A: Let's investigate upstairs.

Oh hey, looks like they found us instead of us finding them. That was a nice surprise and a relief. Good for all of us.

I'm not fully sure, might change vote, but my gut tells me to go with Albert's option of B right now, there is activity going on in the east hallway for some reason, and it's kinda strange Shepherd would come back to the east hallway after we heard his footsteps run far away from here. I'm wondering what that is about and it might be best to do B to understand what the situation is.

Best case, it's Bec, and she is probably taking this opportunity to leave the power plant
bad case, it's Shepherd again for some reason, though silver lining we can figure out where he's going in that case and stay off his trail.
Terrible case: it's Bec getting chased by Shepherd and she's leading him to the east hallway.
worst case: it's more adults entering the power plant.

though my second choice will be A to sneak away from whatever it is in the east. the staircase southward near the storage room is probably the safest route since if we go towards any of the northern staircases, whatever is to the east hallway might see us when we walk past that hall leading to the east hallway.

I'm torn between C and A

Basically I want us to give them one of the maps and recap that you've only found a corpse and a bunch of papers in the previous rooms.

Albert will get use out of the maps and Roger will likely have a good idea of where to go on this floor for either clues or to snag the others.

I think you and Enid (or if Albert/Roger has another idea) should head upstairs when you can, though. Both to listen to Enid, but also because there might be *light* up there if this place is as fucked up, maybe broken windows, maybe offices, stuff that basic employees wouldn't need to access?

>>1069137
Note to everyone, we are past 8 updates.

Something else is wrong here now, something that affects everyone in the building. I suspect it's related to why they didn't come back for the corpses.

Radiation?
sci fi hijinks?
Some kind of spooky monster that goes a bloogy woogy woo?

I'd rather not like to find out, and we should consider coming back for more information later.

As much as I want Albert to do the big brain thinking for us, we are nearly OUT OF TIME. We’ll have to get out soon if we don’t want bad things to happen. We can show Albert the map later, and he can piece things together.

Abscond upstairs. A.

The Storyteller 2023/08/27(Sun)20:15 No. 1071052 ID: 4481aa
File 169319253687.png - (358.66KB , 1000x1000 , 372.png )

Clive: “Talk later. We should go, before we’re found.”
Roger: “Go where?”
Enid: “Upstairs. Mr. Sheppard hasn’t left this floor yet, so we shouldn’t have to worry about bumping into him there. Not for a while at least.”
Albert: “Hmm, it would be a risky option for him. Leaving the floor makes it significantly easier for us to escape outside of his notice.”
Albert: “What would really be best for him would be to wait at the door, so that there’s no chance of us getting past him.”
Clive: “Yeah. Be thankful he’s not doing that.”

Enid pulls up her map, showing it to the others.

Roger: “The stairs in the laundry room are the closest, but...”
Enid: “It’s also the closest to where Mr. Sheppard might still be.”
Clive: “Then let’s use this one.”

You point to the top-left corner of the map, at the stairwell between storage and the turbines.

Albert: “That does seem to be our best choice. It’s hardly a short walk though.”

He isn’t wrong. Given that you aren’t running (hardly an option with Albert using a cane), traveling that far will take 2 Updates worth of time (assuming you aren’t interrupted).

[ A/N: When traveling longer distances, if nothing notable happens, we’ll skip past unnecessary updates and simply note the time spent ]

Considering that, it would be good to acquire a Second Floor Map sooner rather than later.

Roger: “If we’re going, then let’s go. We can talk and walk, and I think we’d all prefer to put some distance between us and the gun toting farmer.”

The others agree, and so you start moving. After slowly pushing open the door to the Turbine Room, listening for just a moment, you march in the darkness, flashlights off. You know that the door we’re looking for is against the wall, so you just have to keep a hand against it and feel our way there. Nobody wants a repeat of Sheppard walking in while you’re lighting the room up, especially with all the different entrances.

Albert: “There’s machinery up ahead, go around it.”

Albert was in the front again, naturally. You’d probably abandon him otherwise, given his slow pace. You all take the warning, feeling in front of you to get around the metal object, before reattaching to the wall.

It’s hard to keep track of how long you’ve been going for. Without seeing the path ahead, it feels like your understanding of distance has taken a leave of absence. You only recognize that you’ve arrived, because Albert’s cane stops tapping the ground. You hear a door open, and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Tap... Tap...

It was quiet and far away, and yet it sounded like it had been right next to you.

Footsteps. Somebody had entered the room, from one of the Northern entrances.

You quickly slip through the door with the others, and make sure it shuts behind you as quietly as possible.

The Storyteller 2023/08/27(Sun)20:16 No. 1071053 ID: 4481aa
File 169319256176.png - (847.64KB , 1000x1000 , 373.png )

Enid and Roger turn their lights on, confirming that you’re in a Stairwell. There are two doors, the one you came in from and one that leads to the Storage Room; then of course the stairs. There seem to be two sets going up on opposite ends of the room, but it seems likely that they both end in basically the same place.

Albert doesn’t waste time, starting up the closest set of stairs, steadying himself against the wall. You all follow his lead.

Roger: “Hey, Enid, did either of you guys see ‘Bec earlier? After we all split up?”
Enid: “No, I don’t think so. You?”
Roger: “Nope. Think she’s up here somewhere?”
Enid: “That would make sense.”
Roger: “Hmm... Maybe we should prioritize finding her then? I mean, it’s important to make sure she’s safe, obviously, but we could also rely on her investigations.”
Albert: “Excellent point, Roger. We need not waste time examining areas she’s already searched, unless of course we doubt her thoroughness. While I wouldn’t rule that out–”
Clive: “‘Bec is reliable.”
Albert: “Hmm... Well she certainly hides it well, behind that thuggish simpleton persona.”
Roger: “Hey, don’t start with that again. She helped us get in here, remember?”
Albert: “And then cast blame upon us and fled on her own once the unexpected happened.”
Albert: “Frankly, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that she’s already left.”
Roger: “Aw come on, you don’t really think she’d just ditch us, do you?”
Clive: “...”
Albert: “...Your silence rings quite loudly on this point, Clive.”

