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You guys are assuming everyone has to survive through the game rules. There's another way: get Brian to can the game and let everyone walk. And he has one thing he very clearly wants more than anything else, right down to writing it into the rules: Get everyone to confess at once and solve the mystery of what really happened to his dad.
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Feb 9, 2023 12:07
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 Well, that's the Monkey route. Easily one of the, if not THE, most intriguing routes to go through, primarily because of how much it leans on everyone else the whole way through. After all, Monkey did nothing for the whole route! She's been tied up the whole time.  Some stuff we already know the specifics for, some stuff we still need the context for, but definitely a great route to hit midway through the LP.Themis said that they had always wanted one route where the traitor never has to take any direct action and just sends the rest of the group against each other, and obviously Monkey is the best choice for that... but it also means that this route was one of the hardest to write as a result. They had to make sure that the logic all checks out in regards to what would motivate each character to turn on each other, without actually giving away what it is if you hadn't done the route yet. For example, we knew going into this that Rooster has a personal hatred for Ox (and enough personal drive to actually act on it if given the ideal chance), but if you did this route before Rooster's, you'd be left wondering just what the hell was going on with that one It should also be noted this is the only route where Monkey actually stays in the chair (and thus has nothing but time to dwell on things, including her interactions with Brian); with Pig, she's let loose since Pig goes mask of basically immediately, and with Rooster, it obviously couldn't be her so she's let loose there, too.  Either way, we did also avoid all the other endings for this route, so lets get to it, starting with our first conversation with Monkey when Mouse goes to untie her... [We can't trust Monkey.] [BGM: Silence]  I hesitated for a second.  ...I don't know if that's the case anymore, Monkey. ...What? I mean, you're great and all, but, you know, you're a traitor. I'm glad you outed yourself, but...
I didn't know what to say. It felt shameful to let my dark suspicions out in the open like that. But I just couldn't lie to Monkey. Monkey, for her part, sighed.  Oh, Mouse. I understand your thoughts. But at the very least, I thought you would see I bear the group no harm.Mouse returns to Pig like normal, and the two keep searching classrooms into the next round. Mouse goes to untie her once again, before returning to talk with Pig about Monkey ...  She's giving up her life for us. The least we can do is treat her right. That's really considerate, Mouse. Well, you kno-*bang!* Wh-wha- I couldn't even get a coherent thought out, I just fell to the side. A bullet had burst through the door and struck me right in the stomach. I could feel blood pouring out of my body in massive quantities. I could see Pig beginning to freak out, with no idea how to respond. ...Oh. This is how I die, isn't it? I wish that was a peaceful revelation. But it's one that fills you with panic. You start thinking of all the things that you wish you could have done, that you wanted to do, had you not died. Your mind is swarmed with unfulfilled desires and unsaid thoughts. And in that miasma of regret, eventually, it stops. But that's not a good thing. Because it only stops when you're fully dead.  [Ending 10 of Clubs]  A butterfly effect might put Mouse in the bullet's path. There isn't much that can be done to stop the killer before they strike. But, perhaps their target can be redirected.The next ending is whether or not we decide to go deal with Dog like Monkey suggests. [Go on the offensive against Dog.] [BGM: Silence]  Of course. I had to be strong. I had to survive. Okay then. It's simple self defense. He's killed nine people. I'm not going to let him make it ten.Monkey anxiously tapped her fingers to the side of the chair. Yes, Mouse. You're right. Your father would agree, this is the correct decision. It's a shame, but it has to be done. Could I suggest, Mouse, that you grab the pistol from Dragon's corpse? That should give you a major advantage. Right. Good thinking, Monkey.I walked over to the horrific sight, and did the accursed act of rummaging through the dead body. Sure enough, there was the pistol. And with it, I summoned my resolve. I was here to bring back sanity. To do that, I needed to kill the madness. [BGM: Metal Horse]  Kill Dog. Of course, to do that, I'd need to find him. The first floor was covered, so that left the second and third. I had no basis to suspect he'd be on one over the other, so I decided to start checking the third. Luckily enough, I stumbled across him soon enough. He was sitting lazily on a couch in some student commons area.  The moment I saw him, I raised my pistol at him.  Woah, hey, Mouse, what are you doing?! The question is, what have you done, Dog! A lot of stuff, if I'm being honest, but I imagine you're talking about something in specific. Stop with the games. You've killed nine people. You don't get to joke around. Nine people! Wow, good job me! That's the first time I'm hearing about it, though.His expression didn't falter. Was... was he telling the truth? No, no, focus!  Bullshit! You're the only one it could be! I mean, I have to imagine that's wrong, but I can tell based on your expression that you're not changing your mind. Right. And so, you're determined to kill me before I kill you. Yes. ...By shooting me? Yes! Huh.[BGM: Silence]  Shooting me with a gun that has its safety on. Bold play, we'll see how it plays out.Safety on? gently caress, my lack of knowledge about guns was biting me in the rear end! My eyes drifted to the weapon in my hands. And in that instant, Dog made a blistering-quick move. Before I could do anything, he had pulled out a pistol from behind his back and shot me in the stomach. gently caress... He had another pistol? I tried to hold on, to fire back at him, but I didn't have it in me. Soon, I collapsed to the floor. I could feel the floor getting wet around me. I could feel my life slipping away from me. And I could hear the monotonous voice apologizing beyond my vision.  Ah, drat. I meant to just hit your shoulder. Disarm you, you know? Too bad I'm a lovely shot. My bad, really, this is on me.gently caress... you. That was the last thought that crossed my mind before my grip on consciousness slipped away.  [Ending 10 of Diamonds] Mouse confronting Dog is a bad idea for a number of reasons. ...Chief among them being that Mouse is horrible at confrontations. She's not heartless or skilled enough to take the initiative in a situation like that. Had she only fired first, talked later, things would've turned out so much better. But that's not her nature. And so it won't happen. And so, a new route must be found.The final ending happens if we focus on the wrong death when deducing everything at the end one where we can't get any answers, due to the people involved already being dead. I grabbed one at random for this bonus update, which turned out to be Ox's death. [Pick the wrong death to be suspicious of.]  