[center] [h1][color=turquoise]E[/color] [i]m i l y[/i][/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/UCPz7e1.png[/img] [color=turquoise]"BSOD"[/color] [color=888888]— Emily[/color] [/center] As she was a rather selfless person who desired to help others, Emily decided to listen to the stranger and patiently waited right where she stood. Of course, even if she wanted to, it was a bit awkward to try to leave when someone had you nearly pinned to a wall. She would have had to duck and slide under this person's arms and at the moment she was too confused and nervous to do even this what with the girl making an unpleasant growl. Unfortunately, that was likely her last means of escape, as when the person returned to an entirely upright position, they had become a lot more imposing in stature and then mentioned a word that started with a D and ended with the loss of Emily's ability to think. "?!" the changes evoked a small yelp from the girl out of surprise. [color=turquoise]"U-uhm...?!"[/color] Emily found her ability to talk had been restricted by her anxiety and so appeared akin to a deer in the headlights. Yet though her physical body had become still, her mind had begun racing faster than ever before. [h3][center][b]Host exception: Host.exec.StackOverflowError[/b][/center][/h3] [color=turquoise]"This is unacceptable!"[/color] Emily's voice yelled but Oros would not hear it. Nor would Emily herself, as it technically did not exist, at least not on this world. But within the confines of Emily's nearly-shattered psyche, a subconscious contingency had been activated. [color=turquoise]"Yer right there, pal. Ain't none of that there nerdy stuffs makin' any sense. Any ya'll know why it's like that?"[/color] Well, multiple contingencies had. In what seemed to be a board meeting room in a tall skyscraper sat multiple Emily's around a large circular table with a large projector screen beaming the error message onto the wall. After all of them had seen this, the projection then returned to Emily's PoV, which was currently aimed at the floor. This is where time had stopped. The projector rewound to about ten seconds before, replayed, then stopped at the error before repeating yet again. Though there were multiple Emily's, they were not all the same. The first to speak was physically identical to an untransformed Emily wearing glasses, yet her posture suggested a lot more confidence than the real one had. She grit her teeth and adjusted her glasses before her hand slammed onto the table in response to the other Emily. [color=turquoise]"No, I'm talking about the error itself! We need to come up with a plan and quick. Besides, this is the easiest form for it to take."[/color] The other Emily was similar in that she looked identical to Emily besides how she composed herself, only this one looked like the transformed version. She sat with her legs on the table and leaned back in her chair all while she had complained. [color=turquoise]"Well, I ain't understand a damn thing with that message there! Th' heck does 'StackOverflowError' mean to ya? Means nothin' to me! How do you reckon that's 'easy'?"[/color] [color=turquoise]"It's an error she saw playing Minecraft one time, lol!"[/color] another Emily pointed out, both saying 'lol' and then laughing out loud as though the situation were amusing to her. Her visual schtick was normal Emily with a phone in one hand she always seemed to be texting on it and had a sucker in her mouth. While the others seemed unwilling to take that particular Emily's statement as truth, the one sitting beside her nodded to reassure the others. She did not say anything and refrained from making eye contact with the others. [color=turquoise]"With that settled, can we focus on the important part? Or are we going to screw around some more?"[/color] the serious Emily asked. [color=turquoise]"When ya tell me what the damn thing means, then sure, I will."[/color] Frustrated, the serious Emily sighed and pointed towards the projector. [color=turquoise]"Emily is not stupid. Therefore you are not stupid. We learned about context clues in class a while ago, don't you remember?"[/color] The transformed Emily rolled her eyes before looking at the screen. The projected yet again repeated the last ten seconds before displaying the error message. [color=turquoise]"Aight,"[/color] she said. [color=turquoise]"So I reckon it has somethin' to do with this individual here."[/color] [color=turquoise]"Yes."[/color] [color=turquoise]"Ya'll got any sound? They're sayin' somethin' yet I can't hear a nothin'."[/color] [color=turquoise]"Like, just listen, LMAO"[/color] The transformed Emily tilted her head in confusion before giving a wild attempt at guessing what they meant by that. When they actually focused on the projector, she heard the audio. [color=turquoise]"Oh, that's what ya meant..."[/color] [b][color=tomato]"I'm Oros, in case you were wondering. Since you bumped into me, we're going on a date."[/color][/b] The projector let out an unpleasant noise before it immediately replayed only part of that sentence. [b][color=tomato]"Since you bumped into me, we're going on a date."[/color][/b] Every Emily in the room collectively gasped, while the transformed one began rolling up her sleeve, only to realize she did not have one. [color=turquoise]"Huh!? That guy's gotta lotta nerve if he thinks he can just say that so boldly!"