"Don't you feel stupid answering these questions when you don't even know who you are?"
STORYTELLER SYNTHESIS SCENE 1 - A GIRL NAMED V
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Storyteller Synthesis is an indie cyberpunk RPG that I’m currently writing and designing. This is the first scene of the game, where we're introduced to our first party member - a girl named V. Please enjoy!
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Onyxveil is a troubled city. The streets are covered in litter, the skies are gray with smog, and the only sources of light are flashing neon advertisements on walls. Within this bleak cityscape stands an equally troubled young girl, one with hot pink hair and an unfocused gaze. Just a few years ago, she experienced a horrific eve-
"Can you shut up and give the Player control already? Nobody wants your stupid expository speech."
...Ahem. As I was saying, just a few years ag-
"Why can't you ever listen? The Player isn't interested and neither am I. Get it over with."
Ugh. Fine. I came up with this whole summary, but if you're so ungrateful I GUESS I can throw it in as flavor text somewhere...
"Perfect, I'll make sure not to read it. Now get rid of this black screen so the Player can see."
Excuse me? I know what I'm doing.
"Sure. Just get rid of it."
Ugh. Fine.
[Now, in tile RPG format, we see the aforementioned girl from behind. She's at the edge of a rooftop, looking out into the smog-covered cityscape. The camera shifts downwards to show another person, one with a long, pale blue ponytail. The girl turns around and walks towards them. She keeps her distance, but begins speaking. Her character portrait shows a girl with purple, rectangular irises. Her hair is spiky and she wears some sort of strange cropped techwear hoodie. She looks dissatisfied.]
"So, "Sylvie." Long time no see."
> I could say the same to you.
...
"How long has it been now? Three years? Four?"
> Three.
Not sure.
"And how was your little warrior's expedition? Successful?"
Very.
> You could say that.
Not exactly.
"Good, good. Now, Don't you feel stupid answering these questions when you don't even know who you are?"
Wh- hey! I already told you not to go off script!
> I'm not sure.
Oh. Sorry, you don't need to answer that. Let me just fix this... small bug.
[The Narrator goes silent for a moment and the girl stiffens.]
There! Much better.
[The girl's character portrait is different when she speaks again. Her eyes are wide open with no shine. She has a wide, fake smile. Her hair spikes stand up a little less.]
"So sorry, SYLVIE! I don't know what came over me there. I'm glad your expedition went well! Woul d y ouu be wil lin g to h e-"
[She snaps out of it, shakes her head, and glares up at the sky.]
"UGH!! Stop doing that!!! I would literally NEVER talk like that. You of all people should know. Ughhh... anyway, Player, I'm not gonna keep up the "Sylvie" act. You aren't her and we both know it."
If you go off script again, I'll have to keep acting for you. Get back to the story or else.
"Shush. Player, follow me."
[The Narrator protests as the player follows the her down from the rooftop. The two come to an arcade, which the girl enters without hesitation.]
Ahem. Sylvie. You don't need to go in there. If you would just give me a minute, I can get her to come back out...
Sorry, this is going to take some time. Please be patient.
[The player enters the arcade anyway while the Narrator is distracted.]
"Hey. Glad you could make it."
[The arcade is empty, save for the two of them. Most of the machines look like they're out of order. A few of the arcade cabinets are still working, though.]
"If you're waiting for him to talk, you should know he can't hear us in here."
> "He"?
"The Narrator. He's messing stuff up in Onyxveil, and probably in other cities too. If i had to guess, I'd say his other targets would be The Sunbasked Stratum and Karma Point. They'd be good settings for a story, so..."
> Why can't he hear us in here?
What is he trying to do?
Who are you?
"I dunno. My guess is that he never intended for anything to happen in this arcade, so it's barely more than set dressing. I've never heard him speak a word while I’m in here, though. It’s pretty nice."
Why can't he hear us in here?
> What is he trying to do?
Who are you?
"He's writing some stupid story. I don't know... it's hard to explain, and we probably don't have much time. All you really need to know is that he's meddling with reality for his own selfish reasons and not taking anyone else into account."
[Her face contorts in anger.]
Why can't he hear us in here?
What is he trying to do?
> Who are you?
"My name's V. There's nothing else you need to know about me."
> Who am I?
"You’re the one playing the video game. Obviously."
> That's not what I meant.
"Oh, you must want to know who's body you're in. It's another person from Onyxveil. Their name is Sylvie. They went out on some training journey a few years ago. I... haven't seen them since."
> ...
"It doesn't matter. I need your help, Player. I don't want to be trapped in this stupid reality where I'm a character in a story I never asked to be a part of."
> What do you want me to do about that?
"I want you to help me kill the Narrator."
[V looks determined, but angry. This Narrator person has very clearly wronged her in some way, and based on her face, it looks like it was extremely personal.]
> How are we meant to do that?
"I don't know all the details just yet. However, I think the most effective method would be for us to assemble a party of several people. More people means more firepower, and he already wants us to gather more allies to fight the robots that keep appearing in the city. It'll be easy to fly under the radar as long as we don't discuss it in front of him."
[She speaks quickly and confidently. It seems she's been thinking over her plan for a long time.]
> Do you know who we need?
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