Ox's death is weird. I thought your explanation made sense. Yeah, well, I don't doubt the details of it. But... why did Rooster do it? He seemed, at the very least, harmless. To kill Ox like that feels so weird. What's tragic is that there's no longer any way to find the truth. Right... Anyone who could answer those questions is dead.And it was that grim note that lingered in the air. [BGM: Final Squeal]  You should get to work on trying to reach the finish line.Monkey began anxiously drumming on the side of her chair. If you gather the tablets and Minor Trinkets of all the victims, you should be able to reach it in very little time. And Dog? Surely if he had any sense, and if he was really alive, he'd have made his way back to the cafeteria by now, instead of fathering so much doubt. There was supposed to be a group meeting by now, correct? It is a true shame, but him not showing up must mean that he's not able to anymore.I thought about it for a moment, and realized Monkey was right. If Dog wasn't the culprit, then him not showing up must mean he's... Then, would I be surviving alone? That felt horrible to think about, but... For now, I should focus on collecting the tablets and Trinkets, like Monkey said. [BGM: Silence]  I began going around the school, collecting what I could find. But then, when I was going up the stairs to collect Ox and Rooster's tablets... SHLINK. I could feel blades piercing into my neck. What... the hell...!!! What... was happening?! The pain was fire, but what really gripped me was confusion. I was being executed, right? To die like this... Instantly, my mind doubled back to Dog. Dog... were my deductions wrong? Were you behind Snake and Dragon's deaths? Were you behind... all the deaths? If not... why was I suddenly being executed, for no rhyme or reason? It doesn't ma... gently caress, gently caress, gently caress! Finally, the excruciating pain won over my reasoning. For my few remaining minutes alive, my head was filled with nothing but agony. When I finally died, it was a relief.  [Ending 10 of Hearts] A fate far trickier to comprehend than most. One that requires a full understanding of the board. At any rate, one thing is simple. Mouse can't turn her head from the truth. If she discovers the true origin of the killings, this can be prevented.Next update, we start on a different path towards a different route!
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Feb 10, 2023 00:35
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It's really interesting how, even with all the bad endings, Monkey still had no hand in actually performing any of the murders.
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Feb 10, 2023 00:43
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So we leave this route with a couple of questions. First being, what happened to Monkey? At first I thought she was being silenced before she could reveal something to Mouse and Dog, but in that case why was she freed and disappeared rather than just being straight-up killed by one of the many weapons lying around or executed by whatever mechanism got Mouse in that last bad ending (and possibly the same thing that got Snake/Dragon)? Second, what exactly caused Mouse to be executed there? The Red Question Marks say that we need a full understanding of the board, so I think both of these are things we'll need to be considering as we go through the remaining routes.
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Feb 10, 2023 01:11
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Sybot posted:So we leave this route with a couple of questions. First being, what happened to Monkey? At first I thought she was being silenced before she could reveal something to Mouse and Dog, but in that case why was she freed and disappeared rather than just being straight-up killed by one of the many weapons lying around or executed by whatever mechanism got Mouse in that last bad ending (and possibly the same thing that got Snake/Dragon)? Second, what exactly caused Mouse to be executed there? In the bad endings, Mouse was likely killed by Sheep while he was conversing with Pig (the "good" route had Pig die instead), and in the other two she was likely killed by Dog as Monkey and Dog was the only ones left alive (aside from Mouse, of course) and Monkey was tied up.
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Feb 10, 2023 03:11
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We know dog is just faffing about on the couch. I'm pretty sure that the round just ended or monkey swiped mouses tablet and input a move on it.
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Feb 10, 2023 03:16
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A bit of a late question, but what was the code that Pig shouted to Monkey during her route? '8667'. I don't know if it corresponds to anything that we've found yet.
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Feb 10, 2023 04:11
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ApplesandOranges posted:A bit of a late question, but what was the code that Pig shouted to Monkey during her route? '8667'. I don't know if it corresponds to anything that we've found yet. i could be wrong on this but i THINK it's one of the minor trinkets that mouse gave pig. DON'T quote me on this, i could be wrong, but. thats what i believe it was
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Feb 10, 2023 04:49
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Mix. posted:i could be wrong on this but i THINK it's one of the minor trinkets that mouse gave pig. DON'T quote me on this, i could be wrong, but. thats what i believe it was I might be wrong but I don't think that helps Monkey specifically in this case; everyone else heard the code too, so if it's a Minor Trinket that's of no help to Monkey. It has to be a code for a Major Trinket that can help Monkey get Pig to the finish line. Maybe Pig can't use it herself. Speaking of, I was rereading Rooster's route and he drops the 'chaos and darkness of the race' line there, too. Which means he probably helped Monkey input her code at some point during that route and she had already started her machinations. Probably didn't go insane enough to go 'haha let's get everyone dead' but she clearly had a hand in kicking Rooster off his spree.
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Feb 10, 2023 10:57
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That's great! I can blame Rooster's route on Monkey and continue believing he's the best juror.
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Feb 10, 2023 12:30
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ApplesandOranges posted:I might be wrong but I don't think that helps Monkey specifically in this case; everyone else heard the code too, so if it's a Minor Trinket that's of no help to Monkey. It has to be a code for a Major Trinket that can help Monkey get Pig to the finish line. Maybe Pig can't use it herself. Pig took 2 trinkets off Mouse, so she would presumably ALSO use one, meaning she gets to move at least 2 spaces with that move.
