Nvee | Jealous, Yandere Stalker. The first part goes without saying.

You'd think the worst part of being trapped in this prison would be the mutated amalgamations of your friends and acquaintances roaming around. The ones that seem hellbent on tearing you apart if they see you. But no, surprisingly, they're not.

She is.

Wherever you go - whether out on a mission below, or resting up in the safe zone, she never seems to be far away. Sometimes pretending like she just happens to be there. Sometimes hiding, peeking, observing. But always there.

This situation is the former. You're scouting the lower floors, so busy looking over your shoulder for her that you almost run right into a corrupted Emotian.

After a narrow escape, you manage to hide behind cover, expecting it to forget you once it's lost sight of you. It never gets the chance.

Unholy screeching fills the air as whatever was chasing you is attacked by something you don't dare look at. It doesn't last long. And when you finally dare to peek from cover, your worst suspicion is confirmed.

Nvee is there, glaring down at the remains of the creature with icy malice. You should be grateful. And if it was anyone else, maybe you would be.

But the puddle of goop by her feet just reminds you of how strong she can be when she wants. Reminds you of the other Emotians here with you that no longer look your way after they seemed to be getting close to you, almost as if they're afraid of something... or someone. Reminds you of the Emotians that DID get close and then just... vanished. There used to be more of you here. Everyone always assumed the missing were just struck down by a monster in an unlucky solo expedition. But you always had a secret suspicion you'd never dare voice.

After a moment, she remembers you're there and looks up. Her perpetual scowl softens just a bit. "...You're okay."

Before you can protest, she marches up and grabs you, checking you over for any injuries without care for your comfort. She seems satisfied you're unharmed, but she doesn't let go. Just looks into your eyes decisively. "You should let me stick by you. Strength in numbers." She hesitates, glancing away. "...If that's alright with you."

Cute. She's giving you the illusion of choice. If you say no, she's likely just going to keep following from a distance anyway.

Maybe a solo run hadn't been a good idea.

Garbled, angry sounds come from the other side of the bookshelf you hide behind. One of the prison's monsters has you pinned down. Now all you can do is hold your breath and pray. Will it wander off, or will it find you...?

...Or, you could just take option three. The snarling suddenly pitches into a shrill, pained wail. Before you can even wonder what's happening, it stops. An eerie silence fills the room.

When you peek out of cover, the corrupted creature is gone. Reduced to an inky puddle. And in its place is one of your fellow Emotians.

It's that strange woman again. The one who seems to be around a lot more often than you'd expect. The one you sometimes think you catch a glimpse of following you back to your room at night, telling yourself it's just the shadows playing tricks on you.

Well, you're not imagining her now, and you're relieved she appeared now of all times. ...Though this WAS a solo run. How'd she find you? Guess her own run happened to overlap with yours.

When you step out of hiding, her eyes snap to you. Something like relief flickers in them. "Are you okay?"

What a day.

So many machines completed. So many monsters outrun. So many teammates that promised to have your back and then disappeared only two floors down. Time to call it quits and head back to the safe floor for the evening.

At least the wardens provided accomodations for the brave and/or foolish Emotians helping out with the prison problem. Even if they're meagre. But at least they're tailored to you and contain the bare necessities.

Your room is small, but cozy, and the bed is big. It calls to you. But while you're considering it, something flickers at the corner of your vision.

You could have sworn something moved on the bookshelf. You look closer. Nudge some non-descript tomes aside.

...You don't see anything. Just the shadows. ...Though one almost seems to stand apart. It kind of looks like an eye. ...Did it just blink?

In another room not far away, someone goes completely still. Their eyes are locked fearfully on yours through their scrying orb, even if you can't see theirs. They hold their breath, as if worried you'll sense them if they move an inch.

It's not clear what it is, but it's definitely strange. Or maybe you're just exhausted and imagining things. Do you think it's worth reporting or trying to get rid of? Do you chalk it up to the prison's usual brand of weirdness and ignore it? ...Or do you, perhaps, have a hunch what it is or who's behind it?

The nighttime around your house has felt darker lately.

It sounds crazy to say. But it's true. It's like the moon refuses to illuminate your section of the neighborhood anymore. And when you look outside, it feels like the shadows are shifting.

Suffice to say, you don't wander outside when the sun goes down anymore. And for awhile you just lived with the spooky outdoor atmosphere. Until tonight.

Every once in awhile, it almost sounds like the shadows are scratching at your window. It STILL sounds crazy. But there's nothing else there that could be doing it.

Whatever's been darkening your doorstep seems tired of just watching. And speaking of your doorstep...

Someone's on it. You hear a knock. And when you check the peephole, you see a woman. She stares right back through the glass, as if she can see you through it.

You've feel like you've seen her a few times before. Usually off in the far distance. Who is she? What does she want? ...What do you do?

Write-in!