>>3308076
For the time being though, the sun is high so finding a place to spend the night when it comes would be ideal. The skyscraper you're in, you may be able to find a place but it is pretty rundown and exposed to the elements. Should the clouds change while you're asleep, you might not wake up. Not to mention you think you heard something moving around a few floors down and though you were too scared to investigate, what if... whatever it was came and found you?

If you tried you could maybe find a place here to sleep, someplace safe. Outside though, you noticed a scrap bridge crossing the gap to another skyscraper that looks like it's taller at least than this one, if not more unbroken windows. The last time you crossed a bridge like this though, Daisy wouldn't follow you and this one doesn't look much safer or secure.

>What do you do?

>>3308117
Check our equipment, what do we have?

Search for a place with unbroken windows for us to sleep at night

>>3308121
This.

Look for something to defend ourselves, a pipe or something, we cannuse it to bar a door too

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>>3308121
>>3308137
Of your own belongings, you have;

>Two sets of clothes, both good condition including shoes and gloves
>Filter mask
>Backpack
>An old toolbox you found with some tools, as well as some other useful things you stashed inside like duct tape and a flashlight
>Medkit, for common injuries and ailments
>Small medical bag, with a few more advanced items like an analyzer and some hypo-serums
>Small bag of personal effects, like a toothbrush and soap
>An electronic tablet, with an interface device for interacting with various electronics
>An old radio
>An outlet charger
>Hazard meter, for picking up environmental risks
>Laser pistol, though you've never used it but think you know how
>Squeaky ball and a leash for Daisy's collar
>Teddy bear
>Mother's necklace

So you're not completely unprepared, you took the things you thought you would need from home before going outside, as well as some things you picked up along the way in your several days and nights outside since. A pipe you think would be good to have and no trouble to find.

As for a place to sleep however, make a d100 roll to search around this building you are in for a suitable spot.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>3308172

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>3308172

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>3308172

>>3308203
oh look, a cafeteria with the refrigeration system still on and full of food, kek

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>>3308203
>>3308191
>>3308184
>97

You'd like to cross the gap but worry about Daisy, so decide to keep here for the night. Searching around this floor of the crumbling building, there's a lot of old office space and even some meeting rooms which are private enough you think but not really safe, especially not from the clouds. Eventually though you do come across a big central hall with many doors and buttons on the walls, curiously experimenting with what you find.

"Updown? It works!"

Hitting the buttons is fun enough but one of them lights up and with some shuddering and shaking, before long the metal doors open to a room inside. A working elevator, which you'd be content to sleep inside for as safe as it is, but also provides the option for navigating the building up and down more safely than the stairways. The light pouring from out of the elevator itself and faintly illuminating the dark and dusty hallway feels like a welcome change.

"Greetings! Which floor?"

It even has a voice inside, maybe someone watching? Someone to talk to at least, if you end up sleeping here.

>What do you do?

>>3308234
Ask what floors are there.

>>3308237
this
see what we have in each floor

>>3308237
We can do that, but lets not be rude, ask its name first and introduce ourselves and Daisy

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>>3308237
>>3308240
>>3308257
Keeping one foot in the hall, you cautiously put weight on the elevator floor with your other foot and stamp a few times. When the thing remains in place, you step inside to be followed by Daisy. The elevator itself looks quite nice inside, clean at least so it must not have been used like the others for a long time. There's even a display screen inside this one with some images shown and many moving symbols and numbers.

"Hello?"

"Greetings! I am ALO, your automated lift operator. Please speak the floor you wish, or you can press for it, and I will take you there."

"Hi Ayello, my name is Alexa and this is Daisy."

"Greetings Alexa, and Daisy, and welcome to 117 5th Down Street. I hope that your day has been well? Now, which floor will it be?"

So not a person talking to you from someplace else, but one of those robots inside?

"Uh... what floors are there?"

"Here on display is the floor plan for the building, though please be courteous of other users and their time."

On the display screen slides in some side picture of the building with the floors shown and allowing you to scan through them by sliding your finger along the screen. There are a lot of names you don't understand, they have to be names since the other words you do know. Things with names before or after words like "Group" and "Limited". Apart from those named places however, there are some bottom lobby floors, two restaurants both near the bottom and near the top, some sort of plaza halfway up, and lastly some leisure floors near the top including things like a gym.

That's what it says at least, you don't know what a "plaza" or a "gym" are but since they don't have capital letters in front you assume them to be normal things.

>What do you do?

>>3308323
Top restaurant please

>>3308342
+1

>>3308342
>>3308352
Looking over the choices, you make a decision.

"Um... that one."

"Floor 50, right away."

The doors begin to close and you have to grab Daisy to stop her from jumping out, as the elevator begins into motion. A weak feeling in your knees during the ascent, and a funny feeling in your stomach when it slows to a stop. And all the way, the other voice on the display screen to talk about the restaurant and all sorts of things about it. They all look and sound so good...

"Floor 50, Solstin's. Have a pleasant evening, Alexa and Daisy."

"Thank you Ayello."

The rustle of motion through trash and broken chunks of floor as Daisy hurries out of the elevator, and you cautiously look around before trying to get after and grab her. A bit of a disappointment you see, the state of this floor compared to what the display screen had led you to believe on the way up, about as ruined as the rest of the building. However as you try and find your way around and see a dimly lit map of the floor at the end of the open hall, you begin to notice more signs of people. More trash, old used things like clothing scraps and equipment left laying around. Picking Daisy up and holding her close, you wouldn't want her to start barking and alert anyone to your presence, and you're glad the elevator waits open for you in the hall.

Though, it's only a feeling, and some signs. There's nothing to say there's anyone still here, or that they would be hostile. Of course, mother's rules about avoiding people...

>What do you do?

>>3308323
Top restaurant

>>3308384
Let's listen to mother. Trepidly skulk around for food.

>>3308400
This

>>3308400
>>3308423
Very well, make a roll for the effort!