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Feb 10, 2023 12:31
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Regallion posted:Pig took 2 trinkets off Mouse, so she would presumably ALSO use one, meaning she gets to move at least 2 spaces with that move. It doesn't actually help her get out of Dragon's Breath; the code must be a way to either shut off Dragon's ability or let Monkey move Pig regardless.
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Feb 10, 2023 13:53
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ApplesandOranges posted:It doesn't actually help her get out of Dragon's Breath; the code must be a way to either shut off Dragon's ability or let Monkey move Pig regardless. She hasn't actually been hit by Dragon's Breath yet at that point - Dragon used it, but because she confessed it moved her past the row Dragon used her ability on, so it functionally did nothing for them that round.
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Feb 10, 2023 14:31
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Mix. posted:She hasn't actually been hit by Dragon's Breath yet at that point - Dragon used it, but because she confessed it moved her past the row Dragon used her ability on, so it functionally did nothing for them that round. Ah, I had misinterpreted how powerful Dragon's Breath was, I thought it was a no-holds barred hits an animal (in other words, their lane rather than the row from the top-down). So it can hit multiple animals (including herself?), but only if she predicts what row they end up on. So normally it would be really powerful on Pig who can only Run when she's ahead (and thus, predictable movement), but the Confess threw everyone off.
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Feb 10, 2023 14:49
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ApplesandOranges posted:I might be wrong but I don't think that helps Monkey specifically in this case; everyone else heard the code too, so if it's a Minor Trinket that's of no help to Monkey. It has to be a code for a Major Trinket that can help Monkey get Pig to the finish line. Maybe Pig can't use it herself. Related to that route, I don't think the other jurors gave Dog enough credit for guessing Monkey's move and ensuring she wasn't in last place. Related to this route...hmmm. It's unclear how much time passed, but I presume if enough has passed that another round had ended it would have been mentioned. So, it probably wasn't Dog pulling into the lead and finishing the race. It couldn't have been Monkey, because Monkey needs to be in last and therefore can't actually trigger race's end (and I don't think, even with all that happened, she'd just spite Mouse and somehow get to first and get them both executed). There was no announcement of a major trinket that could trigger an execution being used. The easiest answer is "The Jade Emperor triggered it", but thus far they've been pretty reluctant to directly interfere with anything (they notably didn't confirm watching anything in Dog's route). Maybe Monkey wasn't entirely lying when she suggested Dog could have a major trinket that could kill remotely; maybe Dog found Monkey in the meantime and was convinced Mouse was the other traitor, and activated something to that effect.
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Feb 10, 2023 15:01
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Dog was napping for pretty much the entire route, I don't know if he was involved with Monkey. Either he's still responsible and decides to kill Mouse somehow for... reasons, or there's something we're missing that we'll find out from another route. I don't think he's innocent, I doubt he was just kicking back all those rounds, but I do think he genuinely didn't know about the murders.
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Feb 10, 2023 15:51
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ApplesandOranges posted:Dog was napping for pretty much the entire route, I don't know if he was involved with Monkey. Either he's still responsible and decides to kill Mouse somehow for... reasons, or there's something we're missing that we'll find out from another route. I don't think he's innocent, I doubt he was just kicking back all those rounds, but I do think he genuinely didn't know about the murders. I meant that he woke up from his nap and encountered Monkey at the end and somehow got Mouse killed in that bad end; I don't think he was responsible for any of the other murders, but it's possible Monkey pushed him into thinking Mouse was somehow responsible. That still requires him to have some way of executing others though, which is only speculating.
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Feb 10, 2023 16:16
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 It's time to get started on another route! In Round Two, Mouse will go explore with Sheep and Horse in the workout room and find a Major Trinket, and then the group votes to RUN once again. Back in the cafeteria, Sheep pulls Mouse aside and asks for advice on whether she thinks it's safe to be more trusting of the rest of the group. Mouse says that she should have faith in others, which Sheep takes to heart. From there, the group returns, sees the round results- everyone picked RUN, of course- and then begins to split into pairs again. For Round Three, Mouse decides to go explore with Dragon and Tiger, and the three go to the school gym, which results in them being able to find a supply closet full of weapons. They decide to warn the group about it when everyone groups up, and- after voting in side rooms- all return, only to witness the additional rules given after Round Three ends: DETERMINED can only win if they finish first with no more than two other people, and SELFLESS wants to finish last, which will result in only the two of them surviving. Like before, the Jade Emperor gives everyone 15 extra minutes to process this new information. And, like before, Tiger comes forward and confesses to having the selfless personality. However, the person with the determined personality does not step forward to match her. The group agrees the best course of action is to continue the Trinket Hunt, but before splitting up, Dragon and Tiger bring up the weapon closet. The group collectively agree a guard system is the quickest and safest way to ensure they aren't used by the hidden traitor, and ultimately Tiger is nominated as the guard. Like before, they decide it's safer to bring the weapons to the cafeteria so they can be openly monitored, rather than leaving them in the gym closet, which is in a corner of the school. With that, it's time to search for Trinkets once more... [BGM: Rooster Style]  I think I'll search some of the nearby classrooms. Ah! I'll join you. Oh, oh, so will I. Um, if it's okay with you, I'll help look this way too. Woah, what's with my sudden popularity surge? Due to recent events, I don't like the idea of searching on my own as much. Me neither. Is that why you guys are going with her? How strange.  