Mascot Suit

>>21516592
Mascot suit

Mascot Suit

File: 1352571575838.jpg-(131 KB, 640x366, hotlinemiami.jpg)

>>21516592

This is going to be Hotline: Miami the Quest, isn't it?

>>21516603
>>21516617
>>21516828
>Mascot Suit
Times Square is gleaming with life, shining in the night.

And, you, you're at the center of it all. Walking around as a cat with a hawaiian shirt, people smile and point, wave and beckon. At times like these, everyone feels so friendly, so warm. You feel like the life of the party, and as a cute tourist takes a picture and slips you a tip, you wouldn't mind being anywhere else.

Except for maybe out of your hot, scratchy mascot suit, of course.

As the clock rings 5pm, that girl in the red sweater walks by like always, and she waves at you, with a small smile on her face. You wave back, like always, and the Coca-Cola Ad starts playing, like always.

And, like always, it means your job is done.

As you slip into a restroom nearby to change out, your cell phone rings. You move to grab it, only to realize your cat head is still on. Cursing with effort, you yank it off, and fumble for your phone, which rings with redoubled fury.

Two calls at once. Great. From the doctor and your pal, Jim. You answer:

>Doctor: Might be something important,
>Jim: He was talking something about a blind date, or a night out in town.

>>21516898
It's Jim

>>21516898
I'm tempted to say doctor, but Jim is good too.

>>21516898

Jim. We already know that we have only one day to live.

>>21516898
I mean its called suicide quest, so I dont think we care about our long-term health. Lets talk to Jim

>>21516916
>>21516957
>>21516958
>>21517068
>Jim
“Hey man, what's up?” You pick up the phone, deciding to let the doctor leave a message.

“Nothing much, Tomcat. Say, remember that cute girl who worked at the gaming store?”

“Jenny? Yeah.”

“Well, guess what, buddy. I just found out she's single, and Sarah managed to convince her to come out with us tonight. You down with that?”

“Sure, I guess.” You respond.

“Alright. See you in front of the aparments at 8.” With that, Jim hangs up, leaving you with a dead phone.

Well, that was unexpected. But at least Jenny is coming. She' been cute, and seemed to actually enjoy videogames, instead of pretending to, but you always assumed she had a boyfriend.

Guess the game has changed.

Chuckling at your little joke, you decide to:

>go home:timeskip to the night out.
>roam the city: it's 5pm, fun starts at 8, and it'll take you half an hour to get home and get ready. Let's explore the city.

>>21517146
>Read/hear the doctor's message
Why not?

>>21517229
You doctor's nasal, monotone voice rumbles from the phone. “Mr. Casalon, this is Doctor Patrick. we're going to need you to come in for some tests. It's nothing too serious, but we'd want to check before letting you off. Also, I will be gone, but Doctor Neil has all of the charts, so you'll be seeing him instead. We have an appointment for you tomorrow at the usual time of 5:15pm, at our Office near Times Square.Thanks. Goodbye.”

Well, that was a vague message. Still, it's interesting, to say the least. Now what?

>>21517305
Roam the city. Think about known problems with your health.

>>21517360
>>21517360
>>21517360

>>21516592
I read that as "Tom the Kawaii Cat"
I feel awful

>>21517360
>>21517405
As you step out, and decide to explore the Big Apple, you head down at a leisurely pace. It's been a while since you did this, and it's a refreshing experience. Walking down, taking in the sights, you feel so invisible, yet content at the same time, a sort of safety in the crowd. After all, you're in pristine conditon, and no one here knows you dropped out of college because of a concussion during football practice that kept you from playing. You are invisible, and no one can spot you.

Save for that bum locking eye contact with you in the alleyway.

You:
>Ignore the hobo. What is he doing, anyway?
>give him some charity. Everyone needs some help.
>talk to him. Maybe he's one of those crazy funny ones.

>>21517462
>>talk to him. Maybe he's one of those crazy funny ones.
Bums make the best company.

>>21517462
Give him some change. Can't have enough good karma for your date.

>>21517526
>>21517529
Why not do both?

>>21517542
>give him some charity. Everyone needs some help.
>talk to him. Maybe he's one of those crazy ones.

You reach in your pockets, and give the bum a few quarters. As they fall into his hat, his eyes narrow. Then he opens his mouth, filled with yellow teeth.

“yer the catman, aren't you?”

“I'm sorry, who?” You reply, confused.

“the catman! The one wearing the flower shirt!” he barks back, voice rising.

“Er, yes. I am. With a red shirt, correct?”

the bum grabs you by the collar and pulls you in close.“listen, man. You've been spending too much time on too little. The goddess of time doesn't like that.” his breath reeks of alcohol and rotten fish. As you pinch your nose, he draws you in closer.

“The fates are working against you. Your world will crash down soon. I'm here to help you.”

As the bum speaks, he reaches into his pocket, and draws out a fine pocket knife that gleams like silver, and appears to have a handle made of pearl.

“Do you trust me?”

As the bum fingers the knife nervously, you look into his eyes. They seem, frantic, wild even.

You:
>Say yes. He's probably going to stab you if you say no.
>Say no. He's probably going to stab you if you say yes.
>other: if you want to do something else, here's your chance.

>>21517613
>>Say yes. He's probably going to stab you if you say no.
I have never been one to not trust a hobo.

>>21517613
We say YES damnit!

What other logical options exist in a suicide quest other than getting into the craziest shit you can?

>>21517613
Say yes. But keep one hand at your phone, dial 911 without starting the call yet.

>>21517650
>>21517656
>>21517696
>say yes.

You nod, then voice your trust. The bum grins-

and stabs you, right in the stomach.

The pain is harsh, and searing. As you grasp you stomach in agony, the bum gently lowers you to the ground.

“It's alright. The ties of destiny have been severed. There may be some...side effects. Time will go awry. But you now have the chance to outrun fate.”

the bum puts his hat on, and nods. He turns to leave, then turns back.

He rummages in your pockets, and removes a few bills from your wallet.

“Man's got to eat.”

With that, he pockets the money, and walks away.

You close your eyes-

and awake in your bed.

What just happened? You were just stabbed.
you feel your belly, but no wound is there.

What just happened?

You look over to the clock. It's 7:30pm. Jim will be arriving soon. Pushing the mystery to the back of your head, you get yourself dressed and shower, and head out of your little apartment. Tugging your colar in place, you pocket your keys, and head outside.

Jim's there, with his car, and you wave.

He honks the horn.

“Ready for a night out in town?”

You flash him the thumbs up, and get in the backseat.

“ladies are meeting us at the bar, Frank. Gum?”

as you chew on a piece, the two of you head into the city. Pulling in front of the local club, the car is shut off, and the two of you step inside.

The bar is a nice place, set up with a pool table, and a forgiving tab. As Jim steps in, Sarah leaps into his arms, leaving you to stare at her companion, Jenny.

She's wearing a modest dress with a little vest, and smiles at you. As the two of you grab a booth and drinks, you go:

>Alpha Mode: You're cute. I'm single.
>Suave Mode: did I ever tell you I went to Paris?
>Beta Mode: Why the hell is there spaghetti in my pocket?

>>21517863
>Alpha Mode: You're cute. I'm single

lets try to bring some off that football player charisma back

>>21517863

>Beta Mode: Why the hell is there spaghetti in my pocket?

>>21518112
Compromise on Suave-Alpha Mode: You're cute. I've been single since Paris.

>>21518153
I support Betamode, nothing can beat spaghetti in our pockets.

>>21518182
Seconding this.

>>21518182
>>21518287
You start off with your Paris line, and like usual, Jim acts as wingman. It's been a long time since you used your charm, but today, it's working better then ever. The group loves your antics, your tricks, and even when you spill beer, it stays on the table. Tonight is going better then you thought you would, and Jenny's staring at you like she's found a keeper. The two of you hit it off, discussing music and interests. Apparently, she's always wanted to be sung to like heath ledger did in that one movie, and you jokingly imply you'll do it. She punches your shoulder, you nudge her back with your shoulder, and the two jokingly fight with the other. Finally, your group moves from the bar to the karaoke stand. Sipping the last of your irish courage, you move into the mike.

The song's there. This is perfect.

You move to select it-

when the power goes out.

As the bar groans in disappointment, the bartender announces an unexpected outage, so your group leaves in disgust, heading to the park for a midnight romp.