It didn’t seem quite right for you to speak ill of someone else for potentially abandoning everyone, when you considered doing the same. More than that, it did seem like something she might do. Enid seems to catch your hesitance there.

Enid: “Even if it’s something she might consider, when would she ever make it to the front door without running into one of us first?”
Enid: “Unless she turned around immediately after fleeing, which doesn’t seem likely. Because... Mr. Sheppard could have been coming after her. So she would have kept running.”

It wasn’t air-tight, but she seemed satisfied with it. Roger picks up right where she’d left off.

Roger: “We went North, and they went South. She couldn’t have gone down either of those paths without bumping into us.”
Roger: “And she couldn’t have found the Break Room, because she didn’t have a flashlight. Plus, it was against the wall that she was probably running away from.”
Albert: “She could have used the wall to guide herself while running though. In which case, it’s quite possible.”
Roger: “Maybe, but I don’t think she would. Even if she wanted to use one of the walls to flee, she wouldn’t feel her way to the sides when she was in a hurry, would she?”

Albert clicks his tongue, not having a strong rebuttal.

Albert: “Fine.”
Roger: “Let’s not assume the worst of her when we don’t need to. She’s on our side. Our only enemy right now is Mr. Sheppard.”
Albert: “A salient point.”

The Storyteller 2023/08/27(Sun)20:16 No. 1071054 ID: 4481aa
File 169319257536.png - (323.02KB , 1000x1000 , 374.png )

You reach the top floor, and step out into another hallway. There are no immediate doors in sight, but three different directions you can go down.

Clive: “What are we doing?”
Roger: “Like I said before, I’d prioritize finding ‘Bec before anything else. It’d save us some trouble.”
Enid: “Should we all stay together for that? It’d be easier if we went in different directions, wouldn’t it?”
Roger: “That’s true, but we’d be more at risk then, right?”
Albert: “I’m not sure about that. As a collective, I’d think we make more noise and have a harder time going unnoticed than we did in pairs.”
Roger: “Do we really want to split up again though? We only just caught up with each other.”
Enid: “Hmm...”
Albert: “...”

You don’t want to waste any more time than necessary on this choice.

Should you split up?

A: Stay together
-Stick together as a group of 4
-This may cause difficulties if you ever need to hide or flee
-Roger seems to be leaning towards this
B: Split up to cover more ground
-Split up into two pairs
-Do you keep the same groupings as before, or do you want to go with someone else?
-It seems like Albert wants this
C: Stay silent
-Stay out of the decision
-You will recover a bit of Fear for not forcing yourself to choose

Whether or not you do, what do you want to do next?

1: Abscond
-You don’t currently know which way each path leads
-It will be assumed that if you split up, any other groups will go in a separate direction
2: Look and Listen
-Anything specific you’re keeping an ear out for?
3: Rest and Recover
-Any other groups will rest with you, giving you time to catch up on what Roger and Albert have been up to
4: Other
-What else might you do?

I'd say Split, but have at least one person (if not a whole pair) keep an eye on the stairwell. It's important to know if someone comes up after everyone else, regardless of if it's 'Bec or Sheppard.

It might also be good to agree on some kind of sound or signal to identify "I am here" or "Sheppard is here." while (almost) everyone's still grouped together.

A, stick together.

If the decision is to split up, stick with Albert so that you can cancel his noise, and go East with him. Roger and Enid can go south. Not north because there is another stairway there, and we don't want to get ambush. Tell them to meet back here in like, around 10 updates time.

If we leave, go south together.

3. Since we had Clive choose, lets also give him a rest to recover more fear, and get an update on everything now that we're somewhere safer(?) and update them on stuff. Maybe Albert and Roger discovered something.

I want to point out to them the loading area on the map, and how there is a big opening over there which MIGHT be an alternate exit if we can't exit through the east. I'm thinking it's a large garage door for vehicles to exit and enter. The question would be how we could open it. Also, we should tell them about how we found another dead body in the lockers of the storage room. Makes me wonder why they were hiding, and from what. but whatever threat that was in here, it was something that people were not only running from, but hiding from too. Albert might have some better conclusions over this.

or

2. Listen for any noises from up here. If Bec is anywhere, we might hear her since Shepherd isn't up here yet.

lastly, a thought, if there were noises down east of the break room like Albert claims there was, and we heard someone enter from the north of the turbine room just now, then that could mean that someone MAY have entered the plant if that wasn't Bec making a racket in the east.

Stick together and rest. We just spend like ten billion updates trying to get most of us back together, this eliminates most uncertainty with the tappy tap tap cane and oh no is it a shotgun man or a spiky haired asshole.

Plus if we’re all together we get to utilize all the benefits of people, for example Clive is silent and Enid is a diabolical mastermind who forces us to obey, which is great for Albert and his stubbornness. Stack the buffs!

Tell Albert about the body and use his big brain for something other than insults.

Stick together and start exploring, hugging the north wall.

Don't you know, you never split the party,
Enid at the back, keep the runners hale and hearty,
Albert right in the middle, where he can give insights,
And you shouldn't have let Becky out of sight.

Staying together and resting for a while in order to catch up with each other would be the best idea.

Afterwards, we should move east, since that's the direction with the direction that has the most rooms.

The Storyteller 2024/03/24(Sun)22:59 No. 1087070 ID: 0ce5cf
File 171134635486.png - (467.70KB , 1000x1000 , 379.png )

Roger: “Let’s just stay together for now, okay?”

Enid nods, while Albert reluctantly agrees.

Albert: “We can at least take a moment to trade information then.”
Enid: “Why don’t we sit down here and talk? That way if someone comes up, we’ll hear them since we’re by the door.”
Roger: “Good call. Here, I have everyone’s snacks too. Let’s eat up while we’re together.”