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>3308439

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>3308439

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>3308439

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>>3308508
>>3308466
>>3308463
>80

Keeping mother's rules in mind, you decide to be as careful and as stealthy as you can. So holding Daisy close and trying to not make much noise with your equipment, you tiptoe around the floor, from the elevator hall towards the largest windows you can see the late afternoon sun through. Some other buildings above the cloud level as well. Having made it that far along though you come to notice some old wood and glass of the interior here, like a distinct portion and with the damaged Solstin's sign to see you guess it to be the restaurant as you struggle to open the doors.

"Welcome Alexa!"

"Aaah!"

The struggle to open and get inside, you panic when you're hastily and emphatically greeted by some rough old humanoid robot, tattered old fancy clothes hanging from it's slender frame.

"Right this way, you made it just in time for the lunch special!"

Confused and scared, you hesitate while Daisy growls in your arms. The robot merely stands waiting for you and holding out its hands to lead the way however, so eventually you nervously follow after. As the robot leads the way through the restaurant, the lights begin to rise and distant music can be heard, visible ahead at a brightly lit booth another robot quickly cleaning and setting up a table. You lag behind the maitre'd robot for a bit, taking in the restaurant and how it's in comparatively decent condition compared to the rest of the building. Still old, parts of the wall and roof caved in and many windows broken, not to mention other types of damage and leaks. But wherever there is functional space, the tables and chairs are all clean and orderly and the floors swept, the lights and sound system partly working. Maybe the robots still maintaining the place?

"Alexa! I'll be your waiter today, can I get you something to drink?"

Having set Daisy on the booth beside you and sitting down yourself, you stare in disbelief and confusion for awhile before cooperating with the robot and making some order for you and your dog. A menu to followup where you can order food, and decide on the most expensive thing why not, if you can get it? Same for Daisy, you'll have the chance to eat well tonight! Hearing and seeing signs of the kitchen operating, by the time the smell finds you your worries are starting to fade and your enjoyment of this place rising. Even a piano on an elevated portion of the restaurant playing itself.

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Only the sound of some buzzing thing distracts you, a little grey machine thing zipping around the room in the air but otherwise not bothering anything. With the arrival of the plates of food and well wishes from the waiter, it all seems to good to be true but Daisy certainly doesn't hesitate to start chowing down, though you panic and stop her when you find what could be onions (if you remember the pictures you saw of them correctly) in the food. Taking them out of hers though, you're free to enjoy yourself now.

One thing does nag at you though, as you shove the food in your mouth with your hands and vocalize a deep appreciation for the quality. Something about a bill and payment the waiter brought up, when you're expected to be finished.

>What do you do?

>>3308605
Put it on my tab.

>>3308622
What was it that you saw, in one of those old movies? A person said something at a bar that let them skip something called a bill?

"Put... it on my... tab?"

"Apologies Alexa, but that courtesy is only extended to employees of the businesses within this building."

Worth a try you suppose, you'll just have to use the interfacer and hope for the best, as you rummage through your bag and Daisy licks your plate clean. Setting the device on the table and expecting something to happen, eventually the robot just takes it and makes use of the thing. A relief on that at least, you only took it from home but never used it before so didn't have much an idea. Some sort of thinking from the robot before it accepts and returns the device and approves your bill or whatever it's called.

"Transaction approved!"

Well after a meal like that, it's the best you can remember ever having, even better than home. If you could get food from this place maybe you could live here even? It's not so far from home that you'd need to worry about mother returning and thinking you gone or lost. Or, living near here at least. You'd like to sleep in one of the booths but get reminded of the open and close time of the restaurant along with thanking you for your business. The times not meaning much to you as you didn't understand them, but saying that the place would close by tonight is enough for you to understand, as the restaurant remains lit even for a time after you leave. Maybe expecting others?

So at least you and Daisy got something to eat, and worst come worst you could always just sleep in the elevator. That would protect you from any clouds, and really it's not much "worst" at all considering the condition and where you'd been sleeping the last few nights. You wonder though about exploring any more of this place, but can see through the broken windows that it will be sunset soon so know it could be risky. Keeping the restaurant in mind though, finding a proper place to call temporary home could be worth it. Either that, or just settling for what you have and planning on a guaranteed good night's sleep.

>What do you do?

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>3308740
>look around the restaurant and ask robotic waiter about what other places to visit on different floors

>>3309623
This, lets explore the floor for useful things and ask the robot for infornation.
After that is done we should sleep in the elevator

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>>3309623
>>3309648
>85

Having already left the restaurant it's hardly trouble to just go back in since it's not yet closing time, and the robotic maitre'd greets you once again.

"Alexa! Did you forget something?"

In case you don't come back, you want to check this place out for all it may be worth, so having left Daisy outside for just a bit you make your way around the restaurant interior. It soon seems you'll have to hurry though, as after a certain amount of time spent followed by the robot yet not taking a seat, it starts to sound insistent.

"Alexa, if you are not here as a customer then it is requested you leave the establishment."

You're not sure what any of that means but it sounds ominous as the robot eventually physically prevents you from entering to the kitchen and telling you the back areas are restricted even to customers. Not before you see a robot or two waiting to make food you think, by what could only be storage and preparation appliances for the food. If only these robots weren't around and you could get more food directly. After the second warning then you do as you're told and return to the entrance, though on the way you do notice what looks like someone had been camping out by one of the windows. Some trash or bedding scattered around and some empty old cans and bottles. Not much left given the window is broken so their things must have long since blown away or fallen out, but you are able to take a quick detour and grab a small bag snagged on the broken glass, then return to the entrance.

"We appreciate your cooperation, and welcome you next time as a custo-"

"Hey, what else is around here? On this floor, and the others?"

You interrupt the maitre'd at the door, but it snaps to attention in order to listen to your request and give a response.

"Solstin's occupies the majority of this floor, including the management offices. However the premier conference room occupies the far wing. For other floors..."

The robot lists off the many other floors and former occupants of them, many "companies" which used this building for business. Nothing you hadn't already heard from the elevator, though mention of a "cafeteria", the lower restaurant, and some sort of service basement... you wonder if that could be some other way to cross the building gaps, underneath? Your mother said how the city has under ways and some connect to buildings or beneath them. Most of the lower floors would have clouds in them but maybe not the basement? And lastly there's the two floors above this which include things like a gym and probably some way to the roof.