Underneath the stars and the trees, no one can see you, save for the gods and fate.

As you work Jenny away from Jim and Sarah, you ready your last trick.

>Magician: Show her the wondrous view of the central park, seen only at night.

>Thief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.

>Fighter: Dive for the kiss, catch a taxicab. Straight, simple, to the point.

>>21518376
>Fighter: Dive for the kiss, catch a taxicab. Straight, simple, to the point.

YOLO.

>>21518376

>Magician: Show her the wondrous view of the central park, seen only at night.

Let's take this shit slow.

>>21518376
>>Thief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.

>>21518392
>>21518457
>>21518471
Someone else has to be the tiebreaker

>>21518489
OP could roll 1d3 and go down the list.

>>21518519

This is sounds fair.

>>21518457
Yeah, we're the romantic type. Don#t be cocky, because
>Fate is watching.

here we go.
1-wizard
2-thief
3-warrior

>>21518543
this works too. give me a minute or so.

>>21518543
>>21518457
>Magician: Show her the wondrous view of the city park, seen only at night.

You look to the top of an apartment building, and realize you've been up there before. A plan comes to mind.

“Hey, do you believe in magic?”

“Wha..what?” She responds confused.

“Simple question. you know, like wizards and stuff.” You wave your hand as if it were a wand.

“I guess I do.” She replies uncertainly.

“Here, come with me. I've got to show you something.”

As you walk towards the building, indicating she should follow, you keep up the mysterious act, riding the elevator in near silence. You can feel heat in the space, but you refuse to give in to urges and just kiss her, to change the world between floors. Instead, as you dart to the top, you let her follow, until you can see the park.

“this is it. Magic.”

You sweep your arms, to indicate the expanse of the park, lights gently dancing around the trees, people lookinglike ants so far below. It's a magnificent site.

But she stands there with a puzzled look on her face.

“I don't get it. I see this view from my apartment all the time.”

Uh oh. You pull out your back-up.

“that's not it. What I meant was, what did you expect when you came up here?” You reply, feeling slightly nervous.

She thinks about it, then looks back at you.

“Definitely something more impressive, I guess.”

You grin. You think you got this.

“Exactly. On that ride up, anything was possible. That's magic. That possibility, that slight chance that anything can happen.”

>>21518753
She stands there, with a neutral expression on her face.

“Sorry, I guess, maybe, it's because I'm a bit socially awkward?” She says, looking to comfort your embarrassment more then hers.

You shake your head. This didn't go as planned.

“Never mind. Let's head back, shall we?” With that, the two of you head down, mood considerably dampened. As you ride back to her place, you make pleasant talk, but any chemistry is now gone. As she walks to her door, you watch her go.

She doesn't look back.

Even your slight grab for her attention is greeted with a nod, nothing more.

Well, so much for magic.

As you walk back to your apartment, you are hit by a sudden mood in melancholy, and fall onto the bed and into sleep.

You dreams are haunted by a hobo. He stares at you.

Then he pulls out a familiar knife.

“Got a question?”

Do you?

File: 1352582279453.jpg-(31 KB, 427x348, 145732.jpg)

>>21518764
We do

"Tell me, Jenny, do yeh fear death?"
Then push her off the building.

>>21518793
Damn. Clicked the wrong post and was too late.

File: 1352582348381.jpg-(185 KB, 1280x960, QTgDi.jpg)

>>21518764
"What are you going to do? Stab me?"

>>21518764
"Yeah. What did you mean, Time has it in for me? And isn't it unhealty to have your fate removed?"

>>21518847
"Too long, you have done the same thin in Times Square. Every day, you would take a picture. Every day, that girl would walk by. Every day, the Coca-Cola ad plays, and you stop work. So much actions, repeating over and over, creates a loop in experiences. Time only wishes history to repeat, not the day to day minutia. It stresses her. Angers her. You are a target. When I cut you from your fate. I severed the ties between you and destiny, so that you may try and forge your own path. It will be long, and time itself works against you. You may understand later, but for now, I give you this. The name of the song is “can't take my eyes of of you.” As the man speaks those words, a path of light glows underneath him.

Then you wake up, thoroughly confused by the state of events.

As you look over, you remember that you only have the usual shift today in the suit from 11am-5pm, and the rest of the day is yours, except for the appointment. It's currently 9am.

What do you do?

>the usual. Timeskip to appointment
>get jenny: you've got to get her back. She seemed like the love of your life. She did like musicals.
>skip out. That bum's crazy. Is he here today? Look for him.

>>21518764

"What the hell did you do to me? Nothing's gone right since you I met you'."

>>21518999
Look if the bum's at his spot. Then visit Penny. Who will you go to musicals with if not her?

>>21518999

We can't do the usual with 'time' on our ass. Let's get our spaghetti back from Jenny.

>>21519061
>>21519055
>get jenny, check for bum.
You catch a train over to times square, but the bum is conspiciously absent, replaced by a pile of trash. as you look around, you catch an event in the square itself.

a man is singing to a girl on the street, who blushes, and falls in his arms.

Inspiration strikes.

You pick up your phone, and dial Jim.

“hey, wazzup!” He responds, voice filled with energy.

Your voice, on the other hand, cuts to the point.

“Jim. Still got connections with the NYU band?”

“You know it. Wait. Why?” He sounds confused, and most definitely is.

“I got to get Jenny back.”

“Right. I'll see what I can do.” Jim hangs up, and you try to think back on last night. She said she worked from morning to late night, had dinner at a cafe, and had an apartment near central park.

As you think about it, your phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Jim here. NYU Pep Band has an event today, and a late night fundraiser in central park. Sarah says-”

“Yeah, that Jenny lives near central park. I found she has a window that sees the view.”

“that's one heck of a view, pal.”

“not for her.”

“You'll make it one, man. Got a song I can give to these guys?”

You think about it. The song and way you want them to play is...:

(Real life puzzle time! During the last several posts, I dropped several hints as to a certain musical scene for a girl's affection. Finding it results in the actual ending for this path, and unlocks another, while the wrong answer results in a dead end.)

>>21519260
The only thing I noticed is "Can't take my eyes of you", but the only musical I found (Jersey Boys) doesn't have a significant "Get the girl" scene...

>>21519260

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6XGUhzfutc

This Heath Ledger scene?

>>21519399
Football: check
Heath Ledger: check
Song: check

I'm with this gentleman. It seems we need a marching band.

>>21519399
(here we are.)
you give Jim the answer, and he responds.

“got it. Sure you want to go with a musical?”

“Quite sure.”

“You got it, pal.” Jim hangs up, leaving you the rest of the day to come up with your plan. You've got a musical, as well as an appointment to attend to. Should you even go to work today?

Yes: Work is important, right?
No: get the girl. You wouldn't want to anger time.

>>21519260
This?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmzSSKLdib0

>>21519456
No work. You've earned yourself some free time after being stabbed.

>>21519456

Get the girl.

>>21519486
>>21519561
Work? Why bother? You've got a girl to win.

Heading over to Jim's place, he's got a grin on his face.

“Got you the band, buddy. There's one catch.”

“What is it?” You grimace, hoping it isn't too bad.

“You're stuck on instrument clean up for the rest of night.”

“that's not too bad.” You respond.

“Nah. That's because i'm helping out the next night. You owe me one.” he flashes you the thumbs up, then passes you a sheet of paper.

“Here are the lyrics. Figured you need them.”

You take the paper, and sigh. Not too many words to sing.

As you begin practice, you sing, over and over, taking care not to amage your voice, but to get the lyrics down.

As you get them, Jim plays the notes on piano, and you struggle to keep along.

But finally, he smiles.

You've got it.

You've also got an appointment to catch.

>>21519714
>1

Rushing to the doctor's office, you speed through Times Square, as the Coca-Cola ad plays. You see the girl in the red sweater pass, but she doesn't wave, and you are confused. Then you realize, the suit isn't on. Now, he square feels very different. Less friendly, as it were. People crowd, instead of giving you space, and the girl walks past with her head down.

The world feels different.

Nevertheless, you head to your doctor's office, get called in, and go through the entire scanning process. As you wait, a doctor knocks on the door.

“Frank Caslon?”

“Yes. It's Casalon.” You reply.

“ah, yes. Must be some funny foreign name.” the doctor raises his hand dismssively, then continues.

“Mr. Caslon, I need you to take a seat.”