You watch as everyone settles in, taking seats while Roger passes out snacks. He’s very deliberate about handing Albert a bag of pretzels, as he apparently had multiple food allergies to consider.

You sit right in front of the stairwell, only half-listening to the discussion so that you can keep an ear out for footsteps. There isn’t anything worth hearing anyways.

Roger: “...and if you hadn’t come in when you did, I think we might have lost him. Sorry about that, we weren’t trying to tag you in or anything.”
Enid: “Don’t worry, I get it. You didn’t have any other options, and you didn’t know we’d be there.”
Albert: “I’ll have to be more careful about attracting unwanted attention. Although it’s difficult when my options are not making noise or being able to walk.”

Those two had very little to report. They’d been chased through each room by Sheppard, until we took the heat off of them. After that they rested up and began exploring the Turbine Room. They found you both shortly afterwards, having discovered the door.

Your own discoveries hadn’t been much better.

Enid: “...and when we got it open… a dead body fell out.”
Albert: “Another one?”
Roger: “Jeez… What happened here?”
Enid: “It’s bad enough that they were dead, but why in a locker? The body was all twisted and… and just awful to look at! And the smell was enough that Clive vomited.”
Roger: “Really?”

He looks at you, like you’re some kind of spectacle. “The amazing boy who doesn’t do well with corpses” or something. After a few seconds, you glare back to make him look away.

Albert: “The body in the locker, could they have been Hiding from something?”
Enid: “Something?”
Albert: “The simplest explanation would be another person, although I doubt some would-be mass murderer could just waltz straight in without being caught by security.”
Roger: “Maybe it was another employee then? Something happened, and they just started killing people.”
Roger: “Security is usually meant to keep people out, so an employee already inside could probably get a few kills in before they catch up.”
Enid: “And they just left the bodies?”
Albert: “It has to have something to do with the plant shutting down, otherwise they’d have to be removed to continue operating.”

It wasn’t clear yet, but some of the elements are starting to come together. It’s a step in the right direction.

Sitting down and talking has helped you all calm down some.

- Clive loses 5 Fear from resting and staying out of the conversation

- Albert, Enid, and Roger loses 4 Fear from resting, and an additional 5 Fear from enjoying their snacks

Party Fear Levels:
[Clive: 65/100]
[Albert: 58/100]
[Enid: 34/100]
[Roger: 35/100]

The Storyteller 2024/03/24(Sun)22:59 No. 1087071 ID: 0ce5cf
File 171134638207.png - (536.34KB , 1000x1000 , 380.png )

As the conversation dwindles, and it seems time to leave, Albert speaks up.

Albert: “So, what are we going to do about the gun-toting farmer chasing after us?”
Roger: “What do you mean?”
Albert: “Avoiding him has made sense so far, but that isn’t an acceptable long-term strategy.”
Albert: “Even if we get out without running into him again, I would argue that we’d only be delaying the inevitable.”
Enid: “Why is that?”
Albert: “Because he’s seen us now. Or more accurately: You and Clive.”

THAT gets your attention.

Clive: “What?”
Albert: “Sorry, did you forget the part where you pointed a flashlight right at him back in the Turbine Room?”
Albert: “Did you think you wouldn’t be illuminated while holding onto it? If you saw him, he almost certainly saw you.”
Roger: “...Oh my goodness, I never thought about that.”
Albert: “He was always a room behind us for our chase, so we haven’t been seen. It would have been fine if he only knew that some kids were here, but not which ones.”
Albert: “But that isn’t the case anymore. Now, even if we leave, I don’t see any reason Sheppard won’t just come into town and identify you there.”

The group falls silent, the other two clearly stunned by the revelation. You clench your hands into fists, hoping it’ll stop them from shaking from nerves. It doesn’t.

Clive: “...What can we do?”
Roger: “I… I don’t know.”
Enid: “Maybe we could change our appearances? You could straighten out your hair, and I could ask the Fosters to cut mine. Maybe we could wear different clothes–”
Albert: “Or we could Kill him.”

Your breath hitches, as Enid and Roger stare at Albert in befuddlement.

Albert: “...Why leave any uncertainty on the table? A corpse wouldn’t be able to tattle on us.”
Roger: “Albert you can’t be serious. We can’t– why would you even think that!?”
Albert: “What, because it’s immoral? It isn’t like he hasn’t been chasing us around with a firearm.”
Roger: “That’s– This is Aiden’s dad we’re talking about! And we don’t even know if he really saw anything, this is all a big ‘maybe’.”
Roger: “You guys ran away really quickly, and he was in the dark before you pointed your light at him. His eyes might not have adjusted to the light before then.”

A salient point that might have shut down the topic, if not for the severity of the worst case scenario. With the stakes as high as they are however, neither Roger nor Enid seemed entirely swayed by the idea.

Enid: “...Do you think he’d kill us?”
Albert: “He’s certainly equipped for the task.”
Roger: “H-He could have just brought that to get through the door. Or maybe he didn’t know we were just kids? ‘Bec was with us, and she’s taller.”
Enid: “Even if you’re right, does it even matter if he’d still tell everyone we were here? We still don’t know what Graduation really means.”
Enid: “If graduating means dying, then he’s still a killer. And if it’s him or us…”
Roger: “We… We almost never see Aiden’s dad. If we went with Enid’s idea, he wouldn’t be able to recognize them.”
Albert: “Perhaps, but his descriptions could still give them away. Either way, it would still be putting Clive and Enid’s fates up to chance.”
Enid: “...Clive, what do you think?”

Their eyes land on you, finally noticing your silence.

Albert isn’t wrong. You don’t disagree with him at all, and you hardly share Roger’s sympathies for the man, considering his likely shared culpability in the town’s conspiracies (He wouldn’t be trying to chase you all out if he didn’t want to hide what was here). Sheppard deserved death.

You could say that. It would be easy, and from what Enid said she may agree, forming a clear majority opinion. Roger may have misgivings, but you don’t think he’ll fight the group if you’re all of the same mind.

