your sanity and self-esteem intact. Easier said than done, right? Yes, it may seem like the odds are not in your favor. Yes, here will be times when you'll have no idea what you should be doing. Yes, you will find it hard to predict whether certain people will be helpful or detrimental to your quest.
Above all, you just have to keep going.
Mannnn, I can't even fathom coherent notes for this right now. I wound up putting much more time and energy into this piece than originally intended. The image toward the beginning is mostly assembled and modified elouai stuff.
Also, a big thanks to Matthew for coming up with "self-worth meter"! LOVE THAT.
ALSO, WORST GAME EVER???