Part 13: Shoot Eric

Part 13: Shoot Eric



Makes sense, this guy has been on our case from the beginning, let's see how he likes it. Playing nice hasn't been working out for us, anyway.





Music: Trepidation 2nd Mix





Wha... Are you...for real...?











Phelddagrif pointed out that you can see that the portraits in the background switched to the "dead" versions for those characters that were confirmed dead by the computer lady. Neat touch.









You'd probably come out okay if we moved to help you right now, but...



M-Mira...?





I... I see... Of course... You only need...one more...





Mira...





You look better...when you...smi--



A gunshot, and a pool of blood spreads out.



Gasping sound.



Wh-Why...?

Music: CQD Ward BGM 2



You're asking me that?







How... How can you be so...calm about it?

Calm?



Oh, no, I"m actually surprised right now. I had no idea his last words would be the same as my first's...

Your first...?





First of all, it's not as if I was actually dating him or anything.

I guess you weren't really in love then...





I just let him go since it would've been a hassle.

A hassle...



His feelings, huh...



I haven't really been able to understand emotions my whole life.



Anger, sadness, pain, fear... And things like love...



Quick timeout here to show you the status screen again - it's been updated to show Eric's "dead" portrait.



I don't even really understand what he said before he died.



Jesus, Mira, what the fuck?!



Just the sounds of Mira rooting around in Eric's chest cavity here. Even the music stopped.

Music: CQD: BAD END









Ever since I was little, I've always been told I'm callous and unfeeling.



Why did the faces on people change? I never understood what expressions were. I'd take a mirror and practice making them every day, but they never quite looked right.

The crossbow bolt was put down but we can still hear Mira digging around. Squelch, squelch.



Deep inside a person's chest is an object called a "heart"... This "heart" controls their emotions, and changes their expressions.



Why was everyone hiding this important thing inside so no one else could see?





I waited on an isolated street so there would be no bystanders, and then I stabbed her without warning with a small knife I brought with me.

The screen flashes white, then goes back to the same background as before.



[Unknown Woman:] Why...did you do this...?

[Young Mira:] I want to see what a "heart" is. I think I'm the only one who doesn't know.

[Unknown Woman:] Oh...God...

[Young Mira:] Hey, that's where you hide it, right? I know where it is. Hurry up and show me!

[Unknown Woman:] I...forgive you... So...please... Don't ever do something...so terrbie...again... Can you do that...?

[Young Mira:] Why?

[Unknown Woman:] Because...smiles...look better on you...

[Young Mira:] Smiles?

The woman didn't answer me. I patted at her face for a long time, but she didn't even blink anymore. When I gave up on waking her, I thoroughly searched for her "heart". It took some time, but I soon felt an unfamiliar, warm, comforting sensation.

[Young Mira:] I knew it! It was here!

The last expression the woman formed on her face was a smile. That's when I realized that this kind of moment was when you should smile.



I was terrible at it at first. I barely touched hearts, and always badly, but after doing it over and over again, I eventually got better at it. Fear, hatred, sadness... I learned about so many emotions by touching hearts, and there was always new expressions to see. But unfortunately, after that first, I was never able to find that comforting "heart". I wanted to feel that warmth one more time. I wandered aimlessly, searching to find someone who held that same warmth. And that was how, one day, I came across Eric.



With one glance, I could tell he was useless. No talent, no worth...nothing. I've seen many "hearts" of those like him, but none held my interest. Naive, helpless weaklings. It's as if they're amusing creatures simply there to be exploited. That's all I saw them as, but Eric... Something felt different with him. I stopped by the shop several times to watch him. I just had to figure out how he was different from all the others...

Music: Anxiousness 2nd Mix

I tried talking to him. I spent time speaking with him, going places together, to learn how he reacts. But I still didn't know. At one point, I'd thought I'd made a mistake. But...









I told you, didn't I?! And his last words were exactly the same as my first's!











There have been killers and other sick characters in the series before. But Mira is really on a whole other level. I kind of feel bad for Eric now.

There was a whole conversion in the "Execution: Q" fragment about a killer that went by the name "Heart Ripper", ripping out the heart of their victims. I don't remember if it's confirmed elsewhere but it's heavily implied here that it's Mira. So that part of that post can be an interesting re-read now.



Chimes, and the computer lady is back.













[Computer Lady:] That is all.

The same set as before, plus "POOR" for poor Eric.

Music: Divulgation 2nd Mix



Fade to black, and now we're back in the Lounge.

I just noticed.



I think that's an anagram.

An anagram?

You switch the letters around to get a different meaning. [The truth is invisible!]





What do you think it means?

Hmm... I'm not really sure...



Maybe it's similar to a human heart?











All right. Should I put them in?

Yeah, go ahead.



I hope you remembered what they all were.



Just kidding. If you don't remember, you can access the log from the menu here.



And go back and look it up. Clicking on it will even replay the audio, which is a nice touch.



They turn yellow when they're correct.



The X-Door opens!





And a couple more camera angles for the hell of it.



Okay, let's go.

Yeah.





And the door closes again behind Gab. I guess Akane was left behind.

Music: Interminable Dilemma (Credits)



Yeah, it's the game credits again.



We've won! Well, a couple of us won, anyway. We've reached Q-END:1, or the Crossbow End.



Another stamp on the old save file. Two down, five to go?

(Pay no attention to the ugly-high play time, I've been spending a lot of time sitting at the decision screen writing updates for you.)



Back to the Team Select screen. We've still got 12 new fragments, 3 fragments from the Execution vote to replay, and now we can also replay the Study. So, still 16 options. Select the story fragment.