Wanting to get back to Daisy (who'd been anxiously pacing around the door) then you thank the robot and leave the restaurant again. Some possibilities to explore more, if only this floor and that "conference" place. Or maybe even another floor, though it's not long before sunset and nightfall.

>What do you do?

>>3309726
>Go inside the lift and ask to be taken to floor with any sleep places for "customers"

>>3309726
get into the lift and sleep there, it's safe against the clouds

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>>3309753
>>3309746
Feeling a little confident from your successes, you return to the lift with Daisy, welcomed once more by the ALO. You could sleep here, but you found a place to feed you when you were hungry, why not a place to sleep when you're tired? This building has everything!

"Um... sleep floor... customers?"

"Floor 12, right away."

A lurch, start of the elevator as the numbers tick and the display screen sounds off something about the floor you're headed. The numbers though, he said twelve...

"No, not down! No down!"

When the realization hits you, the panic sets in quick. Frantically you push on the screen every which way and the different buttons, but the elevator won't change it's descent. Even when you start banging on the doors frightfully and Daisy starts barking mad from your panic.

"Floor 12, Peer Lounge. Have a good night, Alexa and Daisy."

Rushing to grab the dog and bundle her (struggling) in your sweater, you fumble to get your air filter mask out in time as the doors open. The light floods out into the hazy darkness, and the thick fog of the cloud starts to silently creep in. Cowering in the corner with Daisy writhing against you, fearful you close your eyes and try to hold your breath though thankfully the doors only remain open for a short while before closing and the elevator starts up again.

"Floor 27, right away."

Opening just one eye, you can see the elevator is headed up next to one of the other floor buttons you pressed. Maybe it has to go to all the floors when pressed? A terrifying few minutes then as each following floor is gone to and the doors opened for a short time as the cloud would enter before closing and ascending again. By the fifth stop the cloud isn't in those parts of the building, at least visibly, but for comfort you hit the fiftieth floor to return to at the end.

"Floor 50, Solstin's. Have a good night, Alexa and Daisy."

even though the doors open, and with no other floors to go to, now remain open you still just sit there for a couple minutes in a bit of a shock. Your heart slows and your breathing steadies, and it's Daisy's fidgeting in your sweater that brings you back to reality as you lift it up and let her out.

"Maybe we... m-maybe we just sleep, huh Daisy?"

The little dog seems happy to get around out of the elevator after being shoved under your clothes, maybe a walk around to let her do her business and if you could find a bathroom you too, maybe running water even? But after that, call it a night.

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>>3309795
And I think this will be my last post for now. Hadn't intended to post this late anyway, but a good chance to end for now. Will continue later today, try to roughly around the time when the thread started.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing! And maybe figure if you have any plans for next time!

>>3309802
Thank you Radio Boss
We will wait

>>3309802
thanks for running, that was scary

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>>3309807
>>3309812
Oh and one more thing to leave with,

>What radio frequency do you tune in, to fall asleep listening to?

>>3309814
let's go with 102.7

it's a nice radio from here

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>>3309814
>>3309816
sounds ok, let it be 102.7

I miss you so much....why....why did you leave me alone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAtE91BGiHM

>>3309829
Trauma the mp3

Going to be resuming in awhile now.

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>>3309820
>>3309816
Not exploring the whole floor but looking around the elevator corridor here at least, walking around with Daisy you thankfully manage to find some bathrooms. One of the sinks still sort of works too so that's something to brush your teeth with, and wash clean with your towel, drying your long hair after. Something to drink too, if you end up needing it.

"Daisy. Daisy! Here!"

Calling louder so she can hear you in her old age, you leave the bathroom with Daisy in tow. By now the sun has set so all there's to see are the infrequent other buildings high enough to be above the clouds, and lights from them seen either above or faintly below (if bright enough). In this building though it's quite dark with most of the power out or haywire, the elevator light a welcome guide to follow back as you lay out some bedding for you and Daisy and try to figure out how to shut the doors without changing floors, before curling up to sleep beside the old radio.

Set to 102.7, some somber tune to fall asleep to.

---

It's the familiar growl of Daisy which rouses you from sleep, as she starts to half-bark and you struggle to grab ahold of her and clench her mouth shut to keep from barking anymore. She may be old and halfway deaf but she's always noticed the approach of... whatever may be.

"Shhh... Daisy shhh..."

Trying to keep her under control and shush her while gathering up your belongings with your free hand just in case, sure enough you come to hear activity outside the elevator. Movement at first, of rubble and trash being stirred up by feet probably, but talking soon to follow. Too indistinct to make out but at least enough people to be able to talk to one another as, to your guess by the sounds, they are passing through the elevator corridor towards the restaurant?

You can't help but be a little worried though, if in their poking around they happen to notice the lone operational elevator on this floor.

>What do you do?

>>3310962
>What do you do?
Get the laser pistol ready but mostly try to hide yourself and Daisy.

>>3311294
This

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Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>3311294
>>3311584
Trying to hurriedly gather up your things, while stashing them in your bag and hearing what you can only guess is going on outside, your hand stumbles over something to which you hesitate. Taking the grip of the laser pistol, your heart rate starts to rise both from the fear over how to use it and for what that could mean if you need to. You never fired it before and mother used a normal gun, but she at least showed you how to use it in theory.

A high pitched hum as you activate the weapon, before it quickly fades out and the green light shows, ready for use. Shoving Daisy under your sweater again, you heft the pistol with both hands and point it at the display screen to get a feel for aiming it, before readying to shoot at the door. The sounds outside come and go, but your fear remains constant. The only thing to consider, how ready to fire are you? Would you shoot the moment the doors open (if they did), or wait to make sure it's a hostile presence? How safe, how cautious...

>A roll to see if those outside find anything while searching...

>>3311595
We wait until the doors open and they appear hostiles I think

>>3311616
>41

Although mother's rules say otherwise, and that you should shoot first and ask later... you've never hurt let alone killed anyone. Fearful for your life even though you are, you don't think you could just shoot someone or something randomly. At least not like, a person.