“Why?”

“Just do it. This is very serious.” he glares at you, but you settle in your chair.

“We've received your brainscan back from the lab. The results are intriguing, to say the least. To put it slightly, your brain has suffered a large amount of head injuries, and at any moment, a sharp knock could snap a vessel and render you dead. You are a walking timebomb, Mr. Caslon. With the weakened state it's in, it's a miracle you haven't died sooner. As it is...” the doctor pauses, then takes a breath.

“You have less then a day to live, with the pressure on the blood vessel. I recommend staying here, where we can place you under care, and maybe save you. However, we cannot forcibly keep you here, nor pay for a procedure with an extremely small chance-less then 1% of saving you. What do you think?”

You:
>stay. Jenny can wait, Can't she?
>Don't stay. If you've got this day left, make it count.

>>21519728
So I die with the girl of my dreams in my arms (which will, of course, traumatize her for life), or spend the propable rest of my life with an jerk doctor?
I'm sorry, I have a musical number to reenact.

>>21519728
>>Don't stay. If you've got this day left, make it count.
Also he keeps saying our name wrong, which scares me when he is reading a report supposed to be for us.

>>21519778
>>21519784
“Forget this.”

You storm out of the hospital.

You've got a musical number to do.

Down in Central Park, the annual NYU Band fundraiser is taking place, and a couple of invitations are pocketed.

Speakers are set, and the mic system is tested.

Jim has invited everyone out for some light music from his alumni band, and has the invitations to prove it.

A man waits with the band, talking, discussing, about a party to be held later, in the college theater, about life, about whether he can buy alcohol, and so on.

As the applause starts, the people sit, and jim makes sure to get front-row seats.

As the band plays, the man in back reads the lyrics, making sure he has the song down. Finally, he hears his cue

“A special number for a special member in the audience, please welcome...”

You put on your brightest smile, and walk onto the stage.

There's a lot of people.

Jenny is in the front row looking confused.

The plan is falling together.

The conductor looks at you.

You nod.

Then lauch yourself into song.

You are smooth, feet falling into place, dance steps taken perfectly. Across the tables and the stage you glide, impressing with your smooth feet. The crowd loves you, and seems to have gotten bigger then usual. As the song finishes, you stride up to Jenny, who has been taken aback. She looks at you, with eyes confused.

The world hinges on this moment.

What do you say?

>>21519959
"Can I interest you in a little night walk?"

(Yeah, I know, but if I knew what to say in these situations, I wouldn't be sitting on /tg/ in the middle of the night. In any case, she said she's shy, so we should get here out of here).

>>21520085
>"Can I interest you in a little night walk?"
In a perfect world, she took your hand. In a perfect world, you kissed, and bowed before the crowd. In a perfect world, the two of you walked out to thunderous applause, back to that magnificent view, and enjoyed the stars, living in that moment forever.

In a perfect world, you died in her arms that night.

However, the world is not perfect.

She simply shakes her head, in the saddest no, still taken aback by the moment.

You move to say, something, anything, but are far too slow. Instead, Sara grabs her hand, and pulls her away.

You turn and bow to the crowd trying to keep calm.

There is the thunderous applause.

But it does not matter.

You only wanted, only needed one person to like it.

But she did not.

So instead, you stand on the sidelines, waiting for a response you know is no. as Jenny walks out with a bunch of other females, evil eyes and glares are thrown in your direction.

So much for that.

>>21520297
You walk over, willing, wanting to make a difference, but instead, Jenny slaps you in the face.

“What were you thinking?!”

“I thought you said you like musicals!” You hastily respond back, in an attempt to save face.

“So you did a whole love number, just for that? You put me in a situation where I feel the pressure to say yes, regardless of what I feel. If I liked you, I would have shown it.”

“What about last night?” You whimper.

She shakes her head, and looks at you. “that was a night out in town with friends. Stop reading into it. Let's go.”

She storms off, leaving you alone.

Other men offer their condolences and compliments to your courage, but you shake them off, and stumble home.

Your heart is heavy.

Your boss calls you, but you let him get the voicemal.

Your heart beats with a somber, pounding intensity, while you sit on the couch.

As the voicemail goes off, you hear the words, “You weren't at your job today. I have enough slackers, and don't need a single one more. You're fired.”dropping the phone, you stare at the grey wall in front of you, lost.
No job.

No love.

No life.

What's the point?
Reaching under the table, you pull out the old revolver out of a lockbox, a gift for your 21st birthday.

You've only fired it a few times, but you're sure it still works.

You load the chamber, and point it at your head.

You:

>Pull the trigger.
>Don't pull the trigger.

>>21520306

Well this got dark. Don't pull the trigger and run out to try and find the hobo.

>>21520306
Don't do it. You won't life long anyway. Roam the streets, maybe you can do something stupidly heroic and help some poor guy out. If that doesn't happen, the revolver'll be still there.

(Also, I'm curious whether the song was the right choice.)

>>21520353
*"live long", of course.

>>21520306
Don't pull the trigger, we have less than a day to live, let's shoot up a hospital or something crazy.

Oh damnit, I'm late.
Good to see you again, SQ. Also, props for the Thief, Fighter, Wizard thing. Dr. Paul is pretty entertaining.

>>21520343
>>21520353
Fuck it. If you're going to die, might as well get some answers. Setting the gun down, you decide to catch a train to Times Square, and search for the magical hobo.

You don't have to look far.

You pick him up, and shake him.

“What the hell is going on? What was the point of your hint if I was going to lose her?”

The hobo grins. “Good. Then you've clearly lost her, as planned.”

“What the hell do you mean, as planned?”
The hobo smiles, despite the fact you have him hoisted in the air.

“Escaping your fate is not as easy as it would seem. For every action you take, you snarl yourself in the thread of fate once again. To do a musical is too easy, too planned. Fate will find you in no time.”
the hobo gently removes your hand from his dirty collar.

“And it is too late. Fate has caught up. Goodbye.”

“What do you me-”

something in your head pops.

You feel a wetness on the side of your head.

You sink to your knees, and a puddle of blood erupts from your skull.

As the hobo slips away, he drops his knife in your palm.

“Try again, Frank. The answer is in front of you, and you just need to follow through.”

then your vision turns black.

>1/5 Knives Used.
>bad ending unlocked. Good and neutral ending unlocked.
>turning back the spool of fate....

The power goes out in the bar.

As the patrons groans in disappointment, the bartender announces an unexpected outage, so your group leaves in disgust, heading to the park for a midnight romp.

Underneath the stars and the trees, no one can see you, save for the gods and fate.

As you work Jenny away from Jim and Sarah, you ready your last trick.

xMagician: Show her the wondrous view of the central park, seen only at night.(Route taken)

>Thief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.

>Fighter: Dive for the kiss, catch a taxicab. Straight, simple, to the point.

>>21520531
Thief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.

>>21520531
Hm...so, I guess we have to become an Avatar of Unexpectedness?

Be a Fighter, after a short moment of being freaked out.

>>21520531
>>Thief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.
I knew thief was the only true path!

>>21520582
>>21520545
>Thief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.

You pull her over, to the center of the park. The area is quiet, with nothing but the sound of water flowing, and birds chirping. As the two of you take in the sight of the city at night, the are is tranquil and serene.

“this is great...thank you.” She says. “I've viewed this park from my room, but this view is so much closer, and beautiful...”

“No problem.” You say, and grin.

She blushes, and looks at you. “I'm sorry, this is unexpected, I've just never been much of an outdoorsy person, and I just like to stay inside and play games and I-”

You swoop in for the kiss, interrupting her sentence.

Your lips meet, and the feeling is wonderful, marvelous. Then you pull back.

“You talk too much.” You say, and she grins back, before going in for another kiss.

Tonight is a wonderful, magical night.

As you be the gentleman and walk her home, kissing her again on the doorstep, you bow, and take your leave.

Tonight's a wonderful night.

You zip, zoop, and cheer as you walk home, practically breaking into dance.

But finally, the hours hit, and you fall into bed, happy and exhausted.

The next day. You wake up.

As you look over at the clock, you remember that you only have the usual shift today in the suit from 11am-5pm, and the rest of the day is yours, except for the appointment. It's currently 9am.

What do you do?