But Albert is the one who brought this up. Albert probably has opinions on how to, or more importantly, Who should do the deed.

He obviously can’t, not with his condition. Enid is too small and Roger is too compassionate. Short of finding ‘Bec, there was only one obvious choice. The only person who claimed to have experience.

Albert: “...Did you have something to do with it?”
Clive: “...Yeah.”
Clive: “I did it.”

It’s your own fault. You told him he was right to make him stop digging, and now he expects you to play the role of experienced killer.

The Storyteller 2024/03/24(Sun)22:59 No. 1087072 ID: 0ce5cf
File 171134639584.png - (526.47KB , 1000x1000 , 381.png )

Enid: “Clive?”

You open your mouth to say something, when you hear a muffled sound behind you.

Tap.. Tap.. Tap..

Behind you, through the door. The sound is coming from the Stairwell.

Someone is coming!

Which way do you go?

A: North
-You can’t tell from here if there are any good rooms you can duck into, which could get you shot if it’s all a straightaway
-Impossible to lose anyone, flashlights or not
B: South
-Seems to be the same hallway that goes North, but you’re much closer to the end on this side
-There are rooms to duck into and hallways you can run down, but without flashlights on there’s a 1 in 3 chance somebody gets separated from the group
C: East
-A middle-ground between North and South’s benefits and downsides. Somewhat long hall with a few rooms you can duck into.
-With flashlights off, 1 in 6 chance somebody gets separated
D: Stay put and ambush them
-You have the initiative, will you really get a better opportunity to strike than now? If you can disarm Sheppard, he becomes far less of an issue.
-There is a chance you get shot and die if this is Sheppard, which isn’t great.
-Chance varies greatly depending on how many other kids participate in the ambush. Currently, you don’t have time to take opinions or encourage participation
-’Bec has yet to be accounted for, so this could be her. Jumping your friends is considered rude.

Also, does Clive give any directions regarding flashlights (or anything else you might want him to quickly say), or does he let the others decide themselves?

D stand by the staircase and get ready to tackle

Have someone flash the lights as soon as they round the stairs, best case scenario it's bec and she's annoyed, worst case scenario you try to knock the guy off his feet and make him drop the gun, maybe struggle for it.

It's either you go for an escape or hope he didn't see you.

Plus, if they flash whoever climbs up the stairs, it'll distract them so you don't get shot. Might be good to reccomend whoever flashes the light hide behind something.

So you should probably point to someone with a light and tell them to flash the light on the stairs from "over there" a spot with some cover, and get in tackle position on the dark side of wherever it lands and hope for the best

I say B south,

and keep the flashlights on. It should be the safest route to have our flashlights on in fact because the shine from the light won't be seen and obstructed by the wall going that way, as the farmer will have to move west and look south in order to spot you. in contrast, If we had the light shine while going North or East, he would immediately see it by simply turning his head to his right, or catch a glimpse of the light in the hallway leading north in front of him after entering.

Going south with the flashlight should give us a window of a chance, but only a small one if he decides to go West immediately. So be sure you all enter the first door you all see as fast as you can.

B- south. Ambushing is madness, even with a steak knife and two flashlights. We won’t be able to get everyone on board with the ambush without some serious convincing, and neither Albert nor Clive are great at that. Enid or Roger would need to push the others to join in, and they haven’t thrown their weight behind that idea. We’re not gonna have the greatest odds for success, which is what we’d need to take on Sheppard with this crew of kids. He could easily solo us if we have no prep.

B, but have Enid flash her flashlight every 30 seconds to keep the group together. Don’t keep it on constantly. Roger and Albert have experience staying together, so give them that brief light to follow so they stay with us.

I wanted to agree with >>1087073, but since there are now contradictory opinions, let's not. Indecision is fatal here.

B-South.
>>1087100
This seems a good strat to go with it.

rolled 3 = 3

---

"Periodically flash your light instead of just keeping it on" is a rather complex direction to give in such a limited window. As such, we're going to make a few rolls now.

The first, and possibly last, is to determine if Clive successfully relays that information. If he succeeds, no further rolls will be necessary.

On a 3, Clive successfully gets his point across. 1 and 2 means he fails.

The Storyteller 2024/03/30(Sat)21:10 No. 1087490 ID: 056492
File 171185820309.png - (358.26KB , 1000x1000 , 382.png )

Clive: “Someone’s coming.”

The hushed warning puts everyone at attention. It’s time to go, now!

Roger and Enid pick up their flashlights, and for a split second you can feel the internal debates they’re having. Light or no light? You don’t know the area and would prefer to see where you’re going, but you don’t want to give away your location…

Perhaps the suddenness of the danger muted your normal anxieties, because in that moment you managed to give out an order. You grab Enid’s hand, and she turns to face you.

Clive: “Enid, flicker your light on and off periodically.”
Enid: “O-Okay.”

There was no argument. Roger lowered his own light, focusing on helping Albert move quickly. Despite everything, you can’t help but feel a twinge of pride in yourself.

-1 Fear [Clive: 64/100]

The Storyteller 2024/03/30(Sat)21:10 No. 1087491 ID: 056492
File 171185823779.png - (1.35MB , 1000x1000 , 383.png )

You start running, taking a left and heading down the Southern path. It doesn’t go far, and in seconds you’re swamped with choices.

Two halls lined with Box-like rooms greet you, going down further than you can see. They don’t have doors or roofs, which doesn’t make them seem like ideal hiding places.

To your right, you see Bathrooms for both sexes available. Those have doors, though you can’t tell if they’re single-use like the ones at home or some stores, or have multiple stalls like the ones in school.

As you’re processing the options, one additional door stands out, sending shivers up your spine for a moment. You realize that you’d seen the door before, when you’d reached the top of the Stairwell. It was another entrance.

AKA, another potential exit.

Before you can warn anyone, you hear the creaking sound of a door opening. Your heart rate rises, before a hit of relief fills you. The door you’d noticed was still shut.

