A Simple Errand Job

config.footer.center: "{back link, label: 'Back'}" credits:1 letter: false secret: false name: 'Hero' mf1: 'Rarak' mf2: 'Sasma' ff1: 'Siara' father: 'Ballar' brother: 'Miro' sister: 'Kiara' mf2Exist: false mf1class: 'naturelover' -- [align center] You remember your name. {text input for:'name'} [continue] > [[Start Journey|past]] > [[Skip to part of Story|BeforeSkip]] > [[README|info]] --- > {reveal link: 'Infos about "back" button', text: 'Back button will only get you back one passage. Please only use this function sparingly and do not rely on it. For going back multiple passages, please use "skip to part of story" link here.'}

bed:false shelf:false desk:false -- You find yourself in a worn down room. Your father speaks to you: Father: "{name}! It is time for you to choose a way of life, as you are now the last of your siblings to do so. I expect an answer from you today. I will not accept any more delays in the matter." "Yes, Father" - you reply. He leaves the room, leaving you to yourself. Looking around, you see see yourself standing inside your own room. It is old and dusty, with paint falling of the walls. For all you know it has always been that way, neither improving nor worsening in all the years you've been living here. The room has a bed, a desk and a shelf with a few books in it, looking more like a work room than one for someone to live in. _"A way of life..."_ - you think to yourself. A choice must be made soon. > [[Go to bed|bed]] > [[Go to desk|desk]] > [[Go to shelf|shelf]]

bed: true -- You move towards your bed. The bed is old, with worn out rags to keep you warm at night. _"I wonder how my bed would have looked like if we were richer, or if I'd have less siblings... No time to go to bed now. Don't want to make father angry..."_ Your father. While your memories of him are a bit unsettling on face value, you still respect him to this day. He was a poor man, not having much besides his family. Yet he never put his mind towards the bad. He was strict, but fair. You consider yourself lucky for that, as many of your friends weren't as lucky. What is his name? {text input for:'father'} [if desk===false] > [[Go to desk|desk]] [continue] [if shelf===false] > [[Go to shelf|shelf]] [continue] [if desk===true] [if shelf===true] > [[Go to door|door]]

desk:true -- You sit down at your desk. Your desk is always clean, yet always dirty. It is well organized, but the wood itself is old and worn down. There are fixed up cracks in it, making it hard to write on certain spots of the desk. Only recently have you cut yourself on some harsh wood that was sticking out. You remember your older brother, a scholar. The table was not better back then, yet he studied for hours each day by its side. What is his name? {text input for:'brother'} [if bed===false] > [[go to bed|bed]] [continue] [if shelf===false] > [[go to shelf|shelf]] [continue] [if bed===true] [if shelf===true] > [[Go to door|door]]

shelf:true -- You move towards the shelf. The shelf is dusty and worn down. No matter how many times you try cleaning it, its old wood just keeps collecting more dust. Looking at the shelf, you see books and newspapers in every part of the shelf. Your family never had much money to buy books, so most books in there are from you brothers days at the academy. The newspapers are from ages ago aswell, back when father was living here alone. Looking at all the books you remember your sister. She is a few years older than you, the "middle child", so-to-speak. Always interested in the studies of her brother, she regularily used this shelf as a gateway to a future she knew she could never live. In the end, she got through her studies and left the house, never to visit again. What is her name? {text input for:'sister'} [if bed===false] > [[go to bed|bed]] [continue] [if desk===false] > [[go to desk|desk]] [continue] [if bed===true] [if desk===true] > [[go to door|door]]

smalldesk:false parentsdoor:false vase:false openletter:false kitchen:false -- You open the door and move into the next room. It is the living room. Big and spacious, with little but a desk and some chairs in a corner. It is in much worse shape than your own room, with water dripping from the walls and the paint falling off. You take a step forward, the ground creaks under your feet. The old wood is starting to crack ... It can't be much longer until the whole house collapses. *** Your father is in the kitchen next door. You should not meet him until you have made a decision for your career. The stairs leading up to the first floor are almost completely destroyed by rain dripping in through the roof. Your last attempt of climbing them left you with a lot of bruises. You don't believe you will be as lucky this time. The hallway leading to the houses entrance lies before you. > [[Go to hallway|hallway]]

You enter the hallway. A dark room filled with flowers. It is a stark contrast to the rest of the house, even though it is as worn down as the rest. *** To your left is you fathers bedroom. It is always locked, and in all your years living here you never saw as much as a glimpse of it. To your right is a small desk with a few roses and an envelope on it. The last spot in the house remotely resembling that someone still lives here. Before you lies the main entrance of the house. [if smalldesk===true] __You have examined the small desk.__ [else] > [[Go to small desk|small desk]] [continue] [if parentsdoor===true] __You have examined the door to your fathers room.__ [else] > [[Go to fathers room|parents door]] [continue] [if letter===true] __You have found a letter adressed to your father. You now have a reason to enter the kitchen.__ > [[Go to kitchen|kitchen]] [continue] [if kitchen===true] __You have talked with your father. There is no reason to go to the kitchen anymore.__ [continue] > [[Go to main door|house exit]]

parentsdoor:true -- You move towards your parents room and try to enter. As always, the door is locked. > [[Go back|hallway]]

smalldesk:true -- You move towards the small desk. Before you lies a vase with a few red roses in it. They smell rather nice. Next to it is a letter adressed to your father. It is not for your eyes, but you are a little curious. [if vase===false] > [[Investigate vase|vase]] [else] __You have examined the vase.__ [continue] [if openletter===false] > [[Investigate envelope|letter]] [else] __You have examined the letter.__ [continue] > [[Go back|hallway]]

You exit the house. It is the middle of summer, and around midday. Your house sits near a forest, with a small garden next to it. The house itself looks old and abandoned. _"No wonder the town wants this house gone..."_ - you think to yourself. *** You stand before your house. You see no reason to go back inside. The garden next to the house is small and overgrown with pest plants. You remember {sister} keeping it clean, but she has not visited in a while. Your home sits on the outskirts of the village. You will not return home until you made your decision. > [[Go to garden|garden]] > [[Go to town|townvisit]]

vase:true -- You take the vase. Holding it in your hand, you notice it being quite old. There are cracks in its sides and part of the desk has left a mark on the vases bottom. The roses themselves are fake. The good smell must be coming from the drawer under the desk. > [[Investigate drawer|drawer]] > [[Go back|small desk]]

openletter:true -- You take the envelope. It is a letter adressed to your father. Its sender is a certain "Corey Whilstley", someone you never heard of. Your father is a very secretive man. You do not know much of him, and he makes sure to keep it that way. Because of this, it is weird to see a letter so easily noticable in the hallway. _You consider opening the letter, but you know there may be consequences._ > [[Open letter|open letter]] > [[Leave letter|small desk]]

You open the drawer. In it you find a small paper-like object that isn't actually paper. You try taking it, yet it rips at your touch. It is really wet and almost stuck to the drawer. Opening the drawer intesified the smell. In reality, it is the smell of something decomposing, as if food was rotting inside the drawer. The red rose combined with the different smell must have tricked your mind. Living in this run down house makes you apprechiate even something disgusting like this a bit. A pleasant difference to the soggy smell everywhere. > [[Go back|small desk]]

letter: true -- You open the letter. In it you find a piece of paper and some money. You read the letter first. "Good day {father}. I know you only have little time so I will not bore you with unnecessary explanations. Your house is a dump, a disgrace to everything you and everyone you know deserves, and the town wants it gone. You need to find a new place to live before it is too late. I know fully well that you will not accept any help, doesn't matter who makes the offer. So please, give the money included in the letter to your son. He will definitely need it, and I bet he is not as stubborn as you are. With kindest regards, \ your collegue Corey." _"Father must leave this house... So that's why he wants my decision today!"_ You put everything back into the envelope and take it with you. You step back into the hallway. > [[continue|small desk]]

You go back into the living room, and from there enter the kitchen. The kitchen consists of a small heating place, a desk and a small cabinet for the dishes. The room is kept a bit cleaner, though the walls are falling apart even here, with patch up jobs all over the ceiling to seal up water holes. Eating here shouldn't get one sick, but it isn't a nice atmosphere. "Hello, father" You speak in a hushed voice, trying not to upset your father. {father}: "Hello, {name}. Have you made your decision yet?" "No. I am sorry, give me a bit more time please." {father}: "As I said, you have until tomorrow. I would not think about it too much, you are not as stone focused at a profession as {brother} was. Take it like your sister and choose whatever comes best for you. Anyways, why are you here?" > [[Tell him about letter|Tell]] > [[Keep silent about the letter|NoTell]]

"Well, I have found this at the door" - you say, showing him the envelope. {father}: "Ah yes, this... I am really not interested, he always drags conversations way too much. I don't have the time to read one of his letters right now. Though, I don't remember opening it." He throws you a suspicious look. > [[Lie about not opening it|noopen]] > [[Tell the truth|yesopen]]

credits: credits + 5 letter:false kitchen:true -- "Sorry father, its nothing. Just wanted to check if we have anything to eat around here" {father}: "When you want something to eat you have to go into the village. I am sure you have some spare money. Now please, I must hurry here so I can get back to work. Remember, I want an answer today" His voice is commanding, scaring you a little. "Yes father..." You leave the kitchen, thinking about what to tell him later. _You now possess the envelope containing 5 credits._ > [[Go back to hallway|hallway]]

You decide to lie. "Well, I have found it like this at the do-" Your father interrupts you. {father}: "Trust me son, from all your siblings you are the worst liar. Now tell me what's in the letter already." > [[continue|tell]]

You decide to tell the truth. "Yes, I opened it at the door. It is not like you to just leave your stuff lying around, so I took the liberty." You feel confident after speaking to him like that. {father}: "Well, at least you are honest. Tell me, what does the letter say?" > [[continue|tell]]

letter:false credits: credits + 5 kitchen:true -- "There is a letter and some money in it. Not much though." {father}: "Heh, so the money is for you. What does the letter say?" "The the village wants the house gone, and that you are too stubborn to tell anyone anything." {father}: "So nothing new I see. Let that be my problem, you go into the Village and get something to eat from that money. Remember, you have a decision to make until tomorrow, dont forget it." "Yes yes..." - you say, slightly annoyed. You obtain 5 credits, then go back into the hallway. > [[Go back|hallway]]

You move into the garden. The garden is overgrown with pest plants. There are some raspberries near the fence and some strawberries under the pest plants. "There is still some resemblance of {sister} here. At least someone cared at some point" Shaking your head in disappointment to the state of the garden, you grab a few berries and eat them. They taste rather nice. You leave the garden and move towards town. > [[Go back|townvisit]]

It takes you about half an hour of walking until you see some buildings in the distance. Moving closer, you find yourself near the marketplace. There are a lot of people roaming around. Stands selling fruits and vegetables line the plaza. You are hungry, so you decide to buy something to eat. You search your pockets for credits, finding a spare coin left from yesterdays lunch money." [if credits > 1] You remember your envelope containing 5 credits. [continue] You have {credits} credits. > [[Buy vegetables (1 credits)|vegetables]] [if credits >= 3] > [[Buy fruits (3 credits)|fruits]] [else] [align center] _You don't have enough money to buy anything else_

mf1class: 'naturelover' credits: 20 alignment: 'paragon' myclass: 'naturelover' questmf2: 'punch' mf2there: true pouch: 'fruits' letter: true mf2Exist: true killmf2: false -- > [[1qcomradeslostforest]] [note] - Normal Text - Bold text - Important text - Italic text - underlined - Emphasized text - Marked text - Smaller text <del> - Deleted text <ins> - Inserted text - Subscript text - Superscript text

credits: credits - 1 pouch: 'vegetables' -- You buy some carrots from the vegetable stand. They taste... alright. You should have bought the better looking ones, but then you'd have less. Shaking your head at you lack of credits you decide to move further into the village. > [[continue|village2]]

credits: credits - 3 pouch: 'fruits' -- You buy some strawberries and raspberries. They taste rather nice, but they weren't the freshest. You put some of them in your pouch before heading further into the village. > [[continue|village2]]

After some walking, you come across a school. You read the sign outside. [align center] _For those willing to start a profession, you are at the right place._ _-Townsend Academy-_ [continue] You have spend the last 5 years here, learning about all sorts of things and gained a basic understanding in all aspects of life. In contrast to the rest of your family you didn't manage to get into a prefession early on. That is in no small part due to your lackluster grades and... questionable lecture attendance. That all doesn't matter anymore though, because today is the day to step outside the school and start a new life! You move inside. > [[continue|school]]

You stand in a big hall full of people roaming around. The hall is decorated with expensive lanterns and paintings, and a big chandelier hangs in the middle of the room. The academy did their best to make everything look nice on graduation day, but you don't much care for it. You recognise some of the faces around, they are your old collegues from here. _"I wonder if anyone else has to choose today aswell."_ People greet you as you go further into the room. There is an exhibition on display at the moment, showing off some of the academie's achievements. You couldn't care less. "Hey! {name}!"- you hear someone shouting from behind you. It is you best friend, inseperable from you for as long as you can remember. You wave your hand as you look towards him. What is his name? {text input for:'mf1'} > [[continue|profession]]

"Jo, {mf1}, what up?" {mf1}:"I'm going to make a choice today! You know, about a profession to take. You too?" He seems overjoyed. Rightfully so, the two of you are getting out of this academy today after all! "Yeah, father wants my answer today. You got any idea what you want to do?" {mf1}:"No, not yet. But hey, that's what the stands around here are for right? Where do you want to go?" *** You look around. Near the entrance you see a stand full of people in leathery clothes. Almost all of them have an animal with them. They seem like _Naturelovers_. Further in, near one of the Questboards, you see people in different, fancy attires. They speak together in big groups and seem very socially active. They are known as _Citydwellers_. Near the end of the hall you spot people in long, silky clothes with fancy hats. They seem to try and keep a low profile. They must be _scholars_. > [[Go to Naturelovers|naturelovers]] > [[Go to Citydweller|citydwellers]] > [[Go to Scholars|scholars]]

You go to the naturelovers. Their stand is filled with plants and many animals are roaming about. Most of them are occupied with ssomething, with little of them talking. The smell of grass, flowers and fur hangs in the air. You consider becoming one of them. *** [align center] As a naturelover, you become a lone wolf. Heavily skilled in your arts, you are an expert in all things nature. Well, lone wolf includes an animal most of the time! You... are really bad with animals though. Last time you tried petting a dog you got you hand bitten. Being alone for long amounts of time is also not one of strong suits, you had {mf1} always by your side the past few years after all. However, you admire their focus on making the world a nicer place to live in. Greenery is nice, and knowing how to survive alone in a forest or something similar feels really cool to be able to do. And who knows, maybe you'll get a cool wolf as a pet someday? [continue] > [[Choose Naturelover|naturelover]] > [[Reconsider|profession]]

Go go to the citydwellers. It is the biggest stand with the most people roaming about. The smell of ale fills the air. People speak and laugh loudly in big groups. You consider becoming one of them. *** [align center] As a city dweller, you become an expert in bartering and speech. Making friends and extracting information out of conversations is your expertise. Said in easier terms, you really like being in large groups. Not that you are used to it at all, always hanging out with {mf1} and {mf1} alone. Also, most citydwellers are pretty heavy drinkers... not something you do too much either. However, you admire their drive to be better and to make everyone's lives easier. It is normal for them to take on easier jobs to help those really in need, and you feel that your... lacking expertise in pretty much everything would fit right in with them. Who can tell a great citydweller from a bad one anyways? [continue] > [[Choose Citydweller|citydweller]] > [[Reconsider|profession]]

You go to the scholars. Their stand is barely noticable due to the pure amount of books on it. Most people speak in small groups of two to four people, some read books on a nearby bench. The smell of tea and and coffee fills the air. You consider becoming one of them. *** [align center] As a scholar, you are a master of science and magic. While you are not great in anything else, you are never the worst in anything. It is quite the... contrary role to what you are right now. Most of them are well read, and like staying inside to study and read. You are the polar opposite... always hanging out outside with {mf1} and being up to no good. However, you always looked up to your brother, and for all you know he made a name for himself here as a scholar. Maybe you can be a little different? And anyways, magic is just really cool. [continue] > [[Choose scholar|scholar]] > [[Reconsider|profession]]

myclass: 'naturelover' -- [align center] __You chose to become a _{myclass}_.__ [continue] > [[continue|classchosen]]

myclass:'citydweller' -- [align center] __You chose to become a _{myclass}_.__ [continue] > [[continue|classchosen]]

myclass:'scholar' -- [align center] __You chose to become a _{myclass}_.__ [continue] > [[continue|classchosen]]

{mf1}:"Hey, so you want to become a {myclass}? Cool, cool..." "Yes, but why the long face?" {mf1} seems a little uncertain, letting his arms fall and looking to the ground. {mf1}:"Well, I kind of thought you would be as clueless as me. I don't know what to choose!" _"What he wants to become... Maybe a suggestion would help?"_ you ask yourself. > [[Suggest Naturelover|mNature]] > [[Suggest Citydweller|mCitydweller]] > [[Suggest Scholar|mScholar]]

mf1class: 'naturelover' -- "How about becoming a {mf1class}? I think it would suit you." - you suggest. {mf1}:"A {mf1class}... Yeah! I think I want that! Thanks for the suggestion!" "No problem." You feel like no matter what you would have told him, he would go with whatever you suggested. Knowing {mf1}, he won't care about his class anyways. {mf1}:"Hey, I think there is more to it than just choosing a class, right? I believe we should also choose how we want to be for the rest of our lifes! You know, like if we want to be good or bad guys! What do you say? I think I'll just stick with your choice this time, hehe." He is as indecisive as ever. _"A good or bad person? I have to think about this carefully"_ > [[Choose Renegade (bad)|renegade]] > [[Choose Paragon (good)|paragon]]

mf1class: 'citydweller' -- "How about becoming a {mf1class}? I think it would suit you." - you suggest. {mf1}:"A {mf1class}... Yeah! I think I want that! Thanks for the suggestion!" "No problem." You feel like no matter what you would have told him, he would go with whatever you suggested. Knowing {mf1}, he won't care about his class anyways. {mf1}:"Hey, I think there is more to it than just choosing a class, right? I believe we should also choose how we want to be for the rest of our lifes! You know, like if we want to be good or bad guys! What do you say? I think I'll just stick with your choice this time, hehe." He is as indecisive as ever. _"A good or bad person? I have to think about this carefully"_ > [[Choose Renegade (bad)|renegade]] > [[Choose Paragon (good)|paragon]]

mf1class: 'scholar' -- "How about becoming a {mf1class}? I think it would suit you." {mf1}:"A {mf1class}... Yeah! I think I want that! Thanks for the suggestion!" "No problem." You feel like no matter what you would have told him, he would go with whatever you suggested. Knowing {mf1}, he won't care about his class anyways. {mf1}:"Hey, I think there is more to it than just choosing a class, right? I believe we should also choose how we want to be for the rest of our lifes! You know, like if we want to be good or bad guys! What do you say? I think I'll just stick with your choice this time, hehe." He is as indecisive as ever. _"A good or bad person? I have to think about this carefully"_ > [[Choose Renegade (bad)|renegade]] > [[Choose Paragon (good)|paragon]]

alignment: 'renegade' -- Choices specific to renegade are shown red like this "I think I want to be a {alignment} guy" - you answer. {mf1}:"Oh hell yeah! Lets cause chaos!" He speaks joyfully, followed by a stereotypical evil laugh. "What? I can laugh even better!" You let out your most evil sounding laugh. It sounds rather pathetic, but {mf1} didn't sound much better. {mf1}: "Let's look for a quest, shall we?" "Let's go." > [[Go to questboard|quest1]]

alignment: 'paragon' -- Choices specific to paragon are shown blue like this "I think I want to be a {alignment} guy" - you answer. {mf1}:"Oh, exciting! Let's make this world a better place!" He says joyfully with a big grin on his face. "What, you acting like a good guy now?" {mf1}: "Hey, we weren't that bad! And you chose paragon, alright?" The two of you argue jokingly for some time about being the 'best worst good guys' before finally walking over to the questboard. > [[Go to questboard|quest1]]

The two of you move to the end of the hall. Multiple people stand in front of a a long array of blackboards. This must be the questboard. Moving closer, you notice the board being separated by classes. You move to the blackboard for {myclass}. After looking through all of them, you decide on taking an easy job for your first day. It is a simple errand job, not much more. Perfect for a first time job. _"A simple job for the first day... Can't forget about father"_ > [[Leave school|1q1]]

qparents:false -- You exit the school with {mf1}. {mf1}:"Hey {name}, what job did you pick?" You take out the sheet with the job description. It reads: [align center] "Job listing by: __Mr Sherone__ Hello dear 'professional', I am in urgent need of some assistance. For I am a gentleman at heart, it pains me that the town is so full of... let me call them __RABID DOGS__! Excuse me, but it is the only way to describe those pesty lowlifes! They recently stole a shawarma from me, and that right in time with imporant festivities at my estate! Bring me back that wonderous meal at once and you shall be rewarded some credits. I see the dogs regularily roaming the pesty streets near the church, you should find them there." [continue] {mf1}: "Seems rather sinister to me... What a job to take." [if alignment==='renegade'] The RENEGADE in you speaks out \ "I wanted some action for once, so lets kill some freaks." {mf1}: "Yo... calm down..." [continue] [if alignment==='paragon'] The PARAGON in you speaks out \ "The world is full of hatred. We must find ways to resolve issues like these permanentely." {mf1}: "You really are taking this 'good guy' stuff to heart, eh?" [continue] The two of you move towards the specified location: the church. > [[Continue|1q2]]

credits: 5 -- [align center] __With this you skip to the point where you last stopped playing. It gives you the opportunity to make all your choices on one page. This page will change with every update.__ [continue] Father: {text input for: 'father'} Sister: {text input for: 'sister'} Brother: {text input for: 'brother'} Academy Friend: {text input for: 'mf1'} Runaway Friend: {text input for: 'mf2'}

ALL VARIABLES: Names: - father -> bold - sister -> magenta - brother -> grey - mf1 -> green - mf2 -> goldenrod class: - citydweller - naturelover - scholar alignment: - mf1class - renegade -> red - paragon -> blue Integers: - credits secrets = false am anfang definieren!

You reach the church in less than an hour. There is plenty of time left in the day to complete the quest! Today is Friday. Not many people are roaming around here today. You can see a few kids playing in a park nearby, with their parents sitting closeby. {mf1}: "I don't think those are the people we're searching for. Do you have any ideas?" You consider your options. > [[Wait|1qwaiting]] > [[Go inside the church|1qchurch]] [if qparents===false] > [[Ask the parents|1qaskparents]] [else] [align center] You will not waste any more time with the parents.

You and {mf1} sit down at the church stairs. {mf1}: "You know what, let me get us something to eat! I have some spare money, so don't worry. Be back in half an hour or so." "Sure." {mf1} leaves. You decide to check your pockets for something to do to pass the time. After checking all your pockets, you notice that you don't have your questpaper anymore. "Where did I lose the paper?? Without it, we won't get a reward!" You think about what to do next. Without the paper, completing the task is meaningless and will not grant you a reward in the end. Your first instinct is to search for {mf1}. You could also just wait for him to come back. Either way, you need to tell him. > [[wait for him|1qwaithim]] > [[search for him|1qsearchhim]]

You move towards the church entrance. {mf1} pulls on the door handle. It does not budge. {mf1}: "What is this?? A church should always be open! Something is very wrong here!" [if alignment==='paragon'] "Let me try PUSHING the door. Hm, doesn't budge either way. Got to find somewhere else to search." "You can pull and push the door..." [continue] [if alignment==='renegade'] You could try to force open the door by kicking it. {mf1}: "You know this is a chuch door, right? This thing is sturdier than you feet..." "hmpf." [continue] This isn't you run of the mill church anyways, with it being situated right near the poorest neighborhoods in the entire village. You can't imagine a pastor wanting to spend all day near a place like this. > [[Go back|1q2]]

qparents:true -- You move towards the parents. As you approach, they all turn towards you with a fearful gaze. {mf1}: "Why are they looking at us like that? Did we do something wrong?" You consider leaving them alone. Who knows why they look so scared? > [[Leave them alone|1q2]] > [[Approach them|1qapproachparents]]

You approach the parents. One of the mothers shouts from a distance "We are not on your turf! Leave us alone!" There is concern in her voice. Do the two of you really look that dangerous? {mf1}: "Their turf? I wonder if our targets are troublemakers here. Or they just hate how good we look, also possible." "Suuure..." > [[Leave them alone|1q2]] > [[Ask parents|1qask]]

You move further towards the parents. They pack their tings and start to walk away. {mf1}: "Now what? Shall we just let them walk away? I feel kind of offended right about now..." [if alignment==='renegade'] The RENEGADE in you speaks out. \ "I will not let this insult be brought upon me. Let's give them what they fear us for" {mf1}:"Hey hey now! No need for that here, hey, lets just search somewhere else, okay?" [else] "Yeah, it's kind of rude... Still, we haven't really searched anywhere, let's just leave them alone. Who knows what spooked them" {mf1}: "Sure, I guess..." [continue] [if alignment==='renegade'] > [[Bring the fight to them|1qpattack]] [continue] > [[Leave them alone|1q2]]

The two of you rush towards the parents. You reach them after a short sprint. You grab the mother who shouted at you earlier. "So... About us... I recommend telling us what is wrong with you if you don't want to get into trouble." {mf1}: "Y-Yeah! S-s-spit it out!" {mf1} whimpers next to your overwhelming presence. Or that is what you believe anyways. It's definitely not because of your entirely unwarranted agression towards some helpless mother. The kids start crying... the parents did so long before you caught up to them. You notice people standing near the main street, watching you. Some are seeming ready to step in if you make any more trouble. "Hmpf. Cowards..." You let go of the mother and walk back to the plaza in front of the church. {mf1} follows you. {mf1}: "We didn't learn anything, even after this..." "A bloody shame for sure" > [[Continue|1q2]] [note] renegade only

You decide to search for {mf1}. _"He wanted to buy some food... I should check the market."_ You move towards the market. On your way, you cross the academy grounds. _"Should I take a peek inside the academy? Maybe there is a copy of the questpaper there somewhere? Doubt I'll find {mf1} there though"_ > [[Go inside|1qacademy]] > [[Move further towards market|1qmarket]]

You decide to wait for {mf1}. _"Waiting is boring, I'm gonna check out this church until he comes back."_ It is a rather old church. The windows are more than 300 years old, the gate is old and damaged. Refurbishment jobs can be seen across its stone surface and wooden doors. Moving around the church, you decide to try entering one of those doors. It is locked, as you expected. Still, with nothing to do, you feel a bit let down. As you move away from the door, you hear a creaking sound. It must have come from said door. You must decide on what to do, and quickly. > [[approach door|1qapproachdoor]] > [[hide|1qhideddor]]

You decide to approach the door. The door opens slowly with a loud creaking sound. You grab the handle and pull. A young guy falls down in front of you. Guy: "Arg..." *"M-maybe I shouldn't have used so much force..."* You look down at him. He got a small wound on his head from the fall. [if myclass==='naturelover' && alignment==='paragon'] [NATURELOVER] Your survival skills let you craft a quick bandage > [[Craft a bandage|1qbandage]] [else] You don't have anything to help him with. [continue] [if alignment==='renegade'] > [[ [RENEGADE] Start laughing|1qRENlaugh]] [else] > [[ [PARAGON] Help him up|1qPARhelpup]] [continue] > [[Stand in silence|1qstandsilence]]

You decide to hide behind the door as it opens. You hear a silent sigh coming from the entrance. Then a shout. Guy: "ARG! Can't this day get any worse than this?!?" The shout startles you, you accidentaly hit the door with you feet, hard. The door closes violently. Guy: "AH! Who-?" It is a rather small looking guy, about your age. He seems startled, and not very dangerous. You give out a sigh. {embed passage: '1qmf2'}

[align center] <img src="Assets/Images/Gif.gif" alt= "..." width= "50%" height= "auto"/> [if trail.includes("passage name")]

credits: credits + 10 secret: true -- You craft a quick bandage by ripping a part of your shirt and apply it to the wound on his head. "Here, this should probably help with your bleeding" Guy: "Wha.. O-oh, thank you!" You help him stand up. He is much shorter than you, only about the height of your shoulders. He's wearing rags for clothes, and must be rather poor. Guy: "Hey! Take this, for helping me and all that!" He hands you 10 credits. It is... a lot for someone looking like him. "That is...quite a bit of money. You sure?" Guy: "Yeah... Not so much for me...he...he..." It is obvious he does understand how much money he just gave you. His loss, you will not hand over this much cash any time soon. > [[continue|1qmf2]]

You laugh at him. He is much shorter than you, only about the height of your shoulders. Somehow you still don't feel bad about laughing at him. Playing the bad guy comes natural to you, somehow. "HAHAHAA look at you! You fell right on your face! That's hilarious!" Guy: "He..he...he..ouch..." "Cmon! Stand up already!" Guy: "Huh? Yeah, o-okay..." Now you feel a little bad. You extend your hand and help him get up. > [[continue|1qmf2]]

You help him up. He is much shorter than you, only about the height of your shoulders. "Hey, you alright? You're bleeding a bit." Guy: "Don't worry about it... Happens more often than you think, haha... "If you say so. Just stay close to me until that thing is patched up. I don't want you falling over again." Guy: "Heh, thanks. Oh, I haven't intruduced myself yet!" > [[continue|1qmf2]]

You decide to just stand there and not say anything. Guy: "ouch..ouch" After a short delay he stands up, his hand on his bleeding forehead. He is much shorter than you, only about the height of your shoulders. You two look into each others eyes for a moment, then his eyes start to light up. > [[continue|1qmf2]]

mf2Exist: true -- "I guess we should intruduce ourselves. My name is {name}. And yours?" Guy: "{name}? Hm... do I know you?" "N-no?" If you did anything memorable these past couple years it's... got to be something stupid. You awkwardly scratch your head as you think of all the dumb things you did with {mf1} last week alone. Guy: "Wait, no. I'm thinking of someone else. Sorry, hehe..." He's scratching his head awkwardly. It must look really stupid for an outsider, two people scratching their heads in front of each other. The boy breaks the awkward silence first. Guy: "Well, anyways! Nice to meet ya {name}! My name is..." What is his name? {text input for: 'mf2'} > [[decide name|1qmf2name]]

{mf2}: "My name is {mf2}!" "Cool." You can't help but wonder... "What were you doing in there? All doors to the church are closed and you sure as hell don't look like a man of god." {mf2}: "Well, how should I put this... Some of my friends gave me this key, and it just fit in this door you know! We often hang around this part of town, so I decided to just try it on all the doors around here..." _"He didn't really answer my question... What should I ask him...?"_ > [[Why did you enter the church?| 1qquestion]] > [[Were you trying to steal something?| 1qstealquestion]] > [[Do you know where this key came from?| 1qkeylocation]]

"Why did you enter the church? What could you possibly hope to find out by going in there?" {mf2}: "Well, my friends got me this key, so I didn't want to disappoint them by not using it. I didn't do anything in there though..." [if alignment==='renegade'] "Cmon man! You really didn't take anything? It's the CHURCH! They have more money than everyone we know combined tenfold! No need to be a little samaritan here." {mf2}: "Y-yeah... I guess I can tell you. I filled a bag of mine with some of the gold in there. It's probably enough to keep the four of us afloat for a while." "The four of you?" {mf2}: "Yeah, they are my friends. You'll meet them later... maybe..." "Heh, alright. Thanks for letting me know." [else] "Are you sure?" {mf2}: "Y-yeah..." "Last chance?" {mf2}: "Give me a break, no need for so much suspicion here..." _"He seems nervous..."_ [continue] [if alignment==='renegade'] > [[continue|1qreconsider]] [else] > [[continue|1qblankencounter]]

"Hey, did you steal anything?" {mf2}: "N-no! O-o-of course not! Y-you make me nervous with questions like that!" [if alignment==='renegade'] You give him a pad on the shoulder. He twitches. "You are the worst liar I have ever seen, so just don't even try it alright? And honestly, you could have guessed I am on your side on this you know. Fuck the church, man." {mf2}: "T-thanks. Yeah, got some gold from them. Not too much tho, so they hopefully won't notice." "Nice one! What'cha gonna do with the gold?" You don't know why using slang would improve your renegade persona, but it feels great to use at least. {mf2}: "I don't know yet. First, I've got to find my friends again." [else] "I can see you are nervous, yes. Why be nervous when there is nothing to hide?" {mf2}: "Because you accuse me! I have done nothing wrong, I swear! Just leave me alone already. Please..." _"His nervosity says something else..."_ [continue] [if alignment==='renegade'] > [[continue|1qreconsider]] [else] > [[continue|1qblankencounter]]

"You know where the key is from?" {mf2}: "From my friends, I already told you!" "And where did they get it from?" {mf2}: "The hell do I know, some rich asshole for sure!" *"Jeez... what's with the attitude..."* [if alignment==='paragon'] "You calling them assholes explains pretty much everything I want to know. You and your friends are thieves." {mf2}: "W-what?! How-" "You know you shouldn't do that, especially with the strongest force in town, the church. You better get back in there and put it back before anyone notices. Be quick about it." {mf2}: "I-I can't! My friends will not see me empty handed! They're scary!" _"He seems frightened, I' m gonna back off for now"_ [else] "Hah! FINALLY! You for once stopped talking like a whimp!" {mf2}: "You...aren't mad?" "Mad? Why should I? Fuck 'em! Haha!!" {mf2} gives a big smile. You feel great. [continue] > [[continue|1qreconsider]]

From your little talk you have concluded that he and his friends are not the average folk. You remember your quest: Find the missing shawarma and bring it back, the thieves are around the church area. {mf2}: "Hey! I can see my friends over on the plaza! Cmon, I got to intruduce you!" He starts walking towards them. Considering that his friends may be the thieves you seek, you find yourself at a crossroads. Talk to them and find out how to get the shawarma back one way or another, or leave to find {mf1}. These seem like the best choices to make here. {mf2}: "Hey, you coming?" _"What to do..."_ > [[Go with {mf2}|1qencounter]] > [[Find {mf1} and find another way|1qsearchmf1]]

You continue to talk with {mf2} for a while about this and that. After a while, he asks you to come to the front of the church and that he will meet you there shortly. You agree and move to the stairs you sat on previously. The streets and the playground seem hauntingly empty. Three people stand on the plaza, two guys and a girl. They are about your age. _"I wonder what {mf1} is doing right now? He should have been back a good while ago..."_ You lean back. It is around midday, the sun is shining brightly. You reach into your pockets and jump up. "SHIT! I still don't know where my quetpaper is! {mf1}... I need you back here soon..." Guy with Scar: "Hey! Whats the deal with you screaming around here? You've got a problem or something?" You look towards the plaza. The three people that stood there are now right in front of you. They are a few years older than you on a closer look, with the one in the middle having a huge burnmark on his cheek. All three of them look dangerous, with him being the worst one. Guy with Scar: "You gonna answer us or what? What you doing screaming in front of a damn church?" Weird Guy: "Yea! Wha u doen round dese part here, lad?" This guy has his long tongue sticking out, saliva dripping to the floor like a leaking pipe. His jaw is strongly disfigured back towards his neck. You can't make out whether this happened due to a fight or a birth deformity. No matter what it is, his speech is severly impacted by it and he look abhorrently ugly. Tattoo Girl: "Hey now, staring is rude. Just tell us what's up, yes?" The girls' head is shaved on both sides, with long hair only running down the middle and down her back. Her neck and arms are full of badly drawn images, most likely done through tattooing. However, so much of her body is covered by it that she might have just exited a coalmine or fallen into black mud. It is not a pleasant sight, and you can't even begin to imagine what her parents would think of this. You are a bit terrified and can't muster a single word. > [[continue|1qmf2friends]]

You move, together with {mf2}, towards the church plaza. Three people stand there. {mf2} moves towards them, but is pushed away immediately. It seems they are more interested in you than him. They move towards you. All three of them look a little older than you, you wouldn't have guessed so from a distance. Wearing rags and looking pretty terrifying, you shudder a litte. The man in the middle is the oldest of the three with a huge burn mark on his face. To his right is a guy that has his tongue sticking out constantly. His jaw is strongly disfigured back towards his neck. You can't make out whether this happened due to a fight or a birth deformity. Saliva is dripping down to the floor above, it looks pretty disgusting. To his left is a girl. Her head is shaved on both sides, with long hair only running down the middle and down her back. Her neck and arms are full of badly drawn images, most likely done through tattooing. However, so much of her body is covered by it that she might have just exited a coalmine or fallen into black mud. It is not a pleasant sight, and you can't even begin to imagine what her parents would think of this. {embed passage: '1qmf2friends'}

"Sorry, {mf2}. I have to find my friend. He should have been here a while ago so I've got to find him." {mf2}: "Oh..alright. Hope to see you later then." He waves you goodbye before disappearing behind the church walls. You move towards the market. On the way there is the academy. As you move past the entrance you notice a small group of around 5 people hanging around. > [[move towards them|1qmf1back]] > [[ignore them|1qmf1noticeyou]]

The Guy in the middle grabs your arm. Guy with Scar: "If you can't talk, I will. You are in our territory, buddy. Either go ahead and pay us for the inconvenience you caused us or be ready for a beating." You manage to catch your breath. The situation seems dire. You haven't had a real fight in a long while, and without {mf1} you can't help but feel a little weak. [if alignment==='renegade'] The RENEGADE in you cries for a good fight. [else] The PARAGON in you begs you to find a peaceful solution. [continue] You must be quick on your decision. [if credits>=3] > [[give the bandits all your money|1qtalkmuchmoney]] [if credits<5 && credits>0] > [[give the bandits all your money|1qlilmoney]] [if credits===0] [align center] You have 0 credits in your pocket. No way to pay up. [continue] > [[Punch the guy in the face|1qpunch]] > [[Wait and see|1qwaitandsee]]

You move towards them. {mf1}: "Hey, long time no see!" He flashes you a wide smile. Is he kidding? "Really now? I was waiting for you!" {mf1}: "Oh, really? Shit I'm sorry, haha! I've got you something nice to eat though, you gonna like it for sure!" "Ugh... t-thanks. Who are those guys, by the way?" {mf1}: "Oh, them? Funny story, they have the same quest as us. Guess the guy really wants his shawarma back. I'm trying to get them to do another quest right now." Guy: "There is one more quest on the board that seems promising, but it is a two day job! It pays more, sure. But it's harder and we dont get paid today. Can't we just take this quest?" _"I can't take a 2 day quest. If I don't tell father about my profession today, I'm in big trouble... probably..."_ "Sorry guys, but I really don't have a choice here. Is there a way for us to handle this without having to argue?" Everyone is silent. > [[Try to make a deal|1qDealQuest]] > [[Act agressively|1qagressivequest]]

You decide to ignore them. After a few seconds you notice a shout. {mf1}: "HEY! HEEEY! {name}! Come here!" _"Didn't take long finding you, eh?"_ {embed passage: '1qmf1back'}

credits: 0 questmf2: 'moneymore' -- You decide to give them all your money. Guy with Scar: "Hohoooo! Now that is a nice sum! Ladies and gents, lets leave the gentleman alone!" He turns his back on you, smiling with all your money in his hands. Looking at his clothes, it's no wonder why he's this happy: He's just as broke as you are. Weird Guy: "Oioi, lesss get sometin good for us, eh?" The two guys leave. The girl still stands before you, looking contentely at you. She leans forward, making her long hair fall over her shoulder. Tattoo Girl: "I like you. If we by chance become friends or something similar, I may just give you __something I have hidden from the others in my drawer__. Call it a little... thanks for your donation." She smiles at you then turns to leave. After a short while, you decide to move back to where {mf2} left. > [[continue|1qmf2money]]

credits: 0 questmf2: 'moneyless' -- You decide to give them all your money. Guy with Scar: "Really? Is this all you have? Sucks to be you I guess, haha." *"You are wearing the same shit as me, don't act like some rich guy... Prick..."* Weird Guy: "Hah! Hahaaaaaaaaaa!" The guy with the loose tongue throws up on the ground after the long held laughter. It is quite disgusting, and oyu can't help but make a face. It's almost... comical how disgusting he is. They turn to leave. After a while, they stand still again, still looking away from you. You get the strong feeling you are not welcome here anymore and turn to leave, going back to the door where you met {mf2}. > [[continue|1qmf2money]]

You punch the guy in the face. His burnmark bursts, with a large amount of blood pouring out. His face distorts as the pain creeps in. Guy with Scar: "Shit! Fuck you, man! I didn't even hurt you!" His eyes start tearing up. He starts to cover his now blood ridden face with his hands. The amount of blood he is losing is abnormally high for such a wound. Guy with Scar: "You...you will...regret...this..." He falls to the ground headfirst, but the other guy catches him. Tattoo Girl: "No one usually tries to fight him off... I feel like we will definitely see each other again." The bleeding guy is out cold. God... so much blood... The other two take his arms und wrap them around their necks. They leave without saying another word. > [[continue|1qmf2punchthem]]

You decide to wait and see. Guy with Scar: "You deaf?" You dont give an answer. This... does not feel right, but you still decide to stick with your plan. Guy with Scar: "Guess we got our answer." It only took a moment, a fraction of a second. The guy with his tongue sticking out headbutts you head on. "Ouch! Ahh..." You fall back, your nose starts bleeding aggressively. The guy with the scar manages to grab you as you fall, and smiles at you. You notice him twitching around his scar. He punches you straight in the face. *"F-fuck!"* You can clearely feel your nose now, it burns from the beating. The guy throws you to the ground. You barely manage to shield your head from the stony floor beneath you. Guy with Scar: "Don't come back here." Spitting on the ground in front of you, he leaves, together with the others. You sit down on the church stairs, bleeding and trying to hold back tears. Goddamn, why did they have to aim for the nose... it hurts so bad. Suddenly, you hear a cry in the distance. > [[continue|1qmf2wait]]

Before you are able to muster a word, {mf1} starts to speak. {mf1}: "You guys are from healthy households, right? We all went to class together. As far as I can remember, none of you liked 'practical work' anyways, right? Have you LOOKED at the questpaper at all? Shit pay, having to go talk ot poor people... Come on, you are better than this." {mf1} gives a big proud smile. Guy: "How should we? This GUY stole our questpaper just a few minutes ago! Little sneaky bastard... literally" You and {mf1} look at each other. {mf1}: "Where...did he run off to? And what do you mean, you don't have your questpaper anymore?" Guy: "Towards the church, probably one of those filthy... what did dad call them? RABID DOGS? Yeah... you know what, I don't want anything to do with this anyways. Have that quest, we'll search for something else." {mf1} gives out a loud sigh. {mf1}: "Don't worry about it, guys. We'll handle the quest just fine." After seeing the others enter the academy the two of you turn to leave. > [[continue|1qsearchquestpage]]

You decide to use an aggressive approach. [if alignment==='renegade'] "If you guys won't ta... [else] The PARAGON in you forbids this approach and is very disappointed in your actions. [continue] Before you can finish thinking it through, {mf1} puts his hand on your mouth and starts talking himself. {embed passage: '1qDealQuest'}

{mf1}: "So, {name}. Im gonna be honest with you, but I was robbed, too. The food I bought and the questpaper were both stolen. The guy who did it was very short, about the height of your sholders. Pretty much fits the description of the others. I suggest we should move towards the church and find him." You think back to your time at the church. The small guy they spoke of couldn't possibly be... {mf1}: "So, while we march towards church...again... Care for some small talk?" "W-why do you even ask?" {mf1}: "Well, I thought it would be polite." Polite? That would be something new. {mf1} is your best friend, being polite and nice isn't at all how the two of you talk with each other. He seems so... distant. > [[You seem different from before|1qbrave]] > [[You know more about the guy that stole our stuff?|1qmf2explain]]

mf2there: false -- "You can't just act like everythings normal with you. Why are you so distant all of a sudden?" {mf1}: "Heh. How should I even put this..." He takes a moment to think things over. [if mf1class !== 'citydweller'] {mf1}: "Alright, listen. I know you kind of helped me out earlier with my profession and all that, so let me start with this. I am now a Citydweller. I can no longer fool around and so I chose to keep a profession I might actually be good at. I... don't know if I'll stick with it at all, to be honest. Also..." He keeps silent for awhile. [continue] {mf1}: "You know, I went back to buy some stuff and I ...saw my father get arrested. He stole some stuff from one of the stands apparently. Now the police got my keys, and I am pretty much officially homeless now. Broke too, so it's not like I could just rent a place or something... I have to get more serious, try being something more than I am right now." You don't know how to answer. In an awkward silence, the two of you move on until you reach your destination. > [[Continue|1qgangster]]

mf2there: false -- "You know anything about the guy who stole our stuff?" {mf1}: "Quite a lot, actually. My father used to handle with him and his 'friends' from time to time. His name is {mf2}." You take a step back. {mf1}: "Hey, you okay? What's got you so shocked?" "I know him. He is a good guy, trust me. Just in the wrong circles. Can we try to avoid a confrontation with him?" {mf1}: "How the hell do you know that guy?! I know him from my father, and that doesn't help him here. Only some really sketchy people would ever work with him, let me tell you." He pauses. "Met him while waiting for you. Funnily enough, I caught him stealing something... But he seemed pretty friendly." {mf1} lets out a small sigh. {mf1}: "Alright, I trust you. I won't be nice to his 'friends' though. They all traded with my father, and none of them seemed all too civilized. ... I guess that's in the past now, not that it matters anymore." "Why would you say it like that?" {mf1}: "Well my father got arrested a few hours ago, at the marketplace. That's why I didn't come earlier. I had to deal with the police and my fathers stupid behavior... so yeah. You stay silent. > [[continue|1qgangster]]mf2there: false

You stop before the church plaza. A big group of around 20 people stand around. {mf1}: "Where did all these people come from? I thought this place was abandoned and all that." _"Abandoned?"_ You look around more carefully than last time. The buildings near the plaza are all in really bad shape, almost similar to your fathers house. Some of them have collapsed, others have moss growing all around them and others look inhospitable due to multiple points of damage to their roof. [if mf2there===true] {mf2}: "Well, this neighborhood has been the poorest part of town for a long time. They don't have the money for a new house, so they just life inside the church!" {mf1}: "Inside the church, huh. Still weird that so many are outside now when none were here earlier. Let's talk to them, see what's up." {mf2}: _Whispering_ "No, let's not. We can grab the shawarma and leave without any trouble." {mf1}: "Your call, {name}." > [[Get the shawarma|1qsneak]] [continue] > [[approach the crowd|1qcrowd]] [note] above: mf1, mf2 joins later (green only) right: mf1+2 (green and blue)

questmf2: 'punch' -- You sit down on the church stairs and whipe off the blood from your knuckles. Your hands shake, and you feel like you did something horrible just now. Someone approaches you. ...: "Hey, you good? Didn't think you would just punch someone in the face... Normally someone punches you in the face, actually..." You look up. It is {mf1}. "It was instinct. They were threatening me so I had to do something. I... can't stop shaking, it feels horrible." {mf1}: "I'm sure it was justified. Doesn't matter to me anyway, as long as you're alright. He sits next to you. {mf1}: "As for me, I have made a decision aswell. I want to be a good guy... no matter if paragon or renegade. Won't affect our friendship, don't worry." "You thought this over?" {mf1}: "Yeah... I don't want to play by some arbitrary rules anyways. Got to grow up someday, you know?" He leans back and gives out a sigh. {mf1}: "You are the only one left I can still trust. Hope it is alright if I...stick around after our quest." "Of course? Like, when was this ever up for debate? What happened?" Suddenly, the big church door behind you opens. > [[continue|1qchurchdoor]]

questmf2: 'punched' -- You turn around and look at the person standing in front of you. It's {mf2}. {mf2}: "Shit. Sorry for that..." He takes out an old, dirty cloth and wraps it around your head. It hurts much more now. He could have at least tried cleaning it a little... {mf2}: "I...saw what happened. These were the friends I talked about." He sits down next to you, his head hanging low. {mf2}: "I am going to be honest with you, {name}. They may be my friends, but that is only because I really don't have anyone else. I am poor, I am a known thief and I have no education. They are the only ones I can hang with and I am sick of being alone all the time. It's not an excuse, but I..." "You can hang with me for a while, get away from them." That sort of just slipped out, but you're happy that it did. He seems like a decent guy, very different to the others. His gaze meets yours, he looks a little lost for words. {mf2}: "I'd like that." The two of you continue sittin down on the church stairs for a couple more minutes. {mf2}: "Alright, let's get you back on your feet." > [[continue|1qwait2]]

You turn around the corner of the church, back to where you met {mf2}. You can see him talking to someone. How he managed to get here before you is a mystery to you. Person: "Hey man! You can't just take my stuff and leave. Give it back or there'll be trouble." {mf2}: "B-but I didn't take anything!" The guy next to {mf2} reaches inside {mf2}s pocket. You decide to step in. How come he look so familiar, though... [if alignment==='renegade'] "Stealing in broad daylight? You've got some guts, let me tell you. How about you step off and deal with me first?" [else] "Stealing in broad daylight? You're no better than him, even if he stole from you!" [continue] He turns around to see you, now a piece of paper in his hands that was snatched from {mf2}s pocket. {mf1}: "{name}?" You take a step back as you realize that it's {mf1}. "{mf1}? Where have you been? How hard can getting some food be? You know how late it is?" The stress from your encounter just now seems to have went to your head, resulting in a snappy response you almost immediately regret. {mf1}: "Listen, it's a long story. Got our quest paper back though, so let us continue." He looks a little down. It can't have been you, right? Hopefully not. {mf2}: "You can't do that! Give it back!" {mf2} snatches the piece of paper, ripping it apart in the progress. {mf1}: "WHAT...THE HELL...are you doing?!" {mf1} is really angry now. > [[Try calming him down|1qcalmmf1]] > [[Don't intervene|1qnointervene]]

You decide to visit the academy first. As you put you hand on the door handle, it snaps open. A rather small guy around your age runs out of the building and tackles you unintentionally. Guy: "O-Out of the way! Sorry!" One of your old teachers steps outside the building, her face boiling red. She breathes heavily. "H-Hey, {name}. I...*huff* don't have time right now, I apologize. If you would be so kind, if you find the guy that rammed into you right now later, bring him back here, okay?" Without letting you say a word she runs off into the direction the guy ran off to. With her speed it would be a miracle if she actually caught him. _"I see the teachers are still as 'occupied' as always..."_ You remember that __theft__ was a rather common occurence in the academy. You could try and help your teacher, if you want. > [[Chase the guy|1qchaseguy]] > [[Go inside|1qacademy2]] > [[Go towards market|1qmarket]]

You move towards the market. As you come closer you notice a large group of people standing around in a circle. You approach one of the people standing there, asking what the commotion is about. "What's happening here?" A guy turns around and looks at you. Guy: "Hey, you are about his age! Look, maybe you know him!" He grabs you by the shoulder and forcefully pushes you through the mass of people. You now stand on the market, the mass of people standing behind you. The food stands are left empty except for one. 3 people stand there, with one of them lying on the ground. He seems poor, his arms small and weary, probably from malnutrition. A police officer has him pinned to the ground. Next to them stands the third one, his face is scratched up and he has a black eye. It is not a pleasant sight, but the bruises don't look too serious. He is rather young, you squint your eyes to see if you recognize his face. It is {mf1}. > [[continue|1qmarket2]]

You decide to move into the academy. Just a few people are here now. The stands are gone, along with all the graduates. The school is obviously closed for non-students. You decide to leave. As you exit the building, you notice that you can't see the teacher anymore. _"Well, can't chase after that guy anymore I guess. Got no clue where they went. Let's just get back to finding {mf1}."_ > [[Go to market|1qmarket]] [after 15 seconds] _"... I think I could still try, I guess..."_ [align center] [[Chase him|1qchaseguy]]

You decide to chase after the guy. Only having run about 500 meters you spot your teacher already sitting on a bench, exhausted. You roll your eyes in disappointment and move on. After a short while, you come across the church from before again. You notice a few people standing around. You currently have no clue as to where he might have gone, so you decide to move closer. As you approach, one of them turns around. It is the guy from before. He comes up to you. Guy: "H-hey man! I-I think we may have m-met before, eh?" [if alignment==='renegade'] "Yeah, I remember you. I don't know what you did, but you sure gave my old teacher something to worry about. Tell me, what did you do?" Guy: "Y-you aren't here because of her?" "Sure, she told me to follow you. But let me tell you this: I am outta school so I won't do a thing she askes of me ever again. You hear me?" You flash a nasty smile. [else] "Hey. My old teacher asked me to get you back to school. What did you do?" Guy: "N-nothing illegal, I promise!" You are not sure whether his panic is self induced or genuine. Either way, you decide to go easy on him. "I have no intention of getting you back there if you truly did nothing wrong. I promise." [continue] Guy: "W-well, then I guess I'm alright then. You know what, follow me for a sec. Just to get away from all these people." > [[continue|1qnamemf2]]

mf2Exist: true -- You and the guy leave towards the left side of the church. After a short walk, you step in front of a small door. Guy: "So! Here we are. Now, lets talk about this, o-okay?" [if alignment==='renegade'] "Sure hope so" [else] "Continue." [continue] Guy: "Alright, so I stole this." He shows you a piece of paper. You take a look at it. "Hold on...this is a quest paper!" _"Not only that...MY quest paper, or a copy at least."_ {mf2}: "Yes! And that's why I stole it. You know, the ... hold on what did that guy write... ah yes! 'rabid dogs' this prick is talking about is me and my friends." "Is that so?" Guy: "Yes! Yes it is! It is so unfair you know, those rich guys always get what they want but when you steal a little of their food they go up in flames about it. What a joke, right?" "Yeah alright, hold on. Before that, let me at least know your name, alright?" Guy: "Oh, yeah, sure. My name is..." What is his name? {text input for: 'mf2'} > [[continue|1qmf2intro]]

"So, {mf2}, this quest is about you." {mf2}: "And my friends, yes. Or my comrades, I don't really...like calling them friends. Anyways, yes we stole a shawarma and NO we are not sorry and not giving it back! I believe it is just..." {mf1}: "Hold on right there." You and {mf2} turn around. "{mf1}. There you are." {mf1} is standing near the plaza. He is exhausted and has several bruise marks on his face. "Where were you, and what happened to you?" {mf1}: "Doesn't matter, trust me. The only thing you got to know is that this guy over there has our questpaper... *cough* " {mf2}: "Yeah, but you guys can't..." {mf1}: "Of course we can. Give me that paper.." {mf1} is reeling towards you, obviously mentally and physically exhausted. > [[Ask about his condition again|1qcondition]] > [[Let things unfold|1qconfront]]

"Now hold on there. You can't just get here looking like this and act like everythings normal." {mf1}: "Who cares. Get that stupid paper for us, we really need this quest... *cough* " {mf2}: "Hey, {name}. You understand me, do you not? It is nothing bad. Just leave us alone with this please..." {mf1}: "H-heh. You're a...thief. Don't try to manipulate {name}, alright? You're gonna...regret it..." {mf1} falls to his knees, visibly exhausted. {mf1}: "I'm gonna be honest, {name}. You gotta make a decision here. Got no strength to go against it anyways and I won't be able to do this alone." {mf2}: "We...could go do this..." He takes out the quest paper and stares at it. {mf2}: "'We could go to Mr Sherones address and make him give you the money because he wants to be nice or something? I can get my friends to help with that. They wanted to pay him a visit anyways." It sounds a bit scary, but at least it's some sort of plan. You are unsure as to what to do. > [[Treat {mf1} and get your quest done|1qenemy]] > [[Go to Mr Sherone for a different approach|1qAttackSherone]]

{mf1} stays silent. He breathes heavily and almost collapses from exhaustion. You decide to ask about his condition. {embed passage: '1qcondition'}

You move towards {mf1}. "Alright, I have made up my mind. We will get this job done." He smiles at you. {mf2}: "B-but you can't do this! I can't Let you do this!" "What did you say earlier? Your friends are 'more comrades than friends' or something?" You take a bandage and a bottle of water out of {mf1}'s bag. {mf2}: "They are my friends! They always let me stay here and they didn't just keep me out like Townsend did!" {mf1}: "The...academy?" {mf2}: "Yes, exactly! They just keep us out, all of us! Because we didn't have a house, no family and we weren't smart. 'Not worth the effort' they said." {mf1}: "Sounds like you guys should be a happy family then." {mf2}: "We..." {mf2} looks quite sad. {mf1} must have hit a sore spot. {mf1}: "Guess sharing the same fate doesn't make you equal. There's always a scapegoat..." You continue helping getting {mf1} get on his feet, but he is quite exhausted. It takes a few minutes for him to get up. > [[continue|1qenemy2]]

mf2there:false -- [note] mf2there only because of End4.0 set to false Accessed from above and below! [continue] {mf2}: "Cool!" {mf1}: "Well, how do we go about doing that?" {mf2}: "First, we go over to the plaza and get my friends. We can talk with them about a plan." You all agree and move to the plaza. A crowd of people stand there, all talking over each other. {mf2}: "Give me a second, I'll get them." He dispappears into the crowd. After a short while, he comes back with two other people. On his left is a big young man with a huge scar across his face and on his right a girl around the same age covered in tattoos. Guy with scar: "So, you guys took the quest about us?" {mf1} takes a step forward and looks him dead in the eye. There is tension in the air. Tattoo Girl: "One of us got caught by some of Sherones goons. We get him out, then we'll help you with whatever you need." Guy with scar: "We either do it this way, or not at all." The guy with the scar seems to be the boss here... you think about whether you can trust him or not. > [[Go without them|1qgoSherone]] > [[Go with them|1qAttack2]]

mf2there: true -- {mf1}: "Alright, I'm good now. Let's get this over with." He stands up. {mf2}: "Wait." {mf2} stands up and goes towards {mf1}. He is looking him dead in the eyes. {mf1}: "You good? Or what is the problem?" {mf2}: "Can I join you two? I wanted to get away from my friends for a long time. This kind of living is not good for me... I want to try and get away from it." You and {mf1} look at each other confusedly. {mf1}: _whispering_ "You seem to know the guy. What do you think?" Before you can answer, {mf2} interrupts. {mf2}: "I can even show you guys where the shawarma is! I stole it after all!" {mf1}: "Oh? Alright then, join us!" _"Why even ask me in the first place..."_ {mf2}: "Alright, let me show you guys the way!" > [[contine|1qgangster]]

You stand up. A man approaches you and grabs {mf2}. {mf1}: "You! You stole our questpaper! Give it back!" "{mf1}?" _"Nice of you to finally show up..."_ He looks pissed, shaking {mf2} as he tries to look menacing. {mf2}: "I..." {mf1}: "No talking. Give back our questpaper! We really need to finish this job!" {mf2}: "Oh...alright..." {mf2} looks pretty beat. You shake your head. *"Nice job, {mf1}."* {mf2}: "I have stored it in a safe place. Just have to get it out of there." {mf1} finally lets go of him, maybe having realized that he's taking this too far. {mf1}: "Alright, {name}. Let's get this done." {mf2}: "Can I...join you guys?" {mf1} looks over to you. He seems confused. {mf2}: "They just beat up {name}, and he is my friend! I'm sick of them, and I can help you guys!" Friend? When did you ever say that? Well, no matter. {mf1}: "I... guess. {name} wouldn't use such a horrible bandage, so I guess it must have been you. Sure, come along." {mf2}: "Thanks! Let me show you the way." {mf2} takes out a key and opens the big church gate. You and {mf1} follow. > [[continue|1qinsidechurch]]

"Hey, {mf1}, you..." He shoves you away. {embed passage: '1qnointervene'}

{mf1}: "Do you have ANY idea what you just ripped apart?? You better be ready to..." "Chill. What makes you so emotional all of a sudden?" Another impulsive, snappy reaction. You hate yourself even more now, best to apologize for it later... {mf1}: "You know this was our quest, right? The thing YOU and me both REALLY need? Don't act like this doesn't concern you!" Great, now he's pissed at you aswell. Well, not really, but it still doesn't feel great to be shouted at like that. You assume the two of you even now. {mf2}: "I'm sorry...I..." "Why did you rip it apart, {mf2}?" {mf1}: "You even know this guy?? What the HELL is going on?!?" {mf1} is red with anger. His voice is almost trembling. {mf2}: "I don't...want this quest to be completed. It will just be bad for me..." {mf2} is almost crying now. This situation has gone out of hand rather quickly. > [[Try to calm them|1qcalm]]

"Quiet down, you guys. Just explain yourselves." {mf2}: "This quest...Is about me and my friends, they guys from earlier... and it will bring ruin to all of us if you complete this quest." {mf1}: "Then why did you steal stuff in the first place? You must have known that someday, something like this had to happen." {mf2}: "Yeah, but we were starving!" {mf1}: "Sure you were. You just had a deal with my father 3 days ago where he spend all of his money on your shit! How much was it, 30 credits? You know how much money that is?" {mf2}: "But..." {mf1}: "And your great friends just stole {name}'s money here. Sure you guys are 'starving'?" "You really need to cool down, {mf1}." {mf1}: "I think I get the picture. YOU are starving. Not the others." That was... surpisingly compassionate all of a sudden. Is he seeing a picture you're not seeing? {mf2} looks at the ground. It seems {mf1} has been correct. [if alignment==='paragon'] "Alright then, you stay with us and we deal with this together." [else] "Heads up. You stick with us and we get this shit sorted out somehow." [continue] He nods in acceptance. > [[continue|1qcalm2]]

{mf2} steps out. *"How the hell did he get into the church? Did the others go in there aswell?"* {mf2}: "You...just fought them off?" {mf1}: "Hey I know you!" "What? How do you guys know each other?" {mf1}: "He stole our quest paper! The tief!" "So YOU had it all along?" You raise one eyebrow as you look at {mf1}. {mf1}: "Obviously not anymore" {mf2}: "I...still have it. Come inside, please." > [[go inside|1qinsidechurch]]

The inside of the church is barren. Benches lie scattered across the floor, most windows are either broken or cracked. The beautiful paintings and statues are broken and vandalised beyond repair. It is a rather sad sight, but befitting the poverty of the area. {mf1}: "What happened here?" "So that is why the doors were closed. This church is a mess!" {mf2}: "This is me and my old friends base, we do pretty much everything here. We haven't found a way into every room yet but it's just a matter of time." You look around a bit more. You notice a few people sleeping in the corners of the big hall, covered in old festival clothes presumably belonging to the church originally. These thick robes must keep them warm here, as the stone covered walls combined with the holes everywhere don't exactly heat up the place. {mf1}: "Alright. So, what are we doing here?" {mf2}: "First, we're going to go into a room in the back. I have the paper there." [if questmf2==='money'] {mf1}: "But you just ripped it apart?" {mf2}: "I got that one from the academy, it was a copy. The one I stole from you is in there." {mf1} gives out a sigh. It sounds pretty unbelievable... but considering that he wants the quest gone it only makes sense to destroy all copies. [continue] > [[move into the back room|1qbackroom]]

{mf1}: "Hm, so... Where best to start?" "Good question." {mf1}: "I'm sure if they went back into that direction, then they must be ..." The three of you move towards the church plaza. As before, no one is standing there. You don't know what {mf1}s plan is here exactly, so you decide to just follow him for now. {mf2}: "Follow me." You and {mf1} look back. {mf2} is standing next to the church door, a key in his hand. {mf2}: "Just in here." He opens the huge doors slowly and carefully. The three of you move inside. *"A-are we sure this is good idea?"* > [[continue|1qinsidechurch]]

qdrawer:false -- The three of you move towards the church altar. It is cracked in the middle. {mf2}: "We tried forcing it open once, because of riches and all that. But the stone is incredibly strong, so we didn't get through." He shows you a door in the back, just besides the benches originally used for the church disciples. Surprisingly, none of them are broken. {mf2} grabs the door handle and opens the door slowly. {mf2}: "Hope no one's inside..." You enter the room. The room is heavily decorated with small statues, old books and colorful garnaments. It smells rather lovely. {mf2} moves to a small desk near the window and starts searching through a pile of papers. {mf1}: "Didn't expect such a nice room in here. I wonder why this room is so much nicer than the rest?" {mf2} taps you on the shoulder. {mf2}: "There is the paper, found it. This room belongs to me and my old friends btw. Some of the kids and the tattooed Girl take care of it from time to time, that's why it looks and smells so nice. She's rather nice with kids, can't say I relate, haha... Anyways..." {mf1}: "Alright, we're done here. You coming, {name}?" [if questmf2==='moneymore'] __"She told me someting about a drawer... Some treasure maybe? I could take a quick look...__ > [[Look for drawer|1qdrawer]] [else] "Yeah, let's go" [continue] > [[Exit|1qexitroom]]

credits: credits + 5 qdrawer: true -- "Give me a second, I want to look for something. {mf1}: "What, looking around in a girl's room are we?" He gives you a teasing smirk. {mf2}: "All of us live here..." {mf1}: We're gonna wait outside, don't take too long." They leave. You decide to walk towards the desk where {mf2} searched for the questpaper. As you inspect the desk, you notice a small knob inside the wall. Out of pure curiosity, you try pullin on it. The stone next to it gives loose and out comes a small wooden box with said knob on it. _"Didn't expect for that to happen..."_ You put the box onto the desk and look inside. There is a small piece of paper held down by a few coins in there. [if alignment==='renegade'] You take the coins out first and put them into your pocket. You now have 5 credits. [else] You take the coins and lay them besides the box. You cannot steal, you are a PARAGON. ... After realizing that no sense of justice could keep you away from some extra credits, you take them again and put them into your pocket. _"Can't be righteous all the time..."_ You now have 5 more credits. [continue] After that you decide to take out the piece of paper. > [[Look at the piece of paper|1qmap]]

The three of you now stand inside the church once more. Looking towards the entrance again, you notice the place has shifted a good bit. The people that slept in the corners now stand near the church entrance. Benches that were scattered all across the hall earlier are now shoved into the sides of the church, blocking essentially all possible exits except for the main gate. In the middle of the now cleaned up space stand 3 familar faces. Guy with Scar: "Hey." {mf1}: "Look at that. It's your friends, {mf2}." {mf2}: "What are you doing here?! You were supposed to guard the loot!" Weird Guy: "Sorryyyyyy, {mf2}. Ya new frind hea just so happend to... _urks_ " The guy starts vomiting on the floor before he can finish his sentence. It is really disgusting. [if questmf2==='punch'] Guy with Scar: "You punched me. It still hurts like hell, you fucking bastard." [if questmf2==='punched'] Guy with Scar: "Here to get another beating? Step aside, I need a punching bag." [if questmf2==='money'] Guy with Scar: "He gave us all of his money! And as I can see here, he brought a friend. So he is going to give us all of his money aswell." [continue] {mf2}: "Who cares what happened? We NEED the shawarma! You can't just..." The girl takes a step forward. Tattoo Girl: "Silence, all of you. They are our 'guests' after all, {mf2} invited them and all that. So let them take the first step." {mf1} whispers to you. {mf1}: "I think they will attack us once we go down the altar stairs. I Don't see another way out of here, man. Hope you are ready. We can do this." Patting you on your back, he moves a step behind you. A fighting formation... he's getting serious. [if qdrawer===true] You remember the map from earlier, you could move towards the place on the altar safely. > [[move towards altar|1qaltar]] [continue] > [[descend stairs|1qchurchdownstairs]]

You take a look at the paper. It is a crudely drawn map. _"A map? Why would she tell me about a map??"_ The map shows the inside of the church and its plaza in almost childish proportions. A small message is attached. It is tinted in a yellow-ish color, probably due to its age. [align center] "Your test is today, youngster. Find the medal hidden within this very village. Your ability to work with this map and your instincts will show whether you are truly ready or not. - Townsend Academy Professor, Samia Rall" [continue] _"Samia Rall? Never heard that name before."_ You decide to take another look at the map. After looking at it for a bit, you notice something. *"The proportions are intentionally childish..."* The inside of the church shows the altar way bigger than the rest. On it, you see a small symbol that looks like it's been placed there after or before the drawing was done, definitely a bit out of place. It shows a __head of an angel with only one eye open and feathery hair.__ You take a mental note of it, put the map back into the box and try your best to place said box into the wall, close to how you found it. You turn to leave. > [[leave|1qexitroom]]

You move towards the altar. You look around and spot __three__ symbols on its side. You kneel down, ducking behind the altar so no one can see. You look at the symbols. They are engraved on to metal plates which are attached loosely to the stone. A big crack goes down between them due to the damage the altar already suffered. On the left side, you can see a big guy holding a chicken over his head. Its intestines and outer parts fall unto the mans head. Is he trying to wear it as a head or... maybe a wig? The middle symbol shows an animal. The species is unknown to you, but it looks like the mixture of a wolf and a pigeon. A nimbus is portrayed to the left and right ear of the beast. Both eyes are seemingly slashed. Is it a religious figure? It is weird... it even looks as if it was balding. The right plate portrais a female angel. She has long hair, with long feathery wings pointing upwards. She prays, with both eyes closed. She has, contrary to what you're used to seeing, no nimbus and wears a long white silk cloth. As you eye her face you notice one of her eyes being slashed... what a horrific sight. You think back to the image you saw on the map earlier. You believe that pressing the right plate will be the solution. *"What was it again... ah yes, the head of an angel with only one eye open and feathery hair. And I thought that looked weird... none of the symbols here look anything like this!"* > [[Press the left symbol|1qerror]] > [[Press the middle symbol|1qerror]] > [[Press the right symbol|1qerror]] > [[Press the left and middle symbol|1qerror]] > [[Press the left and right symbol|1qpuzzle]] > [[Press the middle and right symbol|1qerror]] > [[Press all symbols|1qerror]] > [[Press nothing and leave|1qchurchconflict]]

Guy with Scar: "HAHA! What, {mf2}, you abandoning us? After all we've been through... what a shame" He and the other guy start laughing. The girl doesn't seem as amused, instead throwing a fierce gaze your way. {mf2}: "Well, even if I wouldn't want to, there's no turning back from this now. Hope we can get out of this well enough, {name}!" {mf1}: "Three versus three, evenly matched. How do we go about doing this, {name}?" The three of you stand about 10 meters apart from the other three. With all the benches shoved aside it looks almost like an arena... you take a deep breath. _"What to do..."_ > [[1v1|1q1v1]] > [[all out brawl|1qbrawl]] > [[wait|1qwaitbrawl]]

After a moment of consideration, you reluctantly press the button(s). The deafening sound of an explosion follows. You cover your ears in preparation of another. As you look down, you see the altar falling onto itself, collapsing. {mf1}: __"GET AWAY FROM THERE!"__ {mf1} grabs you by the hand as you hear another explosion. The altar erupts, throwing rubble everywhere. You and {mf1} are catapulted through the air for a short distance, down the stairs. By some miracle, none of you seem to have suffered any damage from it. You now stand right below the stairs, practically in the middle of the room. {mf2} walks towards you. {mf2}: "You guys okay?" {mf1}: "Never been better. Don't worry about me." He steps right behind you once more... it gets you right into a fighting mindset. The guy with the burn mark steps forward. Guy with Scar: "Well, our 'guests' just destroyed our dear altar. Sorry, but this won't end pretty for you boys." _"Guess I messed this up. Only one other option remaining." You ready yourself for a fight. > [[continue|1qchurchconflict]]

You press the two symbols. Nothing happens immediately after. _"Guess I must have been wrong, then..."_ You stand up and turn to move towards the others. [after 4 seconds] A loud squealing sound of metal violently grinding against each other stops you in your tracks. You turn around towards the noise. The altar is moving ever-so-slightly in the direction of the stairs. Guy with Scar: "What the ... What is this??" He starts moving in your direction... or more accurately, in the direction of the altar. {mf1}: "Dunno what you did, {name}, but you check out whether there is anything under there. {mf2} and I are going to hold those guys off for the time being." You nod and move towards the altar again. As you look behind it, you notice big metal rails that held the altar in place. Its huge weight must have been the reason for the loud grinding noises. How it managed to move you have no idea... well, it could have been magic. Looking between the rails you notice a small hole with a cloth inside of it. You take it out and fold it open. [align center] [[continue|1qpuzzle2]]

"Let's just get this over with." {mf1}: "Just what I like to hear." You and {mf1} go down the stairs towards the middle of the church. A second later, {mf2} joins you. {mf2}: "You know what, {name}? Fuck this! Let me fight with you!" [if alignment==='renegade'] You look at him with a big grin on your face. "Welcome. Let's fuck 'em up." [else] You look at him with a soft smile. "You made the right decision. Let's start you a new life, {mf2}." [continue] The three of you move down the stairs and get ready to fight. > [[continue|1qchurchconflict]]

Inside the cloth you find a necklace and a letter. You first take a look at the necklace. It shows a building similar looking to Townsend Academy. It is made of gold and feels rather heavy. Afterwards, you open the letter. It is in horrible condition with a lot of damage done by moisture that set in over time. Fortunately, the text is easily readible. [align center] _Congratulations! You were able to solve my little puzzle! Show this amulet to the Academy Board and they will let you join. Don't worry about your past or appearance all too much, no one can throw you out with this amulet by your side, I promise. Signed, Samia Rall_ [continue] Under the text is a partially destroyed picture. Your best guess is that it shows the faces of three kids. You put the amulet in your back pocket, stand up and move towards the others, now standing below the stairs and in the middle of the church. > [[continue|1qpeaceway]]

{embed passage: '1qchurchconflict'} [align center] _"I could show them what I have found. Don't think I will get a second chance for this."_ [[show them what you found|1qshowthem]]

_"Alright, here goes nothing."_ You step forward, with {mf1} seemingly ready to jump to your side at any minute. {mf1}: "Be careful! Please!" You grab the letter and throw it into the direction of the girl. "I think I solved your puzzle." The girl picks up the paper, looking confused. After giving it a quick read her eyes start to light up. Tattoo Girl: "G-guys? Look at this!" Guy with Scar: "You keep them in your sights. I will look." Weird Guy: "Suuuure thing bossssss" A huge glob of spit fell out of his mouth. Dis-gusting. The guy with the scar looks at the paper and gives out an excited look. _"Guess you have another impression other than being angry and mean. I hope your friend over there could do the same sometime."_ Guy with Scar: "Hold on..." He rips the paper out of the girls hand, ripping a small part of it off. The girl looks visibly in shock. He is now walking towards you. Guy with Scar: "I believe you have something for me?" The amulet is still stored in your pocket. > [[give him the amulet|1qgiveamulet]] > [[dont give him the amulet|1qgiveamuletno]]

_"Maybe they can change for the better? I sure hope so or this may be the biggest mistake I will ever make..."_ You grab into your back pocket. "Here you go. You know what to do with this?" He takes the amulet and turns towards his partners without saying a word. They all stand together and look at it. He holds it into the air to take a better look. Guy with Scar: "The red painted building next to the playground, in the basement." He throws you a key. "Excuse me?" Tattoo Girl: "As a thanks. We will not forget what you did for us. With this, we'll be free." The disgusting guy tries to put his tonge back into his mouth with his hands, then tries to stand up straight. It almost feels like he wants to be 'normal' for a change. Not that he succeeds at that at all though, he still looks disgusting. The guy with the burn mark turns towards you. Guy with Scar: "Seriously, thank you for this. Sorry for all the... inconvenience earlier. Hope to see you guys near the academy sometime." They open the huge church gates and move out. You look towards your friends. {mf1}: "Well that went way better than expected. Let's check out this house, shall we?" You nod and pick up the key. > [[leave the church|1qhouse]]

_"He has been pretty mean to us, and if what the letter says is correct they might really join the academy. Can I let these guys go there? I don't know..."_ Guy with Scar: "Well? Hand it over." You think about it for a second. What is the correct thing to do here? > [[give him the amulet|1qgiveamulet]] > [[don't give him the amulet|1qamuletno]] [if trail.includes("SkipToPart")] The second choice will not lead to Ending 1.

"I honestly don't know what you are talking about. I found a letter in your room. The girl back there told me about the spot earlier accidentally. I saw there was a puzzle and..." Guy with Scar: "Don't you DARE screw with me now, BOY! You must have found an amulet back there!" He looks extremely angry now. Clutching his fist, he crumples the paper, destroying it on accident. Guy with Scar: "Fuck..." You hear the girl shout. Tattoo Girl: "You...You didn't! This was our ticket out of here, and you just DESTROYED it in your stupid rage?!?" He turns slowly and then moves towards her. Guy with Scar: "Not like it would have gotten us anywhere. This guy says there is no amulet. So he is either telling the truth or made sure it would be the truth." Tattoo Girl: "You mean he... destroyed it??" Guy with Scar: "Most likely." Weird Guy: "Dunnou what u guuuuuuys talking abouttt, b-butttttt can we fight already?" Tattoo Girl: "... Yes." Guy with Scar: "Let's give em hell, especially the fucker who went through our room." _"At least now they will stay where they are and not bother the academy. It is better this way."_ > [[ready yourself for a fight|1qchurchconflict]]

You exit the church. As they said, near the playground stands said house. You move towards it. {mf1}: "So... where does this key belong? Don't see a basement here..." {mf2}: "Here..." {mf1} and you look towards him. His voice sounded weak and depressed. He stands before a trapdoor hidden beneath a bunch of branches and leaves. You insert the key, turn it and pull on the handle. It opens. {mf1}: "Let's get inside." > [[enter|1qbasement]]

credits: credits + 10 -- You enter the basement. It is fully decorated with shelves, a couch, a table with a few chairs and much more. {mf1}: "Looks like a lovely place." You look around with {mf1} for a while. {mf2}: "Look, this is why you are here." The two of you move towards him. You think he could speak up a little... you could barely hear him. {mf1}: "Hold on! Isn't this!?" Before you, on a little drawer, you spot something incredible. "The shawarma..." {mf1}: "HECK YEAH! We found it, {name}!" {mf2}: "Here. This was left here too. I think it is for you." He hands you a small pocket of coins. It contains your stolen credits and more! You now have 10 credits, wow! {mf1}: "Alright, {name}. Let's get this to Mr. Shearone, shall we?" He grabs the shawarma and leaves. As you take a step to leave aswell, something pulls you back from behind. > [[turn around|1qmf2basement]]

You turn around. {mf2} grabs your shirt with a weak grip. {mf2}: "Hey, so you guys did it, right? Quest completed, and all that..." His eyes are fixed on the ground, his voice weak and quiet. Something is not right. {mf2}: "Is this, the end of the road for us? They left, are you guys gonna leave aswell?" "Leave?" > [[leave him|1qleavemf2]] > [[don't leave him|1qdontleavemf2]]

You turn around. {mf2}: "{name}?" "Give me a second." You move into the other corner of the room. "So, Mr or Mrs whatever. Screw you and you commands right here, alright? Just screw this choice and you for all I care! No more choices for you here." ... What are you even saying? Speaking to some imaginary overlord here, are you? Well, not that your sudden schizophrenia matters anyways. Afterwards, you turns back towards {mf2}. > [[accept {mf2} into your party|1qdontleavemf2]]

"Now take a huge guess what I'm going to say." {mf2} shivers before you, obviously rather scared. Him being left alone like this may very well be the death of him, or so you think, seeing him like this. [if alignment==='renegade'] You give him a small punch on the shoulder. "You asked about this two times now already. And let me tell you something. If I don't punch you in the face after such a question you are more than welcome to come with me." His eyes light up. "Just get your act together. Enough being sad and worthless or whatever crap you think about at night. Keep your act together and so will I, even in darker times." [else] You give him a tap on the shoulder. "You really think after all that we will just part ways like nothing happened? You know, at this point I don't think I could do it even if I wanted to. Anyways, didn't I promise you to help you or something?" His eyes light up. "But promise me to stop worrying too much. We will get through all the problems thrown at us together." [continue] {mf2}: "Yes, I promise! I will try to adapt to you two and change my way of life, hehe..." A 'way of life'? You feel like you heard that somewhere before... But before you can finish thinking, {mf2} is already out the door. You exit after him. > [[continue|1qEnd1.0]]

After you exit the church you move towards townsend academy, alone. {mf1} must have taken {mf2} with him to give to shawarma to Sherone. Once at the academy, you see one of your old teachers and the guys from earlier. Teacher: "What is it with you! One of you smells like a dead rat, the other looks like he fell into a fire and I don't even know what to say to you, girl. Begone, we don't need people like you infesting our precious academy grounds!" Guy with Scar: "Just a moment. Can we go talk to Mrs Rall? We have something she might have been missing for a while." His voice is so... soft, and well spoken aswell. You can't believe your ears. Teacher: "What? You can't... Let me tell you, if I find out that you stole from her you are going to regret it." Tattoo Girl: "We are ready to take that gamble." Reluctantly, the teacher turns towards the door and enters. Weird Guy: "W-we lllloockkkk a bbbitt differennnnt nowww. I hopeee she remembersss us." Suprisingly, he hasen't thrown up on the floor already. He seems to be struggling, though. And god, he is so difficult to understand... Guy with Scar: "Well, we can only hope." After a while, the academy door opens again. An old woman with short grey hair and a fancy attire walks out. Mrs Rall: "You found something that belongs to me?" Guy with Scar: "Y-yes." He gives her the amulet and the letter. You have never seen him anxious before, at least before now. Mrs Rall: "So it truly is you three. You are hardly recognizable with all that happened to you. Get inside, we fix you all up and give you a more 'appropriate' look, alright?" Guy with Scar: "So does this mean, Mrs..." Mrs Rall: "Yes. Welcome to Townsend Academy. You will be the oldest students here, I hope that is okay." She gives them a big grin and moves inside. They all look towards each other and excitedly walk up the stairs und into the academy. > [[continue|1qEnd1.1]]

"Let's just fight them head on and try not to hit each other." {mf2}: "Sounds good to me!" {mf1}: "Whatever you say." You and all the others run forwards. Your new 'enemies' run towards you aswell. {mf2}: "Listen, this might sound stupid but we should let 2 people fight against the guy with the tongue. Our odds of winning will be higher this way." {mf1}: "Why? Who of us would ever want to go 1 versus 2 on the others?" {mf2}: "I don't know! But we must decide quickly! {name}?" Who should go in against the other two? > [[{name}|1qbrawlname]] > [[{mf1}|1qbrawlfriend]] > [[{mf2}|1qbrawlfriend]]

"Let's all focus on one enemy first. I take the guy with the scar." {mf1}: "Sounds good. I take the girl." {mf2}: "Gods why... Not him..." You decide to run forward, towards the guys you now mentally classify as 'your enemies'. It gives you a confidence boost, and makes you belive in your victory. You take a swing and hit the guy with the scar in the face. [if questmf2==='punch'] His wound opens violently again. Blood splatters onto your shirt. He falls over, unconscious. > [[continue|1qoutcold]] [else] You hit him right in the face. The scar on his face rips open. Guy with Scar: "God fucking DAMNIT. AHH!" He takes a swing at you in return, hitting you in the stomach. You fall to the ground. > [[turn to {mf1}|1qstomachhit]]

"Let them make the first move." {mf1}: "Let's observe first? I like it." {mf2}: "Ehm...if you think that's best..." You wait awkwardly at the church stairs. {mf2} looks towards you. {mf2}: "So... Any stategi... {embed passage: '1qbrawlfriend'}

You sit down on a nearby bench. _"I don't think this could have gone any better, actually. Sometimes the peaceful way is the right one, I guess."_ About half an hour pass. {mf1}: "Hey, {name}." {mf2}: "Heyoooo!" You turn your head and see your friends standing before you, with a laughably small bag of credits and a few sandwiches in their hands. {mf1}: "Let's celebrate this victory!" {mf2}: "With...sandwiches..." You grab one of the sandwiches. [if alignment==='renegade'] "Yeah man! Sandwiches! Better than anything I have eaten all day. And the cheap ones at that, I can immediately notice how AWFUL this bread is! Whoever of you chose to buy this is a goddamn genius." You take a huge bite out of your sandwich after all that. Your friends look at each other. They won't tell you who bought it, that's for sure. [else] "Well...this sure is a...sandwich? Man I can't even tell if this is bread or not." Your friends look at you with a concerned look on their faces. "Ehm, you know, take it. I believe you guys are really hungry right now, so just take it! I still have my {pouch} from the market! It is the thought that counts in the end, right?" You grab inside your pocket. The {pouch} have been smashed to pieces at some point today. You curse to yourself silently. Awkwardly, {mf2} takes your sandwich out of your hand and starts eating it. You sure feel like a diva right now. [continue] [align center] __Ending #1: Peace__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

On your left is {mf1}. He is approaching the girl rather slowly for a 1v1. It's not his normal fighting etiquette. {mf1}: "So...uhm. Just so you..." The girl turns her head away from him and runs towards the guy you just knocked out. She kneels down and takes out a small towel from her pocket. He is bleeding much more than last time. He might very well die from this wound if not treated quickly. Your hand starts shaking again. "I-I didn't ask for this!" You voice is weak and brittle. It's very likely that the girl couldn't even have heard you. {mf1}: "ehm, okay. Shit {name}, you are violent as hell." [if alignment==='renegade'] "H...Hell yeah! Fuck... this feels so fucked up..." {mf1}: "Yeah... good to see you putting your renegade persona in check, though..." [else] "It really wasn't my intention, all right?! Shit..." {mf1}: "Well at least you didn't do it on purpose. God, so much blood..." [continue] > [[turn to {mf2}|1qmf2fightpos]]

You and your enemy lie on the ground, hurt from the blow you were dealt. _"Guess we both haven't fought all too much recently, eh?"_ You look towards {mf1}. He approaches the girl rather slowly. {mf1}: "So, ehm. About fighting, I don't kn..." Tattoo Girl: "Cut the crap already. Your friend might have very well have a broken rib or somethig by the way he is cowering over there. You better help him!" {mf1} looks surprised and just stands there. Meanwhile the girl already walked towards the guy you fought and tends his bleeding scar with a cloth. After a short while, {mf1} finds his way to you. {mf1}: "You...broke anything?" You sit up. Nothing is broken, you just feel like your smomach is going to burst. "I feel like you lost your fight, no joke." {mf1}: "What the hell was I even supposed to do? Go up and punch her in the face?" "Don't blame me. You chose to fight the girl, bro." {mf1}: "Goddamnit. Still, let me look if something happened to you or I'm REALLY going to look like an idiot." > [[turn to {mf2}|1qmf2fightneg]]

{mf2} runs towards the guy with the loose tongue. As he tries to punch him the guy dodges in a surprisingly agile way. {mf2} loses his balance and falls to the ground. His enemy immedately turns and jumps towards him. {mf1}: "{mf2}!" {{mf1} runs towards them, shoving the guy off of him. Weird Guy: "Nnnniceeee 1v1 thereeee pallll." Both of them now stand over him. Weird Guy: "Aighttt, aighhttt, you win." The guy sits up and immediately throws up on himself. It is really disgusting, but you can't help but feel a little pity for him. {mf2} falls down on the ground, probably by the fear caused by what just happened. {mf1} catches him and carries him towards you. "Seems we won this rather quickly." {mf1}: "Yeah." > [[continue|1qfightover]]

{mf2} runs towards the guy with the loose tongue. As he tries to punch him the guy dodges in a surprisingly agile way. {mf2} loses his balance and falls to the ground. His enemy immedately turns and jumps towards him. It's like hunter and prey... it terrifies you. {mf1}: "{mf2}!" {mf1} stands up and runs towards them. But he is slow, too slow. The guy now towers over {mf2}. A mixture of saliva, blood and other substances flow down his tongue onto the face of {mf2}. He cries out in fear and helplessness. The guy puts his fist into the air and strikes {mf2} right in the face. A shock runs through your body as you hear the back of his head hit the floor. By some miracle, he stays awake, covering his face with his elbows as much as he can. {mf1} comes charging in shouting. The guy turns, ready to doge the next attack. But as he dodges the incoming fist, another hits him. {mf1} jumped in with both fists extended, and it would seem the guy didn't notice qucik enough. He falls to the ground and starts couching. His disfigured jaw probably can't take much of a beating. Weird Guy: "Aaaahh. Alright, Allllrightttt, I give ups... Urkkkk." He turns on his side, with vomit now flowing out of his mouth. He breathes heavily. Your disgust quickly tips over to pity. {mf1} takes {mf2}'s arm and carries him towards you. {mf1}: "I guess we won, but not by much." "Yeah, shit." > [[continue|1qfightover]]

It takes a moment for all of you to compose yourselves. {mf1} manages to catch his breath first. {mf1}: "So, Miss. You are the only one left. Fighting the three of us now wouldn't be a good idea if you ask me. Just tell us where the shawarma is and we will get out of here." She pauses and looks down at the guy with the scar. After a short while she sighs. Tattoo Girl: "The shawarma is gone. You won't be able to get it, trust me." "You really shouldn't be like this right now. Fighting many people at once is really difficult, you know? Think about it." She looks down again. Tattoo Girl: "Guess I just believed in a miracle, eh?" She takes something out of her pocket and stands up. Tattoo Girl: "Here. We will be gone by tomorrow, so don't come back looking for us. This here is more than that shitface Sherone would have given you anyways." She throws you a moderately big large bag. You catch it. Tattoo Girl: "Come. Let's go. I won't help you up, thats for sure." She points at the guy with vomit all across his trousers. Weird Guy: "Hehhh... You know, you two... You will regret this someday. Fighting me, 1v1? I've been nice to you because of {mf2}, but now that he is not part of us anymore I will not go easy again. You better be ready." His sentence wasn't slurred, and he did not vomit afterwards somehow. Whatever he meant by that must have been dead serious. All three of them leave the church. > [[continue|1qEnd2.0]]

credits: credits + 15 -- {mf2}: "What...just happened?" "I... don't know..." You open the small pouch and look inside. There are 15 credits inside! {mf1}: "She wasn't lying. If I remember correctly, Mr Sherone is known for only giving 5 credits or so for completed jobs. I don't think we can complain, actually." He stands up and takes the bag out of your hands. You wonder if this means that your shawarma searching quest is over. {mf1}: "We completed this as a team. I believe we should use this to get something good to eat for all of us, what do you think?" {mf2} stand up slowly. {mf2}: "Am... I included in this?" {mf1} turns towards you, giving you a 'take a load of this guy!' look. {mf1}: "Yeahhhhh, you answer him {name}." > [["Of course you are part of our team now!"|1qEnd2.1]]

