smashacademy | More ugly news reports + one patronizing [video] message courtesy of Seth Richardson

A casual Monday outing turned tragic when two men were brutally gunned down in front of Malo's Gun and Ammunition mart. The victims; Kaplan Stridehr and Marple Dethrris were found dead with a single Aperture-Brand Resolution Pellet to the head. A third victim, Hendorff Ditherrs, was found at the scene asphyxiated to death. All three of the victims regularly donated community service hours to the FLUDD orphanage and were cherished by their grieving families.

The murder suspects, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Vivan Johnson, and Rick Johnson, all attend Smash Academy and have been interrogated at least once by the FDCPD. Rick has been hospitalized for the time being with life-threatening injuries, though his condition is stable. He will be questioned when he regains consciousness. It's unclear if his injuries were inflicted in self-defense, or by the other two Smash Academy students in the middle of the attack.

The Smash Academy students claim they were the ones who acted in self defense, but FDCPD has not reached a clear verdict yet to a very messy and terrible situation.

"It's not completely clear this was in self defense." says the police chief. "If you're not looking to kill, you don't put a bullet in someone's head."

Several eye witnesses to the attack also claim the smaller student, Vivian, was the one who open fired and murdered the victims, unprovoked. All three are on juvenile preemptive probation until further investigations are finished. It should be worth noting, again, these were non-human students of Smash Academy, a fighting school that accepts many different kinds of unnatural, humanoid creatures. They could still be considered dangerous despite the probation. Aperture Science is also being questioned for product deficiency, but has not returned any of our calls.

[Lakitu, an unnatural, humanoid turtle man, shuffles the papers on his desk and prepares for the next, possibly vaguely related news story.]

An abandoned church on the east side of the city was mysteriously engulfed in flames last night. Fire accelerants were noted in the area, suggesting that this was no accident. It's uncertain if this incident is related to the gun attack, but non-human terrorists are suspected given the target. If you have any important clues or tips to report, please call the FDCPD immediately.

It's truly terrible this historic building has been reduced to tinder and ashes. Residents are outraged and are calling for Martial law. Mayor Tabuu is taking this into consideration with rising rates of violence and crime, but states he is not likely to come to a decision or see any action result for a least a month, especially given the complicated nature of FDC. Martial law would necessitate the need for an outsourced, contracted military, and the Mayor wants to ensure he has the best for the job.

[video]

[Seth appears on video, close up and fiddling with the camera before settling in his seat, a grim expression on his face.]

In case you weren't aware about a certain fiasco that happened between Mary and Vianca a while ago, a new development has recently come to my attention, and I for one am ashamed. Shame on you!

Honestly, she's just a child and didn't know any better. That's no reason for anyone to go antagonize and bully her! I want to think better of our student body.

You're all so quick to turn a blind eye when that murderous swordsman returned to campus. You hardly bat an eyelash at knowing there's at least three new and different murder suspects residing right here! Have any of you even seen the news lately? They're right here, living amongst you all--murderers as your very neighbors. But the moment a naive little girl does something she didn't even know was wrong you ostracize her unfairly. I don't want to name names but you know who you are.

Everyone's double standards here are truly unsettling. You should all think on your sins.

[Ahem. He clears his throat and adjusts his collar, as if to clear out all that ~undignified emotional outpouring~]

Anyway, I apologize if any of that came across as harsh or blunt, and Mary's poor name shouldn't be dragged through the mud any longer. Mary has all my condolences, I wish her the best and above all that this doesn't happen again. That was a while ago anyway--old news. She should know better by now.

I'll see to it personally.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kiyotaka.

[ Hey you're on the records buddy, he's got your number. Privacy? What's that? ]

We need to talk. About Vivian.

...

Are you injured, first and foremost? [ That small peek into the soft side of his heart. After all, he did get mixed up in a bad way. ]

[Oh here it is, the call he's been dreading most... Only he imagined it would have happened in person.]

...I am fine.

[Physically, anyway. There wasn't much the doctors could do for a cracked rib besides tell him to remember not to breathe shallowly and be careful with it for a while, and anyway, Rick's the one who took the most damage. And lived to tell about it.]

This is about her programming... isn't it?

Smart boy.

[ Ishimaru never did come across to him as an idiot. He is naive. Pure. Kind. Well-behaved. To take him as a stupid child would be foolish, but he is just that: a child.

