“Make It Stop” is episode two of season one of Kiss Me First.
In the previous episode, “She Did Something”, Leila discovered a separate area of the online world of Azana, called Red Pill. The people who use that area do not use the world like the other players do; instead, it seems to be more of a haven. They also use a band that allows them to feel in real life what happens online. One of them, Adrian, appears to be the person who created the separate region, and perhaps modified the band as well. He also isn’t listed in the game’s database.
Leila logged in as Tess/Mania, a girl who had originally approached her, whilst at Tess’ place. There, she saw Adrian and another user, Calumny. Adrian had created a place for Calumny to jump off in game. Given that, in real life, Calumny was standing on the top of a tower block, Adrian may have just helped him commit suicide. Adrian also commented to Leila – believing that she was Tess – that he though Leila, or Shadowfax, had done something. Given that Leila’s mother, who may have been terminally ill, had apparently died unexpectedly, maybe Leila had helped her mother end it.
The episode opens in game with Calumny’s avatar standing on a plain as Adrian arrives on a motorbike. Only Calumny is not animate and, when Adrian touches him on the shoulder and says goodbye (in Polish, as Calumny was), the avatar turns to pixels and disappears and Adrian leaves.
Then the episode goes back five weeks. Leila is in a chemist’s buying some drugs. Powerful ones, according to the assistant. Leila takes them home and starts crying and her mother asks for her. She wants to know if Leila has the drugs, as her mother wants to decide when.
In the present again, and Leila logs back into Azana. She tries to enter Red Pill, but the portal is closed and knocks her backwards. Leila’s friend in game wants her to come hunting, but she doesn’t seem interested. Battle commences, the friend’s vehicle is destroyed, and missiles are about to hit Leila. When they stop in mid air and disappear. And Adrian appears. It looks like he stopped them. Adrian thinks that how most players use Azana is a waste of time, and money. Adrian says she could join Red Pill, but first she has to prove herself worthy, and then things get back to normal and Shadowfax’s avatar is killed, running out of credits as she does. Her lodger, Jonty, has also lost his job, so he hasn’t got any money at the moment.
Leila goes looking for Tess, as she isn’t answering her phone. Leila bumps into Tess’ boyfriend – who she supposedly dumped – when she goes to her house and Tess seems a little out of it. It seems Tess is a bit of a mess. More than a bit; she seems to be in treatment, perhaps for manic depression. Tess’ mother is also concerned about how much time she is spending in Azana, and it seems that Tess is not taking her medication either.
Leila also checks up to see what has happened to Calumny, as his avatar is no longer active in the game. Whoever is watching through the webcams is watching through other cameras too. Adrian seems the most likely candidate, given that he seems more than a little proficient with computers. It also seems as if Adrian might be willing to help the others in Red Pill to die, if that’s what they want, and they all seem to have problems, although most don’t live near to each other.
Perhaps rather more of real life than Azana in this episode.