"What do you even think we are supposed to say to you here?" {mf2}: "An...honest answer would be nice." You take in a deep breath. [if alignment==='renegade'] "Let me get this straight, alright? You stood besides us, fought with us, helped us and by all accounts were unreasonably cooperative. Now take a good guess what my answer will be." {mf2}: "I dont' want to guess" You punch him on the shoulder. {mf2}: "Ouch!" You give him a stern look. {mf1}: "He quite literally..." You put your hand on his mouth violently. "For the love of god please stop." [else] "{mf2}. You helped us complete our quest, even if not by the means originally envisioned by us. You even befriended my friend over there, so I don't see how we could ever leave you here alone." {mf1}: "Nicely said. Good thing you chose to be a PARAGON, my friend." [continue] > [[The End|1qEnd2.2]]

{mf2}: "You...really mean it? I can really..." {mf1}: "Yes, you can join us. But promise to work on not being so anxious around us anymore." {mf2} gives a big, almost childish grin. He bows down and thanks you repeatedly. {mf1}: "Let's just...go" {mf2}: "Where to?" "I believe {sister} is in town right now. She always has nice stuff to eat." {mf2}: "Who is this '{sister}'?" _"My god... I haven't heard seen her in a LONG while. Well, gotta find out when we're there."_ The three of you move outside. [align center] __Ending #2: Friendship __ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

"I will go." {mf1}: "Alright, {name}. We will get him quick, just hold out for us." The two of them run off towards the guy with the disfigured face. He gives out a loud, ominous laugh. Guy with Scar: "What is this, making things unbalanced?" He cracks his fingers. Guy with Scar: "Let's see who survives longer, you or him? Take a guess by the condition his face is in. Good luck!" He and the girl dash towards you. You look towards the others. They are already in fight with the other guy but it doesn't look as one-sided as you hoped. You turn your head again and get a fistful right in your face. Miraculously the punch hits you near the end of your jaw, not knocking you out immediately. You feel your skin bursting inside your mouth, and an instense pain rushes through your body. You cough out blood. You fall backwards, almost tripping over. A hand grabs yours and pulls you in. A second later you feel a kick to the ribs. "Buarg!" Tattoo Girl: "Are... you sure you must be so thorough?" Guy with Scar: "Of course! I won't just stand around, like you. Get over here." [if alignment==='renegade'] You decide to use the opening you get from their discussion to clutch your hand into a fist and start swinging in the general direction of the guy holding you. [else] You decide to analyze the situation while the others are in an argument. You feel your teeth and ribs intact, but your stomach feels like it's ready to throw out your last meal. In an effort to mitigate the next punches effects you place your arms on your stomach." [continue] The guy seemingly notices your sudden action and pushes you back. You fall onto the ground, hitting your head on the stairs hard. You black out. > [[continue|1qEnd3.0]]

{mf1}: "Be careful!" A stone hits {mf2} in the temple. He must have looked away to not see the stone flying towards him. The impact makes him dizzy and he almost falls backwards. You catch him just in time. Weird Guy: "Heheeeeee... Gotcha." {mf2} looks visibly confused by the situation. The stone hit him pretty hard and a wound has opened where he was hit. {mf1}: "Tsk. Alright, get him up and moving quick. I will hold the rest off while you are at it." You look towards your enemies. The two guys stand about 10 meters apart from you. The girl stands further back. {mf1} is inbetween you and them. {mf2}: "Crap. Got to get up...my feet." {mf2} still seems dizzy, but makes an effort to stand up. Meanwhile {mf1} is already in a fight with the other two. He has already suffered a few punches to the face. The girl has also come closer and is seemingly arguing with their leader as he's trying his best to dodge {mf1}s punches. _"At least he is in a 1v1 now... For the moment at least."_ You help {mf2} up. He is now almost fully recovered from his dizzyness. {mf2}: "Thanks... You know...hold on! Dodge!" {mf2} points towards where {mf1} is fighting. You turn over but before you see anything you are hit by something on the head. The impact makes you black out. > [[continue|1qEnd3.0]]

credits: credits + 10 -- You slowly open your eyes. Your wounds are still there and still hurt. A bandage was applied and it seems to be healing nicely. You try to sit up, but the pain is excruciating. {mf2}: "Hey! You're up! {mf1}, come here!" "What...where are we?" You sit up, finding yourself sitting on a bench near the church. The sun is setting, a lot of time must have passed. {mf2}: "You've been out for what, two hours?" {mf1}: "More like one and a half." *"Guess it wasn't so long after all... ah, my head..."* {mf1} walks towards you grinning. He has a small bag in his hand that he is juggling with one hand. "What is that? What happened?" {mf2}: "We won! Bashed all of their faces in!" {mf1}: "I told you no lying, {mf2}. We knocked one of the guys on his arse and the girl basically told them to leave us alone. Gave us a bunch of cash aswell." "And the shawarma?" {mf2}: "Screw that! This is a win, we should just take it." He seems happy about how things went. {mf1}: "We got more money than Sherone would have given us anyhow. I say this went well." You grab the bag {mf2} was juggling and look inside. It is filled with 10 credits. _"Sherone would have given us less than 10 credits? What the hell?"_ > [[continue|1qEnd3.1]]

You stand up. {mf1}: "Oh yeah, {name}. {mf2} is going to join us. His old 'buddies' just left him here and were not nice about it. I think it's horrible... so let's take him with us, alright? Hope you guys get along." {mf2}: "For sure we do!" None of them seem worried in the least. You look up to the sky. Seems like all problems just sorted themselves out while you were knocked out. _"I wonder how things would have ended up were I conscious back then. Can't be angry about the outcome though."_ {mf1}: "Alright guys. Lets leave this place, it's getting late." The three of you do exactly that, leaving the eventful day behind you. [align center] __Ending #3: Hero__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{mf1}: "What...did he do this time..." Officer: "Stealing in front of everyone and assault. Boy, he hit you." {mf1}: "Yeah sure... he is stupid, but you don't need to pin him for that. Come on, this shit is common occurrence here." The black eye seems to hurt him a bit. He tries his best to hide the pain, but in turn makes it even more obvious to anyone standing here. Officer: "Yeah? Still reason enough if you ask me." {mf1} does not seem to take the dumbfounded answer of the officer too well and retaliates in a rather demanding tone. {mf1}: "He is my dad. I will scold him for the stealing and make sure it doesn't happen again, promise." He sighs deeply. {mf1}: "Can you please just let him go?" You decide to move further towards them. Officer: "Listen, kid. If someone his age decides to steal from someone else he has to face the consequences. He knew it was wrong to do it but still decided to do it anyways. I can't let someone like this walk free." Your friend being called a kid offends you more than it probably should. You get ready to give the officer a piece of your mind, but are interrupted by a third party. A young woman, probably only a few years older than you, also clothed in police attire comes towards them. You notice a small medal-like object sticking out from a chest pocket. It is clear as day she is of higher rank than the other officer. She grabs {mf1}s father, the other guy assisting her. {mf1}'s Father: "{mf1}! I expect you to get me out of jail! I don't care what it takes!" The woman puts a piece of rope around his mouth, making him unable to speak. You wonder if that is really necessary. Female Officer: "I sure hope you dont listen to him. Would be a shame to take you in as well." She turns around with quite a bit of momentum. It is just like a teenage girl wanting to look cool. The officer gives her a stern look. If she wasn't of higher rank he would definitely scold her for her behavior. {mf1}: "yeah, don't worry about it..." The father is then taken away. You move next to {mf1}. > [[continue|1qmarket3]]

{mf1}: "... hey" "...hey" You two pause for a second. The people standing scatter, moving to their stands or wherever they want to go. {mf1}: "Oh man. Sorry you had to see that, {name}. I tried to avoid all this, but well." {mf1} gives his best to look unaffected by the situation. He does not succeed, especially with all the scratches on his face. You feel bad for not having something on hand to help him with it. {mf1}: "Alright, let's get us something to eat already. Will give me time to think about some stuff aswell." You nod. The two of you move away from the plaza to a little restaurant not far away. One of your teachers back at the academy used to bring their classes here after the final exams of the semester were written, so you are familiar wth it. {mf1}: "This restaurant may very well be the cheapest place in all of town and yet I still barely have enough credits for something here. How about you, {name}? You look at the menu hanging next to the door. The cheapest item on the menu is more than you can afford with your measly {credits} credits. "Yeah, me too. I don't even have enough for a glass of water here." {mf1}: "Oh don't worry about that. I know the waiter." You wonder what he means. > [[continue|1qsandwich]]

The two of you move inside the restaurant. A waiter greets you. Waiter: "Good morning gentlemen. The usual, {mf1}?" {mf1}: "Just for the two of us, not for father." Waiter: "I already heard of the commotion. Just a moment." The waiter leaves into a back room. *"He even bowed before he left... what's that all about?"* The restaurant is filled with people, most of them in old dirty clothes. Not the kind of clientel that could afford the prices stated outside. {mf1}: "Most people here are poor and are reliant on a sort of 'secret menu'. To get this stuff so cheap you need to...make a few other deals. You'll see." "And the prices outside? Do they sell those things aswell?" {mf1}: "Oh yeah, definitely. These are not normal opening hours, you see. This restaurant keeps up a certain facade towards law enforcement and the wealthy. People like us are their favorite clientel, if we help them out from time to time that is." Waiter: "Excuse the delay, gentlemen. The payment, if you may?" [if credits >= 1] Both of you give the Waiter one credit. [else] {mf1} gives the waiter two credits. Not only are you poor, you don't even have a single credit. [continue] Waiter: "Thank you. This is for you." He hands you a paper bag and leaves. > [[leave|1qprerestaurant]]

The paper is small, with an emblem engraved on one of its corners. You do not recognize it. Text in a to you unknown language is printed on to the paper. {mf1} puts the paper into the paper wrapping, then takes a bite out of his sandwich. With a full mouth, he speaks to you. {mf1}: " So, did you take a look around for our culprits? It is already afternoon, we should hurry. " You examine your sandwich for weird inserted papers, then take another bite. "No, unfortunately not." He takes a quick glance at the sky. {mf1}: "We should tell Sherone. I don't think we will find these guys today anymore." After rummaging around his pockets for a bit he takes out the quest paper. {mf1}: "People like those don't like to stick around places they don't belong. I believe our lead here is useless at this point." You take a moment to think about it. Policing in and around the old church is basically non-existent, but the police are known for dubious behaviors every now and again. Sherone surely did not only task the academy with the quest. Others must be on to it as well. You ponder whether he knows of other possible leads to find the thieves. > [[Head to Sherone|1qSherone]] > [[Head to the church anyways|1qbacktochurch]]

"We can go to Sherone, see if he has any clues to give us" {mf1}: "That's probably the best thing we can do. Let's go." You move along snake-like paths until you reach the edge of town. Form there, you move on for a bit more. After a while you come across a street full of expensive houses. {mf1}: "This must be the right place. Mr Sherone is one of the richest people in town, his mansion must be here somewhere." As you walk through the street, checking every adress, you notice that the houses are gradually getting bigger the more you continue forward. At first there were single story houses, filled from top to bottom with fancy and expensive decorations and paint. At this point, having crossed more than a dozen houses, the houses have grown into multiple story tall mansions with huge gardens in front of them. Most of them are heavily garded with a big iron gate and some even with guards. Guard: "No step closer!" A guard is stopping {mf1} from looking at the name on the mailbox. {mf1}: "We just want to know the name of the owner, we won't cause trouble." As {mf1} steps closer towards the mailbox he is pushed away by the guard. {mf1}: "Tsk. We should just continue searching. Come on, {name}." > [[Continue searching|1qcontsearch]] > [[insist on looking at the mail box|1qmailbox]]

"I don't want to involve him any more than we need to. Lets just go back to the church." {mf1}: "Huh? I mean, sure. If you think that's best." He seems confused at your proposal but doesn't object. The two of you leave. "So, tell me about that paper from inside your sandwich." {mf1}: "Oh yeah! Forgot about that already." He takes out said paper and a pen. {mf1}: "This stuff is usually written in a sort of code. I have to decipher it first." "How do you know that?" He just smiles to himself and starts scribbling. You two sit down on a nearby bench. Around 15 minutes pass. _"Hm, he might take a while. I should take a look around while he's busy."_ You stand up and walk around the block. Big, multiple story high buildings stand all around you. It is the place of the middle class, people just above the poverty line, occasionally wealthy enough for some commodities like a pet. One such building can house multiple families at once and as such creates entire neighborhoods by itself. Their living spaces might be smaller than yours, but besides that they enjoy all the advantages of regularily maintained housing. You walk along until you reach a dead end of sorts. A small corridor opens ahead of you, but the street itself ends. The corridor is dark and small, with trash containers blocking most of it. You cant see inside very far. It intrigues you, but you can't quite put the finger on why that is. _"Should I move on or have I wandered off far enough?"_ > [[move inside corridor|1qcorridor]] > [[go back|1qbacktomf1]]

_"I'm sure {mf1} can wait a little. Something about this corridor feels off..."_ You move towards the entrance to the corridor. Two three story buildings stand as its walls and trash containers stand in the way, blocking the entrance. You decide to move one of the heavy Containers a bit to the side so you can squeeze through. It is immensely heavy with its rolling feet cracked from wear and tear. Whatever is in there is way too heavy for the container. "Uhhh... URG!!!" You make loud groaning noises as you put your entire body weight into moving the container. It, however, doesn't budge. Your will is strong! You will not let this stupid trash container keep you from seeing what's behind it! Once more, you put all your strength into your body to try and move the container. This time, however, it easily gives way. "W-waaaaaaaah!" The sudden acceleration is more than you bargained for. You fall forward hitting something soft as you slide off the container. ...:"AAAAAAAh!" That soft something let out a cry aswell as you crash into it and eventually fall on top of it. > [[continue|1qfellontop]]

"I'm sure {mf1} has cracked the code already. I better head back." You turn back around to where you came from. {mf1} seems to be waiting for you. {mf1}: "You sure took your time. I finished the letter 10 minutes ago." You sit down on the bench without saying anything. {mf1}: "Anyways, let talk about what is written here. I haven't actually read it yet, so lets go over it together." You take a look at the letter. The alphabet is written on it in bad handwriting. Under each character sits a different letter. {mf1}: "You have to match the letters down there with the letters from the alphabet. Good luck!" "W-wait, why do I have to do that?" {mf1}: "Well I did my work! Now it's your turn!" {mf1} smiles at you with a wide, almost sinister grin. "Ugh, sure." > [[solve the puzzle|1qalphabetpuzzle]]

{mf1}: "Here." He gives you the paper. You take a second to adjust to the bad handwriting. [after 5 seconds] *"My God, what is this caveman writing? I can't decipher anything..."* [after 10 seconds] *"Ughhhh... No matter how much I squint my eyes I can't read anything on here. It's..."* [after 15 seconds] {mf1}: "U-uhm, {name}? What is the problem?" You look over to him. He looks clueless. "What do you mean 'what is the problem'? How is anyone supposed to decipher that!" You point to where your problem lies: The bottom of the page. Something has been scribbled there with black ink, but its either been unnecessarily embellished or written in a hurry. Black sploches too are covering a big amount of the writing, most likely from the writer putting their hand on the not yet dried ink. The result is a jumbled mess of bad handwriting and amateurish ink usage that is impossible for anyone but the writer to decipher. "Until you are able to read this *monstrosity* of a handwriting we're stu-" Just then, you notice something about {mf1}, who is holding the page together with you. His hand is covered in ink. [align center] [["O-oh..."|1qbadhandwriting]]

[align center] Hey there! Thanks for checking out my project! :) This is a fantasy story about a young guy taking on his first quest. It contains around 160.000 Words, but don't worry, you'll only read a fraction of that at first! Some notes on how best to enjoy this story: This is a *branching* story, or *interactive fiction*. This means that you will be presented with choices every now and again that may or may not change the course of the story. In short: Reading through the story once will only show you a fraction of the actual avaivable story. To make this easier, I have implemented a system called 'Skip to part of story' that will walk you through the important choices you can make in the story. Once you completed the story once and want to reach a different ending, I highly advise the use of that function. It will reduce the issue of reading passages multiple times to a minimum :). Also: Don't worry about making the 'right' decision every time. You cannot fail (with one intentional exception, but don't worry about it) and the story will progress to an Ending no matter what you pick. So have fun, choose whatever you think is most exciting and maybe try different choices through 'Skip to part of story'! **Trigger Warning**: This story can (depending on the choices you make) contain violence, implied emotional abuse, gore and death. If any of these make you uncomfortable or sick I implore you to stop reading immediately. I would rate this story 18+, but most Endings are pretty harmless. [continue] > [[Autors notes|Author]] > [[go back|start]]

"Alright, let's avoid them. Where do we need to go?" {mf2}: "See the house back there? The red one?" In the distance, behind the group of people, you see said red building. The roof is collapsed, and the paint is barely noticable thanks to the destroyed roof. {mf1}: "Alright, but how do we go there? We can't exactly go there without someone in the rowd noticing us." {mf2}: "The shawarma is in the basement. We need the key to get in. {name}, remember the door where we first met? We can sneak in there." The three of you nod and sneak towards the side of the church. Moving a bit further, you find yourselves in front of the door. > [[continue|1qsubroom]]

You approach the crowd. [if mf2there===true] {mf2}: "Oh boy, here we go." As you come closer, people start noticing you. They start whispering, and a girl steps forward. In contrast to the others she wears newer clothes with fewer holes in it. She is covered in ink... those must be tattoos. Tattoo Girl: "Hey, {mf2} long time no see! Who are your friends?" She swings her hand around his shoulder. {mf1}: *whispering* "I don't think she likes him coming here with us. We should make sure we don't leave him here" Tattoo Girl: "So, what brings you here? {mf2} doesn't usually bring guests, so I am pleasantly surprised. Tell me about yourselves!" > [["I met him earlier. He wanted to show us around."|1qconfrontation]] [else] As you come closer, people start noticing you. {mf1}: "Someone's coming." {mf2}: "Hey, {name}! Good to see you. This is the guy you searched for earlier, right?" You nod. {mf2} being here is no surprise, but his nonchalant attitude seems a bit out of place. It is as if it was nothing but an affront. {mf2}: "Alright! I'm {mf2}, nice to meet you." He bows deeply, a very formal and polite gesture. {mf1}: "{mf1}. Likewise." {mf2} "Let's go somewhere more remote. Over here!" > [[Follow him|1qawaycrowd]]

{mf2} grabs the handle of the door. It opens. {mf2}: "Good, no one noticed anything yet." You step inside. In front of you is a room full of old bookshelves. The door behind you closes, leaving you in the dark. The room has no windows and the air is really bad in here. _fwush!_ A source of light appears next to you. {mf1} has lit an old canle with a matchstick. {mf2}: "Matchsticks? D-do you smoke?" {mf1}: "Not me, my father. That doesn't matter right now though, where do we go from here?" He hands {mf2} the candle. The light is very small, you can see almost nothing inside the room. [if myclass === 'scholar'] [align center] __As a scholar, you can rummage around and maybe find something interesting.__ [[Try your luck|1qscholarchoice]] [continue] > [[Follow {mf2}|1qmainroom]]

While the other two look around searching for the exit you decide to search the room for something you could use. You move towards the door. Shining in some actual light would surely be more sensible then searching around in the dark. As you approach the door, you hear voices outside. Moving back slowly, you decide against opening the door. You try to recall the rooms interior from earlier. You remember something that wasn't quite right about the room earlier, but what was it? [align center] {dropdown menu for: 'susroom', choices: ['A painting', 'A book', 'A statue']} [continue] > [[choose|1qscholarchoice1]]

_squeeech_ You hear the old door creaking as {mf2} pushes it open. The three of you step outside. You now stand inside a small room. It smells rather nice. {mf1}: "What is this place? Does someone live here?" {mf2}: "Yes! Me and the others live here. Hold on, I'm gonna search for the key." He moves towards a bed standing in the corner. {mf1}: _whispering_ "Hey. What do we do if he doesn't find the key?" You look over to {mf2}. He has already looked through multiple drawers and bedsheets, and it seems that he is starting to panic. {mf1}: _whispering_ "Do you think he is good at pickpocketing? He is a thief after all." {mf2} walks towards you, sweat running down his face. {mf2}: "F-fuck! She must have taken the key with her... We can't enter without the key!" {mf1}: _whispering_ "I never stole a thing in my life, but my father was known for being a good thief. Maybe something rubbed off on me... I don't know. Let's steal the key from her." You think about who should do the pickpocketing and who should do the distracting. *"The obvious answer seems to be {mf2} as the thief... maybe a bit too obvious..."* > [[let {mf1} be the thief|1q1thief]] > [[let {mf2} be the thief|1q2thief]]

credits: credits +5 secret: true -- You try to remember something that doesn't fit in the room. Then it occurs to you. [if susroom==='A painting'] You move towards the place where you saw a painting on the wall. You stub your toe on the drawer beneath it and reach for the wall. _"Nothing, I must have imagined it..."_ You let your hand fall down in disappointment and land on something round lying atop the drawer. It's some credits! [continue] [if susroom==='A book'] You move towards a shelf containing only a single book. You reach towards it in the dark, managing to grab the book. As you open it, something falls out of it. It's a few credits! [continue] [if susroom==='A Statue'] You move towards a small statue you remember seeing from the corner of your eye. You carefully move towards it in total darkness, but accidently hit something on the way. It falls down and breaks into pieces. You bend down, trying to find the pieces. As you do you find a few credits! [continue] {mf1}: "Hey, {name}! We found the exit!" You move towards them. > [[continue|1qmainroom]]

"You should do the pickpocketing, {mf1}." {mf2}: "But why?! I am a thief, and I know the others." You and {mf1} look at each other. {mf1}: "Y-You know them, so you are better at distracting them. What would I do there?" {mf2} sighs and looks back into the corner where he was searching earlier. {mf2}: "I don't like this at all..." You leave the room through the door you came in from and move out into the street. {mf2}: "Do you guys have a plan? Or do we improvise?" {mf1} takes on a thinking position, putting his hand near his chin. You surpress the urge to make fun of it. {mf2}: "There should be one girl at the plaza, the rest are normally all dudes... You know, the one with the tatoos. She will 100% be the one with the key. That should make it easy to find her." {mf1}: "We could try getting her someplace else and get the key this way. Or we could try to stir chaos inside the group. I think these are our best options." {mf2}: "{name}?" > [[Isolate her|1qisolate]] > [[Distract group|1qdistractgroup]]

mf2there: true -- {mf2}: "I saw her outside, in the crowd. If you can distract her, I can get the key, I promise." {mf1}: "Alright, let's go." You move back towards where you came from. {mf2} grabs a lantern from a desk and lights it. It must be an oil lantern... or did he steal the matchbox from {mf1}? That would be a great sign of his skills, at least. You move through the dark room and open the door. {mf2} extinguishes the lamp and leaves it next to the door on a desk. Once outside, you follow him to the crowd. > [[approch the crowd|1qcrowd]]

Tattoo Girl: "I see... well, if he insists I'm sure you have no problem with meeting some people inside, no? We can show you around." You want to look over at {mf2}, but the girl waves her hand in your face to keep you from doing so. {mf1} puts his hand on your shoulder. {mf1}: "Your call. You think going inside is a good idea?" > [[go inside|1qgoinsidechurch]] > [[stay outside|1qstayoutsidechurch]]

You move towards the church entrance. {mf2} takes out a key and inserts it into the heavy lock. After a click the door opens. Now standing inside, you see benches and statues standing orderly in their place. Only the smell is rather unpleasant... something must be rotting somewhere. {mf2}: "Take a look at this, {name}." {mf1} looks around the hall, not paying attention to you two. You look over to {mf2}. He has a scrambled piece of paper in his hand. {mf2}: "I stole this from Townsend Academy. This is about me and the others!" You grab the paper and look at it. It is a copy of the questpaper you took at townsend! You can tell it's different, with the word COPY written on one of its corners. {mf2}: "You've got to help us! Mr. Sherone is a wealthy man, and I don't want him to send some scary guys over! Maybe you could take it somewhere else or something?" {mf1} joins you two. He looks clueless to what you just heard. _"What to do? Stealing is wrong, and {mf2} doesn't seem like a bad person. I could go try something with Mr Sherone?"_ > [[Steal the shawarma|1qsidemf2]] > [[Go to Mr. Sherone|1qcontquest]]

"We're going to get the shawarma with your help." {mf1}: "Really? Well that's handy." {mf1} joins in to the conversation. For some reason, he seems not the slightest bit surprised about the fact that the shawarma is just conveniently given to us out of nowhere. {mf2} nods and leaves into a room in the back. He comes back with a small cloth in hand. {mf2}: "Alright, I'm ready. We just need to go out and get to the red house outside without anyone noticing." {mf1}: "Easier said than done, I saw that building right next to the plaza. There are people there." {mf2}: "They will all come inside in a few minutes, I can show you a secret room to hide in." He navigates you towards the room he was just in. It looks like a living room, or more like a sleeping room. {mf2}: "Here, go inside!" A small door is located at the end of the room. Behind it lays a dark room. {mf2}: "I will come get you later, just wait for me." You agree and step inside. > [[wait for him|1qwaitforhim]]

"I think we should go to Mr. Sherone. I feel like stealing the shawarma is not the greatest idea." {mf1}: "What? Why, it would help us complete the quest." [if alignment === 'renegade'] "Because I want some action for once!" [else] "Because we have to protect the weak, not the wealthy." [continue] {mf1}: "Alright, then. If you think so..." {mf2}: "Ehm, I don't think Sherone would like that very much..." {mf1}: "We could just walk there and ask him for a different quest or something? We can take {mf2} with us and he could tell him that the shawarma is gone." {mf2}: "Or I could grab my friends and tell them about all this! We could try going together with them." _"The second one might end up becoming violent... I'm not sure what to do..."_ > [[Go to Sherone alone|1qgoSherone]] > [[Go to Sherone with everyone|1qAttackSherone]]

"Let's go to Mr Sherone, but without your friends, {mf2}." {mf1}: "Alright then, let's go." {mf2} doesn't seem to like the idea, but follows you anyways. Before you leave, {mf2} runs towards the crowd to tell them something. He returns and you go on your way. {mf1}: _holding questpaper in his hand_ "So, this adress is quite a way from here. Let's grab something to eat." You open your pouch and take out the {pouch} you purchased earlier. You give one of each to everyone, then continue on your way. As you arrive the sun is already starting to set. A well kept mansion stands before you, three floors in size. You decide to move inside. > [[continue|1qinsidemansion]]

You enter the mansion and step inside a huge room filled with the light of candles and lanterns. A man in a suit approaches you. Man in suit: "Hello, gentlemen. What brings you here?" You hand him the questpaper. He nods, then turns around and enters another room. The three of you decide to look around. A huge staircase stands in the middle of the hall, going up to an indoor balcony of sorts. The walls are decorated with paintings and bookshelves, and few statues are also on display. A door opens, and a man wearing a sack coat enters. He approaches you. Man in coat: "Hello, you must be from Townsend! I am Mr Sherone, I put up the request. I presume you have my shawarma?" You don't. You need to think of something to do. > [[think of something|1qthinksomething]] > [[say nothing|1qsaynothinghere]]

"We...eh..." You don't know what to say. Confused, you look over to {mf1}. He just shrugs his shoulders and says nothing. Mr. Sherone: "Yes? I don't have much time, so get on with it." You open your mouth, maybe something smart will just come out of it? Suddenly, the thought is interrupted by {reveal link: 'something breaking.', text: 'a statue falling over.'} You see {mf2} standing next to shards of broken glass and ceramic. On the wall behind is a symbol scribbled with a piece of coal. *"W-what the hell are you doing here??"* {mf2}: _shouting_ __"We will never back down from you! Beware, for we shall be back next time you get your precious shawarma! Mark my words!"__ After that, he runs towards a window and jumps through it, breaking it in the progress. Mr Sherone: _shouting_ __"Guards! Get him!"__ He angrily steps towards the butler who is picking up the broken pieces. {mf2}: "We should get away from here. I don't want to be part of this. Come on!" He grabs you and drags you out the door. From here, you run back into town. > [[get away!|1qgetaway]]

You keep your mouth shut. Mr Sherone looks at you with a stern look on his face. {mf1}: _whispering_ "This is not a good idea, you should say something." {embed passage: '1qthinksomething'}

After some time, you find yourself back near Townsend Academy. The sun has set and streetlights now fill the streets with light. Both of you are exhausted after the run. {mf1}: "Well... we can forget that quest now... shit." You sit down on a nearby bench, catching your breath. Leaning back, you look up into the clear sky full of stars. Father will not be happy about this, you think to yourself. You made a promise of being a {alignment} and chose to be a {myclass}, but without a job well done it all means nothing. You let out a sigh and sit up. "Cmon, let's go home." You both stand up and leave. But as you do so, you hear a voice shouting through the quiet night. > [[turn around|1qEnd4.0]]

You turn around and see a young man with ripped apart clothing and lots of black marks around his torso. It is {mf2}. {mf1}: "You've got some nerve, coming here. You just lost us our job on our first day. Do you even know..." He get cut off mid sentence. {mf2}: "I had a plan, alright! And it worked, look! Hehe." In his hands you see your pouch, with pieces of {pouch} still hanging off from it. {mf1}: "You've got to be kidding me..." You take the pouch and look inside. It is full of credits. {mf2}: "I stole some credits when he wasn't looking! And you guys looked so clueless, I felt like I had to make a scene or something, to bail you out!" [if mf2there===true] {mf1}: "And I wondered about how you wanted to go about stealing the shawarma. I did not think you would go to such extremes." {mf2}, pointing his finger at you two: "Never underestimate my capabilities!" He seems pleased with himself. [continue] {mf1}: "And your speech? Wasn't that a bit much.." {mf2} ignores the question and grabs the pouch. He then empties its contents on some stairs nearby. > [[look at what he's doing|1qEnd4.1]]

credits: credits + 30 -- After a while, he comes back to you. He hands you your pouch, now much lighter than before. {mf2}: "I divided the credits equally, so everyone gets 30 credits!" {mf1}: "THIRTY?! How much money did you steal, holy shit?" 30 credits is an obscene amount of money. Way more than you would ever get for a single job done. {mf1}: "Did you ever get how many credits this guy would have given us? Five credits for the job! Like, we both would have only gotten 2 and a half..." You look at you pouch with a weird feeling in your chest. [if alignment==='renegade'] _"Goddamn! {mf2}, you are a genius!"_ [else] _"This is not right..."_ [continue] [align center] __Ending #4: Robin Hood__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You tap {mf1} on the shoulder and signal him to step back. He hestitates, but eventually backs up. {mf1}: "You are sure about this?" You nod. {mf2}: "Great! So, what's the plan?" Guy with scar: "As we already said, we get our friend out. Then we'll help you." {mf1}: "Yeah thats great and all, but where is he? At the police station? We can't bust into there, that's just impossible!" A moment of silence. Everyone is looking around at each other suspiciously. You can't expect a great sense of teamwork here. Tatoo girl: "He is held at Sherones place. Sherone probably bribes the police or something, but there are a few people locked up in his personal prison. Mostly people that snuck in and around his building." Guy with scar: "So we get in there, bust open the prison gates, then threaten Sherone so we get money from him. Or something like this, whatever works." [if alignment==='renegade'] _"Great idea... If there are multiple people down there we could overpower the guards there..."_ [else] _"This sounds violent... I don't like it, but it might give us an advantage in numbers. Maybe we can avoid violence that way..."_ [continue] {mf1}: "Well first of all we have to get there. Let's think about a plan on the way, okay?" {mf2}: "We could also go during the night, right?" They continue arguing for a bit, then turn towards you. Guy with scar: "Hey, you. What do you think?" For some reason, he looks at you. > [[Go now|1qgonow]] > [[Go at night|1qgonight]]

The two of you stand inside a very dark room. {mf1} lights a candle. {mf1}: "Alright, while we wait I'm sure we can look around a bit. Let's search the place." The two of you look around the room, with only the small candle as a source of light. You find bookshelves, small statues and a few desks. You decide to grab something to examine it further. [align center] {dropdown menu for: 'darkroom', choices: ['small statue', 'letter', 'chair']} [continue] > [[continue|1qdarkroomexamine]]

You look at the {darkroom}. _"Hm, I wonder if it's old..."_ you think to yourself, touching it in the progress. A thick layer of dust covers the {darkroom}. You decide to clean it from all the dust and examine it further. As you take a closer look, you hear a door bang open in the adjacent room. Someone is talking quite loudly. Angry voice: "Hey! What are you doing here? Did you sneak in?" You hear {mf2} say something, but he speaks too quiet for you to understand. {mf1} signals you to move towards the door slowly. Both of you now sit on the floor, with an ear to the door. {mf2} and whoever came in earlier must have moved towards the other side of the room. {mf1}: _"Do you think he is alright? He might be in trouble."_ He puts his hand on the door handle. > [[pull his hand away|1qpullhand]] > [[dont do anything|1qnopullhand]]

_"Yeah, let's help him out"_ {mf1} nods, then turns the doorknob. The door opens with a squeek. [after 5 seconds] You look into the room, then to {mf1}. {mf1}: "There is no one in here..." He stands up and takes a step into the room. After a few seconds you decide to do the same. As you move forwards, {mf1} turns around. {mf1}: "{name}! Behind you!" You feel something grab you from behind before you can react. You are lifted upwards, choking you on your shirt in the progress. "Ack! Ahhh" Guy: "Who the fuck are you guys!?" {mf1}: "Hey, take it easy man!" Guy: "Not until I know how you got into that room! Tell me everything, asshole!" The guy sounds extremely angry and is almost screaming. You feel your airways getting restricted, and it gets increasingly harder to breathe. You start to gag, and you face starts to burn. Your eyes roll upwards as you start to black out. >[[continue|1qpullhand2]]

You pull {mf1}s hand away from the door handle. He gives you a nod and extinguishes the candle. You put your ear back on the door. Angry voice: "...serious. This is a violation of... uarg!" You hear a loud bonk, then another. {mf1}: "I think he was assaulted. Good thing we didn't go in." Another voice appears. The man has a rough voice, but speaks softly. Guy: "This is bad, {mf2}. The police are raiding this place, and they want us for sure. Your face is on one of their criminal lists, we should get moving." You hear {mf2} try to say something, but he is cut off. {mf1} grabs your arm and drags you into the room corner forcefully. He gestures for you to stay quiet. The door slams open, letting a bit of light into the room. Your place however is still as dark as before, being shielded by a tipped over table. The guy and {mf2} enter and rush towards the end of the room. As the guy opens the door, he turns around and gestures towards the door they came from. Guy: "Quick, close that door!" {mf2} rushes towards it. Before he closes the door he takes a quick look around the room. He looks terrified and incredibly anxious. You clench your fists, feeling powerless to help him. After that, both of them leave the room. It is now pitch black again. > [[continue|1qnopullhand2]]

You wake from a loud sound. Beneath you lays a cold, stone floor. _"Why can't I...see..."_ You rub your eyes. Still, you can't see. You decide to stand up, but slip and fall to the ground again, slicing your arm on something sharp lying on the floor. Your head hurts like hell, your arms is now obviously bleeding and you can't see a thing. You decide to lay on your back and stretch out your arms. A long exhale, and then you close your eyes. You think about where you are. What happened to you to be here in the first place. You think hard, but can only come to one conclusion. {reveal link: 'What has happened?', text: '"I do not even know my own name."'} After what seemed like an eternity, a source of light shines through the room. You decide to look towards it. A very large man now stand before you, his eyes sad and exhausted. He speaks to you in a soft, yet demanding voice. It feels so familiar... __"Hey, my boy. Come, let us put this life behind us. There is more to be had than a title, I realise this now."__ He grabs your hand and pulls you up, then puts his arm around your shoulder and carries you somewhere you can't see. _In a soft, weak voice_ "Who...are you..." After that, you pass out once more. > [[continue|1qBandEnd1.0]]

You open your eyes. You lie in a big, nicely lit room. A cool breeze brushes past you. Your eyesight is rally bad, but you believe there to be a lot of decorations on the wall. Even blinking doesn't seem to help with your vision. As you try to stand up, you notice that you can't. Pain rushes through your entire body. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" You cry out loudly. Your muscles feel like hot sand, vibrating within your legs, arms and through the rest of your body. It is a sensation unlike anything you could ever imagine. The door at the end of the room slams open. __"You are awake, my boy."__ It is the man from before. Still, you have no idea who it could be... He sits next to you on a chair. You notice a picture in his hand. __"Look at this."__ In front of you you see a newspaper article, a small one. __"It is not easy to digest. It will explain, but no one will blame you for not wanting to."__ "N...No. Show...me..." >[[Read the article|1qBadEnd1Read]]

The man holds the paper close to your face. Reading is difficult, but possible. "Disaster struck at the old church! Multiple people found wounded and dead, as riots engulfed inside. Local police, who stepped in to cool down the protest, were unable to help the disstressed people inside and had to act for the security of our dear village. All but one of the survivors were incarcerated for their crimes. The other, yet to be identified boy was in a state of medical emergency and is currently residing within a hospital." He turns the paper, revealing another article. "Trouble at the local police station! An unidentified man has reportedly broken in and taken one of the prisoners with him. There are no official statement by the police relating to this matter at this point, but it can be speculated that the person in question is the hospitalized boy, who, after careful consideration, was placed in a cell instead of a hospital for his crimes." __"You should rest. Be glad you don't remember a thing and use it to start a new life. Don't worry, you will be fine, I believe in you."__ He stands up, then leaves the room. There was... uncertanty, maybe even fear in his voice. Something in you starts to panic at the pure notion that that man could ever sound like that. You lie perplexed and confused. Who is he, and was this article related to you, or someone else? You decide to close your eyes. In the darkness, words form inside your head. "Sometimes, a single decision can have more influence over your life than the thousands that came before. It may not seem fair, a split second decision ruling over all the well calculated choices you made for yourself. But you life is not like a dream, choices cannot be redone and you have to just live with it. Use it, and be stronger the next time. Believe in someting after, a new new." You open your eyes, but everything seems blurry. Looking around you see color and distant shapes, but are unable to focus on anything at all. After a while, you feel like you have been moved. It is a sensation... like a dream. A certainty without visual proof. Silent sounds inside your ear turn into white noise. Your mind is no longer in control of your body, yet that body continues to live on. The only thing you wish for now is a chance for a __restart__.

pouch: 'vegetables' mf1class: 'Naturelover' -- [align center] _Firstly, you need to make a few fundamental decisions._ What do you want to be, {name}? __I WISH TO BECOME A...__ {dropdown menu for: 'myclass', choices: ['naturelover', 'scholar', 'citydweller']} __I WILL BE ALIGNED AS A...__ {dropdown menu for: 'alignment', choices: ['renegade', 'paragon']} Father: {text input for: 'father'} Sister: {text input for: 'sister'} Brother: {text input for: 'brother'} Friend: {text input for: 'mf1'} --- With that out of the way, let us find out where you want to jump to. This is the first important choice. _Did you wait for your friend at the church, or did you leave to find him?_ [continue] > [[Skip to part of story|1qwaiting]] Possible Endings: All --- > [[I waited|Wait]] > [[I searched|Search]]

As you wait for {mf1}, you meet someone new near the church. {text input for: 'mf2'} > [[Skip to part of story|1qmf2name]] Possible Endings: 1-9, 17-21, special Ending 1-5 --- > [[continue|mf2]] [if myclass==='naturelover' && alignment==='paragon'] As a paragon Naturelover, you can get a secret encounter by crafting a bandage. > [[secret encounter|1qbandage]]

{mf1} lets go of your arm and lets out a sigh. {mf1}: "Heh, shit. Pretty scray face, that guy. Big scar on his face. I hope {mf2} is safe." You can feel him standing up and trying to reach for something. Suddenly, you hear something break. {mf1}: __"FUCK!"__ You hear voices shout in the room next door. They are coming closer. You stand up and grab forwards into the darkness. Suddenly, the door slams open again, only now it falls off its hinges. The room is filled with light. You grab {mf1}s arm. On the ground in front of him lie broken pieces of a statue. In a split second you scan the room. There, you notice the {darkroom} you cleaned earlier, all across to the other side of the room. You feel {mf1}s hand rise into the air, taking your hand with it. Fixating on the open door, you rush outside. Two men stand before you, both holding a black bat in their hands. Man: "Don't move a muscle! You are under arrest!" The other man approches you. Without thinking, you let go of {mf1} and let your arms fall down to your side. In an instant, the man wacks you on the head with the bat. You faint intantly. > [[continue|1qEnd5.0]]

You wake up in a nicely lit room. Your head hurts, and the room feels like it is moving leftwards in a circle motion. The headache in unbearable... You hear a familiar voice. {mf1}: "Hey, {name}. How do you feel?" He helps you sit up, then hands you a glass of water. After a short while you start to see clearly again. "Where are we?" {mf1}: "Inside the Townsend Academy Infirmary. You were hurt pretty bad, are you alright?" [if alignment==='renegade'] "I feel like shit, and my head hurts like hell." [else] "It's alright, I just need soem time to rest." [continue] {mf1} nods, then leans back. {mf1}: "It was a police raid. Our guy, Sherone, send them there. I don't know the reason, but the police pretty much clenaed house. They released a list of all the people they caught. Don't worry, {mf2} wasn't on the list. But I would not expect us to ever run into him again." He leans forward. {mf1}: "I somehow managed to get those guys to listen to me. That we aren't one of them, you know. Even had to talk to Sherone. It was a nightmare, trust me. But we are free now, the police won't bother us." It takes you a moment to digest all that information. > [[continue|1qEnd5.1]]

You look to your left, through an open window. Your head is only hurting a little now. "I am not looking forward to talking with father." {mf1}: "Don't worry about that. Someone already talked to him for you. It's alright." You look back at him. "And who was able to do that?" {mf1}: "I heard he goes by the name {brother}. Don't know who he is, but he is pretty high ranking here in the academy. Nice guy, was concerned about you too." " I see." ... {mf1}: "Alright, {name}. I still need to do a few things before tomorrow, so I'll be off. Try to get some rest. We'll take a different quest when you feel well again, alright? I will wait for you." He stands up and moves towards the door. On his right arm you notice a few small bruises. He waves you goodbye, then leaves. You lay down. Looking at the ceiling, you wonder about the choices you made, and what happened to {mf2}. All that thinking makes your head spin again, so you decide to just close your eyes and sleep a little. [align center] __Ending #5: Quest failed__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You nod and move towards the next house. Every now and again you get in trouble with a guard, sometimes a big dog scares you off. After what felt like an hour you reach the end of the street. {mf1}: "You've got to be kidding me..." Both of you are exhausted from all the trouble you got yourself into. {mf1}: "We searched everywhere except that one damn place. Shit, what a waste of time." You decide to move back towards the house you are now certain belongs to Mr Sherone. {mf1} follows slowly, being visibly annoyed. {mf1}: "You could have helped me a bit more, you know?" You decide to ignore {mf1}s remark for now. After all, you are as annoyed at the situation as he is. A few minutes of walking in silence pass, then you stand before the gate again. The guard is still there, looking at you. {mf1}: "Alright, let's still check the mailbox in case we are wrong. You go this time, cmon!" You approach the mailbox, and a familiar conversation begins to start once again. > [[continue|1qmailbox]]

Guard: "Stop! You are forb.." Before he can complete his sentence you decide to sprint towards the mailbox and look at the name written on it. "J. S. Sherone... Here we go!" The guard nearly grabs you, but {mf1} slaps his hand away. {mf1}: "We are here because of a quest given to us by Mr Sherone. Let us in." His tone is quite demanding... you find it quite scary. The guard looks at you suspiciously, then opens the door. Guard: "If you cause trouble know that I will make sure you get into deep trouble." You go through the gate and enter the big garden in front of the mansion. {mf1}: "What a diva, that guy. Sherone must be quite annoying if he puts people like that at the door..." The mansion before you is huge. Three stories tall and at least as wide as three normal houses. You can't imagine living in a house like this. A man in a suit approaches you. He looks like a butler. Butler: "Good day, gentlemen. What brings you here?" > [["We are here because of the shawarma quest, sir"|1qinfrontmansion]]

Butler: "Ah, yes. It is a dire matter, as the shawarma is needed this evening. But, excuse my manners, it does not look like you two have said shawarma with you, am I correct?" The butler is soft spoken, yet serious in tone. You look over at {mf1}, who seems lost for words right now. "We wanted to ask if you have any clues to give us. We don't really know where to start..." The butler raises his pointer finger to his chin, then snaps his fingers. Butler: "Oh yes, I might have something that could help you. Please, give me a moment." The butler disappears into the mansion. A minute passes, and {mf1} seems to get impatient. {mf1}: "Alright, do we wait or do we let ourselves in?" > [[wait outside|1qwaitoutsidemansion]] > [[go inside|1qgoinsidemansion]]

"Let's go now and get this over with." Guy with scar: "You heard him. Let's get the others and head over." He and the others disappear into the church. {mf2} remains outside with you. {mf2}: "I don't like going there when everyone can see us... I hope everything goes well." He seems nervous, playing with is hands to keep the anxiety away. {mf1}: "Who are these guys we are freeing anyways? Did they steal stuff, or why are they incarcerated?" {mf2}: "One of us stole something from him about a year ago, yes. It was an ingredient that he needs for the shawarma. Unfortunately, he got caught... They also caught his nephew, it is a long story but essentially the police arrested him and gave him to Sherone. Lastly, one of our foremen is probably incarcerated there as well. He wanted to get them out by force earlier today, and we haven't heard back from him. It's important we get him out especially, he's smartest guy here." {mf1}: "Thats... a lot of input. So none of them are bad guys or criminals, right? Well, technically criminals, but you know what I mean." {mf2} shrugs, giving you a nervous grin. You are interrupted by the church doors slamming open. The guy from earlier and the tattoo girl stand in front of three rather young men. Tattoo Girl: "We are ready, let's go." > [[Go to Sherone|1qgoday]]

"Let's go at night. We can sneak in better when it is dark outside" {mf2}: "Then let's do it! We meet at Sherones' house later then." {mf1}: "Alright. Come with me, {name}. " Before you go {mf2} hands you the questpaper. {mf2}: "You can make better use of this than me I am sure. I remembered the guys address from the paper, so we'll find our way there. Until then, I'll stay with the others and meet you later. Thank you for putting you trust in us." He seems content about your decision. He then disappears into the church with the others. The street is now empty. {mf1}: "I don't like these guys, {name}. I can't imagine this going well, honestly. Can we just go to his house and do this without them? I think we both will do just fine, and we won't even release a bunch of possible criminals onto the streets. What do you say? I can't do this without you, so the choice is yours." > [[Wait for nightfall|1qgonight2]] > [[Go without the others|1qpremailbox]]

nighttime: 0 keyred:0 -- [if alignment==='renegade'] "We should wait for nightfall to strike effectively. We go in, rescue their guy and fight them head on, alright." [else] "It is too dangerous to go without them. We shouldn't underestimate strength in numbers." [continue] {mf1} doesn't seem to like the idea too much. {mf1}: "Well, okay. Let's do something else until the sun goes down, shall we? We could go look around the area now that no one's here." You look around. You notice an empty park that was retrofitted into a playing space for kids. Behind it there is a house that seems to be paited in red or orange multiple times over, with a big hole in the roof. Next to it stands a blue house in a similar state of disrepair. A field filled with mostly pest plants adorns the front of it. {mf1}: "So, where do you propose we spend our time? I think we can do two things until it's time to go." > [[go to park|1qgopark]] > [[go to red house|1qgoredhouse]] > [[go to blue house|1qgobluehouse]]

"Alright, let's do this alone. Just us two." {mf1}: "Let's see where this guy lives, then..." He takes out the questpaper and scans the address on top. {mf1}: "_sigh_ Of course he lives in the richest part of town. Let's just try and find his mansion before we get in trouble there. I bet they don't like people like us wandering around there..." You move away from the church. no one seems to notice, fortunately. After a rather long walk you reach a street full of houses and mansions. As you walk through you notice that the houses are gradually getting bigger the more you continue forward. At first there were single story houses, filled from top to bottom with fancy and expensive decorations and paint. At this point, having crossed more than a dozen houses, they have grown into multiple story tall mansions with huge gardens in front of them. Most of them are heavily garded with a big iron gate and some even with guards. Nearing the end of the street you find yourself in front of the address mentioned on the questpaper. A big iron gate stands in front of you with a guard next to it. You decide to double check the name with the mailbox to make sure you are at the right place. > [[continue|1qmailbox]]

nighttime: nighttime +1 -- "Let's move towards the park over there." {mf1}: "I remember this place. We saw a few people there earlier." Both of you move towards the place. The gate stands open, its hinges ripped apart by wear and tear. The place is sprawling with pest plants, giving off a creepy atmosphere. You move on a narrow way made with stone slabs until you reach a clearing. A small place laid open like a stone garden stands in front of you. On it, there are a few old benches, a swing set and a seesaw. {mf1}: "Must be a great place for kids." You look around the place for anything interesting. Everything here is old and broken. Benches are held together with boards and nails. The swingset in front of you sits too high for children to sit on as the rope has been knotted multiple times to prevent it from snapping. {mf1}: "What a sad place. You'd really need a childrens imagination to like it here." He walks forward, stepping over a few loose boards on the ground. They may have once formed a way to the playground. You too move forwards, heading towards the swingset. As you stand before it a sense of dread rushes over you. This place feels hidden away like a treasure, but unlike one you don't feel great finding it. {mf1} takes a seat on the nearby seesaw and looks around. You decide to sit down next to the swingset and enjoy the cold breeze for a bit. Suddenly, someone pokes your shoulder. {mf1}: "Cmon, we should go." You stand up and move outside of the park. It felt like you wasted your time here a little. [if nighttime===1] A bit of time has passed, but you still have time to visit one more place before it gets dark. > [[go to the blue house|1qgobluehouse]] > [[go to the red house|1qgoredhouse]] [else] {mf1}: "Look, {name}. The sun is setting. We should find the others." > [[Go to Sherones house|1qsheronenight]]

"Let's check out the red house there." {mf1} squeezes his eyes while looking at the building. {mf1}: "Red...you say. Might have been red once, or orange. Let's go check it out." [if keyred===0] You both move towards the red house. Other than the blue house next to it there is no fence around it. {mf1}: "Pretty hefty fence there. I wonder what's in there... You want to check it out?" > [[Continue with red house|1goqredhouse2]] > [[Move towards blue house|1qgobluehouse]] [else] {mf1}: "You still have the key?" You pull the key out of your pocket. Now that you look at it more closely, you notice a lot of rust on the tip of it. You should be careful while inserting it into any keyhole. {mf1}: "I take it that is the key? Let's go" After looking around for a bit you find a door hidden behind some furniture. You move it aside and locate the keyhole. *"This thing sure is rusty... I hope it won't break..."* You insert the key and turn it. It feels heavy to turn, you don't like how much furce you have to use. {mf1}: "Cmon, just turn the key!" {mf1} looks around nervously. Shit, you shouldn't get caught trying to break into someones house. With one smooth, heavy turn you manage to open the door. You pull the handle, and as you do so, the key handle falls off. {mf1}: "Did the key just break?! Goddamn, let's get inside and close this door." You open the door and get inside. {mf1} closes the door behind you after getting in himself. > [[continue|1qinsideredhouse]]

nighttime: nighttime +1 -- "I think we can check out the blue house over there." {mf1} nods, then you move over there. Now standing in front of the house you notice a fence barring the way to the house. You look around the place but find no place to slip through. Climbing over is no option either, as the fence is rusty and sharp. {mf1}: "Here, look at this." You move over to him. He is standing in front of what probably once was the entrance to the garden. {mf1}: "I think we can climb over here. There are a lot of pest plants on the other side, so be careful where you step." Both of you climb over the rusted gate. Fortunately, there are no spikes on top of it. You land on a cracked stone slab, multiple of which together lead towards the house. {mf1} steps towards the entrance immediately, but you think looking around the garden could be nice too. > [[look around the garden|1qlookgarden]] > [[go to door|1qgotodoor]]

You decide to look around the garden first. {mf1} already stands at the door and is looking around. You move left through a small passageway that's covered by some moss. The garden looks unattended, like no one was in here for at least 10 years. Lots of different plants embellish the ground beneath you. Even a few berries are growing nearby, extruding a nice aroma. You grab a few of those that you know from your sisters garden and eat them. They taste a bit sour, but their taste is more intensive than the ones at home. The way before you comes to a sudden stop. A thicket of plants and weed makes it impossible to continue walking forward. You grab a few more berries and head back towards {mf1}. > [[go to door|1qgotodoor]]

keyred: keyred+1 -- {mf1}: "Hey, {name}. I think we are out of luck. I don't see a way inside, and the door is locked." You move around the place but can't find an entrance either. The door seems to be thoroughly blocked by something inside, most likely the collapsed roof. You and {mf1} decide to leave. As {mf1} hops the fence you notice something hanging from the gate handle, covered in plants. You reach out and grab it. After pulling apart some of the plants covering it you can identify it as a fairly large key. "I found a key, {mf1}! Should we take it?" {mf1}: "Sure, why not. I am sure the tenant won't mind, judging by the state of their house." You stach the key in your pocket and jump over the fence. [if nighttime===1] A bit of time has passed, but you still have time to visit one more place before it gets dark. > [[go to park|1qgopark]] > [[go to the red house|1qgoredhouse]] [else] {mf1}: "Look, {name}. The sun is setting. We should find the others." > [[Go to Sherones house|1qsheronenight]]

You move towards the church plaza. The sun is beginning to settle, and the town is slowly engulfed by the redness of dawn. no one is around, not even the wind is making any noise. {mf1}: "I think we are a bit late, everyone has left already. We should hurry to Sherones mansion." You take out the questpaper. The location of the mansion is written on the top right corner. You recognize it as the 'rich part of town', but don't know where exactly this place is. {mf1}: "I am sure we will bump into the others on the way. Let's go." You pocket the questpaper and leave the plaza. > [[move towards the mansion|1qsheronenightstart]]

nighttime: nighttime +1 -- "No, let's continue with this house first." {mf1}: "Alright." You move towards the house. In contrast to the blue house next to it there is no fence around it, and all the plantlife has either been cut, burned or trampled down. The house itself looks to be in enormeously bad shape with paint falling off its walls and huge chunks of the walls and ceiling falling off. A big, wooden door stands in front of you. {mf1} tries the handle. {mf1}: "Hm... seems to be locked. I think we need a key or something." You take a look around the building. Nothing but dry grass, cracked stone tiles and peeling plaster as far as the sourrings are concerned. Suddely, you hear a bang. {mf1}: "SHIT! Well, this door is rock solid, can't break in by force." You look back at the church. Hopefully no one saw or heard that. {mf1}: "Let's look around. Maybe we find something that can help us. Let me go this way, you go there." You begin searching around the house. After a minute or so you spot an old entrance door to a basement. {mf1} joins you. {mf1}: "Huh, haven't seen basement doors like this for a long time. The wood here looks...moldy. Maybe we can go in there by force?" > {reveal link: 'Try it?', text: 'You try pulling on the handle, but it immediately breaks off. Carefully, you try to put it back into place and walk away. Whatever is in there probably is not worth the problems this may cause.'} [if nighttime===1] A bit of time has passed, but you still have time to visit one more place before it gets dark. > [[go to park|1qgopark]] > [[go to the blue house|1qgobluehouse]] [else] {mf1}: "Look, {name}. The sun is setting. We should find the others." > [[Go to Sherones house|1qsheronenight]]

The room in front of you is filled with light thanks to a hole in the ceiling and in the roof above it. Mold and moss covers the floor and nearby furniture. You believe this was once a living room. {mf1}: "My god, what happened here? This thing looks like it's going to collapse." You move towards the hole in the ceiling, stumbling over a few broken pieces of furniture on the way. Now standing in the middle of the room you decide to look around a bit more. Near the entrance you see windows borded up with huge wooden planks, presumably from the shelf that stands next to it, half assembled. Looking further to your right you spot another shelf, this one having collapsed from the weight of the books inside. It is covered in moss, and a bird nest sits atop of it. Next to it you see a big wooden desk top that leans against a door. The rest of the room is filled with glass shards, moss and wooden planks. A second door leading further into the house has collapsed together with a part of the ceiling. You notice how it is slowly getting darker inside. {mf1}: "It's getting late, {name}, and this place looks dangerous as hell. We should leave and find the others." You look towards the door behind the heavy wooden desk plate. You could try and find out what is behind it, but you will most certainly miss the others. > [[Go back outside|1qsheronenight]] > [[Check the door|1qEnd6.0]]

You go towards the door. {mf1} moves towards you and examines the surroundings. {mf1}: "We will miss the others, you know." He gabs the desk plate and tries to pull it towards him. It is heavy and very difficult to move. {mf1}: "Alright, let's try this. Hopefully, we find something good in there. Helluva gamble, that's for sure..." Both of you now grab the plate and pull on it. It gives way and almost falls on top of you. {mf1} jumps back, pulling you towards him. The plate falls to the ground with a loud thump, damaging the floor and sinking a couple centimeters into the ground. {mf1}: "Shit, that was dangerous. Let's get this door open." You move towards the door. You pull the handle and notice the door opens towards you. Unfortunately, the wooden plank makes opening the door impossible. {mf1} rams the door with all his might, but it doesn't move even a little bit. {mf1}: _breathing heavily_ "How come... only this door... is so stury in here!" He rams the door again with everything he's got, hitting his head in the process and falling to the ground. You hear wood creaking under and around you. This place is dangerous to be in. {mf1}: "Shit this hurts. Wait, look!" You look down. The wooden board has sunken further into the ground after {mf1} fell on it. You know how to get in now. > [[jump!|1qEnd6.1]]

You jump in sync with {mf1}. The board sinks multiple centimeters into the floor, warping the floor around it. The bookshelf next to it falls over next to you, with all the books inside. This also creates a hole in the floor, making the walls of the place shake violently. Wooden boards fall over, ornaments fall from the wall. A loud crash happens behind you as a heavy chair falls through the open ceiling. {mf1} violently opens the door and drags you inside. You fall down a few stairs and land on a stone floor. After going in himself {mf1} closes the door behind him. You hear a few more crashes outside, then everything falls silent. {mf1}: "Haha...Am I happy that the other probably already left... Otherwise we would be in real deep trouble now." You look around. The room you are in is mostly dark, with only a small shimmer of light coming from the end of the room. It must be the exit. {mf1} walks towards the light and tries to open whatever door this is. You move towards him to help. The door is made out of wood and stands at an angle. This feels like an old entrance to a basement. > [[open the door|1qEnd6.2]]

You open the door by pushing the wooden plank with all your might. You hear something snap, then the door opens. In front of you stands a small walkway made out of broken stone slabs. You must be right next to the house. {mf1}: "Well, there is our exit. Let's look around the room, maybe we find something good in here." You turn around and decide to go further into the room. Everything is now relatively brightly lit, at least for as long as the sun still stays up. {mf1} heads to the the left side of the room, so you decide to look around the other side. You see a few beds in the corner, stacked on top of each other. Next to it stands a shelf with lots of Jars, glasses and bottles inside. All of them seem to be empty. Next to it hangs a painting. You go in to take closer look, but {mf1} interrupts you. {mf1}: _shouting_ "Ho...Holy shit, {name}! Come over here, hurry!" You look back towards him. He stands hunched over a small table on the other side of the room. > [[walk towards him|1qEnd6.3]]

You move towards {mf1}, who turns around and signals you to hurry. As you reach him and take a look at what sits up on that table, you become speechless. "This... no way..." {mf1}: "It is the goddamn shawarma! Holy shit! Man, this thing looks delicious!" This really has to be it. It is partially wrapped in expensive paper, with its contents exposed to the air around it. {mf1} grabs it, then smells it. {mf1}: "O...okay. Let's think about this...alright?" You look at him. He seems entranced, his eyes jumping in all different directions. {mf1}: "Instead of... giving this to Sherone... We could just eat it here...right?" He gives you a nervous smile, holding the shawarma firmly with both hands. Somehow you feel like this is the most important decision you are going to make today. Might very well be the hardest. > [[Be good and give it back to Sherone, completing your quest and pleasing father|1qEnd6.3.1]] > [[Eat the shawarma|1qEnd6.3.2]]

credits: credits + 5 -- "Lets give it back to Sherone" {mf1} looks at you with puppy eyes, so you take the shawarma away from him. He seems genuinely sad now, but you don't care! You hide near the church until the others come back. There is someone new, a guy with a crazliy deformed face. But {mf2} is missing. You have no time to worry about this now though, as it is already getting late. After everyone entered the church, you two move towards Sherones mansion. It takes you longer than you would have wanted, but eventually reach the main gate of his mansion. Near the gate, you are greeted by an angry guard with a bandage wrapped around his head. Guard: "What do you wa..." You show him the shawarma. He lets out a big sigh and lets you enter. You move through a big garden and a big wooden entrance. Inside, you are greeted by a butler, who thanks you for bringing back the shawarma and takes it into a different room. After a few minutes, he comes back with a small pouch. He again thanks you and brings you outside. {mf1}: "And? How much money did we get?" You open the pouch and see a measly 5 credits. {mf1}: "Should have eaten the Shawarma... I wont listen to you again. Hmpf." A small tear escapes your eye as the realization of the lost shawarma kicks in. [align center] __Ending #6: Job completed__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

"You know we can just..." {mf1}: "Hm?" {mf1} just took a huge bite out of the shawarma. This quest is officially over. {mf1}: "Woah, this is great! Hold on, let me separate it so you get some." Carefully, he rips apart the shawarma and hands you half of it. You sit down on a nearby chair, {mf1} joins you shortly after. _"Well, I might as well try it."_ You take a bite out of the shawarma. A tingling sensation fills your mouth. Each part of it heightens the others ingredients. By using pita bread as the buns, the juices of the shawarma spill out into the mouth. Köfta was used as the patty, which is a Turkish meatball and, by adding several rich spices to the taste, the burger is consumed so quickly before the person eating even realizes it. The kebab was cooked with multiple spices and all the unwanted smells are masked by a homemade yogurt sauce. Despite the heaviness of the burger, the achaar are the secret condiment, serving as the pickles for the burger. *"..."* You decide to take a break after eating it. Might very well be the best meal you'll ever eat in you entire life. {mf1}: "Well, now it's dark outside. Wanna head home to my place? We... better hide you from your dad I think, ehe..." You agree, and shortly after leave with {mf1}. [align center] __Ending #6V2: Yummy!__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You walk for what feels like an hour until you come across a street filled with street lights and a nicely plastered walkway. It is very dark now. As you move further you find yourself amids a bunch of mansions. You look back at your quest paper. {mf1}: "Hey, look over there." A few houses further stands a huge mansion, every room of it filled with light. In the quiet of night you can hear people shouting from within the mansion. {mf1}: "Let's go check it out. I think the others are already causing some sort of tumoil." You approach the gate standing in front of the building. Its lock has been schattered and lies on the ground. Next to the gate lies a man in guard uniform, unconcious. {mf1}: "Let's hurry inside, quick." You move through the gate into a garden. The whole place is bightly lit with lantstreetlights. You keep your head low and approach the front door. Suddenly, it swings open, with you on the opposing side, hidden in its shadow. Man: "Find these people! I want them arrested immediately!" A few people rush out the door, holding various weapons in their hands. They rush towards the gate and onto the street. You hear a person hastily lighting a cigar next to the door. You can't see them, and they can't see you. > [[slam the door into the person|1qslam]] > [[wait for an opportunity|1qwaitsome]]

slam: true -- You slam the heavy door into the person standing there. You hear a loud thump after he presumably hits the ground. Distant voice: "Sir! Sir!" Someone is approaching. You have to deal with the situation somehow, people know where you are now. Moving away from here makes you an easy target to spot. You don't have much time. Suddenly, someone taps you on the shoulder. You turn over quickly, it could be {mf1} but you can't be sure. Behind you stand a bunch of people in damaged, dirty clothes. A young boy has tapped you on the shoulder. Behind him stands an elderly woman and a guy with a deformed face. Boy: "Hey, we need to get out of here! The others helped us get out of our cells, but now they are trapped inside!" You pause for a moment to think. Guy: "Sir! Sir, please talk to me." The distant voice is right next to you now, near the doorframe. You can't let him see you. > [[Find an escape|1qfindescape]]

slam: false -- You decide to wait it out and find an opportunity. Guy: _exhaling smoke_ "This ruckus will have consequences, you rabid dogs will not get away with this..." He leans onto the door, seemingly more relaxed now. After a short while, a different voice appears right next to him. Guy 2: "You should get inside, sir. It is cold outside, and the light will attract mosquitos." The guy with the cigar steps inside. Guy: "Yes, a good idea, could you mayhaps check the front garden for any intruders?" Guy 2: "Of course, sir." The situation is bad. You have to get out of here quickly. {mf1} grabs you by your shirt and is ready to storm off. > [[storm off|1qfindescape]]

You stand up. Suddenly, the guy with the deformed face slams kicks the door with his foot, closing it with a violent bang. The kick was so violent that the door is now bent inwards. You sudder at the sheer destruction. The people inside probably won't be able to open it now. Deformed face guy: "Rrrr... Letsss get the othersss outtt." The guy slurrs his words, with spit falling out of his mouth while speaking. It looks like a part of his face melted and therefore hardly moves. He seems extremely on edge and angry. You do not wish to get on is bad side. {mf1}: "Hey, {name}. Let's go to where they came from, there are no guards there. We have to get the others out for all of this to work." You agree and quickly move around the house, strifing near the walls to stay out of the light. The three others follow you, with the deformed guy right behind you. You reach a broken wall. Behind it, you hear shouting and the sound of steel hitting steel. Boy: "They are still fighting the guards inside! They grabbed {mf2} when he opened my cell door, and we don't know where he is." You carefully look around the corner. You see three people holding what looks like decorative spears, and in front of them two guards, both using a painting fram as a sort of shield. You try to think of a way to approach this, but again you are interrupted. The guy with the deformed face walks around the corner, shouts something incomprehensible and runs towards the guards. {mf1}: "Alright, listen. I will get these two out of here, somewhere where the guards won't find them. You go search for {mf2}, and best find something worthwhile for us while you are at it. I will try to catch up to you when these two are safe." Without waiting for a response he grabs the two others and leaves back around the house, out of your sight. You decide to get inside and help the people inside. *"What the hell is going on..."* > [[Get ready|1qreadytofight]]

As you step inside, a knife flies right past you, missing you by mere centimeters. You look over to where the guards were standing earlier. One of them lies on the ground unconscious, the other is nowhere to be seen. In front of you now stand the three guys from before, but the guy with the deformed face is missing. Guy: "Hey, you here to help us? Come, get up here! We're gonna whoop these rich assholes' asses!" All three of them then storm off up the stairs. Before following them, you look around. You stand in what can best be described as a small prison. A few prison cells stand in front of you, all of them broken in some way or another by brute force. Inside the cells is nothing but a stone floor, nothing to sleep or deficate on. You decide to grab the knife that missed you earlier and head up the stairs. > [[Go upstairs|1qupstairs]]

You move up a few stairs and find yourself in front of an opened door. Behind it, you hear shouting in the distance. After a short breather you head up through the door. You now stand in a small room the size of your old bedroom perhaps. It must be some sort of storage room. Nothing interesting grabs your attention immediately, so you decide to move on. In front of you lays a big kitchen area. Multiple stoves and kitchen utensils are lying around. Voices can be heard nearby, behind a closed door at the other side of the room. Before heading there, you decide to check out the kitchen. You grip your knife firmly, then slowly move around the room, searching for anything of value to take with you. After finding yourself in front of a huge sink you are suddenly grabbed by your feet and violently pulled to the ground. Fortunately you landed on your side, not hitting your head on the ground. Someone then jumps you, pushing your head to the ground. Male Voice: "You Fu... Oh shit..." The voice screams at you, the suddenly sounds worried. You recognize it. {mf2}: "F-fuck! I almost k-killed you! Ahhh..." He drops a large butchers knife to the ground, then backs off from you. It takes you a moment to calm down. This was... almost assassin-like. Calming down is a lot more difficult than you first imagined. {mf2}: "This thing is so fucked up, man. I saw a guard get killed today. Right there. I-I don't know what to think anymore!" He points his finger to the space behind an oven. A pool of blood stains the floor, with a bloodstained knife right next to it. It looks fresh... A cold shiver runs down your spine. {mf2}: "This guy... He wanted to punish me for our break in... One of our guys killed him with the knife over there... F-fuck..." He leans back and looks at the ceiling. His eyes are red, his arms are bleeding and some of his hair has been ripped off his head. There is no doubt in your mind that the guards must have done this to him. > [[Help him get up|1qgoraid]]

You help {mf2} get up. It takes a moment, but eventually he can stand alone on his feet. *"He is even more anxious than me... We need to get out of here."* {mf2}: "I'm happy I didn't do anything stupid earlier. Thanks for not punching me or anything after I jumped you...I don't really want any more scars today, haha." A sad smile forms on his face, giving him a real victim-look. His head hangs low, and his hands are twitching nervously. He takes a nearby towel to wipe the blood from his arm, then moves towards the door. You follow him closely. {mf2}: "Alright, here is what happened: We blasted ourself in, you have probably seen the hole in the wall of the building. One of our guys somehow made a bomb, I have no clue how. Anyways, as expected guards came storming down there and one of them grabbed me and pulled me in here. D-do you remember the guy with the weird tongue... or maybe the deformed face? He saved me, killed the guard with no hestiation. C-can't say I'm not scared of him right now... I have no clue what is happening outside, but we have to get out of here." After that he turns around and opens the door. You follow him. > [[continue|1qslamchoice]]

You find yourself in a huge room. Multiple people stand around, most of them fighting and shouting. The room is brightly lit and decorated with expensive carpets, paintings and statues. At the end of the room stands a huge door that looks familiar. It is the door the other guy kicked in earlier. Even from this side, you can clearly see how much destruction his kick caused... [if slam===true] In front of the door lies a man in fancy clothes, with what looks like a butler watching over him. His head is bleeding, and he seems to be unconcious. Three guards stand in front of them. Inside the room stand the three guys from earlier. They are all running down a single guard, pushing him to the ground and kicking him. The guy with the deformed face is nowhere to be seen. [else] In front of the door stands a man in fancy clothes, with what looks like a butler standing next to him. He is holding a cigar and shouting orders to the guards. Inside the room stand the three guys form earlier. They are forced into a defensive position by four guards that are attacking them. [continue] {mf2}: "We should grab something valuable while we're here, then get out of here." He moves towards a bookshelf next to you and searches it. You decide to help him. > [[look at book|1qlaststretch]] > [[look at statue|1qlaststretch]] > [[look through drawer|1qlaststretch]]

You look through the bookshelf with {mf2} until you hear something loud breaking. [if slam===true] Looking behind you, you see a large statue lying on the floor. It must have been dropped from somewhere. You look up and notice that the room has a balcony, attached to the wall with a large staircase and a few pillars. [else] Looking behind you, you see something you will not forget for the rest of your life. A large statue has been droppen from a second floor that you previously missed. It landed straight on some of the guards, squashing them and leaving behind a huge pile of blood, guts and skin that has now splattered all across the floor. {mf2} grabs your arm in shock, squeezing it nervously. [continue] You hear a voice shout from over you. It is the guy with the scar from earlier, at the church plaza. Scar Guy: "Guys! We got our pockets filled, lets hurry out of here!" You see three people running down the nearby stairs. It is the guy and the girl from earlier at the plaza, and the guy with the deformed face. All of them carry big, heavy bags. They run towards the guys who fought the guards earlier. Tattoo Girl: _to one of the guys_ "Here, take this. We must hurry." She throws him the bag and sprints back towards the kitchen door. The others follow her quickly, with the one holding the bag signaling you to follow them. [if slam===true] You sprint towards the door, with {mf2} closely following you. > [[continue|1qEnd7.0]] [else] You try to sprint towards the door, but are held back by {mf2}. He stands in shock, looking at the mess in the middle of the room. You try pulling him with you, but he is stiff and does not respond to anything. > [[Continue trying|1qstiffmf2]]

You rush through both doors and out through the destroyed wall. Multiple people now stand in the garden, many of them in police uniform. Someone taps you on the shoulder. {mf1}: "Hey, you found {mf2}! Let's get out of here, quickly." All the others have already left, it is just you three now. {mf1}: "I know a safe way outside, follow me." {mf1} leads the three of you back around the house, through a hole in the fence and into the dark of night. In front of you now stands a huge forest, you decide to move alongside it to not get lost inside. You wander for what feels like half an hour through absolute darkness, many times almost losing the others in the process. You come across a lit house that has seen better days. {mf1} and {mf2} rush towards it and knock on the door. You look up to the house in disbelief. It is... your home, somehow. The door opens slowly. As it opens, you rush towards the others and try to push them out of the way. Before you can reach them, a tender young man greets them. It is {brother}. {brother}: "Ah, hi {name}. Didn't expect me at the door, did you?" "W-where's dad?" Truly, you do not understand how you eve ncame to be here. Your house should be at least one or two hours away from here. This makes no sense. {brother}: "Don't worry, he won't be back until tomorrow. By the way, I was told you had a... troublesome quest today, so I did a small quest for you today. Don't tell father any of this, alright? I will give you the quest slip later, you can give it to the academy later." You nod and move inside. Something feels... off. It smells too good, there is not enough mold smell in the air. {mf1}: "Can we..." {brother}: "Get in? Of course, you don't need to ask." He chuckles, then closes the door behind you two. *"Ah yes, he's a mage, that's why."* Happy about your brother being here to help you, and even more about having the oppotunity to talk to him again after many years brings you great joy. The quest may have gone haywire, but you can't complain about anything right now at all. [align center] __Ending #7: Fortunate outcome__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

No matter how hard you try, you cant seem to get him to move on his own. You look towards the door and see {mf1} run towards you. {mf1}: "What's taking you so long? Screw the loot, we have to get out of here!" He looks at {mf2}, then the mess in the middle of the room. It takes him a lot of willpower to supress the urge to throw up. {mf1}: "Oh, fuck! I see the problem, alright. Fuck." He grabs his mouth like he's about to puke, but manages to restrain himself. {mf1}: "Alright, you grab him on the left and I on the right. Let's get him out of here quickly." You both grab him and painstakingly drag him towards the kitchen door. Once inside, {mf1} lets go of him to close the door. {mf2}: "I'm not going to recover from this... I'm so done..." He looks to the ground, broken. His mind is filled with nothing but worry and anxiety. {mf1}: "I know a place where we can bring him. Fuck his friends, they did this shit to him, and they left us here. Let's go as a team!" {mf2} doesn't seem to object. {mf2}: "Alright, I'm okay now... Let's get out of here, please." He does not seem okay at all, but you don't have the power to carry him out of here anymore, so you don't object. You rush outside. A lot of guards and policemen are standing in the garden in front of the mansion, seemingly trying to get the door open. {mf1} shows you a secret way around back to get away from the house. > [[continue|1End8.0]]

After escaping the house through a hole in the fence you reach a dark forest. You run through it for a long time, feeling like you're getting nowhere. Suddenly, {mf2} speaks up. {mf2}: "Hold on, guys." You and {mf1} stop and take a few steps back to get to {mf2}. It is so dark outside that it is almost a miracle you can see each other. Thank the full moon over your heads. {mf2}: "You guys meant that for real back then? Can we stay together, just the three of us? I really don't want to go back..." {mf1} looks at you. You don't know what to say. {mf1}: "Yeah, we can stay together. But you have to help us tomorrow, because {name} is going to get into a lot of trouble with his dad tomorrow. W-what I mean to say is it's not going to be easy." {mf2}: "Sure, I'm ready to help!" {mf1}: "What do you say, {name}?" You wonder why he even asks the question. No matter what you'd say, everything would turn out the same way anyways. None of you are heartless enough to abandon a new friend, after all. With the three of you, your future feels brighter than ever. > [[come with us|1qEnd8.1]] > [[don't come with us|1qEnd8.1]]

[align center] __Ending #8: What will the future bring?__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

The three of you join the group, following closely behind them. You walk in silence for about an hour until you come across a fancy looking street. Many of the houses here are decorated and nicely painted, with huge gardens in front of them. The guy with the scar turns around. Guy with scar: "Give me the Questpaper, {mf2}. We have to find out where this guy lives." {mf2} hands him the questpaper. He glances over it, then lets it fall to the ground. Guy with scar: "I remember this adress. Lets get there." *"Didn't you send people over to steal there anyways? What, is this an act?"* They move on, {mf2} following them. {mf1} stops you from following. {mf1}: "Should we pick it up? The questpaper, I mean. We can still get some use out of it, I think." {mf2}: "What use would you get out of it? Just leave it there." {mf2} walks back towards you. {mf1}: "I don't know. We can take it with us, see what's gonna happen. If we do something with it, keep it between us, alright? We have to be seperate of the others if something happens." {mf2} nods. If even he is on board, then maybe... > [[Take questpaper with you|1qtakequestpaper]] > [[Don't take questpaper|1qdonttakequestpaper]]

You bend down and take the quest paper. "So, what now?" {mf1} looks towards where the others were headed. You hear screaming and shouting from that direction. {mf1}: "Shit, what happened?" {mf2}: "I don't know, but we should go take a look!" You carefully move towards the place you hear all the screaming from. A guard lies in front of a gate right in front of you, unconscious. The gate itself stands wide open, with a large garden behind it. Many large bushes obstruct the view to anything but the front door, which is closed. {mf1}: "If we step inside there, we will probably be treated like criminals. We should stay outside or take a look around the building." {mf2} points towards the door. {mf2}: "I'm sure we can go in and knock at least! Why would we be treated as criminals anyways?" > [[wait outside and look around|1qlookaround]] > [[go inside|1qattackquestpaper]]

"Let's not take it and hurry up to get back to the others." {mf1} looks towards where the others are headed. You hear screaming and shouting from that direction. {mf1}: "Shit, what happened?" {mf2}: "I don't know, but we should go take a look!" You carefully move towards the place you hear all the screaming from. A guard lies in front of a gate right in front of you, unconscious. The gate itself stands wide open, with a large garden behind it. Many large bushes obstruct the view to anything but the front door, which is closed. There is no sign of the others. {mf2}: "What are we waiting for? Let's find the others!" He storms in witout hestitation. You look at {mf1}, who just shrugs and follows him inside. > [[Follow them|1qattackquestpaper]]

credits: credits +5 -- You take out the questpaper and look at it. {mf1}: "Alright, let me check around the building. Maybe we can sneak in somewhere." After bumping you on the shoulder with his fist, he goes around the corner of the fence and disappears behind some large bushes. You and {mf2} still stand in front of the gate. {mf2}: "So... what are we going to do?" You shrug. {mf2}: "Honestly, I like this. I mean yeah they are fighting in there and all that, but I would much rather just stay as far away as I can, hehe..." Suddenly, a guard appears in front of the gate. {mf2} schrieks and grabs your shirt. You give him an annoyed look, and he lets go of you. He seems really nervous. Guard: "What are you doing here? We have a situation here, make it quick." {mf2} looks at you anxiously. You don't really know what to do, so you just hand the guard the questpaper. Guard: "Hm? Oh, Townsend. Give me a second." The guard reaches into his pockets, pulling out a few credits. Guard: "Here. If I remember correctly, Mr Sherone always gives 5 credits for a job. Bring the item to him later, after this issue has been settled. It will take until tomorrow at the very least." He hands you the money, signs the questpaper with a pencil, hands it to you, then leaves in a hurry. {mf2}: "Huh... I am...How should I put this..." > [["Speechless?"|1qEnd9.0]]

You move inside the garden. As you pass through the large bushes to your side you hear people shouting again. You look to your left, over a field of trampled down flowers. The three young men from earlier are fighting a few guards next to a door, equipped with decorative lances, most likely taken from a nearby statue. Behind them stands the guy with the scar and the girl with all the tatoos. They are holding some sort of device, and are fiddling with it. {mf1} and {mf2} run towards them, you decide to follow. Guy with scar: "Shit, how does this thing work again?" Tattoo Girl: "I don't know, shouldn't it be simple?" You reach them and take a look at what they have in their hands. It looks like bundled together pieces of dynamite. {mf2}: "You have to put it on the wall and light it with a match, guys." Guy with scar: "Do you have matches?! I sure don't!" They continue arguing for a while. In the meantime, you decide to look around the side of the building. There, you see an open door without anyone in sight. {mf1} sneaks up on you. {mf1}: "I think we should stop them from fiddling with that dynamite now..." You see no way you want anything to do with dynamite. Following {mf1}s suggestion is the only plausible option for you right now. > [[stop them|1qgoinsidecell]]

You move around the house to the others. "Hey guys, there is a..." You are interrupted by {mf2}, who is screaming and waving towards you. You move towards him slowly. {mf1}: "Oh shit, watch out!" You look back at {mf1}, noticing the stick of dynamite next to the adjacent wall. Before you can react, you hear a loud bang, and everything goes dark. ... ... You wake up, with a loud ringing noise in your right ear. You cover it with your hand and try to stand up. The area around you seems blurry, and standing is difficult. You stumble on the way up, but someone catches you. > [[continue|1qfindmf2]]

slam: false -- {mf1}: "Hey, how are you? I was worried sick with you blacking out." {mf1} puts you up against a wall. You rub your eyes until you can see clearly again. The ringing inside your ear starts to fade aswell. It is much darker now than it was before, you must have been out cold for quite a while. In front of you stands {mf1} and two people you have never seen: a boy and a middle aged woman. The boy waves at you. {mf1}: "The others went inside after blasting open the wall. These two over here were held inside the cell, {mf2} told us about them." He stands up and looks around the building, as if he has something planned. Boy: "Thanks for getting us out of here, it was awful in there!" {mf1} kneels next to you. {mf1}: "Listen, I need to get the two of them out of here. You should be fine now, so go join {mf2} inside when you feel well again. Be careful of the guards, I will meet up with you later." He signals for the other two to follow him, then disappears behind the building. After taking a deep breath you decide to stand up. You still feel a little dizzy, but you can think and move normally again. Next to you you see the wall from earlier, now violently blasted open with the dynamite. > [[Enter|1qreadytofight]]

{mf2}: "Yeah, very. You just completed your quest without actually... completing it. I didn't think this stuff was possible." You hear {mf1} call you from behind a bush. He rushes towards you. {mf1}: "Hey guys, _pant_ , I found a secret entrance over there! We can..." He looks down at your hand. You still have the credits lying in it. {mf1}: "Where did you get that money? Why do you just hold it like that?" {mf2} slaps you on the shoulder, then leans on you. {mf2}: "We completed the quest while you were away!" {mf1} raises his eyebrow, then looks at you. You decide to just show him the questpaper instead of trying to explain it all. {mf1}: "You've got to be kidding me. You know, a simple signature is enough for Townsend to accept this as a completed quest, right? You actually completed this quest somehow. How?" {mf2} takes your questpaper and explains the situation to {mf1} in great detail. You look back towards the gate. The garden is filled with guards. You still hear people shouting and fighting, but further away now. > [["We can't go back in there now"|1qEnd9.1]]

Both of them turn around to you. {mf1}: "You know, I noticed a lot of guards back where I found the secret passage. Going in there is way too dangerous, anyways." You and {mf1} look at {mf2}. He looks at you confused. {mf1}: "You...okay with that? You know, us leaving your friends behind and all that." {mf2} just shrugs and sighs. {mf2}: "I wouldn't really call them my friends, or family, or whatever. I don't feel bad if we just walk away from here, as long as I can join you guys." You think about it for a second, but don't find any problem with him joining you. [if alignment===renegade] _"I wanted some action for once... But at least this job was easy."_ [else] _"At least we could avoid fighting anyone."_ [continue] {mf1}: "Alright, it is settled then. Let's get back to Townsend, and complete this quest!" {mf2}: "Great job guys! High five!" You find it a bit silly, but theres no harm in a little celebration. {reveal link: 'High five!', passage: 'Nice.'}. [align center] __Ending #9: Quest complete!__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

"Let's not cause too much trouble." {mf1}: "Well, that only leaves isolating her from the group." Suddenly, you hear someone shouting. It sounds like they are calling for {mf2}. {mf2} stands next to you, far away enough from the wall to be seen by the people on the plaza. You and {mf1} are probably still hidden. {mf2}: _whispering_ "I will try and get her over here." He then leaves for the plaza. His voice gets jumbled up with all the others on the plaza, and you can't make out a single word by anyone. {mf1} stands near the edge of the wall, ready to peek over to the plaza. > [[Don't stop him|1qdontstophim]] > [[Stop him and hide|1qstophim]]

{mf1} peeks over the corner, but immediately pulls back. {mf1}: "Shit! {mf2} was just pointing in our direction, I think they all saw me. We have to do something!" > [[Run away and hide somewhere else|1qrunawayandhide]] > [[Confront the group|1qdistractgroup2]]

You grab {mf1} by the shoulder and pull him back. "We should go hide somewhere, for when {mf2} brings the girl over here." {mf1} hastily agrees, seemingly happy that you pulled him away. You decide to hurry. > [[continue|1qrunawayandhide]]

You run around the church and find an abandoned building that is surrounded by a big stone wall. You decide to hide behind said wall. After only a few seconds you hear people patrolling the street. {mf1}: "Shit, I hope they won't find us..." After a few minutes of waiting, the last of the voices finally disappears. {mf1} looks around the corner of the wall. {mf1}: "It looks safe to go out. What do you say?" > [[Wait longer|1qwaitforthem]] > [[Go out|1qgooutside]]

alias: 'hero' -- Tattoo Girl: "Who are these two?" As you approach the group, you notice multiple sets of eyes watching you closely. {mf2}: "They are friends, they helped me with something earlier. I thought I should introduce them." Tattoo Girl: "Alright. What is your name?" She looks at you. {text input for:'alias'} > [[continue|1qtellname]]

"Let's get in there." {mf2} takes a deep breath, then walks towards the plaza. You and {mf1} follow closely. After greeting a few people, {mf2} begins talking to the tattooed girl. > [[continue|1qdistractgroup2]]

[if alias===name] You decide to tell her your real name. "My name is {alias}." {mf1}: "I am {mf1}." He looks as you, seemingly relieved with your choice. [else] You decide to not tell her your real name. "My name is {alias}." {mf1}: "And I am...ehh." You notice people looking at you two. {mf1}: "I am...ehhh... {cycling link for: 'mf1alias', choices: ['Karthon', 'your worst enemy!', 'ehhh...']} (clickable) {mf1}: "H-huh?" [continue] > [[continue|1qnametold]]

[if alias===name] Tattoo Girl: "Hm. You actually told me your name. Interesting." She signals something to the others with her hand. Some of the leave, some take on a watchout position. Only the four of you remain. Tattoo Girl: "I had a lookout out for {mf2}, just so you know. We heard everything while your were in our room." You and {mf1} look at each other. Both of you are ready for a fight if need be, or run if you have to. After a minute of silence, the girl sighs. Tattoo Girl: "You know, I really don't want any trouble. Here, take the key." She puts her hand into her pocket. There seems to be a lot of stuff in there, but eventually she manages to grab the key. Tattoo Girl: "Come, let me show you were the goddamn Shawarma is." You hestitate to follow her. {mf2}: _whispering_ "You can follow her, I think she really means it." You are still not sure on whether this is a good idea, but with no other meaningful options available you eventually start following her. > [[continue|1qfollowher]] [else] Tattoo Girl: "Hm. Yeah alright." She signals something to the others, then turns her back from you. Tattoo Girl: "You know, I had a lookout out for {mf2}. We heard everything while your were our my room, and I know these are not your real names." She grabs {mf2} by the shirt and leaves. He does not resist, even though it looks like it would be easy for him to escape. Everyone here seems more hostile towards you since she gave the signal, so you decide to run for it. > [[run|1qrunawayandhide]]

You follow her to a set of buildungs near the church. Passing a blue house surrounded by a rusty fence you eventually stop in front of a red building. The building is in a dire state of disrepair, with a hole in the roof and paint falling off its walls. The girl moves inside what can best be described as a stone garden, then goes around the house towards a wooden door. It looks like an old entrance to a basement. Tattoo Girl: "Look, I'm gonna open the door and give {mf2} the key. You get your precious Shawarma, then leave. You can just throw the key in through the window of my room. Don't forget to lock the door beforehand." She opens the door. It looks difficult to open, so you decide to help. With all four of you working to open the door it finally swings open. Tattoo Girl: _mumbling "This door wont hold much longer, fuck me..."_ She hands {mf2} the key, then leaves without saying a word. {mf1}: "I hope you are correct about this not being a trap. I have no clue if we can open this door again if someone were to close it in on us." {mf2}: "I can hold the door open for you if you want." {mf1} looks at you. With {mf2} just standing there people may notice that something is going on here. > [[Take him with you|1qEnd10.0]] > [[Let him keep watch|1qkeepwatch]]

"Lets wait a while longer." {mf1}: "If you say so..." After waiting for what fealt like half an hour, you suddenly hear voices. {mf1}: _whispering_ "One of them is female. I can't make out the other one. Female voice: "...that they are alright?" {mf2}: "Yeah, of course." {mf1}: "It's {mf2}! Let's go." You move around the stone wall. Before you stands {mf2} and the tattooed girl, who looks at you in shock. > [[approach them|1qapproachgirl]]