>the usual. Timeskip to appointment
>get jenny: Last night was amazing. Let's make today even more so.
>Enjoy life: don't go to work, but don't go to jenny. Enjoy life as it comes. Maybe that bum will give you another funny prophecy. Or did you dream that entire thing up?

This is like Groundhog Day except more trippy and with cooler hobos

>>21520739
>>Enjoy life: don't go to work, but don't go to jenny. Enjoy life as it comes. Maybe that bum will give you another funny prophecy. Or did you dream that entire thing up?
I'm in an exploring mood.

>>21520779
Seconding this. Fate mustn't expect anything we do.

>>21520779
>>21520802
You step outside, and take a breath of fresh air. Today is glorious. As you walk down the streets of New York, you flash smiles at everyone passing by. Some laugh, some smile back, and others check you out as you go. Somehow, you manage to buy a tux without noticing, and wear and you parade down the street, sometimes breaking into dance as you go. You are happy, and even as you stride into the doctor's office, the nurses love your attitude, winking or smiling suggestively as you take the tests.

Nothing can bring you down.

“You might die in the next day, Mr. Caslon.”

Except for that.

“What are you talking about? I'm perfectly healthy!” You protest, but the doctor flips through the chart and frowns.

“not according to this. You've suffered quite a head injury, I'm afraid. If you want, we can attempt a medical procedure to save your life, but the chances of survival are low. What do you think?”

You:
>Stay.
>Don't Stay.

>>21520905
Welp, we're immortal, let's have the surgery.

>>21520905
Stay.

Let's give it a shot.

>>21520938
Pretty much this. If this were real life, I would call Jenny, see if maybe she'd come to the office, and then have the surgery.

>>21520938
>>21520962
>>21520969
>stay
“Fine.I'll stay.” You reply.

“Good, Mr. Caslon. We'll begin surgery within the next couple of hours. If you don't mind, one of my nursing assistants will help you.”

as the nurse brings you to the room, not even her cheery smile can cheer you up. You attempt to call Jenny, but to no avail. She's at work.

Resigned to your fate, you lay down on the gurney, and are wheeled to the location.

As you are placed down and needles put in your arm, you feel so very sleepy...

then the world goes black.

4 hours later, Frank Casalon was pronounced dead.

A homeless man sneaks into the morgue, and rips a cloth off of a dead man. He looks down at the corpse.

“Wrong choice, Frank. I can only give you so many chance to get us both out of this nightmare. Please, don't make another mistake.”

With that, he draws a knife, and stabs the man again.

>2/5 Knives used.
>Wrong Ending Reached.
>turning back the spool of fate...

>>21521416

Nothing can bring you down.

“You might die in the next day, Mr. Caslon.”

Except for that.

“What are you talking about? I'm perfectly healthy!” You protest, but the doctor flips through the chart and frowns.

“not according to this. You've suffered quite a head injury, I'm afraid. If you want, we can attempt a medical procedure to save your life, but the chances of survival are low. What do you think?”

You think about it.

It feels like you've done this before, and it didn't work out.

Why bother?

“no thanks, doc. I'll just live in these next moments.” You walk out to his protest, and step outside the hospital, where you phone rings.

It's Jim.

You answer.

“Hey, whazzup!” Jim cheers jubilant as ever.

You feel an urge to tell someone.

“Jim, I just got told I have less then a day to live.”

“Ahahaha! C'mon Frank, the only thing that's funny about that joke is how bad it is!”

“I'm serious.” Your voice cuts through his, and you can feel the mood grow darker.

“you..you serious?”

“yes, I am, Jim.”

“shit. Man, do you want a party or something? We can brighten up your last moments or something, go out in a blaze of glory”

You think about it. You want:
>party of a lifetime: it's new york. Let's live it up.
>to be left alone: corpses are a great way to kill a party.

>>21521429
>party of a lifetime: it's new york. Let's live it up.

Best way to go out.

>>21521429

Let's go live it up.

>>21521445
>>21521452
>party of a lifetime
“Actually, Jim, that would be great. Got a location?”

“of course, man. The old warehouse in Hell's kitchen, tonight. I'll get everyone to come, including Jenny. Where are you? I'll pick you up.”

You give him your location.As the sun sets, he arrives, and the two of you burn rubber through town, stopping at every liquor store you can find, and clearing it out.

It's a lively night. Chicks are smiling, girls are winking, and as you arrive at the warehouse, it seems like a party's in full swing.

“C'mon! We're late!” Jim grabs you pulling you inside.

Inside the warehouse, it's a blotch of colours and noise. People are enjoying themselves, dancing with strangers, and living it up. As the Dj puts another record on, Jim grabs the mic.

“Scuse me. Can I have your attention? My friend, Frank Casalon, will be leaving us soon, but not before he celebrates the best New York has to offer. And that's you guys!” as the crowd cheers, he pulls you into the spotlight.

“this is him. Make him feel welcome, 'cause this is his last night here!” as he hands you the mic, you can feel all eyes on you.

What do you say?

>>21521700
"Any one of us could die tomorrow, in a week, in a month, death is always around the corner and you rarely see it coming. But you can't let that beat you, you can't let the fear of death make life not worth living. And the best way to do that is to party.

So my friends, let us fight against the dying light, let us show the world that we refuse to go quietly. Let us drink, dance and make merry!"

>>21521764

Sounds good.

>>21521764
>"Any one of us could die tomorrow, in a week, in a month, death is always around the corner and you rarely see it coming. But you can't let that beat you, you can't let the fear of death make life not worth living. And the best way to do that is to party.

>So my friends, let us fight against the dying light, let us show the world that we refuse to go quietly. Let us drink, dance and make merry!"

The crowd is silent. Crickets chirp.

Then jim yells.

“yeeeaaaaahhh!”

the crowd is quick to pick it up, and the party begins anew. A cavalade of girls and drinks. So many ladies want you, you're sure you'll get some paternity tests tommorrow.

Wait, there is no tomorrow.

As this hits you with a wave of joy, you see Jenny.

And the dude she's making out with.

As you stumble over, slightly tipsy from the beer, she looks at you and says.

“Didn't know you were moving. Besides, Daniel's more my type anyway.”

“That's right.” He slaps her ass, and you turn away, losing yourself in the party.

Forget jenny. This night is yours.

Drinks appear, and you chug them.

Drugs appear, and you smoke them.

Tonight, of all nights, there shall be no sorrow.

So many kisses, so many wet. So many surround you.

You, the life of the party.

As the music rages on in the background, you lose yourself in the rhythm, okay with everything and anything. Making out in the middle is fine, as is driving cars into the water nearby.

Tonight is your night.

Your final night.

As you enter the restroom, vomiting some beer, you suddenly feel tired.

Looking up in the mirror, you seem a specter of your former self, stumbling, tripping. Your eyes look like a dead man's, and you feel haunted.

“Having fun?” The hobo steps out of one of the stalls, and looks at you.

Are you?

>>21522037
"The whole death thing has put a dampener on it somewhat, but overall yes"

>inb4 we get stabbed again.

>>21522037
"I suppose I am. Bit tired I suppose and could use a good night's sleep after this, but yeah I'm having fun."

>>21522110

>mentioning death

We shouldn't act like we're consigned to our fate

>>21522111
>overall, i'm tired, but still having fun.
“Is this what you call happy? Surrounded by strangers who want an excuse to party, who contnue though you are gone? Look outside. It is not you that brings them happiness, but their own actions. You are just an excuse, yet you look upon it like it is the greatest thing to happen. Frank, do not seek your own happiness through others. Do what they do, and seek it for yourself, through yourself.”

“are you going to stab me?” you ask, bracing yourself for the hit.

“No. You are already dead, Frank. Dead, like last time.”

“last time? Last time, you stabbed after I gave you change, you sick sonuvabitch! Are you saying that wasn't a dream?”
Something seems off, and your hair is on edge. You've seen him more then once before. Notes of a song come to mind, but fade just a quickly. His jacket...you know that lifting him would be easy.

How the hell do you know this?

'Frank. Listen to me. You've lived these days before. Last time, you tried to get Jenny. Before that, you took surgery for that head of yours. I am here to prevent you from dying, Frank. To do that, I can sever you from the ties of fate, and let you live thse days, until you find a way out. But I only have so many chances. Three, to be exact.”

As he speaks, memories flood into your head. Memories that happened, but didn't, at the same time.

“Fate has caught up, Frank.”

