Story Reader / Festival Event Story / The Destined Surprise / Story
Don't open your eyes just yet.
Sitting on a small sofa in Karenina's secret base and surrounded by all sorts of industrial devices, I hear her open a shelf.
Your thoughts drift back to the morning when Karenina appeared around your dorm.
Hmm, let's see...
Hey, I totally didn't come looking for you! I came for the Engineering Force...
As soon as our eyes met, Karenina's Inver-Device instantly powers down.
H-hey, totally didn't see you there just now. Karenina averts your gaze and gives her thigh a light tap.
Huh?
Of course, I'm here for you! Don't you remember what day it is today?
Anyway, four o'clock this afternoon, and you know where you're supposed to go.
Here.
Slowly opening my eyes, I see Karenina turn her head away and hand over an album.
She pulls her hand back right when you're about to take it.
J-just let me go over it again.
Says Karenina, looking all nervous.
C'mon, Karenina, why are you being so nervous?!
She turns around.
S-screw it! Take it!
She shoves the album into your hand.
This is the album we agreed on. I wasn't quite sure when to give it to you... then came your birthday.
The Engineering Force had a vote and decided to go with this cover! I only gave them the options to choose from...
You're only allowed to say that word once.
A card that looks like a vintage ticket sub falls out when you open the album. When you pick it up and look at Karenina, you see her fingers locked together.
The ticket stub read, "Handshake Ticket".
Well... this is just an idea I got from WGAA. They said celebrities from the Golden Age did this a lot with their albums. I had quite a few different versions made, and I picked this one personally.
You shake hands, duh.
Karenina sits back on the sofa and slowly extends her hand.
With it, you hold your hand out, too. Handshakes are common in social settings, but this kind of handshake is rare.
You decide to place your other hand on top of Karenina's—and as soon as you do that, you feel her hand trembling slightly, presumably because the flow of her vital fluid has changed.
Hey, hey, hey! This is anything but a handshake!
Despite what she said, you can feel her grip on your hand tightening a bit.
But I'll let that slide since it's your birthday today.
Karenina places her other hand on top as well, her eyes looking for a place to look at.
One minute. That's what I remember the ticket says...
Well... I don't mind if you want to hold my hands a little longer, though...