"Let's check" {mf1}: "Alright." The two of you move away from the wall and onto the street. no one is around anymore. {mf1}: "Alright, what's the plan?" "We still have to get the key somehow." {mf1} nods and takes a look around the side of the church. You join him. After a few minutes of searching and not finding anything you sit down on a nearby bench. {mf1}: "Well, this went horrible. {mf2} should be here by now." He leans back. {mf1}: "We could just go back to that wall and continue waiting. Might be that something will happen. I don't know if searching will find us anything..." > [[Go back to waiting|1qwaitforthem]] > [[Continue searching|1qEnd11.0]]

"You should keep watch outside" {mf2}: "Alright. But hurry." You now stand in a basement room that seems to have been used as a kind of bunker. Beds are stacked on top of each other in a corner, multiple shelves fileld with books and bottles adorn the walls. {mf1}: "Go look over there, I take this side." He points you towards the beds in the corner. YWith great determination, you walk over. ... Nothing but old bedsheets and mattrasses. Next to it is a shelf filled with bottles of some kind. You decide to examine them, but suddenly... > [[continue|1qEnd10.1]]

"No, better come with us." {mf2} seems happy about your decision, then moves inside with you two. You now stand in a basement room that seems to have been used as a kidn of bunker. Beds are stacked on top of each other in a corner, multiple shelves fileld with books and bottles ardorn the walls. {mf1}: "Go go look over there, I see what over here." He points you towards the beds in the corner. You decide to move there and check it out. ... Nothing but old bedsheets and mattrasses. Next to it is a shelf filled with bottles of some kind. You decide to examine them, but suddenly... > [[continue|1qEnd10.1]]

BAM! The door behind you suddenly slams shut. You turn around, and are engulfed by candlelight. Multiple candles across the room have been lit, you didn't even notice. You look towards the door. There stands {mf2}, holding a candle in his left hand. The other is on a door handle. {mf1}: _shouting_ "What the fuck, man?!" {mf2} signals you to be quiet with his hand. You begin hearing voices outside. Distant voice: "Was this door not open a moment ago?" Other voice: "I'm telling you, no one can get in there! Not without her help, that is!" You hear one of them kick the door and curse loudly. After a minute or so you assume they are gone. {mf2}: "Don't worry, we can open the front door with this key aswell." He walks towards the door at the other side of the hall. You follow him. {mf2}: _pulling the handle_ "Why does it not open! This should be an exit!" You decide to ram the door together with him. After a few tries it starts to feel impossible... and a sense of despair rushes over you. {mf1}: "I've got the Shawarma, let's get out of here!" The sudden good news throw you out of your headspace. With great determination, you decide to try one more time. > [[Ram the door together|1qEnd10.2]]

You ram the door with all your might. It finally gives way a bit, enough for you to see that a desk is blocking the door from the other side. {mf2}: "If we push this open a bit more I can slip through." You continue pushing and bashing against the door until the door is open just enough for him to slip through. He takes the desk on the other side while you and {mf1} continue pushing. After a few more tries, the door flies open. {mf1}: _panting_ "Man... This was hard..." You spot a door at the other side of the room. Without looking around the room you head straight towards it. You push the door handle, but the door doesn't open. The others catch up to you. {mf1}: "Don't tell me... we have to bash another door in..." Just then, {mf2} takes out the key and inserts it into the keyhole. He turns it, and the door opens. {mf1}: "Holy shit! We're out!" He heads out first. Before you can do the same, you are grabbed by {mf2}. > [[continue|1qEnd10.3]]

{mf2}: "Hey, I'm going to give this key back. Please don't talk about us when you are at Sherones house, okay?" He steps outside and looks towards the church. {mf2}: "I thought about joining you two, you know. But I think I can't just leave them. Maybe they aren't as I bad as I once thought..." Suddenly, you hear {mf1} shouting. {mf1}: "Hey! You coming or what?" You look over to {mf2}. He hold his hand out in a fistbump position. What could be if {mf2} actually joined the two of you? You wonder about the possibilities, and a bit of sadness washes over you. Still, it is nothing new for you to stick with {mf1}, and only him. The way you send him off feels important to you, even though it won't matter anyways. {cycling link for: 'fistbumphim', choices: ['Fistbump him', 'Ignore him']} [align center] __Ending #10: Shawarma obtained__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You continue searching, even going around the church, over the plaza and even through some adjacent gardens and parks. Looking up at the sky, you notice it getting dark. {mf1}: "Well, here we are. We should go home, {name}. It's dangerous outside at night, and we don't even have a light with us." You decide to run back to the plaza and shout for {mf2}. You get no response. {mf1} joins you on the plaza. {mf1}: "Look, I know a place where we can stay the night. Let's just go, we'll find another Quest tomorrow, I'm sure of it. We just have to make sure... to not run into your father, right? Ehe..." Reluctantly, you give up on your search and follow {mf1} back to the city. Feeling the day wasted, you decide to not rely on anyone but {mf1} from now on out. It's not that you don't like other people, but there is no one in the world you know better than him. *"Tomorrow is a new day... This time, we will complete a quest for sure!"* [align center] __Ending #11: Left alone__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

girlanswer: 'ehhhh' -- Tattoo Girl: "Hey... what is this?" She looks at you and {mf1} with suspicion in her eyes. She is surprisingly calm, considering the situation. {mf1}: _whispering_ "Shit... I haven't thought this far ahead actually... what do we do?" You think very carefully about what you are about to say... {text input for: 'girlanswer'} > [[continue|1qKeySteal]]

Tattoo Girl: "Ehhh... okay? Sure, man. You know, you guys creep me out a bunch, so I'm gonna head on over to the plaza." She turns away to move towards the plaza. As she does so, you notice {mf2} poking his hand into her pocket and pulling out a key. She does not seem to notice it at first, but then suddenly turns around. Tattoo Girl: "I can feel you guys staring at, you know. I'm not interested, sheesh." {mf1}: "Huh?" She turns back around and walks off. The three of you decide to ignore her remark. {mf1}: "Holy shit man, you did it!" {mf2} looks at you happily. You give him a thumbs up. {mf2}: "Alright, let's wait until everything is cleared up back the plaza. After that, I will get us the shawarma." Growl~... {mf1}: "Well, you sure seem to be hungry. Want to go eat somewhere?" {mf2}: "That would be great...ehe..." {mf1}: "Alright, the market should still be open, if we hurry." With that, you and the others turn to rush back towards the market to get something to eat. > [[continue|1qmarketeat]]

Your appetite gives you all the power you need to rush all the way to the market. Exhausted, you stand near the shop where you bought the {pouch} earlier today. Unfortunately, the sun is about to settle down and all the shops have closed for today. {mf1} sits down on the ground to think. {mf1}: "Hmmm... I'm sure a restaurant somewhere must still be open... Gonna be a bit more expensive though..." {mf2}: "H-how expense?" {mf1}: "For the three of us? I don't know, maybe 5 credits? Scrap that, this much money is probably only enough for one of us, but we can split the meal for sure." {mf2} tries emptying his pockets, but they are empty. {mf1}: "I have 2 credits with me. If {name} has enough, we can go eat." You look into your pockets. Next to the {pouch} from earlier, you find {credits} credits. [if credits < 3] _"I don't have enough money... Lying to them is wrong, but we have to eat something..."_ > [[Give them the {pouch} you bought earlier|1qEnd12.0]] [continue] > [[find a restaurant|1qrestaurant]]

[if credits < 3] _"This is not gonna go well... but let's go"_ [continue] "I have enough. Let's get something to eat." {mf2}: "Really? Oh thank god, I'm starving!" {mf1} stands up slowly, looking at you suspiciously. {mf1}: "I... know a place. Let's go." You follow {mf1} through some alleys until you finally reach a restaurant with the lights still on. A waiter approaches you. Waiter: "Good evening, lads. We still have a table open for you, but one of you has to stand if that is okay with you." {mf1} looks back at you and frowns. {mf1}: "We would like to eat outside." Waiter: "Sure thing." He heads inside without taking an order from you. {mf2}: "But... we didn't even order anything..." {mf1}: "Well, we don't exactly look like we can afford anything in there. He's probably going to get the cheapest thing on the menu." > [[continue|1qEnd13.0]]

You pull the {pouch} out of your pocket. {mf1}: "You serious?" {mf2}: "He doesn't have the money..." {mf1} stands up, then taps you on the shoulder. {mf1}: "With some things, if you haven't grasped the essentials, all the hard work in the world can go to waste... Know what I mean?" You stand there confused, not knowing what to think of this. *"What, is he quoting something or what?"* {mf2}: "Well, let's head back then. We get the shawarma, get the reward, and see what we're gonna do after that." You all agree and go back to the house. > [[continue|1qEnd12.1]]

After only a few minutes, the waiter comes back outside with a few sandwiches. Waiter: "Here, these are for you." {mf1} looks back at you, seemingly expecting a reaction. [if credits < 3] You nod your head. {mf1} seems to understand what you have in mind. _"We only have to be quick, then we don't have to pay a single credit..."_ You get ready to run when suddenly... [continue] Waiter: "These are free of charge. You look exhausted, just eat these and don't tell anyone about our generosity here." He hands the sandwiches to {mf1} and leaves back inside. {mf2}: "Hey! Something to eat!" He grabs one of the sandwiches out of {mf1}s hand, who still stands there confused. You decide to grab your sandwich aswell. > [[continue|1qEnd13.1]]

credits: credits + 5 -- The sun has already set as you give Sherone his shawarma. He leaves you with a measly 5 credits. {mf2}: "Oh man... how much I would have liked these 5 credits an hour ago... I'm starving..." You put you hand in your pocket, but {mf1} stops you. {mf1}: "Don't... pull these {pouch} out again... please don't." You are all exhausted and annoyed at the situation. {mf2} shows you a place near the church where you all can sleep, waiting for the next morning to finally get some food. At least you don't need to look for an inn or something... [align center] __Ending #12: So hungry...__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

credits: credits + 5 -- After a few more seconds, {mf1} finally comes back to his senses. {mf1}: "Well, I guess this just happened." {mf2}: "Great, right?" A few bread crumps fly out of {mf2}s mouth as he speaks. You all silently enjoy your sandwiches on the way back to the church. Everyone is ready to get the shawarma. ... The sun has already set when you give Sherone his shawarma. He leaves you with a measly 5 credits. {mf2}: "That is... not a lot of money, guys..." {mf1}: "It is enough for us to eat tomorrow. You're going to help us with our next quest, right, {mf2}?" {mf2}: "Hell yeah!" {mf2} makes a fist and holds it in front of him. {mf1} does the same, putting their fists next to each other. {mf2}: "Let's do this together, guys!" Inviting {mf2} into your group feel very sudden... but you do not object. More people mean better quests, and a better pay, after all. {cycling link for: 'curinge', choices: ['Let's do it together!', 'This is too childish for me...']} [align center] __Ending #13: Group founded!__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

"Yeah sure, I don't see why not." {mf2} jumps in front of you, looking a little horrified. Tattoo Girl: "Great! We're gonna wait inside for you." She and the others enter the church. Only you, {mf1} and {mf2} remain. {mf2}: "I really don't think going in there is a good idea, {name}... We might get in trouble..." {mf1}: "We only want the shawarma, can't we just get it?" {mf2} looks down on the ground. {mf2}: "No... we're going to need a key, and I saw it in her pocket..." {mf1}: "So, what do we do then?" > [[go inside|1qgoinsidechurch1]] > [[find another way|1qclimbroom]]

"We were not really..." {mf2} interrupts you midsentence. {mf2}: "I was just going to show him around! No need to go inside for that." The girl raises her eyebrow, then sighs. Tattoo Gril: "Sure thing, {mf2}. We're inside if you change your mind, I guess." With that, her and all the others on the plaza move inside the church. {mf2}: "My god, this was close. I think we would have been in a lot of trouble if we had gone in there." {mf1} lets go of your shoulder and stretches his arms. {mf1}: "Alright... You said you knew where the shawarma is, so show us." {mf2}: "That might be a bit... difficult..." > [[continue|1qclimbroom]]

{mf1}: "Alright, so what are we going to do now?" {mf2}: "We're going to need a key... And the key is inside the church now..." You think about what would help you now. After no one saying anything for a minute, you suggest walking around the church to get some ideas. {mf1}: "Good idea. Get outside their field of view is a good idea for sure." You walk across the plaza and around the church. You haven't been on this side of the church yet. {mf2}: "Hold on, look over there." He points across the street towards a wrecked building painted in red. {mf2}: "This house has a basement. We stored the shawarma there." He pauses. {mf2}: "But the door is old and heavy. We won't get it open without a key for it." You take note of the building and move on. After turning a corner, {mf2} suddenly stops. > [[continue|1qclimbinside]]

"I don't see us getting anywhere if we don't go inside." {mf1} sighs. {mf1}: "I guess you're right. But how does going inside help us?" {mf2} steps forward, whispering. {mf2}: "I saw her with the key inside her bag. With that, we can go get the shwarma. It is over there." He points towards a red house which roof has collapsed. {mf2}: "It is in the basement. There is a wooden door to the side of the building, that's the entrance." He steps back and looks at the church. {mf1}: "Well, guess we have a plan now. Let's go." > [[Head inside|1qgoinsidechurch3]]

{mf2}: "I have an idea!" He moves towards the wall of the church and looks up. Directly above him is an opened window into the church. If you were to boost him up, he could surely get inside. {mf2}: "This is our room. We have all our important stuff in there, so there might be something useful to find." You close your eyes and listen carefully. You don't hear any noise from inside the room. {mf1}: "Okay. {name}, help me boost him up." You move towards the cold stone wall and place your hands in position. {mf1} does the same, and you manage to boost {mf2} up enough for him to crawl in. After only a few seconds you see him poking his head out of the window extaticly. {mf2}: "She put the key on her desk! We're saved!" He drops the key and you catch it. Suddenly, you hear voices from inside the room. Male voice: "{mf2}? When did you get in here? And why are you looking at me like you've seen a ghost, you're so pale." {mf1}: "We have to help him! Boost me up, I can grab him and pull him out of there. Just make sure you catch him on the way down." You think about it for a second. Pulling him out alerts everyone of your presence, and they will for sure look for you. But if you don't you will lose {mf2}, prioritizing the shawarma. > [[Boost {mf1} up|1qboost]] > [[leave with the key|1qonlykey]]

"Alright, let's do it!" You get in position. {mf1} takes a few steps back, then rushes towards you. He manages to get up high enough and pull {mf2} by his arm. Being surprised by this, he loses his footing and falls back first through the window. You barely manage to catch him on the way down. {mf1}: "Shit, I think they saw my face. Let's start running!" The three of you start running over to the church plaza. {mf1}: "Hey, {mf2}. Think we can grab the shawarma quick enough?" {mf2}: "Never! The door is too heavy, we would take too much time!" {mf1}: "Can we hide somewhere close?" {mf2} stops apruptly, pointing towards the space inbetween two buildings. {mf2}: "They won't find us there, and we can sneak over to the basement from there." You rush towards said spot and hide in some nearby bushes. Not long after, you hear footsteps and voices all over the church plaza. > [[continue|1qlieinwait]]

"It is too dangerous, we have to get the shawarma!" {mf1}: "But he's still in there!" He looks up at the window. {mf2} is nowhere to be seen, and the voices have grown quieter. {mf1}: "I guess if they don't know that we're here... Then we're good, right?" He turns his eyes from the window. Now leaning against the wall, he looks over towards the red house. {mf1}: "I'm sure we can help him somehow later. Alright let's go." He seems a bit down to have to let {mf2} go. Quickly, the two of you move towards the red house. Moving over what once was a stone garden, you manage to find a wooden entrance to the basement. You insert the key, turn it, and the door opens. {mf1} rushes inside, while you wait outside. You look back towards the church. _"If we slip the key back into the room before anyone notices... Then I'm sure {mf2} won't get in trouble."_ {mf1} rushes out the basement with a bag in his hand. {mf1}: "I've got it. The sun is setting, we should hurry to Sherone or we might be too late." ... > [[Go to Sherone|1qEnd15.0]] > [[Go to window|1qgowindow]]

You close the basement door behind you and lock it. "We should get the key back into that room." {mf1} looks at you surprised, then his eyes light up. {mf1}: "That is actually a really good idea! Let's do it." You rush towards the stone wall directly under the window and listen. You don't hear anyone inside. {mf1}: "Alright, boost me up." He lays the bag onto the floor and with your help climbs inside the room. Shortly after, you hear a door open and fear for the worst. To your surprise, {mf1} almost jumps out the window and lands right next to you. It didn't look all too healthy. You hear voices inside the room. {mf2}: "Look! The key is still there! I didn't steal anything!" You hear an audable grunt, then a slam on a table. It sounds angry. Male voice: "Calm down, alright? Well if the key is here then you didn't steal it after all. I was almost ready to send out a fucking search team because of you." You hear {mf2} chuckle silently, then the room falls silent again. {mf1}: "Let's wait for him to head out." > [[wait for him|1qEnd14.0]]

credits: credits + 5 -- "Yeah, let's head back." You and {mf1} rush through town to get to Mr Sherone in time. Just before sunset you arrive at what looks like his house. A guard stands watch. Guard: "Is this property of Mr Sherone?" {mf1}: "Yes it is, please let us in." The guard opens the heavy gate and shows you the way to the entrance. He tells you to go inside and that he will escort you out when you got what you came for. You put your hand on the door handle, but suddenly the door swings open and a butler stands in front of you. He hands you a small sack filled with credits, then takes the shawarma away from {mf1}. Without saying a word, he returns inside, closing the door behind him. The guard escorts you outside, and you decide to move back home. {mf1}: "So... how much money is in there?" You hand him the bag, looking down at the ground. He looks at you, then takes the bag. {mf1}: "Son of a... it's only 5 credits!" You chuckle. {mf1}: "My god... egh, I guess at least we completed a quest. The guard even gave me a paper with 'confirmation of quest completion' written on it. So I guess we're good." You continue moving back towards home, at some point crossing the church plaza. {mf1}: "I wish we could have done something... I hope he's alright." You hope so too. [align center] __Ending #15: Quest completed... but was it worth it?__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

After about a minute of waiting {mf2} finally appears. {mf2}: "Thank you thank you thank you so much..." He seems exhausted, with tears in his eyes. {mf2}: "I would have been... in SO much trouble... But you saved me... thank you so much..." You and {mf1} try calming him down while he thanks you again and again. By the time he calmed down on a nearby bench it is already nighttime. A small lantern at the side of the road gives off some light so you can see. {mf1}: "Well, I don't think we're going to find our way to Sherone today anymore." He opens the bag and takes out the shawarma. The smell is almost hynotizing. {mf2} extends his hand towads the shawarma, but quickly pulls it back. {mf1}: "Well, the quest won't give us anything tomorrow. We might as well eat the damn thing." He tries ripping it into three pieces but fails, leaving one of them a good chunk bigger than the others. He looks at you, then back at {mf2}. {mf1}: "Well I'm going to get angry if you get the big one, so I'm going to give it to {mf2}." {mf2} seems really happy and takes the piece with both hands. {mf1} then gives you the smaller one, this one being even smaller the the 3rd one, even if not by much. {mf2}: "Thank you so much..." {mf1}: "Just enjoy the meal already." [align center] __Ending #14: Eating > Getting paid__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

Male Voice: "Check over at the park, the walls, everywhere! And see to it that we find {mf2}, he's the number 1 target!" Female voice: "I'll check over at the window. You guys search there!" You hear a lot of people running around, it is quite scary. {mf1}: _whispering_ "That voice... It must have been the girl from earlier." {mf2}: _whispering_ "I don't think they noticed that the key is missing. We can go to the basement once everyone here is gone." You wait for a few minutes, enough for the sun to start settling down. {mf1}: "We have to move, or it will be too late to give in the quest!" {mf2} looks around the corner towards the plaza. He observes for a while, then signals you to follow him. You sneak through a thicket of pest plants, multiple of which pinch and pierce your skin, making you feel like you are lying in hay full of needles. After crawling under a small fence you arrive at the side of the red house, where the shawarma is supposedly located. {mf2}: _whispering_ "Alright, we just have to get around the building and to the basement door. I hope everyone is gone by now." You go around the back of the house, your back always to the wall. The stings from earlier really start to manifest now, it itches. You spot a wooden trapdoor adjacent to the building. It must be the entrance to the basement. You do not see anyone around. > [[open the door|1qEnd16.0]]

You slot the key in and turn it. With a click, the door unlucks. {mf2}: _whsipering_ "Alright, this door is really heavy. we have to pull on it together." You all your might you pull open the door. {mf2} slips through, into the room. You and {mf1} stay outside. {mf1}: _whispering_"I never thought we would be doing something like this, {name}. I thought we were the righteous type. But this feels like stealing." Before you can answer {mf2} exits the room with a bag in his hand. {mf2}: "Screw the door, we have to move. I see some people over there, lead by someone we dont want to meet. Let's run for it." With that, {mf2} rushes back the way you came. You and {mf1} follow. After a minute or so of running you decide to look back. You don't see anyone following, and you have already put quite a distance between you and the church. "I think we can slow down a bit." {mf2}: "O-okay..." He takes a rest, being exhausted by the running. {mf1} joins you. > [[continue|1qEnd16.1]]

credits: credits +5 -- {mf1}: "We don't have much time to waste. The sun is already setting, and we have to get to Sherone before it becomes too dark. Let's walk, but quickly." You and {mf2} follow him. After about half an hour, {mf2} breaks the silence. {mf2}: "Hey, guys. Thanks for helping me out back then, I was pretty surprised you did that...actually..." {mf1}: "Well, it sure brought with it a lot of trouble." A short pause followed. {mf1}: "I don't assume you can go back to your friends." {mf2}: "Not... really, no..." He looks down at the ground, at a loss of words. {mf1}: "What do you say, {name}? We take him with us?" Before you can answer you find youself in front a of a huge fence, with a guard standing in front of it. Guard: "You are late. Very late. Give me the shawarma, the feast inside has already begun." He takes out a few credits, gives them to you together with a small piece of paper stating 'confirmation of quest completion' with a small signature underneath. After that the guard heads through the door, into the mansion. {mf1}: "5 credits... what a joke." {mf2}: "Hey, about what you said later..." {mf1} looks towards you. "Let's go grab something to eat, team." With a smile on everyones faces you move back towards the village. [align center] __Ending #16: The path of a criminal__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You pull the handle of the heavy wooden door. It opens with a loud creek, then closes with an even louder thump. The hall is huge, with statues and colorful glasses adorning the walls. In front of you stand multiple benches, and another 20 meters further is an altar. After walking a few steps inside you are approached by an old man. Old man: "I don't recognize you... What are you doing in here! We don't take no strangers in here!" At first you thought he might just be a grumpy old guy, but the more he talks the more he starts to yell. {mf1} tries calming him down, but that almost made him burst with rage. Soon after, you notice multiple people from the sidelines repeating his words and shouting for you to get out. They are loud and obnoxious, and they are coming closer. You look towards the altar. You see the tattooed girl, and next to her a guy with a huge scar on his face. Both are smiling in your direction. {mf1}: "We need to get out of here. I don't want this mob to surround us." You agree and head back towards the door. With a team effort, the three of you manage to open the heavy door and get outside. > [[continue|1qclimbroom]]

{mf1}: "Alright." He leans agains the wall next to the door and starts looking at the sky. {mf1}: "I wonder if we'll make it, it is already past noon, after all. Man, I thought this quest would be easier..." Suddenly, the door opens up. You hear someone shouting within, but you pay it no mind. The butler is now standing in front of you, holding a piece of paper. Butler: "This may help you on your search. Please make haste, this matter is of utmost importance." He signals the Guard to take you outside, the closes the door behind you. Now standing outside, the guard pushes you forward forcefully. It seems he is still annoyed at you. Guard: "I won't stay guard here longer than I have to, you hear me? So better hurry up, because without me you won't get in there again." {mf1} taps you on the shoulder and signals you to leave. You move through the street until you come upon a bench. You both sit down and decide to read the contents of the paper. > [[Read|1qreadpaper]]

"I think we can go inside." {mf1}: "Great. I wonder if he is as rich as he looks..." {mf1} grabs the door handle and slowly opens the door. Without emitting a sound the door swings open, the two of you step inside. You stand in a huge hall adorned by many statues, paintings and books. The room is brightly lit through a huge chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. Scanning the room, you notice a big staircase leading up to a second floor. {mf1}: "This guy has two floors in one?! And we would be happy for more than one floor at home..." Not even a guard stands watch in the big hall. It is just you and {mf1}. {mf1}: "Let's look around, shall we?" You are unsure whether the butler would like that. Should you really step further inside? > [[look around|1qlookaroundmansion]] > [[move outside again|1qmoveoutside]]

You take out the paper and flick it, opening it up in the process. On it, a text is scribbled in a very nasty and hard to read font. If you were to guess, this was written while in a rush, and certainly not by someone like the butler. The handwriting is just too primitive for these kinds of people. You try deciphering the text. [align center] "Near Home, there is red and blue. There is a secret in one, that makes the other set me free." [continue] {mf1}: "What the hell is this? A puzzle or something?" You think about the content... and how it could help you. You need to decipher the message. (you can click these three) > {reveal link: 'Home?', text: 'What is meant by home? And where is it? You need to know who it is that wrote this letter to know for sure.'} > {reveal link: 'Red and Blue?', text: 'What is red and blue supposed to mean? Are there signs at the house, or are there colored objects in the area?'} > {reveal link: 'Secret? Set me free?', text: 'You have no idea what the secret could be, or what will set him free. If you manage to find out the rest, you are sure to figure this one out somehow.'} You conclude that the first step in finding out how to decipher this paper is to think about who might have written it. Only knowing a few people involved in this, your choices are fairly limited. "I think this letter was written by... > [[The butler or Sherone himself|1qask1false]] > [[The guard|1qask1false]] > [[The person shouting inside the house|1qask1right]]

"It must have been someone from that place." {mf1}: "Who?" "I don't know, it must have been written before we went there." {mf1}: "Why is it so scribbly then?" ... {mf1}: "We don't have much time, let's just head back to the city. The people living here are so rich, I don't think any of them would steal a shawarma, or have any clues on who might have." You agree and move back into town, which takes about half an hour. >[[continue|1qinfrontchurch]]

It must have been whoever shouted inside. Maybe someone is being held there against their will? {mf1}: "What are you thinking, {name}?" "It might be the person who was shouting inside the mansion earlier who wrote this letter. He might be held there, that's why the handwriting is so weird." {mf1}: "It sounded kind of intense. The shouting, I mean. Could you understand anything from what he was saying?" "No..." {mf1} leans back and thinks. {mf1}: "Anyways, we better get a move on. Let's head back into the city, maybe we find something there." It takes you about half an hour to get back to the city. You eat the rest of the {pouch} you bought earlier on the way. > [[continue|1qinfrontchurch]]

You move through town, thinking of who this person might have been. {mf1}: "Hold on, wasn't..." You look over at {mf1}, who is taking the old questpaper out of his pocket. {mf1}: "The handwriting is rather primitive right?" You nod. He might be onto something by the way the intensely tries scanning the paper for something. {mf1}: "Here! Look, he talks about the people that stole from him as 'rabid dogs'. You think that might be because of their handwriting? Like, they don't act like humans for those aristocrats or something?" "Might be?" {mf1} seems to be on to something, but you don't quite understand his conclusion. {mf1}: "Maybe, just maybe, the person we heard earlier is one of those 'rabid dogs', and it is through them that we got a clue!" That surprisingly makes sense. A tip by an insider, so-to-speak. {mf1}: "The questpaper says these people are near the church. Let's go there!" You have no better idea, so you just follow him to the church. > [[continue|1qatchurch]]

After a short walk you arrive back at the church. {mf1}: "Alright, what did the paper say again?" You pull out the paper and read aloud. "Near Home, there is red and blue. There is a secret in one, that makes the other set me free." {mf1}: "Alright, if the paper is to be believed, then there should be... Look!" He points towards the side of the church plaza. There, you see two buildings next to another, one red and one blue. {mf1}: "Alright, which one has the secret to 'set him free', whatever that means." You move closer towards the buildings. The blue house is closer to you, and it is surrounded by a rusty fence. Inside is a garden filled with pest plants, you presume that barely anyone went in there in the last couple of years. The red house next to it has what probably once was a stone garden in front of it. It is not well maintained, but the amount of trampled down grass surrounding it makes you believe people go there regularly. > [[Check blue building first|1qgoblue]] > [[Check red building first|1qgored]]

You decide to check out the red building first. {mf1} on the other hand is moving towards the blue house first. You stand in what once was a stone garden. Rocks are scattered all across the premises, and cracked stone plates form a way towards the door and around the house. You decide to go to the door and try opening it, but with no success. It is shut tight. Looking around, you see most of the windows being boarded up, so you take a step back first. Examining the house more closely, you notice that the house itself is in a state of utter disrepair. Much of the paint on its walls has fallen off, leaving a sort of red line surrounding the building. A gaping hole sits up on the rooftop, making the entire house look incredibly unstable. You decide to take a few more steps back. Suddenly, you hear {mf1}. As you look over to him, you see that he is rushing towards you, holding what looks like a key in his hand. > [[continue|1qopen]]

You move towards the blue house. An iron fence, heavily rusted and sharp on its edges, stands in front of you. Behind it is a garden full of pest plants. Nature seems to have been left undisturbed here, with little but a small plastered way leading towards the house. With no visible way of entering the premises, you decide to rattle on the fence to see if it gives way somewhere. You move along said fence and try multiple times, until suddenly the fence gives loose and opens. An old gate, almost completely obstructed by plantlife gives way and opens in front of you. Unfortunately, right behind it stands a huge bush, making it impossible to enter. {mf1} joins you, then grabs inside the bush. {mf1}: "Pretty sure... I saw something... ouch! This bush has thorns!" He pulls his hand out of the bush, revealing a small iron key. It is rusted, like the rest of the fence, but looks more like a key to a door than a small gate. {mf1} tries putting the key into the keyhole at the gate. {mf1}: "Hm. It doesn't fit. Why is there a key in here then? For the house" You are pretty sure you know what that key represents. > {reveal link: '"I think I know what this is."', text: '"It must be the secret mentioned in the letter. "There is a secret in one, that makes the other set me free", so the key must fit somewhere over at the red house."'} {mf1} nods, and the two of you move towards said house. > [[continue|1qopen]]

You move towards the front door of the red house. It looks like someone has tried removing it from its frame, but failed. Looking at it, you see it being tilted by a few degrees, and shoved into the corner of the doorframe. Behind it you see a few pushed over benches and tables. {mf1}: "This looks recent. No moss or anything near the doorframe." He touches the door. Suddenly, you hear the wall cracking and grinding. {mf1}: "Let's just... hope this key isn't for the front door. Let's look around." Keeping a distance between you and the building, you start moving around it and looking for another place to use the key. You fortunately don't have to search long, as not long after you find a wooden door near the main house. It looks like an old entrance to a basement, as the door is more of a trapdoor than anything else. {mf1}: "Alright... Let's see if this fits." He puts the key into the lock and tries turning it. It doesn't seem to go all too smoothly. {mf1} lets go of the key. {mf1}: "Okay, this key definitely fits, I managed to turn it a little. But this lock is so rusty I am genuinely afraid that the key will break." You decide to grab the key and turn it. > [[Turn it carefully|1qturnez]] > [[Turn it forcefully|1qturnhard]]

You decide to turn the key slowly and steadily as to not break the key. Turning it feels horrible. It seems to get stuck easily and the lock won't turn. Applying a bit more pressure to the key manages to get it to crackle in your hand, making you flinch and pull back. {mf1}: "Shit, why is this so hard?" {mf1} tries turining it again, running into the same problem as you. {mf1}: "Alright, Im going to try and get this open, while you pull on the handle. Maybe it opens easier this way." You put your hand on the door handle. It seems fragile, and is full of mold and moss. Still, you grab it and pull it with a decent amount of force. {mf1} tries turning the key again. He grabs it, turns it, then click. The door is unlocked. {mf1}: "I can't believe this worked! Great job, {name}!" > [[continue|1qopenbasementdoor]]

You grab the key with your pointer finger and your thumb. Then, you decide to put one leg up on the door, and grab your occupied arm with the other. {mf1}: "What... are you doing?" You breathe out, then breathe in again. You are sure this will work. Using the full strength of your arm, helping it rotate the other, you turn the key aggresively counterclockwise. You hear a click, then a crack. The key breaks, making you fall back due to the exessive force you put on the door. {mf1} helps you up. {mf1}: "You... alright? I don' think that was necessary, but I think it's open now, at least." You both move towards the door. > [[continue|1qopenbasementdoor]]

You pull on the wooden handle. The door is heavy, heavier than the handle can probably handle. {mf1}: "Pull it open just a bit, so I can wedge my fingers between the door and the frame." You pull it a bit, then suddenly the handle breaks off. {mf1}: "Holy shit, that was close! I caught it." You look at the door. {mf1} is trying to pull it open, so you help him. Only after putting all your strength into a single pull you manage to forcefully get the door open. {mf1} steps inside first, you enter afterwards. > [[continue|1qinsidebasement]]

You enter the dark basement. In contrast to the house outside, everything in here looks intact. Multiple pieces of furniture stand near the walls, many of which holding bottles and books. In the corner, you see a few beds lying on top of each other. {mf1}: "There is barely any dust in here... I think people come here rather often. They will not like what we did to their door..." You walk around the room and think about what you are supposed to be doing here. 'There is a secret in one, that makes the other set me free.' "The secret was the key, so what will set them free?" {mf1}: "Holy shit. Over here, look!" He is standing near a wall, looking over a small table. You move over to him. > [[continue|1qgetshawarma]]

You look down at the table in front of you. "Ho-ly shit" In front of you sits the precious shawarma, wrapped partially in expensive paper and foil. {mf1}: "We found it, {name}! Holy shit, man!" He seems very happy about finding the shawarma. You can't help but share the feeling. "We should find something to carry it in." {mf1}: "Oh, right." You look through a shelf next to the table. Nothing but books and emtpy jars are placed in it. {mf1}: "Found something!" You turn around and see {mf1} holding a bag. > [[continue|1qchoicebasement]]

"Nice work." He opens the bag to put the shawarma in it, but something falls out of it. It seems like he didn't even notice it. {mf1}: "I got it, let's get out of here!" You bend down and grab whatever fell out of the bag. It is a piece of paper. Something is written on it. [align center] "Don't eat that shawarma! It is the only way to get our friend back, so eating it is out of the question!" [continue] {mf1}: "What do you have there?" You suddenly come to a realisation. "The shawarma will set him free..." {mf1}: "Wait, what?" > [[continue|1qchoiceEnding]]

{mf1}: "So, you're telling me that this shawarma is supposed to be traded with Sherone? So that he releases some guy he holds hostage? Fuck man, we heard someone shout back at his mansion, right? What if it was the guy they are trying to get back?!" You think about it. The message makes sense now. 'Near Home, there is red and blue. There is a secret in one, that makes the other set me free.' His home is the church, people must be living there. The key was the secret, and the shawarma is supposed to set him free! {mf1}: "We... can't complete this quest! But when we don't do it, where do we go? If we don't complete this quest, we'll have no money! We don't have a place to sleep!" Your father won't let you back into the house without having completed that quest. So not completing this quest is really going to make you homeless for today. You never thought about how important this quest actually is until right now. {mf1}: "Man, I don't know. Our options are all complete crap." He puts the bag back on the small table, then covers his face with one of his hands. You have to make a decision now. > [[Leave the shawarma here|1qEnd17.0]] > [[Take the shawarma to Sherone|1qEnd18.0]]

"We can't give this back to Sherone. We will find another quest tomorrow somehow." {mf1}: "You... you are right. I don't want to be part in some hostage situation..." He pulls the shawarma out of the bag and puts it back the table. Both of you grab a chair and sit down. You sit in silence for a few minutes until someone comes in from the outside. He takes a step back at the sight of you, seemingly afraid. Guy: "W-who are you guys?" You don't answer. {mf1} stands up and grabs the shawarma. Guy: "S-stop! You can't take this, it's..." {mf1}: "We know, get your guy out of there." Guy: "You... know?" Both of you nod. He takes the shawarma, bows down to you formally and then leaves. {mf1} sits back down again. {mf1}: "Did we... do the right thing?" > [["Yes"|1qEnd17.1]] > [["No"|1qEnd17.1]] > [["..."|1qEnd17.1]]

"We can't afford to fail this quest. We have to get the shawarma to Sherone." {mf1}: "But..." {mf1} seems lost and confused. You take the bag and leave. Outside, you wait for a while until he finally gets out. {mf1}: "Let's at least leave the door open, so they don't have to try something stupid to get is open again..." You nod. After breathing in and out a couple of times, you decide to move back to Sherone. It is near evening when you arrive at his mansion. You give the guard at the gate the bag with the shawarma. Guard: "Hey, you guys actually did it. Good for you, I was already getting ready to leave." He grabs the bag and brings it inside. {mf1}: "Did we... do the right thing?" > [["Yes"|1qEnd18.1]] > [["No"|1qEnd18.1]] > [["..."|1qEnd18.1]]

credits: credits + 5 -- The guard comes back, holding a piece of paper and a small bag in his hands. Guard: "Great job! Even I can leave now, which is even better. Here, this is for you." He hands you the items, then leaves. {mf1} takes the bag out of your hand. You read the paper. 'Confirmation of quest completion' is written in neat handwriting onto the paper. Below it is a stamp with 'Sherone' written inside of a little box. {mf1}: "5 credits... what a joke." He hands you the bag and goes back towards town. {mf1}: "Hey, can I sleep at your place today?" "Sure." {mf1}: "At least some nice news at least. Thank you." Unsure whether you did the right thing today, you walk back home. You feel like you'll remember this choice for a few days, at the very least. [align center] __Ending #18: Ready for another day__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{mf1}: "I see..." There is silence between you for a quite a while. You notice the sun slowly going down as the light shining into the room gets dimmer and dimmer. {mf1} stands up. {mf1}: "Alright. We better find a place to sleep before it gets dark. I'm sure we'll manage somehow." You stand up aswell and, after taking one last look around the room, head outside. {mf1}: "Man, is it really this late already? This is going to be hard..." Suddenly, you hear someone shouting. It sounds like a young boy. Boy: "There they are!" You look over towards the church. A small group of around 5 people approach you. Boy: "You understood my message! Thank you so much!" Guy from earlier: "He is the boy we needed the shawarma for. We were able to trade the shawarma for him!" {mf1}: "That's great! Haha..." A guy about your age steps forward. Guy: "You can sleep at the church with us. It's the least we can do for your cooperation." He signals you to move towards the church, and without any other options coming to mind, you follow them. {mf1}: "I think we did the right thing. You think so too, {name}?" As you look over to the boy you apparently saved, you notice a few bruises around his shoulders. His clothes are quite torn, aswell. Remembering his shout from earlier, and seeing all these wounds, you feel good about having saved him. "Yeah. I'm glad, too." [align center] __Ending #17: Doing the right thing.__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You decide to take a step further into the mansion. The wind closes the door behind you with a loud bang. {mf1}: "I guess we should have closed the door, hope no one heard that..." You nod, then move around the big hall. Up close, the paintings and statues look even more expensive, some of them even seem to be antique. You stand next to the big starcase leading up to the second floor. A bit further to your left you see a door that is partially opened, you wonder what is inside. Looking into the other corner of the hall you see {mf1} opening a big wooden door. [if mf2Exist === true] *"I should stick with {mf1}, in case we find {mf2}s friends."* > [[move towards {mf1}|1qmovemfriend1]] [else] *"{mf1} is struggling with that door... I should look somewhere else."* > [[move up the stairs|1qupthestairs]] > [[move into adjacent room|1qadjacentroom]]

"We should wait outside. I don't think the butler likes us sniffing around here." {mf1}: "Yeah, I guess you're right. A shame, though." He takes a deep breath. {mf1}: "It smells nice in here. Let's get this quest done and eat something nice, yeah?" Without waiting for an answer he leaves the mansion. You follow. > [[go outside|1qwaitoutsidemansion]]

You decide to move up the stairs towards the second floor. You look over your shoulder and see {mf1} still trying to open the door. The stairs are made of stone and ceramic and shine brightly. *"I have to be careful not to slip...."* After reaching the top you look around for anything interesting. You notice that the floor is more of a big balcony than a real floor. Only a railing stands in place to keep you from falling off, should you slip. To the left, near the railing, you see a stone statue of an ancient warriors face. In the middle of the floor stands a glass desk with a few fancily adorned chairs next to it. A big window makes the table shine uncomfortably bright. At the end of the floor you see a few book shelves, mostly filled with magazines and a few plants. You take a close look at everything that seems remotely interesting but soon realize that you are just sniffing around another persons belongings. *"This is not a good image at all... I should get over to {mf1}."* You rush down the stairs. Looking around, you notice that there is still no one standing inside the big hall. Not wanting to sniff around more than you already did, you rush over to {mf1} to see what he is up to. > [[continue|1qmovemfriend1nomf2]]

You decide to go with {mf1}. As you reach him he manages to open the door with great effort. {mf1}: "This... was difficult..." Both of you step inside and see yourselves stand inside a small storage room. The room is lit with a chandelier sitting near the end of the room, next to a heavy wooden door. {mf1}: "Look, the door is open!" You squint your eyes to look closer and see that the door is indeed not closed. A small shimmer of light protrudes through the gap between the wooden frame and the door. {mf1} signals for you to be quiet and to listen. After only a second you hear footsteps from behind you. They come from inside the big entranceway you were just in. {mf1}: _whispering_ "Shit! What do we do?" You look around the room and notice a large box near one of the walls. Both of you could hide behind it. You could also just leave quickly and get back to the door. It is not unusual for poorer folk to be interested in the world of the rich. No one would bat an eye if you acted interested enough. > [[go back|1qmoveoutside2]] > [[hide|1qhidestorage]]

_whispering_ "Let's get out of here quickly!" {mf1}: _whispering_ "Got it." Both of you silently rush back through the giant hall and then outside. On the way out you grab the handle and close the door. {mf1}: "That sure was the butler... Let's just forget about this and get back to our quest, alright?" You nod. > [[wait|1qwaitoutsidemansion]]

You point towards the large box in the corner. {mf1} seems to understand and immediately rushes over. Both of you decide to sit down to keep as low a profile as possible. After a few seconds you hear a door opening with a loud creaking sound. Someone must have entered the room, but you do not dare to look over the box. Voice of Butler: "Did I leave this door open? Hm... Well, nevermind that." You hear the door you came in close with a loud thump. With that the room falls into pitch black. {mf1}: _whispering_ "Was that the butler? I think he took the damn chandelier with him!" Suddenly, you hear a key being inserted into a lock. A silent click follows, then the sound of footsteps outside the door. From how it sounded you believe the butler locked the door to the main hall. {mf1}: "Well, let's just hope he didn't lock the other door too..." In pitch black darkness you try to follow {mf1} in search of the other door. > [[search for the door|1qfinddoordarkness]]

You stumble through a near pitch black darkness, only illuminated by a faint shimmer of light protruding from the gap in the distant doorframe. The way towards it is completely engulfed in darkness. Your trip and fall on your face, hurting your knee in the progress. {mf1}: "Hey! Are you alright?" "Yeah..." You touch your right knee with the palm of your hand. A warm liquid seems to have emerged from it. *"Goddamnit..."* - you think to yourself - *"This hurts..."* {mf1}: "We need to be more careful. If we are spotted here it's over." You decide to stay on the floor and crawl forward until you reach a wall. It is cold and moist to the touch. Moving towards the shimmer of light, always keeping your hand on the wall, you eventually reach the door. "Hey! Over here!" You hear {mf1} stumble towards you. After only a few seconds you feel his presence next to you. *"How come he didn't fall over..."*. You pout in protest. {mf1}: "Alright, let's hope this door doesn't lead to a dead end..." You hear the squeak of the door handle being turned. A second later, the once dark room is filled with light. > [[step through the door|1qwaytoprison]]

[align center] There are multiple forks inside the story. Here, you can decide where you want to try a different route. If you have not played through the game at least once, please go back. Not every choice leads to a different Ending immediately. However, every choice is provided here in chronological order, to make reaching different endings easier. Please choose "Skip to part of story" or "Tipping point" if you want to start at the described page. Choose any other option to continue the skipping process. Note: Choosing something besides "Skip to part of story" or "Tipping point" continues the skipping process, showing spoilers if haven't read the described part yet. Only choose those it if you already experienced them once. [continue] > [[Start|SkipToPart]] --- > [[Ending list (spoilers)|Ending List]]

You look through the now opened door. A winding staircase lies ahead of you, lit by a torch hanging on a nearby wall. {mf1} grabs it. {mf1}: "Alright, let's go down." He starts his descend, but you decide to pause for a moment. *"The butler must be confused as to where we have gone. If we get spotted here our little adventure here will be over."* You decide to finally walk down the stairs. After about 50 steps you reach the end of the stairwell. {mf1} looks back at you. {mf1}: "Look at this." You stand in what is most likely the basement of the mansion. The room is so cold you can see {mf1}s breath. In stark contrast to the nicely painted room upstairs, this room looks more like something you are used to. Walls made out of stone, a few candles in the distance to light a small desk. As you approach it, you notice a rather long hallway to your right. The torch in {mf1}s hand is the only thing illuminating the entire room, so you assume you can't see the end of the hallway in front of you. {mf1}: "We should check this place out. We have to get out of here somehow." > [[move on|1qcheckoutprison]]

{mf1} extends his arm towards the hallway. The light of the torch reaches a bit further now. You can see a cell door on your right. {mf1}: "Well, now I REALLY want to get out of here..." You turn towards the desk. A few candles sit atop, which {mf1} swiftly lit with his torch. Their glow is not strong, but it is better than nothing. On the desk you spot a few sheets of paper. Sifting through them, you notice that most of them have been written in black ink and in the most eloquent handwriting you have ever seen. {mf1}: "I am sure one of the nobles here must have written them. No chance any of us have had time in our lives to get this good of a handwriting." He grabs a single paper at random and starts reading it. You look back at the desk and notice that one of the papers is crumpled and dirty. After a moment of hesitation you grab it it and pull it up to your face. After you start reading its contents, an unknown voice interrupts you from a distance. > [[continue|1qunknownvoice]]

Unknown Voice: "Is... Anyone here?" The voice sounds very muffled, almost like a whisper. It is very rough-sounding and definitely belongs to a grown man. You look over at {mf1}, but it's like he didn't hear the voice at all. He just rummages through the papers lying on the table. {mf1}: "Hey, what do you have there? It looks different from the rest, can I have look?" Baffled at his indifference, you hand him the paper and move towards the voice you heard with the small candle from the table in hand. *"I can't have just imagined it... The sound came from this hallway!"* You walk past the cell but quickly realize that the candlelight from the table is insufficient if you really want to take a look inside of it. Moving onwards you notice that there is another cell right next to it. From what you could estimate there must be at least five of these cells here before the hallway ends. "Hey, can I borrow the torch for a second?" {mf1} has his eyes glued to the paper you handed him earlier. He doesn't even react to your request. *"Is he deaf or something?"* > [[take the torch and look inside the cells|1qlookcells]] > [[take a look at the paper|1qlookpaper]]

You tap {mf1} on the shoulder. He puts down the paper. {mf1}: "What is it?" "I heard a voice from over there. I think we should check it out." {mf1}s face becomes pale. {mf1}: "That would be really, really bad. Good thing we were basically whispering since we got here... Alright, let's go." He grabs the torch from besides the table and walks onwards in front of you. You pass the first three cells, but none of them were occupied. Then, you pass the fourth cell." > [[continue|1qcelllight]]

You surmise that the voice you heard must have come from inside your head. There is no way {mf1} could be so focused on reading that he wouldn't hear it amidst the oppressive silence inside this prison. You decide to move back towards the table and take a look at the paper {mf1} is reading. Both of you might have passed your academic studies with success, but reading difficult texts was never one of your strong suits. The task of writing, distributing and eventually reading such texts was mostly something only the wealthy elite would do in their spare time. As you two are commoners, most of the papers on the desk are way too hard for you to read. But this one, crumpled up paper with spots of dirt everywhere was different. It was written in the language of someone like you, not in that of a noble. [align center] *"Hello friends, this is my report about the Sherone infiltration mission. We attacked the hidden cellar inside the basement of the mansion, knocking out three guards that were stationed there. We put all three of them inside the **fourth cell** and locked the gate. We did not throw away the keys and put them back near the desk. Keeping them would only give them a reason to go after after us. As for what we found, we did not find anything of value which we could use to help our community. We did however create a hidden tunnel inside the **fxxxx cell** (the passage is destroyed with black ink) in case we ever want to get back inside. Me and my team believe that this should not have been our last visit there, and that next time we will..."* [continue] The paper is unreadable after that. {mf1}: "A hidden tunnel? We could escape through that! I already found the keys, look!" He grabs under the table and pulls out a keychain with 4 keys attached. Against all common sense they do not make a sound as they clash against each other. {mf1}: "But the passage is unreadable... I don't know which cell this tunnel is supposed to be in. Even more..." You get a striking realization. > [[continue|1qwhichcell]]

You put your hand on {mf1}'s mouth. *'Three guards were stationed here, we threw them into the fourth cell.'*. This is what the paper said! However, you have no idea how old this text is. For all you know, it could have been written today. "I heard voices earlier..." - you whisper. As you were afraid of being spotted, both you and {mf1} talked in a very subdued voice every since the butler entered the dark room earlier. It might be possible that, if the guards are still stuck inside the cell, they have by now awoken and are trying to find a way outside of their cell. You point towards the passage where the text describes the guards, then towards the cell. {mf1}'s eyes widen as he realises what you try telling him. He signals you to back away from the light and whispers: "I have a theory. If they are awake and inside the cell, then surely they must have noticed the tunnel, right? No way would they stay inside the cell if they could just get out! So, if we go one, two, three, four, five... and the text still showed that the cell started with f... Then we can assume that the entrance is in the fifth cell! Let's give it a try." You wonder if {mf1} is too hasty with his judgement. Maybe you could look over the text one more time? > [[look text over|1qcellnolight]] > [[accompany him|1qcelllight]]

Both of you move towards the table with the candle on top of it. You pick up one of the papers. {mf1}: "Why are you reading now? I thought we had a plan?" You signal to him that reading is the right choice here. With a small frown on his face, he picks up one of the papers aswell. The candle only gives off a small amount of light. Looking through the corridor, you notice that the candle barely illuminates the metal bars of cell four and five. If anyone is in there, even more so if they are tied up, it could be possible that they don't notice us standing here. Knowing people might be behind bars at the end of the corridor, both of you now stand next to the table so that no shadow is thrown in that direction. {mf1} taps you on the shoulder. {mf1}: "Here, take a look at this." He hands you a small note. You put it on the table and read it. The writing is clean and precise, it was most likely written by a nobleman or someone employed by them. [align center] *"We have been given notice that one of you lost the key to the fifth cell door. I am sure you are well informed that there are no copies of the cell door keys and that a failure to recover the missing key will result in severe punishment for all of you. You are given three days to get it back."* [continue] > [[continue|1qcellnewplan]]

{mf1}, with torch in hand, approaches the fourth cell door. You are only around a meter behind him. Suddenly, you see him getting grabbed and the torch falling to the floor, extinguishing immediately on the muddy stone floor. The whole corridor is now drenched in darkness, with not even a window or something providing as much a shimmer of light. The oppressive darkness scares you, and you stumble over your own feet while trying to move backwards. You don't understand why you are suddenly struck with such a terrifying fear, letting out a weak "ahh" as your whole body stiffens. Suddenly, you realize why you are so afraid. You jump forward, hoping you won't hit a wall. Stretching out your arms while you jump, you hit something soft. {mf1}: "Uaaah!!" It does not go down easily. A strong resistance holds it in place, but by putting your whole bodyweight into it you manage to get it loose. You crash on said soft thing on the floor, which let out a strong exhale as you landed. {mf1}: "Fuck! Thanks, {name}." Suddenly, you are grabbed and pulled back away from where you just laid. You notice that your body has loosened up a lot, and that your mind is clearer now. Without thinking about what you did you realize: you instinctively pushed {mf1} away from whatever grabbed him behind those bars. You were never afraid of the darkness, but of what lurked between it. > [[try and stand up|1qopencell]]

You push yourself off the ground and, with some difficulty, manage to stand up. Someone touches your shoulder from behind, you shiver. {mf1}: *"Don't freak out, it's me. We need to hide, they got my keys."* He grabs your arm and pulls you further away from the cell until you reach a wall. You put your hand in front of your mouth. Nothing in your entire life has scard you more than this moment. In pitch black darkness you hear the sound of keys clinging against each other. After a short while, the sound of metal screechign against each other can be heard. Click...cling! With a loud squeek what you can only assume is the door is opened. You hear more than one pair of footsteps exit the cell. None of them are making any other kind of sound, the only thing you hear is their heavy boots on the stone floor. Suddenly, you hear a loud THUD, followed by wood breaking and paper falling to the floor. Someone must have hit the table hard. Voice: **"hmmm..HMMMMMM"** The voice belongs to a man who sounds to be in a lot of pain now. His muffled scream can only mean that his mouth is somehow blocked by something. Maybe their mouths are tied up with a rope? After waiting a few more moments you hear a door opening. It must be the exit door, there was no other door besides that. With a silent thud the door closes. {mf1}: "We need to find a way out of here fast..." > [[stand back up and walk towards the now opened cell|1qinsidefourcell]]

You look towards {mf1}. He has taken out the keys he showed you earlier and is examining them closely. {mf1}: *"It is a good thing you stopped me..."* He shows you one of the keys, pointing towards the handle. You see the number '2' inscribed on it. {mf1}: "The number five is missing." You take the keys and examine them yourself. Sure enough, number five is missing. {mf1}: "Let me get this straight: You have heard a voice which might or might not be that of a guard imprisoned in cell four. I thought the tunnel must bee in cell five. But when the key was missing before the tunnel was created, then said way would be useless to anyone trying to get in. I see two options we could go for..." He takes his pointer finger up to his chin and begins to think. {mf1}: "We could go back the way we came and try to find a way back. We have some light now, so we can see inside the dark room better. On the other hand, I can't imagine guards being imprisoned here and no one noticing. Maybe you just imagined the voice?" Both sound like plausible options to you. The voice was so muffled it could have very well been nothing, after all. > [[option 1|1qbacktodarkroom]] > [[option 2|1qcelllight]]

{mf1} takes the candle and moves back towards the room you both came from. As he goes up the stairs, and the light of the candle fades from the corridor, you hear loud banging noises and muffled screams. Whatever is down there, you are happy that you don't have to deal with it anymore. {mf1} carefully opens the door and takes a peek inside. It is pitch black inside, just as it was earlier. Both of you enter, now equipped with a source of light. Inside, {mf1} quickly find a gas lamp. He lights it with the candle and the entire room fills with light. You are surrounded by lots of boxes, many of which opened, toppled over and some even broken. You can even see the wooden plank you fell over earlier. {mf1}: "Alright, lets look around." >[[look around|1qlookarounddarkroom]]

You move forward, hugging the bars of the fifth cell as you go, until you reach the opened door of the fourth cell. {mf1} grabs your shirt slightly, symbolizing that you show the way. Even with the two of you being right next to each other it is hard to tell where each of you are, that is how dark it is here. You move forward, thinking that you will at some point hit a wall. Surpirisingly to you, the wall does not seem to come. You have looked into the first cell and assumed that each cell must be built the same way but this one goes on for far longer that it should be. *"Did I really enter a cell? This darkness is making me crazy"* ... After a while you finally reach a wall. To your surprise you find yourself not touching one of the cold stones you found in the prison, but a rough, untreated wall of stone and mud. It must still be in construction, there is no way a wall like that would be inside a cell. You feel {mf1} strive your left side, seemingly taking the lead. You decide to follow the sound of his footsteps. After having taken a sharp left turn once you hit the wall earlier you now move along a long corridor once again, much longer than you could ever fathom being apart of a single cell room. Suddenly, {mf1} stops and you bump into him, almost tipping over in the process. {mf1}: "Holy shit. Look to your right, {name}." > [[look to your right|1qfreedomfromcell]]

Just as you are told, you turn right. In the distance, you can see the end of a long hallway, illuminated from the side. It is built out of stone and dirt, like it was made in a hasty manner. Definitely not a normal part of the eccentric interior of the mansion you were just in. {mf1}: "I think we might have found a way out..." Both of you move forward until you reach the illuminated wall. To your left is an opening that leads outside. {mf1} checks it out. You look to your right. In front of you is another dark corridor which seems to end in another room. The room is illuminated and you see peoples feet walk aroudn the room. {mf1}: "Hey, {name}! We can espace thorugh here! We are outside the mansion so I don't think we'll get caught!" You take a look back into the dark corridor. "Yes, let's get out of here." The blinding light of the sun shines in your eyes as you exit the corridor. After a few seconds you are able to see again. You stand at the side of a hill. Looking upwards you see a big fence at the top of the hill. Sherone's mansion must be up there." {mf1}: "Come on, let's get away from here." [if trail.includes("1qfreedomfromcell")] You think to yourself for a second longer... *"I am inside a secret corridor right now... there is no way Sherone knows we are here... Maybe we can get the Shawarma if we sneak inside?"* > [[move away|1qmoveawaymansion]] > [[sneak inside|1qsneakinside]] **TRIGGER WARNING: Second choice contains heavy gore!** [else] > [[move away|1qmoveawaymansion]] > [[think about if for a second...|1qfreedomfromcell]]

"Let's get out of here..." The blinding light of the sun shines in your eyes as you exit the corridor. After a few second you are able to see again. You stand at the side of a hill. Looking upwards you see a big fence at the top of the hill. Sherone's mansion must be up there." You move away from the hill into a forest. To distance themselves from the poorer polulation, the rich arificially planet a small forest between them and the city. Over the years, life blossomed inside this forest with many animals now living here. Because of that, and because of the strict regulations of keeping the poorer away, most people never enter the forest. You therefore do not know if this forest is safe to traverse in. Still, as there was no other way forward and as the forest naturally breaks line of sight with the mansion up the hill, both of you decided to move aimlessly into the forest. > [[explore|1qinsideforest]]

"We could sneak back in here, look!" {mf1} takes a look and lets out a big sigh. {mf1}: "Yeah, we were supposed to help find... wait a minute!" His voice suddenly got a lot lounder. You hastily signal for him to quiet down. After taking a deep breath, he continues. {mf1}: "Those guys back then... They might have been the friends the others were searching for! We have to get them before they are captured again!" Both of you nod to each other, then turn around and move inwards until you reach a brightly lit room. > [[continue|1qinsidekitchen]]

None of you ever walked through a forest. An experienced forest watcher would sigh when looking at what you are doing right now. For what felt like hours the two of you walked through a thicket of trees and bushes, turning left and right whenever you felt that walking in a straight line wouldn't lead to results. The forest was obviously planted, as the distance between trees and the size of the bushes are often times identical to each other, making it impossible to spot any rememberable landmarks anywhere. The sun is setting, and the entire forest is now englufed by the redness of the sun setting upon the horizon. No exit in sight, {mf1} starts to panic. {mf1}: "**How are we even stuck here?! ** It makes no sense, there is no way this forest is this big!" He has been repeating that sentence a few tiems by now. But his voice is getting louder and angrier every time he speaks it again. Your stomach growls loudly. {mf1}: "Shit... Yeah I'm hungry too. Fuck, what do we do now? I don't know how to survive in a forest? And who knows what kinds of animals live here!" > [[try calming him down a bit|1qcalmmf1forest]]

mf2there: false mf2Exist: true -- You assume {mf2}s friends might be the thieves you are after... You are at a crossroads. > [[Skip to part of story|1qreconsider]] Possible Endings: 1-9, 17-21, special Ending 1-5 --- > [[You chose to go with {mf2}|GoWithMf2]] > [[You chose to search for {mf1}|SearchForMf1]]

mf2there: true mf2Exist: false -- You enter the town square and walk past the academy. A young man tackles you, with one of your old teachers trying to catch him. > [[Skip to part of story|1qsearchhim]] Possible Endings: 6-18, 22-35 --- > [[chase the guy|chase]] > [[ignore him and move further towards market|market]]

As you enter the market, you find {mf1} and his father, who is being detained by the police. {mf1} suggests you eat something at a restaurant. > [[Skip to part of story|1qleaverestaurant]] Possible Endings: 17,18, 22-35 --- You think your clue about the thieves whereabouts might be useless by now as some time has already passed. You consider going to Sherone to get some clues from him. > [[go to Sherone|infrontmansion]] > [[follow the old plan|back to church]]

You find yourself at Sherones door. > [[Skip to part of story|1qinfrontmansion]] Possible Endings: 17,18,22,23 --- You think about moving inside. Choosing to wait outside will lead to either **Ending 17 or 18**. > [[wait outside|waitoutside]] > [[go inside|go inside]]

You reah out your hand towards him, ajnd as he notices what you are trying to do he sighs. {mf1}: "Yeah, thins anger won't get us anywhere..." He looks around. Where you are standing right now looks pretty much identical to where you were standing 1, 2, 4 maybe even more hours ago. The scenery never seems to change. {mf1}: "Ok... I am no survival expert or something, but I have plan. We are hungry and we are downright broke..." As he said that you check your pockets. They are empty. You nervously rumamge around your pockets to see where your money went. {mf1} looks at you with clear despair in his eyes, then continues his speech. {mf1}: "I think we should just move in that direction and never go left or right... I just hope we don't go back to Sherone..." Both of you continue walking through the forest. > [[continue until it is too dark to properly see|1qmf1forestnight]]

It has become dark. The moon shines rather dimly today, much to your demise. {mf1}: "We...can't go on like this. Let's sit the night out, maybe get soem sleep..." You sit down next to a tree. You don't even need to see anything to know exactly how this place looks in birght sunlight. {mf1} is the same and sits down next to you. Your legs ache from walking all day, especially on the rough terrain of the forest. Your pants are torn in many places, and your lower leg is covered in cuts and bruises from all the bushes. {mf1} can't be in much other shape. Luckily it is summer right now, and the night won't get all too cold - you think to yourself. But still, sitting down hungry and exhausted still makes you feel really cold. You shiver. {mf1} seems to notice and puts some kind of cloth on top of you. The darkness makes it impossible too see what it is though. {mf1}: "I don't need it right now... I cant have you shivering right next to me, it makes me anxious..." There is a certain melancholy and despair in his voice. > [[lean back and close your eyes|1qmf1forestnight2]]

{mf1}: "You know..." He readjusts the way he sits. {mf1}: "I don't think you were every in any kind of situation like this, right?" Wandering whether this was just a rhethorical question or not, you still decide to answer with a "not really". {mf1}: "Thought so... you know, everyone knows your father is weird, I mean he is kind of famous for it, at least in my opinion... but I don't think he is a bad guy. *sigh* At least he tries to keep his house..." [if letter === true] You remember the postcard you read earlier today, back at your house. It is true, your father was adamant to keep his house, even if it is falling apart at the seams. [continue] {mf1}: "I had to sleep outside queite a lot recently. One time my father had forgotten to pay for the house, once he was arrested for causing a scene somewhere and many times he just wouldn't come home at all for the night. I had 3 keys for the house, all of them he stole from my room over the course of what, a month? What I am trying to say is that I survived nights outside alone, and now that we two are here together there is no way we won't make it out of this alive, even hungry as we are right now..." You remember the last few months at the academy. {mf1} would often times attend class way before anyone else, often times sitting in front of the academia itself because the janitor hadn't opened the main door yet. You always wondered why he would come this early, he didn't really do anything until you showed up and did stuff with him. Thinking back on it, you feel really bad about the times you came late to class right now. > [[sleep|1qsleepforest]]

You lean back a bit more and feel yourself slipping into sleep. What you dreamt about is only a blur now, but you know that it was a vivid one and that you woke up exhausted and disoriented. When you awoke you were not in a forest, but in a house. You do not remember this house. It's not like you would know many more bedrooms than yours and those of your siblings, as you are as of yet maidenless. You think about how nice it is to sleep somewhere other than your old dirty bed or the floor. Who put you here anyways? After looking around the house and not noticing a whole lot except for a window, a few sets of furniture and the occational dusk web, you decide to get out of bed and walk towards the door you spotted esarlier. To your surprise, the floor neither creaks beneath your feet nor stabs you in your foot with a slinter. A nice change of pace from home. As you grab the doorhandle the door suddenly swings open towards you. You lose your balance and fall on your butt. [if mf2Exist === true] {mf2}: "Ahh! I'm sorry, {name}! Let me help you up!" Somehow, {mf2} is in front of you. He is holding a wooden plate with a sandwich and a glass of milk in his hand. You wonder where you could be, as you believe that {mf2} probably doesn't have his own house. He extends his arm towards you, you grab it and get up on your feet. {mf2}: "Here, you should eat. You have been having a really bad dream and..." [continue] {mf1} stands in the hallway. {mf1}: "You were bitten by a snake, {name}. Three days ago. Nice to see you finally awake." "Huh?" [if mf2Exist === true] > [[continue|1qEnd19mf1]] [else] > [[continue|1qEnd20mf2]]

{mf1}: "Yeah... You were sweating a lot, too. I have no clue how you're not completely dehydrated by now. Come on, drink!" {mf2} hastily hands you the glass of milk. You drink it in one whole swig. *"Why milk though? I'm not a small kid anymore..."* {mf1} moves closer into the room. He looks pretty exhausted somehow. {mf1}: "{mf2} caught us and showed me the way out of that damn forest..." {mf2}: "I helped build that entranceway! I was lost inside the forest the first time too, ehe..." "And... why are you here? Where even are we?" {mf2}: "We a-" {mf1}: "We are at my place. I left the window open last time so we just crawled in. Dad didn't show up yet so no problems there... for now..." He looks out the window with fleeting eyes. *"Must be stressful to worry all the time... guess that's why he is so exhausted"* - you think to yourself. {mf2}: "And I wanted to help! With the snakebite and all that. I..." {mf1}: "I don't know your history but he sure did care for you while you were out. Like a mom or something." {mf2} blushes slightly. On the other hand, you can't make out whether {mf1} is annoyed or jealous by his expression alone. Seeing both of them care so much for you fills your heart with joy. {mf2}: "Our... mission failed... I was hoping I could join you two in... whatever you want to be doing..." {mf1}: "His whole team was arrested. He somehow slipped away and you know the rest. We can forget about the quest btw, no shawarma is worth anything after three days." You look down. {mf2} hands you the sandwich and points to your mouth. As you take a bite, you decide to ask a question with your mouth full. "So... are you two alright?" {mf2} blushes red. {mf1} notices and sighs audably. {mf1}: "Yeah, we are quite alright. Just a bit tired from worrying about father coming back, and we have a bit of a food shortage here... No money to spend, and I can't get caught stealing something when I've got to look out for you two." {mf2} turns around swiftly, visibly annoyed. {mf2}: "W-Well! I cared for {name} a lot more than you, so I did my fair share too..." He seemed rather reluctant at the end there. Seems like he doesn't want to feel useless living here. {mf1}: "It's alright, don't worry, you helped a lot. But you can seriously... back off from {name} a bit now..." You didn't even notice, but {mf2} grabbed your arm at some point and is squeezing it rather softly right now. He looks like a girlfriend hugging her boyfriends arm. It feels kind of cute, but you don't quite understand why this is happening. {mf2} blushes again. His girly expressions towards you make you rather uncomfortable. {mf2}: "I just..." He looks down, looking rather depressed. His mood really turned upside down within just a few seconds. {mf1} sighs again. > [[continue|1qEnd20.1mf2]]

You reach the end of the surprisingly long tunnel after crawling through the last few meters. Now standing in a brightly lit room, you look around. In front of you are a few shelves filled with different kinds of foods. Peppers, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables lie across the many compartments. At the end of the room stands a large stove. {mf1}: "This must be part of the kitchen... My kitchen at home was bigger than this..." Looking to your left you notice a half open door. You move towards it, closing it until there is only a small gap you can look through. On the other side of the door lies a big room filled with lots of stoves, big cutting tables and a huge metallic table in the middle of the room. Many plates are placed on the table, some containing only a few vegetables while others have big, exquisite looking meals on them. One of them even seems to contain a pigs head. You wonder if Sherone is expecting any guests today. {mf1}: "There is no one in there..." You shriek silently. {mf1} somehow managed to get behind you without you noticing. He looks through the gap in the door just like you. After taking a step back and letting out an enthusiastic "hmpf!", he opens the door. > [[continue|1qinsidekitchen2]]

You enter the kitchen. Just as you saw a moment ago, many plates fill the center table. All the food is very well prepared and looks very expensive. In your life, you have eaten little more than stew, bread and vegetables. Something like this is a bizarre sight for you. Suddenly, you hear people shouting. Loud angry voice: "Catch this criminal! He is with them!" {mf1} grabs you by your arm and rushes towards the end of the kitchen. A large cupboard stands in front of you. {mf1}: "I hope this is empty..." He opens the cupboard. It is indeed empty, big enough to fit in a whole person. {mf1}: "One of us can hide in there, the other has to find another place to hide. Hurry, you decide!" You have only a second to decide, as you hear footsteps approaching the door where the voice came from earlier. > [[get inside|1qinsidecupboard]] > [[get back to the other room|1qotherroom]]

foyer: 'cupboard' -- "I'll squeeze in there! You go over to that door and hide!" {mf1} nods, then turns and immediately sprints away from you. On his way there he knocks over a few plates from the counter next to him. *"Alright, I hope I'll fit in there..."* It is a tight fit, but you manage to get inside and close the door. {mf1} is slightly bigger than you, it is well possible that he wouldn't have fit inside here. You smile to yourself, confident that you made the right decision. Only a second later, you hear a door being violently opened. The man from before shouts again. Loud voice: "Hurry already! There are a lot of windows here for them to escape! We can't have them get away!" Deep manly voice: "Yes, sir! We are on it!" Multiple people enter the room, you can determine as much from the amount of footsteps stomping across the floor. You cover your mouth with your hand as to not make a sound. Female voice: "They made a mess in here..." Man: "Those dogs... These plates were exquisitely crafted! They will pay for this!" Deep manly voice: "Sir, I'd advise against searching this room. It is quite unlikely that anyone is still here after all the mess they've caused, and there is no window here anyways. We will check the room nextdoor, if you may." Man: "Yes, this sounds like a good idea. Lead the way." Deep manly voice: "Of course, sir." With that, you hear the footsteps getting further away, and at the end a door closing. It is not quite silent in here. > [[step out of the cupboard|1qstepoutcupboard]]

foyer: 'room' -- " You get in there, I will try my luck nextdoor!" {mf1}: "A-are you sure?" He looks down towards the cupboard hesitantly. However, there is no time to be thinking right now so you turn around and rush towards the door. {mf1}: "Yeah, fuck that!" {mf1} sounds pretty angry behind you. Nontheless you decide to press on, forcefully opening the door and getting inside. As you try closing the door behind you... {mf1}: "Don't close that door! Let me in!" You stand confused and almost paralyzed. At the same time, {mf1} rushes into the room and closes the door behind him more or less quietly. He starts whispering. {mf1}: *"We should find a place to hide"* > [[search|1qsearchadjacentroom]]

It does not take you much time until you reach the big hall once more. The sight in front of you shocks you to your core. An insurmoutable amount of bodies lie scattered across the floor, some of them with a puddle of blood under them. {mf1}: "H...holy shit..." Then suddenly, you hear a cry. ...:"ahhhh!" You snap your head towards the origin of the sound. It is from the balcony that is connected to the huge staircase at the other side of the hall. Looking up, you see a young man falling over the balcony railing. Guy: "AAAAAAAAAAHHH" He screams with terror as he starts falling. Wildly flayling his arms around in the air does not aid him in his fall. With a loud thump he falls to the floor headfirst, his head snapping violently as it reached the bottom. Bones extrude from the wound in his neck, creating a huge puddle of blood below him in no time. You feel like you're going to puke. Commanding voice: "Anyone else want to end up like him, huh?!" On top of the balcony stands a bulky looking man in police attire. He stands next to the railing at the exact point where the guy fell from. It dawns on you that he might have pushed the guy to his death. Boy: "Let's get over there, below the balcony. It's better if we're not seen for now." It does not matter whether anyone agrees with his idea or not. Everyone just follows him instictively below the balcony, stepping over multiple bodies in the process. > [[continue|1qbelowbalcony]]

As you look around the room, checking the boxes for something of value, you notice a few interesting things. Some of the boxes contain nothing but old fruits, stuff you expect to eat at home, not at a fancy place like this. In other boxes you find small statues and figurines, many depicting girls with abnormally large eyes and uncannily unrealistic proportions. It didn't take {mf1} long to find out that you can even remove the clothes from some of them, revealing a well defined body beneath. {mf1}: "Those rich guys sure are weird..." You grab a bag from one of the other boxes. As you pick it up something blinds you. "Ugh..." After a few seconds of your eyes adjusting to the light you see a box full of gold coins in front of you. They must have just been made, they sparkle in the lamps glow. {mf1} looks over to you with his mouth open. {mf1}: "You have got to be kidding..." He grabs a bag near him and rushes over to you. > [[continue|1qgetcoins]]

Each of you grab a handful of coins at a time and put them in your bags. It is a great feeling. These coins are worth 10 credits each, one of them enough for both of you to eat and drink well for a whole week. After you finish filling up your bag it occurs to you. "Isn't this steal-" {mf1} taps you on the shoulder and looks you dead in the eye. Holding up his almost completely filled bag, he speaks to you. {mf1}: "Do we really care?" [if alignment==='paragon'] {reveal link: '"We do!"', text: 'After speaking these words you look back down towards your bag, then back towards him. He rises one of his eyebrows. Yeah, you are not THAT holy.'} [else] "Nope." [continue] You and {mf1} close up your bags, both of which are now filled to the brim with the shiny coins. Suddenly, you hear people shouting from where you came from. > [[hide behind the boxes|1qbehindboxes]]

You hide behind one of the big boxes. {mf1} hides the lamp in one of the undamaged boxes and closes the lid. It is now pitch black again. After only a few seconds you hear the door to the main hall slam open. You hear the voice of a young man, maybe even a teenager. Young man: "Shit! It's dark in here... The door must be just across the room!" You hear a few more pairs of footsteps follow them. They seem to be in a hurry and breathe heavily. One of them falls to the ground, cursing loudly as he tries to get back up. Young man: "There, I'm at the door! Over here!" With a creaking sound, the door opens, illuminating part of the room with torchlight. Fortunately for you, your box is still hidden in the shadows. After the last of them leave the room, you look over to {mf1}. {mf1}: "Lets get out of here!" The door to the entranceway is still partially open from when the others went inside. A small shimmer of light pertrudes through the small gap between the frame and the door. {mf1} pushes you to move over and exit the dark room once and for all, but something does not feel quite right. > [[exit anyways|1qescape]] [if trail.includes("1qbehindboxes")] {mf1}: "Wait! Surely they must be {mf2}s guys, right? We should follow them." That's right, you almost forgot. Fear must have kept you from thinking straight, or maybe you were just too focused to think back? You nod, even though in this darkness there was no way {mf1} could have noticed that. For a second you think about putting down the bag of coins, as it is loud and pretty heavy. However on second thought you realized how idiotic it would be to leave this much money here just because it's a little heavy. {mf1} seems to think so aswell, hurdling the bag over his shoulder with great effort. He takes out the lamp from the box and the two of you exit the dark room back into the basement, where the others went. > [[follow them|1qhelpguys]] Trigger warning! Graphic descriptions of gore [else] > [[think about it for a second...|1qbehindboxes]]

You look outside into the big hall. A group of what looks like thugs in black robes run around grabbing books, figurines and many other things that look valuable. At the door, three guards lay on the floor, passed out. {mf1}: "I don't see any guards standing around..." You look leftwards. On top of a big starcase stands a slender man in expensive clothing, his head red and fuming. Rage fills his eyes as he looks down towards the thieves that are stealing whatever they can find. *"This must be Sherone."* {mf1}: "Hey, I found something." You turn around and look at {mf1}. He has gone back into the room and is looking through a box. After rummaging around a bit, he hands you some kind of cloth. {mf1}: "This should be big enough to conceal our faces. Lets put it on our head and run out the front door." You don't really like this plan, but you also feel sandwiched between the dark, dangerous basement and the open, impossible to hide in entrance floor. After only a second of hestitation you take the cloth from {mf1}. It is much larger than you thought, and is luckily even colored black, just like the thieves in the entranceway. {mf1}: "I don't think we have much time, let's hurry." You swing the cloth around your head until only your eyes are visible anymore. {mf1} does the same. Both of you nod towards each other, then rush out the door into the hall. > [[continue|1qentrancewaywayout]]

You go down the staircase once more, now with ample lighting. Downstairs you hear the sound of shuffling feet, most likely the guys from earlier. {mf1} whispers to you. {mf1}: *"They might attack us if we are not careful... We should be prepared for some fighting until the situation is cleared up."* You think about this for a moment, still descending the staircase. *"It must be very dark down there from earlier... they must have noticed the light of our lamp by now... There is also no way they think of us as allies, they sounded like they were chased just a second ago... wait, hold on!"* A thought enters your mind that chills you to the bone. *"They were chased!"* . They ran through a huge foyer to get here, there is absolutely no way they weren't noticed by a guard. Your slow and thoughtful approach just went out the window. You hastily think about what to do now. Going down quickly is a shure way for trouble. However, going down slowly could be dangerous aswell if they are being chased. You could also just go back, but that would leave {mf2}s friends stuck here. > [[rush down as quickly as possible|1qrushdown]] > [[go down slowly|1qgodownslowly]] > [[turn back and hide again|1qescape0]]

You rush out the door, slamming the door open and almost falling from the sharp turn you took. The bag of coins on your shoulders weighs you down significantly, but you won't let that stop you. Looking at {mf1}, you notice how similar he looks to the thieves in here. You breathe a sigh of relief, then start sprinting towards the main door. Suddenly, a guard appears at the door. You are only a few meters away from him, but your speed makes it impossible for you to stop in time. {reveal link: 'You decide to knock him down!', text: 'Using the weight of the coin sack on your back, you let yourself fall on your back, sliding feet first into the guard, knocking him down on his face. He curses and shouts as his hands fill with blood from his probably now broken nose.'} {mf1} grabs you and pulls you outside, slamming the door shut as you roll over the garden stone tiles. You quickly stand back up and grab your bag. As you look forward, you see two more guards standing there. One of them is looking another way, while the other points at you two and starts opening his mouth. Before he can even say a word, {mf1} jumps him and slams the bag of money into his face, knocking him out in an instant. The other guard notices and quickly turns around, but {reveal link: 'you are faster', text: 'with every ounce of strength in your body you decide to form a fist and punch the guard into the jaw. His eyes roll back and he falls to the ground, unconscious.'} The road now being clear, both of you rush out the main entrance into the street. Now at street level you decide to take a left turn away from the village to not run into anyone, then just run for as long as your feet take you. > [[continue|1qEnd21]]

credits: 10000 -- After running for what felt like an hour you take a stop near an abandoned shed. You don't quite know where you are, but you for sure are far away from Sherones mansion and the village. {mf1} takes the cloth off his face and breathes heavily. {mf1}: "Holy... shit... *cough* ... I never expected to do something like this, did you?" He looks over to you. His face is red and full of sweat. You take the cloth off too, revealing to {mf1} a face not unlike his own, red and full of sweat. [if alignment==='paragon'] "And I do hope we never do this again... Just pretend like we are Robin Hood or something like this today, okay? *cough* *cough*" [else] "Beating up those guards sure was a treat wasn't it? Heh- *cough*" [continue] {mf1} smiles and leans back. {mf1}: "We made more money today than our dads did their whole life, didn't we? Let's take a small break, then stash all this money somewhere at your place. It's so far out that no one is gonna check for something there." [if letter===true] You remember the letter about your house. It may not be as good of a hiding place as {mf1} might think, but you don't have the energy to discuss this with him right now. [continue] "Yeah, and lets eat something good afterwards." {mf1}: "For sure. Man, this is gonna be great, hehe." {mf1} has a big smile on his face as he looks up towards the sky. It is a beautiful sunset. This adventure sure ended rather quickly in the end, you think to yourself. [align center] __Ending #20: Rich af__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{mf1}: "Yeah... You were sweating a lot, too. I have no clue how you're not completely dehydrated by now. Come on, drink" Some guy you don't know shows up at the door and hastily hands you a glass of milk. Thirsty as you are, you drink it in one whole swig. {mf1}: "This guy caught us and showed me the way out of that damn forest... His name is {mf2}, by the way. He also helped me carry you here." {mf1} looks pretty exhausted. His gaze falls out the window every few seconds, and he doesn't seem to catch a break. Anxiety is written all over his face, although he tries his best to hide it. {mf2} interrupts your thinking. {mf2}: "I helped build that entranceway you guys took! I was lost inside the forest the first time too, ehe... It is pretty dangerous there, I'm happy you are alright at last!" "And... why are you here? Where even are we?" {mf2}: "We a-" {mf1}: "We are at my place. I left the window open last time so we just crawled in. Dad didn't show up yet so no problems there..." {mf2}: "And I wanted to help! With the snakebite and all that. I..." {mf1}: "I don't know your history but he sure did care for you while you were out. Like a mom or something." You see {mf2} blush slightly. Who is this guy? And why is he looking at you like a girl on her first date? {mf1} interrupts your thoughts. {mf2}: "Our... mission failed... I was hoping I could join you two in... whatever you want to be doing..." {mf1}: "His whole team was arrested in a robbery attempt at Sherones mansion. He somehow slipped away and you know the rest. We can forget about the quest by the way, no shawarma is worth anything after three days." > [[continue|1qEnd19.1mf1]]

{mf1}: "Look, just give us some space for now until we get to know each other better. I probably just have to... warm up to this." {mf2} :"Pffff... mwahahahaaaaaa" {mf2} lets out a wholehearted laugh, tears of joy run down his face. To your surprise he lets go of you in the process. {mf2}: "I think I understand the problem now, haha. Don't worry, I'll give you two some space for now." With a grin on his face that looked like a ":3" he turned to you, then again away from you. {mf1}: "Well, anyways. As this quest is over and we didn't finish a job on our first day we are officially screwed. We can use all the help we can get, so I am also counting on you, {mf2}." {mf2}: "Yessir!" {mf2} raised his hand in the air as he said that. You wonder if maybe his over-enthusiasm is a way of coping with the situation, or maybe the fear of getting rejected from both of you. {mf1}s answer must have really made him feel good. {mf1}: "Well then, if you are feeling alright, {name}, we should head out. Food doesn't come for free after all." You nod. {mf2} grabs your and {mf1}s arm. {mf2}: "Quest: 'finding food' start! hehe" You can see the cringe in {mf1}s expression. Opposite to cringing yourself, you start to laugh. "Yes, lets go do a new quest!" [align center] __Ending #20: The new trio__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You look down. {mf2} hands you the sandwich and points to your mouth. His big smile makes you uncomfortable, but you can already feel yourself getting used to such hospitality. Reluctantly, you pull the sandwich towards your mouth and take a bite. It tastes rather delicious for such a simple sandwich. {mf1}: "Don't... enjoy it too much. You might give him a wrong impression..." You turn towards {mf2}, who looks at you with glowing eyes, his hands put against his chin. In all your life you probably never felt as happy as this guy feels right now. "Why is this... happening?" You see {mf1} shrug. You expected him to annoyed, but he seems rather indifferent to the situation. {mf2}: "Let's stay together and never leave each other!" *"This came out of nowhere"* - you think to yourself - *"I barely eve-"* He grabs {mf1} by the arm and drags him towards you. {mf2}: "...And live together from now on!" In a swooping motion he hugs both of you, forming a cute little circle in the progress. His face being uncomfortably close to yours, you see a small tear fall down near his left eye. You hug the stranger you just met back, and {mf1} does the same. The disappointment of the quest failure, the anxiety of your future and the depression of your current situation all fade in an instant. *"We are all dealing with different kinds of problems at the end.. Why did we even sneak into Sherones mansion? Why did we risk our health, hell, even lives for this? All we need might be right here... and I don't want to lose that"* [align center] __Ending #19: In the end, what matters is how we feel__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You grab {mf1}s hand. "We should help them!" {mf1}: "Arg, alright! I hope they are friendly..." With that, both of you rush down the stairs. While neither of your wears expensive shoes that would make a lot of noise when walking, the act of running down the stony steps still made quite a bit of noise. As you arrive on the cellar floor you see three people standing near the table. Boy: "Stay back!" Man: "... or I'll shank ya" Before you stands a teenage boy with a torch in hand, a slim looking middle aged man with barely any hair on his head and a pre-teen to teen girl that is looking through papers on the small table behind them. Boy: "Don't just throw threats around like that! Besides, you don't even have a knife on you!" Man: "I was trying to intimidate them! You ruined it!" The man is visibly annoyed. Yet, surprisingly, lets off rather quickly. Man: "Still... you're the boss, do what you want." The boy nods and turns back to you two. Boy: "We don't have much time. You don't look like guards or nobles, so come help us search for a key!" {mf1}: "We should hurry." Without questioning it you rush over to the table and help them search for a key. > [[search through papers on the table|1qfindkeycallar]]

You tuck at {mf1}s shirt, signaling him to slow down. It is unsure to you whether this is the right choice or not, but you still decide to keep at it. {mf1}: *"Okay, I see what you are planning. Let's keep to the shadows."* With what looked to you like a slight of hand he puts out the flame. Both of you descend the now darkened stairway carefully, making extra sure to not make a sound with your steps. {mf1} reaches the floor fist, tugging at your shirt the way you did before. You take on a sneaking position and follow {mf1}. Instead of going forward like you did last time, you move to the side of the stairs and hide behind a conveniently placed box full of tools and equipment. It is dusty and almost makes you sneeze. A perfect place to hide, no one went here for a long time so there is no reason for that to change today. After only a few seconds of hiding, you hear the door upstairs open. Guard: "They went this way, I am sure of it! Men, let's get going!" The heavy, iron boots make lound banging noises as the guards stomp down the staircase. The darkness plus you hiding makes the hair on your neck stand up. It is like a monster coming closer and closer. You hear voices from inside room you are in. > [[continue|1qfriendsescape]]

"Hey, {mf1}, they must have been chased right?" {mf1}s eyes widen as he looks over to you. {mf1}: "Th-That would make sense, they came from the main hall after all..." You interrupt him from his thinking, pointing up to the dark room. {mf1}: "We have to be quick, let's go!" He drops the lamp in his hand down the stairs and grabs your arm, dragging you upwards. On the way down the light of the lamp extinguishes, filling the area in almost complete darkness. However, as it's just a few stairs it is quite easy for the two of you to get back to where you came from. As you enter you notice a small gap in the opposite door, towards the main hall. "The door is unlocked!" {mf1}: "Yes, lets hurry." > [[continue|1qescape]]

Boyisch voice: "Did you hear the guards? We have to hurry, they will be here any second now!" Male voice: "Give...me...a break... I should be..." Suddenly, the room is filled with light. They must have lit a torch or something of similar size, or the light would not be that pronounced. Luckily for you the box still throws a big shadow over you and {mf1}. Boyisch voice: "The keys, the keys! Where are keys???" The boy is whisper-shouting. There is fear in his voice. {mf1}: "They are so screwed..." Suddenly, you hear a bunch of new voices. Manly voice: "Hurry, hurry!" Ederly woman: "Hurry, boy! Please!" Many more voices can be heard, it must be five or six. No... you can't tell for sure. {mf1}: "We only saw three guys earlier, didn't we? How are there more now?" You glance past the box. The small table you saw earlier is perfectly in sight. You see shadows of people just out of your sight, they can't be more than three people. Oberserving this sounds like a good idea, you tell yourself. > [[continue|1qobservetable]]

You continue observing. A young man in his teens approaches the table hastily, a keychain in hand. He is rummaging through the papers on the table, throwing many of them down on the floor. One of them falls on a small object just besides his foot. It looks a lot like a key. {mf1}: "The guards are coming closer! Just a few more seconds and they are here, duck your head back in here!" The footsteps of the guards are indeed getting louder. They will probably be in sight in a second or two. *"{mf2}... your friends are in deep trouble..."* Man: "Shit! With the others we can win against the guards, get the key! Why did none of these work anyways?!" The others? Could it be that... You don't have time to think about this. This could be the best or dumbest thing you will ever do. > [["The key is on the floor besides you!"|1qhelpfriends]] > [[duck back behind the box|1qduckback]]

Boy: "Huh?" The boy looks in your general direction, spoting you after a short delay. You point towards his feet. Boy: "Do you mean..." He immediately reaches down, shoving the papers near him away. Man: "There it is!" A middle aged man approaches the boy hastily, almost loosing his footing in the progress. The boy gives him the key relucantly, and he runs off to the side. The boy looks towards you. His facial expression is impossible for you to interpret. *"What are you..."* Suddenly, a guard tackles him to the side. He crashes against the table and lets out a cry of pain. Guard: "All of you are under arrest! You there, behind the boxes, reveal yourselves!" {mf1}: "Shit..." > [[reveal yourself|1qgoawayfromboxes]]