The relief lasts but a moment, as you’ll be exposed in seconds if you don’t move from where you’re standing.

Where will you go?

A: Hide in a cubicle
-They don’t feel very secure
-There are many of them, so a pursuer probably wouldn’t check them all
-Which one? (Numbered on the map)
B: Hide in the bathroom
-These feel more secure, as they at least have doors
-If a pursuer goes into the wrong one, you have a chance to escape
-Which one (Numbered on the map, 1 is the Men’s 2 is the Women’s)
C: Go into the stairwell
-It’s the most unlikely place for a pursuer to check
-It’s a bit far. You’ll have to either dash for it (noise risk), or risk being seen if a pursuer comes this way
D: Keep going down one of the halls
-Put distance between yourself and any pursuers
-Your location will be given up to anyone nearby performing a Look/Listen action
E: Turn your light off and stay still
-Without a light, a pursuer won’t perceive you unless they move closer
-If caught, you will be very much out in the open

Pretty hard to investigate with Shepard possibly up here. Might have to find a way to deal with this soon...

I'm not voting just yet, but for now, I do have some kind of plan right now and want other people's thoughts: This... looks like it might actually be good place for setting up a trap, or to see if this is 'Bec

My idea: Enter A2 or A3 cubicle. but before you do, place Enid's light on the floor in front of the entrance to the cubicle, and facing west with the light on.

afterwards, after you enter one of those cubicles, get your knife ready and wait at inside by the entrance of the cubicle in the darkness. If whoever is up here comes this way, they will easily see the colored light from the flashlight, focus their attention on it, and most likely head towards it to pick it up. The light of the flashlight should be able to give you an idea of who shows up to investigate. If it's Bec, we'll greet her. If it's Sheppard, he will likely grab the flashlight before doing anything else as he is wandering in the darkness right now and will need a flashlight to help him. In that moment, charge at him with the knife and stab him while he is focused on the flashlight and picking it up. He won't have time to react...

the reason why I chose Enid's flashlight: I think Bec would be more likely to come this way to a colored flashlight because she most likely will know it's us because of it being colored and won't run away.

Again, I'm not voting, only want to hear what others think if this is a good idea. Otherwise, I'll pick a location to hide later.

We don’t have a lot of time, and Albert isn’t the most mobile with his cane, so C is out.

E gives up the initiative, and only benefits us if time is on our side, which it isn’t. E is out.

This leaves the choices to hiding, or moving. We have NOT seen Sheppard use a flashlight, so unless he changes tactics, he will be relying on sound to chase us. Noise is bad- the more noise we make, over a longer period of time, gives him the best odds of finding us.

Regarding the likelihood of Sheppard using a flashlight: it’s low. If Sheppard changes tactics and uses a flashlight (which we haven’t seen), he gives away his position and likely can’t use his shotgun for a bit, since he would need both hands to use his shotgun, AND would need to wait for his eyes to readjust to the darkness. This would be a terrible move on his part, and would make him vulnerable to ambush.

That means, counterintuitively, the best way to hide from Sheppard is to go the shortest distance (making the least noise) and pick a place to hide that (1) would need visual inspection to find us in, and (2) makes the least noise to hide in.

That means bathrooms, which have doors, FEEL secure but are actually LESS secure.

The best choice by a mile is to hide in the cubicles. This benefits from our relatively low FEAR except for Clive, but he’s a trooper and we’ll just have to trust him not to panic.

So, which cubicle? Sheppard will be expecting us to escape, which is what a bunch of panicked kids would do. So once he figures out we aren’t running for the stairwell or running down the halls, he’ll LISTEN and find nothing- which means we’re hiding. He’ll probably check the bathrooms (since panicked kids would hide there), or the cubicle closest to the exit. Then, he’ll find nothing, since we’ll actually be hiding in cubicle A1 on the other side. With Sheppard finding nothing and hearing nothing, he’ll have no leads to go on. He’ll have no choice but to wait a long time and listen, and he’s hyped up on adrenaline having shot at us. I doubt he’s patient enough to wait us out thanks to the fact that there’s ‘Bec around here somewhere and he’ll also be listening for her. Finally, he’ll be making more noise than we will be, Mr. Tap Tap Tap, so as long as our FEAR levels are okay we’ll know when he moves on.

The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. I wholeheartedly vote A1.

Poltergeist's suggestion seems sound, though I would like to add the following:

Have all the kids except Rodney hide in room A3 while Rodney, being the fastest, puts Enid's flashlight on farthest hallway (D1), just turning the corner, with the light pointing upwards at the corridor. That way Rodney can see who is coming while peeking from the door of room A2.

>>1087571

I'm gonna assume you mean Roger, lol.

>>1087508
Finally gonna vote. I'll go with Donut's plan (without doing the flashlight plan)

Sheppard is just lonely. All will be forgiven if you go up to him and all give him a big group hug, and remind everyone what day this is.

The Storyteller 2024/04/08(Mon)23:03 No. 1088359 ID: 056492
File 171264262742.png - (669.74KB , 1000x1000 , 384.png )

You don’t have time to overthink this. You run into the nearest cubicle, and the others follow suit.

Enid turns off her light, and the world goes dark. The only sound you hear for a moment is your own breath. The others settle in, pushing themselves further into the darkness of the space. You stay by the door, wanting the best vantage point to hear if anyone approaches.

From the silence… footsteps. Small repetitive taps, echoing closer and closer with each repetition.

One… two… three… Tap… Tap… Tap…

They stop, neither close nor far from your hiding place. For what feels like a full minute, it’s quiet.

With only a quiet noise of shuffling as warning, the world lights back up. Your eyes go wide, as a beam passes through the doorway.

They’d turned on a Flashlight.

The beam gets brighter as it approaches. It doesn’t stay fixated on the cubicle, moving back and forth as the person moves, as though they were examining their surroundings. The sound, however, is consistent. It only gets closer and closer with each step.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

The footfalls play through your head, as you come to a harrowing conclusion.