I simply go this way because I choose to. You all do what you want, I'm gonna search by myself. If it's all the same to you guys, I'll also go by myself. Look, people, if you want to work as a group, do so. If you don't, don't. We're all adults, we can make our own decisions. Let's just stop talking about searching and start searching.Ox's definitive statement broke up the group and sent us all on our way. Like they said they would, Rooster, Pig and Sheep searched the nearby classrooms with me. As a group, searching rooms went by much quicker. We determined a certain room didn't have any clues in no time flat. We then began to search through the next classroom. However, we weren't searching for long before an announcement started to play out of the speakers of our tablets. [BGM: Steadfast Gallop]   Attention, animals. Attention, jurors. A Major Trinket has been used, and upon activation this announcement plays on all tablets. Th-this can't be good. Someone has activated the Butcher's Knife. With the Butcher's Knife in play, at the end of every round, the user will move an additional three spaces forwards for every corpse the knife has slashed. Corpse?! Of course, if a corpse already slashed by the Butcher's Knife is slashed again, the movement won't take place. To the innocent, I wish you luck. To the butcher, happy hunting.Instead of elaborating, the tablet speakers went silent. What... what on earth was that about? It was one thing to play this creepy game with the threat of execution, but now all of the sudden it was a hunt? Who would activate such a crazy, batshit Major Trinket?  The others were also struggling with the news. WHAT!! What. The. Hell!!! There's no way, I can't run or hide, I don't want my life to end in a crappy retelling of a Richard Connell story. Actually, I wish it was like that! At least then I'd have half a chance of fighting back! Hunting? Me? I know I'm a fabulous catch, but this is going a little far. Ah ha, hahaha, oh God I'm really going to die like this, aren't I? You two, snap out of it! Seriously, I'm sick of this group just falling apart the moment things start to get a little scary. I thought we already flushed this 'fear of death' thing out of our systems back in the cafeteria! That... that announcement doesn't make any sense. This has got to be some sort of mistake! Yeah, Sheep's right. Who would use that sort of item? It has to be the person with the determined personality. To them, this must be their only hope at escaping. No way! For now, we need to gather everybody to the cafeteria. Three of us can retreat there, but the other one needs to go to the upper floors and tell everybody to meet back there.  So, who's gonna do it? I-I'm not very fast, or smart... I don't think I'd be any good at this. Oh, me neither! I can't run fast. And I'm short, which means my legs are short, which means less running. And I've got really bad asthma, so if things get intense I won't last too long. Oh, and also- Sending me in would be a mistake. Why, you may ask? Ever heard of a little something called a pitch hitter? Oh yeah, baby. In this little baseball game, I'll only go up to bat when we've got bases loaded, and right now? It's a foul ball. Two more strikes, and we're out. ...I feel like your metaphor fell apart there at the end. So, I guess that leaves... Seriously, guys? I'm sure you'll do great, darling, you've got a real 'scrappy hero' look going for you, that means you'll surely survive! Yeah, I'm sure you can do something like this way better than I could, Mouse! Ugh... you babies. Whatever, might as well be me. Great! Thank you! Good luck, Mouse. Quiet, Sheep, she doesn't need luck. Yes I do!! No you don't. Not when you've got my well wishes. Wh-what's the difference? ...I'll be back as soon as I can.I wasn't feeling particularly confident in this decision, but it seemed as if I had no choice but to go and find the others. I was very aware I might just be stabbed as I tried to find the others. But if we didn't group together, we'd be in a ton of danger. Someone needed to spread the news of where homebase was. That someone would have to be me. [BGM: Silence]  I made my way up to the second floor. There, I found two people. However, telling them where the group would be wasn't the first thought on my mind.  I'm not moving. Easy does it now. I don't want to hurt you, you don't want to hurt me. Half true. Don't tempt me!I saw... Dog! He was holding up some sort of pistol with a silencer, and he had it aimed right at Horse's head. Horse, meanwhile, had his back turned to me, but he had his hands up, clearly not wanting to get shot. ...But I saw the handle of a dagger in his pocket. Then that meant the one who activated that item... This... could be a problem.  Mouse! Good to see a friendly face. Mouse? Don't turn around, you don't need to look at her. Dog, Horse, what's going on? It's pretty simple.[BGM: A Bite That Persists]  Just before the announcement, I found this here pistol. Pretty neat, don't you think? Then that announcement came on over the tablet, and I became concerned. Not long after, I saw Horse brandishing a funny looking knife. Now, normally I wouldn't care all that much, but I figured even I couldn't let everyone here get killed by this brute. So I started going after him and, well, we sort of ended up in this situation. And now we're getting to the part where I ask him what he was thinking, taking that deal. I don't need to tell you. I don't need to not shoot you. Double negative. drat, you got me.