You duck back behind the boxes. The heavy footsteps of the guards halt to a stop only about one or two meters away from you. Guard: "You, move!" You hear the boy breathing heavily. He must be afraid for his life. Man: "You will not catch us! Take this, aaaaah!" The man who was with the group lets out a shout. You can hear him running in your general direction. Afraid of what might happen you take a peek. The man rushes one of the guards, tackling him with all of his might. Unfortunately, his malnourished figure does not hold enough weight to overthrow the healthy guard in heavy armor. Training and nutrition are the things that give guards and police an advantage over the poor, as it becomes quite easy to handle the strength of people that barely had anything to eat that day. The guard grabs the man and throws him to the ground, making a loud thud sound in the progress. He is holding one of the mans hands behind his back, keeping him firmly in place. The guard from earlier speaks once more. Guard: "You, boy, and the girl back there. Come over here, now." You continue peeking from behind the box. As you do, the man notices you, opening his eyes widely as he does. This situation is bad, even for you. If the guards decide to search this place it's over, and even if they don't you have no clue how to get out of here again. In this situation, you decide to rather do something than nothing. > [[point towards the key on the ground|1qkeyonground]]

Guard: "Keep your hands up where we can see them! Now get over here!" You do as you are told and slowly approach the guards. There are three of them, all of them in a mixture of leathery and iron armor. All of the are equipped with a sword, with one of them also wielding a torch. There is no way to run from here, you are trapped inside a corner with no way out. The guard to your left takes out a few small ropes. They are pre-knitted to be used to tie someone's hands. He steps forward and signals you to extend your arms. Looking behind him, you see the boy trying to stand properly, still suffering the pain from being slammed against the table. Reluctantly you do as you are told, extending your hands forward, ready to be taken away to prison. You close your eyes and accept your fate. Suddenly, you hear a creaking sound. > [[open your eyes|1qopeneyes]]

The sound of metal squeeking against stone can be heard from the cell wall. A cell door must have been opened. You decide to open your eyes again and take a look. Your hands are not tied up yet. All three guards still stand there, but none of them are facing you. Before you decide to to anything else you take a quick step back, bumping into {mf1} in the progress. {mf1}: "What is happening? Where are they looking?" You turn towards the guards again. They all look towards the cells now. The one in the middle, the guy that almost arrested you, unsheathes his sword. Guard: "What are you doing? Get back into your cell!" A great many footsteps can be heard from just a few meters away. It must be two, no three, or even four? Maybe even more footsteps from back there. You and {mf1} decide to take another step back. The guards now all drew their swords. They shine in the light and look prestine, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that they were never used. All three of them disappear into the hallway. After a few seconds, you hear a few people scream and shout, followed by a loud thud sound. You immediately turn the corner. A bulky looking man and a few other people you do not recognize stand in the hall. The three guards lie next to a wall, all unconcious. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, yet all of them were already down. The bulky looking man looks towards you. > [[continue|1qmeetguyscellar]]

You point towards the key that is covered by sheets of paper. The man on the ground notices. With a grunt and a lot of effort he extends his free arm to rummage throught the papers. Guard: "Hey, what do you think you are doing?" The guard steps on the mans arm, making him flinch. However, he already removed all the pieces of paper covering the key. With a flick of his pointer finger he snaps the key forward towards the cells. Boy: "The key!" Guard: "Key?" You can't see to where it went. As such, you decide to duck back behind the box. Boy: "Hey, catch!" Girl: "I-I got it!" The girl must be quite young. Her voice is quiet, and filled with fear. The sound of heavy boots moving towards them can be heard clearly, like a monster slowly stalking its prey. Just listening to it makes you shiver, you can't imagine the fear those two must be in right now. Boy: "D-don't come closer!" The boys voice is trembling, yet he seems filled with determination. He is powering through the difficult situation with pure mental fortitude. The light of the room changes as you hear the guard call out. Guard: "Get that torch down! You will only hurt yourself with it, you know." You take a peek again. Before you lies the man from earlier, but all the guards are gone. Before you can make a decision {mf1} rushes forward towards the man. > [[follow him|1qagainstguards]]

{mf1} reaches down towards the man, pulling him back towards the boxes. {mf1}: "We have to help them, {name}. Let's see what we can do." You nod and look back around the corner towards the cells. A young man wearing nothing but a few rags as a shirt and what looks like old potato bags refitted as trousers is waving a torch around. It is quite big and menacing, if you were hit by it you would certainly suffer some degree of burn realted wounds. As such it is not surprising that the guards are hestitant to approach. However... Guard: "You drop that torch right now, boy!" The foremost guard, the man that seems to be calling the shots around here, pulled out his sword. It shines brightly in the torchlight. Its condition is immaculate and it looks more like a piece of art than a real weapon. *"They must not be using it too much if it looks that good..."* Step by step, the guard continues to approach the boy who is by now falling back more and more. It looks very dangerous, like a murder about to happen. A guard to the left shouts out. Second guard: "Look out!" A big imposing man suddenly appears in the shadow of the cell walls. No, not one man, multiple of them. A man, another man, a woman, a kid... it's getting more and more! Guard: "What is-" In only a second the foremost guard is slammed against the wall by the bulky looking man. He falls unconscious immediately. In response, the other two guards rush the man, their swords drawn. But they, too, get thrown against the wall. They were tackled by two smaller, yet still muscular men. Both fall unconcious immediately. Bulky man: "You two, reveal youselves." He is looking towards you and {mf1}. Your way of hiding behind the wall was very amateurish so it's no wonder you were spotted. You decide to reveal yourself fully. > [[continue|1qmeetguyscellar]]

Beefy Guy: "Who are you two?" You gulp. They just knocked down three armored guards, without as much as a scratch anywhere on their body. They could be very dangerous. That does not seem to affect {mf1} however, as he calmly answers them. {mf1}: "We are friends of {mf2}. You guys know him?" Everyone looks at each other, then after a short delay they all start laughing. Smaller Guy: "Yeah, we know him" Skinny woman: "I can't believe he would send someone here..." Kid: "My dad always told me he is stupid, did he do something stupid again?" Many people start talking over each other. Their mood is rather good, considering their circumstances. {mf1}: *"I just counted them, these are eight people that came out of the cell back there, plus the two that opened said cell, and then there is the guy back there... so eleven in total..."* Boy: "Everyone, be quiet, please!" The boy that that fought with the torch earlier spoke up. He is a few years younger than {mf2}, so probably still a teenager. Yet, surprisingly, everyone listens to him and the room goes quiet. Boy: "You helped us out... we cannot thank you enough. {mf2} is upstairs, we are going upstairs now to try and help him and the other people get to safety. We are in your debt, so we will make sure no harm comes to you if you follow us." {mf1}: "That would be great. Are you the leader? Or is it the big guy over here?" Beefy guy: "No, no. I am a good fighter, but the kid got brains. He calls the shots, so just follow his orders. Trust me, he's good." The boy nods and points towards the steps. You turn around and start walking. > [[go towards stairs|1qgostariscellar]]

Beefy guy: "Look who's lying on the ground again." The guy picks the man on the ground up and puts him over his shoulder. Lifting an entire human doesn't seem to be a problem for him. Boy: "There shouldn't be any more guards following us. We should go back up and help the others." Beefy Guy: "Do you think we can take over this mansion?" Boy: "Hm, with all the manpower we have right here, probably? Everyone else is upstairs, so we definitely outnumber them. However, we should avoid fighting the police, so it's only a temporary takeover." {mf1} whispers in you ear. {mf1}: *"The way this boy talks, I think he might be different than the others. Maybe he is a spy or something?"* Beefy man: "Hey! What are you guys whispering about?" Woman: "Don't be so loud..." It was almost a scream. You have no idea if that is just his personality or if he is suspicious of you two. Boy: "We just met them, relax. Let's get up there already." You don't feel like you have much of a choice here, so you do as he says. > [[climb the stairs and enter big hall|1qFoyerMf2]]

Man: "There, a keychain!" He hands the keychain containing four keys to the boy, who in turns hands it over to the girl. Boy: "Please look if any of these open the fourth door, okay?" The girl nods nervously, then turns around and runs down the hallway. Boy: "There are five cells down here, accoring to our intel... If we are unlucky none of the keys on that keychain will open the cell. We should continue looking." You are quite surprised by the calmness and thoughfulness of the boy. Despite your age difference you feel like you are no more of an adult than him. Before you can continue pondering on it, your mind is shaken by a sound. Man: "Footsteps! It must be the guards, we must hurry!" Searching through the big pile of papers has now turned into throwing big piles of them to the ground in an act of trying to hurry up. Besides more papers and a few cards you can't seem to find anything else. Suddenly, you hear the girl shouting. >[[continue|1qfindkeycellar2]]

Girl: "N-none of them fit! What should we do?" Boy: "Shit, I almost expected this." Man: "Goddamn!" How can there be another key? The desk is almost emptied and there is no key to be found yet. Still, this is probably your only possibilty of escaping from here, so you continue searching. Commanding voice: "You, over there! Stop what you are doing!" You look over towards the stairs. Three men in fancy leathery armor stand before you, all of them armed with short swords. The one in the middle, destinguishable by the golden plate on his chest, has said sword drawn and pointed at you. All three of them must be guards. Main guard: "You are under arrest for trespassing and forced entry! Surrender immediately, or we will pave the floor here with your blood." The threat makes you shudder. Almost instinctively you want to lay on the ground and surrender. However... Man: "Ah, so you want to kill us now? Have fun cleaning 'rabid dog blood' off the cracks of the stony floor here. I'm sure mister Sherone would be delighted!" Main guard: "You..." The man from your group stepped forward, standing between the guards and you now. Boy: "He will stall for time. Our only hope is this key, so hurry like your life depends on it, because it actually does." You nod and continue searching. {mf1} does the same. > [[continue|1qheroicman]]

Main guard: "I will not repeat myself again. Stop what are doing and surrender immediately." Man: "So? If we do that, do we get a fair trial? Or will we just get thrown in here before the police comes here?" Main guard: "That is none-" Man: "Stop, you don't have to fool me. I already know exactly what you were going to say anyways." The two of them are really getting on each others nerves. But it is working, the man is stalling for some time. Suddenly, you hear a small clanking sound. Boy: "What was that?" {mf1}: "The key!" A small key has fallen down from below some of the papers you just trew off. It hit the ground, making the sound. {mf1}: "The girl knows where this goes right?" The boy nods, and the same second {mf1} rushes to the ground and scoops up the key. You look back at the man that's protecting you. He is looking over his shoulder towards you. Man: "Finally, we fou-" He is hit on the head with the sword handle of the main guards sword. He falls down to the ground like a brick as he falls unconscious. Main guard: "Throw us the key, now." {mf1} is lying on the ground, key in hand. {mf1}: "Like hell I will!" With great force he tosses the key in the direction of the hallway. Miraculously the girl catches it. Main guard: "Men, let's teach those brats a lesson." > [[stand up and run towards the hallway|1qhallwaycellrun]]

You grab {mf1}, who is currently lying on his back, and pull him to his feet. The sound of swords being drawn can be heard right in front of you. Boy: "Quickly, help her!" The boy is now holding his torch with both hands. He is not that big, certainly quite a big smaller than the guards. Yet... Boy: "I will try to keep them away. You two are unarmed, so please help her with getting the cell open. And hurry, okay?" He smiles at you, then takes a step forward between you and the guards, which by now are all equipped with swords and moving in your direction. {mf1}: "Quickly, let's move." You turn around and run towards where the girl is standing. As you take a closer look you shudder. Woman: "Get us out, quickly!" Old man: "Be careful not to drop the key!" Manly voice: "Hurry!" Multiple sets of arms pertrude out of the cell, and you can hear voices from behind the metal bars. Many of them are talking over each other, so you have no idea how many people are in there. The girl in front is shuddering, struggling to turn the rusty key and open the door. {mf1} pulls her away gently and turns the key with great force. With a loud squeeking sound the door unlocks and immediately swings open. First, a beefy looking man with a tall wide stature is walking out the cell, with two more smaller, yet still muscular men following. Beefy guy: "The rest stay back here for now. We will handle this." All three of them are now walking towards the guards. You look over. > [[continue|1qbeatupguards]]

The boy is standing about a meter away from the table, waving the torch around in a hasty manner. The size of the torch is quite impressive and must be scaring the guards off from further advancing. While it does look quite amateurish, the idea of using fire against guards in leathery armor is quite smart. The three guys approach, with the beefy guy putting his hand on top of the boys shoulder. Beefy guy: "We will take it from here. Step back." The boy, visibly exhausted and sweaty, nods and walks towards you. Boy: "I... I think we are saved." You don't look over to the boy, your eyes are fixated on the specatle in front of you. One of the smaller men tackled the rightmost guard to the ground, who lost grip of his sword in the progress. The leftmost guard tries to grab the blade before anyone else does, but is in turn also tackled to the ground by the other smaller man. Now only the beefy looking man and the main guard still stand. Main guard: "Get back in your cell, you dogs. I will kill you if I mu-" Before he manages to finish his sentence his opponent takes on a fighting stance. Main guard: "You try to fight me barehanded? You know how swords work, right?" You can only see the guys back, but judging from the facial expression of the guard in front of him you can quite accurately assume the way he looks. Main guard: "Don't you dare smile at me!" With a great roar the guard flails his swords upwards, getting ready to strike his enemy from top to bottom, slicing his body in the progress. However, before he manages to do so... Main guard: "Ugh..." The guard collapses to the ground, unconscious. The beefy man landed a direct hit on the guards chin with his fist while he was shouting. All three guards now lie on the ground, all of them unconscious. The victors look back at you. > [[continue|1qmeetguyscellar]]

You slowly open the cupboard, looking for people inside the room. However, it would seem that all of them went into the adjacent room, where {mf1} went... You look down on the ground. Plates and food are all splattered on the ground, leaving a giant mess. *"If he didn't knock over those plates they might have searched this room more... I need to thank {mf1} later."* You think about what you should be doing right now... [align center] {reveal link: 'Go into the room they went in', text: 'No... that would be a bad idea. You would just get caught immediately.'} No, you have no choice. You slowly open the door towards the big hall. First you hesitate to look, but after taking a quick glance you rip open the door. [[go back into the big room|1qgobackfoyercupoard]]

"{mf2}!" {mf2} stands in front of you, holding a shortsword. He turns around hastily, almost tripping over his own feet as he does. {mf2}: "T-thank god you are here!" He is shivering, the blade in his hand rattling around his fingers uncontrollably. If you wanted you could just rip the blade from his hands, you are sure of it. "Are you alright?" You see him try to answer, but his will is too weak to speak. His teeth are making loud clacking sounds as they nervously smash against each other. Taking a closer look at his face, you see him strongly ventilating, his face red and swollen from the tears running down his cheeks. He is in a very vulnerable state. "D-don't drop your sword! Please..." He is letting his guard down, now that you are here. However, just a few meters away, a skirmish between guards and {mf2}s friends has broken out. If he stays here in this condition it's only a matter of time until he is caught. You grab his sleeve and pull him towards a dark corner below the stairwell that proudly stands in the middle of the room. > [[continue|1qkeepmf2calm]]

You look around the room. It is either a second kitchen or a storage room for the main kitchen, you can't tell. Its filled with stoves and has an oven, but food is stockpiled everywhere and blocks anyone from using the kitchen gadgets. A large window sits in the end of the room, it is closed. {mf1}: "The window! We can get out through there!" He rushes towards it. You, however, decide to look for an alternative plan. There are lots of places to hide in here, just because there is so much food stored here. One could easily bury themselves in between all of it and avoid detection. However, if people started seriously searching this place, you would be easily found. There are no big cupboards here like there were in the other room, and the oven is too risky to hide in. The window really looks like the only way out. {mf1}: "Shit... of course it's blocked! {name}, help me smash this window! we should be able to..." You grab one of the potatoes on a desk and forcefully throw it against the window. To your surprise, it just bounced right off. The windows back home would have easily broken from the impact, but here they were built sturdier. {mf1} grabbed a big kitchen knife and hit the window with the handle, putting his whole body into the blow. This, too, did not shatter the window. {mf1}: "Shit! We must hurry, please find something, anything!" {mf1} is panicking, it's easy to notice. You hastily rush in a random direction and search for an object that could break the sturdy glass. > [[continue|1qsmashwindow]]

You turn to look towards the big foyer. no one seems to have noticed you. Hiding in the shadows below the staircase, you turn back to {mf2}. His state seems to have worsened since he's seen you. Still having no clue what is happening, you ask: "Hey, are you alright? It's obvious you are not... but why are you shivering like this?" {mf2} is still having difficulties speaking. He grips the hilt of this sword tightly, keeping its blade up steadily. {mf2}: "I-I can't do this... anymore..." More tears start welling up near his eyes, and he starts sobbing. {mf2}: "I-I just want to go home... please..." He starts audibly crying. You put your hand on top of his mouth in an instant. Warm liquid tears start flowing down your hand, and you can feel him hiccuping from all the crying. He reaches out to your arm and grabs it. The hand, previously hidden from the hilt of the sword, now shows his true form. "You..." His hand is full of blood, yet there is no wound. Actually, besides from a few bruises, there are no wounds on his entire body as far as you can see. This blood... {mf2}: "I can't do this... I'm not like them... I want home, *sob*..." "Not like them?" > [[hastily turn back towards the foyer|1qseefriends]]

You feel a strong tuck on your shirt as you turn back to look towards the foyer. However, it is not strong enough to keep you away, and as such you manage to look back towards the foyer. Guy with scar: "Hah... hah! Easy as pie..." Tattooed girl: "Hm, yes, this was quite easy actually." Guy with long tongue: "Shhhhhhh... jeaaaa...." The sight in front of you makes your intestines turn, and you feel a strong urge to throw up. With some difficulty, you manage to surpress it. There are three people standing in the middle of the foyer, covered in blood. You remember all three of them, they are {mf2}s friends. Around them lie five guards in heavy armor, all covered in blood aswell and lying on the ground, not moving an inch. It is clear they have been killed. The weird guy is bending down over one of them and is furiously ripping his armor apart. Blood spurts into all directions, leaving a huge mess on the floor. The girl stands next to another guard. No, standing is not the right word. Tattoo Girl:** "You cut my arm, you bastard!"** The guard must have been lower ranked, as his armor is made out of leather instead of steel. To his demise, the girl starts exploiting exactly that and stomping right on his dead cadarver. Even from this distance you can hear his rips cracking under her feet. Only about a meter apart the guy with the scar on his face stand next to the other three guards. He is holding a sword in his hand, a gleaming and well kept blade that must have belonged to a captain of sorts. In shining metal armor lies his dead body, covered in blood. With a swift strike, the guy sliedes the sword down the guards helmet and pireces his skull beneath. Man: "I...Eeeeeeeeeeh!" A loud screech can be heard next to him. One of the guards seems to have survived, however, both his legs have been deeply cut and he is unable to stand up. Crawling backwards, he tries his best to flee. Scar Guy: "You keep you mouth shut, fucker." The tone in his voice was filled with malice. You see him climb on top of the guard, but suddenly you are pulled back, obstructing your vision of the gruesome scene. > [[try and stand up|1qmf2cry]]

You try to get back up, not caring about the fact you've been pulled back right now. Guard: "N-no! Stop.. please!" The guards screams are filled with fear, his voice cracks. You feel a strong urge to see what's happening, but are again pulled down. {mf2}: "P-please... don't look..." {mf2} lies below you on the ground, gripping your shirt tightly. You see his sword a meter away on the ground. As you turn around, you hear loud pounding noises. Guard: "H-hewp... anywo...pwea..." The pounding does not stop. You hear blood splattering over the ground, and bones hitting bones violently. The voice of the guard is muffled and difficult to understand. His teeth must have been punched in, making it impossible to properly speak. The horror of the situation leaves you paralized. "What... is happening..." {mf2}: "P-please! Let's just leave! Let's get out of here, I will be deep in your debt, I promise I will be helpful! I...*sob* I want to get away from here, from them, from everything!" He is sobbing loudly again. You do not know what to feel now. "The fifth guard..." There were five guards. Maybe the last one can still be saved? You try to stand up again, but are pulled back by {mf2} again. His grip has loosened, and he looks even more broken than he did before. {mf2}: "Please... please..." > [[Help the guard|1qcheckmf2guard]] > [[Escape together|1qhelpmf2]]

*"Fuck it"* - you think to yourself. There is no way you can let anyone else die like this, your humanity does not allow it. You rip your arm away from the crying {mf2}, not caring about whether he'll get caught or something similar, at least not right now. You rush out towards the last untouched guard lying on the floor a few meters apart from the others. *"He might just be unconscious, maybe passed out from the shock or something"* Rushing there feels weird. You look to your right and see the guy with the scar. He looks straight at you, with an almost sinister smile. It's creepy, but doesn't seem particularly hostile. It just screemed of a profound sense of curiosity. No matter, you think, and turn back towards the guard. After only a few more steps you reach him. Should I really look? > [[What is this? What...|1qmf2atrocity]] No, wait... Maybe there was... no... {mf2} is crying... back there...shouldn't I help him? > [[look back|1qchoosemf2]]

*"Curiosity shouldn't get the best of me."* You decide to stay with {mf2}. He is on his knees, his eyes red and his cheeks swollen. His hands are shaking strongly and blood has run down his palms into his long-sleeved shirt. You take out a small cloth from your pocket and wash some of it away. The blood is still fresh, so cleaning it is not all too difficult. *"He has no wounds... No matter, I must help him even if he did something horrible... Only... just maybe I should take his sword..."* You go over and grab his sword. {mf2} nods at you in approval, so there seems to be no issue with that. "Okay, so what do we do now?" {mf2} takes a moment to compose himself, then takes a deep breath. He surprisingly seems to find his cool and stops crying. His voice is still shaky and affected from all the crying, but he seems to be composed again to some degree. {mf2}: "We should get away from **them**, you know, the guys in the foyer?" He must mean his friends. After everything you've just witnessed you have to agree, you want to get as far away from them as possible. > [["We need to get out of here!|1qgetoutofhere]] > [[{mf1} is in danger back there, we have to help him!|1qhelpmf1]]

You look and look, but there is nothing but wooden kitchen utensils and food here. {mf1} seems to have given up looking aswell, and is trying to smash the window with the handle once more, with little success. You move towards him. "We should find a place to hide" {mf1}: "Tsk" He turns his grip on the knife and nods. {mf1}: "There is only one knife here... I'll keep it in case things get hairy." You wonder what he meant by that. There is no way he is thinking about... {mf1}: "See that corner over there? Lets try to hide there." You move there, in front of {mf1}. Pumpkins are stacked here, giving you excellent cover, as long as no one looks too closely. Considering your circumstances, you decide this to be a good hiding place and rearrange the pumpkins. > [[continue|1qhidepumpkins]]

After stacking the pumpkins high like a tower you hide behind them. {mf1} built his own tower in another corner of the room. Just that moment, you hear the door opening, the sound of heavy boots hitting the stony floor reaching your ears. Guard: "Good, the window is intact and locked. They couldn't have escaped from here. Everyone, start searching!" This situation is really bad. Your cover is really bad, and they seem adamant to search the entire room. You look around, and to your surprise, you see something sticking out from beneath a stove right next to you. You reach down, grabbing whatever it is. *"Shit!" By complete accident you hit your shoulder on one of the pumpkins, making your tower fall by itself like a game of dominoes. Guard: "Aha!" You are immediately pushed to the ground with great force. Your head hits the floor lightly enough to not knock your unconscious, it however still hurts. Guard: "See, sir, we caught the criminal!" Sir: "There were two of them. Continue the search!" Guard: "Yes, sir! You, bring the brat outside. Everyone else, search the room!" The pressure lets up, but is quickly replaced by someone dragging your arm upwards. > [[stand up|1qescortedout]]

You see the guards siluette just before you, yet you decide to quickly look away. *"Nothing good will come from helping a guard... I have to take care of {mf2} in the state he's in!"* You rush back towards him, nothing but his safety in mind now. Guy with scar: "Hey, don't you wanna finish the guy off?" You shiver. No, there is no way you'll ever be like them. Without thinking, you answer. "Nono, I got more important things here to do, you know! Just keep... doing your thing or whatever... Anyways, see ya!" He looks at you awkwardly for a second, but then shrugs and turns away. Your words felt like poison in your veins. You want to condemn them, tell them how they are monsters and how they deserve the worst. Yet you surpress all these emotions, and it comes to you easily, as if you are trained in doing exactly that. You decide to not think about it too much, and finally reach the stairs. Looking back, it seems none of the others are looking in your direction. With one quick turn you stand in front of {mf2}. > [[approach him|1qhelpmf2]]

"What is that... Oh fuck... Oh god..." A terrible smell reaches your nostrils. It reeks of urine and blood. Your vision blurs as you try to look at the guard, the rancid smell makes your eyes watery. Looking away for a moment, you take a deep breath with your mouth instead of your nose and put your right hand in front of both of them. There is no other way you could have reacted after what you've seen. It didn't matter anymore what you felt, what you believed in, nothing at all. But, if one thing was for certain, a profound feeling of rage filled your innermost self. What laid before you was by no stretch of the imagination still human-like. Only the rancid piss smell that seeped through your hand gave it away. The body is mutilated beyond any recognition. Bones were snapped at awkward angles, with muscle fibers and soft tissue adorning the sharp spikes of the snapped bones. Multiple organs are laid out on the floor, trampled into almost two-dimensional shapes. While the corpse must have been fresh, its internals were already turning gray from all the bloodloss that must have occured. As you try to indentify anything else, you start to loose control over your mind and body. Instinct takes over. "This shit... This MASSACRE! None here are worthy of the love of our god!" Your eyes roll back as you lose control over mind and body. Your words are not your own anymore. As your mind blanks out, and you remember back to a time when you were younger, when you spent your days with your father, {father}. > [[try to remember|1qfaithfather]]

The horrors of the present disappear the instant you find yourself in a large, nicely decorated room. {father}: "Hello, {name}. Do not waste time, come with me." "Is this... my room? Yeah, I suppose it is." It is a memory of your past, but instead of being a little child you are who you are right now, in the present. The house is still intact here, with no holes in the floor or the walls and many beautiful decorations adorning the walls. Two beds stand in this room, one for you and one for your sister. Your brother has already left to stay at another place. "Oh wait, I really shouldn't leave him waiting!" You rush out towards the door. As you open it, a big black mass appears in front of you. Scared, you look back towards the comfort of your own room. However, it disappeared and left nothing but deep darkness behind. Your heart starts to race, your eyes start to rush left, right, up down, they circle, they move to the back of your head, you lose control. You know this feeling... you know what this is... > [[awake...|1qbefaithful]]

Male voice: "What the actual fuck is this???? Keep it awaaaaaaaaaay" You open your eyes. "Ah, a sword..." In front of you stands the disgusting guy from eatrlier. One of {mf2}s friends... "You've got a sword stuck in your chest..." You feel hollow as your face is hit with a mixture of spit and blood from the guys mouth. Guy: "How...whyyy....." The sword is in both your hands. You thrust it deep inside his body. It was unmistakingly you that stabbed him. There is nothing you feel inside. Your vision turns black once more. > [[sleep...|1qbacktosleep]]

{father}: "{name}! Do not disappoint me like your sister! {brother} had a great affinity for this... But he chose to forsake it! It is now your turn to believe..." The room is dark now, lit by candlelight. The place is damp and stinks. It feels so familiar... "This place... I think I must have been around 6..." You take a step forward, then another. "Didn't it..." It failed, back then. From all your siblings, you were the biggest failure, weren't you? How come you are here then? How come... > [[awake|1qkill2]]

"Ahh... Ahhh.. f-fuuuck......." The voice grew lifeless before you could even open your eyes. "Oh, the girl this time..." Once more, your sword is thrust into the chest of one of {mf2}s friends, this time the tattooed girl. You feel hollow once more. She didn't seem as bad as the guy before, didn't she? Oh wait... she is a killer like all the others... You rip the sword out of her lifeless body. She falls to the ground with a loud thud, a large puddle of blood forming below her. You do not care about your shoes getting soaked from all of it. Guy with scar: "What the fuck are you? How can anyone move like that, you are just... teleporting around! No matter..." The guy rushes over towards the stairs. His movements are too quick for your slow eyes to follow, and everything turns black once more. > [[sleep...|1qsleep2]]

{father}: "Success! It might not have been by my hand, but you still managed to obtain this power!" The room before cannot even be described as one. It is nothing but blank white space, with no shapes or shadows anywhere. Even the ground you stand on is nothing but white, and your body aswell is without form or color. "Back then... At the ritual... I managed to escape..." {father}: "But not this time! There is no need for you to ever escape! You can just take whatever you desire!" The details of your real experiences are blurry and distorted in your mind. It is difficult to descern reality from this world right here. Just that it was similar... that much you are sure of... *"This voice... is not fathers..."* > [[awake...|1qkill3]]

A you open your eyes. You see yet another horrific sight in front of your eyes. Only this time it was not because of gore, but because of inhumanity. Guy with scar: "You fucker will do as I say, or your stupid friend here dies!" He is holding {mf2} as a hostage. A rusty dagger is digging slightly into his skin, making him bleed by the neck. The kind of infections this will cause... well, whatever. {mf2}: "Please... please stop... I beg youuuu..." {mf2} is still crying. His face is red and his eyes are blood shot. The tears have softened the skin, which in turn started tearing, creating a bloody mess in his face. It is a sad sight, him helplessly being used as a hostage by some freak. But... is it really so sad? Your eyes refuse to focus, your mind starts to wander and in a moment of silence your body starts acting on its own. "Tell me... Tell me, {mf2}, why you can't stop crying." {mf2}: "Because I didn't want to do it! I didn't want to..." "Your boots are soaked in blood. You were not merciful, were you?" {mf2}: "I didn't want to..." "His body is slit open, his face all distorted. Was that your doing?" {mf2}: "I.. I'm sorry..." Guy with scar: "Shut the fuck up! You, let me through, or he gets stabbed right here, right now!" "His bones are broken. This was no self defense. Did you enjoy this?" {mf2}: "I..." A gruesome picture implants itelf in your mind... but you feel yourself starting to smile. You try to distort your face, but it doesn't follow your commands. As anger fills your chest, you feel something change. There is a brief moment of relapse, a moment in which your body seems to become yours again. In this crucial second you feel yourself confident in choosing your next action, certain that it will matter in the end. There is anger in your heart, together with compassion. > [[kill both|1qkillboth]] > [[kill the scar guy|1qkillscar]]

killmf2: true -- You feel your eyes rolling back towards your skull. There is only a white space now. {sister}: "Who are you to call someone inhumane? Look at what you've done!" {brother}: "There is no redemption, you brought this on yourself!" {father}: "Your actions... they were not your own, but only you yourself will bear the responsibility. Be ready." Is this... you conscience? Your mind becomes foggy once more, and you forget about your thought. The opressing white space around you slowly turns dark... and then into a deep red, bloodlike colour. You start to smell something akin to iron... yes, it must be blood. What have you done, what has happened to you?... ...: "{name}!" "I remember failing it... no..." No, you did not fail. It was not your father that set you up to it. It was him that saved you from it. ...: "{name}!!!" You were kidnapped, back when you were young. Yes, who knows what they worshipped, but they found what they were seeking deep inside you. "After all theses years... after all we did... I still..." {mf1}: "{name}! Wake up, for gods sake! Come to your senses!" > [[wake up|1qburningbuilding]]

killmf2: false -- You feel your eyes rolling back towards your skull. There is only a white space now. {sister}: "You can't keep going like this! You need to change!" {brother}: "This is not you, brother. Change your ways!" {father}: "You let yourself go... but in the end chose to stray from the path. Son, whatever may happen, know that, at least here, you did the right thing." The opressing white space around you slowly turns brighter and brighter... until it blinds you completely. ...: "{name}!" "I remember resisting it... no..." Yes, you did resist. It was not your father that set you up to it. It was him and your family that saved you. ...: "{name}!!!" You were kidnapped, back when you were young. Yes, who knows what they worshipped, but they found what they were seeked deep inside you. "After all theses years... I managed to resist... at least this once..." {mf1}: "{name}! Wake up, for gods sake! Come to your senses!" > [[wake up|1qburningbuilding]]

You are scared. Scared to open your eyes. Scared to see what is there in front of you. Scared... of what you've done. {mf1}: "You don't need to open your eyes, okay? Just grab my arm and try hang on." You can feel him grabbing your forearm. Just then, the pure color that engulfs your mind fades, giving back your senses to you. It feels so refreshing... this is you. Only you. First, you feel {mf1}s touch. Your feet, standing strong on the ground below. Your right hand grips the hilt of a sword... you decide to let go of it. Secondly, your sense of smell returns. It does not reek like it did before anymore, the best comparison you can muster is the smell of a suckling pig being burned over the flame. It is not pleasant, but you also don't feel the urge to vomit. Thirdly, and lastly, your eyesight returns to you. {mf1} stands in front of you, his face bloodied and scarred, but besides that not in too terrible of a state. His clothes are ripped at multiple places, with burnmarks all over. "Burnmarks..." You look up, and see the entire hall engulfed in flames. "W-What?!" {mf1}: "You came back to your senses? Good! Come, follow me!" His hand firmly gripping your arm, he pulls you towards the front door. Your mind feels empty and blank, yet different to how you felt before. [if killmf2 === true] It somehow feels worse. [else] It somehow feels better. [continue] > [[kick open the door|1qescapebruningmansion]]

With much force, {mf1} kicks open the door. It is dark outside, and the cold air tingles on your face. Just then you notice... "Arg... ah... fuck..." You touch your cheeks. They are burned. You can feel something like soot on your skin, and just touching it hurts like hell. "When did I... get burnt like this..." You decide to turn around, towards the mansion. The entire thing is on fire, spewing bright flames into the dark night. {mf1}: "We need to get out of here, {name}! Now!" [if killmf2 === false] *"Wait... {mf2} is still in there! I didn't kill him right? Maybe I should...."* > [[...run back inside|1qbackinside]] [else] > [[flee the mansion|1qflee]]

You rush back inside, ignoring {mf1}s shouting behind you. "I didn't kill him... I didn't kill him!" Rushing in you find yourself engulfed in smoke. Your eyes start to water and breathing becomes impossible. You cover your nose with your shirt and run further inside. The blackness of the smoke reminds you of back then... *"I was only a little boy when they abducted me... but I still remember all the things I felt back then. The heat, the pain, all of it. They worshipped something, something like the devil. They branded me, tried sacrificing me, or whatever other horrible thing they could imagine! That's how it felt like... Yet, at the end, my family saved me. I think this was when we went into that old, rotten house. To keep me away, or to keep me in check... I think I now understand why."* *muffled* "{mf2}!" You duck down, leaving the black smokescreen. You rub your eyes with the sleeve of your shirt and look forward. In front of you lies a horrificly disfigured body. His limbs have been severed, and his face slashed to an unidentifiable state. Next to him lies {mf2}, a broken look on his face. He lies there motionlessly, even though breathing should be quite difficult for him. You are unsure if he is even still alive. "{mf2}! It's me, {name}. Let's get out of here." You grab his arm, and his head snaps in your direction. {mf2}: "{name}... why are you here? What are you doing?" Your heart fills with warmth as you hear his voice. He is alive. His eyes start to water again. However, the incredible heat surrounding both of you almost immediately evaporates them. Seeing that, you grab his arm to try pulling him towards the exit. You do not care for what he might have done anymore. It does not matter, such cruelty surely cannot be done by one person alone, or at least that is what you tell to yourself. With this peace of mind, you decide to discard the horrific images of the corpse from your mind and focus on the here and now. > [[exit|1qrescuemf2]]

[if killmf2 === false] You stand up, grinding your teeth from all the pain. Only half standing you get over to {mf2} and help him get up. {mf1} helps you, and with a combined effort you manage to get {mf2} to stand again. "Thanks for the water, {mf1}" {mf1}: "Don't worry about it." {mf2}: "It hurts like hell..." An imprint of your hand is left on his skin, as the rest of the arm is bright red and swollen from the heat. You dare not to look down towards yourself. {mf1}: "Lets get out of here, no more stalling, okay? You both should at least be able to walk, we will get you patched up later. Now, scram!" [continue] You spot the big fence entrance of the mansion. A huge amount of people stand there, watching as the mansion goes up in flames. {mf1}: "I know of another way, I saw it in the room earlier. Come!" [if killmf2 === false] You follow, but halt as you see {mf2} behind you still standing there. "We have to go. Come on." He is still holding his arm. The imprint of your hand almost looks like a tattoo, it might not go away, even when his skin is healed again. Suddenly, his eyes widen and he looks towards you in shock. {mf2}: "O-oh! Sorry, I'm coming" [continue] You follow {mf1} back around the mansion. > [[continue|1qmansionfleed]]

He reluctantly follows, running behind you as you try to find your way back towards the main door. The black smoke reduces your visibility to amlost zero, so you have to count on your good luck. With great effort, you hold your breath and rush towards where you came from. Luckily, you reach the door almost immediately. Huge flames have formed besides it, in search of the oxygen provided by the outside. {mf2}: "We... *cough*... need to hurry..." {mf2}s voice is weak and fragile. You take all of your courage and rush out through the door, through the flames. The moment you hit them an immense heat fills your face, arms and upper body. {mf2} behind you whimpers the second he hits the flame wall. Both of you stumble outside, leaving the mansion behind. *SPLASH* Cold water covers your entire body. The sudden change of temperature makes your whole body spasm for a second. Immense pain fills you all over, and you start to scream. "AHHHHHHH FUUUUUCK!!!!" {mf2}: "A..AAAAH!" {mf2} scream sounds more like a whimper. The pain and suffering in his voice can be clearly heard. {mf1}: "You are a stupid idiot, {name}, but I'm happy for what you did? Get up, you two, we have to get away from here, and quick!" > [[stand up|1qflee]]

You move through a garden, over a stony stairway and finally reach the fence again. {mf1}: "There, you see this room? This is where I was hiding in earlier." He points towards the mansion. Through a window, you see a small room filled with kitchen utensils. It is not on fire yet. {mf1}: "There was a hidden path that lead outside, I found it by pure accident. It leads out of the mansion towards the forst down there. I managed to make a hole in the fence over there, we should be able to et out through there." You move further along the fence until you reach a suspicious looking part of it. A lot of moss and leaves are put on top of eacher other, making a rather big pile. {mf1} kicks most of it away with his foot, revealing a big opening in the fence. "How did you..." The hole is quite big, with most of the metal being either bent or cut. This does not look like something {mf1} could have just done with just his bare hands. {mf1}: "What are we waiting for? I really don't want to be caught and questioned about any of this, so lets just leave, okay?" He seems exhausted. It must have taken a great amount of effort to get you out. [if killmf2 === false] {mf2} tucks your shirt. {mf2}: "We should go." [continue] You nod and bend down, crawling through the opening in the fence. As you place your hand on the ground below you slip and fall fowards, down a hill. > [[continue|1qfall]]

The mansion is standing on top of a rather sizable hill. The fence must have been positioned right at the edge, so you tumble down the hill until you reach the bottom. It hurts. The wounds on your body start to ache and sting as you try to get up. You look at your hands. The fire that engulfs the mansion is bright enough for you to still see your hands. Your back hand is black from all the soot, while your palm is a mixture of reddish washed out blood, sweat and dirt. Multiple cuts that were not here yesterday can be seen all over your hands and arms. Just as you try to make sense of it all... [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "Hey! H-hey!" You look back and see both {mf2} and {mf1} standing besides you. Both of them seem to not have tumbled down the hill like you did. [continue] {mf1}: "I forgot to tell you about the cliff... sorry about that. Are you alright? We can't stop here yet, but if you're seriously wounded you should tell me." How can he ask such a thing? You are covered in blood and soot! Of course there is a problem, iz hurts like hell!. How can he look so indifferent to this? [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "W-we are okay. Let's get out of here first, o-okay?" Looking at {mf2} makes your worries go away. He looks terrible, his skin is pitch black hand his face swollen and red from all the blood. Making sure he gets to clean his wounds is more important than {mf1}s behavior. [continue] You shake your head. After a short delay, {mf1} points towards the forest behind you. {mf1}: "This forest is quite hard to naivigate. Stay behind me at all costs, okay? I know a way." You follow him and disappear into the woods, leaving the mansion behind. > [[continue|1qmovetroughforest]]

The forest is quite spacious, unlike the one near your house. It seems almost unnatural, looking almost too perfectly symmetrical. {mf1}: "This forest was planted by the rich, to keep up appearances. I don't know the specifics, but it makes navigating this forest almost impossible. We just have to go straight this way and we'll reach a house. Follow me." [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "H-hey, {name}." He tucks on your shirt. You continue forward like normal, but listen careful to him. {mf2}: "How does he know all these things? First he found you, then the fence, now this... D-do you trust him?" It is weird. Normally, he is a lot more open about these things, and he generally isn't a very mysterious peron. However, right now, he seems different. "I don't quite know." [continue] You continue forward for what feels like an hour. Your mouth gets dry and your legs start to feel like jello. {mf1} seems to notice. {mf1}: "You must be tired, I know. You've been at it for a few hours back there after all. We'll get you into a bed as soon as we find the house." "H-hours?" > [[continue|1qwhathappened]]

{mf1}: "Well, yes. It's already dark after all, as you must have noticed." It is true. You reached the mansion around midday, which must have been at least a few hours ago. Did your... [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "D-don't think about it too much!" He hugs your arm. "You should stop worrying so much, too." You don't know how to feel about all this. He is clingy, cries a lot and appears quite weak in general, quite the contrast to how he was when you met him. Should you comfort him? You did just kill all his friends in a frenzied rage... hold on. Just as you are about to ask about it, {mf2} interrupts you. {mf2}: "I-I s-said don't think about it too much! You a-are hurt right now, after all. L-lets just follow {mf1} for now." {mf1} looks back at you. {mf1}: "You two look like a couple, you know? Haha." You look to your side, and truth be told, the way {mf2} holds your arm really reminds you of a girl. You let out a sigh and continue walking. At least your mind is a bit more cleared up now. [else] "Wait, what even happened back at the mansion?!" You spoke louder than you wanted to. {mf1} turns around towards you. {mf1}: "You can be happy we are far away from the mansion at this point. Still, please don't shout too much." Both of you stop walking. {mf1} sits down on a nearby log. {mf1}: "What do you want to know?" {reveal link: '"What did I do?"', text: '"You killed everyone, and I mean everyone. Like, I'm sure if I wasn't outside the mansion you would have killed me too."'} {reveal link: '"Where were you?"', text: '"I was outside. You screamed so loudly that all the guards searching for me went away. I just escaped through the tunnel I showed you earlier, and went back as I saw the entire mansion was on fire."'} {reveal link: '"Why is the mansion on fire?"', text: '"How should I know? I wasn't there when the fire started. However, it's not like there are a lot of people left alive to start a fire so... I expect it was you."'} {mf1}: "By the way, {name}. I meant it that you shouldn't scream. You scared the living hell out of me when you started your rampage. I can't promise I won't run away from you if you shout." His hands are trembling, and he looks away from you. He really looks afraid. "O-okay. I promise." {mf1}: "Thanks. *sigh* Okay, let's get going. It's not far." [continue] > [[continue|1qmeetsister]]

It only takes a few minutes for you to notice a change in the forest. Trees start beding in one direction, the grass on your feet became softer and birds are chirping in beautiful tones. {mf1}: "Quite magical, isn't it?" How is it so lively here? The sun is setting, the entire forest should be engulfed in a warm tone of red. Here, however, everything seems bright and awake, as if it was midday. {mf1}: "I was drawn to this place... it was quite.. magical, so-to-speak. It's the place I was looking for, follow me." "Are we going in the direction of the trees?" You point towards a weird looking tree. {mf1}: "Heh, so you noticed. Yes, the trees point to our destination. Come on, let's go." You follow the trees. After only a few minutes you find yourself on a grass plane. A small house stands in front of you, surrounded by a beautiful garden. It makes your soot-covered body feel even dirtier than it did before. {mf1}: "Ah, it seems she's already waiting for us." The door of the small house opens widely, and out of it comes a young woman wearing a white greek-esque robe. "{sister}?" She waves for you to come closer. {sister}: "Hello, {name}. Nice to see you again." > [[continue|1qsister]]

You step inside the house. As you do, the smell of honey and roses fills your nostrils. You take off your blood stained shoes at the door and place them outside. They look hideous next to the beautiful flower-bouquet. [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "S-sorry for being so dirty!" {sister}: "Don't worry about it. Come inside, it's warmer in here." Still standing in the doorway, he bows deeply, takes off his shoes and steps inside. [continue] Your sister {sister}. You haven't seen her in quite a while, so it's very surprising to find her living in the middle of some forest. She signals everyone to sit down at a nearby table. On top of it sits a big cake. You sit down on the nearest chair. {mf1}: "Sorry to ask, but I have to make sure. You said you are {name}s sister, right? [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "Huuuuuuuuuuuuh?" {mf2} just sat down on a nearby chair, but after hearing that he immediately jumped up. It makes sense for him to not know that it's your sister, after all. "I'm as surprised as you are, that's for sure" {mf2} is making a really stupid face. You can't help to smirk as you look at it. He does not seem to notice and sits back down. [continue] {sister}: "Before we go any further, please, take a bite. I just finished baking this cake, and I'd like you all to try it." In true fashion of a naturelover, your sisters room is filled with plants and smells nice wherever you go. A true polar opposite to your fathers house, no wonder she left and never came back. There was another reason... but you don't want to think about it right now. > [[continue|1qsister2]]

Female Guard: "You are coming with me into the cellar, brat!" She grabs your arm behind your back, making it impossible for you to resist. Her grab is strong, and not moving forwards hurts your arm like crazy. You take a quick glance back into the room. The guards have toppled the pumpkin tower {mf1} has built. However, he is nowhere to be seen. Female guard: "Stop stalling, forwards!" She pushes you into the other room, and through that into the main hall. You wince from all the pain in your arm. *"You really don't have to be so rough..."* > [[continue|1qfoyer]]

You reach the foyer together with the female guard, and without any warning, you are greeted by the gates of hell itself. The emotional shock of the situation makes it impossible for you make sense of it all. Female guard: "W-w-what?" The guard is trembling, shivering all over and loosening the grip on your arm. You use the opportunity to break free and get some distance to her. After getting away a few meters you look back towards her. "HEY! LOOK OUT!" She fell to her knees, breathing heavily with tears in her eyes. As she looks towards you, the thing you feared happened. A dagger the size of a kitchen knife struck her throat, spurting blood everywhere. You can see her eyes roll back into her skull and her falling to the ground, dead. Sweat is running down your face, and your hands are trembling. Someone just died in front of you, one hit and she was dead. You feel like puking, but grab a hold of yourself just in time. Suddenly, you notice a presence next to you. It is neither imposing nor terrifying. You turn around to see... > [[continue|1qgobackfoyercupoard]]

You take a slice of the cake and put it on the small wooden plate in front of you. The wood almost feels uncoated, like it's freshly cut from a tree. The cake has a multi-layered texture inside, going green, yellow, brown and white from top to bottom. Each layer is separated by a black line. It must have been quite difficult to make. {mf1}: "*munch* Did you bake this cake while I was getting {name}?" He got his mouth full of cake, you can hear it from the way he talks. Quite uncough, you think to yourself. Not that you have good table manners yourself. {sister}: "Hehe, you got no idea about bakery, do you? A cake need more than just a few hours to finish, you know." She got the innocent smile of a child, yet her appearance and manners show a great deal of maturity. Remembering back home, you think of the rough and strong hands of your father, how he slammed the plates on the kitchen table and how he ripped through them as he ate steak. You sister, however, has got a very soft touch, with her table and plates having almost no scratches on them. It is nice and quite feminine, you don't know how to properly act. "Your house looks straight out of a fairy tale, sister." She snickers. {sister}: "Does it now? Well, that's what I was going for after all. It's nice to see my hard work has payed off. But come now, eat!" You almost forgot about it. Using a wooden fork, you slice apart a small piece of the cake and pull it up to our mouth. The warm smell of the ingrediends fills your nostrils, making you feel warm inside. You put it in your mouth, and with that all your worries fade away in an instant. > [[continue|1qsisterexplanation]]

What a wonderful taste this cake does have! It engulfs your mind with only the sweetest of thoughts. How you first learned how to walk, how it felt when you were picked up by your mother, how magical the world outside your window seemed. These are all thoughts you thought you had forgotten, yet here they are. {mf1}: "You are making quite a face, {name}. You must like it as much as I do." [if killmf2 === false] {mf2}: "I have never eaten something this delicious before!" [continue] You look over to your sister. She has not yet taken a bite out the cake herself, and is instead looking down with rather bleak looking eyes. You swallow and clean your mouth with a nearby cloth, then ask. "What's the matter?" {sister}: "I-it's nothing... Your reaction is just..." {mf1}: "What about it? The cake is tasty, I must be looking the same way." {sister}: "You went on a rampage, didn't you?" The rooms atmosphere shifts in the blink of a moment. It makes sense for her to worry about you... but you wish to have at least finished the cake before having the topic brought up. Her face looks sad and depressed, a stern contrast to how she looked like just a second ago. {sister}: "I knew it the second I saw you coming here, covered in gunk and blood. You wouldn't normally go anywhere looking like this... But..." She pauses for a second. {sister}: "This cake is infused with a certain kind of 'magic', so-to-speak. It contrasts your curent emotional state into the exact opposite. I gave it to you because you all looked a bit depressed, but I think I..." > [[continue|1qsisterexplanation2]]

Suddenly, your eyes start to tear up. There is no real emotion behind it other than confusion, but the tears won't stop forming. Your vision blurs, as do your thoughts. It is just like before... your heart starts to race. {sister}: "I didn't think it through! I just don't wanted everyone here to be sad!" {mf1}: "What are you talking about?" {mf1}s voice was quite loud and stern, it almost sounded condescending. You share his anxiety... you heart won't stop racing. {sister}: "There is something inside of {name} that can't really be described! T-the magic will overwhelm him!" You feel your muscles spasm violently, and you fall to the floor. All your control over your body is lost in an instant. Flayling around wildly on the floor, foam starts forming inside your mouth. You can feel the others trying to hold you down,with little effect. But you can't see, your vision is blurred by the tears. But you can't hear, everything is an incomrehensible mess. Eventually, you can't even feel anything anymore. Your eyes roll back, and everything falls into darkness. ... ... ... You awake in a large bed, sunlight blinding you as you open your eyes. You roll to the side to try and avoid it. [if killmf2 === false] > [[open your eyes|1qwakeupmf2]] [else] > [[open your eyes|1qwakeup]]

You lie in a big, mostly empty room. The walls and floor are wooden, and a huge carpet lies on the floor. Besides it there is nothing here. "What a weird room... So pointless..." You try to sit up, and with some effort you manage to do so. Your muscles ache and your vision is blurry, but besides that everything feels fine. You rub your eyes until you see clearly again. ...: "H-hey!" A muffled sound comes from behind you, you turn around and behind the window... {mf2}: "Hey! Open the window, quick!" The window is not broken by any means, but the insulation seems to be quite horrible. Despite being closed you can hear him quite well, only a little muffled. You do as he asks and open the winow. {mf2}: "I-I have a bad feeling about all this! I think we should sneak off!" The light is still blindinly bright. You rub your eyes again and ask. "Why?" {mf2}: "W-well! You were knocked out cold after eating some kind of pie, that's a start. Then {mf2} and {sister} carried you into this room and just left the house." "You mean they are not here?" {mf2}: "N-no, they came back eventually, with another guy. I don't know his name, but he looked like a scholar." "None of this seems particularily suspicious though, does it?" {mf2}: "I can tell you more! But you have to trust me and sneak off with me." "Why should I? Is it that serious?" {mf2}: "Yes!" > [[climb out|1qclimbout]] > [[stay inside|1qwakeup]] [if trail.includes("SkipToPart")] {reveal link: 'Note concerning Endings', text: 'Choosing to stay inside will switch the Ending from 1 -> 2, meaning it will be as if you never saved him at all. Some sentences are still different though, but the Ending is the same.'}

"A-alright" You feel hestiant to fully trust him. After all, you still haven't really gotten to know him all to well and there are still a lot of questions you have about his character. However, he always felt sincere and you believe that he is not trying to harm you in any way. You stand up, ready to jump over your bed and out the window. "My body feels well again... They must have treated me well..." You climb on the bed and out the window. {mf2} helps you on the way out, his grip being a lot tighter and less shaky than when you fled the mansion. "So, where do we go?" {mf2}: "This forest is dangerous, or at least that's what {mf1} and {sister} always said. Its supposed to be impossible to orient yourself once you're inside." "So how do we flee then?" {mf2}: "Simple!" He points towards a gap between two bushes, about ten meters away from you. {mf2}: "We just never turn right or left!" "What?" {mf2}: "Think about it! If we never turn, then we will definitely get out of here at some point. I say we go between these two bushes and make our escape." The plan seems reckless and poorly planned, but you can't think of another way that would be more plausable. So, after a second of hestitation, both of you step inside the forest, leaving the house behind you. > [[walk on|1qinsideforestagain]]

[if trail.includes("1qwakeupmf2")] "Sorry, I think I'll wait for {mf1}." {mf2}: "But!" "Sorry" You can see sadness in his eyes. He takes one last look at you, makes a small bow, then disappears into the forest. Seeing him go all alone makes you feel a bit guilty. [continue] The door on the other side of the room opens. {sister} and {mf1} enter. {mf1}: "Hey, you are awake again! You've been quite the sleepyhead." You sit up and rub your eyes. The pain you felt has completely subsided and it feels no different than after a long peaceful sleep. {sister}: "How are you holding up? I didn't expect you to react like this, I am so sorry..." She looks down on the ground, in fact, she hasn't looked at you at all yet. Embarassment and shame is written all over her face. {mf1}: "Your brother came over yesterday. He fixed you up." "{brother}?" {mf1}: "Yes, he lives nearby. His magical skills are quite something..." That is true... your brother is a scholar, after all. Feeling quite well, you decide to stand up and approach the both of them. > [[continue|1qstandupbed]]

Five minutes pass... 20 minutes pass... 3 hours pass... Has it been hours, or days already? You can't tell, even though the question seems so stupidly easy to answer. The forest is less than an actual forest but more like a big garden. The trees, even the bushes, repeat again and again and again, every one of them looking the almost exactly the same as the one before. Every about 20 or 30 meters the forest repeats itself. This must be the reason why navigating though it is impossible, as there are no landmarks to look for to see whether you've been here before. However, this isn't an issue to you, as you and {mf2} have been walking in a straight line without turing all this time. Both of you haven't said a word to each other in what feels like an eternity. You decide to break the silence. "Do you think this was a good idea?" You see him nod in front of you. In stark contrast to his pityful, weak state back at the mansion, he seems pretty confident right now. You decide to continue trusting him, assuming that you must find an exit eventually. > [[continue walking|1qexitforrest]]

After another few hours or so, you suddenly start noticing changes in the scenery. This bush is smaller here, this tree has a slightly different color, this flower hasn't bloomed back there. {mf2} looks back at you, a big smile on his face. {mf2}: "I think we are near the exit! Come on!" He grabs your arms and pulls you forward, forcing you into an awkard jog. The redness of the nearing night flashes your eyes, but you do not slow down. {mf2} increases his speed, and you try to keep up. It is an almost child-like display of happiness, but you do not care about how you look right now. 'Let's get out of here already!' is what you tell yourself, speeding up yourself. It only takes both of you about a minute, at the end almost sprinting, to finally exit the forest. {mf2}: "We did it!! I knew my plan would work!" "Heh..." You are exhausted now, very unlike {mf2}, who seems perfectly ready to run some more. Now that you are outside the forest, you realize... *"I left my family and my best friend to run away with some guy I don't even really now... Now that I think about it, this might not have been the best idea..."* You shake your head, believing that it's too late now anyways. After taking a moment to catch your breath, you look up to the plains in front of you. > [[continue|1qnewhouse]]

"What is this?" In front of you sits a small house surrounded by nothing but plains. While it does not seem as magical as the one in the forest it is quite weird to see a single house in the middle of what seems like nowhere. Maybe it's lodging for hunters? {mf2}: "I-It's getting late! A-and c-c-cold..." True, somehow it just got a whole lot windier now that you are outside the forest. The cold air makes you shiver. {mf2}: "I'm going to knock on the door, see if someone is home." You follow him, seeing nothing wrong with his plan. As you approach the door, a familiar smell fills your nostrils. {mf2}: "H-hello, sir. I am sorry to disturb you and..." ...: "Please, come inside first." The smell sure felt familiar for a reason. In front of you, holding open the door for you, stands your brother, {brother}. You freeze in place. {brother}: "Nice to see you, {name}. Come inside, you'll catch a cold." > [[step inside|1qstepinsidehouse]]

The room is filled with candlelight. No, this is not candlelight, it is a light spell commonly taught to scholars of higher rankings. It is a quite difficult spell to exercise, as even small mistakes can create a dangerous fire instead of the desired light. However, when you manage to conjure the spell perfectly, you get a permanent source of light that never extinguishes. It is therefore commonly used in wealthier neighborhoods to light the streets at night. You believe it was called 'continual light' back at the academy. {brother}: "You two look famished. Let me get you something to eat. Sorry, I don't have anything fancy on hand right now, I hope your standards aren't too high." With that, he disappears into another room. {mf2} still stand near the door awkwardly. {mf2}: "D-do you know him?" "He is my brother." His face turns white in an instant. It feels nice to have someone else panic aswell... how can it be that {brother} is living here anyways? This goes way beyond the usual social isolation of scholars. {mf2}: "Your sister tried to poison you! He might be in kahoots with her! We should get out of here!" You understand his reasoning, but he does not understand your family dynamic like you do. While you do trust your sister, you do not trust her emotional stability. Your brother, on the other hand, you trust completely. If he invites you in like this there is no way you would ever decline. "No, he won't do that. I am sure of it, please try and trust him." He gupls audably, but then starts taking off his shoes. {mf2}: "I-I guess we'll just sit at the table then?" You nod, taking off your shoes aswell, then sit down at the table. > [[continue|1qsitattable]]

{mf2}: "Hmpf... 'famished', huh..." He puts his head on his arms. "What about it?" {mf2}: "Is he a scholar? They always use fancy words like that..." You snicker. Yes, back home your father couldn't understand him every now and again due to his difficult vocabulary, and that was years ago. Who knows what other difficult words he learned since then? {mf2}: "How come we run into your whole family here anyways? First your sister, now your brother... A weird coincidence, don't you think?" It is quite weird, especially as you haven't seen either of them for a few years now. As you ponder whether this could be a coincidence of not, the smell of fresh bread fills your nostrils. {mf2}: "Huh? Why does it smell like bread all of a sudden?" Just as he said that, the door {brother} went through earlier swing open. He is holding 2 plates in his hands, with a third one hovering over his head with wind magic. {brother}: "I used some of my studying materials as ingedients, they should all be alright to consume. I've tasted them already, so don't worry about getting sick." He puts one plate in front of you, the other in front of {mf2}, and the third one magically places itself next to the chair next to you. {brother} sits down there. > [[look at plate|1qbrothereating]]

On your plate lie two slices of bread, already buttered, and next to it a few pieces of cheese and 'meat'. {mf2}: "I-Is this meat?" {brother}: "Not exactly. It's a study project of mine and some other scholars, it's basically 'meat-free-meat'" {mf2} looks at him with a confused look. You find it quite funny and start putting the cheese and meat on your bread. {brother}: "We call it 'veran', but I like to call it 'vegan', it rolls off the tongue better. We use different magical and ordinary materials and combine them alchemically and magically to create something akin to real meat. You know, some people in the upper classes think that we shouldn't kill animals because it is inhumane to do so and..." "I think he stopped listening. We're already finished, too." He looks at your plates. Both of them are emptly and clean. You two were hungry, after all. {brother}: "Bwahaha! I'm sorry I don't have more food on hand. Let's go to the city first thing tomorrow morning, alright?" He finishes his bread aswell and stands up. {brother}: "Don't worry about the plates, I'll clean them up later. Here, let me show you a place to sleep." He points towards a door behind you. Before you can stand up, {mf2} interrupts both of you. {mf2}: "Your sister tried to poison {name}! Why sould I trust you?" Your heart sinks into your chest as you hear {mf2}s words. What is he thinking? Even if he was working with your sister, how is telling him that outright supposed to help? He's a skilled magician, too, so there is no way to escape him even if you wanted to anymore now. > [[continue|1qmf2argument]]

You look towards {mf2} with a mixture of different emotions inside you. He is standing near the table, his face red and his arms shaking. He must be quite scared. {brother}: "My sister? You mean {sister}?" {mf2}: "Yes, her!" {brother} looks towards you, and lets out a visible sigh. He returns to the table and sits down again. {mf2} does the same. {brother}: "She didn't try to poison him..." {mf2}: "Huh?" {mf2} is audably loud. {brother} was always bad with people that behaved like this, so you try to calm {mf2} down, to no avail. {brother}: "She is just a naive fool... I'm sorry you had to go through that, {name}." He looks down, shame written all over his face. You wonder why. {brother}: "Listen... It's difficult to explain, but just know that she only wanted the best for {name}. The situation is just too much for her to handle, so she listened to her heart instead of her brain." That is exactly why you trust {brother} over {sister}. Back when she was little she was known for listening to her emotions a bit too much, to the point where it became difficult to properly trust her anymore. She is a kind-hearted soul, and you can't imagine her wanting to hurt you in any way, shape or form. It never even crossed your mind. {mf2}: "He was foaming from the mouth! He was unconscious for three days!" Three days? No way, that is crazy. He must be exaggerating. {brother}: "Listen... She immediately went to get help, right? She went to me, too. But you two ran away before I could properly treat him." {mf2}: "So you were the guy in the robe!" {brother}: "Yes, I was. {name} has a serious condition, and it's very difficult to cure." > [["Why did I fall unconscious in the first place?"|1qbrotherexplain]]

{brother}: "The cake she gave you has magical properties. However, different to me, the magic she uses is more akin to alchemy or, no, its more like herbalism. The cake you ate was specifically crafted to increase your mood by cleansing your body of stress and worry. The thing is, your condition made you react violently to it, and so your body pretty much shut down to fight it. You are okay now though, I can see that from here." "Is that still... because of back then?" {brother}: "Yes." {mf2}: "What was back then?" You look down, shaking your head to signal that you don't want to talk about it much. {mf2} doesn't seem to want to press the subject, and inside you want to thank him for that. {brother}: "I hate to tell you this so bluntly... But we should talk about how you go on with your life from now on." You look up to him. {brother}: "Okay, please don't freak out. You killed everyone except for the boy here and the other guy. And I mean everyone, you rotted out half the police force and all the guards in the mansion. That is the problem we have on our hands right now." You feel your heart start to pound louder. This can't be, how could you do such a thing, even just talking physically? What is this, a joke? {brother}: "The thing is... with that you also left no witnesses. Meaning no one knows it was you, except for one person..." Besides your two friends, your sister and brother, only one person comes to mind. The only other person that knows about what happened to you... about how you could do something like this. > [["Father..."|1qspecend1]]

{brother}: "Exactly. You know him, and how mysterious he can be." He seems hesitant. That is very unlike him... except for when he's lying. Is he trying to keep something from you? "I will stay here for a while?" He nods. {brother}: "Yes. This house is magically protected and can only be seen from about a hundred meters away. Meaning as long as you stay here you are safe." {mf2}: "Didn't you want to bring us in town tomorrow?" {brother}: "Yes, escorted by me and {sister}. We are both quite trained in dealing with problem-makers, so he wouldn't come to any harm. With the two of us, no harm can come to him or any others, I'm sure of it." {mf2} scoffs. "So... I just stay here then?" {brother}: "Yes, I am sorry. Just go to bed for now, you seem tired." You stand up silently and go into the back room. no one follows you. There are two beds inside the room. Both look exactly the same, they must have been created using magic. Living here... having to explain yourself to {sister} and {mf1}... you can't help but worry. Still, it's better than thinking of the reason for all this. Of how you... no, you don't want to think about this right now. Or ever. It's better to pretend nothing ever happened. You lie down, nervous and uncertain as to how your life will turn out from now on. [align center] **Special Ending #1: What will become of me?** _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{mf1}: "Hey, don't overdo it, okay? You might still be a bit weak." He couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, you feel healthier than you've ever been. It is quite miraculous, to say the least. {sister}: "He'll come over any minute now. Let's go into the living room for now, okay?" She still hasn't looked at you. It bothers you, and you decide to speak up about it soon, whenever the opportunity arises. You enter the living room, which looks exactly like you remember. However, this time you notice the stark contrast between it and the room you were just in. Everything here is decorated nicely and looks clean with plants adorning almost every facet of the walls. The bedroom however had none of that, only a bed and a window. {sister}: "He'll bring food today. Don't worry, it's not made by me..." Her depressing attitude is difficult for you to handle, so you decide to finally speak up. Also, you'd hope that she's making the food! {brother} is a horrible cook, and that is almost an understatement... "Hey, what's the matter? You were so chirp the other day, and now you are like this?" She remains silent, but you notice a small smile on her face. To your surprise, {mf1} speaks up. {mf1}: "Give her some time, {brother} will explain more once he's here. All of you sit down next to the table. You notice the chairs being padded with leaves and the like, which feels really nice to sit on. > [[wait|1qwaitbrother]]

Quite some time passes with none of you saying as much as a single word. You decide to break the silence. "So... anyone care fill me in on what happened with me yesterday?" You see {mf1} smirk. He's the first one to answer. {mf1}: "Yeah, we've been sitting here a while, guess we can talk a bit. By the way, it wasn't yesterday, it was three days ago." You are taken aback. "Three days?" {mf1}: "Jep. I called you a sleepyhead for a reason you know?" It is very untypical for {mf1} to be so talkative. It makes you wonder what his intentions are. He hasn't shown any signs of worry either, even though the way you fell unconscious must have been quite the gruesome sight. {mf1}: "Anyways, you..." {sister}: "... the curse in you awoke yesterday, {name}." The moment the word 'curse' left her mouth, your entire body started to shiver for a moment. The curse... you remember what it means. > [[continue|1qthecurse]]

It happened a long time ago, back when you were still a kid. {sister} and {brother} were already nearing the end of their teenage years by this point. Your father, {father}, once belonged to a cult whose name you can't remember. It worshipped an old entity known for causing havoc during war times, destroying entire military forces from within in only a few minutes. The details were unknown, yet its existence is known and accepted worldwide, or at least in the entire world known to you, which doesn't particularily extend past the town walls. The cult in and of itself was not much unlike other ones in its practices, so animal sacrifices, satanic rituals and corrupted magic were commonplace there. The eldest of you, {brother}, was the first one to go through one of the cults procedures. You were not even born during that time, and he was barely even able to speak back then. However, as far as {father} told you, this rutual was the first one to be completed successfully, with {brother} serving as a vessel for the evil being. He had to attend multiple cult meetings over the years, up until he became a teenager. no one really knows what he did exactly, but one day, as he attended one of the many cult meetings, everyone suspiciously vanished. {father} found him unconscious in the middle of the room, with a horrible smell hanging in the air. The cult pretty much disappeared after that day, with {father} promising to never contact them again, as {brother} did not leave the day unscathed. Multiple scars formed on his body, and his bare upper body was looking similar to a criminal that was punished with a whip. One day, many years after that day, you and {sister} were kidnapped by mysterious people in black robes in broad daylight near the town square. What happened there only {sister} and {father} knows, as none of them ever told the public. You yourself were but a young kid, and the entire two weeks you were kidnapped leave a big hole in your memory, as if they never existed. The only thing you know is what {brother} told you in secret on the day he left {father}s house. {brother}: "I overheard {father} and {sister} talking a few years ago, and I think you should know. They said you were kidnapped by the same cult that I was a part of years ago, and that they found you useful as a vessel. Please, be careful." He gave me a pat on the head and the saddest look you've ever seen on him. With that, he left the house, and it was the last time you've seen him. > [[get back to reality|1qtableback]]

"The curse, huh..." {mf1}: "They kind of filled me in. I didn't know something like this could ever exist. You went through a lot back then, {name}... I didn't know." {sister}: "Yes, and it is all my fault!" She suddenly got louder, with her voice cracking slightly as she slams her hands on the table. You shriek. She's got a lot more power behind her fist than you imagined... it makes you shudder. {sister}: "If I were more compatible back then, you wouldn't have..." Tears run down her face. This must be why she hasn't looked at you yet. Her beautiful appearance from earlier is gone, with her clothes put on hastily and her face looking unwashed and dirty. As a naturelover, this was more akin to what you would expect her to look, but it was still a sad sight so see. It is obvious that this is not the way she wants to look on a day to day basis. "What do you mean more compatible?" You try and stay calm. The entire situation is difficult for you to grasp, so you decide its the best course of action to try and listen at the moment. {sister}: "Do you remember what happened to us back then, when we were kidnapped?" "No. And you all made sure to keep it that way, back then at least. You and father never said a single word." *"Maybe I overdid it here a bit... I hope it wasn't too much..."* {sister}: "Y-yes... {brother} got such horrible wounds on him, we never wanted you to have anything to do with it!" You want to ask more questions, when suddenly the door swings open. > [[continue|1qattackhouse]]

The light that pertrudes from the door is unnaturally bright. "A... Scholar?" Deep manly voice: "Are you perchance {name}?" The voice sounds nothing like {brother}. Just who is this? {sister}: "Cease your magic right now, you are on the territory of natural magic! How dare you use city magic like this here?" Her stern voice reminds you of her scolding you back then whenever you didn't eat your greens. It was quite horrific, to be honest. A might aura surrounds her, making you shiver. Deep manly voice: "I was not talking to you." The light is still blindingly bright. You can't look at the man at all. Even closing your eyes doesn't help... {sister} is right, it's magic. {sister}: "Fine, have at it, then." Suddenly, the light starts dimming. No, it didn't dim, it just 'fell'. Like a candle being put out. Deep manly voice: "ARG! Let go of me, you beast!" With a loud shatter sound, the entire room darkens back into a natural dim state. Your eyes need a moment to readjust. {sister}: "You are on territory of 1st class naturelover {sister}. You will be punished for trespassing and usage of city magic in a magical forest." You rub your eyes, then take a look forward. > [[look|1qlookforward]]

You are taken aback by the scene in front of your eyes. A man in a big black robe is lying on the ground, with {sister} standing on top of him with one foot, holding a big spear in her right hand. Next to her sits a huge wolf whose head reaches up to her chest. In its teeth are scraps of a black cloth, certainly part of the mans cloak. Man: "Ugh... Why is there a 1st class here? Damn my luck!" He opens his left hand, with a small white shimmer pertruding from its surface. However, after only a moment, {sister} hits it with the back of her spear. The shimmer immediately disappears and the man lets out a small hiss. {sister}: "Teleportation magic, really? You are really cheap. Or can you not cast anything better than this?" It is quite a scene to see. Her level of proficiency in her class far outclasses yours. No... it's not even in the same liegue. You can't even cast a single spell yourself... not even worth your title as a 3rd class {myclass}. [if myclass === 'naturelover'] As a 3rd level naturelover, you should be only be able to befriend animals a little better than non naturelovers. You shouldn't be able to control them, infuse them with magic or anything of the sort. In fact, your proficiency is so low that you don't even meet this criteria. How you managed to get through the final exams is a wonder, even for you. [else] In fact, your proficiency in your class is so low that you don't even know how you managed to get through the final exams. The swiftness and directness of {sister}s counter attack makes you feel self conscious about your abilites, but at the same time make you proud to be the sibling to such a strong naturelover. [continue] Man: "He appeared... we all felt it! We will find..." With a swift strike, {sister} slams the end of her speak down on the man's head. It looked quite brutal, and the guy was knocked out immediately. {sister}: "Just shut up..." She leans the spear against a nearby wall, then pets the wolf, who in turn places itself on the ground next to the guy. {sister}: "Let me just quickly close the door, then we can continue talking again." > [[continue|1qtalkafter]]

{mf1}: "That... that was really cool, {sister}!" He seems really excited, and that rightfully so! She just completely averted a potentially dangerous scenario with pure skill alone. She didn't even use any magic, did she? {sister}: "That's what 1st class is like, {mf1}. You two should have studied and trained more, then you wouldn't still be stuck in 3rd class." {mf1} nervously scratches his head. "Should I... be concerend? Because of him." You point to the unconscious man lying on the ground. {sister}: "Not as long as you are here." She sits down. Her pure and innocent appearance from just a few days ago is long gone. What sits in front of you looks more akin to a warrior than a nervous older sister, even though her clothing is more on par with the latter. {sister}: "This magical house, and this forest... I keep it alive, keep it pure, keep it away from the likes of him." The wolf seemingly started lying down on top of him some time ago, you wonder how he's still breathing with all this weight on top of him. Maybe magical beasts don't weigh anything? {sister}: "For until I die, I will take care of this part of the forest. So as long as you are here, no harm will ever come to you, as I will always be here with you." Normally, this would have sounded quite comforting. However, as this is the sister that you frequently had beef with as you were younger, you are quite hesitant to accept such a proposal. You don't want to be at the receiving end of her rage anymore. > [[continue|1qproposal]]

"I-I don't really know, hehe..." {mf1}: "Whats with the weird laughter? ..." {mf1} gives you a weird look. What, would you like to live with your hypothetical sister? No way you would! It's weird! {sister}: "It's just an idea." She leans back. {sister}: "Just know... we all felt it. All of us were part of that cult at one time, all of us went through their rituals. Even though the cult disappeared long ago, guys like him are living proof that it still exists in the shadows. Me, {brother} and even father will keep a closer eye on you from now on. To keep you safe, and to guarantee that you can live a life apart from being a holder of that curse." {mf1}: "I talked to your brother aswell, {name}. We are friends, and I trust we will stay friends for quite a few more years. So I will keep watch aswell. I'd say we take this as an opportunity to get stronger ourselves! I want to be as cool as her someday myself, you know!" [if mf1class !== naturelover] "But you don't even want to become a naturelover..." {mf1}: "W-well! I can still be cool as a {mf1class}, of course. I will specialize in fancy fighting powers for sure!" [else] "Guess I gave you a good recommendation about your class, huh?" {mf1}: "Yes! By the way, we can surely stay here for a bit longer, right?" {sister}: "Become a 2nd class first before I even consider training you." His smile immediately drops, it is quite a funny scene in and you can't help but snicker a bit. [continue] > [[continue|1qspecend2]]

"Yeah, I guess it's a plan at least. How are we going to get back at the academy though, with our quest failed and all that?" {mf1}: "Oh, that... well, Sherone is dead, so we have an excuse, right?" You shudder for a moment. Dead? "Did I..." He quickly places his hand on your shoulder. {mf1}: "Don't think about it too much! Just see it as new opportunity!" He sweats quite a bit. You decide to drop the question and not think about it, even though it is quite difficult to do so. He's dead... {sister}: "Don't worry about father, by the way. You found a profession, he will be alright with that for now. Just see that the next quest you accept is a bit more... normal. No finding Shawarmas for rich guys this time, just help some old lady with carrying her bags or something." {mf1}: "What even are 3rd class jobs..." He pushes you out the door, without even asking for your approval. Didn't {sister} just want to keep you were, what happened to that plan? {sister}: "Stay safe, little brother. We'll be there for you when you need us, I promise." You look back. She's got a beautiful smile on her face and is waving you goodbye. Reluctantly, you wave back at her. *"There goes her scary warrior attitude... fieuw"* {mf1} closes the door behind you and, with an unnecessary pat on your shoulder, marches towards the forest. As you follow him you think about your future... about your family... about {mf1}... ... and about what you did today. With a heavy heart, you march on. From this day forward, you will keep this curse in check. You do not know how, but you are certain you will. After having already entered the forest, something springs to mind. "Ah... we forgot to wait for {brother}s food... so hungry..." [align center] **Special Ending #2: New life?** _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

"We have to get out of here, then!" {mf2}: "I agree. Come, I have an idea." Both of you sneak around the central staircase, taking great strides to stay hidden. Suddenly, a loud voice appears from the other end of the room. Manly voice: "What is this, explain yourselves! Did YOU create this mess?" You take a look to where the voice is coming from. It came from the door you entered in earlier, where you went down to the cellar. A few people stand there, with a large man and two smaller men standing at the forefront. The guy with the scar responds to them. Guy with scar: "Yeah, what's it to you? We freed you, so be happy and scram already." Even though you are more than 10 meters away from him you are certain of the disgrunteled face of the man. {mf2}: "They can buy us some time, let's get up the stairs real quick." You nod, as getting out of here quickly is much more important than whatever is happening here at the moment. > [[rush up the stairs|1qrushupstairs]]

{mf2}: "Y-you mean, he's back there, in the room?" You nod. {mf2}: "B-but Mr. Sherone went in there!" Sherone? The man giving the orders must have been Mr.Sherone, then. "Still, we can't leave him to his fate alone." {mf2} seems uncertain, yet understanding. After some delibaration, he eventually agrees. {mf2}: "Okay, I've got a plan, is this okay?" He explains how the original plan of the operation was just a cover up to cause some havoc at Sherone's estate in an effort to steal some valuables to bring back home. {mf2}: "I don't want to be a part of that anymore, but we can use it to our advantage." "How so?" {mf2}: "The people stuck down in the cellar are good people. I know the 'leader', he's a young man around my age. He won't agree with the methods of the others." "I was in the cellar earlier, you know? Some people managed to escape." {mf2} looks at you shocked. {mf2}: "W-wait! So you mean, they are already freed?" Just as you were about to explain, a loud voice can be heard shouting through the main hall. > [[turn around|1qloudvoice]]

Manly voice: "What is this, explain yourselves! Did YOU create this mess?" You take a look to where the voice came from. It came from the door you entered in earlier, where you went down to the cellar. A few people stand there, with a large man and two smaller men standing at the forefront. The guy with the scar responds to them. Guy with scar: "Yeah, what's it to you? We freed you, so be happy and scram already." Even though you are more than 10 meters away from him you are certain of the disgrunteled face of the man. {mf2}: "Look, do you see the guy to the right there?" A young, rather small looking guy stands some distance away from the rest of the group. Nothing in partiular strikes you as interesting as you squint your eyes to look at him. {mf2}: "He can help us get {mf1} back, in a more peaceful manner than the others. We should try and get to him." "But then we'll be spotted by the others!" {mf2}: "I don't really see any other way..." > [[appraoch him|1qapproachboy]]

Both of you rush up the stairs. It seems like no one noticed you yet. {mf2}: "Okay, let's look around." You stand quite a bit above the floor, it could even be called a first floor or a balcony. Some bookshelves and statues adorn the walls, and a beautifully decorated table stands in front of you. However, the one thing that really catches your eye is the opened window around three meters off the ground. {mf2}: "We can get out through there! Question is how..." He starts looking around, and so do you. However, none of you find anything to get you up there or to get you back down once you climbed outside. Your search is interrupted by a familiar voice. Guard: "What is happening in here? You there, you are under arrest for trespassing!" You walk towards the railing and take a peek over it. {mf2} follows suit. Guy with scar: "Just great! First you, then these nobles again. Fine, let's make this a brawl." Manly voice: "Fine by me." As you lean over further to get a better look, you notice someone looking up to you. > [[continue|1qspottedboy]]

You take one step forward, but then freeze in place. Big man: "You are a disgrace on all of us, and will bring nothing but misery to everyone living down at the church!" Disgusting guy: "Llllllllllike I care!!!" Tattoo Girl: "Remind me, what did any of you ever do for me?" Guy with scar: "Leave your false saint behavior at the door and fuck off." You hear knuckles crack loudly, only amplified by the reverb of the big hall. Big man: "Guess we have no choice. Boys, let's teach them a lesson." The three guys move forwards, all of them cracking their knuckles and necks. {mf2}: "He's spotted us, {name}. Let's hurry!" You are taken aback for a second. We were spotted? {mf2}: "Come on!" You look to where {mf2} tries to lead you. The boy he showed you earlier is signaling for you to come over. *"I hope this'll go well..."* > [[move towards him|1qappraochboy2]]

Boy: "{mf2}! I'm happy to see you." The boy in front of you is even smaller than he looked like from a few meters away. He is probably still a teenager. {mf2}: "This is {name}, he is a good friend of mine." Boy: "Ah, hello. Might you be the one that helped us out down in the cellar?" Helping is definitely not the right word. But what worries you more is that... "How do you know it was me?" Boy: "Let's just call it intuition, shall we? You were with someone else, where is he?" "O-over there..." You point over to the door. {mf2}: "He is probably still in there! Sherone went in there with a few guards earlier." Boy: "How long has it been since then?" "A few minutes for sure." Boy: "Hmmm..." He scratches his chin, deep in thought. Boy: "He should be fine then. We should all get out of here first, we'll catch up with him outside" > [["Excuse me?"|1qescapemansion]]

Boy: "There is nowhere to hide in there. If they haven't come outside by now, he must have found our secret passageway." *"Does he mean the tunnel we took earlier? I completely forgot about that!"* {mf2}: "Okay... So, do we escape now then?" Boy: "Yes, let's get out of here." The three of you and some other people of all ages rush towards the front door. looking to your left, you see the others fighting viciously. Big guy: "Ugh... Stay down, you prick!" Guy with scar: "Heh... all the muscle on your body won't help you against a seasoned fighter like me." Boy: "Don't worry about them, they do what they feel is right. No matter what happens to them, they will have done everything they could." {mf2}: "Don't talk like they are going to die!" Boy: "Anything can happen. Anyways, we are at the door. Listen, everyone. We go out and turn right immediately. If we run around the house we'll eventually reach the tunnel that'll get us out of here." Everyone nods, and with that the boy swiftly opens the door. > [[rush outside|1qrushoutside]]

As if all you were connected with an invisible string, you rush out the front door and turn right. The sun is starting to set, and the whole garden is englufed in a beautiful redness. You see no guards anywhere. You run along the mansion walls until you reach a large fence. Boy: "Okay, the tunnel is in there." He points towards the mansion again. Through a window you can see the room inside being the one you came out of when you exited the tunnel. That reminds you... "Wait, why didn't we just go down into the cellar and escape there? The tunnel was right there." Boy: "There are guards down there now. We hid in a small storage room until all of them went down. " {mf2}: "But how do we access this tunnel now." Boy: "We don't have to." He turns back around towards the fence. Behind it stands a familiar face. "{mf1}!" > [[continue|1qthroughfence]]

{mf1}: "Good to see you, {name}! You guys are the ones we were supposed to rescue, right? Oh, and hi {mf2}." {mf2} waves to him, and the boy explains the situation. {mf1}: "Alright. Let's get you all out here first. There is a weak point in the fence over there, but I haven't managed to get a big enough hole in it to crawl through yet. If you all help me we should be able to get you all out." You all unanimously agree. {mf1}: "Good. Okay, the weak point is back there." He leads you the the edge of the fence, where some of the metal has rusted and a small hole has formed. Boy: "Okay, everyone grab a part of the fence and pull as hard as you can." You all do so and pull on the fence with all your might. However, the fence won't budge. {mf1}: "How? Even I alone managed to bend it a little." He tries his best aswell, with no avail. > [[kick the fence|1qkickfence]]

You kick the fence with everything you've got, grinding your teeth in the progress. There is a... weird sensation. As you extend your leg to kick the fence, you feel time slow down. No, it's more like your leg never seems to stop extending. It is not a physical sensation, so-to-speak, it feel more like... posession... Just as you finish your thought, your foot makes contact with the fence. A heavy gush of wind reaches your body, throwing you back at least a meter. As you look up towards the fence you see a huge hole has formed in it. The edges of the hole look... burned? Boy: "What... was that?" {mf1}: "It doesn't matter now! Get through!" {mf2} helps you to your feet, seemingly the only one here that doesn't give you sideeye right now. Did you really just kick down a fence that multiple people together couldn't budge? You climb through the gate right after {mf2} and are greeted by {mf1} with a pad on the shoulder. {mf1}: "Is your leg okay? That was quite the impact." Looking down towards your leg you see that your clothes are torn and your shoe has almost completely vanished. A small shiver runs through your spine. How is such destruction even possible? {mf1}: "I don't know how you did it, but you sure are scary now. Please be careful to not hurt anyone, okay?" {mf1} has never spoken to you that way, as there was never any need. Still wondering how it all happened, you take a step forward and... > [[...tumble down a steep hill|1qtumblehill]]

As you tumble down you hold your head close to your chest, afraid to hit it on a rock or something similarly hard. To your luck, you just land on some grass. You try to get up. However, someone falls on top of you first. {mf2}: "Ouch..." {mf2} rolls off you and stands up, holding his hand out for you. {mf2}: "S-sorry about that." He grins from left to right. There is no way this was a truthful accident. You take his hand and get up to your feet. It seems like everyone else has reached the bottom of the hill aswell, only without all the tumbling. {mf1}: "You two okay?" "Yeah, don't worry." {mf2}: "It does hurt a bit... ouch..." It is weird. You fell down a hill, yet you feel nothing at all. Even from the kick earlier that pretty much disintegrated your shoe, you feel nothing. The best way to describe it is 'it feels like normal'. > [[continue|1qtowardsforest]]

You look up to where you came from. "So the nobles live atop a small hill..." Boy: "To look down at us, I'm sure of it." The hill is not tall enough to actually make it possible to be looking down at someone, and besides this part of town is quite secluded. You understand what he meant though, and decide to not say anything in response. {mf1}: "Anyways, everyone. We need to cross this forest, or at least I don't see any other way." You and everyone else turn around. In front of you stands a large forest. Nothing remarkable about it besides it looking a bit unnatural, almost perfectly symmetrical. Boy: "This forest was planted by the nobles to keep people like us away. It's said to be quite large so it's easy to get lost in. I don't see any other way to go though, so we might as well try." Everyone nods and after a short discussion enter the forest. > [[continue|1qlostinforest]]

10 minutes pass... 30 minutes pass... An hour passes... Time becomes increasingly more difficult to tell. The thickness of the forest makes it difficult to grasp the time, as the sun is always hidden behind the trees leaves. The forest also repeats itself. The boy explained it some time ago. Boy: "The forest is supposed to be huge and be built to be as confusing as possible. To do that, the nobles instructed whoever planted all of it to repeat the same patterns over and over. We therefore have no landmarks and nothing to really go off of in terms of direction." {mf2} breaks the silence. {mf2}: "Wait... weren't there more of us?" You turn around. Truth be told, you didn't really pay much attention to the others besides the boy, but even you can tell that there were more people here before. Boy: "Did they go another way? I didn't notice anything. Anyone got any idea?" Everyone shakes their head. {mf1}: "Let's conduct a small search. Don't wander off too far, and shout whenever you are finished so we can find each other again." You believe this to be the best course of action and start your search. > [[continue|1qseachpeople]]

You immediately get back down, sweat dropping down you face. *"He saw me..."* A young boy, probably a bit younger tan {mf2}, that stood besides the man with the strong voice, has spotted you and gestured something towards you. However, the second you noticed him you ducked down, so you have no idea what he was signaling. {mf2}: "Hey, looks like we don't have to escape through this wondow after all." You look towards {mf2}. To your horror, you see him peeking up even more above the railing. The way he sits there he sure must have been spotted. Nonetheless, you pull him back down and signal him to be quiet. He seems confused and swipes your hand away. {mf2}: "Don't worry, he's a good guy. The boy that saw us, I mean. He is kind of our mastermind, our prodigy or something like that. We can trust him 100%. We should definitely go down towards him." "But the guard and everyone..." {mf2}: "We will find a way, trust me in this! If we manage to reach him our chances will be way better than right now!" {mf2}s determination surprises you. Everything else seems to have just faded from his mind the second he saw the guy. You decide to trust him, as you have no better plan and he seems sure this will work. > [[go down stairs again|1qdownstairsagain]]

You try to rush down the stairs silently. *"I'm not risking getting caught..."* {mf2}: "Come on now, we shouldn't take too long!" {mf2} grabs your arm and forces you down the stairs, making a whole lot of noise in the process. However... Guard: "How did you do that, you scum?!" Guy with scar: "What, you mean your spear? Nothing but an expensive toy, lapdog!" Manly voice: "I suggest you stop speaking." The brawl is in full effect, and everyone is shouting rather loudly. *"Guess no one would notice the stairs right now, huh?"* {mf2}: "Okay, they are all occupied! Let's run straight towards him and the others!" You look to the other end of the hall. The boy and quite a few other people in ruggish robes stand near the door towards the cellar. With no other plan, you follow {mf2} and reach them in no time. > [[continue|1qappraochboy2]]

You choose a path the others did not yet pick and move on a few meters. The bushes are quite high, as they are everywhere else, and you quickly feel like you are getting lost. {mf2}: "There really is no one here, huh?" You jump back, getting jumpscared by {mf2}s voice. {mf2}: "Huh? Haha, did I scare you?" He has a big grin on his face. Was it pure coincidence he found you or did he follow you? He does seem a lot less distressed as you are. {mf2}: "Hm, I think we should get back together as a group. I don't want to lose more of us in this forest." "I-I guess..." You shout out for {mf1} and the boy, both of which flock to your location within a few seconds. {mf1}: "This is crazy, I was just a few meters away from you and still would have lost you." Boy: "Yes, we should conclude our search and just move on. This is way too dangerous." A few more people reach your location. After waiting a bit everyone decides to move further along the forest. *"It feels like we are even less people now..."* > [[continue|1qvanishing]]