This isn’t ‘Bec.

Tap… Tap…

Your heart rate picks up. The sounds of unfamiliar breath fills your ears, as the figure draws nearer. They could be on you in seconds.

They might stop. Turn around, head in a different direction… Or they won’t. By the time you know which they choose, it’ll be too late.

Tap.

The Storyteller 2024/04/08(Mon)23:04 No. 1088360 ID: 056492
File 171264265271.png - (907.70KB , 1000x1000 , 385.png )

They’re in front of your cubicle. Decide now.

A: Act now
-What will you do?
B: Wait
-They’ll turn around… They HAVE to

A: Act.

The action is… be prepared for one of Clive’s companions to grab his hand for reassurance. It might be Enid, or even Roger. You never know who with high FEAR turns to the biggest, scariest kid for help.

Don’t do anything but be ready for a kid with high FEAR to do something that might spook you, Clive!

>>1088360
Holding a flashlight means not holding a shotgun.
A: rush them. Tackle, trip, delay, steal the flashlight and shine it in their eyes. Buy time for everyone else to exit the cubicle so that you can all escape. Or you could all just mob the adult and beat the living shit out of them.

Just some thoughts

I really dont think this person is Sheppard. Sheppard never was shown to have a flashlight, and I think the thing that has happened that nobody in the building will like after 8 updates >>1063666 is actually whoever this new person might be.

After all, a little after around 8 updates happened, Albert mentoned hearing some noises in the east hallway when we reunited with him. And we didnt really make any noises in the east hallway. On the 8th update, we literally just entered the cafeteria. Perhaps that noise alber heard was somebody logging into the nuclear power plant, and they may have spotted Sheppard (What coincidental timing that was if true)

Now heres my other thoughts in what is going on in this latest update.

>The only sound you hear for a moment is your own breath. 

Clive's breathing is probably causing noise

>They stop, neither close nor far from your hiding place. For what feels like a full minute, it’s quiet.

They are stopping to listen for us.

>The beam gets brighter as it approaches. It doesn’t stay fixated on the cubicle, moving back and forth as the person moves, as though they were examining their surroundings. The sound, however, is consistent. It only gets closer and closer with each step.

They heard you breathing heavily and are heading in the direction, examining where they heard the sound.

Considering whoever this is is somebody neither us or Sheppard wants in here, they could be pretty dangerous and we might need to be ready to act, especially since Clive knows this isn't Bec.

A. Quietly stand up and get the knife ready (try not to show the others if you can help it, but dont worry if you cant) and be ready to charge at whoever enters this cubicle with the knife as soon as they enter. You should have the advantage of having the sneak attack once they enter as they wont be prepared for you attacking from around the corner. They probably would have time to react however if you just run out of the cubicle and charge at them as they have the flashlight around your direction.

If they dont enter however, you can rest easy (though that would mean they are actually going somewhere with a purpose, in which case we might have to take note of where they are heading and what they are trying to get up here)

>>1088365
>Or you could all just mob the adult and beat the living shit out of them.

Just remember, Clive has trouble conveying his ideas to others. He might not be able to tell everyone his plan to attack the person together.

I think you should [ ACT ] and prepare a kick to whoever walks by, if they walk by, you'll get them in the shins/ankles.

It's safe to say that if it's not bec, and everyone else is here, that it'll be no good if they see you. If they drop the flashlight, you can followup with taking it and running, if they don't then I guess you'll have to commit to tackling them and hope the others help.

It's not a great feeling to have to be the one to take a stand, you can only hope the others don't lock up in fear.

Maybe grip Enid's hand before you do it as a reflex?

rolled 1, 3, 2 = 6

---

Get ready, we're about to engage in some serious die rolling.

You have chosen to ambush the unfamiliar figure, and we are going to determine now how that goes for you. Before we can have you square off to see who rolls bigger though, we have to determine a few bonuses and penalties that may or may not be working in Clive's favor.

Will Roger help? (+3)

If Roger notices Clive preparing to strike first, he may choose to assist. He has some reservations on hurting people though, and he's generally just scared of Clive. Especially in such a small window to act, he has a lower chance of gathering his nerves to support. 1/3 chance of success, this roll will succeed on a 5 or 6.

Will Enid help? (+3)

Enid has tucked herself away under a desk a bit far from the door, so even if she notices you getting ready to act, she may not reach you in time. Also, she's small, so the amount of help she can offer is limited. Absolutely no qualms about fighting though, so Enid will at least try. 1/6 chance of success, this roll will succeed on a 6.

Does Clive have the nerve? (+0, -2, -4)

Due to adrenaline, and the brief window not giving Clive the chance to overthink this, you're going to be spared Clive failing to perform your suggestion. On a low roll however, his nerves will get to him, and his chances of success will drop. It would be a plain 50/50, but thanks to Enid's [Coercive] buff, Clive is a bit more in control of himself. 4/6 chance Clive avoids a penalty. On a 2, Clive gets a -2 penalty. On a 1, Clive gets a -4 penalty.

We will apply whatever bonuses or penalties we roll here to the following roll-off.

rolled 3, 9 = 12

---

Yikes. Looks like Roger and Enid won't be any help, and Clive's taking a -2 from nerves. This isn't looking great, but the dice may still pull through for you in the end. Let's compare buffs with your challenger. Let's start with Clive's:

- Your ambush is going to catch the unknown individual off-guard. +3
- Clive's steak knife, while a bit small and unsuited for combat, is still a lot better than fighting bare-handed. +3
- Penalty from Clive's nerves. -2

Total: +4 for Clive

Now for the challenger:

- Size advantage. Clive is about to charge at an adult, and success will not come easy. +5
- The unknown adult is holding a flashlight. It isn't a metal military-grade one or anything, but it can still be used as a bludgeoning tool. +1

Total: +6 for the adult.

Alright, with all of that set-up done, let's talk outcomes. So long as Clive's total is bigger than the challenger's, Clive will succeed, full-stop. If Clive shoots under his opponent though, then we're going to look at one additional threshold.