Your head bleeds. A familiar sensation.
Before your eyelids close, he whispers to you.

“there was one who loved you before her, Frank.”

>3/5 Knives used.
>Neutral ending reached. Depraved Ending Unlocked.
>turning back the spool of fate

>>21522489
The power goes out in the bar.

As the patrons groans in disappointment, the bartender announces an unexpected outage, so your group leaves in disgust, heading to the park for a midnight romp.

Underneath the stars and the trees, no one can see you, save for the gods and fate.

As you work Jenny away from Jim and Sarah, you ready your last trick.

xMagician: Show her the wondrous view of the central park, seen only at night.(Route taken)

xThief: Steal a kiss when she's not looking, on a bridge over a starry lake.(Route taken)

>Fighter: Dive for the kiss, catch a taxicab. Straight, simple, to the point.

>Berserk: this happened before. What the hell is going on?

>>21522545
Berserk: this happened before. What the hell is going on?

Let's stop trying for Jenny.

>>21522788
second

>>21522788
>Berserk

You stumble. This has happened. Hasn't it? What are you doing you need to-

“frank, are you alright?” Jenny asks, looking at you with concern.

“No, get away from me!” You roar, stepping back. She's rejected you twice, already. What's to stop her a third time?

You need to get out of here.

Ignoring her cries, you run out of the park. This is a dream... right?

Something is keeping you back. It must be.

What do all these dreams have in common?

>The Hobo: he's behind this, right?
>Jim: He's allowed every situation to happen. Is he really who he is?

>>21523053
JIM. HE'S FACILITATED EVERYTHING. CONFRONT HIM NOW.

>>21523053
The hobo's already told us stuff. Jim must have something to do with this.

>>21523102
>>21523123
>Jim: He's allowed every situation to happen. Is he really who he is?

You barge through the forest, and find Jim making out with Sarah.

That asshole.

You rip him from Sarah, and throw him on the ground.

As he struggles to get up, you kick him.

“Spill it, Jim. What the hell are you doing to me?”

“What the f-”

Your kick catches him in the ribcage, and sends him sprawling.

“I'm not going to ask again.”
“dude, I have no idea what the hell you're talki-”

You pick him up, and throw him against a concrete pedestal.

“YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!” You roar, grabbing his collar and shaking him.

“I've been living these past days over and over. What the hell are you doing to me?”

Jim coughs, and you see a hint of red in his mouth.

“frank, that sound ridiculous ...what's the hell's gotten into you?”

You stare at him. Bruised and bloodies, worn and torn, he looks like he's been chewed up and spat out.

But is he telling the truth?

>No.
>No.

>>21523258
NO

>>21523286
he's lying. You break his fingers.

“I'll stop once you tell me the truth.”

He mumbles something about not knowing.

You move to another, snapping it like a pencil.

He screams. “I don't know anything, honest!.”

His lies make you angry. Grabbing his arm, you kick the elbow inwards, snapping it in half.

As he cries in agony, you hear the sounds of alarms. Cops are pulling up, heading in your direction.

You:
>run. You have to stay alive, and uncover the mystery.
>fight. They won't bring you down. Death cannot stop you, can it?

>>21523367
Gotta make the most of every chance.
Run like fuck.

>>21523367
Run like a bitch.

>>21523402
>>21523538
>run. You have to stay alive, and uncover the mystery.
You run. You can evade them. After all, if you fail, you'll just relive the moment until you get it right. You duck down alleyways and side paths, roads and streets, until you find youself in Times Square, where everything started.

There's the hobo.

You walk up to him, ready with questions, ready to help him and you escape. Instead, he stabs you in the stomach, tears in his eyes.

“Frank, he was your friend. Why? Why will you always do do this, to go crazy?” as you sink to the floor, your head spouts blood, and the hobo cradles you.

“This path was inevitable. But it is still painful. Rest, Frank. Next time, will be better. I know.”

before your vision fades, you see everyone, each with a single string on them, leading them around.

The strings of fate.

You see the one attached to yourself fall off, and the hobo...the hobo never had a string.

Then you see nothing.


>4/5 Knives used.
>Depraved ending reached. ½ True Ending Unlocked.
>turning back the spool of fate...

The power goes out in the bar.

As the patrons groans in disappointment, the bartender announces an unexpected outage, so your group leaves in disgust, heading to the park for a midnight romp.

Underneath the stars and the trees, no one can see you, save for the gods and fate.

As you work Jenny away from Jim and Sarah, you ready your last trick.

You're going to kiss her, and call a cab.

>>21523651
As the two of you walk down the park, she looks at you a pleasant expression on her face.

“Hey, I had a good time tonight, but I better get going.”

“You sure?”

She nods. “Yeah.see you-”

You move in for the kiss, and feel warmth.

Then your face is roughly slapped away, and Jenny storms off.

“Jerk!” She yells, before catching a cab out of the area.

Well, that went well.

You go home.

Yeah, that was definitely the wrong thing to do.

You feel stupid. What the hell were you thinking?

Collapsing on your bed, you go to sleep.

You alarm clock wakes you up.

As you look over at the clock, you remember that you only have the usual shift today in the suit from 11am-5pm, and the rest of the day is yours, except for the appointment. It's currently 9am.

What do you do?

>the usual. Timeskip to appointment
>call jenny; maybe you can explain. Maybe.
>Slack off: Who cares? Let's just waste the day away.

I have an idea...perhaps this rests with the 'girl in the red sweater'. She always waves to us at work, and didn't the hobo say there was "one who loved us before" or something?

>>21523732

I like this idea. Let's try and find her.

>>21523665
>>21523732
I'm thinking that too.

OP, you better railroad us like fuck if we run out of knives.

>>21523732
>>21523802
>find sweater girl

You need to get out of this slump. What about that one girl who always waves to you, while you're at work?

She was kind of cute, and might've digged you.

You head out to search for her, and delve into the middle of Times Square. You stand around there, and it seems more corwded then usual. It takes you a minute, but you realize why.

Without the Tom the Hawaii Cat mascot suit, you're just another member of the crowd.

Wait, what are you doing? You're stalking a girl in hopes that she might like you. That's creepy.

You really should head to work, suit and all.

But you planned quitting anyway. Today's the perfect time to do it.

But how will she know it's you?

But how will you talk to her with a gigantic cat suit on?

You:
>go to work: put the suit on.
>Lurk about: keep the suit off.

>>21524020
Ffffff-yeah, I REALLY hope you railroad us, because I get the sense this is going to screw up. Carry cat head under arm? As ID.

>>21524020
>>Lurk about: keep the suit off.
Waving at her might be a way she would recognize us.

>>21524020
Put on the suit.

>>21524128
We should still have one knife/try left.

We are so fucking screwed.

>>21524128
(wait, what is this a vote for? it seems to be either. In any case, we need a tiebreaker.)

>>21524020
Grab the suit, but don't focus too much on the actual job.

>>21524304
Use the suit.

>>21524128
>>21524180
>>21524592
You decide to put the suit on. You have a decent job. No reason to lose it.

As you walk around, taking pictures with the tourists, dancing for the cameras, and brightening the day with your costume, you realize why you love this job. Random people walk up and give you hugs, and others shake your hand and smile. You can do anything and everything.

You're Tom the Hawaii Cat.

It's 5pm. As the clock rings on your phone, you fumble to shut it off. The Coca-cola ad plays.

But the girl is missing.

Someone taps you on the shoulder.

You turn around.

It's her. She waves at you, and you wave back. There are tears in her eyes.

“Hey, Tom. I loved your show since I was a kid. It's really funny, and you're so cute, and never hurt anybody...”

She looks down, and all of a sudden, she wraps her arms around you, embracing you in a tight hug.

Tears flow from her face.

“You're so harmless...I wish you were real... that you could take care of me, like sally the cat.”

You move in to hug her, But someone else taps you on the shoulder.

You let go.

>>21524663
It's Jenny.

As the girl in the red sweater excuses herself and runs away, Jenny has an evil smirk on her face.

“trying to get another girl, Frank?”

She rips the cat head off, and punches you in those nose. You stumble backwards, restricted by the suit.

“i told your boss about what you did. Jim put me in touch. He told me to tell you you're fired. Keep the suit.”

With that, she throws some coffee on your face, and disappears into the crowd as well. You look for either girl, but both are gone.

Great. Might as well head to your appointment.