Some time passes. The redness of the setting sun fully envelops the trees now, giving the forest a creepy magic-like appearance. {mf2}: "AH! {name}!" {mf2} jumps you, grabbing your arm. He is pointing downwards towards a small snake on the ground. Boy: "I doubt this snake is poisonous, {mf2}. And stop hugging {name}s arm like that..." {mf2} is dumbfounded for a second, but lets go of you with some hestitation. *"W-what the hell was that just now?"* {mf2}: "You should be careful with only one shoe, {name}. Wait, let me fix you something up real quick." He rips a part of his shirt, revealing the skinny body beneath. You wonder how this is going to help you in any way. He bends down to your foot and start wrapping it in the simple cloth. It... does not help at all. Still, you feel happy after seeing him so happy about what he just did. Boy: "Hold on, everyone. Look around you." You look around, and so does {mf1}, {mf2} and the boy. "W-where are the rest?" Its only the four of you now. Everyone else has vanished into thin air. {mf2}: "This i-is not funny! Come out, guys." no one comes out from anywhere, even after all of you shout for them multiple times. Just as you look to your left to look for the rest, you see the boy falling backwards into a bush. > [[continue|1qpullboy]]

You jump forward, grabbing his leg just in time. {mf1}: "{mf2}!" Something far stronger than you seems to pull him further into the large bush. {mf1}: "You grab there, I grab here, okay?" {mf1} and {mf2} join you, with {mf1} pulling on the boys other leg. Looking down, you notice your fingers sinking deeply into his malnourished skin, and blood pouring out of the small wound it made. Still, whatever is pulling on him must be way worse than this, do you decide to keep your grip firm. {mf1}: "We need your help, {mf2}!" You look to your right. Next to you stands {mf2}, shaking and his hands closed into fists. He takes a deep, shaky breath, then shouts. {mf2}: "Reveal yourself, you monster!" With that, he kicks into the bush with all his might, almost falling over in the process. However, a loud thump follows, and with that the tug on the boys body. You and {mf1}, not expecting the pull to be gone in an instant, fall back on your backs and rip the boy out of the bush. > [[continue|1qwhatpulledboy]]

Quickly deciding to stand back up, you first decide to look at {mf2}. He stands next to you, both feet to the ground. After all that happend just now you feared that his leg might be getting pulled into the bush next, but that fear seems to have been for naught. However, he has a quite fearful look on his face. {mf2}: "O-oh no..." He point towards your back, and you turn around. In front of you lies the boy, his clothes ripped and teared from the branches of the bush. His face also suffered some damage, with cuts and bruises all over. His eyelids are ripped, revealing the unprotected eye beneath. You decide to move next to him and examine his condition further. As you sit down next to him his eyes immediately pan towards you. His voice is weak and cracking, but audable. Boy: "The others won't come back... But thanks for saving me." With that said, his eyes roll upwards and he turns motionless. Scared, you immediately place your head on his chest. *"The heart is beating... He must only be unconscious."* {mf2} sat down next to you some time ago, also looking quite concerend. You turn towards the bush, where you just pulled the boy out. {mf1} is standing motionlessly in front of a big man holding a knife to his neck. > [[continue|1qmeetfather]]

The figure is clothed in long black robes, and a hood is placed on top of its head. You turn around to quickly grab {mf2}, but he is not there. Turning back around to the figue in black, you see one of the others that you lost earlier standing behind {mf2}, also holding a knife to his neck. ...: "Say, {name}. Who are these people to you?" The bush that nearly swallowed the boy almost magically starts to shake, and after just a second it is cut in two, right down the middle. A familiar face greets you from within. {father}: "Tell me, are they friend or foe?" You jump to you feet, screaming. "Let go of them, father! You even know {mf1}, how stupid can you be?" You never talked to you father in such a way, but you have seen enough blood today and snapped. {father}: "Hm, so that's why is face is so familiar..." With a wave of his hand, both the captors collapse to the ground. {mf1} quickly grabs {mf2} and rushes to your side. Magic. Your father was well versed in its usage, being crowned one of the best students of townsend academy of all time. Mind controlling magic was a common way for citydwellers to gain influence back in the day, but nowadays it is deemed illegal to use and can land you in jail for life. You grind your teeth at the audacity of your father to use such magic frivilously, and even worse use it to threaten your friends. > [[continue|1qmeetfather2]]

{father}: "We will exit this part of the forest now. Come with me." His tone is deep and commanding. You let out a big sigh, realizing that this is just the way he is. Still, you will not simply comply with him this time. "Can you heal him first, or give him some water?" {father} turns around, looking down at the unconscious boy. {father}: "Not here. It is not far, just carry him for now." Having said that, he turns back around and starts to leave. {mf2}: "H-he sure is scary..." {mf1}: "No joke." Both of them hestitate to follow {father}. "We should follow him. I don't want you to disappear aswell." {mf1}: "I think it is no secret anymore who is responsible for all the disappearances." He is pointing towards the guy that was once part of your group. He and the other guy are still lying on the ground, motionless. You decide to rush towards them to see if they are okay. As you reach one of them and reach for his pulse, you notice he is dead. *"W-what the hell?!"* > [[continue|1qhedead]]

"They're dead!" {mf1}: "Are you fucking serious?" {mf2}: "Oh god..." [if myclass === 'citydweller'] You decide to to pull up one of the corpses eyelids to confirm something. You almost jumps as you see the sight in front of you. Their eyes are completely white, with no iris to see at all. "This is necromancy. I've seen him use this on rats before." {mf1}: "You mean... reviving the dead?" "Yeah. But this means he didn't kill them. We learned this in school, remember? If you want to use necromancy on someone you can't be the one that killed him." {mf1}: "Yeah, and we also learned that it wasn't taught in the academy since 200 years ago. Your father knowing this kind of magic at all is not a good sign." [continue] [if myclass === 'naturelover'] You look down at the corpse one more time. However, the only thing you notice is that you can't look at corpses very well and nearly throw up. As you turn away from the corpse, you notice a kind of black fog from the corner of your eye. You look towards it, but the second you do it disappears. *"That felt like it didn't belong here... It came from the corpse... maybe I should tell the others later"* You turn away from the corpse, still thinking about what the dark fog might be. [continue] [if myclass === 'scholar'] You look at the corpses once more to look for a way they died, but you don't find anything. "I-I don't know! There is no way father would have killed them, he is not a murderer." {mf1}: "How can you be so sure?" You think about it for a second, and your head starts to hurt. No, there is no way. [continue] {mf2}: "S-still, we should follow him. If he knows magic and can lead us out of here, we can help the boy get back on his feet." {mf1} nods towards you and grabs one of the boys arms and you grab the other. Thankfully, he is rather light and easy to carry. {mf2}: "A-and what am I supposed to do?" {mf1}: "Just walk in front of us and keep an eye on {father}." {mf2} seems unsatisfied with his role, but does not complain. > [[follow father|1qfollowfather]]

After only a few minutes of walking you suddenly reach the end of the forest. {mf1}: "I-impossible! How are we outside this quickly now?" {father} turns around, looking at all of you. {mf2} takes on a fighting stance, but it seems almost cute in comparison to fathers gaze and sheer presence. {father}: "Yes, it is impossible. I used 'path' to teleport us towards the end of the forest, where I entered." [if myclass === 'citydweller'] Path is a magic spell of the 1st class, the highest one. There is also teleportation magic, which is of the 2nd class, but it would leave a mark at the original location and nake the destination light up brightly for a moment. Path is favored in adventurer troops as it can easily and stealthily teleport the entire party from one location to the other. However, it needs a 1st class citydweller to be used, which are a rare breed. [else] "'Path?'" {mf1}: "One of the highest tier magic spells of citydwellers. It is like teleportation, but better." {father}: "I am disappointed, {name}. You should have payed more attention at school." You pout for a moment. [continue] "Do you want to brag with your advanced magic, father?" {father}: "Watch your tone. And no, I just wanted to quickly get away from the forest. And from her..." As he said that, two people appear behind {father}. > [[continue|1qfamilyreunion]]

Pieces of paper fling through the air, only to disappear after a few seconds. A dim, red light, similar to that of a torch, outlines the body of a man in the middle of it all. Only a few meters away, flowers start forming on the ground rapidly. The sound of birds chirping and wolves howling can be heard as the body of a woman appears in the midst of it. {father}: "Hm. Seems even 'path' was not quick enough." {sister}: "How DARE you use city magic in the forest! You very well know it is forbidden and will disturb the natural balance!" {brother}: "I am sure he was just trying to help our brother. Look, one of his friends is injured." {sister}: "That does not explain..." They start a small debate, something you haven't seen in years. Your family, in one place... you are speechless. The people that appeared in front of you were your brother and sister. They used class-specific teleportation magic of the 1st class to come here. It makes you very self conscious about your own magic, considering you can't cast even a simple spell and they are here using the highest tier spells avaivable. {father}: "Enough, you two. {sister}, I will give you a bottle of concentrated natural magic later for the trouble. Will this suffice?" She pouts like a little child, but then gives in. {sister}: "Sure." {brother}: "Well, now that that is cleared up, let's get down to why we are all here." > [[continue|1qwhytheyhere]]

While you are interested to know why they are here you decide to first check up with the others. You place the boy on the ground together with {mf1}. He is breathing rather heavily, as if he's having a fever. {mf1}: "His wounds are getting worse. Tell them to help us, {name}." {mf2}: "I-I hate to ask again, but can we trust them? I mean they are seem very powerful." {mf1}: "Were you not at the academy?" {mf2}: "Well, n-no. I am an orphan after all, they don't accept those in the academy." Both you and {mf1} click your tongue as you remember that stupid rule the academy had. It kept the most vulnerable of people poor and powerless. {mf1}: "Well, I didn't know any of them besides his father up until this point, but I remember their faces. All of them are top-rate graduates from the academy and can be considered some of the strongest magic users of our time. The girl is a naturelover, the boy a scholar and his father is a citydweller." {mf2}: "So we couldn't escape them even if we wanted..." {mf1}: "Pretty much." You decide that interrupting them and asking for help is the best course of action right now. Just who to ask... {dropdown menu for: 'who', choices: ['father', 'sister', 'brother']} > [[continue|1qhealboy]]

[if who === 'father'] "Father, our friend still needs help. You said you would help once we're out, so let's do it now." {father}: "True, we are outside the forest now, after all." He approaches the boy with the same menacing facial expression as ever. It takes {mf1} a moment to let go of the boy and step aside. {father} kneels down, placing his hand around half a meter above above the ground and says... {father}: "Potion." A green liquid starts dripping off of his extended hand, landing on the boys head. The scars start closing immediately, and after only a few drops no more wounds can be found on his face. Your father repeats this process across the rest of the body until all is healed. It takes little more than a minute. {father}: "This should suffice for now. Tell him he was nursed by your sister, not me." {sister}: "Why exactly?" {father}: "I am not a healer and don't want to be known as one. Cmon, pick up the boy so can get moving." [continue] [if who === 'sister'] "{sister}, you are a naturelover. Do you have anything to help our friend?" {sister}: "Yeah, I noticed him not looking too well. Let me take a look at him." She approaches the boy gracefull. Despite being a naturelover, who normally wear leathery clothes and look pretty dirty, she is wearing a white robe that looks almost antique. It is immaculate and shows no signs of wear and tear. She bends down to take a closer look at the boy, placing her palm on the top of his head. {sister}: "Heal!" A green fog starts enveloping the boys entire body, almost making it look like he disappeared. It takes only a few seconds for this fog to disperse however. {sister}: "Yes, very nice. He's alright now." Not only were his wounds closed, but even his clothes returned to their orignal, untorn form. {sister}: "We have much to discuss. Please carry him so we can leave this place already." [continue] [if who === 'brother'] "{brother}, as a scholar I'm sure you have some knowledge of healing magic, can you help our friend?" {brother}: "No need to ask, I am already on it." Truth be told, you were already wondering why he closed his eyes a few moments ago. It must be because he started casting magic. Taking a closer look at him, you notice him wearing the same uniform he has been wearing since he became a scholar. It is similar to the robes of a typical scholar, only that he cut them down to stop at around his waist. He is wearing black leathery jeans and big black boots. All this gives him a somewhat athletic appearance, quite the contrast to the average scholar. {brother}: "Reversal, the way of returning to form." A small spark of light forms around his finger. He takes out a small flask and points his finger towards it. In an instant, a bright white liquid starts to form within the flask. After it is filled he throws you the potion, you barely manage to catch it. {brother}: "Drip some of it into his mouth, it will heal his body and restore some of his clothing." You do as he told you to, and without much spectacle all the wounds on his body magically disappear. Some of his clothes even got back to their original shape. {brother}: "Please carry him along, we should get moving." [continue] > [[continue|1qmovealong]]

You and {mf1} grab the boy the same way you did before. "Where do we even want to go?" {brother}: "There is a small house just this way. Please, follow me." You look to where he is going. For all you know, there is only grass plains as far as the eyes can see. Where should there be a house? {mf2}: "How can there be a house? {name}, d-do you think they want to kidnap us?" "Really?" He looks at you with puppy eyes. You sigh. "No, they won't. {brother} never lies, you can be sure of that. If he says there is a house somewhere than that is the truth." {mf1}: "This is a bit hard to believe when there is nothing but plains in this direction." {sister} seems to have heard your conversation and decides to chime in. {sister}: "We will make you something to eat there too, I'm sure you all are hungry?" As if on cue, {mf2}s belly starts rumbling that exact moment. {sister}: "Hehe, looks like I was right. Come on, boys." She waves at you to follow her. You feel annoyed that you are being called a 'boy', but decide to say nothing for now. All three of them are now walking towards the great plains in front of you, with no house, tree or even hill anywhere near in sight. You follow them, with some reluctance in your heart. > [[follow them|1qfollowfamily]]

You move forwards for around a hundred meters until you notice a change of scenery. A mystical fog starts seeping up from the ground below, covering you up to your ankles. {mf2}: "W-what is this?" {mf1}: "Magic... it must be" What kind of magic is this? Creating such huge amounts of fog is unheard of for all you know. The others don't seem fazed by the crazy occurence at all. It couldn't be that ... [if myclass === 'scholar'] ... it could be the scholar spell 'veil'? No... that spell can only cover up one's body, not an entire field. You are certain {brother} does not possess such power. [continue] [if myclass === 'naturelover'] ... it could be caused through the magical forest? {sister} said not to use city magic inside of it... but we are outside now, so surely it has no effect on this area? [continue] [if myclass === 'citydweller'] ... it could be fathers doing? It would certainly fit him, but you have no clue how he could pull something like this off. [continue] Suddenly, {brother} stops. With a wave of his hand, the fog disperses and reveals a house out of nowhere. {father}: "Heh, so it still stands." {brother}: "It has been used as an outpost for scholars for some time now. {name}, just for your education, this was 'superior veil', a rather secretive spell that can only be cast by multiple people together. In our case, I can cast the initial spell and {father} and {sister} help me spread its range." You nod in awe. They really are incredible at magic. *"For most people magic itself is an abstract concept... Why am I so far behind my family... oh man"* {brother}: "Anyways, we should head inside. Please, follow me." You approach the door together with everyone else. {brother} inserts a key, turns it, and opens the door. > [[step inside|1qinsidefoghouse]]

The room in front of you is quite spacious, with only a table and a few bookshelves standing around. A lot of papers are lying atop said table. {brother} rushes in and picks them all up. {brother}: "Sorry, I made bit of a mess. Let me just quickly clear it up. Oh, and hand me the boy. I'll put him on a bed so he can rest." He hastily shuffles into another room, having his hands full of papers, and the boy on his back. Hearing him call this place 'messy' almost makes you burst out laughing. Father could really learn a bit from him when it comes to keeping stuff clean, with the state his house is in. {sister}: "Let's all sit down here for now. It seems we have enough chairs, surprisingly." As you move closer you notice a sort of visual-illusion. The table seemed a lot smaller when you entered, but as you came closer it got quite a lot bigger. Is this illusionary magic? You head starts to spin thinking about how difficult it must be to create such an authentic illusion. {father} seems to have a different opinion, though. {father}: "What a cheap party trick." Despite his gloom prescence he sits down in a surprisingly appropriate way. You almost expected him to slam on the chair like a brute. {sister}: "I don't understand you, father. Sometimes you are arrogant and selfish, and then this." She sits down across from him. Her elegance is unmatched in this room, yet she looks almost childish in comparison to {father}. There is no threatening aura around her at all. {mf1}: "We should sit down aswell." {mf2}: "I-I'll sit here!" {mf2} sits down next to {sister}, while {mf1} decides to sit between him and {father}. It would seem you will have to sit next to {brother}, but who else? *"Hmm... No, I don't really want to sit next to father."* You sit down, and after a minute or two {brother} joins you. > [[continue|1qsitfamily]]

"Hey, {mf1}." He looks pretty exhausted, sweat pouring down his face. {mf1}: "Hey. Mind giving me a hand in this?" In front of you stands a big wooden door with an iron handle. {mf1} seems to have struggle pushing it open. "Okay, let's push together." You pull down the door handle and push against the door. The door swing open surprisingly effortlessly, making both of you nearly fall to the ground as you get inside. You are inside a small storage room. A gas lamp is lit on one of the many boxes. {mf1} quickly closes the door behind you. {mf1}: "W-well I never thought of pushing, ehe." He scratches his head awkwardly. You find no words to tell to him. {mf1}: "Anyways, now that we are here, we should look around the room." You are slightly frustrated with you for not finding apropriate words to tell him after not even trying to push open the door. But okay, you tell to yourself, let's look around while we're here. > [[look around|1qlookaroundboxes]]

You move across the huge hall towards a door at the far end. It is half-opened, so you decide to take a peek inside. It's empty, no one is in there. You move inside, closing the door behind you. The room in front of you is a kitchen. Huge, long tables with thick legs stand in the middle. Food of a big variety is stacked on top of it, with most of it looking expensive. The rest of the kitchen looks rather normal, there being ovens, stoves, kitchen utensils and the like. At the end of the room stands a half opened door. *"Do the people living here not close their doors behind them?"* You walk towards one of the plates. The smell of fresh steak reaches your nostrils, enticing you to take a slice. Your grumbling stomach doesn't help either. For now you decide to ignore it, taking out the {pouch} you bought earlier and eating it. They do not taste fresh anymore and almost make you feel a bit sick. Not that they were actually bad, its just that the food in front of you is way too tempting. [if alignment === 'paragon'] You shake your head. The {alignment} in you does not allow it. [else] You give yourself a small slap on the face. The {alignment} in you does not allow it. [continue] You decide to move to the next room. Maybe something interesting can be found there? > [[continue|1qmovenextkitchendoor]]

{father}: "{brother}, did I not teach you any manners? This is your house, you should seat your guests in front of an empty table." {brother}: "This is no my house, you know that. I only study here from time to time, and anyways there is not much here to give to so many people. Scholars don't eat as much as you citydwellers." {sister}: "He is an adult, father! Don't try commanding him around!" {father}: "And I do hope your attitude is not like this outside, {sister}. Has all the time in the forest lessened your social aptitude?" {sister}: "W-what?!" Your fathers eyes are closed, while {sister} slams her hand on the table, ready to get into a heated argument. {brother} tries to calm them down. You can't help but snicker. {mf2}: "This feels like a real family meeting... I feel really out of place here, hehe." {mf1}: "I would like to move on aswell." {mf1} seems a little annoyed. You wonder why. Does the family bickering annoy him that much? {sister}: "Ugh... How long has it been since we were all together like this? I think it was right after {name}s..." {brother}: "Yes, I am certain of it. There was a reason for it to have benn like this, after all." {father}: "{name}, do you know what day they are talking about?" You clinch your hands into fists. It is widely appearent to you which day they are all talking about. You take a deep breath, bracing yourself for the conversation {father} wants to stir you into. > [["The day that I was abducted by that cult"|1qcultexplanation]]

{brother}: "Almost, it was actually the day you were saved from them." {sister}: "Don't fret over details like this now! It must be hard even without it!" As always, {sister} seems to understand your feelings a bit better than the rest. You really don't want to think about that day again. {father}: "Tell me, why do you think we are all here today, when it's been close to a decade since we last all sat together like this?" The question surpises you. Yes, it is quite strange, your family always felt disjointed and in constant disagreement, but right now everyone acts like it's just a normal day like any other. Is the reason maybe connected to the cult? {brother}: "Let me explain a bit. I hope it is no issue if your friends are present?" "N-no. Not at all." You didn't really think about your answer too much. Normally you have to think a bit and take your time, but right now you just want the conversation to continue flowing forwards. A weird pressure sits atop your heart, making it race faster than you'd like. Your family is here, nothing bad will happen to you. {brother}: "Good, then let's begin." > [[continue|1qcultexplanation1]]

{brother}: "So, you were abducted by an organisation we call 'the cult' many many years ago. You probably still know that much, but the rest surely is a bit blurry" "I-I remember feeling incredibly anxious, and our family falling apart the exact day I came back home." {sister}: "W-we didn't fall apart! I-I am so sorry you felt this way all these years." She seems genuinely sorry, looking at you with sorrowful eyes. You don't understand a think she's saying. After all, her aswell as {brother} didn't even come visit you once. {brother}: "It is not that we fell apart, quite the contrary in fact. The only thing we did was take a certain distance from you." The moment the word 'you' came over his lips you feel an incredible sting in your chest. You find no words to say, and continue listening. {brother}: "Before I go any further, I have to explain something else aswell. Before you were abducted it was actually me that was taken away from home, five years prior to you. I still remember what they did to me, but managed to get over it as the years passed by. This is quite important in your case." {sister}: "They did experiments on him... and they managed to talk to some kind of deity through him. With the help of that deity he destroyed their hideout, shattering the organisation into pieces." {brother}: "But it was not enough. After said five years, they abducted you and {sister}. They found her unfit as a vessel and discarded her. You, however, proved to be an even better vessel than me." {father}: "We raided the place, but that was only after they did all their experiments on you two. Both of you lost your memory for the most part, which is good. The problem is that we have no clear idea how **you** will fare as a vessel." > [["What do you mean?"|1qcultexplanation2]]

{brother}: "He means..." Before he can speak any further, {father} signals him to quiet down. It seems commanding, but not in a nefarios way at all. {father}: "Look, I was part of that cult at the time. I am not proud for what I did back then... but only through my involvment with the cult was I able to properly help {brother} deal with the entity within him. He managed to control it well, until the day you were used as a new vessel." There is a pause, and a rather long one at that. Is {father} actually lost for words right now? {father}: "On that day, all his powers disappeared, and all the signs of the vessel appeared on you. The way you slept that day, the way you breathed, even the way you smelled. It was unnatural, and I knew it all to well from your brother. {name}, I do not know what you did today, but all of us sensed the prescence of that entity in you. That is why we are here." {sister}: "Because we want to protect you!" {brother}: "Because we want to help you." All of this makes your head spin. All this info, out of nowhere. Before you manage to speak, {mf1} interrupts the silcene. {mf1}: "Do the powers of the 'entity' include supernatural abilities, or strength?" Everyone looks over to him. {mf2}: "Y-yeah! Yeah, I know what you are talking about, that might be it!" You are dumbfounded, having no idea what they are talking about. But then, {mf1} starts to speak. > [[{mf1}: "He kicked a hole in a fence that even multiple people were not able to able to budge."|1qpowersexplanation]]

You look down at your leg. Truth be told, you almost forgot all about it. It's just as it was before... it feel normal, as if nothing is amiss at all. Your trousers are ripped from the knee downwards, and your right shoe is completely obliterated, nothing of it being left on your foot. You have no idea how it could come to that. {sister}: "Wait, that's it?" {brother} and {sister} look at you with a confused, yet happy smile on their faces. {father}: "Was there anything else that happened today that seemed weird?" {mf1}: "About him? No, only that he hasn't caught an infection on that foot yet." {sister}: "Don't worry, you stepped through the magical part of the forest at least for a few minutes. It shields your feet from infections, as normally shoes are not permitted inside of it. All of you should be alright, I can guarantee this." She throws you a big grin. It seems she is quite pleasantly surprised with the fact that you 'only' destroyed that fence by yourself. To you, it sounds like an inhuman achievement, but you are not a high class mage like the rest of your family, so waht do you know? {brother}: "I mean, if that is the extend of it than there is not too much to worry about, is there? I expected much worse." In the corner of your eye, you notice {father} looking over to {mf1} and {mf2}. {mf1} seems to notice aswell and looks back at him. He seems rightfully confused. {mf2}: "B-but there was..." {father}: "I think you are on the right track. Please, speak your mind." All eyes immediately shift over to {mf2}. The lighthearted atmosphere just a moment ago perishes in a single second. It seems {father}s words hold a lot of weight once more. With a lot of nervousness, {mf2} finally speaks. > [[{mf2}: "Our comrades all disappeared in the forest. I think that is strange, is it not?"|1qcomradeslostforest]]

{sister}: "W-what do you mean, disappeared? Are you sure you didn't just lose them? The forest is pretty confusing, after all." {brother}: "Did you search for them?" {mf1}: "Yes, we shouted for them once. We didn't find anyone then." {mf2}: "And more and more diappeared as time went on!" {sister}: "Hm... maybe there is another explanation..." {father}: "It seems the magical part of the forest is quite a bit smaller than I thought. Or did you decide to ignore city magic on the first offense?" {sister} looks at him dumbfounded. What could he mean? You think about it for a bit, knowing that {father} will leave answering this to all but him again. Suddenly, you get a striking realization. "Wait! Father, you still didn't explain why you were commanding two corpses just now!" {sister}: "You did WHAT?" Her face is red and filled with rage. The simple mention of a corpse near her forest must seem inexcusable for her. {brother}: "Corpses? Are you sure they were corpses? Mind control is definitely something father should be able to do, but necromancy is an entirely different thing. If you do not know, its teachings and usage has been banner for many decades now. There should be no way he can use it." He looks over at father with a sharp look in his eyes. Despite being eyed by two of his children, {father} does not seem fazed at all. [if myclass === 'citydweller'] *"I know it was necromancy... And I don't think the others will say a word, with all the tension in the atmosphere right now... Should I tell them?"* > [["I checked for the eyes, they were completely whitened. There is no way this wasn't necromancy"|1qcitydwellertruth]] [continue] > [["I have no idea. I'm sorry"|1qnoidea]]

"I know it was necromancy, I looked at their eyes." {brother}: "Hm. Care to explain, father?" Despite being asked, he retains a stone cold expression. {mf2}: "B-but that means he didn't kill them, right?" {brother} looks at him with surprise written all over his face. {brother}: "Hm, were you in the academy too? This is quite nieche knowledge, you should be pround of yourself." You decide to not chime in with a 'I told him!'. {mf2} blushes a little. {sister}: "He still chose to use forbidden magic... You better explain yourself!" {brother}: "Please, you know you won't win father over like this. And maybe drop the agitated act?" {sister}: "H-how can you be so cold about this?! He controlled the DEAD? You don't have to be a naturelover to know what this entails!" {brother} sighs. You don't know how he can be so chill about all this either. It is forbidden knowledge after all, and there shouldn't be anyone that can teach magic like this anymore. {father}: "It is correct. I used necromancy." {sister} jumps up, ready to start heating up the whole ordeal. > [[continue|1qfamilyfight]]

{father}: "Are you not aware of how to check for such magic?" "I am still learning, father..." {father}: "Hm." He seems disappointed. {father}: "Well, then I can get to the point. No, I did not use necromancy. The art stopped existing 200 years ago, when it got banned. There is no use trying to argue whether I could use it if I couldn't even learn it." His reasoning seems solid to you. {sister} sits down slowly aswell. {brother}, however, seems a bit unsettled. {father}: "Good, then let me explain my side of things. The two people I commanded were a volunteer and a member of the cult." *"Wait... a member of the cult??"* {father}: "The power of the entity is, in many ways, indescribable. However, what is certain is that it is very powerful. So I used 'mind control' to keep myself away away from whatever magic it might have used. After all, {name} is supposedly a better vessel than {brother}, so there is no telling how powerful of a foe it might be." [if myclass === 'naturelover'] *"This seems like a good time to tell them about the black fog."* You clear your throat, then tell the others. The second you say 'black fog', {sister} interrupts you. {sister}: "Father! Black smoke is..." {father} is silent. Somehow, the attention of everyone turns to you. > [[continue|1qblackfog]] [else] "Hold on! You said the cult got destroyed, right?" Your hands start to shake. Even though you don't remember a thing, your body still reacts to the mention of the cult still existing. {father}: "Hm. Okay, we should give you an explanation." > [[continue|1qcultmention]]

{sister}: "I-I don't even know where to start! I have no idea what to even say!" {brother}: "Please calm down, {sister}." {sister}: "No! And why are you so calm, huh? You under cahoots with him? I can't believe any of this!" She slams her hands on the table once more. Her face is red and her expression filled with rage. The elegant appearance surrounding her has now completely faded. There may not be an intimidating aura around her, but you still don't want to be at the receiving end of her rage. {sister}: "I know you guys are not as fixated on the good side of magic as me but I can't believe this! {father}, for this you should be thrown into prison for a long long time! You have any idea how serious all this is?" {father}: "Yes, I know that very well." Despite being screamed at, he retains his calm. It is quite impressive as you, while not even being part of the whole ordeal, got goosebumps all over. She is a 1st class naturelover... who knows what she can do if she gets serious? {sister}: "Then why..." {father}: "Answer me something." He stands up. It might just be perspective, but looking up at them {father} looks a lot bigger than {sister}. He is effectively towering over her. {father}: "If I told you I needed to use it to keep me alive, would you excuse this? What if I used it to keep {name} alive, would that change things?" {sister}: "D-don't play tricks with me now!" You notice a change of heart in her behavior. Her voice seems a lot quieter now aswell. {father}: "See? Good, then let's sit down again and continue this. You should know well that I wouldn't do something this stupid if it wasn't needed." Reluctantly, {sister} sits down without saying a word. {father} sits down aswell. For about a minute there is an awkward silence, until {mf2} breaks it with a question. > [[continue|1qwhynecromancy]]

"What, why is everyone looking at me?" {sister}: "I-I don't like this! {name}, are you sure it was black and not grey fog?" You think about it. You only saw it from the corner of your eye, so you can't be exactly sure of its color. For all you know, it could have been a shadow. "I-It could have also been a shadow! I only saw it from the corner of my eye after all." {sister} leans in closer, placing her hand on yours. You feel uncomfortable, this is all too much for you. {sister}: "Why did you only see it from the corner of your eye? Please, {name}, please tell me it was only because you didn't care to check." Her hand trembles a bit. She is definitely quite afraid of your answer. However, you can't't just lie to her. So you decide to give her an honest answer. "No, I did check. But it was gone the second I looked at it. I'm sure." {sister}: "Oh no..." She slowly shifts back into her chair and places both hands in front of her face. It is a sad appearance, and you feel guilty for speaking up. {brother}: "That is a sign of the entity, {name}." You quickly turn around to him. "W-what?" > [[continue|1qentitypowers]]

"Is the cult still after me?" {father}: "Yes. Otherwise there would have been no reason for there to be any members in the forest. The organisation can't be too big after it got destroyed multiple times by now." Your legs, hands and arms start to shake uncontrollably. You think about what this would mean, but before you really manage to do so {mf2} interrupts you, speaking your mind pretty much exactly. {mf2}: "W-wait! Does that mean that they are still after him? A-a-and..." It seems difficult for him to continue speaking. You, however, know exactly what he's going to say. {mf2}: "Does that mean the entity is still inside of him?" {brother}: "Precisely." Your heart sinks into your chest. You cannot even begin to fathom what this could mean for you. Sure, all three of them have been talking to you simply because of this entity... but it is only now that you poperly realize how bad all this could be for you. "T-then, what does the entity do? It did just give me some sort of superpower earlier, right?" It seems like a bargain in your mind. If you start believing the entity was here only once everything will be alright , will it not? And the cult member was dead too, so there is no one after you for sure! {brother} sighs, and you brace yourself for the explanation. Your imagination fails to convince your mind in the end. > [[continue|1qentitypowers]]

{mf2}: "Well, d-did you use it to save yourself?" {father}: "Well, I did think you two were a danger to him, if you remember. I don't know if I would be able to handle two people simultaneously on my own." That is a lie. He is one of the strongest people the academy has ever seen, and the three of you all cannot even cast a single spell. He would have easily won against both of them. Hell, even in a fistfight he could probably win, considering his size and physical strength. {brother}: "So you used necromancy to built yourself a small team? I don't believe it. Forbidden magic is the last thing you would have used. Well, if you used necromancy in the first place." {sister}: "What do you mean?" {sister} is leaning over, obviously interested in what he has to say. Her agressive tone has completely resided by this point. {father}: "Are you doubting me?" He leans forwards aswell, only that he seems quite terrifying. You are happy to have chosen the seat next to {sister} earlier. {brother}: "Yes, I think you didn't use necromancy at all. I think the entity did and that you are just being a nuisance right now. Or is this supposed to be some kind of test?" {father}: "Still, I don't apprechiate your tone. But fair, now that you said that you have to back it up. You better speak up." {brother} sighs. He does know something, just what could it be to be so hard to talk about? > [[continue|1qentitypowers]]

{brother}: "The entity, or better known by the cult as 'the god', has apparently existed for millenia. While I have no way of knowing whether that is for true or not, what is is that it gives the host the abilty to use every kind of magic in existence. This includes body enhancing spell-combinations that made it possible for you to kick down that fence." "But I didn't use any spells! I haven't even learned a single one!" {mf1}: "None of us learned any aswell. We have only learned history and general stuff at the academy before taking on the quest. Our grades were..." You put your hand on {mf1}s mouth. You are not ready to have **that** conversation with your father again. {father}: "Quest? Hm, so that is why you were up in the mansion..." {brother}: "Anyways, you do not need to cast the spells yourself. Let me tell you how it went for me back when it possessed me." He explains how, while a trained individual might be able to control the entity within, it is much more likely to be controlled by it. "But I wasn't controlled! I was walking through the forest myself!" {brother}: "Yeah, that's what I don't understand myself, either..." {sister}: "I remember looking at {brother} shortly after after he got possessed! You could really tell that something was wrong, but I don't notice anything weird about you right now..." Everyone is silent, thinking of an explanation as to how all this could have happened. There are many questions you don't find answers to. > [[continue|1qnoanswers]]

{sister}: "Well, I feel like we have been thinking about all this for long enough. {brother}, do you have some stuff to eat here?" {brother}: "Hm? Yes, but I don't know if it's enough for everyone." {sister}: "Well then I'm gonna check! Be right back!" She jumps up from her chair, almost childishly excited to get some food. {brother}: "I think she's got the right spirit. We should calm down a bit, especially now that we have no immediate answers." He lumps down on his chair, visibly exhausted. He is not the outgoing type, and human interactions like this must be a rare occurence for him. Typical scholar stuff. {brother}: "Hm. It's been some time since I got something good to eat. {sister} was always good at cooking, you should all thank her later." He looks at {mf1} and {mf2}, both of which sit rather stiffly in their chairs. {mf2}: "I-I will!" {mf1}: "Let's first see if it's even enough. Where would we even go from here to get some food if it's not enough?" {brother} lets out an awkward grin. {brother}: "W-well, you use teleportation magic to get back normally. But we can't just teleport everyone into the most secret of confines of townsend academy..." {father}: "I am sure there will be enough. Now, let's wait for her." > [[continue|1qfood]]

{brother}: "Well, I might aswell help her with the food a bit." He stands up, but the concerned look of {father}s eyes almost make him sit back down again. {father}: "Are you sure that is a good idea?" {brother}: "I only use magic, okay? I can't screw this up, okay?" He leaves the room with some attitude. {father} seems surprisingly concerned. {mf1}: "What, can he not cook?" {father}: "Uh... ask {name}, he had to endure his creations back in the day" "Yeah, because you always gave me your portion!" He really couldn't cook back then. Once, {sister} had to take a one month course on how to properly handle animal companions. During that time, the task of making food fell to {brother}. He was quite versed in magic by that time, but he didn't have any spells for use in cooking other than lighting a fire. "S-should I go get him?" {mf2}: "Well, if you don't want to eat it I will!" You hear someones stomach grumble loudly. {father}: "W-well. At least he knows duplication magic, surely he can use some of that." Some sweat is dripping down his face. From everything that happened today, the thought of eating some of {brother}s meals seems to be the most horrifying thing for him. You can't help but chuckle a little. > [[continue|1qfood1]]

After a few minutes of chatting with {mf1} and {mf2} the door to the kitchen finally swings open. You look over with hopeful eyes. In front of you stands {sister} wearing a cooking uniform, with a plate in either hand and one one each arm. Behind her is {brother}, balancing the last two plates in the air with wind magic. {sister}: "Scholars really have a bad diet, I found plenty of food still left over! Most of it fruits and vegetables too... Ugh." She places one of he plates in front of you. It is a salad with multiple different fruits, vegetables and even some dressing. It might not be the most filling meal, but at least the plate was packed full. The {pouch} you bought earlier come to mind, but you refuse to add them to a meal carefully made by the one person in your family that can actually cook. {father}: "What did..." {brother}: "Yeah, yeah, I only used some duplication magic for the dressing. Is that okay with you, father?" He seems almost childish, smacking his tongue after having finished speaking. {sister} and {brother} both sit down. {sister}: "Well then, let's stuff our faces full!" With a big smile on her face, she starts digging into the food. {father}: "Naturelover etiquette..." {brother}: "Haha!" > [[dig in yourself|1qfood2]]

The food is surprisingly delicious. You have no idea how that works, with there only being some fruits and vegetables, but you can't complain. It reminds you of the time where you all lived together and shared meals like this often. You might have been very little back then, but you still remember many dinners together. After everyone has finished eating, {father} speaks up. {father}: "Now, to where we left off. I will make this brief: {name} will stay in or near this house for the near future." {mf2}: "Huh?" That 'huh' was surprisingly loud. Why is HE so agitated? Still, it feels nice, having someone sound so concerned about you. {brother}: "Truth be told, I had the same idea." {sister} nods, looking at you with quite sad eyes. {father}: "It is very much possible the cult is still out there. And once the entity shows its fangs there is no telling wat they might try in the near future. {name}, all of us are 1st class magic users. We can hold of the entity, at least better than anyone else. As long as you stay here, you should be safe." You sink into your chair. Actually, you expected something like this. After all, you also failed a quest. That at least was sure to get you in trouble with {father}. > [[continue|1qspecend3]]

{mf1}: "As far as I can remember you wanted him to take on a profession. Keeping him here and away from doing some quests keeps him from really learning how to be a {myclass}, you know?" {mf1}s sudden argument catches everyone off guard. {sister}: "I agree! I think he should be allowed to live his life the way he wants! We shouldn't keep him from working on himself, even if it's dangerous!" Didn't she just say that she was with the other two about keeping you in here? {brother} seems deep in thought. {brother}: "We can keep tabs on him. No, not him, but the entity. And we can agree to meet somewhere every now and again. How does that sound?" {father}: "You all are making good points. I support the idea." You are very surprised at {father}s cooperation. Normally, he would be a lot more stubborn about things like this. {mf2}: "Nice!" {mf2} rushes up his chair and over to you. {mf2}: "I think we should look for a quest right now!" "Why are you so excited?" {mf1} stands up aswell. {mf1}: "Let's rest here for today, let them run some tests or something." {sister}: "I trust the two of you will keep him safe from harm, then?" She looks over. You haven't seen her flash such a happy smile all day. {mf2}: "Yep!" {mf1}: "You can count on us. Teaming up was the original plan anyways." You cant help but laugh a bit. Despite the horrific situation you are in, you are happy to be surrounded by people caring for you so deeply. [align center] **Special Ending #3: New adventure?** _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You open the door to the other room confidently, interested in what you might find there. The room in front of you is a sort of storage room to the kitchen. However, that is not what catches your eye. Guy: "H-huh?" A guy around your age, maybe a bit younger, stands about two meters away from you, munching on some of the food on the table. He shrieks up, almost taking one of the plates down with him. Guy: "O-ouch..." He falls flat on his butt. The hard stone floor must not have made for a nice landing. > [["Are you okay?"|1qhelphim]] > [[Forget you saw anything and go back outside|1qrushawayhim]]

Guy: "Y-yeah..." He stands back up, with some pain in his eyes. The stone floor can't be that hard to elicit such a reaction, or at least you think so to yourself. Guy: "Y-you are not with Sherone, a-are you?" He looks a little frightened. His stature is rather small, with him being around one head shorter than you and rather slim. He is wearing rags as clothes... just like you. No, his look even worse. You feel no threat coming from him, so you decide to just tell him the truth. "I am here because of a quest he gave me, but I am not 'with him' if that was what you..." He interrupts you. Guy: "Then let's help each other! Please!" He grabs both your hands with his food-covered fingers. After bowing a little, he looks up and tells you his name. What is his name? {text input for: 'mf2'} > [[continue|1qteamup]]

Without losing eye contact, you slowly move backwards and exit through the door you just came through. But as you try closing the door, something rips it open again. The guy stands in front of you. He grabs your arm and pulls you inside, closing the door behind you. "H-hey!" You almost fall from that. As he comes closer, you instinctively push him away. He falls on his butt again. You feel pretty bad for it, but your embarassment keeps you from apologizing. > [["Are you okay?"|1qhelphim]]

{mf2}: "My name is {mf2}, what is yours?" You can't decide whether he is just acting out something or why he is holding your hands so closely to his chest. His behavior almost reminds you of a teenage girl, yet he is definitely beyond that age, and no girl. "M-my name is {name}." {mf2}: "Hi!" He grins widely for a while, then lets go of your hand. You feel powerless in front of his... carefree, almost childish demeanor. {mf2}: "W-we should be careful! My friends want to raid this place in a few minutes." "R-raid?!?" You can't believe what you are hearing. Is the person you just found a criminal? {mf2}: "Yes. Don't worry, I don't want to do anything devious. Sherone imprisoned some of our friends for the fun of it, and we are here to get them out! Oh, and I decided to eat well while I am here, hehe." You look him down. His clothes can barely be described as such, with most of it just being rags sewn together over and over again. You remember a professor at townsend talking about people like him. They live the lowest of the lowest of lives in town, hiding in the shadows and barely scraping by. It is very much possible he has never had any education or a stable life for that matter. This also means he is not part of townsend, which explains how you don't know who he is. {mf2}: "Here, let me show you something!" He grabs your hand once more. You are surprised by how quickly you managed to get used to that... > [[continue|1qshowtunnel]]

He gets on all fours, and you do the same. After removing a few loose pieces of wood and pushing in the wall of a large drawer, a passage reveals itself. {mf2}: "We made this tunnel some time ago. It's the way I always get in here, not that I do that all too much..." He pouts, finding some excuse as to why he definitely hasn't been here more than once. However, what interests you in here is the actual tunnel. In fact, it is quite long and leads outside. Constructing it must have been one hell of a task, especially if done in secret. Its crude walls and uneven structure combined with the stony floor makes it obvious that Sherone knows nothing of this. If he did, he would have either sealed it up or made it look a lot better than this. {mf2}: "H-hey!" He shakes you, taking you back to reality. "O-oh, sorry. I was just zoning out. How did you create this tunnel?" {mf2}: "E-ehm... I can't tell you..." He looks like he does not know. You sigh, then decide to crawl inside. {mf2}: "W-what, are we going back?" The tunnel is rather small. There is barely any space for you to crouch through, so you crawl in an awkward combination of crouching and crawling. You hear {mf2} following you after a short delay, and the sound of wood being displaced. He must have closed up the tunnel again. You crawl further onward until you reach a sort of crossroads. > [[continue|1qcrossraodstunnel]]

You reach a fork in the road. While in front of you the sun shines into the tunnel, to your left is pretty much pure darkness. At the fork itself the ceiling is placed a little higher, making it possible for you to sit up. {mf2} sits next to you. {mf2}: "Here, I got you something!" He hands you a few strips of steak. It looks exactly like the the ones you eyed in the other room. Your can't help but stare at it. {mf2}: "I'm sure they have enough anyways. And I don't want your stomach to alert the guards anyways." Sound reasoning, you tell yourself. You unreluctantly take the steak and shove it in your mouch. As you swallow the last bite of it, a sudden realisation comes to your mind. "Wait, what am I even doing here?! I was supposed to talk with Sherone about the quest, I need to get back!" {mf2} grabs your sleeve before you can even lean forward. Glancing over to him, you for the first time see a serious face. {mf2}: "I meant it when I said the others will raid this place. When they see you talking with Sherone they will see you as a target. We are friends now, so I won't let that happen." You are a bit touched by being called a friend so quickly. His reasoning is sound aswell. While the thought of conspiring with a criminal does not quite sit well with you, you decide to go along with it for security reasons. However, there is still a problem. > [["I have to find {mf1}!"|1qintocellar]]

{mf2}: "{mf1}? Who is that?" "A friend of mine. He was in the large hall earlier, trying to open a door." {mf2}: "Trying to open a door? Hm..." He seems quite deep in thought. You however start to panic, not knowing what {mf1} is up to right now. {mf2}: "The door was locked, right?" "W-well, he did at least struggle with opening it." He nods. {mf2}: "This is good enough. Ok, follow me." He takes out a small matchstick from his pocket and lights it. It barely gives off any light. {mf2}: "We will go through this tunnel here." He points towards the dark part of the tunnel. {mf2}: "If we are lucky he can help us at the end of it." He starts getting into a crawling position and moves into the dark tunnel. You follow him. > [[continue|1qthroughtunnelintocellar]]

The light of his matchstick might not be existing at all, that's how dim it is. However, it seems to help adjust your eyes to the darkness of the tunnel, as it seems to fork every now and again, surely getting you lost if {mf2} didn't show you the way. After a few minutes the tunnel abruptly ends. {mf2} extinguishes the weak flame and silently does a 'shh' sound. You get out of the tunnel and stand up. A very faint light can be seen from a corner to your left. It is so dark you dare not take a step forward, as you can see absolutely nothing besides the dimly lit corner. Suddenly, you hear a familiar voice. {mf1}: "I can't just leave through whatever tunnel you speak of here. A friend of mine is still up there, I need to see how he is doing." Boyish voice: "Going up there is way too dangerous. We should get out of here first and think about it on the way." Deep manly voice: "He did safe us, though. We should show some gratitude." You feel something grab your arm. Normally, this would make your shriek, however you are pretty much accustomed to it at this point. You trip over something small and hard on the floor, flying forwards unto {mf2}, making both of you fall on top of each other. > [[continue|1qmeetmf1]]

{mf1}: "{name}!" A warm light almost blinds you as you try opening your eyes again after walking through almost pitch black darkness for the last couple minutes. As you accustom to the light, you see {mf1} knelling in front of you, extending a hand. {mf1}: "I think you should really get off of him." You look downwards. Jep, {mf2} is lying beneath you, almost theatrically gasping for air. You stand up without {mf1}s help. "I'm not that heavy, {mf2}." You puff your cheeks. There was really no need for his performance! {mf2}: "Hehe, *ouch*, but it was fun. *ouch*" {mf1}: "{mf2}? The others were talking about you, nice to meet you." He waves towards {mf2}, who in turn awkwardly waves back. You look behind {mf1}. There are multiple people standing there, but only a few stand out to you. Namely, a large muscular man and a young man, maybe even a teenager, stand in front of the others. The boy approaches you and extends a hand in greeting. Boy: "Hi, {name}! Let's work together, shall we?" > [[shake his hand|1qshakehandboy]]

You look around for a bit. The light of the lamp is nice, but it doesn't shine very far. {mf1} takes its handle and moves across the room with it. {mf1}: "We're not here to steal anything. Let's see where this door leads us first." As he puts his handle on the door, you hear a loud clicking sound. {mf1}: "The other door!" {mf1} grabs your arm and throws you and himself behind a huge box. After less than a second, the door you came in through opens, and someone enters. ...:"O-ok, everything is fine... I can do this!" The door closes again,. You take a peek from the right side of the box, revealing the figure of whoever entered the room right now. It is a young man, probably around your age. He wears rags as clothes and generally looks pretty poor. ...:"Oh, a lamp." *"He sure is talking to himself a lot..."* He grabs the gas lamp, at which point something completely unexpected by you happens. > [[continue|1qmf1mf2confrontation]]

You awkwardy shake the boys hand. "H-hi." Big man: "Now that we are all intoduced, we should get going." Boy: "Yes, I agree. {mf2} is here, so we can expect the others to arrive soon aswell." {mf2}: "Hm? You knew about our plan to get you out?" The boy grins. Boy: "No, but I don't expect you to come here alone." {mf2}: "W-well! I did not come alone, as you can see!" He clings to your arm like a kid would. Really, whats up with his behavior? The others don't seem to mind... and for some reason you don't either. Boy: "Alright. Let us take the stairs towards the main hall. If the others are there aswell, we should assist them." You hestitate a moment. What exactly are you trying to accomplish here? You were supposed to help Sherone with his quest, not sneak around his mansion... As you ponder this, {mf1} places a hand on your shoulder. {mf1}: "We should follow them. I'll stay with you." Not anwering your question, but giving you confidence that everything will turn out alright, you decide to move along. > [[continue|1qbighall]]

After only about a minute you reach the main hall again. A numbingly loud crashing sound reaches your ears. {mf2}: "Ah! W-what was that?" You look around. Boy: "Looks like they are here." To your left, near the huge staircase, a bust lies on the ground, smashed to pieces. Looking upwards, you see the a guy with a weirdly disfigued face. His tongue is sticking out, it looks ugly. Guy: "Heh... look who's here..." His voice is drooly and ist sounds really 'wet'. You do not want to associate with this guy. {mf2} whispers in your ear. {mf2}: "We don't want to get close to him... He is dangerous..." *"Yeah, I can tell..."* Looking around the room you see many people dressed in rags running around. Guards are lying on the ground, unconscious. *"This is bad... I need to get out of here..."* You look towards the main door. It stands wide open. > [[move towards door|1qmovedoor]]

{mf1} has jumped up from behind the box, holding a small knife in his hand. Where he got it from you don't know. {mf1}: "You! Are you an intruder? Answer me!" *"What's with the sudden sense of justice? We are the intruders here!"* ...:"H-huh? Ah!" The guy shrieks rather loudly. {mf1}s sudden appearance must have scared him quite a bit, and he falls back on his butt. ...:"O-ouch..." {mf1} approaches him in a rather terrifying manner, still holding the small knife. ...:"A-ah! P-please, spare me!" He is covering his face, trembling. No matter how serious and terrifying all this might seem, you can't stand to continue sitting there and doing nothing. Just as {mf1} reaches the guy, you step forward and slap the knife from his hand. {mf1}: "H-hey!" "I think you scared him enough, don't you think?" {mf1}: "Fine." He sighs. He has done pranks like this rather often when he was younger, why he decided to do one of them right now after all these years is a mistery to you. ...: "H-huh?" You look back down towards the guy. He is trembling a bit, and you can almost see tears forming in his eyes. > [[extend you hand to help him up|1qmf2introduction]]

He grabs your arm. His grip is surprisingly soft, so you have to grab him rather firmly to get him back up his feet. ...:"N-not so rough, please." This sounded weird. No matter, he is up his feet now. Taking a closer look at him, you notice his height being rather small. He is at least one head smaller than you and {mf1}, yet looking at his face there can't be much of an age gap. Maybe he is one, at most two years younger than you, but that's it. ...:"T-thank you for helping me!" He grabs both your hands with his and holds them to your chest. It feels weird. {mf1}: "What is this supposed to be here?" {mf1}s sounds rather annoyed. With good reason, what he doing anyways? ...:"Well, he did save me from you!" {mf1}: "You can't be serious about this..." {mf1} covers his face with one hand in shame. The guy seems like an odd character, but a pretty harmless one at that. At least he's not violent or something. ...:"I should intruduce myself!" {text input for: 'mf2'} > [[continue|1qmf2reason]]

{mf2}: "What's your name?" "{name}. And this is {mf1}." {mf1}: "Why are we introducing ourselves, exactly?" You shrug. It would be inpolite to not answer him back, that was your whole reason. {mf2}: "Listen, I might need your help. Down there are some friends of mine that need saving." {mf1}: "Saving? What's down there?" You got a bad feeling about this. {mf2}: "Ehm, it's a difficult story... But let's just say Sherone likes to keep prisoners illegally. Down there is a cellar, where he locked up some of my friends." {mf1}: "He locked them up? What did they do?" {mf2}: "Maybe they stole some food, I don't know the details! Do you not find it odd that Sherone got his own prison?" It does sound weird. Normally, only the police are allowed to incarcerate people. Are the rich using their infulence to keep prisoners for themselves? "This is an issue. We should take a look for sure." You spoke before you even thought it through. However, your curiosity leaves you no choice. {mf2}: "Hehe, thank you!" He grabs your arm, hugging it close. You give him a weird look, but he just grins back. {mf1}: "What the hell am I even looking at... Fine, let's get down there, shall we?" > [[continue|1qdownstairs]]

{mf1} grabs the lamp, at which point {mf2} lets go of your arm. {mf1}: "Alright, let's open this door then. Is the cellar just below?" {mf2}: "There is a staircase first." {mf1} nods, then opens the door. Just as he said, in front of you extends a winding stairwell. {mf1} goes down first, followed by {mf2} and then by you. {mf2}: "Do any of you have needles or something similar by chance?" You search around your pockets and find a small pin. "Something like this?" You hand it to {mf2}, who just smiles back. {mf2}: "That's good, thank you!" After about half a minute you reach the end of the staircase. You find yourself in a cold stony room illuminated by a lit torch on the wall. A small table with lots of papers on top sits right below it. There is no one to be seen. You move further in, revealing cells on the right side of the wall. {mf2}: "They should be back there, follow me." > [[follow him|1qopencelldoor]]

After passing a few empty cells you finally reach one that is occupied. Shockingly many people sit behind the bars, cramped in the small cell. It does not look humane, and taking one quick look at {mf1} it seems he feels the same. Boyish voice: "Hm? Who is there?" The small silouette sitting right in front of the cell door speaks. {mf2}: "Jup, it's me. I'll get you out now." Boyisch voice: "Nice to hear." {mf2} takes out the pin you gave him and some other tool and starts working on the doors lock. You are very surprised to see him try picking a lock. Looking at the people inside the cell once more, you notice all of them having their hands bound behind their backs and blindfolds being placed on their faces. {mf1}: "This is unacceptable. Putting so many people in here, and then in this state..." {mf1} seems pretty pissed. You nod in agreement, even though he probably didn't see that. It only takes {mf2} a few seconds to open the lock, swinging open the door with one swift motion. He turns towards you, extending his harm in a 'high five' pose. {reveal link: 'High five him', text: 'You high five him. He seems pretty ecstatic about it, even making a small victory jump.'} > [[unbind the prisoners|1qhelpprisoners]]

Boy: "Ugh, thank all of you. We are very grateful for that." All the prisoners are now unbound and their blindfolds removed. You move close to the torch to get everyone into the light as the gas lamp seems too dim to give proper lighting. Boy: "What are their names?" {mf2}: "{mf1} and {name}. I like em!" Big man: "Trustworthy, tested by you? Hm, let's see if your intuition is right." There are only really two people that catch your attention back in the cell. One of them is the boy who is sitting at the very front of the group. The other is a muscular man that is quite a lot taller and wider than you, and all the others in the cell aswell. His prescence is mighty. {mf2}: "It's not intuition, I know it!" He grabs your arm and hugs it once more. All this clingyness makes your head spin so you just let him do his thing. It feel rather ni- ... no, what are you thinking? Boy: "It's alright. Let's get up the stairs, shall we? I'm sure you did not come alone, {mf2}?" {mf2}: "Nope, the others should be here by now aswell." Boy: "Okay, then let's take the stairs up and meet them in the big hall." Everyone agrees to that plan, and then start to move. The three of you stand at the very end of the group, following them with some distance. > [[continue|1qbighall]]

You move towards the door. To your surprise, the rest of the group follows you. Big man: "Good idea, {name}. Let's get everyone out here safely." You are the first to reach the door. However, a person from outside stands in your way. Tatooed Girl: "And who are you? Where are you trying to go?" A girl around the size of {mf2} stands in front of you. Her entire body is covered with black ink, giving her a very dangerous look. *"It is called tattooing, if I remember right... It's kind of a new thing, I'm surprised to see someone with this many of them already."* Boy: "What do you expect? We're leaving." Tatoo Girl: "What, empty handed? You must be joking." The boy sighs. Boy: "Look, we've been locked up down there with barely any food and water. We just want to get out of here for now." Tattoo Girl: "Then get **inside** and find something to eat there. I'm sure there is plenty." She is signaling for everyone to move back inside. It is quite obvious that she is blocking the door. {mf1} is not taking it too lightly and approaches her. > [[continue|1qpush back inside]]

Before he can even start speaking he is pused back, falling flat on his butt. The girl shoved him hard. {mf2}: "H-hey! You can-..." ...: "What, got a problem, {mf2}?" The voice is menacing and cold. A shiver runs down your spine, and in an instant you turn around to look towards where it came from. A guy with a huge scar on his face stands around two meters away from you. He, like all the others, is wearing rags as clothes. His stature, while not as big as the man you met in the cellar, is still considerably intimidating. The biggest reason for that are the scars that run along his arms, it is almost like he is branded from all the fights he was ever in. Boy: "What do you want? We are free, so lets go! If the police comes here we're screwed!" The guy with the scar starts smiling widely. It is the smile of an insane person. Without saying a word, he picks up a spear form the ground and starts walking towards the middle of the the room. {mf1} has stood up by now and is now standing besides you. {mf1}: "He is plotting something." Truth be told, the fact that your entire group just stands here and does nothing is a true testament to the reputation this guy must hold. He stops in the middle of the room, where multiple unconscious guards lie. > [[continue|1qkillsguards]]

There is a sudden slashing sound, followed by an audable splash. The entire room, just a moment before filled with the shuffling of footsteps and the rummaging through drawers and the like, seems to fall silent in an instant. Your eyes widen, just as your stomach starts to turn. Guy with scar: "Getting you out of here is nice, but that isn't the main goal. You see, we will get some well deserved revenge today!" Another slashing sound, followed by the same splash as before. Your knees tremble, and you fall to your knees. If {mf2} didn't hold you your would probably have vomited. One of the unconsious guards, just until now sleeping with maybe a few bruises on their face, now lies in a puddle of his own blood, a huge cut having formed around his neck. The guy has stabbed him with the spear, mercilessly and without hestitation. It was cold blooded murder. Boy: "Shit, what the hell are you doing!" The girl and the weird guy reach the middle of the room now aswell. The trio, all of them having a menacing aura around them, now stand next next to the rest of the other guards, all spears in hand. Guy with scar: "You know, boy. I don't care about you smartass leading our troupe anymore aswell. So how about we handle this now, and you do what we say." Boy: "As if..." The boy is grinding his teeth, his eyes filled with rage. The big man steps forward. Big man: "I can't have you deciding things like this on your own. There is a reason for our boy to be calling all the shots, because the rest of us is filled with stupid morons like you!" Guy with scar: "What did you say?!" You feel a tug from the back of your shirt, pulling you backwards towards the wall. > [[continue|1qchoosehall]]

The tug was from {mf1}, who quite forcefully pulled you back towards the wall. {mf1}: "This is getting ugly, we should do something." {mf2}: "I-I knew this would happen one day!" {mf2} stands next to you, holding your sleeve. He seems distressed and anxious, obvious by how much he shivers. Big guy: "How about you throw your weapon to the ground, have a real fistfight for once?" Boy: "H-hey! What are you doing!" Guy with scar: "Hm? Sure, let me demonstrate to you why I will be our new leader!" The scene is worsening by the second. You feel a strong urge to do something. > [[Flee|1qgetoutside]] > [[try and help|1qtryhelp]]

"We should get away from here, before it gets worse." {mf1}: "I agree, let's go." {mf1} quickly exits through the entrance. You follow slightly behind. {mf2}: "W-what should I do..." You look back. {mf2} has not moved. It looks like he is neither standing with the boy or you, sand is uncertain as to what to do. {mf1}: "There is no one here! {name}, get out here!" However, you feel like it would be wrong to just leave him here. "Hold on!" You rush inside and grab {mf2}, who in turn jumps. {mf2}: "Ah! S-sorry!" Sweat has formed on his face. He is in some sort of shock, and seems unable to properly speak. "We need to get out of here! Come with me, alright?" Normally, this tone of voice would have sounded condescending towards a friend. However, you feel like he needs some extra support right now. He grabs your arm tightly, signaling that he's ready to go. You turn around and rush out the door together with him. > [[continue|1qrushoutdoor]]

"We should try and help them." {mf1}: "Are you insane?" "These are {mf2}s friends, right? We should help them because..." You don't find the correct words to say. However, a small tug from your sleeve gives you confidence in your decision. {mf2}: "D-don't get in danger for my sake, please." {mf1} starts thinking. It is quite unbelievable to you how he can be so calm right now. {mf1}: "Well, I say we are at least some kind of team now. And I don't want to leave anyone behind either." You nod. {mf2} seems uncertain, yet still nods aswell. The boy stands only a few meters away from you. You decide to approach him first. > [[continue|1qtalkboy]]

You approach the boy from behind, seeing the tension in his shoulders even from here. "H-hey" He snaps 180 degrees in an instant, and it scares you. "Ah!" Both {mf1} and {mf2} catch you as you jump backwards. Boy: "W-what is it?!" His voice sounds angry. You are uncertain as to how this situation should be handled. However, {mf2} takes the initiative. {mf2}: "We decided to help you guys! We can't leave you here alone like this." Boy: "T-that... I didn't expect that." He seems genuinelly surprised. His face turns friendly as he calms down. Boy: "You guys helped me get a grip... thank you. Now what to do..." He turns back around, looking at the situation in front of him. > [[continue|1qwatchfight]]

The fight has already broken out as it seems. The big guy, together with three others, have approached the other three, all of them holding spears in their hands. This, however, seems to be of no siginificance to the big man. He continues his approach, rappidly getting closer to stabbing distance. Boy: "Hey, stop it! This will not do us any good, you hear me? We need you outside, to guard us for our escape!" Big guy: "I know, but I must do what I must do for now. I'm sorry." Boy: "No, you have to listen to me! Didn't we agree to not argue over the plans and leave it to me? I bear the responsibility, so please come back here!" Big guy: "I know." He turns around. His face looks happy, yet sad at the same time. Without knowing the man much, you can surmise his decision by the look in his eyes alone. Big guy: "This time, I too will make my own decision. Don't let the others follow in my footsteps, and dare to make an escape. I am certain our newfound friends will be of great help." He holds for a moment, but as he hears the screams of the scar-faced guy he quickly turns around. Boy: "Damn it!" The boy is grinding his teeth again. However, this time he looks around, spotting all the others people anxious of what to do. > [[continue|1qescapefight]]

The boy sighs. Boy: "Sometimes I hate being the leader... Wish I could just be someone else..." {mf2}: "Don't give up, we'll help you!" You nod. It does not matter whether you know the boy or not, you feel like you are in this together with him and the others. Boy: "Okay, there is a tunnel in the kitchen... and one in the cellar. We should take one of them." You look behind the boy, where the fight has started. Just a few meters behind is the door to the kitchen, standing wide open. You see people stuffing their faces full inside, all of them wearing ragged robes like all the others. Looking to your left you see the door to the cellar, where you just came from. Boy: "Okay, I think we should go..." He stops, looking around. You don't quite get it. Boy: "No, the others seem afraid. The dark down there will only cause us problems..." {mf1}: "How about the front gate?" You turn around. {mf1} is standing outside, pointing towards the gate. You move outside aswell and take a look. "There is no one here..." Boy: "That is our chance! Everyone, follow us!" > [[rush towards main gate|1qmaingateexit]]

Rushing forward you quickly reach the gate. You take a look around, however you still see no one. Or at least, no one still standing. {mf1}: "They knocked out all the guards... just what kind of organisation are you in?" Boy: "Let's get out of here first! We should turn right, it's towards town." You nod and start walking. However, you feel a tug at your shirt once more. {mf2}: "Can we two stay close together? Please?" He seems very nervous. You don't understand why, but see no problem with his proposal. {mf2}: "T-thank you. Let's go!" He lets go of you sleeve and instead starts hugging your arm. You argue to yourself that he must be anxious and that that's why he's so clingy. The others have already reached quite some distance to you. You and {mf2} speed up, reaching the others in no time. With surprising endurance everyone continues in a jogging pace along the street, until after about fifteen minutes you reach the town. At the first alleyway, the group steps inside. If anyone were to see this it might have just looked very suspicious, but no one seems to be here right now. The boy stands in the middle of his group, telling them something. The three of you stand a few meters away. "Hey, {mf1}. Can we stick together for now?" {mf1}: "Sure. I guess you stole his idea?" He points to {mf2}, who immediately looks down to the ground. {mf1}: "I'll be honest, I want to get away from everything here right now. What do you guys say we sneak off?" > [[continue|1qsneakoff]]

{mf2} signals for him to be quiet. Boy: "I talked to the others, they have relaxed a bit. I want to tank you two, {mf1} and {name}. Even though nothing has happened to us you were still here to help us, and I apprechiate that deeply." He bows before you in a fashion entirely unnatural for a poor boy like him. You bow slightly aswell, feeling a bit stupid as you do so. Boy: "We will go back to our hideout now, you guys coming along?" {mf2} grabs your arm. *"My god, stop hugging me like I'm your boyfriend!"* {mf2}: "A-actually! We'll come over later. I want to show {name} something." {mf1}: "*sigh* And I'm afraid of what he might do to him. So I'm going with them too." Boy: "Alright. I hope to see you again back at the church." *"The church? You mean, the church from earlier?"* {mf2}: "S-sure! Let's go, {name}!" He pulls you out of the alleyway with surprising strength, {mf1} following closely. Without properly saying goodbye you move further into town. > [[continue|1qinsidecity]]

Several minutes with no speaking at all pass. {mf1}: "Okay, I want to know what's going on here now." {mf1} steps in front of you, blocking your path. {mf1}: "Why are you two acting like this?" At first, you are a bit confused. Then you realize that someone is still hugging your arm. Rather closely, even. {mf2}: "I don't know what you're talking about!" {mf1}: "{name}, do you even want this?" {mf1} seems really serious about this. You have just played along with {mf2}s games so far, but seeing {mf1} like this makes you pull your hand ouf from {mf2}s hug. With one slick motion, you wiggle your way out of {mf2}s grip. {mf2}: "W-wa!" {mf1}: "Come on. What are you doing, is {name} so irresistable to you?" {mf2} looks down to the ground again, however this time looking quite sad. {mf2}: "There is a bench over there. Let's sit down there." He points towards a rather old bench. Normally your wouldn't want to sit there, but you decide to go along with it for now. After all, the two of you seem to have made {mf2} quite sad. > [[continue|1qonbench]]

All of you sit down on the bench. The wood below you creaks heavily, and you can swear that it felt like it was bending too. {mf2}: "Can we not go back to the church please?" He is looking down, his face full of sadness. {mf1}: "Tell me, what is it with you? Are they not your friends? It didn't seem like the boy had anything against you." {mf2} is rubbing his feet together. {mf2}: "I-I don't want to explain." You can't bear to watch this. Feeling like you are in deep enough as it is right now, you give him a pat on the head. He seems to react to that, with some tears seeming to form in his eyes. {mf2}: "I-I'm sorry." He wipes his face with his sleeve. {mf2}: "I'm sorry I can't explain it... I just want to be part of your group, like, really bad. I mean it." You don't know why, but seeing his puppy-faced expression makes you want to continue patting him on his head. And that you do. {mf1} leans back. {mf1}: "That doesn't explain you holding {name}s arm all the time." {mf2} chuckles. You stop patting his head. Did {mf1} decide to ignore it? > [[continue|1qEnd22]]

{mf2} leans back aswell. {mf2}: "It was kind of an accident at first. But I like it, it's been years if ever that I have felt like this. If I were to choose, I'd take you two over the others any day." Having said that, he leans over and puts his head on your shoulder. Again, you expect yourself to throw him off. But you can't deny that you like the feeling, so you don't do anything in the end. {mf1}: "*sigh* Just don't start hitting on {name} if you want to join our team, okay?" {mf2} looks up, surprise written all over his face. "Yeah, let's keep it a bit more civil from now on okay?" You tried your best to say that in the most monotone, serious tone you could. It might have sounded a little silly though. {mf1}: "Welcome to the team." {mf1} extends a fist, and you decide to do the same. Tears start forming in {mf2}s eyes, then he jumps both of you, hugging you passionately. {mf2}: "Thank you! Thank you!" You can feel cold tears hitting your shirt. Whatever reason it might be, it is important for him to join you. Seeing someone like this, neither {mf1} nor you could ever refuse him. Even if he is a tiny bit clingy. {mf1}: "Yeah, yeah, that's better. At least hug both of us." {mf1} pats his head. Could it be that he didn't ignore you later, but... "Are you jealous or what?" {mf1}: "God no." You can't read his face at all. Is it sarcasm? No idea... You hear {mf2} chuckle. It might not have turned out the way you thought it would, and you didn't complete you quest either, but now there are three of you. Great motivation fills your chest for the next quest that is to come. [align center] __Ending #22: A newfound friend__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{mf1}: "Ah, {mf2} is coming with us?" He does not answer. You decide to answer in his stead. "Yeah." {mf1} looks at you, confused. {mf1}: "You didn't force him, did you?" Did you? What you did earlier just felt right, but what if he regrets going with us later? He does seem willing and doesn't protest, so you assume... {mf2}: "N-no. Let's get away from here, please." {mf1}: "Alright. Let's move, then." The three of you move in line with each other, with {mf2} in the middle. Screams and shouts can be heard from behind you, and you dare say you even recognize some of them. {mf2} grips your arm harder. {mf1}: "We should hurry. When we exit the gate, let's take a right turn and run towards town. We'll figure the rest out once we're there." You walk turns into a jog the second you exit the gate. It seems to just occur to all of you what you have found yourself in: A bonafide robbery and assault. Taking one last look back you see a fire having formed in one of the upper rooms, quickly spreading outside and igniting the foliage nearby. *"Good thing we are out of there..."* > [[continue towards the city|1qtowardscity]]

After moving in jogging pace for around twenty minutes you finally reach the town. Many old buildings stand next to each other, each and every one of them in utter disarray. It reminds you of your house back home. {mf1}: "Okay, let's find a place that's not so out in the open and talk about what just happened." The three of you move further into town until you reach a more populated area. The houses here look better, less destroyed. Some adults are walking around, either fixing or selling something. You move further in until you reach a bench at the side of the road. All of you sit down, with the bench surprisingly handling the weight with no problem at all. {mf1}: "Ugh, okay, Were to even begin?" He is leaning back, face looking up towards the sky. Exhaustion is written all over his face. {mf1}: "Ugh, I can see the sun setting! {name}, I have no energy for another quest today." Just then it hits you: The quest! You were at Sherones mansion to get some directions, but it seems that plan completely derailed. {mf1}: "I think some shawarma is the least of his troubles right now. We can call the quest failed by this point if you ask me." You stuff your hand in one of your pockets and take out everything. "Only {credits} credits... This isn't even enough for a meal..." {mf1}: "{mf2}, you have any money?" {mf2}: "N-no... I'm sorry, I don't even have one coin..." {mf1}: "Well, me neither." He shows off his empty pockets. You lean back aswell. > [[continue|1qonbenchthinking]]

[if credits <= 0] {mf1}: "Well, I'm hungry still. And {name} doesn't have any money either... we're so screwed..." [else] {mf1}: "Well, I'm hungry still. And {name}s money is barely enough for the two of us, not even including our newest addition here." [continue] He leans back even further. {mf2}: "M-maybe I can help." He rumamges around in one of his big pockets. {mf1} sits up, anticipating whatever {mf2} might pull out. {mf2}: "I-its not much, but here!" He pulls out a paper bag. "Its soggy..." {mf1}: "It's even dripping... {mf2}, your robe must be rancid." {mf2}: "S-sorry..." He opens up the bag. As you look inside, your eyes start to light up. > [[continue|1qinsidebag]]

"S-sandwiches?" {mf2}: "T-the rest was too warm. I didn't want to stuff meat in my pockets too..." {mf1}: "Wait, did you get this from the mansion?" {mf2}: "Y-yes?" {mf1}: "Y-you know, you shouldn't steal! That is what the bad guys do!" You cant help but notice his shaky voice. It seems that, concerning your present situation, his moral high ground is crumbling. {mf2} seems to take notice. He smirks. {mf2}: "Oh, but I have exactly three sandwiches in my bag! {name}, do you wanna share?" > [["Sure, let's halve the last one!"|1qplaymf1]] > [["You really shouldn't steal!" *stomach growls*|1qsidemf1]]

{mf2}: "Alright, here is yours." He hands you a sandwich. It looks quite good, all things considered. You take a bite out of it. "Mhhhh! So good! I think I never had anything like this before!" It tastes like any old sandwich. Considering that it came from Sherone you are actually quite disappointed, you expected some more extravagant toppings. {mf2}: "Mh, I love it too. I can't wait, {name}, wanna share the last one right now?" He takes out the third sandwich and places it on his lap. You glance over to {mf1}, who seems to be quite disstressed. {mf2}: "Okay, let me just break it in half..." He grabs the sandwich with both hands, but as he is about to break it in two {mf1} interjects. {mf1}: "Okay, okay, I get it! P-please give me the sandwich..." {mf2}: "Here you go!" He hands him the sandwich. You can't help but chuckle a little, rewarding you with a discerning look from {mf1}, which only makes you laugh even more. > [[continue|1qEnd23]]

{mf2}: "H-huh?" He looks at you dumbfounded. After taking a moment to compose himself again, he starts smirking once more. {mf2}: "W-wahaha! Ok, more for me then!" He grabs two sandwiches out of the bag and stacks them on top of each other. {mf2}: "I'm sooo hungry!" With a sinister smile on his face he opens his mouth widely, slowly approaching the sandwiches in his hands. You look over to {mf1}, who looks quite terrified. He notices your look, and nods towards you. You know exactly what's going through his mind right now. With one quick swoop, both of you grab hold of one of the sandwiches, {mf1} the top one and you the bottom one. In surprise, {mf2} loosens his grip on them, making it easy for you to pull your sandwich towards you. Both of you immediately take a bite out of it. {mf1}: "T-this one is mine now." "I'm keeping this one!" {mf2} looks at you without saying anything for a moment, then starts laughing. {mf2}: "Haha... hahaha!" It is a heartfelt laugh, and it warms your heart. And the sandwich doesn't even taste that bad too! > [[continue|1qEnd23]]

{mf1}: "Hm, I kinda expected more." {mf2}: "But you're full now, right?" {mf1}: "Jeah, jeah." "So what do we do now?" The quest is failed, so you are uncertain as to what you might do now. {mf1}: "How about starting another quest?" "I thought you said you didn't have the energy." {mf1}: "Yeah, tomorrow. With three people we could even do two if we're good." {mf2}: "I-I'm not part of the academy." That makes sense. With clothes like this he wouldn't be allowed inside academy grounds anyways. {mf1}: "Is that a problem?" {mf2}: "Huh? {mf1}: "We just split the reward evenly, like we did with the bread right now." "Sandwiches." {mf1}: "Whatever." {mf2} puts his hands together and leans over to {mf1}. {mf2}: "I-I'd love to join you! Is it really okay?" {mf1}: "Of course. You are part of the team now." You have no objections. All things considered, {mf2} seems like a nice guy and some new company might also be quite nice. "Welcome aboard, {mf2}." {mf2}: "T-thank you! Thank you so much!" With tears forming in his eyes, he jumps you with a wide hug. "W-why me??" [align center] __Ending #23: Sandwiches and questing__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You reach your destination: The place right below the balcony. Boy: "Okay, now we're out of sight. We should use this as an opportunity, not an hiding place." Big man: "Yes, I agree. We should go up the stairs and take a look." Boy: "Hm... let's not be too quick about this..." The two of them discuss their plan as to how to go about doing all this. In the meantime, you decide to look around the room from your position. The first thing you immediately notice again is all the people lying on the ground. Looking at them more carefully, you notice that all of them are either wearing guard or police uniforms. Some of them even have fancy cloths or capes on their back, indicating that they are of higher rank. As you look to your right, you see the corpse of the guy who just fell down from the balcony. Your stomach immediately start to turn. Besides all the other corpses, with some of them possibly not even being corpses at all but them just being hit unconscious, this looks like a whole different kind of cruel. None of the others were killed in such a brutal fashion. Boy: "Okay, some of us will go upstairs and check out the scene. {name}, do you think you could come with us?" "S-sure" {mf1}: "I will come too." Boy: "Please don't, we need someone to keep the others in check. If even of them starts running off and alerting the people up there we might be in big trouble." {mf1} does not seem to particularly like the plan, but in the end he reluctantly agrees. > [[continue|1quptobalcony]]

You move towards the boy, leaving {mf1} behind you. Boy: "Okay, its you, me and {name}." He is speaking to the big guy. Bringing him along makes you feel safer, considering his pure physical strength. Big man: "Okay, but what is the plan exactly?" Boy: "We only need to figure out what's happening up there for now. Me and {name} will go in front of you and take a look at the situation. You stay behind and help us if things go bad, so just stay hidden unless we say otherwise." Big man: "Alright." Boy: "You too, don't be too hasty, {name}. We need to keep a low profile for now." You nod. There is no way you would want to fight trained police personell anyways. Boy: "Okay, then let's move." With that, the three of you approach the stairs and slowly go up. As you appraoch the last steps you and the boy lay down, only peeking up over the last step with half your head. > [[continue|1qmf2danger]]

You see multiple people, most of them standing near a wall opposite to the railing that fences off the balcony. A large man in police uniform stands a few meters apart, right next to said railing. Police man: "So, what is it? Does anyone else want to try something funny? Huh?" His voice is commanding and scary, a chill runs down your spine. His size can be compared to the guy right behind you, he might even be a little bigger. You feel powerless against his presence. Guy with scar: "What, so you throw someone else off of there? You think we're gonna let that happen again, you freak?" A huge grin forms on the poilcemans face as the guy you met some time ago tries getting closer to him. However, there are many other policemen holding him off. Boy: *"It's only the four of them... They won't be able to do much in this position..."* Even though his whispers were very silent you still felt the need to signal for him to quiet down. You don't want to feel the wrath of these policemen. Those four... he must mean the people that are cornered. Police man: "Oh, being cocky now are we? Well, now this can't go unpunished." The guy with the scars looks unafraid, he is even smiling. It must be a kind of insanity within him that keeps his fighting spirit alive. Police: "Fetch me this man right here, just like before." He raises his arm and points to someone. However, that someone isn't the guy with the scar. Three other policemen walk over and, after only a few seconds, return with {mf2}. > [[continue|1qmf2danger2]]

{mf2} struggles using all his might, eventually managing to break free and rush backwards. The policemen follow him immediately, but he mnages to slip away from each and every one of them. As the rest of the poilcemen try to catch him you notice other people standing near the wall, next to the guy with the scar. It's the tattooed girl and the guy with the disfigured face from earlier. {mf2} reaches them, slipping behind the girl and covering his head. His eyes look dazed and fearful, with his whole body shaking enough for you to notice it even from a distance. Police man: "What, are you defying an order from the police? This cannot go unpunished, boy." The evil grin on the policemans face has widened even more. In fact, even though it might just be your mind playing tricks on you, he starts looking pretty demonic. Your heart starts racing and it's getting increasingly difficult for you to just lay down. Tattoo Girl: "D-don't mix me up with your shit!" He started grabbing her shirt with one hand, which she forcefully ripped away. The force made him stumble backwards onto the wall behind him. {mf2}: "W-why?" Tears start forming in his eyes. He now sits slumped down, back against the wall. There seems to be little strength left in him, and with that he is easily recaptured by the policemen. They bring him back towards the railing. Police man: "So, what do you all say we start questioning you all once more." > [[continue|1qmf2danger3]]

The guy with the scar, still held back by at least three policemen, shows no interest in rebellion or cooperation whatsoever. It almost looks like he is unfazed by everything. Police man: "Huh. Well then." The grin has for not one second resided from the policemans face. The demonic aura upon him now looks disturbingly realistic. You swear you can see black wings emerging from behind his shoulders, fading through his clothing as if it wasn't even there. His iris is split in the middle, looking similar to that of a cat, only with his having a blood shot tone of red. You look over to the boy to see whether he is seeing all of this too. There is no way this can be real. Boy: *"I-I don't know what to do... We can't rush them, they'll just catch us too... S-shit..."* You start whispering to him. *"Does he not look different, the guy there?"* Boy: *"He sure looks like a monster... How can he do something like this?"* *"I mean doesn't he look different?"* Boy: *"Stop playing around, I need to think!"* His whisper was dangeroursly loud and both of you duck back down in fear of being discovered. After a second you look back up again. {mf2} is being held by his collar over the railing. If he were to be let go he would surely fall. He is sobbing, his face distorted from fear. The figure of the policeman can not be described as human anymore, looking distorted and a hellish aura eminates from him. You clench your fist and bite your teeth, feeling many emotions welling up inside of you, many of which unknown to you. Something is stirring from deep inside, something that is not entirely you. **You feel like you can do this** > [[rush over|1qsavemf2]] > [[don't do it|1qduckbackdown]]

Anger fills your entire being to the point of insanity. Something is awakening inside of you, something you feel you cannot control. You stand up, not caring about the people besides you anymore. Not caring about anything, except for one thing... Police man: "Hey! Who are you?! Seize him!" His distorted figure becomes visible again. In front of you stands a bonafide demon. No resemblance of humanity can still be found on him. The surrounding area starts fading into a black mass of smoke, with a sort of tunnel emerging that leads only to once place: The demon. You feel something move away from you, from right behind you. It must be the boy and the other guy. It is most certain that the entire balcony floors attention is on you now. However, you can only see the way to the railing, towards the demon. An indescribable, but weak force surrounds your hand. You flick it away, hearing a loud crash as you did so. Demon: "W-what the fuck?? Who are you?" He lets go of {mf2}. Most likely to reach for a weapon. You are not going to let him do that. A rush fills your entire body, and within less than a fraction of a second you see yourself in front of the demon. Demon: "S-shit!" You decide a quick punch is the best course of action. No, it was no decision, but pure instinct. The punch sent him flying, over the ceiling and crashing into the far wall a few meters away. It was a lot easier than you expected. Looking down, you see {mf2} falling with surprisingly slow speed. You jump down, grabbing him around his upper body until you finally reach the floor with a loud thud. The fall did not impact you in the slightest, even though you just fell a couple of meters. In an instant, the darkened and distorted world around you fades. Everything becomes clear and vibrant again, and you immediately feel an urge to vomit. > [[vomit|1qaftermath]]

You are scared. Scared of the big policeman that turns more and more into a demon. You duck back down, closing your eyes with all your might. If I don't look it isn't real! - you tell yourself. Then, you hear a heartwrenching scream that disturbs you down to your core. {mf2}: "A-aa...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" The scream is loud and cracking. More than just a shiver runs down your spine... it's terror. Opening your eyes agan and looking up, you see {mf2} falling. Seconds turn longer and longer as you see him start to fall, tears in his eyes, screaming his lungs out in fear. He is starting to spin slightly backwards, surely an intentional tactic of the policeman to assure he lands on his head or other part of his body where death is certain. The moment is unbearably long, seconds dragging on as if they were minutes. The scream is unbearably loud, filled with pure terror and fear. The tears in {mf2}s eyes are unbearably sincere, his fate is written right in his expression. He will not survive this. You are sure he will not survive this. The pressure on your heart increases to unbearable proportions. How did it possibly come to this? What could he possibly have done to deserve such a fate? Is there a way to save him still? Is there anything... you can do? Tears form in your eyes and your hands start shaking uncontrollably. How has this moment not ended? How is {mf2} falling so slowly? Why can it not all just end? Why can it all not just... And then everything turns to black. > [[continue|1qturntoblack]]

Your stomach turns in ways you never felt like before. The vomiting is agonizing, with your body wanting to cramp in on itself. Your feet feel weak and frail. Just standing is a challenge almost impossible to endure. You fall to your knees. As you look forward and your vision starts to blur, you see the disfigured body of the big policeman lying next to the wall, only a few meters away from you. There is nothing demonic about his corpse, no wings and no split eyes. *** "U-ugh..." You awake. A faint light illuminates the room around you, and it takes a few seconds for you to see clearly. You are still in the same room. In fact, you are still in the same spot as you were before. Looking up, you see the balcony above you. The stench of your vomit next to you makes you feel sick, so you decide to get away from it. As you stand up you immediately feel your legs give in. They feel as if you haven't sat down in ages and have just been standing here all the time. You barely got enough energy in them to stand up, walking feeling like a monumental task at this point. As you remember why you are even here, your gaze fixates on the big policeman. Your eyes rip open as you see the dismantled corpse lying next to the wall. A few meters above him the wall is caved in, and a trail of blood runs down from there towards the corpse. It looks nighmarish, hellish even. Something like this should not be real, not be possible. As you start to panic, you feel a warm embrace from behind. > [[continue|1qmf2hug]]

{mf2}: "{name}! You are okay!" It is {mf2}. His voice sounds frail, like he has been crying not too long ago. {mf2}: "Thank you so much... so so so much..." You turn around, but {mf2} does not stop hugging you, weeping as he clings to your chest. You look up and see the others, all of them standing under the balcony. Almost everyone, everyone except for {mf1}, is throwing you concerningly fearful looks. {mf1} is standing a few meters away from them and is approaching you. {mf1}: "How are you doing? Are you alright?" He looks you up and down. "I-I'm alright. My feet hurt a lot though... I don't know if I can walk..." {mf1}: "That's okay. Here, let me help you stand. I can't imagine that being too easy either." He grabs your arm and wraps it around his shoulders. {mf2} quickly gets around you and does the same. The relieved pressure form your legs feels heavenly. {mf1}: "We should get over to the others. There are a few things to clear up." You reluctantly agree, not knowing how things will go from here on out. Walking is a lot easier now, yet every step still hurts quite a bit. > [[continue|1qunderbalcony]]

You stop a few meters away from the others. It seems both {mf1} and {mf2} want to keep it that way. Boy: "{mf2}... I understand that he's your friend. And that he saved you on top of it. But how can you stand close to him after what just happned? How can you be so carefree about this?" There is a mixture of fear and uncertainty in the boy's eyes. Everyone except for the the big guy cower a bit behind him, standing back to wall. {mf2}: "I-I'm not leaving him alone!" The boy sighs. Boy: "Fine. It was just a question, don't think too much about it." He takes a deep breath. It seems to calm him down a bit. His face returns to normal, and he is looking right at you. Boy: "Is it okay for me to ask what just happened though? You don't have to answer, you just saved all of us after all. Just so you know, you scared off all the other policemen with your act, so its just us in here now." You are not sure yourself what just happened, so you decide to just ask. > [["I remember a demon, where is it?"|1qdemonquestion]]

BEWARE OF OBVIOUS SPOILERS \ My favorite Endings are marked :) **OG Endings (2021/2022)** \ Ending #1: Peace \ Ending #2: Friendship \ Ending #3: Hero \ Ending #4: Robin Hood **Nomal Endings (2023)** \ Ending #5: Quest failed // Bad End \ Ending #6: Job completed \ Ending #6V2: Yummy! \ Ending #7: Fortunate outcome \ Ending #8: What will the future bring? \ Ending #9: Quest complete! \ Ending #10: Shawarma obtained \ Ending #11: Left alone \ Ending #12: So hungry... \ Ending #13: Group founded! \ Ending #14: Eating > Getting paid \ Ending #15: Quest completed... but was it worth it? \ Ending #16: The path of a criminal \ Ending #17: Doing the right thing \ Ending #18: Ready for another day **Modern Endings (2023/2024)** \ Ending #19: In the end, what matters is how we feel \ Ending #20: The new trio \ Ending #21: Rich af \ Ending #22: A newfound friend \ Ending #23: Sandwiches and questing \ Ending #24: There is always tomorrow \ Ending #25: I feel like I'm in love \ Ending #26: Double the party \ Ending #27: Love you forever and ever \ Ending #28V1: Matching outfits \ Ending #28V2: New partner \ Ending #29: Tricked, yet happy \ Ending #30: Tomorrow can't come soon enough \ Ending #31: Inseparable Friendship \ Ending #32: Trio for tomorrow \ Ending #33: Never left alone \ Ending #34: Way to independence \ Ending #35: Friends, not collegues! **Special Endings (2024)** \ Special Ending #1: What will become of me? \ Special Ending #2: New life? \ **Special Ending #3: New adventure?** \ **Special Ending #4: Taking back control** \ **Special Ending #5: Whatever happened is secondary**

Boy: "Again with the demon? There was no demon, only the policeman you flung across the entire room. With nothing but a punch, I might add!" You can't believe what you are hearing. You? What did you even do? Just then you realize... "W-what even happened?" Thinking back on it there is no way what happened could be real. A demon, black smoke? The entire experience feels outerworldly, especially as you... "Wait... is the corpse..." There is no way you did that. I mean, your body moved on its own back then, just like it does in a dream, no? And flinging a man the size of him multiple meters? No way. Not even for someone of superhuman strength. Boy: "His corpse is grotesquely disfigured. I have never seen anyone, no, anything that possesses such destructive power. What are you? No human can do such a thing." Your mind starts racing. What is all this? This was a dream, you are sure of it! Yes, there is no other way. Reality does not work this way. "Well, I didn't do it! I can barely move some furniture around on my own, so there is no way I could throw somebody around!" Boy: "Well, but you did. Why are you denying this? We all saw it." Your head goes from racing to spinning. Why are they so sure about it? All the others are cowering from you. Why are they looking at you like that? An emotion you cannot describe even if you tried fills your body as you notice small amount of black fog emerging from the floor tiles. > [[continue|1qblacksmokestart]]