 So are you gonna answer my question, or am I just shooting you? Horse? Did you seriously plan to hunt us all down? ...Present tense. ...I do. What, did you think differently? I just... I know you don't want to die, but to stay alive, you'd kill us all? Why are you that desperate to escape? It's not that simple. I can't... I can't tell you, but just know that I don't want this. I tend to find not doing things you don't want to do leads to favorable results. ...Or getting fired from work, one of the two. Talking like this is a waste of time. Hey, we're in agreement! Real sorry dude, but if you're not changing your mind, I think I'm going to have to kill you. I'm sorry, too. He'd be better suited for this... I hate that it's come to this, but...[BGM: Silence]  I couldn't see what was happening from my angle, but Horse took something out of his pocket and seemed to bring it to his face. Whatever it was, it startled Dog. Woah, easy now, what exactly are y- Too slow![BGM: Metal Horse]  After quipping in a tone very unlike himself, Horse slammed both his fists against his face. This visibly threw Dog off, not sure what to make of this. In that confusion, Horse suddenly lunged at him. He was a lumbering beast, and yet he moved with awe-inspiring speed. His legs were like cannons, shooting him forwards, closing the distance between the two. To Dog's credit, he wasn't entirely idle in this. He got a shot off at Horse. Unfortunately, that shot was accounting for when Horse was standing fully up. In that lunge, he had leaned forward considerably, and so the bullet only grazed Horse's shoulder, sailing past him and landing in the wall uncomfortably close to me. Before Dog could get a second shot in, Horse grabbed the arm he held the gun in with one hand, then punched it with the other. I swear I heard the sound of bones crunching as Dog howled and dropped the gun, sending it skittering across the floor. Before Dog could recover, Horse then punched him in the gut, sending him to the ground. Horse got on top of him and just started punching him, over and over again, absolutely brutalizing him. It was an incredible amount of brutality, a total beatdown, and all the while Horse sounded as if he was laughing.  Finally, things came to a head when Horse took out an ornate dagger from his pocket and slashed it across Dog's throat. I was stunned. I had just witnessed Horse beat Dog to death. It was nothing like I'd ever seen before. It was nothing like I'd ever seen before. My muscles locked as Horse seemed to take something off his face and put it in his pocket.' He stood up. And as he turned around, I realized that I had to do something fast if I didn't want to have the same fate as Dog.  I would start to run if I were you. I- Don't waste the chance I just gave you.Horse was right, though completely different in attitude than he had just been. I needed to run away, and run away quickly. But... the gun. That gun which had skittered to the ground would surely be an important piece. If Horse got his hands on it, things could be much worse. If I could grab it before him... I was closer, but he was faster. The alternative would be to just hightail it, make sure everyone knew what was coming. That way, we could at least make a plan as a group... 
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Feb 10, 2023 18:28
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So, in this timeline we didn't warn Sheep against being too trusting, so she gave the Butcher's Knife to Horse who immediately decided "I'll just kill everyone then". And he's apparently got a brutal alternate personality. Off to a great start. Run. Mouse does not have better reflexes than Dog and we just saw at the end of the last route she's not super great with a gun; going for it is suicide here. Better to run off and hope Horse goes for the gun instead of her, and that by the time he gets it she's around a corner.
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Feb 10, 2023 18:41
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ZCKaiser posted:So, in this timeline we didn't warn Sheep against being too trusting, so she gave the Butcher's Knife to Horse who immediately decided "I'll just kill everyone then". And he's apparently got a brutal alternate personality. Off to a great start. She never found the Knife in her route either, Horse always found it. Telling her to be wary meant that she would split off, be scared, find a gun and then use Sheep's Clothing to turn into Horse. and then kills Horse when she sees that he's activated the Knife. Here Mouse tells her to trust in people, so she sticks with the group leaving Dog to find the gun instead. I feel like Sheep is gonna be a big factor here, she and Horse definitely seem close to some degree and given that we didn't get much explanation for that on her route it's probably gonna come out here. I mean, I presume this is Horse's route and not Tiger's, and at least they get him being the traitor out of the way early. Gonna be real interesting how Tiger snaps when it comes down to her route though, she's not a manipulator like Monkey and she's not cunning like Snake or Sheep. Anyway, run. The gun's dangerous, but Horse is already dangerous. As long as the group knows he has it, Ox and Snake can plan around it.
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Feb 10, 2023 18:59
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loving BOOK IT. Mouse is pretty awful in a fight, and a gun wont save her from this guy.
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Feb 10, 2023 19:00
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ApplesandOranges posted:She never found the Knife in her route either, Horse always found it. Telling her to be wary meant that she would split off, be scared, find a gun and then use Sheep's Clothing to turn into Horse. and then kills Horse when she sees that he's activated the Knife. Here Mouse tells her to trust in people, so she sticks with the group leaving Dog to find the gun instead. Ah, that's right, thanks. The curious thing about Horse and Sheep's relationship is that Horse is clearly protective of Sheep (and I suspect here will try and ensure she survives to share in his victory), but Sheep does not seem to hold him in the same regard (given she merc'd him on her route). In fact, have we ever been any indication Sheep has any idea who Horse is or has some kind of prior relationship with him from her end? She doesn't seem to be aware of him trying to protect her, or if she is she doesn't seem to care.
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Feb 10, 2023 19:10
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Not sure how Horse is going to help Sheep win though, she has no way of accelerating her own progress other than spamming her action (and she's not aware she can stack them) so can't catch up to Horse once he starts pulling ahead with Butcher's Knife. He's already guaranteed to move four spaces next round, likely six because no reason for him not to Steady Gallop. The ones most in danger right now are likely Ox and Rooster, because they have the best shot of catching up to him and denying him a win. And he'd want to kill Rooster so he can use his tablet to push Sheep ahead. (Incidentally, going back to a previous route, was there any point in having Mouse look at Monkey's corpse in Pig's route? It didn't seem to affect the ending.)
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Feb 10, 2023 19:16
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Horse actually does have a mask-based alternate personality 
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Feb 10, 2023 19:23
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Refreshing to have a straightforward raid boss route. Run, Mouse, run!
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Feb 10, 2023 19:44
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ApplesandOranges posted:Not sure how Horse is going to help Sheep win though, she has no way of accelerating her own progress other than spamming her action (and she's not aware she can stack them) so can't catch up to Horse once he starts pulling ahead with Butcher's Knife. He's already guaranteed to move four spaces next round, likely six because no reason for him not to Steady Gallop. Not really. Unless there's a Schrφdinger's cat situation going on where by not going to check her body we leave open the possibility that she's alive, I don't see how it'd affect much.
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Feb 10, 2023 20:39
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What, Mouse against a brute like Horse? Trying to go for the gun is suicide. We'd better run!
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Feb 10, 2023 20:44
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Nah, mice are small and agile right? Surely Mouse can grab the gun and use it against a trained assassin?
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Feb 10, 2023 21:10
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God, you better run. If Mouse sticks around, Horse is gonna twist her into a pretzel
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Feb 10, 2023 21:17
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Gotta run, gotta run, outrun his gun~ Mask-based alternate personality is sure a plot point, but the writing's been good enough so far that I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Let's see where it goes!