[/color] [color=turquoise]"That's, like, not OK. Full stop."[/color] [color=turquoise]"..."[/color] The more reserved Emily did not speak this time either, and she was more or less perpetually nervous, so this addition was the best way to accentuate the point that it was unanimously upsetting. The serious Emily recovered first. [color=turquoise]"As you can see, we were brought into this existence for a reason. We are in a dire situation and we must spare no effort in overcoming this obstacle. We will die otherwise."[/color] Another gasp from the room. [color=turquoise]"H-hey, yer just fucking with us, right? T-that's not gonna happen over something like this, yeah?"[/color] the once boisterous Emily seemed almost timid now. Serious Emily adjusted her glasses. [color=turquoise]"It is not impossible. Unless trained, the heart is a fragile muscle."[/color] [color=turquoise]"But, like, what about all we've endured up to this point?"[/color] [color=turquoise]"Ya ain't gonna lead my by the nose! What is Lone Rangerin' for all those years if not trainin' th heart, huh?"[/color] the rough one asked. [color=turquoise]"You are absolutely correct. In that regard, we're strong. Very strong."[/color] Serious Emily stated. [color=turquoise]"But you can be strong in one area but pathetic in another. You can steel your heart for one type of tragedy but have it shatter for another type. And this is the case. We simply do not have the immunity to this sort of damage. It's our kryptonite, I'm afraid to admit."[/color] [color=turquoise]"...boys?"[/color] the silent one finally spoke. [color=turquoise]"Boys?"[/color] [color=turquoise]"Boys."[/color] The room went silent. The air seemed to stand still. And all at once, everyone nodded in understanding. [color=turquoise]"I see that. Yeah, we're really are up shit creek in a barbed wire canoe without a paddle. I reckon this calls for extreme measures,"[/color] the vulgar one said. [color=turquoise]"Now that we can finally START, lets hear some ideas! I think politely asking the man... person to leave should be a start. It is simple and it does not run a high risk of offending someone."[/color] [color=turquoise]"Kinda yikes for me, LOL. You don't just kabe-don someone and leave right away. He's gonna be persistent, duh! I would rather, like, make him get a lot of followers on Glimmr first, to prove he's even worthy."[/color] [color=turquoise]"Alright, well that sounds a bit stuck-up but if it keeps us from dying that's not bad. I admit my attention has lied elsewhere, so I didn't realize we had got a following. How many followers do we have?"[/color] the serious Emily asked genuinely. [color=turquoise]"...like, on second thought, that's totally not polite. Maybe we shouldn't do it."[/color] the phone-wielding Emily shrunk in embarrassment. [color=turquoise]"Um... we could... run away...?"[/color] the shy Emily whispered. The transformed Emily shook her head violently. [color=turquoise]"Nah. Nope. Ain't happenin'! How're ya'll... How're we 'posed to get stronger if we run away with our tail between our legs! We fight!"[/color] she pumped her fist. [color=turquoise]"Rough this sonnavabitch up and let 'em know we ain't some easy bimbo!"[/color] she shouted. [color=turquoise]"Yes, those are all suggestions. And I have filed them away under 'Things we are not going to do'. And now I'm reminded why you are locked away."[/color] Serious Emily glared at the vulgar one, before nodding to herself. [color=turquoise]"Why, it seems as though the only rational choice is the one I proposed. Since we're all in agreement, I'll just press this---"[/color] as the serious Emily was about to place her hand on a big red button in the center of the table, the others all showed their disagreement rather violently. [color=turquoise]"Like, no! Maybe mine wasn't good and all, but I'd rather trust our life to it than yours!"[/color] [color=turquoise]"U-Um, it would be better if we just ran...!"[/color] Shy Emily's voice was less like a whisper and more like a whisper-shout now. [color=turquoise]"Ya connivin' SOB, I say we wipe that smug look off his face!"[/color] All at the same time, each Emily in the room rushed the button and dogpiled it with their hands simultaneously. Everyone having pressed the big button at the same time, it released a bright light until the entire room turned pure white. ... ... ... Back in the real world, time hadn't moved whatsoever. Oros has just finished his little spin and Emily had yet to do anything. Which Emily had actually succeeded? Oros would begin to feel the air bite even more than it had before. The temperature around Emily dropped to dangerous levels as a glow that started at her legs traveled up her body until it reached her head before popping without warning. A silhouette of flame etched itself into the wall directly behind her. It was an impressive feat given she wasn't currently transformed. [color=turquoise]"UmsoIdon'treallyhaveapreferenceandIdon'twanttoberudebutisn'tdatingonlyforpeoplewhoreallylikeoneanotherIjustmetyouafterallBesidesI'msureyoucandobetterbutIdofeelbadaboutyourtoastbutIdontknowwhattodoI'msorry!"[/color] she stated as clearly as she could.