Boy: "H-hey! Calm down, please!" You grit your teeth. It is not a conscious decision. You just do so. The black fog starts increasing in size, now covering the entirety of the wodden floor. Boy: "W-we're not asking anymore, okay? I'm s-sorry! Everyone, there is a t-tunnel b-b-back there!" He points to the door a few meters away from them. His stutter makes you smile for some reason. Why are you happy about him stuttering in fear? No, you are not happy, the smile is fake. The first people start rushing out through the door, with the boy and the big guy standing at the end of it all. The man turns around to look at you, anger in his eyes. You feel like he is trying to intimidate you. In fact, you have no clue why you do not feel intimidated right now. He is quite a bit bigger than you and muscular like no one you have ever seen, besides the dead policeman manybe. Just then, you realize that your emotions and thoughts are not your own. That there is something wrong with them. "F-fuck!" You squint your eyes real hard. Somehow you feel yourself falling, crashing into the floor beneath your feet. Your vision gets engulfed in the black smoke, blinding your vision completely. Your entire body fills with anger, and a will for destruction. But you realize that this can't be you. You fight it, the will to stand up and... **"Kill everyone...."** Your voice sounds dark and deep, and a lot louder than it should be. It does not sound like your own at all. Without moving even a single muscle voluntarily, your body starts standing up itself. > [[continue|1qfightinner]]

You are now standing. The walls are completely covered in black smoke now. A few more people have escaped through the door, and seeing that fills your heart with even more anger. You grab into your pocket and take out a small eraser still in there from your school days. Trying your hardest to regain control over your body you grind your teeth even more, it feels like they are close to cracking. However, no matter how much you struggle, your body continues moving on its own. You make a fist around the eraser and pull back. With a staggeringly strong flick of your wrist you throw the eraser forwards, violently hitting the open door that someone just went through. The impact slams it shut violently, making the person who just entered cry out in pain as they got hit on the back by the door. With an increadibly loud thud the door slams closed, now distorted and destroyed. Another person standing next to it tries opening it, but fails completely. The door is big and heavy, and opening it now seems impossible. Everyone still standing under the balcony now has their eyes fixated on you. You love the fear in their eyes, you love... "A-aaaaaaah!" With great effort you manage to get some control over your body back. You fall on your knees, grabbing your head with both hands. A mixture of tears and blood runs down your face as you try your best to surpress whatever is trying to take hold of you. Just then, you feel an impact on your neck and a sharp pain running through your body. Your eyes roll upwards, and you fall unconscious. > [[continue|1qwakeupmonster]]

You awake. A faint light illuminates the room around you, and it takes a few seconds fo you to see clearly. Just like last time. You sit up, rubbing your eyes to see clearly once more. The place under the balcony is empty, no one is standing there. "It was just a dream..." You look a bit further left and see a suspicious looking door. Your eyes have not yet fully adjusted to the light, so you rub them once more, then take another look. "H-huh?" There is incredible fear in your voice. What stands there is a destroyed door. Despite its obviously sturdy appearance it is completely broken. Near the doorknob is a small white object. You don't even have to check to know what it is. "W-what the hell?!?!" You become manic, your heart races and your eyes start tearing up. What the hell is happening, how can any of this be real? Male voice: "Stay still. Your wounds are serious, you shouldn't move too much." The voice is deep and its tone demanding. It feels familiar. Female voice: "Yeah, which is why we have to get him out of here." Different male voice: "I agree." With great effort you turn around. Your entire body aches, but this does not matter to you right now. That is because the people sitting on the floor next to you are your family. > [[continue|1qfamilyfoyer]]

{father}: "Yeah, but we can't risk him waking up while we carry him. Its better if he is awake." {sister}: "Okay, then let's help him!" What is your family doing here? As you try to make sense of things, everything that happened lately rushes through your mind in one quick motion. Your mind violently starts to spin, making you collapse to the ground. However, you are caught before you do so. {mf1}: "They will help us find out what happened here, okay?" {mf2}: "They got here after {mf1} knocked you out! I-I still think it was wrong though!" They place you sitting on the floor, looking towards your family. You are incredibly grateful for them being here. {brother}: "It was the right thing though. {name}, you should be proud of yourself for struggling free. It is an incredible feat of mental strength." The three of them sit in a circle in front of you. A huge wolf sits a few meters behind them, guarding the entrance. {father} just finished peeling an apple. {father}: "Here, eat something fist." He tosses you the apple, which {mf2} catches for you. {mf2}: "Here, please eat it." He feeds it to you. It would be impossible not to by the way he is almost forcing it down your throat. {father}: "Good. Now let's talk." > [[continue|1qfathertalk]]

The big wolf that sat a few meters away now rushes in your direction, stopping just behind {sister}. {sister}: "No, you'll get your food later." The wolf growls a bit, but quickly moves back towards his original position. *"{sister} is a high ranked naturelover... No wonder she controls such a mighty animal."* Looking at your brother, who is a scholar, you notice a magical aura surrounding him. No, its not only surrounding him, but everything and everyone in the area. {brother}: "This is just a safety precausion. We can't have the police raiding this place now, right?" Whatever spell this is, it looks mighty. He isn't the highest ranked scholar in townsend for no reason after all. Out of curiosity, you look over to your father. He posesses incredibly commanding and demanding prescence, making you almost scared of talking to him. He is a citydweller, but this 'ability' is nothing more than him being your father. Your body instinctively realizes when he is in a bad mood, or going to scold you. {father}: "So, I heard you tossed a guy against a wall ten meters away from you? And that you are a killer now?" You reluctantly look over, seeing the disfigured corpse lying in the same position as before. "I-I wasn't..." > [[continue|1qbargain]]

{father}: "You did do this. Or, better said, your body did this." {sister}: "How can you talk like that? Of course it wasn't him, he couldn't do something like that!" Her face is the only one that looks concerned. No, all of them look concerend, it's just that she is the only one actually concerened for you it looks like. {brother}: "It is a bit harshly spoken, but it's true. However, you did not have control over your own body, did you?" He hit the nail on the head. You are happy that someone realizes it wasn't your conscious doing. {brother}: "Tell me, brother. Do you remember 'the cult'?" The words trigger something in your brain, an old memory. One that you often tried to forget. {sister}: "Remember, we two got abducted when we were kids. They tried to awaken some kind of being inside us and..." And they succeeded in you. Yes, the memory may be foggy but you remember that at least. Whatever ritual being they tried to summon they summoned in you after failing to do so in {sister}. {brother}: "Good, you seem to remember. This will make all of this a lot easier." He stands up, holding the spear of a guard in his hand. {mf2}: "W-w-what are you doing?" {mf1} heroically moves in front of you. The whole scene reminds you of theatre. > [[continue|1qbrotherblunder]]

{father}: "A spear was the worst possible object you could have chosen, you know that?" {brother}: "Y-yeah... I didn't expect this kind of reaction..." You can't imagine your brother hurting you. He has always been a pacifistic person and held that title proudly. He takes the spear and holds it up in a horizontal way. After pausing for a moment, the spear is engulfed in black flames. You crawl back in fear. "T-the smoke! It's coming again! Help me!" You panic. There is great fear in you for the being inside you. You crawl backwards. {mf2}: "Smoke? Where, where is it?" Both {mf1} and {mf2} frantically look around in search of the black smoke. {sister} does so aswell. {father}: "This seems to clear up your suspicion" {brother}: "Yes, it does. I take it as a good sign." In a moment, the black fog disappears from the spear. You are unsure of what to think. {brother}: "You two, can you get him back here again?" {mf1} and {mf2} do so. > [[continue|1qexplanation]]

{brother}: "{name}, listen to me. Your memories of the cult may be hazy, but you really were abducted back then. But you and {sister} were not the only ones. A few years before you two they kidnapped me and implanted the being in me. The call it their god and it is a real thing that lives in you and lived in me. I know this is a lot of input, but can you still follow me?" You are stunned. What does he mean in you and him? {brother}: "Listen. I managed to get to control the entity within me. I'm sure I can help you control yours aswell." {sister}: "Be sure to listen to brother, okay?" She seems incredibly emotional about all this. You remember her aplogizing to you multiple times for being incompatible at the kidnapping back then, and that nothing would have happened to you if she were different somehow. This pressure must still be weighing highly on her. {brother}: "For that, we need to get to a secluded region, far away from other people. As a scholar, I have access to such a place. However, it will need to be only the two of us. What do you think?" You think of many things. Of your future, of your friends. You feel great sadness and leaving them, and falling behind. There is no way you can just leave now, at this most crucial part of your life! {mf2}: "{name}?" The voice is weak and frail. You turn around to look at {mf2}. > [[continue|1qspecend4]]

You turn to look at {mf2}. Just then your notice a huge wound on his arm spaning from his shoulder down to his fingertips. It is maticulously treated with all different kinds of methods, all of them probably a work of {sister}s naturelover skills. When did he get this wound? {mf1}: "He got this wound when you caught him as he was falling down the balcony. You somehow burned him with your touch alone. The wound looked brutal, I'm happy {sister} managed to treat it so well." "I-I did that?" {mf2}: "I'm still grateful! I don't care about some wound if you saved my life! Please don't feel bad about it, I'm really happy you were there!" He is tugging on your shirt and looking towards you with tear filled eyes. There seems to be someone besides {sister} that is concerend for your mental well being, even though he of all people should probably not do so. {father}: "Listen to me, son." Father stands up. This action alone makes your shiver, his prescence is overwhelming. {father}: "Things like this happen because you cannot control it. Your brother has harnessed the power of the being to become someone no one can compare to. I wish for you to be able to do that aswell." {brother}: "Even if you don't decide to use its powers. It is still important for you to learn how to control it, to keep it at bay. I'm happy to see that your first experience with it managed to do something good, but now the thing has awoken in you and needs to be controlled." {sister}: "Will you go with him? To take your life back in to your hands? I'm sorry I could not help you with it back then... but I am certain that {brother} can help you where I failed." {brother} extends his arm to you. You look to your left and right. Both {mf1} and {mf2} seem to be in agreement that this is the best course of action. One last time, you think about what you really want. As you remember the terrible things that can happen with the monster unchained and as you feel the aching of your body from all the feats that should be impossible for it to do you make your decision. "Thank you, brother." [align center] **Special Ending #4: Taking back control** _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You find yourself dreaming. You are high up, or at least it feels like it. A sensation of freedom overcomes you. There is no resistance to your movements. Is the floor not beneath your feet? Then you realize your position, and with that comes a great sense of fear. You are falling. {mf2}: "aaaah... AAAAAAAAAh!" Your voice is not your own. But that does not concern you right now. There is a floor a few meters below you, and you are speeding towards it. You body starts to spin backwards, and you can feel that you won't be landing on anything other than your face if you hit the ground. You flail your arms, your feet, everything you can to try and grab something, anything. But you are in a freefall. There is nothing to grab on to. {mf2}: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" A heartwrenching scream escapes your lungs, making your throat feel like its about to burst from all the pressure. Fear does not do your emotional state justice. This is pure terror. There is someone below. He looks so familiar. What is he doing, he is going to get crushed! But no matter how much you try to move, how much you try to change the way you are spinning, nothing you do will change anything. With that, on the last few meters before your eventual crash, you close your eyes and start to weep. And then everything turns to black once more. > [[continue|1qmf2saved]]

You awake on the steps you just layed on. You are alright, you are not falling. A strong, horrific voice fills your ears. Police man: "So, who's next? Huh?" That is right. It was not you who fell, but {mf2}. You wonder if what you just saw was what you believed him to have seen as he fell. There is no way he could have survived this - you think to yourself. There is no way this demon will stop - you say to yourself. There is no way he will just walk away! - you shout to yourself. You stand up quickly, the eyes of multiple policemen glaring right at you. "You will pay for this!" Pure emotion runs through your veins. Logical thinking is completely off the table the way you are now. They killed your friend, and they have no intention of stopping. You will not stand for this. Police man: "Who are you, one of them? You are not wearing their rags, but your clothes are not too formal either... are you an intruder? Or maybe a conspirator?" His voice is calm and sinister. You cannot stand it. With great determination you rush towards him, thinking of nothing but to make him pay for what he did. > [[continue|1qpolicestruggle]]

If you were to be thinking rationally then you wouldn't have done this. The reason for it is simple. "Arg!" Another policeman standing nearby tackles you in your pursuit, pinning you to the floor. You hit your head and your vision becomes blurry. There is blood coming out of your nose and mouth. Police man: "So, we take this guy then. I will ask all of you again: What is it that you are trying to do here?" The question is once more posed to the three people standing near the wall. Despite your blurry vision you can still make out the huge scar on the guy's forehead. Guy with scar: "I don't even know him! Do you want to kill some random guy now?" Police man: "His life is in your hands, criminals." Guy with scar: "Like hell it is, you asshole!" There is a strange black liquid on the floor next to you. It's mixing up with your blood and is forming strange, yet hallucinatingly beautiful patterns. It brings a strange calmness to your heart that you cannot begin to describe. It is a feeling of 'even if everything goes south from here, all will turn out your way in the end'. The thought fills your mind completely, and you disconnect from the world around you. And then everything turns to black for a third time. > [[continue|1qmf2being]]

You awake in someones arms. It is akin to a bride being brought upon the altar. {mf1}: "F-fuck! I did it! I really did it!" The voice sounds happy, yet very subdued. Like he didn't want to be heard. It also sounds very familiar... You are put down and helped on your feet. Looking up, you see {mf1}. For some reason, this feels normal. {mf2}: "W-what is going on?" Your voice sounds so familiar. It must be your mind playing tricks on you, you are you and that is it. Maybe it is your sore throat that makes you sound so different? {mf1}: "I caught you, {mf2}! You are alive! I-I feel like a real hero right about now!" He is grinning widely. More importantly though, did he just call you {mf2}? {mf2}: "T-thanks." You don't know what to say. The fact that none of this feels even remotely alien to you distresses you more than anything else. Being {mf2} feels so normal to you... and it doesn't shock you one bit either. Just then, {mf1} signals for you to get closer. You do so, and as you do you notice yourself standing below the balcony. From the staircase, the boy and the big man that were just with you rush over. Boy: "They got {name}! We have to help him, they are going to kill him!" > [[continue|1qhelpname]]

{name}? But that is you, is it not? What does he mean they are going to kill you? Did {mf1} not just save you? What is the big deal here? Wait, no, you are {mf2}. {mf1}: "S-shit! I don't know what's going on up there, but I won't let anyone fall to their deaths again, especially not {name}!" Boy: "T-there are many policemen up there. One of them is incredibly strong and cruel. Even if we all were to go up there together we would probably still be overpowered!" {mf1}: "Still, I can't just stand here! Fuck, I'm going up!" As he tries moving towards the staircase he is stopped by the big man. Big man: "If you go up there they will know we are here. We should use this opportunity to escape. The exit tunnel is just over there, if we don't stand a chance at winning then we should just get out of here." Boy: "I am calling the shots here!" {mf1}: "And I'm not part of your troup! Let go of me!" There is great unrest in the people in front of you, yet you are as calm as can be. It is difficult for you to understand, but you try to imagine yourself being {mf2}. Yes, if you are {mf2} then your real self must still be up there. There is no telling what they are doing to your body at this moment. {mf2}: "I need to take a look." You spoke to yourself, but the others still heard it. Again, you act on instinct alone. It feels like it's not you that is in control, but you do not care. If instinct helps you make sense of things then you shall rely on it without hestitation. You move back away from below the balcony for a few meters and then turn around, looking up towards the railing. > [[continue|1qseeself]]

There you are. You, {name}. Hanging over the railing, with only the policeman holding you up, dangling meters above ground. An immense black smokescreen fills the entirety on the balcony floor to the point where you can't see anything besides yourself and the policeman. It is the same shade of black as the liquid on the the floor black then... a deep, endless black. Your body hangs there, limp and liveless. It's as if it was asleep or, well, dead. The sensation of seeing yourself hanging from a ceiling disturbs your heart. It starts to pounce heavily, and breathing becomes more difficult. You will not let yourself die. It is as if a higher voice was calling to you. 'Give over your body to instinct alone' - it says. Fine, you think. There is nothing here to lose except myself. And with that, for what feels like it will be the final time, everything turns to black once more. > [[continue|1qfreefall]]

You awake in freefall. The floor is rushing towards you, no, you are rushing towards the floor. I have been here before - you think to yourself. An immense black fog, thicker than any you have ever seen in your entire life, engulfs you. A push here, a tug there. It feels like you are moved mid air, until you reach an upright position. A clearance opens up in the fog, about a meter in diameter. There is a being standing there. Something twisted, black, anthropomorphic. Its figure is distorted and blurry, as if it was just out of view. Its appearance is horrifyingly bizarre, one could easily imagine it as part of a nightmare. However, you know this is no monster. What you see there is {mf2}. No, it is half {mf2} half you. Even though it looks nothing like either of you, you still feel certain that this must be it. There is not a shadow of doubt in your mind. In a fraction a second the being jumps towards you in superhuman speed. Its distorted, wicked face only a few centimeters away from you now. Despite the horrific imagery you feel a strange calmness. As if everything was going to be okay now. The world starts to accelerate, and you fall with it. As you get close to the floor your fall is cushioned by the entity, it catching you like a soon to be married man would catch his wife at a wedding ceremony. It is exactly the way it was with {mf2} earlier, soothing your mind and body entirely. In an instant, all the black smoke disperses into nothing. You find yourself being held by {mf2}, who the moment the fog dispersed falls to ground together with you. > [[continue|1qmf2ouch]]

{mf2}: "O-och... You are heavy, {name}!" The fall on the floor hurt a bit, but was nothing in comparison to the pain that falling from the balcony would have caused. No... would that even have hurt? "Haha...hahaha!" Your mind and sanity return to you. Everything that just happened suddenly feels like a fever dream, and you can't help but laugh. {mf1}: "Are you two alright?" {mf1} rushes over and places a hand on your and one on {mf2}s shoulders. He looks concerned. {mf2}: "I'm good... ouch... but my legs hurt quite a bit..." "I feel fine." In fact, you feel no pain at all. The boy starts speaking, in a really concerened and fearful voice. Boy: "Wha...Wha....What just happened? What the hell just happened?" His voice is shaky and quite distant. You can't see him from where you sit, but you imagine him still being under the balcony. {mf1}: "I think we should leave, {name}. The others are throwing us some concerningly evil looks." You turn around to take a look yourself. But as you do, you see something you could not have imagined in your wildest dreams. > [[continue|1qlookbalcony]]

Everyone is standing quite a bit away from under the balcony, as if they are trying to keep their distance to it. Why that is is quite apparent. The balcony is completely destroyed. Cracks have formed on its underside big enough that you are surprised the whole thing is still standing. The railing is incinerated, with points of it having melted. And then there are the bodies. The big policeman from earlier is lying hunched down on the balcony floor. His face, clothes, hair, everything has been burned to a crisp. All color of his body has turned into one big shade of deep black. And he is not the only one. Multiple other corpses lie scattered across the floor. You can only see the very edge of the balcony, so you can only guess as to how it must look like further down. Everything is scorched, cracked, demolised, destroyed. There is no one up there that is still alive. {mf2}: "W-wuah!" A big sound of surprise comes from {mf2}. He seems quite disturbed. {mf2}: "W-what happened here?!" Boy: "That's our question! What did you do {mf2}? What the hell are you?" You see everyone cowering behind the boy and the big man. They are very obviously scared of {mf2}, and probably you aswell. {mf2}: "What do m-mean me? I didn't do anything! I caught {name}! I don't know how but I did it! Just like {mf1}! D-don't look at me like that!" This whole ordeal seems to stress him out quite a bit. His voice is shouty yet frail, and its pure volume seems to disturb the others even more. They look horrified. > [[continue|1qgetawaymansion]]

Boy: "You know what, don't even answer! I don't know what you are, but don't follow us! Just leave us alone!" Even though you didn't know him for long, it is quite clear to you that saying something like this was not something the boy did very often. It is entire out of character for him. What is speaking here is not his mind, but his fear. {mf2}: "B-but I didn't ..." The others start rushing out a door in the back. One after the other, rushing and pushing to get away from here as quickly as possible. {mf2}: "I-I don't..." {mf2} starts to cry. The cry reaches the depths of your heart, making you instinctively hug him from the side. {mf2}: "I didn't do anythiiiiing!" His voice cracks as tears start flowing down his face. *"Did I do this to him? Is this my fault?"* You yourself have no idea what happened either. But you at least seem to remember what happened, to some degree at least. What is happening to {mf2} right now is entirely unfair. He thought himself a hero, just to be shunned and abandoned. It doesn't take long for even the boy and the big man to exit the hall. Now it is only the three of you. > [[continue|1qmakethebestofit]]

It takes {mf2} a minute to calm down again. He grabs your arm firmly and pulls it towards his chest. {mf2}: "I-I really don't know what happened..." {mf1}: "Is it okay if I explain it to you?" {mf2}s eyes light up. {mf2}: "Y-yes! Of course! Please do, I beg you." {mf1}: "Alright." {mf1} sits down. {mf2} pulls your hand even closer to his chest. It must be a way for him to cope with all the stress and anxiety. {mf1}: "In essence, you started acting a bit weird and went away from under the balcony. The policeman spotted you and let go of {name}, who he was holding over the railing. In that moment you kind of... transformed into a satanic looking being. I don't know how to describe it. You caught {name} mid air, them rushed up towards the balcony. All in an inhuman speed. And then you started to roar loudly and everything started to explode and burn in black flames. After you were finished you landed back on the floor and transformed back to your normal self. It took only a few seconds or so." {mf2}: "I-I can't believe any of this! W-what are you saying?!" Everything besides the attack is known to you. You are certain you are the reason for {mf2} to turn into that 'being'. A great guilt sets itself on top of your heart. {mf1}: "Its not like it makes sense to me either. But let me tell you something." He puts his hand on {mf2}s shoulder. {mf1}: "I don't care why it happened. To me, you saved my best friend. That is all that matters. You are a hero to me, and a friend. I will not leave you like the others did." > [[continue|1qspecend5]]

{mf1} seems to have found the best words to say to {mf2}, who starts crying once more after {mf1} finished his small speech. Only this time, the tears are filled with joy. {mf2}: "T-thank you... I don't want to be alone..." {mf1}: "What do you say, {name}? I think we should take him along. He is a poor kid, probably not a part of townsend like us. But I want to take him along with us when we do quests from now on." You feel immense gratification for {mf1}s words. The situation {mf2} is in is most likely your fault, even if you don't know how, and you want to make things right again. There is no doubt in your heart about your answer. "Of course he can come along!" {mf1}: "Good. Then we'll look for a new quest tomorrow. One for three people. How does that sound, {mf2}?" {mf2}: "It sounds great... *sniff*" He is still crying a bit. At this point, it is certain to say he is a bit more on the sentimental side. That does not annoy you one bit though, and you flash a bright smile. *"I wonder if I will ever find out what happened to me... What was that black smoke, that weird being and why are its powers so supernatural? Hmmm, no matter. For now, let's go home and find another quest to complete. One that involves three people this time."* [align center] **Special Ending #5: Whatever happened is secondary** _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You meet {mf2}s friends and are shaken down for money. The amount of credits in your pocket dedicate your choice here. The choice here carries over even if you use 'continue'. Choosing '10' will give you the opportunity to get to **Ending 1**. credits: {dropdown menu for: 'credits', choices: ['0', '1', '10']} > [[skip to part of story|1qmf2friends]] Possible Endings: 1-3 --- > [[continue|Altar]]

{mf2} confronts you with a copy of your own questpaper. Should you go with him, or continue with your quest? > [[Skip to part of story|1qawaycrowd]] Possible Endings: 4-9, 17-21, special Ending 1-5 Choosing to steal the shawarma will lead to **Ending 5** or the **Bad End (Ending 5V2)**. If you choose to go back to Mr. Sherone *alone* you will enter **Ending 4**. --- If you want to go to Sherone with the others, you will not lock on to a specific ending yet. > [[Go to Sherone with others|AttackSherone]]

[if credits === 10] You find yourself in front of an altar. A puzzle is in front of you, and you are unsure as to what to do. > [[Skip to part of story|1qaltar]] Solving the puzzle will lead to **Ending 1** with one exception that is marked. Otherwise... [continue] You find yourself in a brawl with {mf2} friends. Readying yourself for battle, you think of the best way to approach the fight. Depending on your choices, you will either reach **Ending 2 or 3**. > [[Skip to part of story|1qchurchconflict]]

{mf1} tries to decipher the message left by the butler. You decide to look around a bit in the meantime, until you eventually reach a corridor blocked by two trash containers. > [[Skip to part of story|1qbacktochurch]] Possible Endings: 24-35 --- > [[move into the corridor|corridor]] > [[move back to {mf1}|back to mf1]]

The two of you step outside the restaurant. {mf1} gives out a loud sigh. {mf1}: "He sure did act mysterious today. He only does this on special occasions, you know? I'm a bit nervous." He opens the bag and takes out a sandwich. {mf1}: "Here, for you." You take the sandwich and bite into it. The bread is hard and crunchy with the salad, tomatoes and cucumber pieces inside tasting like they sat on a kitchen desk for a long time. You didn't expect them to be fresh, but it's stil la disappointment. "Still better than the ones father used to make, _cough_." That's not true, but a bit of lightheartedness couldn't hurt right now. {mf1} stares inside the bag, reluctant to take out whatever is inside. {mf1}: "I sure didn't expect him to do that and i definitely don't know how to repay him for that. Favors like this often come with a great price, or so I heard..." You look over, confused about what he means. It was only two sandwiches, was it? Not that big of a deal. He takes out his sandwich. A small piece of paper is sticking out of it. > [[continue|1qleaverestaurant]]

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 #34 #35 #SE1 #SE2 #SE3 #SE4 #SE4 #SE5

You chase the guy and find him near the old church. His name is... {text input for: 'mf2'} After being joined by {mf1} you must make a decision as to what to do next. The new guy makes an offer that you could go to Sherone just like that, as his friends are already planning on going there anyways. > [[Skip to part of story|1qcondition]] Possible Endings: 6-18, 22, 23 --- > [[go with {mf1}|gangster]] > [[go with {mf2}s plan|AttackSherone]]

Despite siding with {mf1}, {mf2} seems willing to help out. He claims that he stole the Shawarma and can get it for you. You follow him back to the church, where you find a group of around 20 people standing around. You wonder what the commotion is all about, but {mf2} makes clear that he can get the shawarma if you just sneak inside the church with him. > [[Skip to part of story|1qgangster]] --- If you approach the crowd you will enter **Ending 14, 15 or 16**. > [[Tipping point for Ending 14,15 or 16|1qclimbinside]] If you sneak into the church you will enter **Ending 10,11,12 or 13**. Note: Choosing {mf2} as the thief will lock you into **Ending 14,15 or 16**. There is no real 'tipping point' here. It is recommended to try different choices to get the endings. Ending 12 and 13 are similar and differ only by the last choice. > [[Tipping point|1q1thief]] If you are a scholar, you can get a secret choice by rummaging around in the room. > [[secret choice|1qsubroom]]

You plan an attack on Sherones mansion to help out some guys that are incarcerated at his place. You must choose whether to go now or at night. > [[Skip to part of story|1qAttack2]] [if mf2Exist === true] Possible Endings: 6-9, 17-21, special Ending 1-5 [else] Possible Endings: 6-9, 17,18,22,23 [continue] --- Choosing to go now will lead to **Ending 7, 8 or 9**. > [[go now|go now]] > [[go at night|go night]]

You reach Sherones Mansion with the others. Taking the Questpaper and looking around will Lead to **Ending 9**. Not doing so will result in either **Ending 7 or 8**. > [[Skip to part of story|1qgonow]]

You are unsure as to whether {mf2}s friends are trustworthy. You think about going there without them. > [[Skip to part of story|1qgonight]] [if mf2Exist === true] Possible Endings: 6-8, 17-21, special Ending 1-5 [else] Possible Endings: 6-8, 17,18,22,23 [continue] --- Choosing to go with them will lead to **Ending 6,7 or 8**. > [[go with them|night]] > [[go without them|mailbox]]

You must find a way to spend your time until nightfall. You decide to take a look around for now. > [[Skip to part of story|1qgonight2]] --- You can find a key in the blue house to get to **Ending 6** through the red house. Do not go into the park for it to work! There are two versions of the 6th Ending. > [[Tipping point|1qEnd6.3]]

You find Sherones Mansion with some trouble, but eventually find yourself in front of his front door. > [[Skip to part of story|1qinfrontmansion]] [if mf2Exist === true] Possible Endings: 17-21, special Ending 1-5 [else] Possible Endings: 17,18,22,23 [continue] --- Choosing to wait outside will lead to either **Ending 17 or 18**. > [[wait outside|waitoutside]] > [[go inside|go inside]]

You decide to wait outside. > [[Skip to part of story|1qwaitoutsidemansion]] --- If you reached one of the Endings already, you can use this choice instead: > [[Tipping point for Ending 17 and 18|1qchoiceEnding]]

[note] green 1st, then blue [continue] [if mf2Exist === true] You enter the mansion and decide to stick with {mf1} for now. You manage to enter the cellar. > [[Skip to part of story|1qunknownvoice]] Possible Endings: 19-21, special ending 1-5 --- Choosing to not approach the cells and going back into the dark room will result in **Ending 21 or special Ending 4 or 5** (Path 1). If at any point you interact with the cells you enter **Ending 19,20 or special Ending 1-3** (Path 2). Note: Up until deciding to enter the dark room you can always enter path 2, so be careful! > [[Path 1|behind boxes]] > [[Path 2|freedom from cell]] [else] You enter the mansion and think about what you want to do. There is a big staircase leading up to balcony and a suspicious looking door at the end of the hall. > [[go up the stairs|bluestairs]] > [[move to adjacent room|blueadjacentroom]] Possible Endings: 22,23

After realizing that the stairs hold nothing of interest, you move over to {mf1} and open the door he struggled with. In a dark room you find yourself confronted with someone new. What is his name? {text input for: 'mf2'} You move down towards the cellar where you free a few prisoners, notably a boy and a big muscular man. After moving back upstairs, you notice a fight has broken out. > [[Skip to part of story|1qchoosehall]] --- Deciding to help will lead to **Ending 22**, while getting away from the fight will lead to **Ending 23**

As you enter the room you meet someone new. {text input for: 'mf2'} You decide to team up with him and find a hidden passageway. Afraid for {mf1}s well being, you move further inside the house through said passageway until at last you reach the cellar. There, you meet a small group of prisoners and {mf1}. After moving up a few stairs you reach the main floor again, where chaos has struck. A conflict between the newfound group and the people robbing the place break out. > [[Skip to part of Story|1qchoosehall]] --- Deciding to help will lead to **Ending 22**, while getting away from the fight will lead to **Ending 23**

In the darkroom you find a huge amount of cold credits thanks to your new light source. As you stuff your bags full with of it you suddenly hear people shouting from the main hall. The door slams open and a few people rush through, leaving the door behind them partially open. > [[Skip to part of story|1qbehindboxes]] Possible Endings: 21, special Ending 4,5 --- Choosing to escape will lead to **Ending 21**. If you choose to think about it a bit you remember that you may want to help {mf2} out. > [[help {mf2} friends|helpguys]]

You and {mf1} move along the cells as he suddenly gets grabbed. Some people inside one of the cells stole his keys and freed themselves. Thanks to the absence of light you stay hidden. Trying to navigate the dark you eventually reach a weird part of the wall: a tunnel carved into it. > [[Skip to part of story|1qfreedomfromcell]] Possible Endings: 19,20, special Ending 1-3 --- Moving away from the mansion will lead you to **Ending 19 or 20**. > [[Tipping point|1qsleepforest]] Choosing to think about it, then sneak inside will give way to a different path. Note: Even when already read once, using 'Skip to part of story' here can lead to different interactions, even though they do not affect the Ending. > [[different path|mf2cry]]

You decide you want to help {mf2}s people out. Note: choosing to escape here will result in the same outcome as before (**Ending 21**) > [[Skip to part of story|1qhelpguys]] --- You find his guys, a boy and a muscular man introduce themselves. As you move back into the main hall with them and {mf1} you notice that the police has raided the place and are questioning people atop the balcony above the big staircase. The boy, the muscular guy and you decide to check out what is happening up there. As yoo peek up the stairs you see a big policeman holding {mf2} over the railing, ready to let go of him and making hi mfall to his death. You get a strong feeling that **You can do this**. Based on what you decide to do here you reach either **Special Ending 4 or 5** > [[Choose|1qmf2danger3]]

After some trouble with a few guards you reach the main hall. A horrific sight falls upon your eyes, as you see the floor covered with corpses and knocked out guards. You meet {mf2}, who is sobbing profusely. As you look over to the main floor, you see his friends brutally defiling corpses. In hopes it might make a difference you look for a guard that is not yet dead to save. > [[Skip to part of story|1qmf2cry]] --- Choosing to help {mf2} will lead to a few choices and different perspectives, but ultimately will end in **Special Ending 3**. There is a choice specific to your alignment here. You may change it here, if you wish to see it. It does change the Ending. {dropdown menu for: 'myclass', choices: ['naturelover', 'scholar','citydweller']} --- Choosing to help the guard and sticking with it will result in a different path. a great, inexplainable force takes hold of your body and goes on a rampage. You are presented with a difficult choice. > [[Fate of {mf2}|1qkill3]] This choice determines whether you will enter **Special Ending 1 or 2**.

{mf1}: "I-its not that bad!" He rips the page away from you. He is deeply embarassed. *"I think this is the first time I have seen him blush... I shouldn't have said so much."* {mf1}: "D-did you at least look at the text above?" Truth be told, you did not. The black sploches were too eyecatching for you. You lean over and take a look. Around the middle of the page, you see a couple lines of text in a to you unknown alphabet. It is exquisitly written, or a better description would be that it almost looks like straight out of a newspaper. {mf1}: "I can translate it for us. I can read my handwriting really good actually..." *"Oh man I **really** screwed this up, didn't I?"* {mf1}: "If you wish to spew favor with us we advise you to abandon your current quest and meet our informant at the end of the housing block. You should know where to look. ... Hm, that's everything." *"End of the housing block? That is probably where I was earlier."* {mf1}: "Did you find anything suspicious while you were there?" "C-can you read my mind?!" You just blurted that out without thinking about it. It makes sense that {mf1} knows where you went, after all there really is only one long street until the end of the road where you went along earlier. {mf1}: "W-what are you saying? Did you see anything?" "N-not really." You still find it creepy that he knows where you went. 'He shouldn't do that!' - you think to yourself, seeing yourself pout in front of your inner eye. {mf1}: "Alright. Let's check it out together then. We'll discuss whether we want to do this once we're there." With that, both of you stand up and move along the street. You keep some distance from {mf1}, after all he can play mindgames! > [[continue|1qinfrontcorridor]]

You move along the street until you eventually reach the corridor once more. Trash containers still block the path, and besides that everything looks the same as last time. {mf1}: "So, this is the end of the road. I don't see anyone here, though." You look around. Large buildings surround you, and you can see people behind some of the windows. The street, however, is empty. {mf1}: "People don't really work here, I guess. Off somewhere else, earning good money. Now that I think of it, didn't most of our classmates come from here?" "Yeah. We were always kind of the underdogs with our low-income parents. I'm happy to be out of that class..." Most adventurers come from here. The reason for that is simply that their parents have enough money to afford their children persue education instead of immediately having to work once they turn adult-aged. You only got in due to your father being very strict with his budget, which is readily apparent by taking one look at his house. {mf1} just followed you back then, his father didn't care what he did either way so he just chose for himself. {mf1}: "Hm... these trash containers seem a bit suspicious. I guess we should move them away if we want to meet this informant. What do you say, {name}? We can also get back to Sherone and continue his quest, if you want to. I'm fine either way, to be honest." > [[continue here|1qmovetrash]] > [[continue to Sherone|1qSherone]]

You point towards the trash containers. {mf1}: "Alright. But please, stay close." You decide it's time to drop your act about the creepy mindreading {mf1} and move closer. Both of you now stand in front of one of the containers. {mf1}: "Hrg! These are heavy, give me a hand." You throw your entire body weight against the container, and so does {mf1}. It is heavy and filled to the brim, with the weels it stands on cracked and barely holding on to life. With all your strength, you manage to move it almost an entire centimeter. {mf1}: "H-how did people move this thing? Its crazy heavy! Come on, {name} another push!" Again, with all your might, you push against the container. Sweat is starting to form on your forehead and you feel your muscles getting exhausted from all the hard work. Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, you hear a loud clang sound and the container starts to move. With both of you leaning against it, it quickly takes up speed. "W-what the heeeeeeeeeeeeell!!!!" You shout as you see yourself slipping, crashing into {mf1}, who in turn shouts aswell. {mf1}: "What are you doingggggggggggggggggggg?!??!" You take {mf1} down with you, landing right on top of him in an almost comical way. Wasting no time, you immediately roll off him. Lying on the pavement, you look upwards. Someone is looking down at you with a curious face. > [[quickly stand up|1qmeetff1]]

You quickly get up at your feet, embarassed at the person that noticed your blunder just now. {mf1} is a bit slow with standing up, so you hastily help him up. ...: "Hahaha! What are you two doing?" You look up towards the person. It is a girl around your age that you have never seen before. She is quite a bit smaller than you, with short black hair that looks like it was recently cut. Clothing wise she is wearing a leather jacket with the arms removed, a pair of brown trousers and big brown boots. It is the epitome of workers clothes, disregarding the cut off arms. {mf1}: "Hi... We're searching for someone, and we thought that we might find them behind these... containers." *"How can he be so calm about this! Come on, we need to apologize for our clumsiness!"* Girl: "Oh? And who is that someone supposed to be?" The girl seems very friendly, which is a nice surprise for you. You expected a scolding or to be laughed at, but she just has a big grin on her face. {mf1}: "Well... We don't really know what they look like. They are some sort of informant, that's all we know." Girl: "Well, then look no further!" She prodly points towards her chest with her thumb. The pose looks pretty childish, but shines of self-confience. {mf1}: "Y-you are our informant?" Girl: "Yep! My name is..." What is her name? {text input for: 'ff1'} > [[continue|1qff1intro]]

{mf1}: "Hi, {ff1}, nice to meet you. I am {mf1}, and this is {name}." {mf1} is so self confident and proper right now, it makes you feel really useless. You yourself still aren't over the fact that your first impression was this bad! {ff1}: "Nice to meet you two. There is a nice little cafe right behind this corridor, mind if we go catch up there?" Without waiting for a reply, she turns around and moves along the corridor. The corridor, which by all means looks menacing and incredibly dangerous, is being sandwiched between two huge buildings and being pretty much completely devoid of light. She, however, seems to have no problems with this and happily carries on. {mf1}: "I did not expect our informant to be our age. Have you ever seen her at townsend, {name}?" "I-It is weird for sure." {mf1} looks at you with his head tilted. His gaze is sharp. "A-and I don't know her! Never seen her!" {mf1}: "You got to loosen up, what's the problem?" You can't just tell him that you are still embarassed. Only way to move on is to pretend. "N-no problem! I-I don't need your advise!" {mf1}: "I... didn't give any advise. And you stutter ever since you fell, did you hit your head? Do I need to check?" You let out a small sigh. Defeated and filled with embarassment, you shake your head, tell {mf1} that everything is okay and move on through the corridor. {ff1} is quite fast, so both of you take a small jog to keep up with her. > [[continue|1qcafe]]

{mf1}: "She has stopped, let's slow down." {ff1} turns around. {ff1}: "Well well! Let me welcome both of you to my hometown! The town of the working class!" As she takes a step back you notice light shining on her from the side. The corridor must be ending just there. You move next to her and gaze at the sight in front of you. A huge plaza surrounded by tall buildings, filled with greenery and people in working class uniforms, stretches out in front of you. {mf1}: "Wow... how can something like this exist, separated entirely from the rest of the town?" Looking around a bit, you notice lots of shops indented into the bottom floors of the surrounding buildings. Just besides you stands a small shop with tables outside where people eat cake, next to it a big shop selling casual clothing. Looking a bit further towards the middle of the plaza, two landmarks catch your eye. One is a huge water fountain, situated in the middle of the plaza, and the other an even more ginormous gate at the end of it all. {ff1}: "Let's not stand around here for much longer. Let me invite you guys for some coffee!" Coffee? That is a commodity you could never reasonably afford if you didn't want to skip a meal that day. Getting invited to it seems too good to be true. {mf1} seems to have no problem with it aswell, and the three of you move towards the small cake shop you saw earlier. > [[continue|1qcafe1]]

...:"O-ouch... Please get off me..." As you hear the soft voice of a girl below you you immediately try to stand up. She has dampened you fall quite a bit, so you haven't bruised yourself or something similar on the fall. Looking down, you see an older girl lying on her back. She is wearing a leather jacket with the arms removed, a brown pair of trousers and big brown boots. The spitting image of a worker, besides the missing arms in the jacket that is. She must be around your age, with short black hair that looks like it was recently cut. As your eyes meet you realize that you are just standing there like an idiot. You quickly offer her a helping hand, which she takes with no hestitation. Girl: "Ugh... My head hurts..." Now that she is standing in front of you you notice that she is quite a bit smaller than you, and that you have never seen her before. This is weird, as a work-class girl your age should have attended townsend academy together with you. Ignoring that for now, you examine her arms and head to look for any injuries. Luckily it seems that the leather jacket dampened the fall quite a bit, and you see no signs of injury anywhere. Girl: "A-are you the guy the butler told me about?" "T-the butler?" Girl: "Oh no... I shouldn't have said that..." She lets out a small sigh, then grabs you by your arm and pulls you into the corridor. Her grip is not strong, but you were not ready for it and so fall headfirst into the corridor, this time actually landing on the floor. > [[continue|1qincorridor]]

"Ouch..." You turn around, looking at the girl. She easily pushes the trash container back into place. *"W-why is it so easy for her? What is this superhuman strength?!?"* You tremble at the sight of such power. However, right after that she slams something that looks like breaks into the wheel. *"I-I guess that's why I couldn't push it open."* The girl turns around, looking like her mind is somewhere else. Once she gets a look at you lying on the ground, however, her behavior completely changes. Girl: "Oh no! Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry!" She rushes over, extending a hand to you to help you up. You take it without hestitation. Girl: "A-are you hurt somewhere?" She seems really concerened. "N-no. It's alright. I should apologize for falling on top of you earlier..." Girl: "That was my mistake though! I disengaged the brakes when you pushed, so of course you would trip!" She bows deeply. It reminds you of the way you had to apologize to teachers when you did something stupid at townsend. Girl: "I should introduce myself! My name is..." What is her name? {text input for: 'ff1'} > [[continue|1qincorridor2]]

"H-hi..." You are not accustomed to talking to strangers like this. Back at townsend, {mf1} and you did basically everything together. Now that he is not here you find yourself having difficulties holding smalltalk. {ff1}: "What to do... what to do..." She is going around in circles, her hand at her chin. It is obvious that she is in heavy thought. "C-can I help?" She answers in a very subdued tone, as if it wasn't meant for your ears. {ff1}: "You could say the butler send you for once..." Even though you feel like you weren't supposed to hear that you still decide to answer. "What is this butler you speak of? I met someone that looks like a butler back at some restaurant a few minutes from here." The moment the word 'restaurant' comes out of your mouth, her eyes light up. {ff1}: "Yes! Yes, that's him! You followed the note to me, right?" "T-the note?" *"Does she mean the paper {mf1} has, the one with the weird code on it?"* {ff1}: "Alright! Please follow me, I'll show you the way." She hopps up and down happily as she moves further away from the trash containers through the corridor. You decide to follow her for now, even if just to see what all this is for. > [[continue|1qintrocity]]

You meet a girl. What is her name? {text input for: 'ff1'} After confirming that she is your informant, she invites you to a cup of coffee. There, she contineus to behave in weird ways, and you fear that you are lurked into a trap. You consider whether you should tell the others about your worries. > [[Skip to part of story|1qmaybepoisoned]] Possible Endings: 29-35 --- > [[Say nothing|backout]] > [[Confront them|fears]]

You meet a girl behind some trash containers. What is her name? {text input for: 'ff1'} After getting to know her a bit at a cafe, you think about what to do next. With her not giving you much to go for, you think about searching for {mf1}. > [[Skip to part of story|1qgomf1ornot]] Possible Endings: 24-28 --- > [[stay with her|her]] > [[search for {mf1}|mf1]]

The dark corridor feels creepy and opressing as you move through it. {ff1}s carefree attitude seems completely out of place to you. *"She could be living here... maybe you get used to this kind of thing over the years..."* After only around a minute or so of walking you reach the end of the corridor. {ff1}: "Let me introduce you to my home: The city of the working class!" In front of you stands a huge marketplace surrounded by tall buildings. It seems very intentionally secluded, with the only parts leaving out of the market place being the corridor you stand in right now and a huge gate made out of steel. You feel completely alien here. {ff1}: "I know a very good cafe around here. Let me show you!" Continuing her happy little hopps she slowly moves towards a shop that is part of one of the huge houses. A few tables and stairs stand outside as well as inside, and the interior looks nicely decorated with its wood aestetic and spacious layout. A smell unknown to you enters your nostrils as you move closer. *"This must be coffee... This really is the middle class, eh?"* {ff1}: "A seat for two, please! And please get us one of your cookies and a coffee each! Thank you!" Within only a few seconds a waitress shows you and {ff1} your seats. Woman: "The coffee will take but a minute. Enjoy your stay." The woman bows the way {ff1} did earlier. A weird tradition you do not yet understand. You sit down where you are told and {ff1} does the same. > [[continue|1qcafealone]]

{ff1}: "Ahhh... Does it feel good to sit again, feels like its been ages." She stretches her arms and legs wide. Even a commoner like you can see how uncouth that looks. {ff1}: "I didn't ask you for your name! Tell me!" She leans in closer, staring straight at you. Her overly expressionistic attitude is quite contrary to yours or even {mf1}s, and it is difficult for you to adjust. For now, you lean back in your chair a bit in hopes to garner some distance between you two. "I-It's {name}." {ff1}: "{name}, huh... I feel like I've heard of you before... Are you famous?" She flashes a wide smile in your direction. You turn your head, looking at the suddenly very interesting lightpole a few meters away from you. "I a-am not famous. D-don't know how you would know m-me" *"Why am I stuttering? God, why am I so bad at this kind of thing..."* {ff1}: "Haha, alright." She leans back in her chair, still widely grinning in your direction. You decide to sit normally again. Looking at her, you notice that her posture is really bad and uncommon for someone of the middle class who should normally be educated in manners and such. At townsend, all the students that came from around this area had great manners and used them even if it wasn't asked for. She seems to be a little different, though. Woman: "I got your coffee, {ff1}. Please enjoy, you two." > [[continue|1qcoffeealone]]

The lady from earlier approaches your table with a plate in her hands. On it are two cups of coffee and two really big cookies. The coffee looks a lot more brownish than you expected. Woman: "Two cups of coffee the way you like, and our homemade cookies." {ff1}: "Thank you." {ff1} nods towards the woman, who in turn places everything on the table and leaves. {ff1}: "Oh, did you have any preference for coffee? I sort of just ordered for you..." "N-no... I never had coffee, so a recommendation like this is great, I'm sure." {ff1}: "Wait, you never had coffee?!" That was loud. She probably didn't notice, but her voice just know echoed through the area.. "Y-you don't have to shout like that..." {ff1}: "O-oh! Sorry..." She scratches her head in embarassment. {ff1}: "Well, then I hope you'll enjoy it!" You look down. With the measly {credits} credits in your pocket there is no way you can afford coffee. It feels kind of embarassing to tell her that though. {ff1}: "Oh, and its my treat! So d-don't just order refills please..." *"Well, that solves that I guess"* You take the cup by its tiny handle and pull it up to your mouth to take a sip. Its piping hot, however, so you almost spill the entire drink on the table. > [[continue|1qcoffeealone2]]

{ff1}: "B-Bwhahaha! I-I'm sorry... haha... a-are you alright?" You look up, trying to look menacing. But knowing you, you probably don't look nearly as terrifiying as you might want, so you quickly drop the act. "I-It's really hot!" {ff1}: "Yeah, maaaybe I should have told you." The tone of her voice indicates that she did so on purpose. You want to look over with a dangerous face again, but are a bit afraid to be laughed at again. So instead, you take the big cookie. It feels nice in your hands, like it's just recently been baked. The texture is still soft and mushy, and a black liquid is dripping out as you squeeze it. {ff1}: "It's a chocolate-filled cookie. We make it here, so you probably didn't eat one before. It tastes incredible, let me tell you." You take a bite out of it. It is just as she says, it tastes like nothing you have ever experinced before. The fluffy texture with the chocolate filling is just something else. It doesn't take much for you to take a second bite, and a third, and a fourth, and a... {ff1}: "H-hold on! I want to eat one aswell!" She quickly picks up her cookie aswell and takes a bite. This time, she actually took a bite a like a 'proper lady' would back at townsend. She glaces over to you, a kind of embarassed look on her face. "Do I have to eat properly too?" The question must have startled her, enough for her to accidently break her cookie in half and making a chocolatly mess on her clothes. > [[continue|1qcoffeealone3]]

{ff1}: "A-ahh!" She looks really distressed. Without a thought, she lets go of her cookies to scrub away at her clothes. With razer like reflexes you manage to catch it and place it back on the plate. {ff1}: "I'm not getting this out... what am I going to do..." "It is just a small stain. I'm sure washing it will get rid of it." {ff1}: "I guess..." She looks really down, but you are still happy that you managed to say something. Conversing has gotten a lot easier for you, and your stutter seems to steadily go away aswell. {ff1}: "Okay, I will deal with this later. Tell me, {name}, how much do you know about the quest?" "I still don't really know what you are talking about." {ff1}: "Well, you spoke to the butler, no? Hm, maybe he just wanted to get us in touch? Hm..." She leans back, deep in thought. Her problem from earlier seems to have completely vanished from her mind. "Let's just say I don't know anything about the quest yet. What can you tell me?" {ff1} looks at you for a moment, then leans forward. > [[continue|1qnewquestsolo]]

{ff1}: "I heard that you took a quest at townsend, right?" "Right." *"What does this have to do with anything?"* {ff1}: "Would it be alright with you if you dropped it? It is kind of important to know that beforehand, at least the butler told me so..." *"I don't know if I can just decide that without {mf1} around..."* "I can't. I have a friend who accepted the quest with me, so we would both have to drop it together." {ff1} tilts her head. After a short delay, she scratches her head, nervously takes her cup of coffee and takes a big sip out of it. {ff1}: "Ahhh... the coffee isn't as hot now, have a taste." Her voice and smile look a lot less happy and carefree as they did earlier. You hope you didn't say anything bad to her. Grabbing the cup by its small handle once more, you carefully raise the cup to your lips and take a small sipp. You expect the extremely bitter aroma that coffee is known for, but to your surprise you taste what can best be described as a different flavor of milk. There is definitely more milk and sugar in there than coffee. {ff1}: "How does it taste?" "Alright. I expected it to be more bitter." {ff1}: "Hehe... That's because of my order, sorry... I don't like normal coffee too much, so..." Her mood seems to have improved a bit. You feel like sudden moodswings are quite normal for her, at least to some degree. > [[continue|1qnewquestsolo1]]

{ff1}: "Alright, but back to business. You know what, let's just ignore the butlers wishes okay?" It looks like she is expecting an answer. "I... can't really say..." {ff1}: "Come on! Just say yes!" "I..." {ff1}: "Yes!" "Sure..." {ff1}: "Yay!" She seems very pleased with your answer. {ff1}: "Alright. So the quest is basically this: We know where the Shawarma is, but we want to make sure that it does not get delivered to Sherone." "Excuse me?" That came out of nowhere. You don't really know how to react. {ff1} leans in closer, looking you straight in the eyes. {ff1}: "You know, Sherone is a very shrewd man. We might not be the punching bags of the rich here, but we very well know that people like him prey on the vulnerable. That's why we want to cut off some support for him, show him that even with all his money and connections there are some things he just can't control." "And you want to show that to him with... a shawarma?" {ff1}: "Well, you know, he is expecting guests tomorrow! And that Shawarma was specifically made for one of his more esteemed guests." > [[continue|1qnewquestssolo2]]

"Okay, sure. And what exactly do we do?" {ff1}: "Well..." She stands up, then walks around the table a few times, seemingly deep in thought once again. {ff1}: "I don't know!" She looks at you with the widest grin you have seen all day. "Do we... get paid?" That part in particular is important to you. You barely have any credits, and so does {mf1}. Besides the point of your father being disappointed in you if you didn't complete your first quest there was still the issue of no money = no food. That is particularly important now that you and {mf1} are a team. {ff1}: "Yep! 10 credits. No... 10 credits per person!" *"10 credits is... a lot..."* "Sure, sounds alright." {ff1}: "Yay!" She rushes in for a surprise hug, scrubbing the chocolate cream all over your clothes in the progress. You instinctively try to push her off, but she just pulls herself in further. A situation like this is new to you, so you don't know how to react. If you hadn't had the time to get to know her a bit you would most likely have forcefully pushed her off you. However, right now she seems exstatic and you don't want to ruin her mood. After a few seconds the lets go of you and apologizes with the wides grin on her face once more. Only the smile seems genuine though. > [[continue|1qgomf1ornot]]

She sits back down and finishes the rest of her coffee in one go. The cookie you saved for her was also gone in one bite. Her mannerisms from earlier have now pretty much vanished. You feel like she is suddenly a lot more relaxed. Thinking about what to do now, {mf1} comes to mind. "Hey, {ff1}. I told you about my friend, right?" {ff1}: "Hm? Oh, yes. I remember, the one you accepted the quest with?" "Yes, him. We should look for him, tell him about the quest situation." {ff1}: "I'm sure he doesn't take on the quest by himself. You guys are a team after all!" "You are probably right... We should tell him about my whereabouts then, or he'll worry." {ff1}: "H-he is not you mother! Come on, have some independence!" She seems strangely agitated. And it is apparent that she doesn't want to look for him. "Well, I wouldn't want to be left in the dark if I was in his shoes. I'm sure it doesn't take too much time." {ff1} stands up and walks towards you, kneeling down next to your chair. You look over to her. {ff1}: "Do you really have to look for him?" "Why not?" She looks down. It takes a strangely long time for her to look back up at you. {ff1}: "I'd like it to be just us two. Bringing in more people will just make things more difficult! I promise you'll find him later and can explain everything to him. Just leave him be for today, we can do the quest and I give you the 10 credits for him aswell. Is that alright?" You are unsure what to do. > [[choose {ff1}|1qff1choice]] > [[choose {mf1}|1qmf1choice]]

"A-alright. Then it's just the two of us." Her eyes light up as she listens to your words. In a second, she jumps back up. {ff1}: "I-I'll get us a nice s-snack! Wait for me!" She rushes over to the counter to talk to the woman from ealier again. This temporary solitude gives you a moment to think. *"Why did I just choose this girl over {mf1}? After everything he went through today I abandon him... I will make it up for him, I will get us all these credits and then we go eat somewhere nice."* Just as you finish your thought {ff1} arrives at the table again, holding two small plates in her hands. Each one has a small piece of cake on it. She places both on the table and sits down. {ff1}: "Here, my treat. It's my favorite, not just here but in general. I hope you like it." "T-thank you a lot. Sorry for not paying myself..." {ff1}: "I said it was my treat! Don't worry about it! Just worry about tasting the cake, alright?" She rests her head on her hands and looks over to you. Her gaze is strangely calm and relaxed, and a genuine, warm smile sits upon her face. It makes your heart race a bit, and you worry that you might get a bit red in the face if you look at her more. *"W-why is she looking at me like that? I can't look at her like that!"* You avert your gaze, making sure to have her in the corner of your eye. You take a small piece of the cake and put it in your mouth. > [[continue|1qcake]]

"I'm sorry... but I'd feel bad if he was to leave me behind aswell. I should at least tell him where I am, you know?" She leans back in her chair. Somehow you expected her to react more than she did, and for some reason you feel kind of annoyed that she didn't. {ff1}: "So... you are a good friend then! I only... tested you to see if that is true. ... Well, it's good that it's that way!" She seems a little tense. "Well... ehm... do you want to go somewhere beforehand?" You really want to tell {mf1} about where you are, but for one reason or the other you feel no real rush to do so right now. If {ff1} wants to go somewhere first that would be fine with you. {ff1}: "D-don't you want to tell him right away?" And then there is her stuttering. You do not quite understand as to why she suddenly acts like this, but you feel it would be better for her calm down first before meeting {mf1}. "Well, it doesn't have to be right away." You see {ff1} nervously pan the area. It is quite obvious that she wants to take you up on the offer, and you can't help but smile to yourself because of it. It's a nice feeling. {ff1}: "Okay, I know a place!" She looks over to the counter, signaling something to the waitress. {ff1}: "Hey! Can you write today on my tab? I'll pay you next time!" She does a simple thumbs up and continues her work. *"I wonder if {ff1} does this more often..."* {ff1} quickly grabs your arm and pulls you away from the cafe. You almost stumble over your own feet, trying to keep up with her. > [[continue|1qonestopbefore]]

The cake melts on your tongue with a crazy array of flavours. There is cherries, some strawberries, and a lot of other fruits you can't think of right now. Oh, and a lot of cream all around. It is a very sweet cake, almost like one made for kids, but it tastes incredible. You can't help but smile as you take another bite out of it. {ff1}: "I see you like it." Her voice now sounds super seductive. You glance over, seeing her face red like a tomato as she smiles in your direction. She is blushing with no sign of embarassment whatsoever. So much in fact that you assume she doesn't even realize it. "I-Its g-g-good, yes..." Well, here goes your stutter again. Only this time its really bad. {ff1}: "Time for me to dig in aswell!" She takes her head of her hands and starts eating the cake aswell. The redness in her face quickly fades, but her smile is just as wide as ever. It seems her mood has switched quickly once again. {ff1}: "Its so gooood!" You quickly eat the rest of the cake aswell. Resisting it was impossible, with it tasting as good as it did. After both of you finish you lunge down in your chairs. {ff1}: "Hihi, you have some leftover there." She points to the edge of her mouth. You do so yourself and truth be told, yes there was still some of the cake left there. It feels a bit weird to be called out of that, but she seems to be enjoying herself so you don't worry all too much. > [[continue|1qgoawaycafe]]

Both of you sit in silence for a few more minutes. It feels strangely calm here. Despite there being so many people around it there is not much noise. Quite the contrary to the market place back in town where it felt like you got yelled at by everyone trying to sell you something. Woman: "Are you two satisfied with the food and drinks?" The waitress is standing right next to {ff1}, who tries her best to quickly sit up properly on her chair. {ff1}: "Y-yes, all's good!" The waitress stands there for a seconds, seemingly unsure as to what do do. As she speaks up, you notice a carefulness in her tone. Woman: "I'm sorry to say this... but I heard your father has gotten into some trouble again." {ff1}: "R-really? ... God, why today..." {ff1} looks pretty gloomy about all this. As she stares down at the table, you notice the waitress signaling something to you. She is shaking her hand as if making a 'no' kind of hand gesture. The moment {ff1} looks up she changes back to her work etiquette. {ff1}: "Fine. I'll pay you tomorrow, okay? I'll get going before any more happens I guess..." {ff1} has not yet stood up. You remember the waitresses signals. Maybe you should stop her? > [[stop her|1qstopher]] > [[don't stop her|1qgoinsidehouse]]

{ff1} grabs your arm and pulls you away from the cafe, over the main plaza, until finally reaching one of the doors in front of one of the huge houses surrounding the town. She takes out a keychain from one of her pockets, not letting go of your arm all the while doing it. It seems she is having difficulties opening the door though, the key seems to be pretty crooked. You decide to help her, and with some luck you succeed. Opening the door you find yourself in front of a tight staircase that no doubt goes up multiple floors. {ff1} pulls you behind her as you ascend the staircase. It is on the fourth floor that you make halt. The floor is small, with one door to the left and one to the right. {ff1} moves towards the right one and inserts the key. After being pulled inside you finally decide to remove your arm from her grip. "Is this your house, {ff1}?" {ff1}: "Yes... Sorry for all the mess..." The floor looks clean enough. Small, but tidied up, with a few heavy boots and jackets neatly organized in a small indent inside the wall. Both of you take off your shoes, then {ff1} goes further in, opening the door at the end of the hall. You follow her. > [[continue|1qinsidekitchenff1]]

{ff1}: "This is my kitchen. I... didn't throw out the trash yet. Let me organize it a bit..." Old vegetables, some bread and unwashed dishes lie atop the kitchen table. It's not unreasonably dirty, in fact it is exactly you would expect a normal kitchen to look like. What is crazier to you is that, even though she must be a lot wealthier than you, her home is a fraction of the size of yours. You still can't wrap your head around the fact that more money = less space is really a thing here. {ff1}: "So. It's all tidied up now." She lunges down on a nearby chair. {ff1}: "Goddammit..." She covers her eyes with her arm, and her voice cracks as she speaks. There must be a lot going through her head at the moment. You decide to leave the questions for later and give her some space for now. Looking around, you see that the kitchen must have been renovated relatively recently. In fact, everything in the kitchen seems to have been replaced recently, even the floor and walls. Doing something like this in a fourth floor apartment must be crazy expensive. Just as you look around more, you hear {ff1} cry out to you. {ff1}: "{name}... There is a small vial... in the other room... would you be so nice and get it for me?..." Looking over at her, you see her suddenly breathing heavily. Is it an allergic reaction? You can't tell, but seeing her condition worsen this quickly makes you worry. Rushing out of the kitchen you notice a door to your left and one to your right. The one on your right is partially open, and you can see the bathroom inside. Thinking that the medicine is probably not stored in there you open the other door. > [[open door|1qdirtyroom]]

You open the door, only to be greeted by an indescribable stench. It is difficult for you not to throw up. How did none of this seep through to the rest of the apartment? You pull your nose under your shirt and look back inside. The room is filled to the brim with trash. It is a horrendous display of food, old packaging and all sort of other bits and pieces. Determined to find the vial, you step inside. You hold your breath as you take your first step inside. The stench reaches your nose even through your shirt, so you decide to resort to mouth breathing as long as you are in this room. Every step you take you step on something. Sometimes something breaks, somethimes you feel something getting squished, and sometimes you stub your toe on something. But, and you are sure of that, not once has your foot reached the floor. You regret not puttin your shoes before going inside. There. Next to a bed standing at the far end of the room stands a vial. It is easy to spot as the table it stands on has actually been cleaned. You try your best to get through all the trash to reach it and, with great effort, you eventually manage to do so. You grab the vial, and in that moment you seem to hear someone cry out loudly in the room {ff1} is sitting in. You are unsure whether it is her voice or that of someone else. Concerened for her safety, you lunge forward, taking even greater steps this time to exit the room quickly. You feel something soft and fluffy hit your knee, then something gets squished under your foot. The tactile feeling alone is nearly enough to make you throw up. As you reach the door, you suddenly get a feeling that you are being watched. Watched from behind. Your grab the door with one hand, now standing outside the room. You glance backwards from where you felt yourself being watched and see a black shadow. No, it is a person lying on a bed at the other end of the room. Their body is not much more than flesh and bones, with the ribcage being quite visible. As you look up at the face, you see two buldiging eyes stare back at you. You throw the door shut with enough force that you probably damaged it. A heavy shiver runs down your spine. As you try to catch your breath you hear someting shatter in the kitchen. "{ff1}!" > [[return to the kitchen|1qkitchenff1]]

You return to the kitchen to find {ff1} not being there. Confused, you turn around to see a huge man stand in the hallway. You quickly manage to hide the vial out of sight. He turns around to you. Man: "Who are you?" "N-no one..." The mans presence is overwhelming. He is huge, with visible bruises around his face and fingers. His hand is put into a fist, his forearms and biceps appear huge. It is obvious that he was in some kind of fight today, and judging by the look in his eyes it didn't go too well for him. You feel afraid, being cornered in a strangers house with no way to quickly escape. The height difference between you two does not give you confidence. Man: "Why are you in my house?" "I-I don't know?" Man: "Heh, I see how it is. You are one of those lowlife junkies, aren't you?" He temporarily looks away from you, laughing to himself. There are drug addicts in the city that belong to the lowest of low class. It is common for middle and upper class people to refer to these people when talking about the poor. It must be your rugged clothing that made him assume this. Right now, you see this as an opening for escape. "Y-yes..." Man: "Well, we don't have anything for scum like you here. Get out." You aren't going give him time to think about this twice. Quickly, you rush out the door. Just before you manage to exit you feel your ass being kicked hard, and you fly out the door. With great force you hit your shoulders on the railing of the staircase. A sharp pain shoots through your entire upper body. As you try to touch the injured part you roll over and, to your demise, down the stairs. You try to protect your head, but to no avail. Everything goes black the second your head hits the stony surface of the stairs. > [[wake up|1qwakeupstairs]]

You wake up outside, in some sort of corridor. While there are no real indicators of this being a special kind of corridor you still believe this is the corridor you passed through earlier to get to the cafe. "Ugh..." You try to stand up, but are pulled down immediately. Remembering what just happened to you, you resist heavily, pushing away whoever is trying to pull you in while trying to get away from them as quickly as possible. You manage to do just that, and just as you reach the other all of the corridor you turn around. {ff1}: "Hi, {name}." In front of you sits {ff1}. She looks at you with a concerned look on her face. {ff1}: "A-are you alright?" She's got a bloody cloth in her hand. You reach for your forehead, which stings to the touch. A few drops of blood are now on your fingers. "D-did you bring me here?" She nods, putting the cloth on the ground next to her. Suddenly, she starts to bow deeply. {ff1}: "I'm so sorry for what happened! I will pay for a doctor and everything, I promise!" You touch your head once again. It's not too bad, you expected the pain to be much worse. You see no reason to see a doctor for this. "You don't need to worry, I-I think." She sits back up, a surprised look on her face. {ff1}: "Are you sure?" You decide to say nothing. With a small grunt you stand up and walk over, sitting down next to her. > [[continue|1qff1story]]

"Who was that guy?" {ff1}: "M-my father..." "He's a dangerous guy, isn't he?" {ff1}: "He's an alcoholic. He gets really stupid when he drinks much..." *"Alcoholic? So he must have been in a drunken brawl... Huh..."* As you think about it, you notice {ff1}s head softly hitting your shoulder. {ff1}: "I'm so exhausted... I wish I could just move out..." {ff1} suddenly sounds really sleepy. You remember her shouting in the apartment, maybe she was arguing with her father? It would explain why she wasn't inside after you got the vial. "Why don't you move out then?" {ff1}: "I don't have the money for it..." She sounds more and more drowsy, and her head digs deeper into your shoulder. You shake her a bit to keep her awake. Also, you shoulder still hurts. "Do you plan on doing anything about it?" She shrugs. "You need to do stuff to get out of there, you know that?" {ff1}: "Yes, mom..." You decide to stop shaking her, and almost immediately she falls fast asleep. > [[continue|1qgetff1outcorridor]]

A few minutes pass, with {ff1} starting to snore on your shoulder. You decide that it couldn't possibly be the best idea to have her sleep outdoors in the cold, especially with her jacket not covering her arms. "Alright, {ff1}. Time to find another place." You try your best to strap her over your back. After a few tries you manage to carry her comfortably. "Does she even eat? It's like she weighs nothing..." The sun is starting to set. You think about what to do next. *"I can't bring her back to her father... I should search for {mf1}."* With a strong kick you manage to disengage the brakes of one of the containers. Pushing them out of the way is easy work for you. You move further until you rech the bench where {mf1} sat on earlier. To noones surprise you find it empty, and {mf1} nowhere to be seen. *"Maybe the restaurant? They did hire her after all..."* You try to retrace the steps you took to get here and, without much problem, find yourself in front of the restaurant once more. You knock on the door. > [[continue|1qinsiderestaurant]]

The door swings open after only a few seconds. You take a step back as you see the person in front of you. It is a familar face. {mf1}: "Finally! It's so good to see you, please come inside." You step inside. The room is filled with people, just like it was earlier. Only this time the clientel looks a bit more refined... all of them wear nice clothes instead of rags. It is obvious that they are part of the working people, the people that {ff1} belongs to. {mf1}: "Follow me. There is a place that's a bit secluded where we can talk." You follow {mf1} through the restaurant, passing many tables as you do. The food served here is way better than what you are used to, the sandwich you were handed ealier is not even remotely in the same liegue as this. You pass through a big door and enter a back room that is packed full of people, just like in the room before. {mf1}: "There is our place." A small table surrounded by only a few chairs is sitting in the corner of the room. It is unoccupied. You move over, placing the still sleeping {ff1} on the one chair with cushioning. After carefully placing her head and arms on the table, you move to take a seat aswell. {mf1}: "Hm... Do we need to get her something, or is she just tired?" "Just tired." {mf1}: "Alright." > [[continue|1qtalkmf1]]

{mf1}: "Alright. Tell me what happened." You tell him everything that has happened in the past couple hours. How you met {ff1}, entered a closed of area full of working class people, sat down at a proper cafe and how you met {ff1}s father. {mf1}: "Hm..." {mf1} seems concernedly unconcerned about all this. Something else is bothering him. {mf1}: "{ff1}... I know this name from somewhere, but I'm not sure where..." It is then that {ff1} slowly starts to wake up. {ff1}: "Ugh... what is that smell..." This is a restaurant. It smells of food, but also alcohol. {ff1}: "{name}... and ... !" As she looks up at {mf1} she suddenly jumps back. Fortunately she takes the chair with her and doesn't fall to the ground. {ff1}: "{mf1}!" Her face is filled with surprise. {mf1}: "Hello. How do you know me?" {ff1}: "W-well, you should know ME aswell!" {mf1} takes a moment to think. {mf1}: "I know your name from somewhere... but that's about it, sorry." Recluctantly, {ff1} sits back down. She lets out a big sigh before looking back up at you. *"I wish I had that much energy after waking up..."* > [[continue|1qmf1ff1]]

"D-do you have to?" You didn't manage to think of a proper plan yet. {ff1}: "Well... I always do, so I guess..." "But you also have to do your... job?" {ff1}: "Well, my job right now is to figure all this out ..." She tries to stand up and leave. Your instinct takes over. You decided to stop her, so you won't let her go now! There must be a reason the waitress looked so concerned. You stand up, quicker than {ff1}, who is a bit taken aback by your sudden action. Quickly moving in her direction, hitting your leg on the table on the way, you place your hand on her shoulder. It is a really awkward sight, especially with her and the waitress having to hold the table in place for it to not tip over. "W-w-we have a quest to do! You are my informant, so let's stay here and talk about this! You can't just run off from your job!" There isn't much for you to go for, so you try your best to mention her job over and over again, even though you were already told that there is no real job to be done. But who knows, maybe she was lying or downplaying the job? You had to take the chance. {ff1}: "W-what has come over you? I-is this so important for you?" "Yes!" You think of something to say, when suddenly you find a good excuse. "I promised my father to complete a quest today! You gave me one, so let's work on it for today so he won't get angry at me!" That seemed to hit something in her. Her shoulders relax, and she sits back down on her chair. You too move back to sit on yours. > [[continue|1qgother]]

{ff1}: "Okay, I want you to FIND OUT who I am then!" She puffs her cheeks. It seems very childish. {mf1}: "Do I have to ask you questions then?" {ff1}: "Go ahead!" She dramatically presents herself with one hand resting on top of her chest and the other going through her fizzy hair. {ff1}: "W-why is my hair so fizzy?!" She tries her best to reduce if fizziness but without a comb even you know this is not going to do much. As you stare at her dumbfoundedly {mf1} is deep in thought. {mf1}: "{name}, she is our age, right? She should have attended townsend together with us." That is true, especially as she isn't lower class. But, truth be told, you have never seen her before. "I actually haven't seen you before! How can that be?" {ff1} looks over to you with a surprised look on her face. {ff1}: "W-well..." She averts your gaze. {ff1}: "N-no tips!" {mf1}: "Wait a minute..." {mf1} squints his eyes at her, and suddenly something seems to click for him. > [[continue|1qmf1ff12]]

{mf1}: "I know your father... We saw each other what, when we were 5 or 6? How did you even recognize me?" {ff1}: "Well, am I not great?" She grins over widely. {mf1}: "Hm... Well, you look nothing like you did back then. No wonder I didn't recognize you." {ff1}: "You remember my name at least. That's nice." She smiles to herself. {mf1} explains to you how her father and his were drinking buddies and so the two of them used to see each other regularly. {mf1}: "Him shoving {name} is inexcusable. I will make sure he pays of that." {ff1}: "How are you handling your father, by the way?" {mf1}: "Heh. Ignoring him and always leaving the house before him goes a long way. Still hate the guy though." {ff1}: "Hehe..." {mf1}: "Do you need some help with him? {name} here has difficult dad too, so maybe we can help if you need something." {father} is not so bad, especially compared to what you saw her dad do today. Still, he has a citywide reputation of being a grumpy, menacing guy. {ff1}: "Well, if you're offering..." She puts her head on the table. > [[continue|1qff1fathertalk]]

{ff1}: "I want to get out of this apartment as soon as possible. It reeks." You remember the filthy room in the apartment. "What was up with all the trash anyways?" {ff1}: "Well, I do it like {mf1} and just never go home except for sleeping. Did that all my life..." {mf1}: "By the way, you should be our age right? What profession did you pick today?" {mf1} is entirely glancing over the fact that neither of you saw her at townsend even once. {ff1}: "A-a nature...dweller?" {mf1} and you: "Huh?" That was about the dumbest thing you heard all day. {ff1}: "W-what?" {mf1}: "Do you mean a naturelover?" {ff1}: "Y-yes! Of course! What else would it be!" There is no way anyone that attended townsend would ever get the name of a profession wrong. It's the entire reason you are there, to take on one of them at the end of your studies. Her not knowing the terminus well can only mean one thing. "Did you not attend townsend?" {ff1}: "I-I..." She is lost for words. Her silence says everything you need to know. > [[continue|1qnoprofession]]

{mf1}: "You didn't go to townsend... and are without a profession... how is that even possible for you?" {ff1} seems unsure of what to say. It only takes her a few seconds to get all her courage together, looking {mf1} straight in the eye. {ff1}: "Well! No one asks you if you make enough money to provide for yourself. And I did just that! No townsend needed for that!" It took a lot out of her to just spurt that out, you can tell. There is no doubt {mf1} didn't notice either. {mf1}: "So instead of being a student you become an informant..." {ff1} puts her head on the table. {ff1}: "Yeah..." {mf1}: "Hm..." An awkward silence follows. After a few minutes a waitress approaches you. Waitress: "Excuse me? This table is booked in a few minutes. I apologize, but you will have to find another table." Without saying anything, all of you stand up. The waitress thanks you and moves away. {mf1}: "Let's get out of here, catch some fresh air." You agree, and all of you move outside. It is nighttime now. > [[continue|1qEnd24]]

{mf1}: "Oh man..." {mf1} stretches. You and {ff1} stand behind him, not sure what to do now. You failed the quest by not even properly starting an investigation. {ff1} said that you didn't even need to complete it to get a reward, but you are not sure whether she was telling the truth. Her situation doesn't seem all too good, and it is not very likely that she will have the credits ready. {mf1}: "{ff1}. You want to get away from home right?" {ff1}: "Y-yeah..." {mf1}: "Alright. Do you have some money on you right now?" {ff1}: "I-I spend a good amount of it earlier... so it isn't too much..." She takes out 15 credits from her pocket. {mf1}: "Are you serious right now?" {ff1}: "H-huh?" 15 credits is quite a lot to people like you and {mf1}. You shake your head. {mf1}: "15 credits is good. I know a place to sleep, and tomorrow we can take on another quest. What do you say, {ff1}? Want to try working with us for a bit?" {ff1}: "B-but quests pay even less than informant commissions! I could never afford a living with the funds! N-no offense, though..." Another awkward silence follows. > [[continue|1qEnd24.1]]

{mf1}: "You're not thinking this through." {ff1}: "W-what?" You feel like you know where {mf1} is going with this. {mf1}: "Well, how about living with us for a bit? Sure, it might not be up to snuff with fancy cafes and good coffee, but at least you'll be out of that apartment, right?" {ff1} takes a moment to think about this. {ff1}: "B-but I only just met you guys." {mf1}: "Well, you do know me and you seem to have had quite an adventure with {name} already. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I think this would be a good idea. With the three of us we might even be able to take on more complex quests in the future, which would be nice..." {ff1}: "I-I guess..." She looks over to you. Concern is written all over her face. "It is late, do you want to stay the night at... wherever {mf1} got in mind... and answer us tomorrow?" {mf1}: "It's a hotel, {name}. I'm not inviting her into fathers house. The alcohol stench there may be even worse than at her place..." {ff1} suddenly starts to giggle. {ff1}: "All this sounds really... exciting. I guess I have to pay for you guys hotel room aswell?" {mf1}: "W-well. {name} and me can stay in one room... b-but we really don't have enough credits..." [if credits < 5] You reach into your pockets and notice your {credits} credits. Yeah, this definitely isn't enough for a hotel stay... [else] You reach into your pockets and notice your {credits} credits. You decide to stay silent about you having enough money for a hotel stay. *"Better have some debt with {ff1} than {mf1}... I won't ever see the money again otherwise..."* [continue] {ff1}: "Haha... It's alright. I have payed for all of {name}s stuff today anyways. Just make sure to pay me back later, {mf1}." {mf1}: "What do you mean me? What about {name}?" She winks in your direction. You realize not what she wants to tell you with this. {ff1}: "Alright. Let's find this hotel! And tomorrow it's time for some quests!" She almosts childishly jumps away from you, into a seemingly random direction. {mf1} sighs. {mf1}: "Well, let's see how this turn out, right?" He slaps you on the shoulder and leaves in the same direction as {ff1}. [align center] __Ending #24: There is always tomorrow__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{ff1}: "Well, I don't want to get you in trouble..." Woman: "Let me get the two of you another coffee. It's on the house." {ff1}: "H-huh? Thanks! Can you get {name} a real coffee this time please?" Woman: "Of course. The same for you?" {ff1} nods happily, and the waitress moves off. {ff1}: "*sigh* What has gotten into you? Don't jump me like that..." "S-sorry... I was a bit to excited about all this..." She seems a bit embarassed. "You said you don't know what the quest is about, just that we shouldn't bring the shawarma to Sherone. Do you have any plans for what to do then?" {ff1}: "Well, our first objective is for you to try some real coffee. Black coffee, hehe." She snickers to herself. You wonder if you should be afraid of said coffee. {ff1}: "I wonder why it's on the house though... I never had this happen before. Did you throw the waitress a cute smile or something? Hmpf." "I really don't think it's that, hehe..." You can't tell her about the waitress. There must be a reason for all the secrecy. {ff1}: "Well, anyways... Do you really think it's a good thing for me to just stay here? Wait, hold on! You don't even know what this is all about do you?" She sits up in her chair, looking straight at you. > [[continue|1qnotgoing]]

"No, not at all." {ff1}: "Yeah, I think you should know." She slouches back in her chair, lets out a big sigh, then sits back up properly. {ff1}: "My father is a drunkard. He gets into fights every now and again, and reeks havoc at home. I normally just go back to keep him in check and keep the cleaning work to a minimum..." There is a short pause. {ff1}: "But I don't want to you to get into trouble with your dad. So let's just stay here for today." As she finishes speaking the waitress arrives at your table. Woman: "So... the '{ff1} special' coffee for you... and a normal black coffee for you. Do you need any milk or sugar with it?" The question is directed at you. You don't know what normal coffee should look like, so you have no idea how to respond. Before you manage to say anything {ff1} speaks up. {ff1}: "Nope! Just like that please!" Woman: "Very well. Enjoy!" And with that, she moves back into the cafe. You stare down towards the cup of coffee. The black liquid seems to trap all the light inside, making it look almost ominous. {ff1}s smirk from besides you does not help its case in any way. The coffee is still piping hot though, with a great amount of vapor extruding from its black liquid. You look over towards {ff1}, trying to strike up any kind of conversation in the meantime. > [[continue|1qcoffeehot]]

{ff1}: "Sooo... What do you want to do today?" "I... don't think that's for me to decide. Aren't you my 'boss', so to speak? I mean you'll pay me in the end right?" {ff1}: "Hm... yeah, I guess that's true! Then I'll think of stuff to do!" She blows her coffee and takes a sip. By the looks of it it is still piping hot, she doesn't seem to care too much about it though. You to do as she does but immediately burn yourself. "Ouch!" {ff1}: "Hahaha! Be careful, be careful!" She seems to take great enjoyment out of this. How did she not burn herself? {ff1}: "You get used to it when you drink it every day... I'll wait with you until it cools down a bit." She rests her chin on her palms and looks at you with a warm smile. You can't quite manage all the eye contact and look a bit to the side. {ff1}: "You know... I have had many people work with me over the years... but this is the first time I ever invited someone over for coffee. I wonder why that is." "You surely wanted to... show me around this place. I can't imagine people like me being your usual... clientel." *"Stop looking at me like that, arg!"* {ff1}: "Oh no, people like you are quite common. People that take on useless quests like you often times land a job with me." "W-what do you mean useless quest?" She grins at you, not answering your question. Seeing as some time has passed you decide to not adress it any further and finally take a sip out of your coffee. > [[continue|1qcoffeetaste]]

"Buarg! What is this? It tastes horrible! So bitter..." {ff1}: "Hahahaha!" She lets out a heartfelt laugh. You feel the people around you staring already. After whiping down some tears in her eyes she looks back at you. {ff1}: "Oh man... your face right now was glorious!" She continues to snicker. You pout at her and take another sip. *"Ugh... so bitter... why is this so popular?"* {ff1}: "You don't really have to finish it by the way. I'm sure the waitress understood that I just wanted to mess with you a bit, she won't be mad at you for not finishing a free drink." "I-if you think so." Somehow, the bitter aroma starts to settle in your throat and you just can't help yourself but take another sip. In no time you finish the whole cup. {ff1}: "Wooooow! I didn't expect that!" In one gulp, {ff1} chugs down her coffee aswell. {ff1}: "Hehe. You are definitely one of the cool ones." "What is that supposed to mean?" {ff1}: "Who knows? Hey! We want to pay!" She signals towards the waitress to come over. After finishing her current task she comes over with block and a pen. > [[continue|1qcoffeepay]]

Woman: "2 cups of coffee... 2 cakes... that sound about right?" {ff1}: "Can you write it up for today? I can pay tomorrow." Woman: "Surely. He pays you back, I assume?" {ff1}: "Hm... probably not. But who knows? Don't worry about it!" Woman: "Alright. You two have a great day then!" {ff1}: "Thanks!" "Thank you." She gives you a wink. A bit of a weird way to thank you for stopping her... or was it meant for something else? You give it no further thought. {ff1}: "Come on, let me show you something!" She grabs your arm and pulls you away from the cafe. You smile to yourself, seeing her carefree and happy attitude. *"I hope the day won't be too exhausting with all her energy though..."* > [[continue|1qshowplaza]]

{ff1}: "Look here!" You stop in the middle of the plaza. A big waiter fountain stands in the middle of it, with many families sitting around on the edge of it. {ff1} sits down aswell and signals for you to sit down next to her. As you do, she moves in closer, almost whispering in your ear. {ff1}: "You know, I once helped with cleaning this entire fountain. People throw coins and the like in there to wish for good luck. But that clogs all the pipes so you sometimes have to clean it out." You turn around to look at the fountain. The water beautifully reflects the sunlight, and the sound of kids playing and people talking gives everything here a very safe atmosphere. As you look over you see an elderly woman throw a few coins in the water. Old woman: "I hope... for my grandson to come over this weekend..." {ff1}: "That's what I was talking about. We have no central god or the like here, so it's basically just superstition. Some people, especially those that worked their way up to here, believe in some some sort of higher deity though. Do you believe in a god, {name}?" Your father often times warned you about the dangers of religions, or more specifically, gods. Deities that are not tangible or easy to understand should be looked at with a critical eye, or not looked at at all. Your answer is an easy one. "No, I never believed in a god. My family wasn't really religious, ever." {ff1}: "Hehe, me neither. Father once preached some old god, but I found out it's just a myth about someone that could drink a lot and was crazy strong. I never understood why people like stuff like this so much." {ff1} seems to have something on her mind, so you decide to look over. As your eyes meet, she gets an idea. She's so close... almost uncomfortably close. {ff1}: "Let me show you another place!" > [[continue|1qshoppoingplace]]

You stand up. As you do, {ff1} grabs your hand and rather forcefully pulls you away from the fountain. *"She's getting way too excited..."* The two of you move towards a large shop. Multiple stands showcase clothes from shirts to trousers and even more. {ff1} leads you to one with colorful clothing on display. {ff1}: "Look here, what do you think?" She takes one of the shirts of from the hanger. It is a plain orange shirt with some weird contours. While it does look plain the fact is that the color itself makes the shirt entirely too expensive for you. {ff1}: "{name}?" "Huh?" You didn't quite pay attention, being occupied with your thoughts. {ff1} has pulled the shirt in front of her, showing off how she would look like wearing it. It looks quite nice. "Looks a bit tight, doesn't it? With all the weird contours." You look closer, not being able to wrap your head around it and more notably not noticing the look on {ff1}s face. {ff1}: "What is that supposed to mean? I'm sufficiently slender, I'll let you know!" "O-oh! I didn't mean it because of that. I mean it'll squish your belly like that." You point at the contoured part of the shirt. {ff1}: "{name}, that is a shirt for girls... Don't tell me you didn't know that..." You didn't. Most people you know wear rags or something similar instead of shirts for everyday life, so accounting for gender was never really on your mind. Looking back on it though, you remember {sister} bringing home clothes of similar shape in the past. "Ehe... Sorry..." {ff1}: "Oh, {name}." She chuckles to herself. You breathe out a sigh of relief that she didn't take any offense to you. > [[continue|1qshoppingplace1]]

{ff1}: "Ok, now you know. How do I look?" You look at her. It would suit her well, but you think her being happy like she is right now is the main reason for that, not the shirt. You feel... a strange warmth inside. "You look great." {ff1}: "Hmmmm..." She looks at you with doubtful eyes. {ff1}: "Okay, then how about... this one!" She put the orange shirt back and grabs another one. It is a weird blue colored one that has holes everywhere. It is also way too big for her. "I don't think this one looks good at all..." {ff1}: "Hmmm... so no sense of fashion either... ok, next one!" She moves to another display assembly and you follow her. While she looks around for something else to show you you decide to look around a bit yourself. Judging by the fact that there is not one man in sight you assume that there are only women clothes for sale here. Nontheless, you think it still wouldn't hurt to at least look around a bit. Who knows if you'll ever get another chance? As you browse you notice shirts and jackets in all different colors and shapes. Some of them must be 'fashionable', but you don't see the appeal. After some more looking, one specific shirt grabs your attention. It is a mixture of a shirt and a jacket. The outer part, covering the upper body, is made out of a leather like material that, to the touch, is very clearly not actual leather. Nontheless it has a nice texture to it, and it even smells good from a distance. Right below that 'jacket' part is a long sleeved shirt. The color difference between the brown jacket and the black shirt looks quite nice, exotic even. Picking it up, it feels sturdy and nicely made, so you decide to take it with you. > [[continue|1qshoppingplace2]]

*"This might even be {ff1}s size... Let's see if i can find her again."* With all the displays standing around and {ff1} not being the tallest girl you have ever met it is quite challenging to find her. You move around, trying to look for her in the most efficient manner possible. As you turn around a corner you notice something poking your back. You turn around in a flash. No one stands in front of you, and you wonder if you just hit one of the hangers by mistake. You shake your head and continue your search, when suddenly you feel another poke on your back. Again, you turn around to see no one stand before you. *"This can't be a coincidence... Next time I'll be prepared."* You put your right hand in the back pocket of your pants and cover it up with the shirt you picked earlier. Believing you were discreet enough, you move fowards, until suddenly. "Got you!" The second you feel a poke on your back you shoot out your hand from your pocket and grab the arm of the person poking you. You turn around and see, unsurprisingly, {ff1}. {ff1}: "H-how are you so quick?! Ahhh I've been caught!" You can't help but chuckle at her overly dramatic expression, letting go of her hand in the progress. There it is again... that weird, warm sensation. {ff1}: "Well, look I have..." "Before that. Look, I thought you might like this." You show her the shirt-jacket combo you found earlier. She grabs it the second you extend it towards her. > [[continue|1qshoppingplace3]]

{ff1}: "D-did you pick this for me?" "Well, I thought it might fit you well. It's a bit similar to what you are wearing right now and all, and I thought..." {ff1}: "I'll try it on!" Without letting you finish she rushes off, dropping the shirts and trousers she was holding earlier on one of the display assemblies in the progress. *"She seems really ecstatic about it... maybe I'm not as bad at 'fashion' as she thinks!"* You grab the stuff she dropped off and try to find wherever it belongs. After some trial and error you believe to have found all the correct places and neatly put them on their respective hangers. As you put the last shirt on the hanger, you realize. *"W-wait... what if she wanted to buy these, and now I put them all away? Oh no... I should find her."* You don't know where she went, only that she wanted to try it out. Not thinking that she would change in broad daylight you move inside the shop. As you enter, you see someone working behind a counter. You approach her. "Excuse me, is there a changing room in here?" Woman: "Yes, but I don't think you'll find anything in here, sir. This is a shop for women, you know." "I-I'm not looking to buy! I just want to find a friend here." Woman: "Ah, yes. A girl your age just passed me on the way there." "Thank you." You move towards the changing stalls. Its not rooms as you expected, but little stalls with only a curtain to block onlookers from looking inside. You sit down on a nearby stool. > [[continue|1qshoppingplace4]]