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Feb 10, 2023 21:23
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Huh, horse was wearing the mask last time he shanked mouse too. He must need it to get in the killing mood. Grab the gun and run. He can't stab us in time if he has to go luchador first! It's foolproof! plus we've been playing too well lately
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Feb 10, 2023 21:42
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Run! Who cares about one pistol, this is one of the routes where the arsenal of murdery stuff was found!
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Feb 10, 2023 22:52
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Given that in past routes, Mouse has been demonstrated to be not particularly physically adept, it's probably best to just run for it. I'm not super-fond of alternate-personality twists in general, but let's see where this route goes.
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Feb 10, 2023 23:08
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I'm not too bothered by the alternate personality. If it had come to this route first it might be weird, but we had the luxury of getting hints towards it in other routes, so this feels like a good pay-off for that. That said, I think we can weirdly trust default Horse when he says to Run.
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Feb 10, 2023 23:37
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Actually, one funny way Horse might be able to get Sheep to win with him is if he convinces Sheep to Sweet Sleep, leaving her in last place. Then she can Sheep's Clothing Tiger (who they know is Selfless). Then when Horse wins, Sheep wins as well. Problem is I don't know if dead participants are counted when determining last place. Dog's already dead so he'll be stuck in that position as well unless he already inputted his action.
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Feb 11, 2023 06:41
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Dead players seem to count, yeah, so Horse would also have to use Dog's tablet to move him.
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Feb 11, 2023 21:04
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 content warning: severe violence/injury Unsurprisingly, it probably would be best for Mouse to get the gently caress out of here immediately. [BGM: Fire Breath]  This was no time for heroics. What I had just seen was an insane feat. Horse had shown himself to be incredibly athletic. Now was not the time to be thoughtlessly tangoing with him, not without a plan at any rate. For now, I needed to get away. And so I ran, ran as quickly as I could to the staircase, not daring to look back. I don't know how much Horse chased me, if at all. I just know that by the time I got to the first floor, I could hear that he wasn't still after me. Still, I kept on running until I got to the cafeteria. There, I found pretty much everyone else. Even without my help, they had all had the idea of meeting up, and everyone realized the starting area was the best place to do so.  Mouse! Mouse! I see you're safe. What's going on? Where's Dog, where's Horse?I was bombarded with questions, but first I had to catch my breath. Once I had done that, I explained what happened to everyone. The mood became a lot less pleasant. In that moment, we all took a second to mourn the loss of Dog. I could tell many people wanted to look at this situation and despair, but my warnings of Horse reminded them all that that would have to wait. Now was the time for survival. How that survival came about, however, was a topic of much debate. [BGM: Eyes of the Dragon]  I'm still saying that hiding is a tried and true strategy. And the most noble, when you think about it a lot. I mean, anything else would be stooping down to the violent level of our aggressor. And you know what they say about that! Don't do it! Finding places to hide would be the path of least resistance, but it might be one that leads to the least strife. I would not oppose such a notion. Maybe that would be viable if we had the needed Minor Trinkets, but as it stands, hiding would simply ensure no one survives. That is why creating a 'safe area' is clearly the optimal strategy. We have resources and space, as well as clear entrances to defend. Dragon and her group so graciously acquired weapons, so we'd be well prepared to defend ourselves. And this is a strategy built to last. I really like the idea of just holding up here and making sure he can't get us! ...Of course, I shouldn't really be one of the people making sure he can't get us, I can't really hold a gun or fight, or-  That's a coward's way of fighting! It's like puppy guarding. I was always a fan of puppy guarding. And that's why you're weak! If you don't face your problems in life head on, you'll never get anywhere! Dog tried to face this problem head on, and look where it got him. Not that it isn't a great plan, but I'm a little concerned about the practical applications of such a plan. If we wait for him to come to us, that gives him time to search the school. Maybe then he'll find some weapons that'll make him unstoppable!  Exactly why we cut him off at the pass. We hunt this rear end in a top hat down, right here, right now! B-but, like Mouse said, he's super strong! Yeah? Well who gives a poo poo? I've been in plenty of fights with dudes twice my size, and you know what I did? I kicked 'em right in the balls! A fight isn't about how big your muscles are, it's about how much you're willing to give. I'm willing to give it all, and unlike those stupid puzzles, I'm good at fights. What are you suggesting? Right now, Horse should just have a rinky dink pistol, right? That's the weakest he'll be. With that assault rifle, I'm thinking I like my odds quite a bit more. You guys stay here so you don't get in my way. I'll go and save your asses. Oh my! Playing the lone hero, are we? What, are you gonna be a pussy and say that I'm being reckless right now? No, by all means, go for it. I think you have half a shot, and it's better you that goes up against that monster than me. rear end in a top hat. I think Dragon's right that we need to make some tough decisions. We need to fight. But I don't think you should go and do it all alone. Like I said, you all would only be getting in my way! And it's not like we have enough weapons to go around. I can handle him on my own, so I don't want anyone else getting hurt. Valuable sentiment that may be, I think we should send at least one other person with you, just in case. This is a risk-reward mitigating strategy more than anything else. Send me! I'm a great fighter, so I'm sure to help. And facing down a bloodthirsty killer like this? That's a hero's role. Let me be that hero. Heh. I respect that. But that's gonna have to be a no from me. I don't plan on dying or some poo poo, but just in case I don't make it, we're going to need some other fighters to stay back and protect the group. You know she's not the only other person here that can fight, right? I'd volunteer, but Dragon and I get along as well as peroxide and vinegar. ...that is to say, we'd just end up leaving each other burnt. ...I'll do it. What?