You wait in the office, and take the tests. Finally the doctor comes in, and after some polite greetings, he says

“You might die anytime now, you head has a nearly ruptured vessel. If it were to break, Mr. Casalon, you would die. You've suffered quite a head injury, I'm afraid, and it's only getting worse by the minute. every hit you take, you might die from. If you want, we can attempt a medical procedure to save your life, but the chances of survival are low. to be exact, less then 1% of the patients survive. but if there's someone you need to see, or a reason, you need to stay alive, i suggest you take it. anything is better then zero."

the doctor closes the folder, and looks you, straight in the eye.

"Frank Casalon, what you say will decide your future. What will you do?

You:
>Stay.
>Don't Stay

>>21524676
>>Don't Stay
What did we do?

>>21524676
>but if there's someone you need to see

OH GODDAMMIT WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL US.

Doc is seeming like a bit more of a bro now.

Do we still have our cat suit?
I VOTE STAY, IN A CAT SUIT.

>>21524676
>>Stay.
Lets take the chance, things seem different now.

>>21524708
>>21524715
>>21524726
(Tie, people. Pick one option or the other.

>>21524797
Stay.

We still have one more chance don't we?

>>21524818
Damn, wish we took the sweater girl's number, if there's anyone we want to talk to, it's her.

Ask the doctor if he recognizes the sweater girl, see if he can get us to talk to her, if he doesn't know her, then stay

>I dont know about you guys, but I think the hobo is not what he seems to be . . .

File: 1352607159181.jpg-(21 KB, 350x350, 57.jpg)

>>21524676
>"Frank Casalon, what you say will decide your future. What will you do?
>You:
>>Stay.
>>Don't Stay

>No end quotes on the doctor's line
>Could be a mistake, could be HUGELY IMPORTANT

>>21524860
Hobo is a wizard.
We stay. With the cat suit.

>>21524912
>>21524818
>Stay.

“Fine, doc. You've convinced me.'

as the nurses wheel out the gurney and you change to a patient's robe, setting your clothes aside, the doctor nods, then heads out.

As the nurses check how your named is spelled, you are wheeled into the operating areas a little later then usual, as you've been frank caslon for the last year you've been here. As you get wheeled into the area, you spot someone familiar.

The girl in the red sweater is entering the emergency area, and the doctors are saying something about arrthymia.

You move to reach her, but the anesthesia kicks in, and you go slack.

4 hours later, Frank Casalon wakes up in the recovery area. His brain is fixed, and across from his area is the girl in the red sweater.

She looks looks at you, and nods once.

You wave back, and the remnants of a smile comes to her face before disappearing.

Then the nurses bring lunch, and the two of you eat in silence.

Things are awkward.

You:

>talk to her.
>don't talk to her.

Things I've learned from this thread:

>Always let hobos stab you. It often leads to good times (like more stabbing).
>That girl you like is a bitch. No seriously.
>Bros are forever
>Cat suits bring out the best in people, and are possibly the best chance people have at finding love.

>>21525014
Oh how is that even an option! Talk to her!

>I'm Tom the Hawaii Cat you wave to every day.

>>21525014
>>talk to her.
Lets ask why is she at the hospital. I doubt it is for us, since we didn't tell anyone about our surgery.

>>21525014
Talk to her

>"Hey I'm that Hawaii Cat you see everyday and I nearly died just now."

>>21525014
Ask when the doctors are supposed to give you guys free ice cream.

>>21525014
"Do you know how many times i have been stabbed by a hobo?"

>>21524912
Well, yeah I guess, that's true too
But my line of thinking was more along:

No Frank, you are the hobo

>>21525014
>FUCKIN TALK TO HER
"Hi, remember me? I'm Tom the Cat from the square. Sorry about that thing with the coffee and all. I've had some, problems, lately."
"Anyways, the food here really sucks, What say you and me get a bite to eat after they finish us up here? My treat!"

>>21525014
Hobo man said that someone loved us before Jenny. Red sweater loved Tom the Cat. Ipso Facto we ARE Tom the Cat. We transcend reality.

>>21525045
>>21525059
>>21525096
>>21525227
>>21525241
>>21525294
>talk to her
You start to tell her that you're Tom, when a nurse barges next to your bed, carrying the mascot head. She drops the cat head next to you, saying

“here's your head, sir, you left it in the doctor's office.”

You look at it blankly.

She looks at you.

You both speak at the same time

“You're Tom the Hawaii-”
“aren't you that cute gi-”

you both pause. Then you say.

'after you.”

She takes a breath, and speaks.

“You're the guy in the mascot suit? Tom?”

“yeah. You're that cute girl who waves to me every day, right?” You reply, nervously rubbing your head.

She nods, a slight blush on her face.

“Yeah. I'm a fan of that show.”

“Me too! Why else would I prance around in a suit all day?” You smile in a friendly manner, and she simply grins.

“so what are you doing here, Tom?” She says, looking at the bandages on your head.

You tap it. “Medical Condition. Possibly lethal, but they managed to fix it. You?”

She smiles sadly. “Arrthymia. Apparently, my running yesterday set it off, and the doctors and don't know how to fix it. They say I might pass any day now, unless I get another heart. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a donor in time, so...” she smiles a sad smile, and looks at you again.

“Still, at least I got to meet you. It does ruin the illusion, though.” She says, a thoughtful grin on her face.

>>21525381
All of a sudden, her face contorts in pain. As she clutches her chest, rip out the tubes in your arm and rush to her side. you don't know what to do. then you spot it.
The emergency button. you hit it with all you strength, and start calling for a nurse. One pops up immediately, and calls for a doctor. You stand there, motionless, when a hand grabs yours.

“stay...with me...tom...” She mutters, looking heavily under pain.

You grasp her hand tight.

“I'm here. Don't talk, okay?” you reply.

As the doctors rush in, they exchange some medical terms exceptionally fast, and pull to whisk her out of the room. You try to keep up, still clutching her hand, but a nurse pulls you away.

“You have to stay here, sir.”

You clutch your hand in a fist.

'Is there anything you can do for her?”

the words come out slow, and the nurse seems confused.

You turn to her. She adopts a thinking pose, then looks at you.

“Nothing. Not unless she gets a new heart entirely.”

your thoughts start running.

You ask the nurse a question.

What is it?

Rolled 37

>>21525381
Whelp, we donor now

>>21525381
>>21525405
>Oh God, morals kicking in

So gentlemen, shall we give our heart(literally) to the girl?

>>21525405
"Is my heart a match for her?"

>>21525405
>"Would you mind dying?"
But seriously, theres only one possible response at this point.

"How long will it take me to get from here to the psych ward? Nobody will miss a schizo."

>>21525405
In the end, we were never fated to live past this day.

After all, there was only ever one reason for us to live.

>Brain surgery takes 4 hours

Are we in the future, OP?

>>21525405
If we donate the heart, are we going to get shanked again?

>>21525732
Hopefully.

Just until we can find an ending where we both survive.

>>21525732
We only unlocked half of the true ending.

True Ending is when we kill the hobo and use his heart.

Or when we stop sweater girl from exerting herself and triggering her arrythmiya.

>>21525732
We're on our last knife.

inb4 hearts not compatible

>>21525405
CLEARLY OUR MASTERFUL CONVERSATION ABILITY WAS TOO MUCH FOR HER TO HANDLE.

WE SHOULD HAVE JUST SHUT UP.

REDO.

>>21525732

I think so. That's as cliche as the musical earlier. Fate won't like that methinks.

>>21525405
IT'S ALL CLEAR
DON'T YOU SEE

WE MUST BECOME THE HOBO

WAIT.

FUCK.

SHANK THE SWEATER GIRL.

THERE IS NO WAY THIS CAN POSSIBLY GO WRONG.

File: 1352611891357.png-(97 KB, 445x349, 1297285563516.png)

>>21525862

>>21525444
>>21525446
>>21525474
>>21525501
>>21525501
>can I donate my heart?
The nurse thinks about it. “Well...yes. When we had to heal you, we also had to check the status of your heart. We ran some genetic tests on the side, just in case you died, and you are compatible.”

you start to voice your intentions, but she glares at you.

“We can't accept a living heart, Mr. Casalon, and you'd be a fool to try. Any suicide would put your heart in so much stress, it would become useless for donation.

You curse inwardly.

There goes that chance.

