#he's real dumb when it comes to antagonizing others apparently but at least he's smart enough to deduce jaeho isn't human

[visualnoveldiscourse]

Amnesia: Memories- Kent Route Day 10

We pick up on Day 10 at Kent’s house after we tell him about our scary encounter with the mysterious possible murderer.  

We are off to a great start.  No memories, spirits in our heads, friends that think we’re out to get the targets of their affection, an emotionally constipated boyfriend, and now we might have a serial killer after us.  Good deal. 

 Heeey, if there’s a serial killer aspect to this story, are we going to be rescued by big, scary Kent?  Yes, please~ I have always been a slut for a damsel in distress story.  But what would make me even happier is us rescuing Kent!  0v0

Kent is suspicious of the fact that we say we don’t know the guy that apparently knows both of us.  

Orion suspects that we might have known the scary guy before he lost our memories for us.  I agree that it’s unlikely that we have never seen or met him before.  Kent, ever the diligent man, notes our paleness and asks if we know of any reason anyone would want to hurt us.  Unfortunately, we have no memories and we’ve been hiding that, so we can’t tell him any form of helpful answer.  My answer choice here is “I can’t think of anything,” since we literally know of no reason that anyone would wish us harm.  

I dunno, man.  Maybe I’m pale because a scary guy I don’t know knows my name and your name and was talking about killing me and then you’re like “maybe he’s a serial killer.”  You tell me, would that not elicit at least some concern?  

Of course, Kent immediately follows that up with “He must have been really scary!”  And I’m like no fucking shit.  Before any further conversation can be had, Kent comes closer and looks really freaked out.  

Awh, was he going to hug us and then he realized he was about to touch us and was like “holy shit, better not frighten girlfriend”? Like, I could probably use a hug right about now, maybe chill, Kent.  

“I wasn’t going to do anything outrageous...”  Kent, you’re blushing because you wanted to give us a hug?  Precious.  Or... not.  

Well, I suppose hand holding can also be comforting.  But personally, I’d rather have a hug.  But he doesn’t stop there.  

Kent really worries too much.  We’re dating.  Hand holding and hugs and even sometimes kisses are typical things to expect from romantic relationships.  Having you come closer to me and hold my hand to comfort me is a plus, not scary. This must be because of our rocky relationship and the rocky foundation of it.  

“So you don’t need to be so guarded.”  Is the final part of Kent’s next lines.  Were we making a face?  Like.  Kent is the least threatening person we’ve met the entire game.  I’m pretty sure I could put him up against a kitten and the kitten would be scarier.  

Fortunately, Kent takes our concerns seriously.  He offers to walk with us after dark to make sure we’re safe.  I also love how Kent doesn’t put forth a bunch of blustering bravado to impress us.  He could just as easily have said “I’ll walk you home every night to make sure you’re safe.  I’ll beat him up if he bothers you.” or anything else involving typical macho man bravado.  But instead, he says he might be able to help deal with that man.  Help deal with that man.  Not swoop in as a hero in a cape to save the day.  Not fix the problem for us.  Not to reduce us to a prize in some macho man fight about who gets the girl.  He says he might be able to help us deal with him.  

Another significant choice of words is saying that he might be able to help.  Kent makes no guarantees that he would be able to protect us from any threat.  He humbly acknowledges here that he might not be able to deal with this guy if he seriously is dangerous, but he will do what he can to help us if it came to that.  There is nothing I like more than a guy that is honest with me and himself about his capabilities and the situations we are in.  

We are going to die.  I know I was just harping about how nice it is that Kent is honest with me and that he will help me deal with this scary man, but if the scary man is here right fucking now, I need more than like two seconds to mentally prepare myself for the fight or flight reflex.  If I’m hiding, are you going to shove a shelf against the door or are you gonna be dumb as fuck and open the door for the serial killer?  

Kent, I don’t want to watch your bespectacled ass die in front of me while I hide under your desk and hope I’m not discovered-

Son of a fucking bitch.  Kent.  Ikki.  I’m over here having a panic attack because serial killer and you two have to play your fucking math nerd assassin games?  That’s it.  I’m done.  Play your games like the overgrown children you are.  I’m going h o m e  and there is nothing you can do to stop me.  

Oh.  I can’t leave yet?  Not cool, game.  I’m mad.  Can’t we just leaaave?  No?  Fine.  

Kent apologizes for the interruption that Ikki caused in our discussion. As if that is what merits an apology.  How about giving me a heart attack and knocking twenty years off my life?  

Ikki changes the subject to math puzzles that Kent likes to make and when he discovers that Kent already gave us some of said puzzles, he has the most hilarious reaction.  You fool.  You didn’t even suspect that I love math puzzles.  Maybe soon, I’ll join your stupid play pretend math assassin games.  

Okay.  So I can’t really fault him much for this one.  Although, I am personally offended.  We already know that we met Kent through a basic/beginner’s math course thing, so it’s natural he would consider our math skills elementary at best.  But still to come out an say it in front of your bro and in front of me.  Rude. (This is another rare occasion where Orion and I agree).  

Immediately following Kent’s statement, Ikki takes to his defense... Or so it seems.  “I’m sure he’s a ton of trouble.  He’s not a bad guy though, so try to be patient with him.”  

Kent is suddenly affronted by something Ikki says or does and one thing that I don’t like about this scene is how we don’t know what Ikki is doing until Ikki and Kent describe it.  Would it have been that much more difficult to draw Ikki’s hand reaching over the camera to rub our head?  

Kent is, understandably, upset by this development.  Ikki is taking some liberties here, what with rubbing the head of his best friend’s girlfriend.  