Though who's to say being scared may not shake your hands enough for something unlucky? In any case the sound outside persists for some time before eventually you think you hear them leave, the footsteps and the talking fading down. You'd have thought that to be enough worry for one day, but some tens of minutes after the departure of those others you hear that familiar buzzing sound again of something zipping around the elevator corridor.

And, eventually after that, the approach of some other party. Culminating at a bang against the elevator doors.

"Some in there? Big trouble gone, can open up if you is."

An adult's voice, and normal by the sound? You can't tell if she's certain that someone is inside the elevator rather than it just being on the floor. But she's calling to you for sure, and seems to have a better idea than whoever was here before her. Maybe she just doesn't want to open the door herself and risk getting attacked, which given your situation, she'd be right.

Maybe just change floors, maybe ignore her. But hearing another voice at least is something, after being on your own now for so long.... what would mother say?

>What do you do?

>>3311651
>"Who are you?"

>>3312957
This

Eventually open up I think

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>>3313133
>>3312957
If she can't get in that's one thing, but if she never knew anyone was there then that would be the most safety for you. Of course as worried as you are and trying to control a fidgeting dog under your sweater, you're not really in a right mind to be considering things in such detail.

You know what mother would say, what her rules are, but hearing another person and seemingly friendly... maybe you could trust them?

"...who you is?"

"I am ALO, your automated lift op-"

"No! Other out!"

The other person responds but you can't hear because the elevator doesn't seem to register that you aren't speaking to it. The voice doesn't sound hostile though nor are they acting urgently or trying to get in, so eventually to allow for a conversation at all, you decide to open the doors. But sitting back against the elevator with both hands on the pistol ready to fire. Morning light from unseen windows makes out the ruined elevator hallway but no other at first.

"No trouble, see?"

No sight of anyone but from beside the doors are extended a pair of dirty, but empty hands. Followed after cautiously by some messy black hair and a goggled face, though she withdraws in a panic when she sees the pistol.

"No trouble!"

"N-No trouble..." hesitantly you lower your hands between your knees and the pistol with them. Another slower look this time and she finally steps into the open holding her hands out gently. A grown-up. Dressed in ratty old clothes but she does have an assortment of metal parts and tools visible on her person. You'd ask her who she is again but would just get interrupted by the elevator so you try and make some gestures towards the hall, as she gives you space when you try to scooch along the floor out of the elevator trying to keep Daisy under your sweater. Trying and failing, as the little dog falls out the side and seeing a stranger bristles and starts barking in her attempt at a threat.

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"Daisy! No! Here!"

In hindsight it was a bad idea to drop the gun in order to lunge for the dog to grab her and keep her from barking, but the stranger doesn't take any chance like that against you. She just quickly takes a knee and reaching in a bag on the floor, she pulls forth a small biscuit to offer the dog and quieten her some. Only some though, as an attempt to pat her head is met with a growl.

"I uh... thank... name, name Alexa... who you is?" you regard the stranger nervously but try to find a way to break the silence.

"Kim." she gestures to herself with some small relief, though it doesn't do much to help your suspicions. If Daisy doens't like her...

"Little girl and nobody-"

"-and Daisy."

"-and Daisy." she smiles, "Where you mother is? Look food, there?" she gestures down the hall to the restaurant.

Shaking your head and backing away from her, you don't like her questions. Should you be truthful, lie, or even tell her anything? Though she hasn't hurt you, and since you backed away you didn't notice but she slowly crawls a little closer and picks up the dropped pistol to put beside you. In any case she waits expectantly for an answer, as morning sun comes down the hallway to the two of you and the various dust and specs in the air.

>What do you do?

>>3313320
mother went looking for things a while ago, we are alone for some time, the restaurant has food but they want pay, show her our display so she can check if we can pay.

if we can let's go eat at the restaurant again

>>3313358
Lets take her to the restaurant

>>3313358
>>3313378
After much hesitation and much patience from her, you try to explain to Kim in a way to answer her question. How your mother left a long time ago and you've been alone since you left your home.

"Home? Uptown or Downtown?" something about home has her interested.

"Huh?"

"Up clouds or down clouds?" she gestures around the floor here and then points downward and shakily gestures her hands about in what you'd guess to represent the clouds. A gesture which Daisy doesn't like and growls at again.

"Um... down?"

Well your home was down, not in the under ways but safe from the clouds and the monsters... and people. Hearing this though, Kim tries not to react much but you notice a definite interest for just a moment. Nervous again, you try to change the subject.

"Want food? There is, there." you point back, and Kim looks but she gets a lot more serious and struggles to speak what she wants.

"No can. Trouble fore, with robot. Them fight and blood... two die. See with drone."

She reaches back to pull forward and show you that same little flying machine you saw go through the restaurant yesterday. She must be talking about whatever people were here before her that you hid from, when it sounded like they went towards the restaurant. If they tried to get food from the restaurant, maybe didn't pay? And some fight, if anyone died... you've never seen something dead before.

But you can pay right? Your display let you before, maybe it can again? There might have been trouble with other people but not for you. In any case you offer her and she does appear interested at first but hesitates and changes her mind, not wanting you to return to the restaurant.

"Come with, home with friends over gap," she gestures to the far side of the building, "food there. And help from trouble, wait for mother? Little girl no safe nobody."

Well she's been nice at least, but whether you trust her... and mostly you're not sure if you want to leave this building when there's food and water here, which you think you still have reliable access to. You can just keep paying and get tasty food and wait for mother, right?

>What do you do?

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>>3313484
And I think this will be my last post for now. More late posting but what can you do? But a good chance to end for now at this decision. Will continue later today, trying for the usual time.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

>>3313484
Pay before getting the food, then we go, how about that?

>>3313484
oh, so this means there are clouds only in the midddle, tell her about the restaurant in the lower floors too then.

and let's try this before going >>3313493
another tasty food would be good if we can pay

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>>3313493
>>3313501
Well the clouds extend from the streets to varying heights at different times and weather, but from what you've seen, the clouds have never been lower than the point where only infrequently tall enough buildings have their uppermost floors above the clouds. And since all buildings start at the street... from mother though, you did hear stories of the under ways, and people and places that were beneath the streets and buildings. Safe from the clouds beneath, as much as above.