A long hour goes by without her, and the doctors run some tests on your skull, removing the tubes from your arm. Finally,they leave, and she returns, a sad look on her face.

Still, she looks at you, smiles, and waves like she once did.

You wave back, arms free of the tubes.

You take the chair next to her bed, and hold her hand, silently staring out at the stars. As she rests her head on your shoulders, you move in next to her on the bed, laying together, staring out into the unkown.

She starts to cry, and wordlessly, you hold her tight.

“the doctors say I might die any second, now. That i'm a walking timebomb. And I wouldn't care, except for, I just met you. You're real. Even though I met you, I just want to go to hawaii with you, stare at the stars with you, and fall in love with you. But instead, I'll die here. At least, it's in your arms.”

You don't know what to say.

No, you do.

Somehow, it's felt like you've said these words a million times over.

“Don't worry. I'm here, and there's no place on earth i'd rather be, then right here with you.'

that stops her tears, and she buries her head into your chest.

You stay there, silently, until, at long last, she has fallen asleep.

“Frank.”

it's the hobo.

>>21525900
>NURSE, SCALPEL PLEASE

>>21525916
You stay silent, looking at him. As you do so, memories of all those relived memories flood into your mind, and you recognize him once more.

“there's still one more knife, Frank. If you were to use it, you could cut your timeline short. No stress on heart, no repeating of time. Use it, and she can live for the rest of her natural days.”

“but at what cost?” You respond.

'I think we both know. You'll live outside of time, in the same loop, over, and over. You'll become me, Frank. Living in the depths of New York, the same days over and over, dealing with your past self, coming to this point, and giving this choice to the next you.”

You take a look at the hobo. Past all those dirty clothes, and grime on his face, he looks remarkably like you. A you that has seen horros unimaginable, and worn down by the sway of time.

“but wouldn't that mean there would be two of us?”

“Not quite.” the Hobo-frank looks at you right in the eyes. “you see, frank, the last Knife is inside us. It's been passed down since this cycle began, so that the next Frank may use it, and sustain himself long enough to pass it on to the next. This is the knife that will keep you alive, until the next Frank uses it to pass on his heart, and so on.”

as he speak,s he draws back his coat, to show a knife where his heart should be.

“Take it, Frank. Use it to force time into a stalemate, and save her. That's the best we could manage. Always the best we could manage.”

The knife is so close, yet so far. You know what you must do.

Yet you fear it, at the same time.

You:

>Commmit Suicide with the final Knife.
>Don't commit Suicide.

>>21525930
>Commit Suicide with the final Knife.

"A man with no future, no hopes, no dreams, will die or at least something very close to it. A young woman with a life ahead of her lives. You already know the answer, you made the same choice."

>>21525930
Bullshit, we're going to be the exception.
Stab hobo-frank.

>>21525963
And let the Fates win?

Not a chance.

>>21525930
>Don't commit Suicide.

>>21525930
>>Commmit Suicide with the final Knife.
We knew how the story was going to end when we started, but at least now we now it means something.

>>21525930
>dont commit suicide
lets break the chain here and now, while we have a chance

SHANK THE GIRL.

DO EET.

>>21525930
If we stood by and let fate tell us what to do, we would only be letting our heroes down, /tg/.

>>21525985
seconding

>>21525985
I wanna go stab a random clock, what with all this time bullshit.

Don't expect it to do anything except break the clock... and vent my frustration.

>CAPTCHA: withstab institute
You got that right.

Come on OP.

Railroad us to the good end.

You know you want to.

>>21525985

Thirded.

>>21525930
This is tg. It's western bloody fantasy. And what would Fate expect less than for us to break this?

>>21525930
WAIT A MINUTE.

If he has a knife inside him, how did he get it?
Did we stab him with the knife?
And if so...
Then shouldn't we have another knife on us right now?

>>21526071
>>21526019
>>21525985
>stab hobo frank
You take the knife, and as you do so, the hobo starts to slowly fade. He speaks, with urgency in his voice.

“frank. you know what you have to do.”

"break the cycle.' You rush at Frank to stab him, but instead, you fall right through him.

He laughs sadly. "I thought the same thing too. Kill myself, and perhaps end the cycle, do something different. But frank before me thought the same. You have only one choice left, frank."

You look down at the girl, calmly sleeping.

the choice to save her.

You have the knife in your hand.

But somehow, thing feel different.

“No. What If I use this, to send myself back in time, and save her?”

the hobo stares at you, a coldness in his eyes.

“You would have one chance. Do you think you can save her? After all you've done, after all you've did, you have one last knife, and a guaranteed chance to save her. Why don't you take it, and die, knowing that she'll be safe, for all of eternity?”

You know this conversation has happened . Always happened. But what about your answer?

>Fine. I'll do it. Take the guaranteed outcome, and save her, once and for all.

>No. Send me back. I'll save her. It's better then giving in to the fates.

>>21526121
Go back and try to save her.

It's our sacred duty to dryhump fate into submission.

>>21526121
>things feel different
I WANNA BELIEVE. Send us back.

>>21526121
HAHAHA YES
[x] HERO OF TIME GOGO

>>21526121
I am sincerely conflicted, it would be the heroic thing just to take the sure thing and sacrifice ourselves, but I also feel that we can save her if we try.

>>21526137
>>21526141
>>21526149
>>21526150
(Warning. Going back will throw you back into the start of the adventure. you have no redoes, and no saves. All options will be open, and there will be no railroading. Are you ready?)

Stare at him evenly.
"And why is it that there are only five knives to use? Where did they come from? If there was truly some benevolent being that could defy fate that was lending us it's power, why didn't they know better, to just give us one more chance? Has it ever occurred to you that this might just be another way for Fate to slowly drive us to despair?"
Raise the knife.
"A man chooses. A slave obeys. I refuse to choose the hand Fate has dealt me."
Stab the girl.
"On a side note, you suck."

>>21526182
Do it!

>>21526121
Wait, is the knife going to only send us back to the start of the loop?
Are we going to have to go MURDER QUEST on some poor fucker's ass?

Either way, take the chance, but note her blood type first.

>>21526182
But we asked you to... WHY. We're trying, Fate. We're trying so hard. Hasn't this been enough of a kick in the pants? We're still trying to save her, it's just that honestly, if you're around there's probably an afterlife and being tortured emotionally for all eternity is not equal, no matter how sweet she is. God damn it.

I'm still doing it.

>>21526121
STAB THE SWEATER GIRL

>>21526182
GAME ON

>>21526182
Of course we're sure. No matter what, we die knowing that we fought as hard as we could.

Besides, now we have another option that we never had.


We end it before we ever began. The end of the first days shift, we talk to the girl in the red sweater. We actively fight fate.

>>21526182
It begins.

You stab yourself.

>5/5 knives used.
>Good ending reached, denied. True Ending Now unlocked. All Questions are now open-ended.
>turning back the Spool of fate...for the final time.

Times Square is gleaming with life, shining in the night.

And, you, you're at the center of it all. Walking around as a cat with a hawaiian shirt, people smile and point, wave and beckon. At times like these, everyone feels so friendly, so warm. You feel like the life of the party, and as a cute tourist takes a picture and slips you a tip, you wouldn't mind being anywhere else.

Except for maybe out of your hot, scratchy mascot suit, of course.

As the clock rings 5pm, that girl in the red sweater walks by like always, and she waves at you, with a small smile on her face. You wave back, like always, and the Coca-Cola Ad starts playing, like always.

And, like always, it means your job is done.

As you slip into a restroom nearby to change out, your cell phone rings. You move to grab it, only to realize your cat head is still on. Cursing with effort, you yank it off, and fumble for your phone, which rings with redoubled fury.

Two calls at once. Great. From the doctor and your pal, Jim. You answer:

>Doctor: Might be something important,
>Jim: He was talking something about a blind date, or a night out in town.

>>21526293
Ignore, go after girl.

>>21526293
>>21526255
I REJECT YOUR DESTINY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN

>>21526293
Go after the girl.

>>21526293
ok, now that we're here, how exactly do we stop an arrhythmia?

Fresh heart? Fresh heart.

...and for the love of all that's good, let's watch our heads.

>>21526364
mayoclinic.org/arrhythmia/treatment.html

>>21526420
In retrospect, there were other diseases he could have chosen for heart FAILURE.

>>21526443
Yeah. And the suicide thing? Total bullshit. It would hurt. It would hurt so fucking much. But hanging ourselves after taking an aspirin would give her the heart that she needed.

