Scarlett, a moody goth girl

This is meant to be a shorter branch, without a very far reaching story, though anyone is free to add to anything, I'm just a fan of the original VN and like the concept, so I figured I'd contribute something here :). Also, every image in this branch was AI generated by myself specifically for the story, so there isn't a source for any of the images.

Waking up to that horrid alarm, Scarlett groans and slams her hand onto her phone, silencing it. Her face buried in her pillow, she waits a few seconds before finally turning her head and opening her eyes. Her room is dark, little daylight making it in through her curtains. "Ugh..." She groans, her head pounding. Maybe she shouldn't have drunk so much, she isn't an invincible teenager anymore afterall...

Sitting up, her raven hair poofs out dramatically, her normally shoulder length locks bent and curled in all sorts of wild directions, as is the usual in the mornings. Grabbing her phone, Scarlett yawns and throws the covers off of her before heading to the bathroom. Her feet drag as she drudges through the hall, her worn t-shirt and combined with her disheveled face making her look like a zombie.

She shuts herself in the bathroom, turning the sink on and looking at herself in the mirror.

"I need a haircut..." She thinks as she grabs her toothbrush.

Finally starting to wake up a bit, Scarlett brushes her teeth, checking her phone at the same time. Unlocking the screen, she sees multiple messages from her co-worker, each of them seeming more and more urgent.

• Hey, it's Becca, Just wondering if you saw your new schedule! We're supposed to be opening early today...

• Hey Scarlett! Did you get my message? Miss Opal is starting to get a bit upset you aren't here, think you could hurry?

• Uhh... Scar? Are you seeing this?

• ---

With a sigh, Scarlett sets her phone down. "Shit... can't believe I forgot to change my alarm..." She thinks, spitting the toothpaste out into the sink. The messages were all from an hour ago, the new opening time for the mall, and her own work as well. She's gonna be in deep shit with her boss...

Turning the phone screen off, she fails to realize the last message had been sent after the others, only being sent as she had opened the chat. Pulling out some medication for her headache from the cabinet, Scarlett doesn't notice the strange pink glow pouring in from under the door, most of its bright color being drowned out from the artifical light of the bathroom.

"Just gotta shower, then I can head over, shouldn't be too long." She thinks, making a mental note of how much longer she's going to take, unaware of the sudden tightness in her chest... or the lengthening of her hair...