The awkward air of silence, while incredibly brief, is enough to leave a lump building in his throat. Where to begin? ]

You... see that she is a danger now. This is in her programming. It cannot be undone while keeping the rest of her intact. Your safety... everyone's safety depends on wiping her data.

I have no choice in the matter. It has to be done.

[ He's sorry it has to come to this, but he just can't vocalize that much. ]

[Call him smart all you like, he still feels like a complete fool right now. But at least Shadow's not calling him a genius or anything. That would set him off for entirely different reasons.

No, he's upset about this conversation enough as it is.

But... can he really argue with him? There was a time before coming to Smash Academy that Ishimaru voted to condemn himself and nine others to death simply because he didn't want to give up on somebody he loved. Because he couldn't accept that person as a murderer, even after their confession in the face of undeniable evidence.

But he saw Vivian shoot down those thugs. He saw the utter lack of remorse - of even being able to comprehend that what she did was wrong, and that's what's most terrifying. She believed it was the proper thing to do because of her programming.

Refusing to let Shadow do this would be to once again put people at risk for the sake of his own selfishness. The safety of the student body should be his top priority. That's the responsibility he's taken on.

Besides, reprogramming can't be nearly as bad as an execution. So why does it feel like agreeing to this is no different from casting a vote?]

...I understand.

[He has to force it out.]

Will it hurt her?

It won't. I can promise you this.

[ Even he isn't cruel enough to just let her suffer like GLaDOS -- sorry, Caroline -- did. Inducing a comatose state to rid her of any possible pain during the process is a clear decision he has to make.

To put her through the same thing as Caroline...

Shadow can't do that, especially not to someone with the mentality of a little girl. ]

She... will be rendered unconscious painlessly for the procedure. She will feel no pain afterward. Life will go on as normal for her, and she will be reborn anew.

I...

[ He swallows heavily, ears wilting as he remains unsure of what he's about to say, but he feels it could be reassuring. ]

I will try to maintain her memories and see if she can function with them safely, but I cannot make any promises there.

What... What do you mean about her memories?

[HOLD UP.]

Is there a risk that she can't keep them? No, that shouldn't be a problem at all!

[Right? He's just getting into this whole programming and coding business and doesn't understand the complexities of it yet but he's sure that it shouldn't involve something like that!]

There is a risk. You see, wiping her data, her programming from when she was created from the first time, means wiping her memories of GLaDOS. That is the easiest and best way to do it.

However, I can attempt to do so while keeping her memories, but... it may have unforeseen side effects.

[ Programming and coding is one thing, but when it's something as complex as Vivian, a turret with a mind this intricate, it is way different.

He... doesn't want to do something wrong. This can't backfire. ]

If it's just those, that's fine! That's all that needs to be done... That should be easy!

[What happened to Mr. Cocksure Ultimate Lifeform? ...Actually, it's better that he's acknowledging that he's not perfect after all. Still, what does that mean for Vivian?

He can't go back now and insist she remain unchanged, either. Not after realizing that she is a danger as she is.]

So... I know it will be fine, and she'll be fine...! Hey, it doesn't do any good to have doubts in yourself! For something as important as this, you need to know you'll be giving it one hundred percent, understand?!

[ Well, see, Ishimaru, hedgehogs have layers... ]

Of course.

Just remember, should anything go wrong, by some chance... Even though it seems unlikely as it is...

Know that I am going to try my best.

[ "If I fail, I'm truly sorry." ]

I have one more question for you. Where is Vivian now?

[SORRY SHADOW, BUT THIS DISCUSSION IS OGRE.]

...She is somewhere in the school, but I am not with her right now.

[He feels like he should be, now. Even if they took all of her weapons, something bad could still happen. ...Someone in the school could take the news poorly, for instance.]

[ GROSS, SNOTTY TEARS. ]

... Ishimaru.

I can't say when it will happen, but when it does, I don't suppose you would like to be updated on everything?

[ As for that last bit, well...

Shadow has to think that he'd never want someone to take the news poorly enough to do something. Vivian, after all, is still a little girl. ]

No.

I want to be there.

Then it shall be.

[ Dang, he agreed to that awfully fast. ]

You will have to be ready immediately when I call you. I don't want her unconscious for longer than necessary.

Of course! I won't be late!

Good. We will be in touch.

[ Feed's off. Gonna formulate a plan on how exactly to get her situated. ]

More ugly news reports + one patronizing [video] message courtesy of Seth Richardson

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do you want some tldr well too bad here it is anyway

I LIKE TLDR, TASTES P. GAMEY

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