>>21526310
>>21526326
>>21526334
Now, hold on. You've been seeing this girl pass you by everyday. Surely, you should ask her out. Doctors and bros can wait.

You storm outside, still wearing the mascot suit. She's there. Down the road, and crossing...you give chase.

Then something trips you, and you go flying.

You look around, but there's nothing even remotely close to tripping you.

Something is out there, working against you.

You get the feeling you can't let it win.

She heads across the road, but before you can cross the crosswalk, what seems to be a dozen buses pull in front of you, blocking your way. There is no way this is coincidence. Something is definetely out there. You see her continue, sitting down at a bus stop. As you move to cross, one of the buses pull ahead, and she steps into it, whereupon it which starts to drive off.

Then she sees you, and waves once more.

You could fall in love with that wave.

You move to board the bus, but at the same time, something tugs on your tale.

It's a kid asking for Tom the Hawaii Cat's signature.

If you sign it, she'll slip away.
If you don't, she'll see how mean you were treating him. She probably wouldn't like that.

What do you do?

>>21526293

Doctor. Girl is what we went after the first goddamn time. Let's get serious.

>>21526460
(yes, but the nurse wouldn't want you to commit suicide on her shift, would she? they can lie about stuff like this, you know.)
>>21526420
(but are they all 100% effective? Maybe she has such a case where conventional cures won't work.)

>>21526497
oh fuck you, you really weren't kidding.

[x] Give the kid your cat helmet and get on the bus.

>>21526497
Sign it. Might as well make a kid happy.
>>21526531
Go home, take some aspirin, hang ourselves. And most of those treatments would work for a while, but you'll always need to get checked by a doctor.

>>21526497

Give the kid your cat head and go after her.

>>21526531
Then it would be a different disease. Arrythmia's an electrical impulse problem. And of course she lied. What I'm saying is do we have the chance to register for organ donation before either of us croaks?

>>21526541
Agreed. Quick and kind.

>>21526497
That bus is in one HELL of a hurry, aint it?

Get the drivers attention, have him wait a sec for the Hawaii Cat to keep up appearances.

>all these idiots wanting to traumatize the kid

>>21526563
Oh right, taking the hat off destroys the illusion. Not kind. Get her to hold him up and do the signing.

>>21526579
Her being like, signalling Sweater Girl that we need one god damn second and to go stall that driver.

We're going to fuck this up.

Fuck it up so hard.

>>21526563
This!
Dont take off the head.

>>21526563
>>21526596

You run to the front of the bus, and do jump up, and down, waving to get his attention.

To which, he simply gives a thumbs-up, and drives off.

Great.

As you sign the kid's paper, he runs off to his excited parents, who slip you a $10 bill, before walking off.

Oh well. Maybe you'll see her tomorrow?

You pull out your phones, and check your voicemails.

One is the doctor, asking you to come in.

the second is Jim, telling you about a semi double date set up with the girl from the gaming store.

While she was cute, you also remember that she had 3 boyfriends in the past month.

Forget that.

With a heavy heart, and a heavy cat head, the sun sets. What do you do now?

>>21526674
Nope, it will not end like this!
FOLLOW THAT BUS!

>>21526497
Take the little shit on a bus ride.

>>21526674
Doctor. We could see her. Its a long shot, but we could see her

>>21526674
The events take place over 2 days right? we are halfway through our 1st day, we know what the doctor has to say, so lets go out with Jim, and not focus on jenny this time.

1) We can wait for her tomorrow and face Fate's douche baggery then.

2) Chase that bus like a BOSS and face Fate now.

3) Begin masturbating furiously while wearing the cat suit.

Screw tomorrow, live for today. That means one is down. My opinion is number 2 ... but

>>21526674
How far gone is this bus?
Are we street savvy? Do we know where the next stop is?

All bus stops have some sort of bullshit map, and in NYC, walking is on par with public transport if the streets are busy.

Chase that bus, and call Jim and ask him for a small favor...

>>21526768
>>21526703
>Chase dat bus!
No. you can still see the bus in the distance. It's not over. Not by a long shot.

You dash down the street, mascot suit and head bouncing in the wind. People point and stare, others laugh, but you ignore them all. As a car pulls in front of your way, you slide across the hood, impressing the passerby. You run for what feels like hours, doggedly placing one foot in front of another.

You have no idea what motivates you.

But it's the best damn motivation since your football days.

You run, leaving the world behind.

Up ahead, the bus slows to another stop, and you see her step off, and head into the apartment.

You dash ahead, taking care not trip.

Finally, you slow down, as she reaches the doors.

Panting, you make those last couple of steps. As she reaches in her pockets for her keys, she looks up, and she sees you.

You reached her. What do you say?

>>21526869
"Hi." Thats always a good opening line.

>>21526869
"Wait, I don't live here. Excuse me miss, but do you know what the quickest way to Hawaii is?"

>>21526919
This.

>>21526919
i agree with the exhausted hi; also, we probably don't have the breath to say anything else.

>>21526947
Ha.

I like that.

>>21526947
Ditto. This is cute.

>>21526984
>>21526960
>>21526919
“hi.' it's a stupid line a silly line, and you berate yourself for saying it.

But somehow, it worked.

“Hey, Tom. What are you doing here?” her eyes are bright as she talks, and she has a small smile on her face.

You mime confusion, then act like you are in a rush.

"Wait, I don't live here. Excuse me miss, but do you know what the quickest way to Hawaii is?"

She points towards the setting sun.

“That direction, Mr. Tom. Mind if I tag along?”

and so the game begins. You play tom the hawaii cat, and she plays along. You run through famous scenes in the show, as well as a few improv lines.

You make her laugh, and smile.

That smile could brighten up the whole city, and you tell her so.

She blushes momentarily, before glancing down at her watch.

She looks up, a sad urgency on her face.

“Uh oh, Tom. I have to go. Play that hawaiian song of yours, next time we meet, won't you?”

With that, she slips into the apartment.

You sit back, and grin.

Then realize a crowd of fans have surrounded you, taking pictures.

You pose for the cameras, and think of what to do next.

What now?

>>21527067
Maybe we can get help for Sweater Girl with some public attention. Hmm. (Also fuck it's 2 am on my end. Night, please don't die on me.)

>>21527067
We plan to do the Hawaiian song next time.

We goin' have a date that night.

Also, don't forget to head to the doctors tomorrow. I mean, we already know it's probably going to be the same, but who knows. Magic is the small chance that absolutely anything can happen.

>>21527118
...wat.

Are you honestly suggesting that we say "Hey this chick has arrhythmia don't ask how I know this and don't let her exert herself too much?"

>>21527151
You know what, you might be onto something.

Is there anyway we can ... facilitate her getting into a hospital? Hopefully for something minor?

>>21527126
You set up your plan. If you want some attention in Times Square, speakers are the way to do it. You've got that entire hawaiian song memorized down to the bone. This should be easy, you just have to be there.

Your phone is ringing.

It's your boss.

You answer it.

“frank, what the hell are you doing?” he yells at you, and you can feel the anger through the phone.

You try to respond, but he barks out again.

“We've got clips of you running through town hitting the facebook page like crazy! Care to explain yourself? You should just turn in that damn suit immediately, for all that you do with it!”

if you lose the suit, you lose everything.

What do you say, to calm the boss down?

>>21527118
>>21527151
(i need to get this across better. Every time you send yourself back, you have no recollection of what just happened. that's why you feel vague motivation instead of definite reason, and have no idea you will die, and as thus never change life accordingly the one time you did remember, it was the depraved ending. You don't want that one.)

File: 1352618331084.jpg-(41 KB, 271x400, forest-gump-running.jpg)

>>21527242
I lost my Jenny, we was like peas and carrots. Then I just felt like ruhnin'.

>>21527242
"Saw a good opportunity for the company. We're going to become a goddamn landmark now. I even got you $10 out of the whole thing. Try not to spend it all at one place."

Something to this effect, but the last part is probably a bad idea.

>>21527242
How about I make it up to you with a little song and dance?

Meet me in the middle of Times Square.

Boss is smalltime, and the suit's probably not worth calling the cops over.

Boss should know that there's no such thing as bad publicity.

>>21527242
"The more hits that video gets, the more people will want to take a picture with Tom, the super athletic cat."