Wow, Ikki.  You’re not even hiding the fact that you’re doing this to make Kent jealous. The tone of voice the actor uses here cements that fact, which I cannot portray to you through text and screenshots.  To Kent’s credit, he keeps his cool, calmly telling Ikki that he has no morals.  

Of course, Kent is getting prety worked up about Ikki touching us.  It’s probably because Kent can’t even bring himself to hold our hand without dramatically working up to it.  Ikki is being pretty insensitive to his best friend.  And Ikki isn’t content to leave it at that, either.  

Before, it could be excused as a little lighthearted teasing, but now Ikki is just being an asshole.  Like, dude, maybe leave Kent and his insecurities alone?  Also, maybe stop rubbing my head, cause like, I don’t remember you asking permission to touch me and I’m sensitive about things like that.  But alas, being a silent protagonist with a spirit running our show, we don’t have the option to punch Ikki for being too familiar and touching us without permission.  

Ikki, seriously?  With friends like you, who needs enemies?  Openly flirting with your best friend’s girlfriend and pushing our boundaries by touching us and making open advances without permission.  Kent is having no more of this.  

He’s clearly getting pissed.  Ikki should call it quits, since it’s obvious that his playful teasing isn’t being well received.  But he doesn’t.  He casts another jab at Kent by brazenly asking for our number right in front of Kent.  

Look, there is nothing wrong with a guy and a girl who are not romantically involved exchanging phone numbers.  Men and women can be friends, after all.  But Ikki’s timing here is awful.  He’s flirted with Kent and insinuated that he would give us more intimate contact and Kent is already suspicious that Ikki intends to seduce us.  It’s just a dick move. 

We, the MC, could definitely do more to discourage Ikki’s advances, but we’re a blank paper bag with little real input into the story.  So, we exchange numbers and Ikki backs off and heads out. 

Alone, Kent approaches us, with a deep blush on his cheeks.  Is he going to ask us for reassurance?  Is he going to attempt to reaffirm that we have feelings for each other?  Is he going to do something sweet? Oh, Kent-

This sets off so many alarm bells in my head.  He’s got his hand balled up in our hair and his expression is the scariest I’ve seen on him.  Kent is so insecure that he would hurt us to prove to himself that he is manly enough to touch us in an intimate way.  

Personally, in real life, this would be a straight up deal breaker for me.  I don’t give a flying fuck how cute you are, how smart you are, how much I like you and am interested in you romantically, the minute you cause me physical harm is the minute your ass is on the curb.  No one, no man and no woman and no one of any gender on the spectrum will be allowed to cause me physical harm of any kind and stay in my life.  Unless it’s completely accidental, like, we ran into each other face first and now we’re laying in the floor groaning about how much our heads hurt.  

You have disappointed me, Kent.  You have disappointed me.  

But you are still, by far, the best boyfriend this game has to offer.  You heard me correctly: there are boyfriends in this game who treat us much worse than this.  Much worse.  I will miss you and your insecure hair pulling when we move on from your route to another.  

Fortunately, we get a chance to talk to Kent about how this hair pulling, rubbing thing feels.  I choose “I don’t dislike it, but it hurts.”  In this scenario, alone with a man bigger than me, who is already holding me by the hair, I wouldn’t want to antagonize him.  Best to pacify him and when I’m no longer in immediate danger, run for the hills.  

I don’t forgive you.  First of all, your hand is still balled up in my hair.  You’re pulling my hair as you apologize to me for pulling my hair and hurting me.  Second of all, you lost control and you hurt me.  You hurt me because you wer insecure and you are intelligent enough to know better.  Not laying a harmful hand on someone you profess to love isn’t difficult.  It’s being a decent human being. 

Well, first of all, he wasn’t pulling my hair and hurting my head.  Second of all, I don’t have a good answer for that, because the protagonist is a blank, passive page and Orion calls almost all of the shots. But we’re hiding this from Kent, so we don’t have a good explanation for him.  But!  Regardless!  You have no right!  To harm me!  No matter if you think someone else was allowed to do it!  

Can we go home yet?  No?  Kent has to angst about how Ikki will make advances on us? You don’t trust me to love you and to choose you over Ikki?  Just what is our shitty relationship based around, anyway?  Why are we even still trying at this point? 

Then get your hand out of my hair, shit fuck.  

“While I hesitate to even hold your hand, your heart could turn towards him...” Hand.  In my hair.  Fuck you.  Also, before this fiasco, I would have said “of course not.  You are being paranoid.  “I’m afraid that he could take you away from me.”  Dude, I don’t even want to see your face right now.  

“It takes all I have just to touch your hair.”  Then stop touching it. It’s not like I’m forcing you.  

Oh, well, since you put it that way- you are not forgiven.  Not that quickly, you asshole.  Prove to me you aren’t gonna abuse me and that that sort of thing will never happen again.  Oh, wait, things like that usually have repeat performances.  

“Could you go home for today?  ...I’ll walk you back.”  

Oh, thank God.  Just the words I was waiting for.  I don’t especially want you to walk me home, but better for you to walk me home than me be axe murdered in the street, I guess.  

Back at our apartment, Orion says “That was a surprise.”  and I’m like, which part?  Kent going crazy and pulling our hair or Ikki violating our personal space or maybe the way that Kent excused his behavior like an abuser would do?  

Which is a major warning sign in my book.  Danger, danger.  That’s not something to be happy about, Orion.  “He might like you more than we expected.”  Bro.  This is a bad thing, not a good thing.  Instead of getting more onto Ikki about this, he let all of his anger out on us.  That’s not cool.  

What a crappy note to end day 10 on.  And our romance was finally starting to get better.