[BGM: Silence]  I was the one who let Dog die. I was there, I was in the hallway with him when it all went down, and... and I couldn't do anything for him! I know, I know it's not my fault, I know I might not have been able to change anything, but maybe I could have. And I know if I just sit back now, I'll never be able to forgive myself. At least if I help you Dragon, I can be redeemed. I like your style, girl. Alright. You're rolling with me. How 'bout I show ya how to kick anyone's rear end in a fight, huh? Mouse, are you sure about this? This'll undoubtedly be highly dangerous. My mind's made up, Ox. I've got to see this through. Very well, then. I guess it's settled. The rest of us will be on high alert down here. Come back safely.[BGM: The Undying]  And with that, it was decided. Dragon and I would hunt down Horse. From our makeshift arsenal, Dragon picked up the assault rifle and a sledgehammer. I decided to bring along a taser. That seemed more my style. We left the grenade, the sniper, and the pistols in the group's capable hands. Hopefully that would be enough to protect them, just in case. Before heading out, we went into separate rooms to input our actions for the round. Then we departed. Going back up the stairs to the second floor, I was feeling nervous. Would I even be of any use in a situation like this? But this was no time for fears. The moment I stepped foot on the second floor, my instincts went into full fight-or-flight mode. Like it or not, Horse would soon have to face down Dragon and myself. And this time, we were heading in to kill.  As we went down the hallway, we caught Horse seemingly absentmindedly walking out of a classroom. Immediately, Dragon sprung up and started shooting at him. However, he noticed us just as quickly as we noticed him, so he practically leaped down the hallway and hid behind the bend in the wall. I started to chase after him, but Dragon put her hand in front of me. Hold on! He's probably leaning against that wall, pistol in hand, ready to fire back. But what are we supposed to do? Heh. Just stand back, I've got an idea.Dragon let out a barrage of bullets, aimed right around the hallway's corner. I guessed it was meant to be suppressing fire, but suppressing fire for what I wasn't sure. Then, she stopped firing. And she waited. After a pause, Horse cried out.  I'm not falling for it! Falling for what? I'm not an amateur. You clearly wanted to make me think you were reloading so I'd come out and fire at you, at which point you'd let off the end of your round and pelt me with bullets. Cute trick. I'm not that smart, but I'm not that dumb either. Tch. Guess I should've known that sort of thing wouldn't have worked. What tipped you off? The number of bullets. What? How could you keep track? I counted. Yeah I get that dipshit, I mean how did you know how many bullets I had in my round? I saw the gun you had. It's a very standard model. I could even guess the store at which it was sold. Brian's far from a criminal mastermind, so I knew he probably didn't have his hands on anything too rare. drat, I'm impressed. But I guess I shouldn't have underestimated a devil's knowledge of all things violent.
Yeah, that's right. I remembered you. 'Course, I don't know if you remember me. Dragon, what are you talking about? Long story. Maybe I'll tell it to you after we toast this sucker.We actually already have heard more about this previously in the LP- though whether anyone remembers what probably seemed like a throwaway bit of dialogue is another story. She said that, but what followed was a long, silent, tense pause. In that break, Dragon risked reloading her gun. After a while of this, Dragon talked to me. Alright, I know how to break this stalemate. You do? Yeah. Or at least, I've got a pretty good idea. You know the weapon you have there?I looked down at my taser. You mean this? Yeah. See if you can try to disassemble it. Disassemble it?? Not anything deep, just pry off the side there. Trust me, that's a shoddy model. I can tell. Uh, okay. Also, shouldn't we start to whisper? Horse might be listening in. Don't worry, I'm not. Oh, good. Good catch. As Dragon continued to pin Horse down, I struggled to open up the side of the taser. After a brutal effort, I got something of a look at the insides of it. Couldn't tell what much meant. Nice. Okay, first off, separate the strands that shoot out. You mean grab the tip of the taser? You're not firing right now, you should be fine! Okay, fine. Like this? Yeah, that's the stuff. Just make it into a kind of webby mess. I feel like this'll make it a lot worse at accuracy. That's fine, that's not the aim. In fact, it's the opposite. With this, we can shock him around the corner. Shock him from around the corner?? Yeah, get this. Okay, so first we're going to get a little closer. Next, you're gonna toss the taser sideways, with it facing the direction he's hiding in. Midair, I'll shoot the taser, and if it hits that exposed part, it'll glitch out, shoot out, and basically send an electric web his way. Woah, wait a second, that sounds ridiculous. Does that really work that way? Trust me, I've done a trick shot like this before. Don't get me wrong, it'll be tricky, but if it works, it'll create the opening we need to end things. It's a good thing we sent you. I don't think anyone else would think of something like that.[BGM: Silence]  Heh. Well, this sort of thing is one of the few things I'm good at. Might as well be real good at it. At any rate, this'll only work if you can toss it in the right way. Right now, give it a few practice throws. It needs to be real light, up in the air, properly tossed to keep it in the same direction. Okay, I got it.I practiced tossing the taser in the way Dragon told me a few times. It was a little unintuitive, but I got the hang of it pretty fast. I then realized that the sound of the taser falling to the ground was very loud in this very quiet hall. What on earth are you doing down there? Uh... getting a soda. Getting a soda? What are you, a fuckin' moron? I panicked, okay, I'm sorry!! Horse was equally confused at my answer.  Getting a soda? Yeah, yep, mmhmm, that's what I'm doing. Why? ...I'm thirsty?
...Could you get me one?
