Nooj's doubts about his own ability to love unconditionally are interesting.
The surreality of Nooj's killing of his only four companions in the world is handled well. His grief at the event and his reversion to despair is well written.
It is such an abrupt ending, however. I remain curious as to why the four did not actually die, but then I have played the game. It is difficult to separate these things sometimes in my mind.
The next part is quite powerful. It is difficult to describe my reactions to it.
It ius almost as if the whole ending was too easy on Nooj though. I feel as if it would have been harder for him to continue onwards as a long-distance lover with a real hope of seeing his lover again. To be hopeless is really easy for Nooj I think. He functions well that way. It seems ridiculous to say so, but somehow it is true. Still, again, it is canon. These are just some thoughts.
Author\'s Response: I never liked the scene at the Travel Agency. It rang false to me at the time I played the game. However, in this collaborative endeavour, we were resolved to be cannonical. (You do know the other three characters were telling their version of events at the time I was writing this?) In spite of the resident despair, I never believed so strong a mind as that of Nooj could be overwhelmed by a wimp like Shuyin. However ... canon, y'know.I am currently engaged in filling in the pieces of the lad's back-story and explaining many of the seemingly contradictory aspects of his nature by reference to his early influences and experiences. I would like to express my appreciation for your continuing to read. It is a rarity to find someone like you in a world of short attention spans. Incidentally, all of the Confessional Quartet - those of us who wrote these interlocking stories - has written at least one Epilogue.