Nohvember Interview: The First Attempt

I took a break from fixing the demo to write Noh's interview, only to realize that I can't put out Noh's interview without a certain scene from the demo, and yet if I kept working on the demo, I'll run out of time to write the interview by November's end. It's an impossible Catch-22.

The interview itself won't reveal Noh's identity (not directly, at least, although there will be major clues), but a main villain's monologue is required to understand many of Noh's answers and explained motives, and that evil diatribe now happens after Kenzie and Button go spelunking beneath Chicago.

Still, I've decided to share the beginning of my first attempt to forge ahead with Noh's interview anyway. The real interview with Noh will be posted once the in-game reveal is out (I just need to finish the tunnel scenes, and figure if there's a way I can recode something without kicking everyone's save back to Chapters 5/6). This interview will also have Nick as the interviewer for extra-spicy drama, instead of, er, the current host.

Below is my first attempt. You should be able to tell why I quit.

* * * *

A single lightbulb flickers on, buzzing due to faulty wiring. Instead of the usual stage, a small room is illuminated, a room with crumbling brick walls and boarded-over windows. The space is immaculately tidy despite its foreclosed appearance, the floor freshly swept and the high corners of the ceiling free from any cobwebs.

Movement stirs from near the windows. There’s a crack between the wooden planks that allows for sunlight to penetrate the room, and through that crack squeezes a white cat with only one eye. It takes some effort for Schrodinger to pull his posterior through the opening—under Sally’s care, he lacks the svelteness of his nomadic youth.

Once inside, Schrodinger hops onto the only piece of furniture in the room: a fold-up table, upon which lies a black mask.

Schrodinger sits on the mask.

Schrodinger: I’m here, human.

Noh: . . .

Schrodinger: This was your terms, wasn’t it? You refused to talk to others of your kind.

A figure, their form a hazy blur, steps out of the corner shadows. Although unmasked, their face remains unidentifiable.

Cats, however, are not so susceptible to Ment tricks.

Schrodinger: Ah. You.

Noh: . . .

Schrodinger, yawning: As the audience has likely guessed, I benevolently agreed to replace The Clown as this month’s interviewer. We’ll start with the most pressing question. How do you feel about cats?

Noh: Indifferent.

Schrodinger purrs approvingly.

Schrodinger: The other humans hate you, but you may be the first human to earn my respect. You seem indifferent to most things, unlike most humans. What led you to having so few qualms about altering another human’s consciousness?

Noh: I have many qualms about altering another human’s consciousness.

Schrodinger: And yet you do it anyway.

Noh: Yes.

Schrodinger: What makes you so sure that your actions were justified?

Noh: You’re aware of CODENAME ASSHOLE’s plan?

Schrodinger: To use REDACTED to REDACT? I heard Warmth Giver talking about it.

Noh: Imagine the backlash once the world discovers that GENERIC ORGANIZATION has deliberately PROJECT WATERBUFFALO.

Schrodinger: I can’t see that ending well for Ments.

Noh: Controlling the release of that information meant that I needed to BLEEP in order to BLEEP and prevent BLEEP. It was the only way to BLEEP.

Schrodinger: So you BLEEPED?

Noh: Exactly. BLEEP. BLEEP. BLEEEEEEEEP.

* * * *

. . . And at that point, I realized I just needed to focus on getting the demo released. 

However, Schrodinger's solo interview will be posted within the next hour or so.