After only a few seconds you hear one of the curtains open, and as you look up you see {ff1} walk out. {ff1}: "H-how do I look?" She stutters a bit and looks a bit embarassed. You wonder why, because the shirt doesn't look wrong on her at all. In fact, its quite similar to the jacket she was wearing before. It might be a little smaller... you can see why the jackets for girls have the weird contour now. Looking at her... you feel strangely warm again. "You look great." {ff1}: "Y-you said that before! Can you be m-more specific?" More specific? You don't quite know how to approach this, so you decide to just run your mouth. "Well, it looks quite similar to the jacket you had on earlier. I think the sleeves look good on you aswell and..." You notice how, as you blabber on, her face turns from embarassment to happiness. After continuing for some time, saying things that have no relevance at all to the shirt, {ff1} interrupts you. {ff1}: "Okay, okay, haha. I think I'll wear this for today. Would you mind bringing my jacket? I can see a line forming at the register so I need to hurryyyyyy" With that she storms off. *"From embarassed to this... Quite cute actually..."* Then it hits you. *"Wait, what am I even doing? This feels like a..."* You shake your head. Overthinking things like this never helped you before, so you decide to just grab the jacket and catch up with her. As you pull the jacket from the hanger you notice that it is quite heavy. You look inside and notice a thin underlying piece of chainmail. Feeling pressed for time, you toss it over your arm and rush towards the entrance, where {ff1} is waiting for you. > [[continue|1qaftershopping]]

{ff1}: "How come I was faster paying than you were just coming over here. You slowpoke." She smiles at you, and her tone is teasing. Her new outfit is so... eye catching... so beautiful. You can't help but stare a little. Never in your life did you expect yourself of all people to spend time with someone that good looking. *"Ugh, I need to get my at together! Stop staring, {name}, come on!..."* After a moment, you manage to compose yourself. "What do we do next?" {ff1}: "I've got just the idea!" You grab her arm. To your surprise, she doesn't react negatively to it at all. You feel your heart split in two, on one hand excited to see what's next and on the other wondering why she's wearing a chainmail under her clothes. {ff1}: "Let me show you the city gates next. Try and keep up with me this time, hehe." You get ready to jog behind her, but she doesn't increase her speed at all. After walking for a minute or two you reach the giant gate separating this place from the rest of town. The second you stop you notice yourself still holding on to her hand, quickly letting go out of embarassment. {ff1} notices and turns around, looking at you with a content look on her face. {ff1}: "So... this gate is here to keep people like you away from here, you know?" "D-don't be so loud!" {ff1}: "Hehe, don't worry. I won't let anyone throw you out. I'll *protect* you, hehe." With that she moves over, locking arms with you and pointing towards the top of the gate. You pull her arm closer... it feels nice. She doesn't seem to mind at all, too. {ff1}: "On top of the gate is a mystical beast that's supposed to keep evil out. I don't understand why we keep it up here, it just seems really silly to me. Anyways, if we look there..." You turn around a bit, and the second you do {ff1} slips her arm away from yours and stiffs up besides you. Curious as to what scared her, you look over. > [[continue|1qproblemff1]]

A few thug looking guys move towards you. You notice {ff1} grab your shirt and move a bit behind you. It is very obvious that these guys scare her. Middle Guy: "Hey, {ff1}. Who do we have here, your sugar daddy?" You frown immediately. That was not a good first impression at all. {ff1}: "What do you want? Why are you even here?" Middle Guy: "Oh, you don't want to see us anymore? We pulled some strings, just for you, to get in here. Don't we deserve a better welcome just for that?" The three of them are visibly poor and don't belong in here. The guy in the middle is a bit younger than you and seems to be leader of the group. To his right is a bigger guy that is definitely older than you and the rest of them. He is eyeing you, not letting off for even a fraction of a second. To the left is a smaller looking guy, around {ff1}s height. He looks nervous and is looking around aimlessly, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. Middle guy: "Well, anyways. What do you say we talk for a bit? Over there would be a great place." He points to a relatively wide bank standing near a small patch of garden. If all of them were to sit tightly next to each other there might still be place for a fourth person on there. You get a bad feeling about this. Right guy: "And ditch that guy you have with you. I don't like people like him." {ff1}: "I didn't agree to anything. And I didn't ask for any of you to come here." There is an immediate switch in the tension hanging in the air. Both the big and the middle guy are now menacingly staring at {ff1}. There is another tug on your shirt. Middle guy: "Oh, there is plenty we didn't ask for either. Come with us, right now." This was obviously a threat. You can feel {ff1}s tug tighten on your shirt, and your heart starts to race. Whatever problem they might have, it pisses you off from the bottom of your heart. > [[continue|1qthreatenguys]]

Middle guy: "What, you cowering behind this guy now? Huh?" As the tension starts to rise you notice the small guy, standing a bit behind them. He is looking at you, signaling something. *"Where is he pointing... guard... no... people there... no... what is he trying to tell me?"* {ff1}: "Leave me alone! I have nothing to do with you anymore!" {ff1} starts shouting rather loudly. There is no way anyone could have missed that. You relax a bit, being sure that some guard will come over to help now. Middle guy: "Yes, you have shit to do with us! There is quite a bit of money we still expect from you fuckers! Your shitty bartender butler wannabe has an army of poor bastards protecting him but you, what do you have? You have a broken rib by tomorrow if you don't throw us the money we deserve!" Never in your life have you heard this much malice in someones words. He is more than just dangerous, he will do whatever he wants to no matter how this goes. And he seems ready for violence. ...: "H-hey!" A very hushed voice reaches your ears. It's the small guy on the left again, signaling something once more. *"Guards.. no... again? Is he trying to help me? Wait..."* You look around. There are many guards around standing only a few meters away from you. They must be seeing what is happening here, so why are they just standing around like nothing's amiss? You look back over to the guy. *"Guard... no... me... yes... Gate? What is with the gate? The guys... no... what?"* Left guy: "We will not repeat this again. Come with us. If not, or if you try to bring your little friend here with you, we will make sure he won't be walking anywhere ever again." Like that {ff1} lets go of you entirely. She bows down, not very deeply but still. {ff1}: "Alright, let's talk then." Visibly excited, the two of them move towards the bench. {ff1} looks around at you with eyes filled with fear. You barely manage to look back. As she turns to leave you look back at the small guy. *"Come with me... Gate... Shit, what the hell is he trying to tell me??"* > [[defend {ff1}|1qff1way]] > [[move to the boy|1qboyway]]

You clench your left hand in a fist, and with the other grab {ff1}s arm. Your grip is a bit too hard, but your mind is somewhere else entirely to notice. At least she's with you now. *"This is not my first fight. I got into streetfights with {mf1} back then every now and again, I can manage!"* With all your courage, you shout. "The only place you will go is out of here, where you belong! F-Filth like you don't deserve to be here!" It felt good to let your anger out like that. You notice how tightly you gripped {ff1} and loosen it. You can feel her looking at you, but you are too afraid to look away from the guys in front of you. Middle guy: "Time for some fun then." Big guy: "Definitely." The distance between you and them is about five meters. You tighten your grip around {ff1}s arm once more and forcefully pull her behind you, letting go the second she got behind you. In that moment, the middle guy starts charging you. You brace yourself to catch him. With an unexpected amout of strength for his body he rams you, almost immediately taking you off your feet and slamming you into the pavement. The impact rips your clothes instantly, and you feel your skin starting to tear as you grind over the floor. You grind your teeth and extend your right arm. Clinching your hand into a fist and flexing your back muscles as good as you can, you elbow the guy in the middle point between shoulder and neck with all your might. Almost instantly he lets go of you to grip the part that definitely hurts like hell right now. You take the opportunity to kick him away from you and crawl backwards. > [[continue|1qfightboys]]

There is no telling what they might do to you if you retaliate. They might even start hurting {ff1} if you act like a dumbass now. Reluctantly, you turn away from {ff1}. Now looking at the ground, you notice her move away from you. Middle guy: "You two are smart. Well then, {ff1}, let's talk." You glace over to the small guy of the trio. *"I put my faith in you... you better really try helping us now..."* Looking towards the others you notice them already a few meters away from you. You take to opportunity to quickly approach the small guy. Looking at him, you notice him being around {ff1}s height and age. From a distance he looked a bit younger than you, but closeup its an entirely different thing. He is wearing rags normal for the lowest class, people with no education living on the streets of the town. "You better have some sort of plan." Small guy: "I-I do! Follow me to the gate, quickly!" You run after him. Seeing him take this so seriously gives you confidence in him actually trying to help. After reaching the gate he stops. Small guy: "W-wait, you are not from here either right?" "I'm not from here, no." Small guy: "S-shit." He is biting his finger. After visibly trying his best to come up with a new plan he suddenly drops his shoulders. Small guy: "Okay, we need to work on something together." He extends an arm to you. Small guy: "My name is..." What is his name? {text input for: 'mf2} > [[continue|1qmf2plan]]

You throw {ff1}s jacket at the guys face and stand up. {ff1} is nowhere to be seen... it fills you with courage. Middle guy: "Y-you fucker!" You look over to see a huge shadow tower over you. The big guy is standing right in front of you, with his fist raised. You try to take your hands up, but are not quick enough. The impact of his fist on your face slams your brain from one corner of your skull to the other, and an intense dizziness immediately falls over you. By some miracle you manage to keep yourself on your feet, but your vision has become blurry. *"Shit... He's coming!"* Not seeing what's in front of you you duck down. The second you do you feel a fist flying right over you. The impact of that would have probably kocked you out immediately. You feel the prescence of the guy standing in front of you. While your vision might still be blurry, you can still make out his legs in front of you. With all your might, you clinch your fist once more and, using your entire body as leverage, deliver an uppercut to his balls. What follows is a loud cry of pain. That is to be expected, considering how much strength you put into that blow. You back away and try to get your eyes to focus again. As you back off you notice your balance being off, and you almost fall over as you do. You can see clearly again, and as you look over to where the middle guy was lying you see him charging you once more. Your reactions are slow, and you try your best just to not fall over from all the dizziness in your head. There is no way for you to dodge that. You get your arms up to try and block a blow from him. He is fast, and surprisingly strong... if you believed in a god you would have started praying by now. > [[continue|1qfightboys1]]

He is only about two meters away. You can't think of a way to dodge this. You don't even know how you should be protecting yourself. A charge is pretty much unblockable. Middle guy: "I'll kill yo-" His shout gets interrupted by him being hit in the face with a chainmail. You look over. "{ff1}!" {ff1} is standing right next to you, holding a chainmail in her hand. She slashed him in the face with it, and now it and his face are filled with blood. The guy falls to the ground, shouting in pain. His face is slashed at multiple points, and he is crying from all the pain. Looking over to the big guy you see him, too, lying on the ground and writhing in pain. "{ff1}... you..." You turn around to {ff1}. She has dropped the chainmal, and tears fill her eyes. {ff1}: "W-we did... i-it..." Having said that, her face distorts as if she was in pain. She falls to her knees and starts weeping. You quickly get over and embrace her. {ff1}: "I was so scared... so... scareeeed..." You shiver as you tighten your grip around her shoulder. It was not your first fight, but the first one without {mf1}. You can't help but cry a bit yourself as you realize you might have very well died seconds ago. A few seconds pass with you two embracing each other until the reality in front of you becomes apparent to you again. > [[continue|1qgetawayboys]]

You quickly stand up. "C-come on. We have to get away from here!" {ff1} is having trouble getting herself together. Shivering all over, she struggles to even stand up. You look around to ascertain the situation. The two of them still lie on the ground. Granted, it's only been a few seconds, but you are still happy that they can barely take a punch. Looking futher around, you see a plethera of guards standing around you. All of them keeping a safe distance from you and the others, but none of them making any effort help either. Behind them stand onlookers, all of them definitely coming from here based on their attire. You hear a few of them talking as you try and pull {ff1} up. Elder woman: "Suits her right. This is the kind of life that she should be expecting." Man: "Tsk. She even came off scott free from that? Poor guy, having to take a blow for her like that." Younger woman: "Look at her, all pityful. It makes me sick." The gossip around you makes your blood boil, giving you the strength you pull {ff1} up. She immediately grabs your shirt, not having stopped crying all this time. *"It must be horrible, seeing how you can wreck a face like that yourself... I need to take her somewhere else."* As you put {ff1} on your back to carry her back somewhere safe, someone suddenly appears in front of you. You are exhausted, and your reactions have become slow. Hoping its not someone bad, you look up to see the small boy of the group you just floored. > [[continue|1qwayaway]]

Your eyes widen as you realize the direty of your situation. You fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book, someone standing in the back waiting for an ambush. Planting your feet firmly into the ground, you brace yourself for a punch that might very well knock you out. Boy: "T-thank you!" He bows deeply towards you. Your adrenaline spikes as you fail to understand what is going on. Boy: "I- I think this is wrong! I think this is entirely the wrong way and that both of you don't deserve any of this!" He is still bowing deeply. So much in fact that it is entirely unlikely that he'll try to attack you from that postition. You relax and change your stand to a more normal one. "W-what are you talking about? You are one of them, no? You came in here with them!" Boy: "Yes! But I had hopes that it was all just a misunderstanding! And honestly I still don't know if it is! All because these two idiots immediately started a fight.. I know it doesn't mean much, but I want to apologize on behalf of everyone for what happened. If we can do anything..." {ff1}: "Never... come back here again... No, never approach me again! Please just... leave me alone..." {ff1}s voice behind you is weak and frail. However, you are impressed and happy that she is able to talk at all after all that happened. You tighten your grip on her in hopes she interprets is as positive feedback. Boy: "I will promise this with our name." Having said that, the boy moves few meters away from you before looking back up again. His face looks apologetic to the point that he almost certainly feels bad for both you and {ff1}. In another you life you can see yourself befriending him, he seems to just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not taking your chances with the other two standing back up and the guards not helping at all you rush back to where you came from: the corridor. > [[continue|1qbackcorridor]]

You run past the shop, the fountain and eventually the cafe until you finally reach the corridor. As you reach the trash containers you notice your legs growing weak. Afraid of dropping {ff1} on the cold stone floor your drop to your knees with more force than you wish for, hurting yourself in the progress. Instead of crying out from the pain you decide to keep it inside, afraid of scaring {ff1} even more. {ff1}: "{name}!" {ff1} gets off your back and grabs you under your arms, slowly pulling you towards a nearby wall. Looking down, you see your pants being torn and your knees bruised, but nothing more. The pain is staggering, but nothing looks too bad all things considered. {ff1} sits next to you and puts her head on your shoulder. It makes everything feel better. {ff1}: "I-" Before she can even start, you place your hand near her mouth to make her stop. "I know what you want to tell me. I want you to know that I myself am actually happy that things turned out like this." {ff1} sits up and turns towards you, taking your head in beween both of her hands. Your heart starts to race the very second she does... it's way too much body contact for you to handle. {ff1}: "How can you say that? You were in a fight! They were out to kill you! You had nothing to do with them at all, and all just because of... me... you were almost..." You place your hand on her head. "But we got out of it. And I'm happy that you weren't left alone with them. I'm glad I was there, and that I was able to help." {ff1}s eyes start to tear up again, her face being bright red from all the crying already. With an audable sob she embraces you once more, saying "thank you" over and over. > [[continue|1qEnd25]]

{ff1}: "S-sorry... I'm way too touchy today..." With that she sits back down next to you. You want to tell her that you don't mind, but don't find the words for it. "Back in the shop, I was wondering why there was a chainmail under your jacket. Were you attacked before?" {ff1}: "No... but every time I meet someone new I am afraid they might want to kill me... people often times see me as the one paying them, so I kind of... expect someone in the future to stab me and take my money from you, you know?" You place your arm around her, trying your best to comfort her. Despite being bruised all over you feel no pain at all. All you feel is a pleasant warmth... one that you never felt before, and one that you don't want to stop. "I don't want you to be stabbed, you know?" {ff1}: "I... feel like it's inevitable." "Why not quit this job? Do something else?" She shakes her head. {ff1}: "I can't. I'm not cut out to be like the others in there, I'm not smart or educated enough. This is the only way to earn enough money for me." "I still don't want you to keep doing this." There is a brief moment of silence. "Let us do our next quest together aswell, what do you say?" {ff1}: "I-I'm not at townsend, I can't-" "I don't mind, then I'll just accept the quest and we work together after that." {ff1}: "You can do that?" "I don't see why not." You look over to her. She is visibly trying to think about this with all her mental capacity. Then she shakes her head, and looks you dead in the eyes. {ff1}: "I'd like that." "Then let's do it! But only after condition!" {ff1}: "W-what is it?" You look at her confused face and smirk. You expected this to be more difficult... but in fact you can't help yourself but say those words. "We need to go on another date aswell." A blush rushes over {ff1}s face, but she doesn't seem to mind. {ff1}: "Ha.. haha! Yes, I'd like that very much." With a great feeling in your heart, the both of you embrace each other, ready to work together from now on. Despite all that happened today, you feel like it couldn't have ended better. [align center] __Ending #25: I feel like I'm in love__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

"I'm {name}. Promise me we'll get {ff1} out of there first and foremost." {mf2}: "I promise!" He seems sincere enough about this. Looking at his face, you notice sweat dripping from his forehead. His arms are shaking and he is tiptoeing from one foot to the other, visibly trying his best to think of a good way out of this. {mf2}: "Okay... we could go and try find her father... I know he is a drunkard that is looking for fights regularly. Maybe he can help her?" "But won't they attack him if he tries something?" {mf2}: "Have you seen him? He is a beast of a guy that towers over everyone. I'm sure at least one of them is going to be a bit intimidated..." You think of other possibilities. *"What if we find {mf1}? He can help me fight these guys off... We are good working together after all. I wonder if he's still waiting for me? It's been some time after all..."* "I have another idea, but I'm not sure whether it's a better one." {mf2}: "I think its better if you choose. I'll help you either way, I promise." > [[find her father|1qff1fatherway]] > [[find {mf1}|1qff1mf1way]]

There is no guarantee you'll find {mf1} quickly enough. Some time has already passed, and if he is not still sitting on that bench you wouldn't even know where you should start looking. "Do you know where her father lives?" {mf2}: "Only that she lives with him." You think about how to find out his location, coming to the conclusion that asking around the cafe would be the best idea. "I have a plan, follow me." You and {mf2} quickly turn to run towards the cafe. Looking over to {ff1}, you see her already sitting in beween the other two guys on the bench, the smaller of which is visibly harassing her. You bite your lip and increase your speed. It takes you less than a minute to reach the cafe. Almost immediately you spot the waitress that served you earlier today. Woman: "Oh hey, you are {ff1}s friend. Where is she?" "I need to find her father, can you tell me his location?" Woman: "Her father? Why would you need to know that from me?" "She is in deep trouble, and I want to get her father so maybe he can do something." She looks at you with great concern in her eyes, then turns to move behind the counter. Woman: "I have a key here that'll open the door to the building where he lives, be sure to give it back to me later. He lives on the fourth floor of that building over there." She points towards one of the many building surrounding the plaza. You nod and take the key. Woman: "Oh and, please don't expect too much of him. Try and help her yourself wherever you can." "We will." Having said that, you turn and rush towards the building at top speed. > [[continue|1qathouse]]

"I have a friend outside of here. Let's get him." {mf2}: "I'm right behind you." You turn around and sprint back towards the corridor where you came from. Looking over to {ff1}, you see her sitting on the bench in the middle between the two guys. You bite your lip and promise yourself to be back as quickly as possible. You rush past the shops, the fountain and the cafe until you finally reach the corridor. Your feet carry you in a kind of speed you didn't know you had in you. Once you reach the trash containers you turn around to look at {mf2}. He is visibly exhausted, but he seems determined to follow you no matter where you run. You stomp on the brakes of on the trash containers and, with the help of {mf2}, push away the container. {mf1}: "Huh? There you are, {name}!" To your delight {mf1} is standing right in front of you. It couldn't have been a better surprise. {mf1}: "I was wondering where you went so I looked around and..." "There is no time! We have an emergency, just follow me!" He seems surprised but quickly understands how serious you are about all this. He nods, running after you as you dash back towards town. {mf1}: "Who are you, by the way?" {mf2}: "I'm {mf2}. I'm going to help you guys." {mf1}: "Good to hear." It takes you only a few seconds until you reach the plaza once more. > [[continue|1qwithmf1toboys]]

{mf1}: "Okay, before we head straight in, tell me what to expect." "There is a girl, {ff1}, that I met here. She is currently being threatened by some dangerous guys." {mf1}: "{ff1}... I think I know her. Alright, and what do you plan? Should I get ready for a fight?" "I expect as much." {mf1} nods. Its not the first time the two of you got into a fistfight with someone, and the two of you make a great team after all these years. {mf2}: "I do hope we can avoid it though... They can be very scary..." {mf1}: "Can we expect you to fight with us?" {mf2} takes a step back. Looking at him, it would make a lot of sense for him to not take part in a fight. His smaller stature would make him an easy target, and he probably doesn't have all too much strength in him. "Do you think you can grab {ff1} and get her to safety?" {mf2}: "I-I should be able to! I'll try to stay hidden and get her when the others aren't looking!" "Great. Give it your best, we rely on you." He has a very happy look in his eyes. You feel certain that he will try his very best. {mf1}: "Alright. Let's go get her." With that the three of you charge towards the gate. > [[continue|1qatgate]]

You and {mf1} reach the gate. {mf2} has gone another way to try and keep a low profile somewhere else. {mf1}: "Yeah, I know her." {ff1} is still sitting on the bench with the two guys. The smaller of the two is visibly agetated, constantly pushing her around, while the big guy just seems to be in a very bad mood. To your surprise, {ff1} doesn't seem to have completely given up and is still holding her ground against them, even though it looks like her courage is quickly fading. {mf1}: "Gentlemen? Would you care to leave the madam alone?" {mf1} has a habit of talking to people he despises in a mockingly old fashioned languge. His intentions however are clearly apparent by the tone in his voice. Middle guy: "No way. Did your stupid friend get backup or what?" He stands up. Big guy: "You remember what we said earlier? You better get moving." {mf1}: "I have no clue what you told him before. All I see is you two being an eyesore on this nice little plaza." Big guy: "Why you..." Middle guy: "What, you agree with your stupid friend? I would take him away from here real quick if I was you." Behind the guys you see {mf2} sneaking up on {ff1}, grabing her mouth as if he was kidnapping her and pulling her behind a nearby cart. They are, for now, out of sight. "What I see in front of me is two punching bags, if you ask me." You crack your knuckles, feeling really cool after having said that. {mf1} takes a fighting stance and you do the same. > [[continue|1qfightwithmf1]]

Middle guy: "Let's fuck em up!" Big guy: "Lets." The anger in the middle guys face turns into excitement in a second. He is really looking forward to it. {mf1}: "Think you can handle the big guy for a second? I have a stragedy against the other guy." "I'll try my best." The two of them seem to go with your stragedy, moving a bit away from each other and focusing on only one of you at a time. Middle guy: "I like this. What is your name?" {mf1}: "I don't think you deserve to know anything about me." Middle guy: "Heh. Then I'm going to punch you until you tell me!" Having said that, he starts charging {mf1}. Instinctively you try to move over to {mf1}, but he waives his hand in a way that signals for you to keep away. In his fingers you notice a pair of knuckles. Seeing him prepared like this give you confidence in him. You turn over to the big guy, who just stares you down menacingly. As your eyes meet he starts moving towards you at walking speed. You breathe out, readying yourself for combat. He is way bigger than you and has a lot bigger arms aswell. A hit from him can have dire consequences for you, so you decide to keep low and agile instead of immediately rushing him. As the guy plants his foot around two meters away from you you hear {mf1} clash with the other guy. > [[continue|1qfightwithmf11]]

A clanging noise can be heard, followed by a loud thud. You dare not look over and hope with all your heart that it isn't {mf1} that just fell to the ground. *"He's coming!"* The big guy in front of you readies a long winded punch targeted at you. Putting in all of his upper body and waist, he bends backwards just to immediately throw a huge punch at you at an angle. His slowness is your advantage. As the punch flies towards you you duck down quickly, barely avoiding contact. You feel the impact of the punch throw back your hair, and a strong gust of wind over your head. There is no doubt this punch would have knocked you out. You dodge towards {mf1}s direction, still hoping for him to have somehow already won his confrontation. The size advantage of the foe in front of you seems to steep for you to overcome, so getting close to {mf1} is the only thing you can think of right now. {mf1}: "You need a hand?" You take your eyes off the big guy for a second to look over. {mf1} is standing over the unconscious body of the middle guy, his hand and the knuckles on it covered in blood. He must have hit him as he was charging him, using the momentum to knock him out cold. The second you turn around is enough for the big guy to get close to you, grabbing your head and throwing you against {mf1}. Both of you fall on top of each other on the ground due to the impact. > [[continue|1qfightmf1end]]

{mf1}: "Shit! Get off me, quick!" You quickly roll off, unfortunately landing flat on your chest looking down to the ground as you do. {mf1}: "To your right!" You roll left, barely avoiding a stomp that was directed directly at your head. You heart starts to race as the severity of the situation becomes apparent to you. *"H-he is ready to kill me..."* You barely manage to stand up, with your hands now trembling like crazy. Your intrinsic fear of mortality is kicking in, slowing down your movements considerably. {mf1} is standing around a meter away from you, and in front of you is the big guy. He is already getting ready for another attack, this time directed at {mf1}. You decide to take the opportunity to charge him. To your demise you notice yourself afraid. Thoughts about what might happen to you if you were caught off guard again fill your mind, distracting you from what is in front of you. In this crucial second you second guess yourself, making you miss your moment for a counterattack as the big guys fist swings in {mf1}s direction. However, before the punch manages to land the big guy falls on one knee. {mf2}: "G-got you!" {mf2} is standing behind the big guy, having swung a large planck of wood against his legs from behind. {ff1}: "Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" In comes {ff1}, having a different slightly bigger planck of wood in her hands. With all her might she brings it down on the big guys head, knocking him unconscious immediately. > [[continue|1qfightff1over]]

{mf1}: "T-thanks you two..." {mf1} is shaking just like you are. He must have been afraid for his life. {ff1}: "Y-y-you need to be m-more careful!" {ff1} is also shaking like crazy. Calling her hands trembling would be an understatement. {mf2}: "F-fuck... I really did it..." {mf2} falls to his knees. He seems very disturbed, just like the rest of you. To your surprise, a few guards approach you. One of them speaks to you. Guard: "Please leave the scene of the crime. We will take those two into custody." You move together and a few steps away from the two guys on the ground. {mf1}: "Is anyone here hurt?" Everyone excpept for {mf1} shakes their heads. {mf1}: "That is good... Let's get away from here for now. You move back through the plaza into the corridor until you reach the trash containers once more. > [[continue|1qEnd26]]

{mf1}: "I can't believe we actually did it." {ff1}: "I can't thank all of you enough! I don't even know most of you, but you still came to rescue me... Thank you so much!" She is bowing deeply, thanking everyone over and over. {mf2}: "I-It's okay... you don't need to do this..." {mf1}: "Most of you? You should at least know who I am, {ff1}." {ff1}: "I-I was wondering... are you {mf1}?" {mf1}: "Yep." {ff1}: "Hehe... thank you for saving me, {mf1}. Did {name} get you to help?" {mf1}: "Yeah, we two are partners. Wouldn't want to see him in a fight without me." "I'm really glad you managed the other guy so well, {mf1}. I didn't do nearly as well..." {mf1}: "Yeah, and your guy was like almost two heads bigger than mine. I think you did well. Without the two of them we would have been in a lot of trouble anyways. Thank you for stepping in, you two." {ff1}: "I-It was only right." {mf2} keeps silent, looking down to the ground. > [[continue|1qEnd26.1]]

{mf1}: "I don't know about you, {name}, but I'm not interested in doing any more questing today. Let's just take another quest tomorrow." {mf2}: "Quest? Are the two of here from townsend?" "Yeah. You aren't, right?" He nods. People of his standing don't have the means to attend the academy and are as such doomed to live a life on the streets, trying to make due with all kinds of jobs they can find. {mf2}: "C-can I maybe try to help you guys out a bit? You don't have to give me much of the reward money, just enough to buy something to eat... If that is alright." He saved your life, for all you know. And he seems like a sincere and friendly guy. You would accept him in a heartbeat. But it is a team decison, and you don't see {mf1} too enthusiastic about this. {mf1}: "What will you do now, {ff1}? Do you realize how dangerous your job is if people take such great effort just to get to you?" {ff1} is silent aswell, looking up at you. As her gaze meets yours you remember how much fun you two had together today. The thought of her getting ambushed again makes your heart skip a beat, and without thinking you say... > [["Join us! I don't want to see you scared like this ever again!"|1qEnd26.2]]

That came out a lot more enthusiastic than you wanted. {mf1} throws you a wide grin. {mf1}: "Look at you, {ff1}, charming my friend here and all that." {ff1}: "W-what?" {ff1} looks at you, expecting you to say something in return. But you can't. Looking at her, you feel a great responsibility to keep her from danger, and an immense will to spend more time together with her. {mf1}: "Oh, and {mf2}, you can join aswell of course. With four people we can take on much more interesting quests, so I'm looking forward to it personally!" {mf2} goes up to {mf1} to shake his hand, thanking him profusely for his kindness. {ff1} on the other hand goes over to you. {ff1}: "T-thank you... I'll gladly join you, {name}. Hopefully I can be of some help." "Of course you can. I'm glad to able to get to know you more, {ff1}." She shows you a sincere smile. You heart starts to race a bit, and you feel happy about being able to spend more time with her and all the others. Whatever the future might bring, you feel confident that everything will be alright as long as you are all together like this. [align center] __Ending #26: Double the party__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You slot the key into the keyhole and turn. With an audable click the door opens. "Okay, fourth floor, let's go." You rush up the stairs together with {mf2}. The staircase is narrow and small, making it easy to run up the stairs. As you reach the fourth floor you are presented with two doors, one on the right and one on the left. {mf2}: "W-which one do we take?" You only got the key to the building entrance. Your only hope is to knock and hope for someone to open. {mf2} walks over to the left door and knocks. {mf2}: "You knock on the other door!" You do just so. To your surprise, you hear something move inside. After only a few seconds the door swings open, a large man now standing in front of you. He has a beat up look on him and he smells of liquor. Man: "What do you want? I just got home, so keep it short." "A-are you {ff1}s father?" The man eyes you suspiciously. Man: "Yeah, what about it? Did she do some stupid shit?" {mf2} approaches you. It seems no one opened the door he knocked at. {mf2}: "She is in some trouble down at the plaza." The man lets out a sigh and turns to close his door. You ram your foot into the door to stop it from closing, earning you a harsh look from {ff1}s father. > [[continue|1qff1father]]

{ff1}s father: "What? Can't she handle it on her own? And why aren't you two helping if its so important? I've got no time for this." You notice some bruises around his knuckles. They look fresh, like he got them not too long ago. Together with the small cuts around his face you assume that he's already been in a fight today. "She is being held by two other guys that we don't feel confident in beating. And they threatened us! You are bigger, maybe you might..." {ff1}s father: "What do you mean 'held'? What are they doing?" {mf2}: "They are extorting her for money, sir. And they threatened to beat her up if we do something stupid." Technically they threatened to beat you up, but you don't think going for details here is going to help. {ff1}s father: "Stupid shit like trying to find her father, eh? Are you fucking stupid?" He lets go of the door and steps inside, stopping in front of a pair of old beat up shoes. After putting them on he turns to you. {ff1}s father: "Show me the way." Without saying anything, you rush back down the stairs. To your surpirse he follows you in quite some tempo aswell. You very well expected him to just walk behind you but no, he is definitely going at quite some speed. You reach the plaza in only a couple of seconds. It hasn't been all too long since you left {ff1}, so you feel confident that nothing bad could have happened yet. "It's that way." You point towards the gate and start running. The other two follow suit. > [[continue|1qfatheratgate]]

Middle guy: "H-huh?" The smaller guy notices you immediately. No doubt does the behemoth of a man behind you scare him at least a little bit. Middle guy: "What are you doing there, {mf2}?!" Maybe you were mistaken? It is true that {mf2} is part of them, and him casually standing next to you definitely doesn't look all too good for them. {mf2}: "What you are doing is wrong!" Middle guy: "W-what is wrong with you? Do you want her to get away with this? We rely on this money, for fucks sake!" Looking over at {ff1}, who is still sitting in between them, you notice her head lowered significantly. Luckily you can't seem to see any bruises or the like, so maybe they didn't get all to physical with her yet. {ff1}s father: "What is this about money?" His tone of voice is deep and demanding. A shiver runs down your spine as you hear him speak. Middle guy: "U-ugh..." It seems like you are not the only one fearful of him. Big guy: "What are you, her father? Here to take care of her?" The big guy stands up, holding {ff1} by her shirt. Her new shirts leather-like material covering her upper body stiffens around her neck, and she grabs it to get air to breathe. It seems to be taking him little effort to hold her up like this. It is hard to look at. > [[continue|1qff1fathernegotiations]]

Middle guy: "H-heh. Scared now?" It is obvious that he has his tail between his legs. The big guy however seems indifferent to your advantage in numbes and the prescence of {ff1}s father. {ff1}: "Ugh... Uuuuuh... h-help..." {ff1} is gripping her shirt around her neck, still trying to create some space to make it easier for her to breathe. You grind your teeth at the idea that you gave her this outfit out of all that were avaivable. If it was still the jacket from before she might have been able to pull down the zipper, but with a shirt beneath there is no such luxury. {ff1}s father: "What is this? Is that supposed to be scaring me?" He looks indifferent to the situation. There seems to be no consideration for {ff1}s well being in him at all. In fact, he hasn't asked of {ff1}s condition even once yet. {ff1}s father: "I expected you to try and steal some money from us. But you are just a stupid brute. Get lost, kids." He pulls out a packet of cigarettes and puts a single one in his mouth. You can't believe your eyes. Big guy: "I will not let her go until you leave. Am I understood?" You look around. The middle guy is just looking at {ff1}s father, who looks absolutely uninterested in the entire ordeal. Looking over to {ff1} you see her struggling for air, with her neck starting to become purple from the shirt rubbing up against it. You bite your teeth in anger, so much that you feel like some of them might break from all the force you put on them. With all your might, you plant your feet into the ground and start dashing towards {ff1}. > [[continue|1qsafeff1mf2]]

Big guy: "Are you stupid?" He lets go of her. The second he does you hear her gasp for air. "Uaaaaaaaaah!" You scream out as you continue your rush towards the guy. Even if you were to try and stop now you would still tumble towards him. Your primary objective of getting {ff1} out of his hands is already completed, now it's just a matter of you dodging whatever he will throw at you. The big guy is raising one of his feet, getting ready to kick you the second you come too close. He is big enough for that foot to land right on your face if you don't dodge quick enough. However, as you just rushed straight in without a plan there is no room for you to dodge. With full speed, you fly against the sole of his shoe, which hits you right on the cheekbone. He extrends his leg in the progress, throwing you back a considerable distance. You black out for a second. The second you start to see colors again you find yourself lying on the floor. Instinctively, you roll over on your back and push your hands into the stony floor, ready to push yourself off the ground and on to your feet. Your head, however, is still fizzy from the impact, so it takes you a moment to compose yourself and properly stand up. Your vision is blurry... to blurry to properly see. *"I can't see... fuck, I need to see!"* You hear people shouting right in front of you, but you don't manage to focus your eyes proplery. As you try and rub them, someone tackles you. {ff1}: "Run, {name}!" It is {ff1}. The tackle nearly managed to take you down, but you somehow you manage to plant your feet deeply into the floor before you could topple. Your vision shows no signs of properly improving despite your best efforts. "I-I can't see!" You feel {ff1} grab one of your arms and pull you back, away from the shouting people in front of you. Letting yourself get dragged along, you run behind her without knowing where you're going. > [[continue|1qbackofffight]]

"*Huff...Huff...*" You pant as you try to keep up with {ff1}, who is tightly gripping your arm. Tears starts forming in your eyes as you continue rubbing them, making your vision even worse than it already is. {ff1}: "We take a right turn here... now!" You push your left foot into the ground and push yourself towards your right. Never in your life had you ever had to think about how to run in such a detailed manner. However it seems to pay off, as you catch up with {ff1} in the right turn. "*Huff... Huff...*" As you try and catch your breath you notice your throat clogging up with sobber and the tase of blood. You try to take a deep breath through your nose only to realize it's been either clogged or broken. With heavy coughing you manage to free your throat of the substance and continue on, breathing heavier than before. You can't see. \ You can't easily breathe. \ You can't even properly think. Fear takes hold of you, and you catch yourself shivering. Where is it that {ff1} is taking you? What if you end up in some kind of dead end, and the rest catch up to you? You have no way of fighting back the way you are now. You lost your autonomy, but maybe worst of all, your confidence in your own abilities. {ff1}: "LEFT!" It is a loud shout, filled with determination, but also a hint of anxiety. Something more akin to an instinct than a thought enters your mind. *"She wouldn't shout like than if it was just the two of us."* Your heart is filled with angst and rage at your powerlessness. In an attempt to fight fate you decide to act against {ff1}s judgement, stomping one of your feet into the ground with all you strength and turning your body, ready to deliver a devastating kick to whoever might stand to your right. > [[continue|1qruntosafety]]

A sharp pain enters you ankle as you hit something firm. By the feel of it, you might have very well just broken your foot. Middle guy: "Buarg!" You need no eyesight to pick out who you just hit. A sharp inhale, followed by an audable thud then the sound of someone throwing up. Your foot has landed right below the ribcage of the middle guy, who was now covering on the ground in pain. As you put your foot back on the ground the reality of your situation becomes clear. A pain indescribable to you seeps through your entire leg up to your torso. Truly, your foot is positively fractured. "AAAAAAAH!" You shout in pain, not being able to hold it in any longer. All your fears and worries well up inside of you as you are stripped of a means to walk. You are powerless \ You will die here {ff1}: "Lean on to me! We have to run!" The worried voice of {ff1} soothes your heart ever so slightly. You let yourself fall to your left, where you are caught by {ff1}. She struggles a bit with holding your weight at first, but quckly finds a way to sort of carry you. Taking both of your arms over her shoulder, she rests part of your upper body on her back. This takes quite a bit of force away from your foot, which you don't dare put any pressure on anymore. Putting your body weight on her, you try your best to hop along as she moves forwards. Lying on her back, you notice all the little details of her movement. How she struggles to hold your weight, how she breathes heavily from exhaustion, how she groans as she tries to make one step after the other. Your sense of helpnessness fades as you manage to relax a bit on her shoulders. Everything is going to be alright. She will pull you away from danger. > [[continue|1qrantosafety]]

You move like this for a couple more minutes, until {ff1} sets you down on what feels like a bench. Your eyes might be wide open, but you still struggle to make out shapes and the like in front of you. Everything is a blur. {ff1}: "Ahhhhhhhh." {ff1} exhales loudly as she sits down next to you. You didn't even notice her shape escape your vision, you were sure she was still in front of you. Anxiety sets in again, and your hands start to tremble. {ff1}: "It's... alright... {name}..." Her exhaustion is very apparent. It must be a chore to just get these words out for you. You suddenly feel a warmth around your shaking hands. Like a magic spell your anxiety falls, making space in your heart for warmth and comfort. You place you other hand on the source of the warmth: {ff1}s hand. It is soft and warm. You caress it a bit, trying to look for any blemishes. For some reason, finding even the smallest injury on her hand has become your biggest fear. As you caress it further, you notice her twitching every now and again. {ff1}: "I'm okay..." The sleepy voice next to you sounds genuine, yet you can't help but worry. You look over, your eyes unable to show you proper shapes and forms. {ff1}: "My... you are crying..." Not anymore, but you didn't get to whiping them away yet. Taking her hand away from yours, she reaches for your face, brushing away some of the tears with her fingers. You can't express how much you'd like to properly see right now, and more tears start forming around your eyes. > [[continue|1qbench]]

{ff1}: "H-hey... I can't keep up with you..." Her voice seems to become weaker and weaker. Yet she still does her best to soothe you. Your leg broken, your vision blurred and your throat clogged from all the tears, you try your best to speak again. "Th-thank you..." You can't help but start tearing up again. You feel saved, taken care of, secure. The connection to feel to the person in front of you fills your entire being as you reach for your head to conceal your tears of joy. {ff1}: "N-No! I need to thank.. you... please stop crying..." She can't know these are cries of joy, cries of comfort. All the terror in the world turns its eye from you as you try and let out all the emotions welling up inside of you. Everything from today, from the day before, all the trauma and bad experiences in your life seem to simply flow straight out of you, just for this very moment. {ff1}: "{name}... I..." You feel a warm embrace, pushing your head upwards and unto her shoulder. {ff1}: "I was so scared... thank.. you..." {ff1} starts crying too. It does not take long for you to feel her tears drop on your shoulders, and for her crying voice to reach your ears. You rub your eyes with lots of force. There is nothing in the world you want to see more than her right now. After some rubbing you manage to gain back some vision, and after some more you can sort of see once more. Noticing her black, disheveled hair, you finally hug her back. I takes you a few minutes until you finally let go of eath other again. > [[continue|1qEnd27]]

You softly push {ff1} away from you, using just enough force that she can resist it if she wanted, but enough to get a better look at her if she didn't. The first thing you notice is the purple ring around her neck, together with the red marks left from her fingers. It looks horrible, and it takes you a lot of effort to resist starting to cry again. The horrors... you can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like. *"It's my fault... If I didn't get her this..."* {ff1}: "H-how do I look?" You thought is interrupted by {ff1}s sudden question. Looking at her face, you notice a bruise on her cheek, as if she was hit there with a fist. Her hair is all over the place, and her eyes are blood red from all the crying. Her lip is split, with some blood having run down to her neck. In all honesty, she looks far from her best. No one would ever call her 'good-looking' as she is right now. Everyone except for you. "Y-you look g-great." You flash a great smile. The emotion behind it not even you can determine, or whether it's an honest one or not. {ff1}: "L-luckily I didn't get any blood on my new jacket...hehe..." Her eyes look broken and traumatized, yet her face reveals a genuine happiness. You, however, can't share it at all. A feeling of despair and regret fills you. "It almost killed you! I wish I never got it for you! I-" You stop talking. There is nothing you feel you can say to properly put your feelings into words. To your surprise however, what reaches you is the soft palm of her hand on your cheek. > [[continue|1qEnd27.1]]

{ff1}: "You are the first person to ever choose something for me... Please don't degrade it so much." Her voice is soft, as is her hand. Looking over at her, you feel your heart skip a beat. Truly, she looks nothing like a girl anyone would ever call 'good-looking'. To you, however, she is like a goddess of beauty. "You look so nice..." Your heart starts skipping faster as you say those words. Saved, caressed and protected. There is no place in earth you feel safer than right here, right now. {ff1} starts giggling, swaying heavily as she does. You catch her, she feels heavy as if she didn't have the energy to sit back up anymore. {ff1}: "I think you look great too." You fight with yourself to hold back tears once again. You have no idea where you are, yet you do not care at all. You have no idea what happened to the others, yet you do not care at all. You have only known {ff1} for a few hours, but that does not matter to you at all. There is only one thing you know for certain. "I think I love you, {ff1}." {ff1}: "I think I love you too, {name}." They say shared pain creates the strongest bonds. You saved her from the clutches of the beast, and she carried you to safety. Nothing in your life compares to how you feel right here, right now. With a heart ready to burst right out of your chest, you embrace {ff1}, promising to never let go of her ever again. [align center] __Ending #27: Love you forever and ever__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You decide to stay with {ff1}. She is very happy about it, however that happiness gets quickly interrupted by a message of her father having gotten into a bit of trouble. As she tries to leave the cafe to go look for him, the waitress who delivered the message signals for you to stop her. > [[Skip to part of story|1qgoawaycafe]] Possible Endings: 24-27 --- Choosing to not stop her will lead to **Ending 24**. > [[Don't stop her|1qgoinsidehouse]] > [[Stop her|Stop]]

After choosing to go search for {mf1}, you notice {ff1} being a little down. It wasn't the choice she wanted you to make, after all. You decide that it's not that urgent to find him immediately, so the two of you go shopping. There, you have the choice between two outfits. > [[Skip to part of story|1qpickclothes1]] Choosing whatever outfit will lead down the same path, only with some differences in dialogue. It will also effect the exact way **Ending 28** pans out.

You manage to stop her and the two of you go on a small sightseeing tour, looking at a big water fountain, going shopping and finally looking the big gate at the end of the plaze. There, three guys ambush you, demanding to speak with {ff1} and threatening both of you if you didn't play by their rules. As the situation begins to escalate, you notice one of the guys trying to communicate with you. You consider trusting him instead of charging the others despite their threats. > [[Skip to part of story|1qthreatenguys]] Possible Endings: 25-27 --- Choosing to save {ff1} will lead you to **Ending 25**. > [[save {ff1}|1qff1way] > [[choosing the boy|Boy way]]

You get to know the smallest of the three guys. What is his name? {text input for: 'mf2'} He seems to have a plan, which unfortunately quickly falters as he realizes you are not from here. Thinking about what to do with his support, you must make a choice as to what you want to do. Choosing to search for {mf1} leads to **Ending 26**. Choosing to go for {ff1}s father leads to **Ending 27**. > [[Skip to part of story|1qmf2plan]]

You stop in front of a relatively small shop that seems to be selling all kinds of trinkets and the like. {ff1}: "When you are here already... why not get a souvenir? We don't know when you'll be back..." "I'm sorry I..." {ff1}: "Yeeees I'll buy it for you, okay?" You want to protest against it, thinking that she already spend enough money on you at the cafe. However, you fail to resist her pulling you inside and decide to just go with it, now that you are already inside. And besides, she really seems to be enjoying herself. *"I hope she won't take it out of the quest payment..."* The shop is nicely decorated, with small figurines and books covering multiple bookshelves which by themselves cover most of the walls. At the end of the room stands a counter, and behind that a huge beautifully painted painting of a house in the woods. As you breathe in you also notice a distinct oak-like smell in the air, which is quite pleasant. {ff1}: "Let's look around!" You decide to approach one of the bookshelves first. With your rudimentary reading skills you try your best to decipher the words written on their spine. However, many of them seem to either been written in another alphabet or at least with extremely bad handwriting. You sigh as you come to terms with your lackluster reading expertise. {ff1}: "Here, come look at this!" You take one last look at the bookshelf in front of you before walking over to {ff1}. > [[continue|1qpickoutpresent]]

{ff1}: "There there, look here!" She has a small statue in her hand. It is made out of dark wood and resembles a man in a hunter-like uniform. You nod, thinking that he looks quite sleek in those clothes. {ff1}: "Do you like it?" You do like it, but you have some worries. Firstly, you don't know where to put it. Secondly, your house is not water tight and any kind of wood is quick to obtain some kind of mark from all the humidity in the air. Lastly, even if you wanted to take it with you at all times, the intrinsicly crafted hands and feet were sure to break if stuffed into some kind of pocket. You can't help but sigh a bit. "I like it... but I can't put it anywhere. I don't want it to break, you know?" {ff1} seems to understand where you are coming from. She places the figurine back on the shelf and thinks to herself. {ff1}: "Did you... like the design?" "I think it looked nice." Suddenly, {ff1} flashes you the wides grin. {ff1}: "Hehe, then I was right after all." Having said that, she simply walks out the door, not taking anything with her. You can't help but feel a bit sad to not get anything. *"The coffee was expensive enough... It's better this way."* With your head hanging low, you move out of the shop yourself. > [[continue|1qnoff1]]

As you exit the shop and look up, you notice something. *"Wait.. where is she?"* You look to your left, then your right. You even look back inside the shop. She is nowhere to be seen. *"Shit! What am I supposed to do now?"* You are in a closed up space that is reserved for working class people only. The huge gate at the end of the plaza is there for a reason: to keep everyone that is not from here out. Now that {ff1} is not with you anymore you stick out like a sore thumb with your cheap, ragged clothing. It could just be your imagination, but you feel like people start watching you now. A few meters to your left stands another shop, this one selling clothes. This is easy to see due to most of their inventory seemingly standing on the street on multiple kinds of clothing racks. With that, you see a chance to blend in better. *"I can sort of hide in there... I should give it a try."* Trying to walk as normal as you can, you almost jog towards the first row of clothing racks. They are not very high, but you are not the tallest person either. Just doing your best to look like you are browsing while keeping your head low will surely pull some looks away from you. > [[continue|1qbrowsing]]

The smell of fresh leather and fabric enters your nose. Just like in the shop before, it is quite a pleasant experience. This, together with looking at the multitude of different clothings here makes you forget your anxiety for a moment. In fact, you seem to get quite engaged with it, looking at every jacket and every shirt just to marvel at the craftmansship that must have been put into designing and producing them. *"I could never afford something nice like this..."* A bit depressed about that fact, but still enthrilled by what is presented in front of you, you continue on. After getting through a couple of clothing rags you come across one that looks a little different. You grab one at random and look at it further. It is a completely white faric, and is very soft to the touch. Many intricate designs are sewn into the material in a white-greyish tone, making it almost impossible to see at a distance. You squint your eyes at it, trying to see every little thing on it. With all this concentrating you don't even start to notice the plethera of people staring directly at you. {ff1}: "W-w-what are you doing, {name}? Put that back!" > [[continue|1qff1back]]

Suddenly, {ff1} appears next to you out of nowhere. You can't help but smile and look at her. *"Finally! Looks like I'm not getting tossed out of here now."* {ff1}: "C-come on! Put it back, quickly!" "Oh, was I not supposed to look at it? Sorry, I d-didn't know..." You have looked and touched quite a few different things in here by now. *"I hope no one saw that..."* You can't help but blush a little, being put on the spot like that. Looking over at {ff1} you see her blush a little aswell, which only makes you even more embarassed. {ff1}: "{name}! Please!" You still haven't put it down. As you realize this you nervously want to put it back. Not trying to somehow damage the soft fabric you struggle to properly do so. {ff1} steps in and quite forcefully shoves it back into the rack. {ff1}: "D-don't look at these things with me around!" She grabs your hand, not your arm for some reason and pulls you away from the rack. As you pass two middle aged women on the way, you hear one of them say something. Woman: "Oh my... the girl must be really shy... It is such a beautiful wedding dress though!" > [[continue|1qbuyclothes]]

{ff1} pulls you inside the shop. {ff1}: "Huff... thankfully we're away from there..." She lets go of your hand. You have to shake it a bit after her surprisingly tight grip. Scaringly tight. You look around. Many more clothing racks stand around here, but they seem a little different to the ones outside. You can't, however, quite put your finger on why. {ff1}: "Seriously, {name}. Do you want to dress like a girl or what? What were you doing looking through womans clothing?" "W-womans clothing?" You didn't realize that the jackets and shirts from outside were made for girls. It didn't matter where you grew up or whether you were a boy or a girl, everyone more or less wore the same kind of outfit. It was easy to make and quite cheap, perfect for poorer folks like you. {ff1}: "Ugh... I guessed you had no idea what you were looking at. Look, this here is the mens aisle. You should look over here if you want to pick out some clothes." "S-sorry, but I..." You want to tell her that, again, you have no money. As you try to tell her that it dawns to you. "Don't tell me..." {ff1}: "I already have a few that might look nice on you! Look here!" You can't help but not look at her instead of the clothing. There is no way she... {ff1}: "I'll buy you something nice, as long as I like it aswell, okay? Come on, look!" > [[continue|1qpickclothes]]

You look down towards her right arm. She is holding a few shirts and a jacket. "A-are you sure?" She smiles at you and points you towards a small cabin in the back. {ff1}: "You can change there! Let's go!" She seems very enthusiastic about it, hoppoing towards the cabin. You follow her, still unable to comprehend the fact that for the first time in your life, you'll actually wear decent clothes. Inside the cabin is not much. A small stool, a hook for your clothes and a curtain to keep people from looking in. {ff1} places some of the shirts on the stool and the rest on the hook, then goes back towards you to push you inside, closing the curtain behind you. There are a million thoughts running through your head on how to redeem yourself for her kindness, but for now you decide to focus on trying out what she picked for you. *"I wish there would be a mirror in here though..."* The first shirt you pick up is rather simple. A black fabric with short sleeves, good for warm weather. Some holes have been poked inside. You try it on, even though you don't perticularly enjoy the fact that it is already torn. The fit is quite tight, a bit too tight for your liking. Considering your current diet which doesn't consist of much, you put it back on the stool. *"I do hope I can get a bit bigger... This is too small for me."* > [[continue|1qpickclothes1]]

There is a white and a grey-ish shirt of a similar design. You decide not to try them on, as the holes in them don't really suit your tastes. With that, all the items on the stool are done with. On with the hook, there two jacket-like pieces of clothing. Not even having tried any of them you already know you'll like those more than the shirts on the stool. You pick up the first one and put it on. It is a leathery material similar to those of naturelovers. [if myclass === 'naturelover'] Exactly your forte. [else] While you are a {myclass} and not a naturelover, you still apprechiate the look. *"Only because naturelovers wear something like this doesn't mean I can't wear it myself."* [continue] It contours around your body with some slack in it, perfect for when you grow to be a bit bigger than right now. The leather-like texture feels nice under your fingers. *"I bet she got the idea for this from that hunter figurine... I like it!"* While you could have just taken this one without a second thought, you still decide to look over to the other jacket. "This is... just like {ff1}s jacket." In fact, it seems like an exact replica of hers, only larger and probably made for boys instead of girls. It is a leather jacket similar to the one before, only that this one is a bit thicker and feels sturdier to the touch. And then there is the most precarious thing about it: The arms are cut off. *"It looks really nice on her... Does she want us to have a matching look, or is this some trend?"* {ff1}: "Did you choose something? Come on, I wanna see!" *"The hunter one... or the matching one... I like both, which one should I pick..."* > [[pick the hunter one|1qhunteroutfit]] > [[pick the matching one|1qmatchingoutfit]]

outfit: 'hunter' -- You grab the hunter outfit and put it on. It feels of way higher quality than the rags you wore just now. *"There is no way she is buying this for me... I wouldn't know how to pay her back..."* {ff1}: "Surprise!" Suddenly, the curtains behind you swings open, revealing {ff1} behind it. "Hey! Don't just come in without asking! I could be naked you know!" {ff1}: "Come on, it was just a jacket anyways! Who takes off their pants for that?" She reaches for your chest, getting a feel for the material. {ff1}: "I think you look great in some proper clothes. The poor girls at the academy never had a chance to see you in such pizzazz." "What... are you trying to get at?" {ff1}: "Hihi, don't mind me! Come on, we need to go and pay for that!" You grab her hand before she manages to jog off. "Are you... sure about this? I mean, it must be quite expensive." She puts her finger on your nose. You wonder why you don't mind it. {ff1}: "And I told you you look good in it. Come on, we need to find your friend, remember?" She uses the fact that you grabbed her arm to pull you towards the counter. It only takes a few seconds for the money to have changed hands and the outfit to become yours. "T-thank you..." She throws you a wide grin. > [[continue|1qoutsidestore]]

outfit: 'matching' -- You grab the matching outfit and put it on. It fits nicely, and the missing arms annoy you a lot less than you expected. In fact, you enjoy the feeling quite a bit. Suddenly, the curtain behind you opens up. "H-huh?" You turn around, covering your upper body with your arms. {ff1}: "Surprise! Let me see!" She has her eyes closed. You return to a neutral position as she opens them back up. {ff1}: "Y-you..." She covers her mouth with her hands. "W-why do you look so surprised? You chose it for me, didn't you?" {ff1}: "Y-yes... but..." She looks down. {ff1}: "I... didn't expect you to take that one..." You put your hand on her head and stroke it. *"Couldn't help myself...she looks to cute not to do that..."* {ff1}: "T-thank you..." "Hm?" {ff1}: "N-nothing! Come on, we need to pay!" You sort of expect for her to grab your arm again, but she doesn't. A bit disappointed, you follow her to the counter and let her pay. It was not as expensive as you thought, but still way over what you could ever afford. > [[continue|1qoutsidestore]]

You leave the store together with her. [if outfit === 'matching'] Suddenly, you feel something touching your bare shoulder. You shriek slightly, not used to experiencing touch at a place normally covered up by your clothes. {ff1}: "You... look really good in it, by the way..." *"She seems really shy now for some reason... Matching outfits must feel a bit weird for her, but at least she likes it."* You are used to wearing the same outfit as {mf1}, so it doesn't bother you one bit. On the contrary, you feel a bit closer to her now that you are so unmistankingly a friend of hers. She awkwardly pokes your arm a few more times before stopping and moving on. [continue] "Alright, should we be looking for {mf1}?" {ff1}: "Yes, let's." [if outfit === 'matching'] As she steps in front of you you poke her arm the way she poked yours. She shrieks a lot louder than you did. {ff1}: "W-wa! {name}..." She looks at you with puppy eyes. You can't help but laugh a bit. [else] Taking one step after the other, you feel your new outfit up and down. There a lot of convenient pockets everywhere, and feeling the fabric once more feels really good. It may be a bit warm if summer hits in full effect, but besides that it should be great in pretty much every weather. You place your hand on {ff1}s back. "Thank you again, {ff1}." {ff1}: "You don't need to thank me all the time, {name}. I think you look a lot better in it anyways, and it's great moving around with someone that has at least some sense of fashion." You have no idea what the word 'fashion' is supposed to mean, but are sure it must be something positive. It is difficult for you to surpress saying 'thank you' again. [continue] After passing the coffee shop you quickly find yourself back inside the corridor leading outside. > [[continue|1qmf1find]]

You reach the trash containers, which stand in the exact same position as you left them in. There must have been no one here since then. "Wait. Let me try opening it." *"I felt like she had superhuman strength back then... let's see how hard it really is to move those containers."* You kick the brake, which easily disengages. *"Okay, easy enough."* You take one of the metal handles attached to the container and start pulling. It takes you quite a bit of effort to move it. "Hrmpf!" Using your entire body as leverage you easily manage to pull the container out of the way. It was definitely managable, but... "How are you so crazy strong, {ff1}?" {ff1}: "Hahaha! You just don't know my technique." She moves over to you. {ff1}: "Or maybe I am just strong as a bear." You look at her face. There is no indication which one of those statements is true, so you try going with the second one. "D-don't hit me with that strength of yours..." She starts laughing quite energetically. Suddenly, you see a shadow approaching the container. You grab {ff1} and pull her towards you, away from the opening between the containers. If it isn't {mf1} you feel like you may be in trouble. > [[continue|1qmf1hello]]

{mf1}: "Y-yo?" Luckily, it is indeed {mf1}. You breathe a sigh of relief and let go of {ff1}. "Hi, {mf1}." [if outfit === 'matching'] {mf1}: "Cute outfit, {name}." His tone is definitely mocking. It is so apparent that you can't help but make a face. {mf1}: "The matching thing on purpose?" Somehow, agreeing to that statement feels impossible for you to do. {ff1}: "No, he just has a great sense of fashion just as I do!" {ff1} pulls your arm towards her, probably giving {mf1} a really awkward sight to look at. Her voice sounds pretty uncertain too, so you can't help but blush a bit in embarassment. {mf1}: "What... is 'fashion'?" *"I wonder that aswell..."* {ff1}: "Ugh! I bet {name} doesn't know either! You guys are too poor for your own good!" {mf1}: "Not like we... chose that..." You nod. {ff1} still hasn't let go of your arm. In fact, it feels like her grip has tightened a bit. [else] {mf1}: "Looking good, {name}!" He seems really excited, reaching over to you for a high handshake. Without a second of hestitation you raise your arm aswell and deliver a loud handshake with {mf1}. "Oh yeah!" {ff1} moves besides the two of you, grinning from ear to ear. {ff1}: "Like two schoolboys." {mf1}: "Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" "Yeah?" {ff1}: "Pffft." *"Oh boy, that REALLY sounded like two schoolboys just know... ouch."* [continue] {ff1}: "Well, I can't buy you one aswell." {mf1}: "Wait, you bought that for {name}??" {mf1} seems quite surprised. You would be aswell, were the roles reversed. Thankfully they aren't though and you are the one with the great new outfit! {ff1}: "Well, he has no money, what do you expect. Can't have him running around with those dirty, filthy rags all the time." That was a straight shot as {mf1}, whose outfit looks even worse than yours did. In contrast to him you regularly try to straighten yours out a bit to get rid of the folds in it. You can't help but proudly boast your chest, earning you a very annoyed glance from {mf1}. > [[continue|1qplannowmf1]]

{mf1}: "Anyways... I'm {mf1}, nice to meet you." He extends his hand towards {ff1}, who is reluctant to take it. {ff1}: "Don't... you remember me?" {mf1}: "Hm?" {ff1}: "{ff1}?" {mf1}: "Wait..." He seems deep in thought. Looking over at {ff1}, it looks she is quite concerned about not being recognized. {mf1}: "Ah! I remember you. How did you recognize me, we were only kids back then." {ff1}: "Well... looks like I have grown quite a bit more than you! Hmpf!" She pouts in quite a childish manner. "You two know each other?" {mf1}: "Oh, yeah. Our fathers are drinking buddies, so we saw each other every now and again when we were younger. I stopped going with him some time ago, so I haven't seen {ff1} in a few years." {ff1}: "I... stopped going with him aswell. Been on my own for a few years now too." {mf1}: "You live alone?" {ff1} seems to hestitate for a bit. {ff1}: "Well, no... I still live with him, but it's more like we live next to each other than together. {mf1}: "Hm, I see. Not very different to me, I always leave the house before he even wakes up..." The two of them seem to try an recall old memories. As you were not a part of their lives back then, you decide to interject. > [["So what do we do now?"|1qdonow]]

{mf1}: "Hm? Well, we could try looking for Sherone if we want to... oh, there is also the paper!" He quickly takes out the paper that the butler-like man gave you with you sandwiches back in the restaurant. {mf1}: "I have deciphered the alphabet! I wanted to look for you to put it all together!" "Couldn't... you have done that yourself?" {mf1}: "Well, I thought I shouldn't do all the work myself!" Suddenly, {ff1} snaps the paper out of {mf1}s hand. {mf1}: "H-hey!" She looks at the paper, making an annoyed pouting face as she does. {ff1}: "It's not... that bad..." {mf1}: "What?" {ff1} lets go of the paper and breathes in. {ff1}: "My handwriting is not so bad! What do you mean 'decipher the language'? I just wrote the instructions on it, in our language!" {mf1}: "Ehm.. ehhhhhhhhh..." {mf1} seems lost for words. You pick up the paper and look at it. Unintentionally, you start talking to yourself. "What is this hieroglyph-like writing?" Well, you didn't want to say that out loud like that. Looking over towards {ff1}, you see a small tear escape her eye. {ff1}: "Oh come on!" > [[continue|1qff1letter]]

She rips the letter out of your hand. {ff1}: "Well, I'm here now! So we don't need to look at the letter, alright?" {mf1} and you look at each other. {mf1}: "Sorry, {ff1}." "Sorry..." She lets out an audible sigh. {ff1}: "Doesn't matter anyways. Listen, you two. Sherone is a shrewd man that has anything but the well being of people like you in mind. I will give you more credits than him if you just refuse to complete his quest." {mf1}: "And where do you get that money from? Why are you doing this?" {ff1}: "Well, I get paid for keeping you away from Sherone... and I pay you so we don't have to fight over what to do or whatever." {mf1}: "Hm... does whoever pays you really give you more credits than Sherone would have given us? Sure, he might not give us much but he'll have to pay the two of us equally, so it's basically doubled. That is Townsend custom, I don't think he would dare go against it." {ff1}: "No... but I have some reserves... I just really don't want to do what he suggested I do..." {mf1}: "Which is?" {ff1} keeps silent, glancing over to you every now and again. "I don't think we need to know, {mf1}." {mf1} seems to think for a bit. > [[continue|1qwhatff1do]]

{mf1}: "Hmm..Well, we need some security here. If you are hired by the butler at the restaurant than we don't know where the money is actually coming from, and whether we will get it on time. Is that not so?" {ff1}: "Yeah... sometimes they take a while until they pay you..." {mf1}: "The problem is that me and {name} really need some credits by tomorrow, and Sherone guarantees it on time because of townsend." He is correct. You can't survive by only eating old sandwiches or {pouch}. Earning some credits fast is your first priority here. {ff1} reaches in her pocket. {ff1}: "They can guarantee it..." {mf1} looks over to you excitedly. {mf1}: "Great, then..." {ff1}: "If I restrain you until tomorrow. I...I can't do that!" She pulls out a small object. It looks like a bean or maybe a nut, but something is off about it. {ff1}: "I don't know what this is, but they want me to make you eat this. I... I won't do that, though!" Whatever that is could easily be dropped in a drink, or put inside some food. You probably wouldn't even notice it being there. {mf1}: "And that's supposed to make it easy to restrain us?" {ff1}: "It's... supposed to knock you out..." > [[continue|1qknockoutpill]]

{mf1} seems nervous, and starts talking in a rather loud voice. {mf1}: "W-what, and that's supposed to be better than Sherone?" {ff1}: "I-I would never do that! A-a-and I'll get the money even if I don't do it! It's just not.. sure if it's... right away..." She extends her hand nervously, giving you the chance to take the object in your own hands. {mf1} steps back, visibly disturbed. {mf1}: "I-I don't trust this, {name}! We shouldn't do this..." The tension in the air is suffocating. You, however, are weirdly calm. *sigh* You extend your arm and take the small object. It seems even smaller, now that you have it in your hand. Small enough to not be noticable in a cup of coffee, for example. *"She could have put this in at the cafe. Maybe that was the reason why she invited me in the first place."* You sigh once again. "You could have easily knocked me out with this at the cafe earlier, couldn't you?" {mf1}: "She took you to a cafe?" {mf1} still seems extremely agitated. You place your hand on his shoulder. "She didn't poison me with this. Look, she even bought me clothes! I could never imagine her trying anything like this. I also bet she wasn't like that back when you met her regularly either." {mf1}: "I-I guess..." The tension in the air seems to fade. You sigh a third time, only this time in relief. > [[continue|1qpillend]]

{mf1}: "I...didn't think she would do it. But it's scary, how are you so calm?!" You turn over to {ff1} and giver her back the small beans. She looks at you with puppy eyes. "I... I think I wouldn't be afraid if you showed them to me either, {mf1}. It is difficult to explain, but I feel like {ff1} would give her best to avoid using them at all costs." {mf1}: "Then throw them away!" {ff1}: "I can't!" {mf1}: "Why?!" {ff1}: "Because then I would have to pay for them! I don't know how expensive they are!" She puts them back into a small hankerchief. {mf1}: "Okay..." {mf1} seems to calm down a little. {mf1}: "Okay... well, then what do we do?" {ff1}: "Just stay with me for today! Then we'll get paid even more, remember?" {mf1}: "But..." {ff1}: "And I still have some credits over! I can pay for our meals for a day, I promise!" {mf1} still seems a bit reluctant. The sun is starting to set, and a redness fills the streets. You can feel a yawn trying to escape your throat. "I don't want to leave her here alone and go to Sherone anymore. It's late! And I don't feel bad about not helping Sherone, either." > [[continue|1qdecisionmade]]

You look over to {ff1}, whose face looks flushed. {ff1}: "T-thank you, {name}." [if outfit === 'matching'] {mf1}: "Ugh, first you start wearing her exact outfit now you say stuff like that. {name}, what are you trying to do here?" [else] {mf1}: "Ugh, first you get an outfit gifted to you and now you say stuff like that. {name}, what are you trying to do here?" [continue] You don't quite understand his question. Shouldn't it be obvious? She is nice to you and even gets you gifts. Running off now would not only be extremely rude but you would also feel bad at least for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Suddenly, {ff1} grabs your arm from behind. {ff1}: "He is just nice! Very nice!" She has quite the grip on your arm. Your face distorts a bit from all the pressure. {mf1}: "Ugh... okay, but you two have to bear with me for today. I won't let you go anywhere again just to have to search for you again." "Yeah, of course. That's why we are here." {ff1} pinches your arm even more. This time feel intentional. {mf1}: "Pft. You are as clueless as a rock, {name}. I like it, haha." {ff1}: "You guys are mean..." You don't understand at all. [if outfit === 'matching'] Or you just choose to act that way. {ff1}s arms on your bare arms feels quite good, even despite the bit of pain you get from her squeeze. > [[continue|1qmatchingpreend]] [else] > [[continue|1qhunterpreend]]

The three of you walk around town for a bit, visiting the church, the academy, even the already closed market. As the sun starts to disappear behind the horizon, you all sit down on on a small bench, you in the middle between the two. {mf1}: "Ahhh, well that was a relaxing afternoon if you ask me. You are quite nice to be around, {ff1}." {ff1}: "Hehe..." {ff1} grabs your arm again. {mf1}: "Tell me, {name}. Are you really this clueless, or what is going through your head right now?" {ff1} places her head on your shoulder. "I... wouldn't know." Your heart starts beating a bit faster as you say these words. {mf1}: "Mhm..." {mf1} grabs you arm just as {ff1} does. "W-what..." He puts his head on your shoulder aswell. With a lot less grace, mind you. "H-hey! What are you doing!" {mf1}: "Hm? Why? Does this feel weird to you?" "Of course! T-that's not what friends do!" {mf1} sits up again, letting go ouf your arm in the process. {mf1}: "So you aren't that dumb. Just a bit... nervous? Inexperienced?" > [[continue|1qEnd28matching]]

The three of you walk around town for a bit, visiting the church, the academy, even the already closed market. As the sun starts to disappear behind the horizon, you all sit down on on a small bench, you in the middle between the two. {mf1}: "Ahhh, well that was a relaxing afternoon if you ask me. You are quite nice to be around, {ff1}." {ff1}: "Hehe..." All three of you lean back into the bench, which loudly cracks as you do. In one motion, all of you sit back up. {mf1}: "Let's... not do this, okay?" {ff1}: "Okay..." Sitting upright like this feels a bit weird. You decide to strike up a conversation. "Did we leave a good impression, {ff1}?" {ff1}: "Huh?" She seems a bit taken aback by the question. {ff1}: "Of course! I hope we can go to cafe together sometime too. {mf1}, did you ever drink coffee?" {mf1}: "No, why?" You and {ff1}: "Oh, you'll like it." Both of you start to laugh a bit, while {mf1} sits there looking at you dumbfoudedly. > [[continue|1qEnd28hunter]]

As you nervously look at {mf1} and as your hearts begins racing, you suddenly notice small breaths reaching your neck. {mf1}: "Don't look, she fell asleep. If you move too much now you'll just wake her up." "Hey, {mf1}, don't get..." {mf1}: "It's alright, {name}, do whatever feels right to you. As your friend, I just needed some idea of what you are thinking." He leans back, with the bench creaking rather loudly as he does. {mf1}: "You chose that outfit, didn't you? I can't imagine her forcing you to wear this." You touch your chest, feeling the leathery material under your fingertips. It feels nice. You feel {ff1}s body heat against your bare arm. Normally, this would have bothered you. Why would you remove the arms if you could just tuck your sleeves up? "Yeah... I guess at some time I started liking her a bit..." {mf1} smiles at you with happy, but also slightly worrying eyes. {mf1}: "It does look good on you. Only maybe a little feminine, if you ask me. Might just be because of {ff1} though." "Thanks." You can't help but smile. Yeah, you can't close your heart to {ff1}, and nothing ever felt as good as that. {mf1}: "Let's just hope we get payed tomorrow. You keep watch, I'll snooze away aswell now, if you don't mind." Within only a few seconds, you hear {mf1} fall asleep. You pull your left hand over to {ff1}s head and stroke it. *"Even if we don't get the credits right away... I'm still happy things turned out the way they did."* [align center] __Ending #28V1: Matching outfits__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{ff1}: "I also hope we can afford a good outfit for you soon aswell, {mf1}!" "Oh jeah! That would be great! It's so much better than our usual clothes!" {mf1}: "I'd like that. We want to stick together until then?" {ff1}: "Yeah!" You pause for a bit. No, you don't like how this was phrased. "Why only until then? Let's just become a team!" Both of them 'huh' at you as you say those words. {mf1}: "Would you... even want that, {ff1}? I mean, with us you'll probably get quite a bit less money..." {ff1} thinks about if for a moment. {ff1}: "But then I don't have to do stupid stuff for the restaurant anymore... Would you two really be okay with me joining you? You'd have even less money if you split it with me, and you two seem like a good team already. I wouldn't want to disturb that balance..." {mf1}: "Well, both of us agreed to it, so don't think about it too much." You nod. {ff1}: "You two are so nice... Yes, I want to join you! Thank you two so much!" She jumps up from her seat, then throws her arms around {mf1}s and your neck, going in for a big hug. {mf1}: "Haha... not so tight, please..." You tap {ff1}s head. She seems really happy about all this. *"No matter how things will go from here... I'm happy things went like this today."* [align center] __Ending #28V2: New partner__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You sit down at a small round table. It is barely big enough for three plates and wobbles a bit as you put your arm on top of it. *"Looks fancy... but cheaply made."* A middle aged woman approaches you. She turns her gaze towards {ff1}. Woman: "Aren't you a popular girl, {ff1}. Not just one, but two guys today?" She smiles widely. It seems friendly, as if she and {ff1} knew each other. {ff1}: "Ugh, stop joking! And what do you mean 'today'? Don't make it sound like I constantly bring different guys with me!" Woman: "Hahaha, sorry sorry. Can I get something for the three of you?" {ff1}: "Oh, yeah, of course! Do you guys drink coffee?" {mf1}: "Never tried it before." {ff1}: "Hm, alright. Then get the three of us a cup of coffee each. Put some milk in it for the boys here!" Woman: "Anything else maybe?" {ff1}: "That's all for now, thank you." With that, the woman walks off. > [[continue|1qcafe2]]

{mf1}: "Quite a nice place here... can you tell us a bit about all this?" {ff1}: "Hm? Oh, you mean all this?" She makes a pose as to suggest that she is talking about the entirety of the town, not just the cafe. {mf1} nods. {ff1}: "Well... people here like to keep to themselves, you know? In the town there are a lot of troublemakers, and people here don't want anything to do with them. So they built this secluded neighborhood and sealed it off for outsiders." {mf1}: "Hm..." The two of them continue talking, doing mostly just small talk. You can't help but notice {ff1} fidgeting around in her chair quite a bit the more time passes. Her conversation with {mf1} seems to be going smoothly though, so you don't quite understand why she's acting this way. Woman: "Excuse me, {ff1}? Do you think you could help me bring over the coffee?" The waitress suddenly appears next to you, it gives you a small scare. {ff1}: "Yeah, of course! You two wait here for a second!" She quickly stands up, almost making the chair fall over in the process. It is just now that you notice her hands shaking a bit, as if she was really nervous. One of her hands is weirdly twitchy, with her fingers seemingly fidgeting with something. You can't catch a glimpse of what that might be, though. Without saying another word, she rushes towards the countertop inside the shop. It is then that you realize how much you were actually staring at her. You shake your head, trying to shake off the notion that it might be you why she is nervous like that. "She seems nervous. {mf1}, w-what are you doing to her? Haha..." {mf1}: "Huh? Nothing, what are you talking about! Is my small talk that bad..." > [[continue|1qburned]]

{ff1}: "H-hey! I got the coffee!" {ff1} has one cup in each hand. Both of them are shaking considerably. {mf1}: "B-be careful! It's hot!" {ff1}: "A-ahh!" {ff1} shrieks slightly, pouring part of the piping hot liquid over her hand. It sizzles as it touches the surface of her skin. Both you and {mf1} are in shock. Despite getting burned {ff1} neatly manages to place both cups on to the table, only her distorted face being an indication of the pain she must be in. {ff1}: "Ah fuck!!!! Fuck this is hot aaaaaaah!" And now she's cursing and screaming. Finally a reaction you can get behind. {mf1}: "Are you alright? Should we get cold water or something?" {ff1}: "N-no... it's okay. I just need to get my cup real quick." You stand up and without saying a word walk towards the counter. Behind you you hear {mf1} trying to calm {ff1} down a bit. Once at the counter, you get the cup from the waitress. She throws you a weird look. Did you do something wrong? You return to the table and place the cup in front of {ff1}. Looking at the cups from above, you notice that your coffee looks a bit different than the others. It has a cloudy texture on top. Not thinking too much of it, you sit down. > [[continue|1qmaybepoisoned]]

"Y-you alright?" {ff1}: "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. It wasn't that hot..." {mf1}: "{ff1}... its piping hot. Like, I don't think it gets hotter than this." {ff1} turns away. {ff1}: "Yeah... maybe it's some sort of sign..." She does not elaborate further, even though you'd really like her to. You wonder what is going through her head, especially with her seeming less and less excited and more and more anxious and reserved as time passes. {mf1} takes notice of this aswell. {mf1}: "A-anyways! Thank you for the coffee! Is there any... sort of etiquette to drinking it?" You can't help but notice {ff1}s glances at you. Her eyes move from {mf1} to you every now and again, as if she were wary of you. {ff1}: "W-well... normally you do this and..." You stop listening. She is definitely nervous, and this is more than just some anxiety about meeting new people. Earlier, she was too upbeat and open to just switch like that. You look around. Is there anyone watching? Did you fall into some kind of trap? It would make sense, being in a gated community like that would make it easy to deploy some sort of plan. You notice nothing, with people just minding their own business everywhere you look. *"Would {ff1} even be able to trick us? Or could it be that maybe she is in trouble herself?"* As you continue to think about all different kinds of possibilities you notice the others staring at you. You have no concrete proof of your worries, and bringing it up now could make things worse if it really were a trap. > [[follow up with the others|1qbackout]] > [[address your fears|1qfears]]

No. Your worries can wait for later. For now, it would be better to just run along, maybe it's all just in your head after all. "S-sorry, I didn't quite pay attention. Can you explain again?" Looking over at {ff1}, you notice her anxiety turn into panic for a moment. You really want to ask her what's up, but you swallow your curiosity, at least for now. {mf1}: "I heard coffee has some calming qualities to it. Maybe it can help {ff1} a bit, don't you think?" {ff1}: "T-that's nice to hear, but n-normally it's the other way around... B-but that doesn't matter! It's your first time drinking it, so I hope it tastes well." You can't help but notice her not looking at you. Quite the contrast to before. {ff1}: "Alright, once more. You take the handle like this, stick two of your fingers through it... if you want to be extra fancy, you can put your pinky up like this..." *"Talking seems much easier for her when she's not looking at me... Yeah, maybe it was all just in my head after all, I must have stared too much."* You pick up your cup just like {ff1} shows, even with the pinky extended the same way. It feels a bit awkward and unnecessarily theatrical, but it's a fun experience. You put the cup to your lips and take a sip. It is very bitter, you almost want to spit it out again. The aftertaste is pretty nice though, only a little... chemical. You look over to {mf1}, who has taken a sip aswell. Somehow, you don't recognize your vision as being this blurry. No, wait... it's getting blurrier. {mf1}: "{name}? Hey!" Your head starts to empty, it is as if all your thoughts just up and left the second you took a sip. As your vision continues to blur, you roll your eyes up and fall into black nothingness. > [[continue|1qmf2sight]]

"Hold on a moment." The two of them stop with their cups midair. {mf1}: "What is it, {name}? Don't you want to try coffee? It's supposed to be a delicacy, you know?" You lean forward. {mf1} notices how serious you are, and puts his cup back on the table. He leans forward aswell, now talking in a hushed voice. {mf1}: "What is it? Should we be concerned about anything?" You try your best to talk silently enough for {ff1} to not hear, but there is no telling how good her ears are. seriousness "She seems pretty nervous, don't you think? Why do you think that is?" {mf1}: "Maybe she doesn't go out with others much?" "Well, she did seem a lot chirper a few moments ago. Surely you noticed her change in mood aswell." {mf1} nervously looks around a bit. {mf1}: "You're right, I wondered that aswell. Good, then we're on the same page." He leans back, letting out a small sigh. You didn't even get to most of what you wanted to tell him, but now it's too late for that. {ff1}: "I-Is everything alright?" > [[continue|1qtellfears]]

... ... What has happened in front of your eyes chills you to your core. {mf1}: "{name}!" You friend, {name}, has just collapsed unto the table right in front of you. A million thoughts rush through your head as you throw yourself off your chair to check for his vitals. {mf1}: "What is this? An allergic reaction? Shit, I need some water!" Insitinctively, you put your hand in one of your big pockets and pull out a small container. You always carry it with you in case of emergencies, it is filled with purified water. It always worked wonders on your father when he was passed out and had difficulties breathing. {name} may not have drunken any alcohol or had trouble breathing for all you can see, but you have no idea what else you could do. You turn over {name} and pour some of the liquid into his mouth. Furtunately, he doesn't choke and all of it just runs down his throat. {ff1}: "W-water won't help him..." You look over towards {ff1}. It is true, maybe she knows about this! It could a common occurence with people drinking coffee for the first time for all you know. {mf1}: "What do we need to do? He looks to be just unconscious, but I want to do something!" {ff1} seems a bit reluctant, then quickly springs into action. {ff1}: "Fuck! Okay, come with me! I've got something at home." You pull {name} on top of your back and run after {ff1}, who is quickly approaching one of the doors on one of the tall buildings surrounding the plaza. > [[continue|1qgetnamehelp]]

She pulls a small keychain out of her pocket and inserts the key. With some force, she manages to open the door. {ff1}: "It's the fourth floor! On the right!" She rushes up the stairs in a speed you cannot even begin to keep up with, especially with {name} on your back. After reaching the fourth floor, you are presented with a door to you left and one to your right. The one on the right is open, and you run inside. A small hallway leads to a kitchen. It is also quite small, especially compared to the big kitchens you are used to seeing. While you may be poorer than the people here, you do have a lot more space at home. You place {name} on a nearby chair, lying his head on the table in front of him. He is breathing steadily, as if he was nothing more than asleep. *"How could this happen... I don't understand, {name} is normally so resilient. I wish I knew how to even start thinking about all this..."* Suddenly, you notice a presence behind you. Assuming it must be {ff1}, you turn around. {mf1}: "We need to-" {ff1}: "S-s-stop!" You stop half way through your turn. {ff1} seems extremely agitated, and her voice is shaky. A soft sob can be heard behind her breathing. > [[continue|1qthreatenff1]]

{mf1}: "W-what is it?" You don't get a response. Are you in trouble? Your back is eintirely exposed were someone to attack you right now. *"At least {name} is in a good position... one would have to get through me first."* {ff1}: "F-fuck! Fuck! I can't do this! I can't do... this at all! I hate it all!" A mixture of screaming and sobbing accompanies {ff1}s words. Emotions like those are dangerous to be around, so you decide to ignore {ff1}s pleas and quickly turn around, making sure to get yourself as close to {name} as you possibly can. In front of you stands {ff1}, a wodden board in both hands. Her eyes are filled with tears, and her entire body is shaking. {ff1}: "Why did no one tell me it was you, {mf1}? Out of all the people in this damn town!" You wonder what that wooden board is for that she is gripping so tightly. Is it a floorboard? No, it is much thicker than that. {ff1}: "I can't do this to you... I never could! Why are they expecting this of me!" {ff1}, in a fit of desparation, swings down the wooden plank. It narrowly misses your shoulder, instead hitting a small cupboard attached to the wall. The impact managed to rip the entire thing off the wall. As you see this, a possibility runs through your head. A series of events that scare you to your core. If {ff1} were to drug {name}... \ If {ff1} were to pull you into a secluded apartment... \ If {ff1} were to hit that wooden plank over your head... You have to idea if any of this is true. If it is, then you should get out of here as soon as possible. If not, you leave a sobbing girl alone in her apartment, one that tried her best to help you. You don't know what to do. > [[trust {ff1}|1qtrustff1]] > [[mistrust {ff1}|1qmistrustff1]]

None of this makes any sense to you, so you decide to not run away for now. What's she supposed to do to you anyways? The plank is on the ground, and as far as you can tell she has no weapon hidden anywhere. As if she were reading your mind, she suddenly pulls her hands up. {ff1}: "I give up. I won't do anything! There are no weapons on me, see?" She empties her pockets on to the ground. Some coins together with a few different items one might need in day to day life fall to the floor. After that, she pulls out a small flask and carefully places it on a nearby counter. It looks really expensive. {mf1}: "Al...right... Then just tell me what is going on." She wipes away the tears in her eyes, having somewhat calmed down by now. {ff1}: "I... put something in {name}s cup earlier..." So your superstition was correct. You narrow your eyes, thinking about rushing outside again. {mf1}: "What did use? Is it dangerous?" She points towards the ground, where the contents of her pockets lie. Amidst all different kinds of things lie a few bean-like looking objects you have never seen before. {ff1}: "I shaved off a part of one of those... It was only the smallest amount! I thought that maybe...maybe he would get a little sleepy or something... I didn't want him to pass out!" She starts crying again. You feel kind of bad, but she still drugged {name}. Using her crying as an opening you step forward and grab one of the beans. > [[continue|1qlookpill]]

You clench your fist as you consider the possibility of {ff1} having drugged {name}. He is your best friend, as has been for as many years as you can remember. You will never abandon him, and always make a stand for him if necessary. In the end, you do not care how anything else plays out other than {name} getting out of here. You did this before, you know how to run, and more importantly how to do so with someone else on your back. {ff1} stands in the doorstep leading into the hallway, and into the stairwell. She has dropped the wooden plank to the floor and is looking at you, tears running down her face. Normally, this alone would make you reconsider your plans and get her a tissue to wipe away her tears. But if it is {name} she tried to hurt, and that is an entirely different thing. You ready yourself to push her aside if need be, and begin to feel for {name} with your hands behind your back. {ff1}: "D-do you remember me, {mf1}?" You do not. Or better said, you don't even try to. All that runs through your head right now is 'okay, I got one arm...'. {ff1}: "You believe me, don't you? That I would never hurt you! That I could never-" *"Second arm!"* With one motion you manage to quickly swing {name} on top of your shoulders. Your feet are already planted in a way to rush out the door quickly. {mf1}: "Move aside, I won't stop for you." {ff1}s face turns pale as you say those words. You get ready to push her aside. However, as you put pressure on your feet, you see {ff1} actually move to the side, holding a small vial with one arm. {ff1}: "At least take this with you... please..." With explosive force, you dash forward. For some insitinctive reason you decide to reach for the vial, snatching it out of {ff1}s hand. It takes you but a second to reach the stairwell. > [[continue|1qrushtocorridor]]

You jump down the stairs in an effort to increase your speed. Considering the state {ff1} is in, it is unlikely that she can properly follow you right now. Still, she was quite a bit faster than you on the way up and it could be that she has accomplices waiting somewhere. It's better to be as fast as possible, at least as long as you are still inside this narrow staircase. Fortunately, you reach the bottom floor without meeting anyone. You grip the door handle and pull it towards you. The door opens with excessive force, slamming into the wall behind it. The bang sound wakes your mind up a bit more, giving you greater focus. The corridor you came in through is only about a hundred meters away. If you were to cut straight through the cafe it might even be a little less. *"There is no time to think about this... come on, {mf1}!"* You rush straight through the cafe, bumping into one of the waiters in the progress. You hear glass shatter behind you, but you do not care. The corridor stands right in front of you. Entering the darkness of the corridor feels like being clad in shadow, away from sight of any that want to hurt you. You continue your dash until you reach the containers. You throw your entire body weight into it, but they don't budge. You quickly look back, afraid to see someone following you. However, no one is to be seen. Looking closer at the weels of one of the containers, you notice a small object that acts as a sort of brake. You step on it, and it snaps right into place. Pushing on the container is much easier now, and you manage to escape the corridor. You run for a few more minutes until you reach a bench. It is the bench you originally sat on with {name}. Exhausted, you place {name} on the bench, then sit next to him. > [[continue|1qflaskonbench]]

You lean back, breathing heavily from all the running. {mf1}: "Thank god you are so feathery light, {name}... Or thank god you're so poor, haha..." Still concerned for his well being, you check his pulse and breathing once more. Both seem perfectly fine, it really is as if he's sleeping. {mf1}: "I bet she put something in that coffee... Something to knock you out. If she had put that in my cup aswell we would be goners by now, {name}..." You look up at the sky. A redness starts to appear around the clouds as the day goes from early to late evening. {mf1}: "Ahh... We didn't even manage to do any quest today... Guess we have to hide you from your dad tomorrow, haha..." You look over to {name}. He may just be sleeping, but you can't help but feel a little lonely like this. You want to talk about your choices with him, whether you did the right thing, and what he would have done. {mf1}: "Ah right, the vial..." You pull the small vial you got from {ff1} out of your pocket. After all that happened today there is no way you'd ever give the contents of it to {name}, so you decide to just eye it a little. As you do, you notice a small piece of paper attached to the backside of the bottle. [align center] '{ff1}, this is the antidote for the pills we gave you earlier, should you give them to the wrong person by any chance. Beware that the loss or use of this flask comes with a heavy pricetag.' [continue] You recognize this handwriting. It is the one of the butler at the restaurant, the one that led you to {ff1} to begin with. Angry at being deceived from two fronts, you throw the small paper away with great force. > [[continue|1qflasktake]]

After taking a sip of the coffee you pass out. As you lie unconscious, the view shifts to {mf1}, who is frantically trying to wake you up again. {ff1} seems to have an idea and leads him up to her apartment. Once inside, she starts sobbing, telling you how she could never do anything to you. You consider the possiblity that she might have poisoned {name}, and are at a crossroads as to whether you should trust her or not. > [[Skip to part of story|1qthreatenff1]] Possible Endings: 29-32 --- > [[Trust her]] > [[Don't trust her]]

You tell them about your fears. Something seems to awaken in {ff1}, and she quickly gets all of you out of the secluded town. Once outside, she tell you about the contents of her job, how she is supposed to hold you off from your Shawarma quest by drugging you. Having made your fears clear gave her an opportunity to keep you from getting poisoned. You notice that it is getting late, and that you have no place to sleep. {mf1}s houes might work, but it is currently occupied by the police. You have two choices, going to the police to get his housekeys back or taking on another quest. > [[Skip to part of story|1qpoliceplan]] Possible Endings: 33-35 --- Choosing to go to the police will lock you into **Ending 33**. > [[Go do another quest|anotherquest]]