One last thing before going then, what do you want to order from the restaurant for you, Daisy and Kim?

>>3313552
something filling, maybe meat, potatoes and some pasta, ask Kim to help, we don't know much about this food.
try to pay before ordering to make sure the robots don't kill us

>>3313552
Ask for the day's special

>>3313552
>"What is "today's special"?"

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>>3314728
>>3313559
>>3313555
You could go with her, maybe safer than being alone. But before you leave the building you could make use of the amenities once more. Kim refuses to follow you or go near the restaurant, something about breaking rules but she'll at least wait for you and mind Daisy.

"Welcome back Alexa! Right this way, if you will please excuse the inconvenience."

"Um... I can... pay? Fore the- aaah!"

Trying to figure out how to get what you need in a better order, the robot would show you the way to a table first but in doing so quite clearly indicates someone on the floor of the restaurant not far away in an unnatural position. Unmoving, red spreading over the old wood and hardly made better by another robot attempting to mop it up. A scary sight as you recoil away, closing your eyes and covering your ears for a short while to try and not think about it.

"I-I-I w-w-wanna... wanna pay fore food... th-then go."

"Take out? Busy afternoon? You can place your order on the display, pay there, and we will have your food out in short order."

You've used a display before but it takes some getting used to with this one, and rather than spend an hour trying to understand the menu, you just ask for whatever is special so the robot can point it out... and leave bloody marks on the display in the process. An unpleasant wait afterward as you sit in the corner and try your hardest not to think about the person on the floor you saw.

---

With some bagged boxes of food to carry, you exit the restaurant and glad to be free of it, panicking a little when you see neither Kim nor your belongings in sight. Calling out though she soon rounds a corner with Daisy in tow growling after her, probably just exploring during the wait.

"Is uh... some called 'Car-vas Steak Freets'?"

You could have said anything really but her eyes light up nevertheless.

"Super good! Thank Alexa, friends will love!"

Since she's already carrying most of your belongings you can continue to carry the food, as she leads the way through the building to a stairwell, and the two of you stumble down the dark and crumbling descent. Three or four down, back to the old office space and by one side of the building where the windows are all smashed, is a bundle of several metal cables across the gap to the next skyscraper. A basket of metal frame wrapped in old clothes and big enough to hold four people, a long rope hanging slack all the way across the gap as well. And of course, the light grey carpet of the clouds not far below.

A glint of binoculars from the other side, though you don't need a pair to see the other person waving from the other side.

"I have food, you have Daisy?" Kim offers to free your hands to hold your dog, Daisy herself waiting nervously some distance back from the edge.

>Make a roll for the crossing...

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>3315577

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3315577

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>>3315647
>>3315650
>59

It takes a lot of effort to keep hold of Daisy, even after stowing her in your sweater, but apart from a change in the wind the travel across the gap between the skyscrapers goes fine. Once you and Kim are in the big metal basket the rope tightens to the other side and you can see several people pulling as the basket slowly jerks along the metal cables above. Although Daisy is avoidant of high places, you don't really mind heights. It's not like you can see the ground from up here and the clouds are only a few floors beneath so it's not a scary sight.

When nearing close enough to the other building then, Kim and the others start calling back and forth to one another till the basket is pulled to the interior of the building and people crowd around to see what's the result of Kim's trip across the way.

"Is a kid?"

"How many winters she is?"

"Some smell good!"

So many people, maybe twenty or more, it's quite overwhelming for you and a bit scary, as you grip the laser pistol instinctively in your sweater sleeve. Your whole life it had just been you and your mother in your home, and while she'd talked about the outside and other people, to suddenly be surrounded by them is a lot to take in. Especially when they're talking at you and stray hands tug at your clothes or feel your hair.

Noticing your anxiety however, Kim pulls you behind her as you find yourself holding onto her for some feeling of safety.

"All listen, this'm Alexa! Her and nobody-"

"-and Daisy." you whisper.

"-and Daisy. Have good food!"

The collective curiosity shifts from Daisy squirming to get her head out and start barking at all of them, instead now focusing on the source of the smell. Happy cheers and compliments from the lot of them as Kim is afforded space to climb out of the basket and help you after her. They all waste no time in ushering you to another side of the building though where the windows are intact (but the place is quite messy from the habitation of so many people), and gather around a fallen but still powered and lit chandelier. No time wasted in everyone digging in to the food you brought, though there's a maintained effort to make sure it's evenly shared. Which among several tens of people means not much of the restaurant food, but many other bring forth some food of their own to add to the mix so everyone can get enough to eat.

Naturally though the restaurant food is the winning focus of the communal lunch. While everyone sits and jostles for something to eat, Kim keeps you beside her while many curious continue to observe you, and she does her best to try and introduce those there.

"Judy, Anda, Jess, Jess, Chloe, Mia, Grace, Julia, Maria, Maria, Maria, Claire..."

When called some of then acknowledge you, but you're still in a bit of a shock over so many people, and once more you find yourself clinging to Kim out of familiarity. Wondering how you should respond, how you should act towards these people. Your feelings, well you'd very much like to get away and find a quiet place to try and sort all this out. But if you could live with these people even just for a little while, what would they want of you?

>What do you do?

>>3315790
all women....has Alexa ever seen a man?

hold Kim's arm for protection.

ask her if this is her home, and what they do here.

>>3315790
Ask Kim what are the wintes and how many does she have.
Ask here what was the big trouble on the other building.

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>>3315834
All people. There's no men left anymore, everyone knows that. Or at least that's what mother said. All the men died in the big war a long time ago.

>>3315834
>>3315849
You try to get some food for Daisy but some of the others get angry at this, and say something about special food only for dogs. Still you sneak her some of yours, and wonder about what's being said.

"Kim... what is winter?"

"Winter! When cold water... or some white, drop from sky. I... uh..." she tries to remember and counts on her fingers, "Ten and ten and three, winters. You is?"

"I... not know."

You've never seen a winter but it sounds like something to keep track of how old someone is? And mother told you about the seasons even though you never saw them inside your home. The only thing you can think of like that, when mother had something called a "cake" for you and it had ten fires on it, something very special she said. But that was a long time ago.

