W3 🛸 PLAYER CYOA: I HATE YOU BOTH (JAN) 🚀 DAHUT & LUKE

[dropoffs]

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[rav3n]

[Hm. Well that seems bad. He isn't not paying attention, though it does take him a minute to realize what's going on. Only after the stranger calls out to him does he stop, turning to sweep his gaze over the room. He's not quite sure what he's looking for, though, so he turns back to the other person.]

Why? What's going on?

[riverbeans]

[As Luke looks around, it'll start to dawn on him. These are his... coworkers, maybe? They're familiar faces, and he feels like he sees these people regularly. (A part of him feels like he saw them—but why would he feel that's in past tense? They're still here. No, they're dead not on the Eudoroa—wait, what's Eudora? They're his colleagues, standing in front of him here and now. Everything is fine.) He doesn't remember what his job is, but that's probably not important.

His colleague answers,]

There's a gas leak in the building somewhere.

[rav3n]

[His thoughts race and spin, faces shift, and fog starts to clear in his mind. These people... right. He knows them, doesn't he? They're his... colleagues? Seniors? Something like that. But what--?

"What" doesn't matter, though. Before he can dwell on it, the man speaks again, drawing Luke's attention back.]

That's not good. [There's--something there, a little snatch of knowledge, but it dies on the tip of his tongue. He gets the feeling he should be moving again, but he isn't sure where to go or what to do, so he just kind of spins, restless energy starting to build inside him.] Why is everyone still here?

[SURELY HE HASN'T BEEN SO AMNESIA'D THAT HE DOESN'T REMEMBER PEOPLE SHOULD EVACUATE FOR GAS LEAKS]

[riverbeans]

[IMAGINE IF I ASSIGNED YOU FORGETTING ALL PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE. GET UN-BRAINCELL'D, IDIOD.

No, Luke still remembers basic procedures. Someone speaks up.]

The doors won't open, for some reason!

[A clamour of confirmation and panic.]

[rav3n]

[LMFKSDHGK HELP HE LOST HIS MEMORIES AND ALL HIS IQ TOO

But it's fine because he has muscle memory and being a hero is ingrained in his soul, so he turns away from his coworker.]

Here, let me through, I can try.

[ARE THERE DOORS... CAN HE INSPECT THEM]

[riverbeans]

[There are doors. He can inspect them, but true to his colleagues' words, they simply... don't open. As if, somehow, they're locked from the outside.

His colleagues watch him nervously.]

[rav3n]

[What if he

Kicks them REALLY hard]

[riverbeans]

[Luke kicks the doors REALLY hard! It's a very impressive kick, and if this wasn't a crisis, I'm sure at least a few people would be impressed. Maybe someone would swoon and ask Luke for his number later.

Unfortunately, this is a crisis, so instead they're all waiting for bated breath to see if it works. The doors do not budge.]

[rav3n]

[CEASE

But, fuck. Luke has extreme deja vu, almost like he did something like this right before he died last time--no just kidding. He just backs up with a frown and turns back towards the crowd. He may not remember much about who he is, but it's a natural inclination to assume a leadership role, so he raises his voice, clear and commanding.]

Where's the emergency exit?

[riverbeans]

[Who knows... maybe Luke does have deja vu...

Anyway, someone raises their hand.]

It's down that hallway [points] and up a staircase!

[Don't question this building design. Though with this proclamation, some people already begin rushing that way, desperate to get out, as others get pushed aside or stand nervously in place.]

[rav3n]

[:ELMOSHOOK:]

Careful! [That loud, authoritative tone comes naturally. He strides forward as much as he can through the crowd.] The gas might be worse over here. Cover your noses and mouths with cloth as much as you can--get out masks, if you have them!

[JUST ASSUMES PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE MASKS LIKE A TRUE (FAKE) ASIAN]

[riverbeans]

[Some people will listen to Luke, some people elect not to, for whatever reason.

Anyway, as Luke approaches the emergency exit, he will notice that the stairwell is on fire. "Should this not have been more noticeable earlier" mystery...]

[rav3n]

[LMFSKDJHGK LOOK IT'S FINE it's a very quiet and unscented fire

Except it's not quiet anymore because Luke curses immediately when he sees this, turning to shout at everyone else.]

Get back! [He looks around, searching for a fire extinguisher, or anything he might be able to use to clear a path.]

[riverbeans]

[They will listen to Luke, who seems to know what he's doing. There is not a fire extinguisher around here, but as memories trickle in, he will get a vague recollection that there is one... on the second floor? The floor that, you know, the staircase on fire leads to.

Why is this building design so terrible. Why have they not been sued for bad fire safety.]