You lean back again, letting out a hefty sigh. It takes you a moment to compose yourself. {mf1}: "In trouble, eh?" You turn the flask around in your hand. It looks expertly made, nothing like the herbal medicine you are used to. There is no doubt that it must be really expensive, much more than you should ever get the chance to hold on to. {mf1}: "I almost threw this... oh boy, would I get in trouble if I broke it?" You decide to hold it with two hands from now on, making sure it won't get damaged in any way. {mf1}: "Antidote... what was that again? Ah, I should have paid better attention at class, dammit... Doesn't sound good, though. No, I can't give this to {name}." The image of {ff1} crying suddenly comes up in your mind. Why would she give you such an expensive item right after luring you and {name} into a trap? It makes no sense to you, and leaves you no peace and quiet. {name}: "M-mhrg..." {name} is making grunting noises. Maybe he is waking up! You look over and grab his shoulder. {mf1}: "Wake up! Come on!" You shake him a bit. He will help you with this entire ordeal, he will know what to do! After shaking him some more, you see his eyes slowly start to open. > [[continue|1qnamesightagain]]

... ... "Ugh..." You awake from your sudden slumber. *"Does coffee make you sleepy or something? Wait, where am I?"* {mf1} is sitting in front of you, looking at you with concern in his eyes. {mf1}: "You're awake, finally! God, it's so good to see you again!" {mf1} gives you a small hug, a gesture you didn't at all expect from him of all people. He explains to you how he thinks {ff1} to have drugged you, and how he ran away from the secluded town with your unconscious body on his back. "S-she seemed so friendly... how could this be?" {mf1}: "Do you remember the butler-like person at the restaurant? The one that gave us our sandwiches? He left a note for her." {mf1} stands up, picking up a small piece of paper from the ground. {mf1}: "Here, look. It's in his handwriting, so I know it's him." "And antidote? Wait, was I poisoned?!" {mf1}: "Huh?" "You use an antidote when you're poisoned! {mf1}, do you know where this antidote is?" > [[continue|1qsearchantidote]]

{mf1}: "I-I didn't know! {ff1} gave me this when I rushed out the door." In his hands lies a small vial, expertly crafted and clad in glass. It looks enormeously expensive, far beyond anything you could ever afford. "D-do I look like I was poisoned?" {mf1}: "N-no, not really..." Both of you are hesitant to open the bottle. Maybe you weren't poisoned at all, and she used something different? Or maybe she didn't use anything at all, and {mf1}s assumptions were wrong? You are uncertain as to what to think, and {mf1} seems to be the exact same way. {mf1}: "W-we can't just sit here and do nothing! {name}, I have absolutely zero medical knowledge, I can't do anything if you collapse right here and now!" "We don't even know if I am actually poisoned! What do we do if anyone wants us to pay for this!" Both of are at a standstill. After a few seconds, {mf1} breaks the silence. {mf1}: "Listen... I see two ways, let's just pick one of them." You nod, eagerly anticipating his words. {mf1}: "It might sound strange... but I'm not sure if I was entirely correct about... {ff1}. She seemed really sorry and was crying a lot. Maybe we can go back? It's really risky though, if it was nothing but an affront to get sympathy we might really get in trouble..." "And the other choice?" {mf1}: "We can go back to the academy and give this vial to the scholars. They might know exactly what it is, and if you collapse there someone surely knows a way to help you. Exposing the restaurant like this won't be good for the people that rely on it to give them food, though..." It is clear to you that {mf1} can't make this decision alone. Whatever you want to do, {mf1} is sure to follow. > [[go to {ff1}|1qbackff1]] > [[go to academy|1qbackacademy]]

"We shouldn't risk the livelyhood of so many people for a hunch... I think we should try going back to {ff1}." {mf1} seems to be thinking about something, and does not answer. "{mf1}?" {mf1}: "Tell me, {name}... does {ff1} look kind of familiar to you?" "Where is this coming from?" {mf1}: "Arg, she asked me if I remember her, back at her apartment. Thing is, I do recognize her name from somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it... Does it ring any bells for you?" "N-no?" {mf1} seems to struggle quite a bit with his thoughts, putting both his hands oh his head. {mf1}: "I guess that makes sense, she only drugged you after all. God, I feel like I should remember her from somewhere..." "Let's go back and ask her, then." {mf1}: "You know, you are weirdly enthusiastic about all this. She drugged you, man." You shake your head. "You said that she cried a lot. Maybe she was forced into this. Now that we decided to go to her, we should try and put some trust into her." {mf1}: "Arg! Yes, yes, okay. I'll stop thinking about a thousand different things now. Come, I'll show you the way. > [[continue|1qbacktohouse]]

"Let's go to the academy." {mf1} seems a little reluctant, but eventually agrees. {mf1}: "Let's hurry, before the poison knocks you out again. Let's stay together until we're inside, alright?" You nod. Your mind has not properly caught up with the reality that you are probably poisoned yet, and you plan to keep it that way until you reach the academy. In much more of a sprint than a jog, you rush towards the academy. It takes you quite a while until you finally reach it. Both of you are heavily exhausted and struggle to properly open the front gate. Teacher: "What are you two doing here at this hour! Class has already concluded, you sh-" {mf1}: "He has been poisoned!" You look up at the hall in front of you. The stands from earler have all been removed, leaving nothing but a few bookshelves behind. A few teachers stand around, seemingly getting ready to go home. The mention of poison however has grabbed everyone's attention. Teacher: "Get him to the medicine room! We need a scholar! Quickly!" {mf1} helps you move towards a door in the back. All the running has made you quite exhausted, and your mind has finally started to realize how dire your situation may be, making your legs shake violently in fear. With great effort you reach the medicine room, where {mf1} puts you on a rather low hanging bed. > [[continue|1qinsidemedicineroom]]

A young man starts looking at you. He can't be much older than you, and seems pretty nervous. Guy: "I-I'm the nearest scholar with medicinal experience. Excuse me, but I am v-very new to all this. I will give it my b-best!" He signals for you to remove you shirt and robe, which you do with shaking hands. You lie down, and he puts his hand on your chest, feeling around for anything unusual. Guy: "I can't find any physical problems..." Of course there are no physical problems. You were poisoned, not beat up! The guy tries his best to look for a place to look, for a lack of better word. You become increasingly concerned as it looks like he has no idea what he's doing. Suddenly, the back door swings open. You look over and see a familiar face. {brother}: "Leave him to me, you can go home now." Guy: "T-thank you!" The guy bows heavily to {brother}, your brother, and exits the room. {brother}: "What have you gotten yourself into, {name}? I hear you've been poisoned?" He seems strangely calm about all this. It has been so long since you saw him, and now that you come to him with a possible poisoning he acts like nothing is amiss? You fail to find the words you want to say to him. > [[continue|1qbrotherautopsy]]

{brother} places his hand on top of your chest the same way the guy before him did. You feel your heart starting to race a little in fear that he doesn't know what to do either. However, as his palm touches your body, a warm sensation starts running through your body. It strangely relaxes you mind and muscles, and you start to relax. {brother}: "Hm... there is no poison, but it seems you were drugged. Did you perchance fall asleep suddenly after eating or drinking something today?" "Y-yes!" {brother} sits down on a nearby chair, thinking for a second before looking back at you. {brother}: "You don't need to worry about being poisoned. We call this a 'knock-out drug', it has no lasting effects. Still, please be more careful, people use these things for evil schemes, it is highly likely you dodged a bullet there." "Y-yeah, sorry..." So {ff1} really drugged you. You did wonder what she was fidgeting with back at the cafe, it must have been the 'knock-out drug'. {mf1}: "H-hey, {brother}, can you take a look at this?" {brother}: "Oh hi, {mf1}, sorry for not saying hello. Let me take a look." {mf1} hands him the vial with great care. > [[continue|1qbrothervial]]

{brother}: "Oh my, what have you two gotten yourselves into..." He puts the vial on a small desk next to him. {brother}: "This is an antidote used against a very potent poison. You shouldn't have this in your possession." You and {mf1} stay silent. {brother}s tone is scarily serious, and the two of you fear repercussions. {brother}: "Ugh... {name}, if you were hit with a poison that this here is supposed to cure I wouldn't even be able to cure you anymore. Do you realize how dangerous that is? You might very well have died from it!" {brother} takes a moment to compose himself. {brother}: "Where did you get this?" Without saying a word, {mf1} hands over the small piece of paper with the butlers handwriting. {brother}: "Was this attached to the bottle?" {mf1} nods. {brother} starts to read, and after finishing it lets out another sigh. {brother}: "Okay... this puts you in the clear, at least. Listen, you two. This antidote was stolen from the academy around a month back. I will mark you two as having retrieved it from the thief, you will be able to claim the reward tomorrow morning." He puts the piece of paper next the the flask. > [[continue|1qEnd29]]

{brother}: "And I even know whose handwriting that is... Well, I expected him to do that sort of thing anyways... Ugh..." {brother} puts his hand on his forehead, as if he has a headache. *"I-I'm okay... I'm okay!"* A great feeling fills your entire body. You are healthy! {mf1}: "But we didnt'-" {brother}: "Stop, not another word. Just take the reward, I know you two don't have a lot money for yourselves." He stands up, looking a bit exhausted. {brother}: "Hey, brother." He comes over, stroking your head a bit. You feel a bit awkward, but decide not to do anything about it. {brother}: "It's nice to see you again. And that you're still friends with {mf1} after everything I heard you two did these past few years... Color me impressed." You flash him an awkward smile, knowing entirely that he is not talking about your academic results, which weren't very good to begin with. {brother}: "My first quest wasn't this exciting, let me tell you. I simply reorganized some books at the library back then... Take care, alright?" He pats you on the head once more before leaving, taking the flask and the letter with him. > [[continue|1qEnd29.1]]

{mf1}: "I'm... speechless." You breathe out. It feels good to be healthy and free. {brother} really helped you out, and you wish to repay him for that someday. {mf1}: "{name}... Do you know how many credits that quest was worth?" You turn over to {mf1}, still comfortly lying in your bed. *"Tough luck, {mf1}! The bed is only big enough for one person!"* "Isn't it great? I wasn't even poisoned!" {mf1}: "H-huh? Oh, yeah, that's great..." You sit up, completely disappointed at {mf1}s response. "What is it, {mf1}! Are you not happy that I am healthy?" You decide to use a rather dramatical approach and pout. Not able to keep this up however, you start to giggle a little. {mf1}: "{name}!" He grabs your shoulders. You shudder a little. {mf1}: "The flask! That was a quest on the board! {name}, this quest was worth 30 credits for every party member! That is ten times what Sherone would have given us!" "H-huh?!?" [align center] __Ending #29: Tricked, yet happy__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You follow {mf1} towards the trash containers, through the corridor and finally over the plaza. {mf1}: "A-awkward question: Can you put up your hood?" "Why? We will stick out like a sore thumb." {mf1}: "I may have... caused some damages at the cafe... We should make sure they don't see me." You look around. The cafe sits directly to your right, and there is plenty of space to go around it. "Let's just take little detour." {mf1}: "Yeah, I guess that's a better idea. See the water fountain over there? We go there, and a few meters in front of it we turn right. It's one of those buildings over there." You nod, now moving alongside {mf1} instead of behind him to attract less attention. Your clothing gives you away, however. The people here are either dressed in rather pricey garments or identical working clothes. Rags like the one you're wearing are quite a contrast to both of those. To your surprise, no one seems to take problem with you being here, though. You move towards the fountain just like {mf1} said, and turn right a few meters in front of it. After only a few seconds of walking you come across an opened door. "What... happened here?" The doorhandle is stuck in the inside wall. Someone must have ripped it open with great force. {mf1}: "Can we... not talk about this... ehe..." You throw {mf1} a concerned look, then move inside. > [[continue|1qinsidehouse]]

In front of you stands a narrow staircase. {mf1}: "We should go up to the fourth floor. That is where she took me earlier." You walk behind {mf1} as there is not enough space for the two of you to move next to each other. The steps are rather small, so walking up is kind of annoying. "Did you really carry me up and down all those steps?" {mf1}: "Hm? Yeah, what about it?" You wonder if you could have done the same. {mf1} should be a bit heavier than you, and he's also physically stronger. *"Arg! Thinking about this is not going to help me. I should think about what to ask {ff1}... god this going to be awkward."* While you might try to display an indefference to {ff1}s actions outside, inside you still can't shake the thought that she actually drugged you. And that after she was so nice to you. Yes, she did shiver a lot and supposedly cried in front of {mf1}, but she still did it, right? A normal person would do their best to avoid using any kind of poison. *"I want to hear her side of the story, why and how she could do that. That is what I'm going to ask her."* After climbing the last few steps you finally reach the fourth floor. "God, I'm already exhausted..." In front of you stand two doors, one on the left and one on the right. {mf1} is looking towards the right one with great determination in his eyes. {mf1}: "I don't know if I'm ready, but the door is still partially open. Brace yourself, {name}, and don't let your guard down. We're going inside." With that, he opens the door and steps inside. You follow him. > [[continue|1qinsideapartment]]

As you follow {mf1} inside you see a small hallway leading to a kitchen at the end of it. To your right and left are closed doors. There is no light in the hallway, with the only light sources being the ceiling light from outside and the reddened sunlight from outside, shining through a window in the kitchen. {mf1} takes a deep breath. {mf1}: "Lets go." You enter the kitchen. A tipped over chair lies on the ground next to a small cupboard and a weirdly out of place wooden plank. A table stands next to it, but there is nothing on it. {mf1} moves inside. {mf1}: "There is no one here... She must have gone somewhere." Not exactly interested in a kitchen, you turn around towards one of the doors in the hallway. You decide to open the left one first. It takes quite a bit of force to push it open, as if it was blocked by something inside. Thinking that maybe {ff1} barricated herself inside, you push with a great amount of force until the door finally budges open enough to fit through. What meets your eyes is not at all what you expected. A disgusting stench fills your nostrils, and you supress the urge to vomit. *"God, what is this..."* You put you nose under your shirt and move inside. The room is filled with trash. Filled in the most literary sense: you can't even see the floor anymore. All different kinds of things lie scattered around. Food, clothes, toys, everything one might expect to enter a house at one point or another. You look further, spotting a bed at the end of the room. There is someone sitting on top of it. *"{ff1}!"* > [[continue|1qmessedroom]]

You trudge through the trash, stepping on all different kinds of things in the progress. As you feel something soft pop under your foot you shudder. *"This is so disgusting..."* It takes you a few seconds until you finally reach the bed. {ff1} is sitting on the edge of the matress, looking down. It seems as if she didn't notice you, or chooses to ignore you. "H-hey, are you alright?" There is no respone. You put your hand on her shoulder, and almost immediately feel a sharp pain in your stomach. "Ugh!" {ff1}: "W-wa... Sorry!" {ff1} violently swung her arm the second you touched her, hitting you right in the stomach with surprising force. You need to hunch down a bit to surpress the urge to vomit. It takes you a second or two to compose yourself. As you look up and to meet her gaze, you see nothing but terror in her eyes. {ff1}: "I-I-It's you... Oh god..." Her face distorts in unnatural patterns as she crawls backwards on the bed, trying to create distance to you. Normally, you would be quite annoyed at this. After all, you are the one that should be afraid! However, you notice the redness in and under her eyes, most likely caused from her crying. You can't find it in you to get mad at someone that looks like this. You pause for a second, then sit down at the other side of the bed. > [[continue|1qmessedroom1]]

You decide that there is no need to rush. Looking over to the door you see {mf1} trying to get through all the trash himself. "How can you breathe in all this?" {mf1}: "Mouth... Breathing..." It does not sound like it's the best plan, as he definitely looks a little sick. {ff1}: "I..." You turn around to look at {ff1}. Her face has somewhat loosened up, but she still looks rather grim. {ff1}: "I'll open the window..." A small window sits next to the bed. You wonder why it needs to be this small, as it barely lets enough light inside the room to properly see even a few meters in front of you. The second the window opens a gust of wind reaches your face. You let go of your shirt and take a deep breath. Hevenly, clean air, at last. {mf1} is now standing right next to you, probably on some junk lying on the floor by the way he tiptoes from one leg to the other. {mf1}: "Ugh, thank you, that is way better. You shouldn't ever close that window, the air inside here can't be good for you, you know?" {ff1} doesn't react, only sitting in the corner the same way she did before. > [[continue|1qmakeupff1]]

You take a deep breath. She doesn't look scary. \ She doesn't look to be hiding a weapon. \ She doesn't look scary at all. "Hey, {ff1}." She looks up. You can feel her fear even from this distance. Well, she is sitting in the corner of a room surrounded by two guys she barely knows, after all. {mf1}: "How are you holding up? Why did you go into this trashy room? We can go into the kitchen or outside, if you want." {ff1}: "Why... are you here..." Her eyes meet yours. Does she not wonder why {mf1} is here aswell? "I want to know what happened." {ff1} digs her face into her legs. You feel {mf1} touch your shoulder, and as you turn around you see him holding out the vial to you. You grab it and offer it to {ff1}. {ff1}: "H-huh? Why are you giving me this?" "Well, it said it's quite expensive on the note that was attached to it... We don't want anything to do with something this expensive..." {ff1} grabs the vial. She stops right above your hand, then slowly retracts hers. {ff1}: "I... thank you... I would be... in a very bad place without it... Thanks." Finally, she smiles a little as she pulls the vial to her chest. > [[continue|1makeupff11]]

"Can you tell me... what poison it's supposed to cure?" You decide it's better to not accuse her immediately. Going this route might be safer. {ff1}: "I might as well tell you..." She takes a deep breath. You look over at {mf1}, who nods in return. Will you finally get some answers? {ff1}: "I was given some medicine, so-to-speak... It is supposed to make the person fall asleep for a long time. It looks like this." She pulls out a few bean-like looking objects that you don't recoginize. The medicine you know consists of potions and plants, not this. It must be mighty expensive. {ff1}: "I... shaved a bit off earlier... that's why you fell asleep." "You... shaved a bit off?" She hands you one of the beans, and you take it. Looking at it, you notice nothing really out of the ordinary. {mf1}: "You got to be kidding. Look, there, it's shaven off there." Truthfully, the smallest amount of material was shaved off the bean. It is so little that you couldn't even see it yourself at first. {mf1}: "Wait! And THAT knocked him out?" She nods. You and {mf1} look at each other in shock. "T-thank you for not using the whole thing... Oh god..." > [[continue|1qpillexplain]]

You give the bean back to {ff1}. {ff1}: "Why are you thanking me? I still put it in your cup. You should be angry and punch me in the face. Why are you so fucking chill?!?" Her anxiety seems to shift to panic as she doesn't find any answers to her question. {mf1}: "P-please, calm down!" You can't seem to find an answer yourself. Somehow, everything she does seems... forced, unintentional. And then there is... "She is kind of cute..." Why the hell did THIS come out of mouth of all things? Maybe because you didn't realize it yourself, and it seems so out of place that you subconscious just had to spurt it out like that. Well, no matter why it happened, looking at {ff1}s expression makes it perfectly obvious that she heard every word you said. {ff1}: "H-h-h-h-huh? What?" Her reaction is perfectly reasonable. She basically poisoned you and now you say stuff like that. You scratch you head in an effort to look more innocent than you probably are. How will you dig yourself out of this hole... "Ehe... I didn't mean to say that... Actually..." You take a deep breath. Time to shift her attention away from what you just did. "I think you were forced into this. No one asked you to shave down that bean, right?" That felt good... surely she will forget about all that just happened in a moment. > [[continue|1qpillexplain1]]

{ff1}: "W-well, yeah..." "Why did you do that then?" {ff1}: "These things... some people don't wake up anymore after taking them. I-I was scared of killing someone with them! God, you don't understand how terrifying it is that they work with so little material! I-I was so scared!" She starts tearing up a little. You feel a bit annoyed that she only talks about herself in this, but decide to hear her out further for now. {ff1}: "I... I'm so glad to see you awake. I really do." She throws you a bright smile, with tears running down her face. The evening sun shines on her head, making the tears shine in beautiful colors. "T-thanks..." {mf1}: "It was the butler that forced you, right?" {ff1}: "Y-yes... {mf1}." Why does she say his name all of a sudden? She never said your name in all this! Well, she probably forgot... {mf1}: "He has quite the following... I understand that you want to stay on his good side. There is no telling what he might do to you if-" {ff1}: "You don't need to worry about this. I failed anyways." {mf1}: "Failed at what, exactly?" You lean back, giving {mf1} a better view of {ff1}. Now its time for everything to fall into place. > [[continue|1qquestexplanation]]

{ff1}: "M-my job...?" {mf1}: "I want to know what that job is, {ff1}." {ff1} is averting your gaze. Her job might very well put her well being at risk, so it's understandable that she would be hestitant to answer. {ff1}: "You said my name... {mf1}. Do you finally remember me?" {mf1} mentioned this. You think about it yourself, but neither her name nor her looks are familiar to you. *"Strange... A person living here should definitely have attended townsend... How come I don't know her?"* {mf1}: "You name is familiar... But I don't remember exactly." {ff1}: "You know my father. Does that ring any bells?" {mf1} suddenly seems to have a realization, snapping his fingers as he does. {mf1}: "Yes! Now I remember! {name}, her father used to drink with mine. The two of us met rather often back then, but it's been a long time since then." He looks over to her. {mf1}: "You look so different now, I didn't even recognize you. That is... quite a way of a reunion, isn't it?" {ff1} nods, smiling a bit at the fact that she was finally recognized. You yourself don't apprechiate the lighthearted tone very much. 'Hello, I'm still here!' - you think to yourself. > [[continue|1qquestexplanation1]]

{ff1}: "Well, I can tell you... You were always a bit of a softie, you would never hurt me, hehe." The tension in the air seems to have faded quite a bit. "A softie, eh?" {mf1}: "Shut up! I'm not a softie!" If you don't like something, you should join in and make the best of it. And you don't like the lighthearted atmosphere here. "Biiig softie!" {mf1}: "Arg, why you...!" {ff1} starts to giggle a bit. It feels good to have left the depressing atmosphere behind you. You shake your head, not knowing what to think or feel anymore. {ff1}: "Haha... Oh man..." {ff1} takes a moment to compose herself, then starts to talk. {ff1}: "Okay, listen. My quest is to keep you two to from completing your quest. The restaurant does not want Sherone to get his shawarma back and told me to to put these 'beans' in your drinks. I... couldn't bring myself to do that to {mf1}, though... so I officially failed my job... and will probably have to pay for it..." Despite what she told you being quite sad and problematic, she doesn't seem all to bothered by it. In fact, she seems quite content. {ff1}: "But I'm happy things went the way they did. I did not hurt anyone, and I'd rather be punished than do anything like this ever again." She starts to smile as she finishes her sentence. > [[continue|1qEnd30]]

{mf1}: "Wait wait, the job is to keep us from doing our quest, right?" {ff1}: "Hm? Y-yeah, that's right." {mf1} is taking on a thinking stance. He must be on to something. {mf1}: "And you absolutely have to use these beans?" {ff1}: "W-well, they didn't exactly... oh god, did I not even have to use them?" {ff1} doesn't seem to have thought this thing through to the end. She jumps forward, gripping you by the shoulders. {ff1}: "I'm so sorry! So very sorry! I only did it because I thought I had to... I'm so sorry!" "I-It's alright. Calm down..." Her sudden move scared you a little, and her grip on your shoulders was rather tight You are happy that she let go so quickly. {mf1}: "Let's continue this tought... If you only have to keep us from doing it, any means by which you do so will be alright, I guess? So, if we just stay with you for the day, your job should be considered successfully done." "That makes sense, actually." {ff1} seems speechless. {mf1} sighs as he expects her to not give a response. {mf1}: "How about a deal, then?" He throws his hand around your shoulder. {mf1}: "We go and spend the day together, you complete your job, and everything is fine." You look over at {ff1}, who starts crying a bit again. {ff1}: "I-I'd like that very much. T-thank you so so much... thank you..." > [[continue|1qEnd30.1]]

You feel good about having resolved this issue so well. However, {mf1} doesn't seem to have finished talking yet. {mf1}: "There is one condition, though." {ff1}: "Hehe, I think I can already guess." {mf1}: "Well?" {ff1}: "How about an even split? That would mean 10 credits for the both of you." "10 credits???" That is quite a good sum of money. Sherone's quest definitely wouldn't have payed that well. {mf1}: "Well, I think that sounds just great. Let's start by getting out of this trashheap, though." You couldn't agree more, and after a few second all three of you have exited the room and sat down at the kitchen. {ff1}: "We still have a few hours until nightfall... what do you want to do?" {mf1} looks around. {mf1}: "Well, we can fix that cupboard you smashed earlier... We can also clean up that room of yours..." {ff1}: "Do you really want to work today? Come on, we don't have to do anything today, let's go out and relax a little. I'd love to talk to you two a bit, get to know you." You sigh, knowing full well that {mf1} won't agree to going outside with her. > [[continue|1qEnd30.2]]

{mf1}: "W-well, what can I say? I just love working!" "He destroyed your front door and did something stupid at the cafe. If we go out now he will definitely have to pay for both." {mf1}: "{name}... come on, why do you have to snitch on me like that... Just portray me as a hard worker here, man." "But you aren't!" {mf1}: "Arg, I will repay you for that!" {ff1} giggles a bit again. {ff1}: "You two really fit together. I'm glad you found a good friend like that, {mf1}." The three of you laugh at the situation together, continuing to tell stories about your lives these past few years. In no time, the cupboard is fixed and quite a few trashbags are filled. {mf1}: "And you say your father is making all this mess?" {ff1}: "Judge it yourself, how many beer bottles did you pick up today?" "I am on my 54th..." {mf1}: "31st... god, he is even worse than mine." The day continues without a worry in the world, and as the clock strikes midnight the three of you decide to leave the building. Moving past the closed coffee shop, through the corridor and finally stopping at the trash containers. > [[continue|1qEnd30.3]]

{ff1}: "Today was fun... Thank you two for helping me so much today." {mf1}: "Don't worry about it. We'll see each other tomorrow, then?" {ff1}: "Yeah, meet me here in the afternoon." {mf1}: "Alright then. We'll take our leave, see you tomorrow!" {ff1}: "W-wait!" {ff1} is looking at you, her face all red. {ff1}: "T-thank you for calling me cute..." You can't help but blush yourself. She did look really cute right now, you have to give her that. Wait, no, why does she remember that? Arg! So embarassing... and that in front of {mf1}! Can it get any worse... {mf1}: "Okay okay, we can stop right here. Come on, {name}, we've got to go." He grabs you by your shirt and pulls you away from the corridor. {ff1} waves you with the slightest of hand movements, and you do the same. You feel so dreamy. Somehow, the entire ordeal of her poisoning you started interesting you less and less as time passed and the three of you spend time together. Her looking cute might have helped with this somewhat, sure, but she also feels like a pleasant person to be around. 10 credits for effectively doing nothing at all aswell! There are no regrets in your mind after today. *"I'm glad we went to her and not the academy... It's like we found a new friend... And a cute one at that... God, I should really get a grip on myself... in front of {mf1}, at least..."* You free yourself from {mf1}s grip and move alongside him into the night, realizing that you have no clue where to even sleep tonight. [align center] __Ending #30: Tomorrow can't come soon enough__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

[align center] Hey there! The Author here, and I really wish to thank you for taking the time to read my first story! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :). I'd like to use this page to provide some context on this story, how I wrote it and why it is the way it is. It is not that important, so don't feel forced to read it if you just want to experience the story! This project has been in the works since September of 2021, with the first four Endings being completed in the span of about half a year. I just started writing back then and had no real experience besides reading manga and playing some visual novels. Because of that, I tried implementing a few game concepts, which I struggled to properly implement later, unfortunately... Still, I think I wrote some of my best Endings during this time, and am pretty proud of it. After that, I had a long break until I finally began working on a much bigger set of Endings, spanning from the end of 2022 to around autumn of 2023. I have begun consuming more fictional media by now, giving me more of an idea as to how I could continue the story. This is also the time where the story got a little convoluted, and I went hard into the 'your choices really matter!' direction, making it quite hard to organize everything in retrospect. Still, everything worked out in the end and I am quite happy with the result! I had another break until New Years of 2024, where I really started investing a lot of time into this story, writing about half of it in a span of three months. By now I started actively reading books, and while not all of them provided inspiration for this it definitely gave me a new vision as to how I want to approach my writing. These Endings have a lot less choices and more overall text, contrary to how I previously designed the story. Choices still matter the same way they did before when they come up, only that reaching them will take a little longer now that there is not a choice at every second page. I am particularly happy with the things I wrote during this phase, as I really managed to pour my heart into some of those passages, feeling really passionate about writing in a way that connects with me. Not that all of them are that special, of course. If you have the time, I'd recommend seeing one of the secret Endings and maybe give Ending 27 a chance. I am particularly proud of those. Well, that is it about how this project came to be! As you might have noticed, a lot has happened in the years it took for this project to come to a close, so bear this in mind when some Endings feel disjointed from others, or the writing style is a bit all over the place. It was important for me not to rewrite old Endings and leave them the way they are, as a memento of how I approached the story back then. I know some of them are quite silly and amateurish, but I hope it's still a nice experience to read :). A small fun fact: Back when I first started writing the story I wanted to implement some kind of fictional creature and for some reason thought the name 'Shawarma' sounded pretty cool. It was only during writing that I learned that a Shawarma is a kind of food... I thought it was funny though, so I kept it in. Thank you again for checking out my story. It means the world to me, and I hope you can enjoy it all the way! **Written from:** 09/2021 until 03/2024 \ **Pages:** ~750 (If it were a book, it would be ~350 pages, concluded by the word count) \ **Words:** ~160.000 [continue] > [[go back|start]]

You decide to trust {ff1} instead of running off. This decision leads you down a rabbit hole, where you learn about your history with her. After some time, {name} wakes back up again with a headache. You believe it to be the best to get him some food, so you go outside together with {ff1} to get some. Once outside, {ff1} asks you if she can show you around a little, instead of immediately going back. You have some reservations about leaving him alone longer than need be, but also want to spend some time with {ff1}. > [[Skip to part of story|1qatstand]] --- Choosing to go with {ff1} will lead to **Ending 31**, while going back to {name} immediately will lead to **Ending 32**

You ({mf1}) decide that it's best not to trust her and rush out the door. On the way out, she hands you a small vial. You bring {name} over to a bench outside the town plaza and inspect the vial. A note is attached, informing you that it is some kind of antidote. Fortunately, {name} wakes up and the view shifts back to him. Scared at the prospect that you might have been poisoned you feel the need to find out more about the vial. You are presented with two choices. > [[Skip to part of story|1qsearchantidote]] Choosing to to go the academy will lead to **Ending 29**, while choosing {ff1} will lead to **Ending 30**.

You return to {name} and take a closer look at the object. It looks like the kind of medicine the scholars like to experiment with back at the academy. You have no skills in this topic though, so you are unable to say anything about it. Rolling it around in your hand, you notice a small bump, a very very small one. As you look closer, you see that it is because part of it was shaven off. {mf1}: "Wait... that's practically... nothing... wait, THAT knocked {name} out??" You let go of the bean in fear. If that little, so little that there was barely a dent in it, was able to knock him out, then the entire thing might have very well killed him. {mf1}: "Why... did you shave it off?" {ff1} wipes away her tears again. Her face has become red and swollen, and her eyes are bloodshot. {ff1}: "I didn't want to... knock him out... I only wanted..." She pauses for a moment. {ff1}: "I wanted to ask you what I should do..." You squint your eyes. {mf1}: "Why should I give you advise on how to poison my friend? What kind of idea is that?" {ff1} sits down on the floor, digging her face into her legs. She does not respond to your question. After breathing in and out to calm yourself, you look back at {name}, who is still sleeping quietly. Concluding that he is probably alright, you decide to sit down on the ground aswell. > [[continue|1qtalkff1]]

{mf1}: "Why did you do this in the first place? You certainly don't seem to be enjoying this." Again, there is no response. {mf1}: "And why did you only do that to {name}s drink? You can't be serious about this 'asking me' stuff..." After not getting a response for the thrid time, you decide to stand back up again and move over to her. Now only standing half a meter away from her, she still does not react, her face buried in her legs. You grab the bottle she carefully placed on the counter to take a look. It looks expensive, so expensive in fact that you yourself probably couldn't afford it even if you saved towards it your entire life. {ff1} shouldn't be able to afford this aswell, this is stuff in an entirely different price league. A note is attached to the bottle. You take it off and start reading. [align center] '{ff1}, this is the antidote for the pills we gave you earlier, should you give them to the wrong person by any chance. Beware that the loss or use of this flask comes with a heavy pricetag.' [continue] {mf1}: "Is this here used to cure {name}?" She does not say anything, but looking down at her you notice a small nod. The flask is sealed shut. If one were to open it it would be impossible to close again. Suddenly, you feel something grip one of your legs. > [[continue|1qtalkff11]]

{ff1}: "I don't think we need to... open it..." She still seems nervous, but at least now she is looking at you. You are not going to let this opportunity pass. With great determination, you plant yourself down next to her, scaring her a bit in the progress. Now she can't hide anymore! {mf1}: "Then answer my question!" You notice her trying to hide again, but you won't let that happen. Not knowing where to put your hand, you instictively reach out to her shoulder. She shudders at your touch. {ff1}: "Ah!" It takes her a moment to compose herself. {ff1}: "Okay, fine..." She removes your hand from her shoulder, then readjusts her sitting position so that she is now sitting on her knees. She can't hide anymore like this, which is probably intentional. {ff1}: "What was your question again, {mf1}?" There is a weirdly comfortable smile on her face. It is a stark contrast to the way she looked before, even though her reddened face hides it a little. {mf1}: "I want to know why you would do such a thing." > [[continue|1qtalkff12]]

{ff1}: "Well, I got a job from the restaurant. They told me to keep the two of you from completing your quest, and gave me the poison together with the medicine. That's all, {mf1}." {mf1}: "The restaurant? Do you mean..." {ff1}: "Yep. The one that gave you your quest aswell, {mf1}." The fact that the restaurant would try to poison you shocks you greatly, sweat forming on your forehead in response. They always were a shady organisation, but you never expected them to go this far. {mf1}: "S-so do we need to cure {name}, then?" {ff1}: "I don't think so... he'll most likely wake up in the next few hours. Tell me, {mf1}..." {mf1}: "Why are you saying my name all the time?" It's not just that. She also doesn't stop smiling at you. Sure, there are a few tears flowing out of her eyes but besides that it looks like she is perfectly happy right now. It makes no sense, if you were in her position you would be terrified. {ff1}: "Because it's nice to see you again... You look so different, but you are still the same in many ways..." What is she talking about? Your face distorts as you fear being deceived. Then, suddenly, {ff1} lunges forwards, tipping you off balance. You try and regain your stability, but it is no use. In no time you fall over backwards, with {ff1} pushing you to the ground. > [[continue|1qff1hug]]

You first percieved this as an attack, but it seems you were mistaken. {ff1}: "Tell me... *sob*... what to do... *sob* ... please... please..." {ff1} is lying on top of you, grabbing your shirt by the sides. She starts sobbing once more. Your first instinct is to shove her off, but you fail. Not because of your strength or the angle, but because you can't bring yourself to excert more force. Disregarding everything that just happened, something in you inhibits you from forcefully shoving a crying girl off your chest. You sigh, then place your hand oh her head. {mf1}: *"Why am I doing this..."* You stroke her head, and her sobbing starts to quiet down. {mf1}: "Have you.. calmed down a little?" {ff1} sits back up, and you do the same. She nods. {mf1}: "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you. It must have been some time ago." {ff1}: "Mhm... It's been a few years, we were just kids back then." You try and think back. Then it occurs to you. {mf1}: "{ff1}! Yes, I remember! Our fathers used to drink together!" {ff1}: "Hihi, it's nice to see you remember." > [[continue|1qff1storypath]]

It has been many years since you last accompanied your father on one of his drinking trips. As a little kid with only a father, what else was there to do? It was then that you met {ff1}, who was, just like you, a kid of a single father. You used to play and talk together, and when it came to bringing one of the drunken fathers back home you often times assisted each other in carrying them back home. She was a nice kid, always trying her best to help people when they needed anything. Still, her father was a drunkard, and a bastardly aggressive one at that. It was often that you saw her crying, running away and sometimes even bruised around the arms and face. She was the only reason why you accompanied your father on his trips for so long, until one day she stopped coming. That was around the time you stopped doing that aswell, and started visiting townsend academy. {mf1}: "It's quite impressive that you managed to remember me. We look nothing like we used to." {ff1}: "Well... I occationally think back on how things were back then... Oh, and you still have no sense in fashion, quite contrarian to me! Hehe" You have no idea what 'fashion' is supposed to be. Must be something for the rich. However, it seems like the topic brings her great happiness. {mf1}: "What is... fashion...?" {ff1} seems to be in shock. {ff1}: "What? You don't even know what that is?" In a longwinded speech she tells you how people here dress differently as part of the season, and how her shorter hair and missing jacket arms make her stand out more. You don't understand why any of that would ever matter to anyone, but it does not matter to you either. {ff1} is happy now, and all the tears have faded from her face. > [[continue|1qff1contstory]]

{mf1}: "Please let us get back to the topic of {name}. Look, he's my best friend, and I can't have him getting side effects or anything. If you have any way we can help him I want to try it." {ff1} stands up, thinking to herself. It looks like it takes her quite a bit of courage to properly think about this. {ff1}: "I... I'm still sorry..." {mf1}: "It's arlight for now. Just focus on his recovery." {ff1}: "W-well, no... there isn't really anything we can do. He should just wake up in the next couple of hours. As far as I know, the medicine just puts you asleep if you use so little of it." You are a bit sceptical. It is obvious that she does not want to use the bottle, most likely because of its heavy price tag. {ff1}: "It's not just because of the bottle, I promise! I don't know exactly what its contents do, and there may be more side effect to drinking it than otherwise!" {mf1}: "Fair enough." It's as if she was reading your mind. {ff1}: "But we can give him some water!" She runs over to the tap and pours a glass of water. The water looks so clean... a contrast to how it is at your house. As you watch her try and pour it down {name}s throat, you begin to think about the 'fashion' thing she talked about earlier. Looking at her, it is true that she looks a lot more presentable than most girls you know. Her exposed shoulders would probably be an issue for the older people at the academy... but besides that you can't argue that she doesn't look good. You run your hand through your hair, deciding that you definitely need a 'fashionable' haircut the next time you cut them. Some time passes as you and {ff1} continue talking about this in that, always keeping a watchful eye on {name}. > [[continue|1qnameagain]]

... ... "U-ugh..." You awake on a table. Your head hurts, and your eyes can't find a place to focus. {mf1}: "{name}!" You rub your eyes and look around. "A... kitchen?" {mf1}: "You are in {ff1}s kitchen. It looks like that coffee was a bit too much for you, eh?" {ff1} is standing next to you. In stark contrast to {mf1} she is looking kind of grim. "Oh... Alright..." Did you really pass out from that cup of coffee? You did't sleep all that well the last couple of weeks, so it might just be exhaustion kicking in. Still, it feels awkward how easy it was for you to pass out. {ff1}: "Do... you need anything?" She has a guilt written all over he face. Did she bang your head against the table and feel bad about it? It would explain your headache... "I am a bit hungry... ugh, my head..." > [[continue|1qgetfood]]

{ff1}: "W-what do you want?" "Huh? {mf1}, do we have any money right now?" You are too lazy to look into your pockets to check. {mf1} hands you a glass of water. {mf1}: "Nothing. But don't worry, we'll get something. Do you think we can keep you alone for a little while?" You gulp down the entire glass in one go. "S-sure... I just feel a little dizzy, is all." {mf1}: "Alright, we'll head out and grab something. You just sit tight, alright? The tap water here is safe, you can drink from it." "Okay..." As if on cue the two of them leave the room. *"Those two sure were rather quick to leave..."* You stand up. This is nothing like after a small nap, it feels more like someone hit your head and knocked you out. You have to prop yourself up on the table just to properly stand. *"I need another glass..."* You try your best to navigate towards the sink. It can't be more than maybe two meters away from you, but it is still quite the chore to get to. Your legs are shaking, and your vision slightly blurry. You start to doubt that you just fell asleep. > [[continue|1qwatertap]]

You pull on the tap, and out flows clean water. *"It really looks safe... I wish we had this at home..."* You chug two more glasses of water until you feel you've had enough. *"God, I feel so weak..."* You put your head on one of your arms for support, but quickly regret that decision. The strength in your back fails you, and you can't find it in you to properly stand up again. You try your best to resist, but it is futile. One by one, from your shoulders to your back down to your knees, you muscles start failing you. Your head starts to spin, and your vision is getting blurry. Letting go of the glass of water, you hear it shatter on the floor next to you. After that, everything turns to black. ... ... You have started to like {ff1} quite a bit by now. She is just as nice as she was back then, and you have no problem talking with her. It really was just a nasty job she had to take, nothing more! You are certain {name} will understand as well, but it's better to tell him later than now. {ff1}: "So, what are we getting?" {mf1}: "I don't know, what do we have here?" {ff1}: "Well, the usual, but... ah! Hahaha, I've got a good idea, I think!" {mf1}: "Heh, alright." She grabs your arm and pulls you towards a nearby marketplace. > [[continue|1qatstand]]

*"We were rather quick back at the apartment... I forgot to check if {name} is really alright..."* {ff1}: "Look, here!" You stand in front of an array of different stands, all selling different kinds of foods. It's similar to the marketplace back in town, only that the stuff here looks much better. Then, you suddenly spot something peculiar." {mf1}: "Is that..." {ff1}: "A shawarma, yes! Hehe." {mf1}: "God, that really is a funny idea." You can't find it in yourself to relax. Somehow you start to worry about {name}, as if a higher force was trying to tell you to check up on him. {ff1}: "Do we want to look around some more beforehand?" On the other hand is {ff1}. You can't help but feel good around her. She is one of the only good friends you ever had, and finally having the opportunity to spend time with her again feels incredible. {name} did look alright back at the apartment, didn't he? Surely he can handle a little headache. {ff1}: "Heyhey, I want to show you around! Will you come with me?" She grabs one of your arms with both hands, looking at you with excited eyes. If only the redness from earlier were to fade... Never again do you want to see her cry like that. > [[go with {ff1}|1qff1mf1]] > [[buy the shawarma now|1qname]]

{mf1}: "I-I really think we should look after {name}... I'm a bit worried about him." {ff1} reluctantly lets go of your arm. {ff1}: "I understand. I wouldn't want anything happening to him either." She orders one big shawarma, which gets handed to you right away. It's huge, easily being enough for all three of you. And it is surprisingly cheap, with some saving you might very well buy it yourself, if you get another chance at getting inside this town that is. {mf1}: "Alright, let's go back up." {ff1} nods, throwing you a big smile. She seems happy with your decision, even though you declined her proposal. You reach the fourth floor again, and with an audible click the door opens. {ff1}: "Huh... he's not on the chair." You close the door behind her, then follow into the kitchen. {ff1}: "A-ah!" A sudden cry shakes you wide awake. Almost dropping the shawarma on to the floor, you rush into the kitchen, placing it on the table before looking over to {ff1}. Your start to shiver the second you see the scene in front of your eyes. {name} is lying unconscious, slumped down against the sink. Next to him lie shattered pieces of glass. His mouth is open, and his eyes partially open. {mf1}: "{name}!" > [[continue|1qname1]]

No, you will not listen to some stupid voice in your head. {ff1} is here, and you are certainly not going to squander this opportunity! Who knows, maybe {name} might try to hit on her later and... you don't want to finish that thought. Time is precious, and you will spend it together with her! {mf1}: "Alright, lead the way." {ff1}: "Great!" She lets go of your hand, and now jumps happily in some random direction. {ff1}: "Look, here. And there! And all this!" She shows you the great water fountain at the middle of the plaza, the little shops around town selling little figurines and the big golden gate that normally keeps people like you outside the city. You didn't ask for a tour, but you're glad you got one. {ff1}: "There is one more thing." You follow her to a shop selling clothes. All of them look expertly made, and pretty expensive. {ff1}: "I want to buy you a jacket. I bet you'd look great in one." {mf1}: "{ff1}..." You can't help yourself and hug her. {mf1}: "I'd like that, thank you." {ff1}: "Hihi, of course. Here, I've already got one on mind." > [[continue|1qfashion]]

It is a leathery jacket similar to hers, only that this one still has its arms intact and is quite a bit darker in color, almost blackish. {mf1}: "Woah, this feel great!" {ff1}: "And very fashionable!" {mf1}: "Yeah yeah... fashion... yeah..." {ff1}: "Hahaha! You look good, let's get this one." She moves over to the counter with the little price tag that was attached to the jacket. Did she really just buy you a jacket? You could never afford this. {mf1}: "Thank you." She couldn't hear you, as she is currently paying. {ff1}: "Is one more place alright?" {mf1}: "Yeah, sure." You feel like you are forgetting something, but it doesn't bother you. This here kind of feels like a date, doesn't it? She is only your friend though, you have no interest in actually dating her. But doing stuff is really nice, and you can't help but smile as you appraoch another shop. This one is a barber shop. It is the first time you've ever seen one, as in town it's normal for people like you to cut your hair yourselves. {ff1}: "Hey! One haircut for my friend here please." Woman: "Oh yes, he does look like he needs one. How did you even come across someone with hair like that.. ugh. Come, take a seat there." Well, that was rude. Doesn't matter, you'll get a a great new haircut! > [[continue|1qhaircutandshawarma]]

It is a weird feeling, getting your hair cut by someone else. But it's rather smart, you wonder why you and... {name}... didn't... You forgot about {name} entirely. Judging by it being late evening by now you and {ff1} have probably been outside for at least an hour or two. Didn't you tell him you were just outside getting some food? Woman: "It's finished! You, sir, look a whole lot better now, if I might say so myself." {ff1}: "You look good, {mf1}!" {mf1}: "T-thanks..." For some reason, no one handed you a mirror after the haircut. You just have to believe in {ff1}s sense of good hairstyle choices. {mf1}: "I... forgot about {name}, we should get to him as fast as possible." {ff1}: "Ah! I completely forgot aswell! Quick, let's get that sawarma." Her reaction seems genuine, thank god. If she was showing you around, always having your friend back in her apartment in mind, you wouldn't know what to think. With a small jog, the two of you approach the shawarma stand and purchase one large one. It is probably enough to fill all three of you up. The smell is mesmerizing, you have to resist the urge to snack on some of it on the spot. As you reach the front door of the building, {ff1} stops and looks back at you. {ff1}: "You really look good, just so you know." She runs her fingers through your freshly cut hair, then straightens your jacket. {mf1}: "T-thanks..." She throws you a big smile, then opens the door. > [[continue|1qinsideapartmentkitchen]]

With a loud clicking sound the door to the apartment opens. As you look through the hallway into the kitchen you notice {name} not sitting on the chair. No matter, maybe he is at the tap? You can't see that one from here. You move inside, following {ff1}. {ff1}: "A-ah! {name}!" As you hear {ff1}s scream you immediately rush into the kitchen. There, right in front of the tap, lies {name}. He is unconscious, his mouth wide open and a glass shattered right besides him. When did he pass out? It wasn't right after you left, was it? *"I knew I should have checked in on him!"* Those and many more worries rush through your head as you look at {name}s body in front of you. You are frozen still. {ff1} manages to get next to him, checking for his breathing and any injuries. {ff1}: "He is out... and I think he hit his head on the counter... I-I don't know what to do, {mf1}!" {mf1}: "Fuck, we need to-" Suddenly, you feel a presence besides you. You instictively take a quick step sideways to garner some distance. In a deep manly voice, the person speaks to you. ...: "Hm, I thought you to be more reliable, {mf1}." > [[continue|1qfatherentrance]]

In front of you stands a huge man, you recognize him. {mf1}: "{father}..." It's {name}s father. You have no clue why he's here, but his presence alone is enough to make you shiver. {ff1}: "W-w-who is this, {mf1}?" {mf1}: "It's {name}s father. W-why are you here?" {father}: "What do you think, to get my sick son out of this house." He moves inside. {ff1} and you make way for him to go inside, not for once considering standing in his way. {father}: "This was quite close. {mf1}, you should look after him better." His words might be well meant, but his aura speaks an entirely different language. You couldn't describe it if you had to, but simply standing in his presence induces a primal fear in you. He could do everything he wanted right here and now and you wouldn't even dare speak or act up. {father}: "I will take him home now. Listen to me. You have failed your first quest, whatever it was. Make sure you get at least a few credits by tomorrow night, or you'll get into trouble with the academy. Come to my house first thing tomorrow morning to take {name} with you, am I understood?" You gulp down. {mf1}: "Y-yes! I will!" {father}: "Good." With that, he leaves the apartment with {name}. > [[continue|1qEnd31]]

You breathe a heavy sigh of relief as the front door closes behind him. {ff1}: "Ah...ah... what was with this guy? Just behing around him gives me shivers..." He was always like this. Something that makes {name} special is how he can live with people like him, people with such an overwhelming presence that normal people can barely speak to them porperly. {mf1}: "He is... very high up in townsend... I really didn't want to get on his bad side..." {ff1}: "I-I'm sorry... It's my fault..." She pulls on your sleeve. You are disappointed in yourself, but remember that worrying about it will lead you nowhere. Once you talk to {name} yourself can you start judging your acions. {mf1}: "Hey, {ff1}... Can I maybe stay here for tonight? I... don't have a place to go right now." You remember your father getting arrested earlier today, and sleeping outside by yourself seems daunting to you. Especially now that you've got better clothes on you." {ff1}: "O-of course! It's a bit... dirty in here... but you can definitely stay for today, and tomorrow if you want!" It feels nice to have a backup plan. Not that you ever needed one with {name} around, but now that he's gone you feel strangely alone. Even though you managed to make a great new friend that you want to spend more time with, you still feel {name}s absence deep in your heart. For the first time in many years you are separated from him, and for the first time in your life you feel tears running down your eyes. You can't remember the last time you felt this lonely. > [[continue|1qEnd31.1]]

... ... "Ugh..." You wake up on a familiar bed. The headache you had now seems oddly absent, along with all the other problems you had earlier. You look around. This is your room, the one you woke up in today. From the cracked floor to the rotten spots on the walls, everything is the same as you remember it. Suddenly, the door swings open, and {father} approaches you. {father}: "I heard you failed your quest today, son." He is as always emitting a very intense presence, but you are long used to it. "Is the day already over?" It was only afternoon when you were at the cafe. There was plenty of time left back then, but now it's too late. As you look out the window you notice the blackness of night. "I'm sorry. I will try again tomorrow." {father}: "Will you do anything differently?" "I'm not sure... but it's not just my decision." {father}: "Elaborate." "Well, I have to decide together with {mf1}, don't I?" To your utter surprise, {father} starts to smile. He never does this, and it disturbs you quite a bit. {father}: "That it good to hear. He'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Get some rest until then." With that, he leaves the room. You lie back down on your bed, strangely tired. *"I feel like I've slept through half the day... Oh man, I hope tomorrow is going to work out better."* You roll to your side and fall fast asleep. [align center] __Ending #31: Inseparable Friendship__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

You reach for his pulse, which fortunately is normal. {mf1}: "Thank god... wake up... come on!" You shake him softly, hoping that he'll wake up. As you do, his mouth falls open even further, like a zombie. You shriek slightly at the sight. {ff1} sits down next to you, giving you a pat on the back. {ff1}: "He'll be alright. We'll do our best for him." You needed that encouragement right now. Breathe in ... breathe out. {name} and you always were inseparable, at least for as long as you know each other. There were times where two of you got into a fight with others and {name} got knocked out, but you always managed to pull him away from danger. The difference this time is that you weren't there when it happened. {name} collapsed, leaving behind a zombie-like appearance that shakes you to your core. You feel your heart start beating faster and your hands shaking as you try and close {name}s jaw again. It almost feels like it's dislocated by the amount of force you have to excert on it to close. {ff1} grabs your hand and helps you with lifting up {name}s jaw. It is more emotional than physical support, but still. You are grateful to not be alone in this situation. After some wiggling you finally manage to close his jaw, now on to his eyes. They are half open, with the eyeball rolled back into the skull. You close them, hoping that they haven't dried up too much in the time you were away. > [[continue|1qnameawake]]

You and {ff1} both pull on {name}s body, trying to lie him down comfortably on the kitchen floor. {ff1}: "I'll grab a pillow, be right back." With another pat on the back, she turns to leave. {name} lies in your hands, now looking as if he was just fast asleep. You feel around his jaw again, but can find nothing amiss. Who knows why it was the way it was, but fortunately it doesn't seem to be broken. Looking down at him makes you shake a little again. Leaving him alone in such a vulnerable state seems incredible irresponsible for you in retrospect. You should have paid better attention, but were blinded by the prospect of making another friend. {ff1}: "I'm back, here." She hands you a rather dirty pillow. Still, she was rather fast, so it doesn't matter. You put his head on top of it, and lie the rest of his body on its side. Right now, you wish you paid better attention at the first aid course, but wishful thinking won't get you any further here. Suddenly, {ff1} grabs your arm. You turn towards her. {ff1}: "Don't blame yourself for this. You did the right thing to check back immediately. I should feel bad for suggesting to take a walk outside, not you." Well, all of this is still most likely the aftermath of her putting that stuff in {name}s coffee. Still, you decided to forgive her for it some time ago, and right now you are not willing to upset the only person helping you out with this situation. {mf1}: "Alright... thank you." She gives you a little hug, then the two of you continue to sit down next to {name} for some time. > [[continue|1qnameawake1]]

... ... "Ugh..." You awake with another ungodly headache. The floor beneath you is cold as stone, and your jaw feels weird. {mf1}: "{name}!" You look to your right. There is {mf1}, and next to him {ff1}. It seems you are still inside the kitchen. "Ugh... Sorry, I must have fallen unconscious again..." {mf1}: "Are you feeling alright?" "Yeah... but maybe don't leave me alone for a while." {mf1}: "I won't, I promise." {mf1} throws you a bright smile, a rare occurence for him. You must have really made him worry. {ff1}: "Are you hungry? We have something to eat here!" {ff1} seems to have stood up at some point and is no holding a few plates in her hands. {ff1}: "So, and now I'll get the main dish!" You are barely awake and already there is food on the table, or floor in this case. Well, you can't complain. > [[continue|1qEnd32]]

The atmosphere is weirdly casual, considering your condition today. You still doubt that it really was the coffee that did this, there must have been something else. Furthermore, the two of them seem weirdly close, with {ff1} touching {mf1} all the time. *"Come on... not in front of me..."* You really hope it isn't the way it looks. Right now the last thing you want to hear is that {mf1} is dumping you for some girl. Thinking about it some more the idea seems a bit silly though, considering that the two of you have been doing everything together for so many years by now. You bet that even if he wanted to prioritize someone else, he would still cling to you for at least a few days. Separation anxiety is real, and you wish for it to not be true. {ff1}: "That's it!" "H-huh?" What lies in front of you defies all your expectations. It is an oversized Shawarma, presented on a huge plate, easily enough for the three of you! {mf1}: "{ff1} had the idea. I think it was funny too, and I bet it'll taste even better." You can't help but agree. The smell alone is incredible, and you can't wait to taste it. Grabbing one of the forks, you put some of the shawarma on your little plate. Licking your lips first, you decide to take a bite. It is every bit as delicious as you imagined. {mf1}: "Oh... Mmmmh, this tastes so good. {name}, you need to taste this." You didn't even notice {mf1} moving closer towards you. He is practically next to you at this point. Oh, how the the tables have turned, now {ff1} sits a tiny bit secluded, just like you did a moment ago! You catch yourself having a moment of schadenfreude, and immediately shake your head. You are better than this! > [[continue|1qEnd32.1]]

In almost no time at all, the entire shawarma disappeared from the plate. "I'm so... full..." {mf1}: "Oh, me too..." {ff1} sits at the same place, smiling towards you. Your thoughts from earlier feel even worse now. Okay, you can have {mf1} back for a bit if you want! {ff1}: "I thank you both for spending time with me today. It really means a lot to me." In an overly formal way she bows before the two of you. {mf1}: "H-hey! Stop bowing, we're friends here!" Friends, huh? Yeah, friends sounds good, {mf1}. Keep it that way, you two! {ff1}: "But I mean it. The day could have ended in a thousand different way, yet it ended like this. I honestly didn't expect us to eat together after all that happened..." {mf1}: "Haha, yeah, me neither. Just speaks volumes about us, doesn't it?" {mf1} really seems open in front of {ff1}. It is dark outside by now, so the two of them definitely spend some time together today. But the thought of {ff1} being some sort of evil mastermind behind your condition does not escape your mind. You decide to ask {mf1} directly instead of thinking about it further. > [[continue|1qEnd32.2]]

"{mf1}... do you trust {ff1}?" He throws you a look of a million emotions. It could be happiness, anxiety, or anything else entirely. But in the end, his response seems to come from the depths of his heart. {mf1}: "Yeah. I think, the way she sits in front of us now, of her as a friend." "Alright. If you say so, then I will say so too." You always saw {mf1} as a better judge of character than yourself. And even if not, you have known him for so long that you made a rule to abide by: if I am ever in doubt, I will trust {mf1} no matter what it is. And this here is a perfect example of that. With that being cleared up, you manage to clear your mind of all doubts with no issue. {mf1}: "{name}... tell me, do you think we can take her with us on the next quest?" {ff1}: "H-huh?" {ff1} seems a bit flushed at the proposal. You're not surprised, it came out of nowhere after all. "Well, she is a friend after all, so why now?" She seems a bit lost for words, scratching her head as she thinks of a way to answer. {ff1}: "Is that... really okay?" {mf1}: "Of course." ... if they stay at the friend part. Man, you really can't get that thing out of your mind. {ff1}: "Then... then I'd love to! I would be very... *sniff*... greatful... if we can do that." She throws you the most innocent, happy smile you have ever seen, and you can't help but blush a little at its sight. A new party member seems exciting, and with three people the rewards might even be a little better. The three of you talk continue talking through the entire night, telling stories and having a few good laughs. You are starting to look forward to tomorrow! [align center] __Ending #32: Trio for tomorrow__ _You were a {alignment} {myclass} with {credits} credits in your pocket._

{mf1}: "{ff1}... I think we should go somewhere else as fast as possible." {ff1}: "H-huh? Y-yeah... Yeah, we should! We should right now!" Her reaction is entirely different to what you expected. She did just buy you coffee, wouldn't she at least want us to take a sip before we go? {mf1}: "Well, I mean we can still try the co-" {ff1}: "**NO!**" Everyone in the cafe suddenly looks over to you. Her voice echoed through the air for a moment, that's how loud it was. {mf1}: "O-okay..." You can't say you weren't at least a little spooked by this yourself. One sentence from {mf1} and she turned from shy and anxious to determined and loud. *"I must have been right... There is something going on here, or else she wouldn't be like this."* Woman: "Is everything alright, {ff1}?" It is the waitress from earlier. She is looking at {ff1} with concerned eyes, like a mother that is concerned about their child. {ff1}: "Y-yeah... please throw away the coffee, alright?" Woman: "Alright. I still have to write it on your tab, I'm sorry." {ff1}: "It's alright, thank you. I'm... happier this way." The woman picks the cups up from the table and leaves without saying another word. > [[continue|1qawaycafe]]

You follow {ff1} for a while together with {mf1}. She seems to be going around in circles around the plaza, all the while thinking to herself and not saying a single word. Once you stand in front of your third roundabout around the plaza, {mf1} steps forward and stops {ff1}. {mf1}: "We're still here, you know?" {ff1}: "H-huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I think we should get out of town for now." Suddenly shifting course, the three of you walk towards the corridor you originally came from. Stepping inside, you notice how depressingly dark it is in there. *"Ugh, I want to go back already..."* You reach the trash containers, and without saying a word, {ff1} pulls one of them out of the way. {mf1}: "I don't know what your plan is here, but we need you to talk to us. We're worried, you know?" {ff1}: "Well, I... don't know either." {mf1}: "What are we doing here then?" She shrugs. "You only went here on a whim?" {ff1}: "Pretty much." Her determination seems to have left her once again. You sigh, seeing the challenge of motivating her again in front of you. > [[continue|1qff1talk]]

You decide to take the initiative this time. "We can do our job for now. You are our informant, right? So you should tell us something, right?" {ff1}: "Yeah, that's true... But first, I have to come clean to you guys. Do you know a nearby place where we can sit down?" *"We just sat down at the cafe... but maybe we need to be a little more secluded for this. It could be that she is being monitored, after all."* {mf1}: "Well, there is a bench around here, we can go there. Last time there was no one around." {ff1}: "Alright, lead the way." As you move towards the bench, you observe {ff1} a little more. You can't help but make a face as you do. *"Why is she... slapping her cheeks? Is she trying to hype herself up or something?"* After only a little while you find yourself in front of said bench, the one you sat on before moving towards the corridor. A weird place to return to, that's for sure. The three of you sit down, with you somehow finding yourself sitting in the middle. *"I guess it would be awkward for {ff1} to sit in the middle... but arg, I don't like it either!"* {ff1} lets out a big sigh, then breathes in heavily. {ff1}: "Alright. It's time you tell you guys the truth." > [[continue|1qff1truth]]

You brace yourself to hear the story you constructed yourself to become true. About how someone is secretly watching {ff1}, making trouble for her or even forcing her to do something. Somehow, an epic tale of you and {mf1} heroically helping her out, defeating the evil mastermind and gaining a huge amout of credits forms inside your head. However, all these expectations come to a crashing halt as you hear {ff1} speak her first sentence. {ff1}: "{name}... I tried poisoning you just now." You are dumbfounded. Not angry, sad or anything you would expect yourself to feel. No, your mind and body is not ready to process this information yet, so all that you can muster is a... "Huh?" Suddenly, you feel {mf1} tug you from the side, pulling you further towards him. This action alone brings your mind up to speed, and fear starts filling you about what was just said. {mf1}: "What are you talking about?" His voice is deep and menacing, you would never want him to talk to you like that. Good thing he never had to. {ff1}: "I was given a drug with which I was supposed to poison both of you. I put a small amount of it in {name}s coffee. If he was to drink it he would probably get really tired, if not fall unconscious." You can't believe your ears. How could she try to poison you, and tell you all this so non chalantly! She does not even look afraid, just sitting there with her hand on her lap, as if she was having nothing but a serious conversation with you. Does she not fear you or {mf1} getting angry? It would be a normal thing to be after hearing you were almost poisoned! > [[continue|1qmf1reaction]]

However, to your surprise, {mf1} does not react emotionally at all. In fact, he seems rather calm. {mf1}: "Was that part of your job? Were you set up for this?" She nods. {ff1}: "Yes. I was instructed to drug the two of you, to keep you from finishing your quest. The restaurant does not like Sherone very much, and would prefer it if he didn't get his shawarma back." {mf1}: "And you needed to poison us with that?" {ff1}: "I was told to, even given an antidote for it. The resaurant has a history of not paying properly if not all conditions have been met, so I didn't even question it. However..." She looks down. Whatever act made her stand strong just now seems to fade the second she does. {ff1}: "The poison... It's way too strong! I have n-no idea what it is exactly, but the antidote for it is crazy..." She pauses for a moment. It seems that playing the devil was an easy task for her. This right here is how she truly feels. {ff1}: "And I could never poison you, {mf1}. N-not that I ever want to poison anyone, of course... but seeing made me realize what devilish scheme I became part of..." {mf1}: "Me? What' so special about me?" > [[continue|1qwhatspecialmf1]]

{ff1}: "You probably don't remember... but we used to see each other rather often when we were kids." {mf1}: "Huh... sorry, I don't remember..." {ff1}: "It's been a while... don't worry about it." Well, she surely does care judging by her facial expression. You would do aswell if someone didn't recognize you, especially if you think good of them! You shake your head, disappointed in {mf1} for not remembering. {mf1} does seem a bit sorry though... Wait, why are showing sympathy right now? She tried to poison you! As you realize this, your mind starts to shift. "And you had no problem poisoning me?!" Well, that is not entirely true, she did seem really nervous back at the cafe. She even said she didn't want to do it. Still, it feels horrible knowing she would intentionally only poisoned your cup while keeping {mf1} safe and sound. What would have happened if you didn't speak up? {ff1}: "Well... I was happy you spoke up..." "Would you have said anything if I actually started drinking it? Would you have kept me from doing it?" You are pissed. She will keep her dear {mf1} safe and leave you to rot somewhere else! You feel your emotions taking over and a manic side in you awaken, but you do not care. How dare she tries to poison you. {mf1}: "{name}... calm down, come on." "No! You have no idea, you would have been alright after all, she didn't put anyting in your cup. Did you hear her? The antidote alone is crazy strong! Hell, now it makes sense why the cafe let her grab the cups in the first place! Everyone there was plotting to poison me!" Mania starts taking over. These damn people, thinking they are better just because they dress better or something! Do they want to get rid of people like you to achieve some sick desire? Poison the pests that infect their holy town! A million more thoughts rush through your head, most of them nonsensical and delusional. But you do not care, for mania has taken hold of your mind. > [[continue|1qinmania]]

{ff1}: "I-I have only taken the smallest dose! I promise! They wanted me to give you the full thing... wait here, take it!" She reaches in her pocket. What is it, a knife? Will she try and stab you? You jump up from your seat, scaring both {ff1} and {mf1} in the progress. {mf1}: "You need to calm down, {name}! This is not go-" "Shut up!" You have these episodes every now and again, and {mf1} should know better about how to treat you during those. Your father is said to have had the same problems in his youth, frequent mania attacks in the face of danger. You yourself have not yet managed to control it very well, and as such fall for it every time. {ff1} thows you a small object. You manage to barely catch it, and as you do it nearly slips out of your hand again. It is tiny, having the shape of a bean. You have no idea what it is, nothing you have ever seen looks even remotely close to this. A small portion of it has been carved off, so small that you could have very well missed it. {ff1}: "T-that is the drug. D-don't take it, okay? If you look closely you'll notice it being carved off a bit... that's what I put in your coffee." That is what was put into your coffee? It is a laughably small part of a laughably small bean. You can't help but laugh at the notion that this could do any harm to you. "Oh yeah? What is that supposed to do for me, eh?" {ff1}: "I...I don't know. But judging by the antidote, the entire thing could possibly even kill you... so I only used a small part of it." That is... actually quite thoughtful. She could have only done that to not have a death on her conscience, but somehow this feels unlikely to you. With such a small dose even you yourself would barely call this a poisoning. Sighing slightly, you throw the bean back towards {ff1}. Finally, your mind has calmed down and you can think properly again. You breathe out steadily, happy that your mania went over quickly this time. > [[continue|1qunderstandff1]]

{mf1}: "I'm not trying to defend her actions here... but I think we should should redirect our anger to the restaurant. The bastard set us up for this! He'd rather pay someone else to get rid of us than ask us himself. I bet he barely gives more credits than Sherone would." {ff1}: "It was... 10 credits for each of you..." 10 credits? That would be a lot of money for both of you. A simple quest like your would never pay this much. They wouldn't even have to pay you two that much to convince you to stop doing the quest. {mf1}: "Any extra for using the poison?" {ff1}: "No... but they would probably withhold the money for a bit because of it..." {mf1}: "I can confirm that. That's how they operate, I have fallen trap to their games aswell." So she wasn't forced into poisoning your drink. Or maybe she is in a tight spot financially? No, you can't be if you're living inside the town. You and {mf1} could never afford it there even if you were working separate jobs. You shake your head, trying to think about the situation in a more objective manner. {mf1}: "I have a proposal. How about we don't do the job with no problem for you, but we get a part of the credits?" {ff1}: "Yeah... that seems fair. I can't guarantee when I'm getting paid though." {mf1}: "That's alright. We'll stay in touch." You think about what to do next. As far as you know, you're free to do whatever you want right now. Well, except for going to Sherone, but you'd rather not go there anyways. Not immediately getting an idea, you decide to ask the others. > [[continue|1qaskwhattodo]]

"What are we supposed to do, then?" {mf1} shrugs. It's evening by now, so you still have some time to kill until the day concludes. {ff1}: "Y-You're not going back to Sherone, are you?" {mf1}: "No, that would be bad for all of us. However..." {mf1} seems deep in thought. To bridge the awkward silence, you decide on some small talk with {ff1}. "W-well... what do you want to do today?" {ff1}: "H-huh? Well, I d-don't know... I'd like to know you two a bit better, that would be nice." That's quite a thing to wish for after you screamed at her. If you were in her position you would try your best to distance yourself as fast as possible. However, she said she knew {mf1}... maybe it's because of him. What's up with them anyways? As you start to wonder, {mf1} speaks up once again. {mf1}: "{name}, how many credits do you have?" You grab into your pocket. "{credits} credits..." {mf1}: "Shit... I'm blank. We need to sleep somewhere tonight, but not with that budget..." "What about your place?" {mf1}: "Do you remember my father getting arrested earlier? I bet the police is trying their best to keep me out of the house, now that he's out... And we can't stay at your place either?" "I think you'll be better off sleeping outside... You'll just get sick there..." {mf1}: "Yeah... that's true... shit, we need some sort of plan..." {ff1}: "W-why don't you visit the police and ask them to keep away for tonight? They can't just leave you outside like that!" {mf1}: "Heh, you sure never lived outside before... but I guess it's an idea..." > [[continue|1qpoliceplan]]

*"The police, huh..."* The police is not known to take the worries of the poor all too seriously. Most likely, they will just throw you out. Worst case, they might even want to question {mf1} further. You don't like the idea of going there, but you also don't have a better plan to offer. {ff1}: "M-maybe they'll listen to me?" {mf1}: "Good thinking... that might actually work..." She does have the clothes of a middle class girl. With someone like her besides you, they are much more likely to actually listen and do something. Nothing is guaranteed of course. {mf1}: "I have another idea. {name}, this entirely depends on you." "Me?" {mf1}: "Yeah. It's not too late yet, we might still be able to go to the academia and try to complete a different quest for today. What do you think of that idea?" "S-sounds great!" You don't know about this one. Your have already wasted a lot of time today, so all the good quests are probably already either taken or done. Not that the Sherone quest was the best choice either... If you're unlucky there might not be any more quests avaivable anymore. Today is graduation day, so there are more quests than usual... maybe you should try your luck. {ff1}: "I... can't help you with academia stuff." {mf1}: "Hm? Why is that?" {ff1}: "I can't tell you, sorry..." {mf1}: "Oh, alright. We won't pry." It seems it would be just the two of you then. You didn't completely forgive her for her actions yet, but you can't deny that missing the opportunity to get to know her feels a bit sad... even though the choice itself seems better to you. {mf1} leaves it up to you to decide, so you take a moment to think before giving a final answer. > [[go do another quest|1qanotherquest]] > [[go to police|1qpolice]]

"I think we should try going to the police. If we go to the academia and there are no more quests we are done for, I'd like to avoid that." {mf1} nods, then glances over at {ff1}. He leans back, flashing a great smile. The only times he does that is when he tries to tease you... you frown as you notice. {mf1}: "Well, {ff1}, it seems he wants to get to know you better! Guess you made a good impression!" "W-what do you mean? I just said that-" {mf1}: "Yeah yeah, as if there aren't enough quests on graduation day. Come on, don't try and find excuses!" He swings his arm around you. How annoying... It wasn't an excuse! Not like you graduated once before and know all the ins and outs. As you sigh in annoyance, you just so manage to take a peek at {ff1}. She looks... nervous? Her head is all red, and she is tiptoeing a little bit. "Is everything alright?" {ff1}: "Ah!" She seems to have been deep in thought, considering her reaction. That 'ah!' echoed through the entire corridor for a solid second, that's how loud it was. {ff1}: "Y-yes! T-thank you..." "For choosing the police? We will just be causing you more trouble, why are you thanking me?" {ff1}: "I-I don't mind!" *"She did say she wants to get to know us better, so it makes sense... I guess."* {mf1} slaps you on your back, a thing he commonly does when his teasing is over. He really didn't have to use that much force... but you can manage, just distorting your face a little. {mf1}: "Let's go then." > [[continue|1qinfrontpolice]]

"I think we should go look for another quest." {mf1}: "Alright then, let's go." You expected {mf1} to have at least said goodbye to {ff1} before going off, but he didn't. Waving her a little goddbye as you turn to leave, you see her being a little sad. "Come on, {mf1}. You should at least say goodbye." {mf1}: "Huh?" He turns around, surprise written all over his face. *"What...is going on?"* {mf1}: "Hey, where are you going, {ff1}." {ff1}: "I said I couldn't help you. Sorry, I'll just leave." {mf1} looks over to you. What are you supposed to say, don't expect me to do anything when you act like this! {mf1}: "Okay okay, hold on. I think there might have been a misunderstanding." *"There surely has been, with the only one misunderstanding being you, {mf1}."* {mf1}: "I thought that {name} and me would do a quest together, but you can tag along can't you? It must be pretty lonely back there. And you don't have to help with anything." {ff1}: "Would... that be okay?" *"I guess... I didn't expect something like this to work."* {mf1}: "Well, hurry along." {ff1}: "O-okay!" > [[continue|1qgoingtoacademy]]

It takes you about half an hour to reach the police station. The way there was surprisingly silent, with not much more said than 'now we go right' or 'we'll be right there'. The building is a bit different than the others houses in the area, only a little better kept. They seem to have surrounded themselves with rather wealthy people that don't cause too much trouble. Seeing the well cut grass in their gardens, the nicely painted walls and the not-so-cracked pavement makes you pout. "Pah. Our houses look good aswell..." {mf1}: "Not yours." "Shut up." {mf1}: "Haha...Let's get inside already. Do you feel ready, {ff1}?" {ff1}: "Mhm. I'll make sure to give them a good impression." The door opens with an obnoxiously loud creak. Is this meant to be a security feature or something? Looking inside, there is not much there besides a counter. Behind it sits a woman in police uniform, sorting through some papers. {ff1}: "Ehm, excuse me?" Surprisingly, {ff1} takes the first step. You poke {mf1} in case he thinks about slacking off, it is his house you're bargaining for after all. {mf1}: "Yeah, yeah, okay!" Woman: "What is it? Do these two over there bother you?" *"She didn't even say anything and we're already suspects... great."* {ff1}: "No, quite the contrary. They helped me greatly today and were on the way here, so I thought I might accompany them here." Woman: "Then please state the problem you need help with." > [[continue|1qpolice1]]

{mf1}: "It's for me, actually." The moment he said those words the face of the policewoman went from neutral to annoyed. Man, they REALLY hate poor people like us. Woman: "Again, what is it?" {mf1}: "My father was arrested t-today so I-" Woman: "Sleep somewhere else. The house is closed for anyone but the police." Her tone is infuriatingly monotone. It's as if she's annoyed but isn't allowed to show it. {mf1}: "There isn't-" Woman: "Is there anything else?" ...and she won't ever let him finish. Great. {ff1}: "Miss, I don't think what you are doing is very nice. I don't see why you would drag me into your problem with them, I'm just an innocent bystander here!" Woman: "Huh? What are you talking about?" And there goes the monotone voice. God, it's like she's switching personalities the second {ff1} starts to speak. {ff1}: "Well, if you must know." Suddenly, {ff1} grabs {mf1}s arm, who in turn jumps a bit. *"W-what is she doing?"* {ff1}: "Ehem... This here is my b-boyfriend, okay? And he invited me over for... dinner! If you refuse him his house than we will not be able to... have... fun today.... a-and I will have to pay for our hotel! Try imagining yourself in my position!" > [[continue|1qpolice2]]

Woman: "W-w-well, that changes things, of course... what is his name?" {ff1} lets go of {mf1}s arm and moves towards the reception desk. {ff1}: "His name is..." As the two of them go over some seemingly important things, you move over to {mf1}. "W-what the hell?" {mf1}: "She's smart..." {mf1} seems surprisingly composed, considering what just happened. "How are you so cool about this? Aren't you at least a little taken aback?" {mf1}: "Hm? Oh, jeah, a little." "A little... I would freak out if I was you..." He leans over to you, whispering now. {mf1}: "I think I remember her now... good thing we chose to go here." The policewoman and {ff1} move towards you. Woman: "So... here are your keys... we will refrain from checking your house for now... considering what your father did was only a mild offense. I-I wish a good evening to you two, then." {ff1}: "Thank you very much." {ff1} bows a little before taking both your and {mf1}s hands and pulling you out of the building. {mf1}: "We should get away from here for now, before we start talking. Here, this way." After gaining some space to the police station, {mf1} suddenly stops. {mf1}: "This should be good. Let's talk for a second." > [[continue|1qff1conv]]

{ff1}: "H-how was I?" {mf1}: "You were great. Thank you very much." {ff1} seems pretty exhausted. A big smile forms on her face as she hears {mf1}s words. You want to tell them how none of this is normal but are interrupted by {mf1}. {mf1}: "Hey, sorry for not remembering you earlier. Our fathers were buddies, right?" {ff1}: "Huh? Y-yes!" {mf1}: "You look so different now... But I see you're still as lively as ever." {ff1}: "Y-yes!" She goes in for a sudden hug, which {mf1} embraces with a light head pat. It feels weird standing next to them... first after the police incident and now this. *"Can they not exclude me... please? Oh man..."* {mf1}: "W-wait! Don't get the wrong idea, {name}!" It seems {mf1} finally snapped out of it. {mf1}: "This is not what it looks like, okay? We were just friends... back in the day. Happy to see each other again, that's all!" Well, it's great to see that he can at least put himself in your shoes. The two of you have practically been functioning as a single unit these past few years... it wouldn't be very easy to separate the two of you. Sorry, {ff1}. {ff1}: "W-well..." She wipes a few tears of joy from her face. {ff1}: "We got the keys, do we want to go to your home? I bet it's still the same place." {mf1}: "Of course. But I don't want you starving, we should get something to eat first." *"With what money? She's going to pay for all of our stuff, I can already see it! Come on..."* > [[continue|1qff1market]]

You move onwards towards the market. As you reach it, you notice most of the stands already packing up their things. {mf1}: "Can you watch {ff1} real quick? I'll get us something to eat." *"From what money??? Did you lie about being broke or something?"* "Ugh... fine, fine..." {ff1}: "I-I'm not that unpleasant!" "You are not the problem..." You let your shoulders fall down, uncertain of whatever {mf1} wants to try doing. {mf1}: "Ha...ha... I'll go now, be back in a minute!" With that, {mf1} rushes off. "Sorry for that. {mf1} is a bit weird today." {ff1}: "I-I don't think he's weird at all..." "You know, everything you do and say sounds like nothing a friend would ever say." {ff1}: "W-what do you mean?" "Just forget it... urg, {mf1} is giving me a headache..." As you look towards {ff1}, you notice her indecicively staring at you. {ff1}: "Is it really alright... that I'm here with you? After what I did..." Well, if it were just you then no, it wouldn't be alright at all. Someone who tries to poison someone, whether intentional or unintentional, is not someone you want to 'get to know better' at all. However... "I trust {mf1}. He has been with me for so many years now that I may even know more about him than he does himself... And he seems happy to see you again. If he's happy with you being here, I am too." {ff1}: "T-thank you...*sniff* you are very kind..." While you're trying your best not to directly look at her you can't ignore her little sobs as she speaks. No wonder {mf1} likes her, she seems to have a good heart. You can't help but smile a little. > [[continue|1qmf1backstall]]

{mf1}: "I'm back!" "W-what the hell?" {mf1} is running up to you, holding a variety foods near his chest. It's... a lot, enough for all three of you. {ff1}: "Baguette... Butter... some eggs... not bad! I didn't expect you to know what to buy, hehe..." {mf1} can't have possibly have had the money for all of this stached away. That must have been at least 4... no, 5 credits worth of food! Sceptical, you approach him to take a closer look at the food. {mf1}: "Hey, no need to stare like that! It's all real food." There is no doubt about that. However, the salad looks a bit... odd... and the bread... You reach out to touch the bread, and immediately everything makes sense. "Leftovers..." {mf1} leans in, talking to you in a hushed voice. {mf1}: "Shh! Be quiet!" "She'll notice the bread being hard as a rock..." {mf1}: "Then we'll heat it up beforehand, okay? She won't notice!" "She's drinking coffee for fun. Do you think someone that rich couldn't tell?" {mf1}: "J-just shut it for now, okay? At least we have something to eat." "Yeah, yeah. Thank you." In truth, you can't contain your excitement enough. Who cares it it's leftovers, it's a lot of food! You can stuff yourself with this! You would go in for a friendly hug but all the food is in the way... and it might be awkward next to {ff1}... > [[continue|1qmovetohouse]]

{ff1}: "Can I try leading the way? I want to know if I still know the way." {mf1}: "Of course. I'll correct you when you go in the wrong direction." {ff1} nods happily, then turns around and starts walking. You and {mf1} follow. *"Immediately, she's going in the right direction... there's no way does she knows the way."* {mf1}: "Immediately, she's going in the right direction... there's no way does she still knows the way." *"That's what I'm saying!"* After walking for a few minutes you reach the glorious house of {mf1}... and {ff1} did not make a single turning mistakeon the way. Truthfully, you probably would have been lost a few times on the way here, but {ff1} had no problems at all. It's actually... kind of creepy how well she knows the way to {mf1}s house. {ff1}: "It still looks the same as back then... No, actually, the garden looks a bit better! Are you a gardener, {mf1}?" {mf1}: "No... but I'm growing a few fruits, so..." Without waiting for {mf1}s approval, {ff1} janks the keychain off of him and walks towards the door. {ff1}: "Let's see if it still looks the same inside, too..." Her voice is soft and dreamy. This place must somehow evoke positive emotions in her, however you don't know why and how. For the past couple of years, {mf1} has rushed out the door shortly before dawn. That is because at that time, his father was never awake. And when {mf1} eventually came back home to sleep he would often times not even take the front door: he would instead climb in through his bedroom window. There aren't many positive things that can be said about the relation between him and his father... and for as long as you remember {mf1} has never had anything positive to say about this house at all. Well, besides him accidentially growing tomatoes a few weeks back after throwing the little seeds out his window every time he ate one. With a soft, almost inaudable click, the door opens. > [[continue|1qinsidemf1house]]

The stench of alcohol is the first thing that reaches you. Before getting as much as a chance to look inside you turn away coughing. Oh... it's horrendous. You tuck your nose under your shirt and look back inside. {ff1}: "Smells just like... home... pfft." She snickers. Is it really that bad at her place? Or are you just oversensitive right now? The others don't seem to have any problems after all. {mf1}: "Tsk. Still, let's get some air in here. Can you two help me open some windows for you?" You turn right to open the window right next to the door. Many dead plants stand on the windowsill, you have to remove them before. Expecting them to drip with old, stinky water, you brace yourself for another wiff of some foul smell. To your surprise, none of that happens as you lift up the first plant. *"I guess they have been dead for a very long time... The water must have evaporated some time ago."* Pulling all the plants off, you finally reach for the window handle. It doesn't budge. You flex your arm, trying your best push it down. With a creak, it finally starts moving until it swings open. All different kinds of dirt and dead animals fall to the ground as you do so, most likely having found themselves stuck between the window and the frame. *"My god, it must have been years since this window was last opened! Good thing I took that window, it would have been a horrendous first impression for {ff1} after all..."* {ff1}: "Ahh, you windows are as crooked as ever. You still can't fully close that one." {mf1}: "Yeah... sorry, we sort of got used to it, I guess. You're finished too, right, {name}? Take a seat at the table, please." You move towards the 'table'. Well, it certainly is a table, you just can't see any of it. Hidden under a plethera of sheets, all of them most likely used to hide stains, is the table. The chairs next to it all seem...off. Are they rotting? You don't even want to think about it and honestly, don't want to sit on one of them either. {ff1}: "Ehm... what do you say? I'd like to help out in the kitchen...hehe..." You couldn't agree more. Without hestitation, the two of you move through the kitchen door. > [[continue|1qinsidekitchenmf1]]

The kitchen looks... surprisingly clean. The window is open, with some plants standing on the windowsill. They are beautiful flowers, nothing special by any means but still nice. Next to it is an old oven with some plates stacked on top of it. There are a couple more kitchen-related pieces of furniture in the room, but the only thing that keeps your interest is the table in the middle of the room. It looks... good! And there are enough chairs for the three of you. Happy about that, you decide to sit down on one of them. {mf1}: "Oh, hi... I think it's better in here too actually... kind of remembered the table outside only after I went in here..." {ff1}: "No problem! What are you making?" She leans to look over {mf1}s shoulder. Again, this looks so wrong to you in so many ways, and a stabbing feeling fills your chest. Stay strong, {name}. {mf1}: "Nothing too fancy... I put some baguettes in the oven, we can put all this on it." You don't know what he's pointing at from your angle. {ff1}: "Hey, give me that knife!" {mf1}: "W-why?" {ff1}: "Because you're cutting all wrong, like a little kid. Come on, let me show you." You frown at the sight of those two having their moment. Hm, well at least you know how to cut... you think. Probably. You don't need a lesson on it! Other than {mf1}, who is surely only in this because he's so clumsy and someone has to hold his hand! As you pout and believe in your motoric superiority, you start to feel a bit fuzzy. *"This feeling won't go away, will it? ..."* Not long after, {ff1} puts a large plate on the table. Lots of fruits and vegetables are lined up neatly, all of them (with a few exceptions) extraordinarily well cut. Maybe... she's just really good at it. You regret not looking at her technique herself. You sigh, expecting her to go back to {mf1} any second. They said they are just friends, which might be the case... But still, you can't help but shake this feeling. A creeping, inexplicable, irrational fear of {mf1} to just abandon you and your friendship here and there. To your surprise, {ff1} sits down. You can't help but feel a little caught off guard. > [[continue|1qtalkff1mf1kitchen]]

{ff1}: "Are you all good? You look a bit down." You feel like you've had this conversation with them already. Still, words don't mean much when you feel down like this. You don't even feel like eating right now, despite your stomach growling every few minutes. "I'm alright..." You can't help but remember a certain day, many years in the past. A great tragedy hit your family, and you were seperated from them. The details may be blurry, but you definitely remember things being different before that fateful day. It was a single conversation that broke it all apart. ... {brother}: "He is... affected. We know how this can go, let us do better this time." {father}: "It looks like {sister} has not been compatible... Good, {name} will stay with me, and you'll take {sister}." {brother}: "Very well. For as long as he is like this... let us not meet together again like this." {father}: "I agree. Keep {sister} from getting in touch aswell." ... You don't remember the specifics, and you were never able to pry any details out of {father} about that day since then. It was at that day that your family fell into disarray, and you were left to fend for yourself. Alone and anxious, you tried your best to find a replacement for you brother and sister. And you found that in {mf1}, a friend that never left your side and never betrayed you. For years now, you two were an inseparable force that nothing could ever stop. However, as you sit here and for the first time since then let someone other than the two of you into your midst, you start to feel alone again. It is as if the bond might slip, just like it did back then. Subtle, little changes are enough to throw your mind out of balance, giving way for thoughts of disaster. Feeling motionless, powerless in this situation, you drop your head on top of the kitchen table. > [[continue|1qkitchentable]]

{mf1}: "Soo. the food is... ready... hey, what's with {name}?" His voice sounds so concerned all of a sudden. No, it must have only been your imagination. There is no need to lift your head. {mf1}: "Hey, did you do something?" {ff1}: "N-no!" Thinking about this logically... why would {mf1} even want to leave you? He has no real reason, does he? But it feels... so much more likely than before. If there was no way he would go back then, then there is a minute chance now. It is such a huge jump....there needs to be no reason for him to leave you now. It could be just like back then. There is no need to lift your head. {mf1}: "Hey, come on, what's up with you? This isn't like you, come on!" A small shake near your shoulders, but no effort in making you look back up again. Maybe he doesn't want you to see your face? If you sound so concerned, then make these thoughts go away! There is no need to lift your head. {ff1}: "I-I don't know what we should do..." {mf1}: "Come on, you're scaring me! Hey!" *"... There is nothing I want to do, nothing I want to think about. If you'll leave, do so quietly..."* ... ... As you start letting go of all you senses, trying your best to not try at anything at all, you are suddenly shot wide awake. {mf1}: **"WAKE UP FOR FUCKS SAKE!"** A strong shake, almost enough to throw you off your chair follows. You ears start to ring in response to the shout, and you can't help but look up. Come on, let me wallow in my own depression already! However, as you get ready to throw a half hearted insult at {mf1} you suddenly freeze. For the first time in your life, you see tears running down his face. > [[continue|1qmf1emotional]]

W-why? Why is he... {mf1}: "Y-you're back. Is everything okay? What is it?" His voice is trembling, and while he is not per se sobbing he certainly has teary eyes. Your heart starts to race at the sight. *"Am I... responsible for this..."* You don't manage to get a single word out, which seems to spook {mf1} even more. {mf1}: "C-can you think? A-are you hungry? Or do you need something to drink? I-I'll grab something." "N-" You are interrupted by the increasingly freaking out {mf1}. Why is he acting like this, did you really screw up that bad? Your mind is flooded with a million thoughts, shoving your previous attitude to the side. {mf1}: "D-did you put any-ything in his food? Did you?" He suddenly turns to {ff1}. What did she do? Dumbfounded, with everything moving way too fast for you, you fall speechless again. {ff1}: "W-what? No, of course not!" {ff1} seems agitated. Pretty bad people knowledge for an informant, you should keep your cool in face of such baseless accusations. {mf1}: "But why would he be like that then? Look at him, he is not weak like that!" Ouch... but you really are right now. And when in comes to physical strength... well, you only had a {pouch} today... so of course you're a bit weak right now. {ff1}: "W-why would you... su