Before long the food disappears but everyone is fed and happy, even you for what was shared. Everyone wants to focus on you now though, but Kim asks for a chance for everyone to give you some space for awhile, and an older woman Tess yells at everyone which they listen to. Together by one of the windows Kim sits down with you, though many people still watch from afar and try to interact with Daisy as she wanders around but growls at people.

"This is Kim home? What all do?"

"Mhmm, this mountain us all home, many winter now. Us all look for good things, eelec-tronics, in other mountains and bring home." she shows you her drone for example, the many tools and scavenged gadgets she has, and parts of gadgets. "Every all, know us all, for have good eelec-tronics. Give good things back and forth. Some food, some clothes, some weapon."

That would explain her belongings but also the cluttered old devices and various electronics piled about this building, and things opened up to their components or tested and toyed with. And some of their working lights! They must be scavengers that specialize in it.

"...what big trouble from fore?"

"Other all. Mean all, make trouble." Kim hesitates for a bit but finally lifts her goggles up to show a faded but pretty bad scar across a missing eye, which alarms you a little but she laughs it off and hugs you close, "Them all see lights from food place yester-night, us all see them too. Them go looking for what and why is. Them break other mountain rules fore, mountain dead for them, robots no like them."

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When you had dinner last night? The restaurant did have all exterior windows, it makes sense anyone from other buildings or even the same one, would see what was going on. Maybe that's why Kim didn't want to go near the restaurant either, and couldn't open the elevator, she broke the building rules too?

"But you no break rules, mountain alive for you! You want live here home, with us all? You keep safe, help us all with good things!"

A nice offer, and she's been true to her word about helping you and hasn't hurt you or taken advantage of you. Whether or not you accept though... that's up to you.

>What do you do?

>>3316020
"but what if mother comes back, will she find us here?"

stay for the night at least, don't let Kim go away tho, hold her with us to sleep

>>3316020
Are there more things in the mountain we can make work? Like the elevator and the restaurant.

Stay with them.

>>3316079
>>3316052
You didn't spend much time in that particular skyscraper, but the various amenities it still had, you were able to access them. Probably because you'd never looted through the place or trespassed anywhere, and were able to actually pay for things. The building itself though was half a ruin, like most structures these days, so you're not exactly sure how much else you'd be able to make use of.

That said, a restaurant for food, and an elevator to be able to reach sub-levels thereby avoiding the need of stairs (which the clouds can get into) is some definite benefit. Even if those were the only two things you could get to work, it would be impressively valuable.

"If mother come back, how she find us all?"

"Long time she gone for? Maybe she... hmph, she love you then she look all where. You home no far away? She find us easy!"

It seemed like Kim was going towards saying something difficult at first, but livened up at something different instead. It does make you feel better and it makes sense, if mother was going for help and she came back, you were able to reach this building after only a few days. It's not like there's many buildings above the clouds so she could probably find you and this place in even less time.

Making up your mind then, you agree to the offer.

"Will stay, this home with Kim."

"Happy!" Kim quite joyously throws her arms around you and hugs you close, while noticing this several other people all run over to confirm the news. Much to Daisy's dismay.

Quite a bit of attention for the new girl then, as those young among the scavengers want to hear about where you came from and see what games you know or belongings you have, while those adults and older want a chance to show you around and even carry you. In particular everyone is quite amazed at your appearance, how clean you are, soft your skin is without any scars, your smooth long hair and even the good condition of your clothes compared to their rags. Among trying to learn about you they also want to try and figure out your age but there's a bit of an impasse because there doesn't seem to be any solid way of nailing that down. They can only guess you're not twelve or thirteen (ten and two or ten and three) at the latest or otherwise your body would start to "change", whatever that means.

Though it is nice to see and be able to spend time among other people for essentially the first time in your life, it's also scary and very overwhelming for you, to be paraded about like some fancy new thing. Daisy keeps close which is comforting, but you end up holding your bear tightly close without Kim to always be right there, and your answers are pretty basic and quiet. The adults have some care about this but those younger and especially the children don't, the other little girls.

It's a tough topic but you could try and open up, or withdraw and seek out Kim and hang onto her hip basically. Something to think about for the remainder of the day as you consider what to do. It's only late afternoon after all, so plenty of hours still till nightfall.

>What do you do?

>>3316277
Try to get to know the other people our age, maybe show them our radio and try to find some music.

When the night comes back we go to Kim.

>>3316295
+1

try to see what games they know, did mother teach us any games?

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>>3316330
>>3316295
All your life you've only known your mother, so seeing other children is... well all of this is overwhelming but you still have an instinctive fellowship with the other girls around your age. If only because the adults want to just talk or work or manage serious things while the other kids play together, bother people, and look like they're having fun.

Not that you know how to talk or interact with them much better than with adults, but you can watch what they do, how they act and talk, and try to follow their lead. Fortunately they are quite welcoming and curious about you, even if unapologetically judgemental over your differences.

"I also has a radio!"

"Duh, us all got radio." sure enough each of them of the group of girls you're with, among the various devices they've each got with them, all have some manner of radio, "No more that, look this Alexa! How good you is?"

Along with the piles of old electronics and hoarded appliance junk among the upper floors of this building, there's also plenty of working or restored devices including those set up to run. Since this building's power still works either because of the effort of the inhabitants or simply by luck (or even the structure's fortitude), there's plenty of available power outlets and powered devices all around. The more serious ones like computers the adults make use of, but things like game systems the children are free to have, and many even have their own in the same way that everyone in this building seems to have a few key devices like a radio and walkie talkies for example. Just like some rooms seem to belong to certain individuals, well this is one of a few rooms which are for the younger residents of the building. Quite messy (though the building overall is a mess, what do you expect?), the girls are still able to clear some space on the old carpet by a set up game system and TV, even find some blankets and shoddy chairs to gather around on while a few adults stop by now and then to check on the various kids.