[rav3n]

[Somewhere in the void, Kaveh has fainted from the outrage of this building design.

Luke doesn't care about that, though. Right now, all he cares about is getting these people to safety; he eyes the stairwell, but if the doors aren't opening, then someone's going to have to deal with this. Since he's taken charge, shouldn't it be him?

He takes a deep breath, and runs forward, aiming to get through to the second floor as quickly as he can. Technically I rolled a 14 but then I realized you couldn't see it so you can pick that or the 8 I just rolled, whichever you desire.]

[riverbeans]

[I will average this out to an 11, so Luke bravely runs to the second floor. He can't escape the flames licking at him, giving him some degree of burns. His clothes are also a little on fire, so he might want to stop, drop, and roll when he reaches the second floor.

But hey, he's up there, and he'll see the fire extinguisher in a wall nearby, under a pane of glass that reads BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.]

[rav3n]

[What if he just wants to be on fire forever huh!!!

No he will be smart and put himself out (not lewd) (for safety). It--well, it hurts, of course, but strangely enough, he doesn't falter, almost as if he's used to pain. Weird.

As much as I would love for him to do some clown shit up here, he is tragically going to be responsible and immediately run for the fire extinguisher, attempting to smash it with his elbow.]

[riverbeans]

[As he breaks the glass, some of the shards probably cut him. This is likely not how these protective glass panels work at all for all I know, but this MY cyoa here.

But x1 extinguisher get! Congrats on not being a clown, Luke.]

[rav3n]

[lMFKJSDHGK LOOK LISTEN IT'S FINE IT'S FINE IT CAN BE A VERY SHARP SUGAR GLASS PANEL. IT'S PERFECT.

Triumphing over clownness, he seizes the fire extinguisher, immediately rushing back to the stairwell. IS IT STILL ON FIRE. CAN HE TRY TO PUT IT OUT]

[riverbeans]

[It is still on fire! It takes a bit of time, but using the fire extinguisher, Luke can put the fire out. Now, the way to the emergency exit is clear, dousing of extinguisher chemicals aside.]

[rav3n]

[YAAAAAY WE DID IT

I'm sure this is so dangerous but whatever it's fine, he is rushing back down these stairs now. THERE IS STILL A GAS LEAK HAPPENING, HE HAS AMNESIA BUT NOT SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS.]

This way!

[HEWWO? MR. OBAMA? ARE Y'ALL STILL GOOD?]

[riverbeans]

[MR OBAMA IS NOT GOOD well the people downstairs are still alive, but they're not looking great. The gas has clearly been getting to them; many of them are looking rather light-headed or even nauseous.

Those who seem to be the least worst off follow Luke, as some also try to help those struggling to walk.

Thanks to Luke's leadership, they manage to escape the building and away from the leak. The ambulance comes to take everyone away, Luke included.

...

Unfortunately, perhaps the good news ends there. Luke did everything he could, but many of his colleagues still die at the hospital. (Was there anything he could've done? Was he fast enough? Why is he fine, when he was exposed to some of the worst of it?) This might be a familiar feeling, even if not quite the same, tugging at the recesses of his mind. Maybe he's only imagining it, haunted by his guilt.

With so many of his colleagues dead or also hospitalized, he doesn't have much in the way of visitors. (Others have parents and family to come and see them, and yet, it seems as though he has nothing like that.) But as he rests in his hospital bed, he does eventually receive a surprise visitor. He knows this woman, doesn't he? This is someone he loves, but has never been able to say so.]

1/2

[rav3n]

[The ache that comes at such massive loss settles into his bones, a weight so strangely familiar that only with its return does he realize it was missing. With his wounds so comparatively mild (ish), and almost no one to call upon him, he has nothing but time--time to think about the ways he'd failed, the people he couldn't save. Lying awake, he can hear the devastated cries of the ones left behind; when he drifts off, he sees the faces of the dead. There's no escape, but he wouldn't take it even if there was one.

It goes on like this until the door does open, finally--and he doesn't even need to see her face, really. There's something about the click of her heels, the rhythm of her steps, that stirs his heart even through the haze of his amnesia.]

2/2

[rav3n]

[


Of course, it's also quickly followed by panic, because Luke is an idiot. DON'T SEE HIM LIKE THIS!! GO AWAY!!!! (genuine) (lie) (unsure)

WHAT IF HE PRETENDS TO BE ASLEEP]

[riverbeans]

[JIMOTHELLE IS NOT IMPRESSED BY LUKE RIGHT NOW!! She strides right over to his bed, yanking any blankets off if they exist.]

You're really doing this? Come on, I had to make time in my busy schedule, just for you.