If the adult wins by 1-4, they'll achieve a Mild Success.
If the adult wins by 5+, they'll achieve a Major Success. This will come with additional Bad Things that you do NOT want.

If Clive and the adult tie, then the next update is gonna be a little awkward. Let's hope for a more firm result one way or the other.

With all of that said: Let's roll two d10s to determine our victor. Remember: (because I won't be able to add them automatically without doing a separate post) Clive gets +4 and the Challenger gets +6. The first number will be Clive's, and the second will be his Opponent's

Do you feel lucky?

Clive: 3 + 4 = 7
Opponent: 9 + 6 = 15

Your opponent has scored a Major Success. Consequences will be revealed next update.

>Crit Fail
Suddenly, Clive began uncontrollably dancing!

The Storyteller 2024/04/20(Sat)18:36 No. 1089281 ID: 9f0264
File 171366338526.png - (179.39KB , 700x1300 , 386.png )

Your grip tightens around the steak knife in your pocket, as you silently rise to a standing position. You aren’t just going to sit around and let whatever happens happen. Whoever this is, they’re not going to get the jump on you. Not if you strike first.

You… You’ll even Kill them if you have to.

That’s something you can do, right? It’s something you have to, whether you’re ready or not. After this person, it’s Sheppard next, right?

Somebody has to do it, and you can’t expect the others to take up the slack. You forced that role onto Rodney too many times, and now there’s nobody left to lean on. You’re going to have to do your own dirty work.

Tap.

Your heart beats at a million miles a minute. The grip of the knife feels nonexistent in your palms, as though you’d dropped it. You have to glance down to confirm it’s still there.

Tap.

You don’t want to do this.

TAP.

A shoe crosses the boundary into the cubicle. You can see a hand holding a flashlight start to peek through the doorway as well.

In a rush of adrenaline, you charge forward and whip your knife ahead, slashing the air.

You miss. An early swing means the air is all that you cut.

In that instant, before your would-be-victim responds, your eyes hover up their body. The clothes, the hair, there was something all too familiar about it. Who was this person again? You know you saw them…

Ah, the Toy shop owner, that was it. You’d seen him just a couple hours ago. No wonder you recognized him.

He has no firearm, blade, or other sort of weapon. The man isn’t holding anything but a flashlight.

So naturally, that’s what he hits you with.

THUNK!

The metal crashes into your skull. There’s a splash when it happens, surely a cut to accompany the bump. Your body barely registers the pain. A numb sensation spreads from your head down your body, eventually reaching your legs. They give out under you, making you fall back on your butt.

There’s talking. People are screaming, others are trying to say things to you, but the sounds are too far away to hear. Your ears feel like they’re miles away from you.

…You failed.

Not like it’s a surprise, it was inevitable. Your mistake was trying in the first place. What were you hoping to achieve, anyways? To protect yourself and the others? That’s not you.

Always the Burden, never the shield… That’s how it’s always been.

The Storyteller 2024/04/20(Sat)18:38 No. 1089284 ID: 9f0264
File 171366350311.png - (104.86KB , 1000x1000 , 387.png )

…

If not for the red staining everything, you could honestly believe they were only sleeping. A peaceful slumber that you would have no reason to intrude upon.

No… that wasn’t entirely right either. The hilt of the knife sticking up from your father’s chest would have given it away too. You wonder if you should take it out or not.

It’s not the first question that came to mind, but it was one you could imagine finding an answer to. The larger questions hanging over the scene felt impossible to explain.

Why?

You hear Rodney sniffle. He’d been crying since before he’d woken you up.

You aren’t sure why he bothered. What were you supposed to do about this? You’re his older brother, and you always try to watch out for him where you can, but this?

This was so far beyond anything you’d even seen in your worst nightmares. What were you supposed to do?

Clive: “Why?”

The word comes out roughly from your dry throat. You needed a drink, but anything you try to put down now would come right back up. Your dinner had already found its way to the floor, it hardly needed siblings.

Why? Why what? Why did this happen? Why were your parents dead? Why now?

No, there was only one version you’d meant.

You step backwards through the doorway, unwilling to take your eyes off the scene. You glance down at Rodney, sniffling in front of the door’s frame, unable to look inside.

Clive: “...Why did you do this?”

The Storyteller 2024/04/20(Sat)18:39 No. 1089286 ID: 9f0264
File 171366355626.png - (57.57KB , 1000x1000 , 388.png )

He peeks up at you, terrified eyes meeting yours. He has to wipe them on his sleeve. His hands… were red.

Rodney: “...I didn’t want to lose you.”

…

The Storyteller 2024/04/20(Sat)18:39 No. 1089287 ID: 9f0264
File 171366357992.png - (261.44KB , 1000x1000 , 389.png )

Your head throbs with pain, as you fade back into consciousness. The first sight you’re met with are a pair of glasses, which you realize to be Albert’s. It takes you a moment to realize that he’s wrapping something around your head, either a cloth or a bandage. It makes sense that he of all people would know what to do about a head injury, given his being on the receiving end of one all-to recently.

There’s noise. People were talking– yelling? What is the commotion, and why aren’t the others trying to stay quiet?

You try to sit up, only for Albert to push your head back down. He says something, probably telling you to sit down and let him finish. You still try to twist your head around for a better angle.

The owner of the toy shop, he’s still there. He’s saying something to Enid, and she’s talking back. Neither of them seem happy. Roger seems to be hovering towards the sides. He’s shaking, and trying to get a word in, but every time he speaks the man seems to shout him down. You try to focus on what they’re saying. It’s quiet, but you can sort of make it out…

Man: “–quiet! You don’t know what you’re asking!”
Enid: “Then tell us! What’s here? Why shouldn’t we be here?”
Man: “Stop. Digging. You already know more than you should, do you want them to take you?”
Enid: “Do you? That’s why you came, isn’t it? To check if I needed to graduate too?”
Man: “Wh– No! I-I wouldn’t– Fred never wanted…”

He groans, running a hand down his face in frustration. It’s not the usual exasperation you’d expect from an adult having to deal with kids he doesn’t care about. It’s… more desperate and fearful.