As you are a newcomer though the other girls want to see how well you can do at some electronic game where their names match with points on a list, showing who's done the best. Can Alexa get her name on the list, they wonder. While you do have your own damaged old, but functional tablet computer and it has a couple games on it, they aren't like this one that involves a little person running and jumping around with the press of buttons. You'll have to try your best and learn as you go. Then maybe you can show them some of the games you know?

>Make a roll to see how well you can do, and furthermore as to how well you can adapt and get along with all these new people.

Rolled 24, 60 = 84 (2d100)

>>3316535
So two rolls?

>>3316588
Well one roll to kind of cover both, but two is fine.

Rolled 86, 62 = 148 (2d100)

>>3316535
time to roll a 1 and break the toy

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>>3316634
>>3316588
>86

Amazingly, or at least highly unexpectedly, you not only manage to pick up on how to play the game in no time but you even manage to score right near the top of the list when your little man gets hit the last time and the game ends. A lot of excitement around but also annoyance by what some perceive as showing off, and you even get accused of being a "cheater" by one girl, Olivia, who angrily pulls your hair. Over which a small tussle happens as Olivia tries to exact some revenge, and you in a panic curl up and try to protect yourself. A mixed response from the other girls, though it's Daisy to save the day when she nips at the jealous girl's leg. An angry scream as Olivia smacks the dog and runs out of the room, only to be caught by an adult when the other girls tell what happened, and get a smack herself for making trouble especially for the new girl.

"Any more trouble, you come tell. All be nice to Alexa." says Aliya, a more well-spoken adult.

You get a little comfort from Maria, another adult as she agrees to stay and watch more closely. Enough to sit up off the floor when she rubs your shoulders and says not to worry much about it. To try and restore some normalcy as well among the girls (now all gathered together after others came to see what happened with the fight), Maria asks if instead of something like any video game, you know any games yourself after hugging you on her lap for a bit so you're not crying anymore.

A perfect chance you think actually, mother did teach you several games.

"I um... know some yeah."

"Ooh! Show!"

"How play?"

"Game from Downtown? That where Alexa from yeah?"

Climbing off Maria's lap then, you rummage through your backpack for something. Where is it... ah, there, your knife!

"See sharp? Hand out, this like." putting your hand on the old carpet and spreading your fingers, you start stabbing between your fingers in order with increasing speed. The other girls find it quite impressive for to them what appears to be very dangerous, and they start to cheer but Maria quickly becomes horrified.

"What game this?!" as she moves off the chair to try and wrestle the knife from you, that the other girls don't get any ideas, all while Daisy starts barking mad.

Fortunately you're not in trouble and Maria just switches games to something else, but you're a bit confused and upset. That was one of mother's favorite games, like the other game with the spinning gun and only one bullet. You always liked it and thought it would be well-received but instead it was just shut down. Why, mother was always fine with it? Well, you watching her, she would never let you but still.

In any case you can pass by the rest of the evening with the other girls having some fun and without trouble, till there's calls for dinner, another shared communal affair. You can find Kim again and enjoy yourself, get something to eat, but is there anything else particular you want to do before turning in for the night?

>What do you do?

>>3316788
>That was one of mother's favorite games, like the other game with the spinning gun and only one bullet.
holy shit, mother be craycray

Try to patch things up with Olivia, we don't know why she fought us.

then we go back to Kim for the night

>>3316788
Look fpr some interesting eletronics from the pile.

>>3316830
Hey, worth a shot. Make a roll if you like to see if you can get anything good.

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>3316835

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>3316835

>>3316835

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>3316835
Sorry

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>>3316838
>>3316847
>>3316937
>61

You're able to find Kim then and sit beside her with Daisy again, for dinner as you continue to get used to these people and living with them. You don't expect it will be for a long time but if it is then you think you could be happy here, if nothing else feel safe here rather than having to spend each day looking for a hidden place to sleep each night. Over dinner you're also witness to some ritual they have like a show and tell, where the adults compare what things they found while out scavenging, to be agreed on by everyone. Of course Kim wins this time from having found you and bringing food back so she gets the reward of first pick of the communal dinner, which she gets some particularly for you.

After that you can appreciate just sitting among and sharing in the communal experience, listening to stories told or conversations, joining in laughter or gasping in awe at things told or shown. You even think about and want to make amends with Olivia for beating her score at the game, but surprisingly she seeks you out to apologize first.

"Am sorry Alexa, got angry for game. Here come find some for sorry?"

Daisy is clearly unhappy but Olivia offers to try and make up by taking you with her to one of the out of the way scrap piles where no one will care... or at least notice if you take something together. So after you finish eating you go with the girl down a floor and rummage through some older piles together before you find something you like.

"Telly phone? No work for talking but can ask fix for you."

A phone, something you don't have and one that looks nice to you. If it could do the same thing your tablet does then maybe you could just switch from one to the other? A phone would be more convenient for sure to carry and use at any rate. Your preferred choice then, after which you and Olivia can have the time alone to talk and make up, and appreciate the sunset between the few buildings and just over the clouds.

---

As you've seen things are a little disorganized among Kim's people, but one thing that seems to be generally understood is that night time is sleep time. Or bed time at least, for those younger than the adults. You'd planned on sleeping with Kim if possible but before you get the chance you're grabbed by the shoulder by one of the adults, Lyla, and told you have to wash with the other girls at the end of the day. Which actually, isn't as worrisome as you'd thought, just the kids crowded around in two of the bathrooms that have working sinks and washing their faces and such with the help of a few of the adults.

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Which, for what it's worth, you manage to draw attention again for brushing your teeth which is something unfamiliar to some of them and now suddenly everyone wants to brush their teeth. Have to hold off on using the toilet though, one of mother's rules she stressed the hardest about never going to the bathroom around anyone else if you ever ended up in such a situation. Probably just wait till the others are gone or sneak here on your own later.

The other girls all have their own places to sleep and Lyla would have put you with some of the other girls but let's you go when you bring up Kim. Before you can find her though, Lyla does remind you that Daisy can't stay up here. Not at night, she'll have to go downstairs with the other dogs, that's a rule here. Of course you don't have a problem with their rules, but in Daisy's case specifically she's old and gets scared left alone. And worse, you don't want to leave her around other dogs. But it seems like your choice is either to sleep downstairs or with Kim, unable to just have Daisy with you in Kim's room.