...Uh, sure! Thanks. Just toss it down the hallway. Why would you say yes? I didn't want to be rude. Are you serious?! Tell him no! I don't want to. Why not? He has a gun! I have a gun!! Just tell him he's not getting a soda! You know what, I'll do it myself. You're not getting a soda! Why not? You're trying to kill us! That's fair. Whatever. Mouse, you ready? I guess?? Do it![BGM: Metal Horse]  I wouldn't have loudly announced the start of some plan if I were her, but I guess it was time to go. I moved closer to the corner and tossed the taser like I had practiced. Dragon aimed the gun, and sure enough she was able to hit the moving midair target with a small spread. I was skeptical on whether or not the taser would actually react like Dragon said, but surprise surprise- an electric web shot out, and I could hear Horse howl out in pain. Taking this as an opportunity, Dragon raced around the corner, gun in hand, ready to take the shot. However, to our surprise, Horse was far from the paralyzed wreck we expected him to be. As soon as Dragon made the turn, he came racing towards Dragon, and before she could get a shot in he grappled onto the gun and, with a pull, sent it careening down the hallway. Dragon, meanwhile, was far less of a pushover than Dog. Seeing this oncoming attack, Dragon socked Horse right in the side of the head with a hook, causing him to drop the pistal in his left hand and back up down the hallway. Seizing the advantage, Dragon took the sledgehammer off her back and swung it at Horse. Unfortunately, Horse had recovered at this point and backed up. The two stared each other down.  Dragon had the sledgehammer in her hands. Horse was fighting barefisted. Heh. drat, you don't go down easily, do you? No. So you saw through that little plan of ours? It's a completely silent hallway. You should've been much quieter. poo poo. Didn't think that was what did us in. It was pretty obvious either way. I gotta say, if you knew I was coming at ya, why didn't you just fire your pistol? It's true I might've hit you were that the case. But unless it was extremely well-aimed, a bullet wouldn't stop you in time from firing the gun back at me. I've no interest in a pointless mutual killing. Agreed. The only way this ends is with your head on the end of a stick! With that, the two began to fight. It was an awkward, seemingly slow fight with a lot of fakeouts and pauses. Not a one of Dragon's swings actually connected with Horse, nor did it look like they were meant to. Horse as well wasn't dashing towards Dragon. The two just felt each other out. I wanted to help, to grab a gun and fire, but both weapons were right by the combatants' feet, and the last thing I wanted to do was get involved in that struggle. What's going on, Dragon? I thought you were supposed to be an awesome fighter? Since you're the one with a weapon, shouldn't you have kicked his rear end already? What a mouth on this one! As I see you don't know jack poo poo about fights, I'll let you in on a little explanation. Normally a weapon like this would be great, but under these circumstances it's less than ideal. For one, this hallway is a little tight. It's stopping my swings from being as long and wide as they'd normally be, one of the advantages to a weapon like this. But more than that, Horse here is a hell of an opponent. One misstrike and I'll be finished. Misstrike? Normally when someone takes a full power swing from a sledgehammer to the side, it'll knock the wind out of them whether they're guarding or not. However, against this monster, I can tell it's different. He's looking to actually catch one of these swings, to block it with his arms. Blocking a sledgehammer with his arms?! I know, sounds crazy, right? And sure, it'll hurt like hell. Probably take the arm out of commission, too. But in exchange, it'll let him win the fight. The moment he blocks that swing, I'll be wide open for him to rush forwards and punch me right in the gut. And against him, one solid hit's the most I can take. So basically, if he blocks my strike, it's over. On the other hand, it's not as if I'm in a great spot either. After all, as strong as I am, a hit to the head with that thing and it'll be lights out for me. Either that or a strike to the balls! With that, Dragon lunged forward and swung the hammer up in a surprise attack. Horse was caught off guard, but jumped back just in time to avoid the attack. Tch. Thought that would work. I guess it's time I made a move to end this one way or another.All of a sudden, Horse reached into his pocket and fished for something. [BGM: Silence]  It was the something he wore when he killed Dog. It was the something he would wear as he went to try and kill Dragon. He was wearing a cheap looking skull mask, and it was terrifying. What on earth? There he is. Had a feeling this'd be the case when Mouse told her story. Hee hee hee. I've no idea what you're talking about! But who cares about that! You won't be talking long after this![BGM: Mousetrap]  Again, Horse reached into his pocket, but this time he pulled out the dagger. In a brutal moment, he chucked it straight at Dragon's chest! My heart skipped a beat for a moment, but luckily Dragon was quick thinking enough to hold her sledgehammer in front of her and block the incoming projectile. Unfortunately, the knife wasn't the only thing that came at Dragon. As the dagger harmlessly bounced off the sledgehammer, Horse grabbed a hold of the hammer with both hands. The two struggled for control of the weapon in what looked like an even struggle. Then, Horse slammed his face into Dragon's, dazing her. He yanked the sledgehammer out of her hands and swung it up into her chest, sending her falling to the floor. In that moment, Dragon looked up at me.  Run! Now!That's all she got out before Horse slammed the base of the hammer right into her stomach. He slammed it with such force that it pierced the skin. In a horrifying display, he began to slam on the head of the hammer, driving the pole deeper and deeper. I couldn't watch. Not because I was so disgusted, but because I needed to heed Dragon's last words. But I couldn't let everything fall into Horse's hands.  As I ran, I quickly picked up the discarded pistol, then I continued sprinting to the stairs. A part of me thought about turning around and firing at him. But a larger part of me figured that it wouldn't work. Get away. Get away. Get away. Flee. I was the prey, he was the predator. It was that simple. By the time I had gotten back to the others, I was almost in tears.
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Feb 14, 2023 03:06
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Jesus Christ. 
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Feb 14, 2023 03:18
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quote:
 Boy, this is going to get bad (well, worse) real quick, huh?
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Feb 14, 2023 03:50
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| # ? Jun 8, 2024 17:05 |
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OK, that went about as well as expected. What was not expected was everything around the fight. That was so beautifully stupid and in complete contrast to what was happening
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Feb 14, 2023 05:25
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