Man: “W-We can’t stay here. Sheppard already knows you’re here, you know that? If he finds you, I can’t– he’ll kill you.”
Enid: “No, not until Clive is better. Then we’ll decide if–”
Man: “We’re going, now.”

You know what he’s going to do before it happens, but you’re too slow to stop it.

His hand shoots forward and clasps around Enid’s arm, dragging her towards the cubicle’s exit. She’s shocked, and clearly tries to fight back. Her attempts are pitiful.

He’s trying to take Enid away, and if you don’t do anything, he might succeed.

What do you do?

A: Shout at him
-What do you say?
-Are you trying to distract him, convince him not to leave, call out to ‘Bec for help, etc.?
B: Get up, and force him to let her go
-If nothing else, you feel more confident that the others would help you this time
-You don’t know where your steak knife landed, but Albert’s cane is right beside you if you really need a weapon
C: Get Roger or Albert to stop him
-Who do you talk to?
-Albert’s right beside you, whereas Roger’s a few steps away. You either have to shout to Roger, costing you valuable seconds, or rush to his side to whisper a command
D: Nothing
-It’s what you’re best at
-Your head hurts
-One of them will do something. Probably Roger, once he wipes that dumb look of shock off his face

…Oh, and one more thing.

Failure at this junction will result in your one Safety Net being used up, to prevent an unwinnable scenario from occurring. If Enid is dragged out of sight by this man, that will count as failure.

You're being tended to right now and likely have a concussion, so likely anything you do will just be fucked up, so do what you're good at other than nothing, making a scalding remark.

"Yeah, sure, let the guy who runs the toy store take the girl away, that will end well."

This should be loud enough that either Roger hears it, or Albert hears it and then says something anyway

D. Rest and recover, diplomacy isn't Clive's strong point.

A will probably draw Sheppard to us... but it might spook this guy, who clearly doesn't want Sheppard here. Still, I don't like risking it. That would just encourage him to drag Enid away over our objections. So DO NOT PICK A.

Also, violence or struggling will also reinforce his position, and make Clive more tired. So D is the best option.

C is bad because we're on bad terms with Roger, and Albert is terrible with diplomacy too.

Considering the two points mentioned before and after our options (If nothing is done Enid is taken away, and Enid being taken away means failure), I can't fully get behind the idea of "Doing Nothing."

There's too many potential points to consider. How and why is Giovanni here? Did he put a tracking device inside one or more of the toys? Even though he and Sheppard are in theory not of aligned interest, it's still a failure either way if Enid is caught by either, which is weird to me.
One choice is death- is it the same for the other, as well?

In my head, B is the option that would be chosen if we didn't exist; a necessary use of violence.
-Albert might stop Clive again (he's injured, it's not a smart choice)
-It could either show Clive cares about Enid, or instead just further prove the misconceptions people have of him
-Overall, a time loss

I don't know what to expect with C, other than maybe being a faster choice than D.

My flawed suggestion is to go with some variation of A;
"And you think he won't kill you too?"

This doesn't necessarily have to be yelled, and it'll probably still make him double guess himself- Giovanni clearly knows more than we do, but that doesn't change the fact that Sheppard's got a gun and no way to see what he's shooting at- if he even cares. He's probably shooting anyone he sees on sight, no questions asked.

Depending on how this is spun, dick move or not, we might be able to temporarily force him to work with us, which might be worth the various risks- losing time, revealing our location, him betraying us later, etc.

E) Follow.
Wherever he's going, it's away from Sheppard.

(edited)
A. I actually thought of something

Mr. Snyder highly respected Enid's father, and seems very protective of Enid in particular, enough to not let her get graduated like what happened to Jhonen when he went snooping and instead just try to get her to safety, as evident when he fearfully said “Wh– No! I-I wouldn’t– Fred never wanted…". I think he is trying to protect Enid from the other adults' watchful eye, and from letting her fall into getting graduated from doing anything suspicious like snooping which we are right now.

we also know that from the memo Franklin read to Albert and Clive that “Frederick Anderson’s death has publicly been ruled an accident. His daughter, Enid, is now staying with the Fosters. Enid Foster will be enrolled in Jennfier’s class as she was always meant to be."

Albert pointed out his death was only publicly ruled as accidental, which could be murder. His death is further proved to be murder when Franklin inspected Fred's dead body and found a knife wound and broken skull, further proving it's a murder (tho clive wouldn't know this. But Albert thinking otherwise could be enough to believe it's murder).
And if she was always meant to be in the school and Fredrick was preventing it, it could be that someone took matters into their own hands to ensure Enid was attending the school.

In a way, Snyder might just be on our side, but is too protective to not let us investigate and potentially let us graduate, and can't help us directly as it could result in him getting murdered too. Perhaps maybe if we shout out our guess as to why Fredrick Anderson died, it might just distract him enough to give Enid an opening to convince him not to leave or maybe even give us an answer to Fred's mysterious death if that doesn't work. She is pretty manipulative after all. She just needs an opening especially since she doesn't know her father was murdered yet

Shout out: "Is Enid's homeschooling why her father was murdered?"

Hopefully Albert can help back our claim. Clive can't speak longer than that, he's not social.

And if Snyder doesn't know that Fred was murdered and thinks it was accidental, he might need to know the truth too.

I don't know why I was focusing so much on "time loss", I'm pretty sure that's outside of my judgement for factoring things in- all of these things will take time, it's just a matter of who can get through fastest- which, who knows.

>>1089768
This doesn't sound bad either, although I don't know if us knowing is enough for Clive to think it.
Either way, what we need is for sir-toysalot to falter.
I'd hope for Clive to do this without full-on shouting since that'll no doubt alert Sheppard, but considering Enid being taken is considered a Guaranteed Fail first and foremost, we'll take what we can get.