>What do you do?

>>3316979
>Go down to dogs and sleep with Daisy

>>3316979
let Kim know we are going with Daisy downstairs and sleep there with her

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>>3316987
>>3316996
It's not like you'd set in stone plans to sleep with Kim but you can at least let her know so that she knows where you'll be. There's a reminder to make sure you know your way around the lower floor in case the clouds change path but otherwise it doesn't seem like a problem.

Plus a chance for you to go the bathroom yourself on that lower floor, after walking Daisy around for her to do her business. Sure enough you can find a few other adults who live down here (including a robot), and Chaya who minds the dogs, just four of them in total of different mixed breeds. None of the adults care what you do down here though, so there's no trouble just finding a room off on your own to sleep in. Laying your bedding out on the old carpet and patting the ground for Daisy to come lay down as well.

---

A good night's sleep, as you're awoken by Daisy growling at the approach of someone again. The sound of opening doors outside till your room does with some faint light from down the hall coming in, Maria from last night there with some food in an old plastic container for you.

"Look for, Alexa. Want food or come up?"

She's willing to sit here with you if you like, talk even, or you can go with her upstairs where breakfast is probably taking place. Of course you don't have to, she's only checking up on you and seeing if you want food while it's available, you're free to do as you please.

>What do you do?

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>>3317070
And I think this will be my last post for now. A good chance to end on what to do for the coming day. Will continue later today, trying for the usual time.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

>>3317070
Sit and talk with her over breakfast, ask how they survived and what we have to do

>>3316979
Daisy a cute doggo.

>>3317070
Get to know Maria.
Tell her we could go back to the tower we were and see if we can find more things to bring alive.

>>3317213
>>3317241
Oh, and along with all that, if we end up going back to the other tower see if the dogsitter can stay with Daisy while we are there, she doesn't like the crossing I think.

>>3317070
Ask whose dogs are those.

I have this nagging feeling thay will want to eat Daisy.

Going to be resuming in awhile now, just a heads up.

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>>3317941
>>3317244
>>3317241
>>3317213
After all that attention yesterday, you think you could do with spending some time on your own again, or at least not being jammed among another communal meal. Maria is happy to sit with you while you eat and keep you company, though she does suggest at least sitting together in the hall so that you're not in the dark.

"Same name for other Maria's?"

"My Maria's. Other lives for give good things to red plus. One Maria for good data plug, two Maria for good battery."

So the other Maria's are her daughters, something they call other or extra lives here. It seems she'd scavenged some valuable things and traded them with some "red plus" place who allowed her to have a baby on two separate occasions. Same with her mother before her, and anyone who makes good enough trades, and you wonder if mother did the same with you?

"How all live here? Away no trouble?"

"No remember. Older say story of first people come up from Downtown, make home here away clouds. This'm mountain full eelec-tronics so all look and take eelec-tronics forever."

Well that's like if the building you started living in was full of weapons or something, your people would specialize in weapons. Here they just got lucky with electronics so stuck to scavenging those. Collecting what they can from where they can, and then trading the good stuff for supplies to live like food. You want to know how you can help out, but Maria lets you know that there's no expectations for children here, apart from keeping lookout around the home and letting adults know if they find anything good from the scrap piles. Older girls have to learn how to operate and fix things brought back, but in most cases they learned those skills since a young age, and you're still too young for that anyway.

In any case once you're done eating she takes the box from you and rubs your shoulder, letting you know you can come to her if you need anything, any help. She's one of the adults tasked with minding the children so she's happy to be there for you as evidenced by making sure you're fed. Once she heads back upstairs you can wander around yourself with Daisy, of which you particularly go and seek out the other dogs. Chaya, the one who minds them is there with a couple other adults, talking about taking the dogs with them on their work outings.

"Who'm dogs they is?"

"All dogs, share. For work, keep home safe, whatevs."

She's actually pretty eager to check out Daisy, and offers to mind her along with the other dogs. Normally you'd refuse but in this specific case, all four other dogs are being taken so Daisy would be on her own with Chaya at least for most of the day you think.

Something to consider, if you want to try and help with any work, or cross any gaps to other buildings.

>What do you do?

>>3318567
ask her to mind Daisy

search Kim and see where she is going for the day, ask her if she knows of any other places on the other tower that we can make alive with our display

>>3318567
Show the display to one of the older, see how much food pay we have left.

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>>3318602
>>3318618
Chaya will mind Daisy then if you're going to be crossing any gaps, if it weren't for that you'd always have her with you of course. But this place is home now, right? For the time being. And Chaya herself doesn't mind, she's never seen a dog that wasn't a mixed-mutt before so is quite interested.

With that, it's not much trouble to head up the few floors to the main one where most folks are, as you look for Kim and get greeted by many along the way.

"Kim."

"Hiya Alexa! Sleep good?"

As it turns out, from as good a find as you yesterday, she wasn't planning on working for at least a few more days. Taking a break as it were. Considering that, you could just go and try to tag along with another adult. But if you really wanted, Kim could probably be convinced to take you out again. If only to go back to the building she found you at, to further explore and see if there's anything else you could activate. She doesn't personally know but would be glad to find out with you.

One other thing before you decide, as you ask her to check the interface you have. Which, while you're at it she offers to transfer it's functionality to an old phone instead if you'd prefer. Rather than relying on your tablet and the cord attachment, it could just be on one device.

"Hmmm... touch here... it say... w-wait, what?!" having fixed the interface to a jury-rigged display machine, she goes through the process to check the value on the interface, something to do with an "account" and "savings"? When she finds it though, she does a double take, redoes the whole process over again and even kicks the machine a few times. But sure enough it doesn't change, and she picks you up in her disbelief to show you. "Big number! Get many food many winters! Get even extra life or some!"

"Is good?" you ask, a little confused since you don't really grasp the concept of value well.

"Alexa, where'm find this? Tell Kim."

As the realization sinks in though, she becomes more serious, and kneels down to look you in the eyes and grip your shoulders. Of course you know that it just belonged to mother, something she left behind when she left to get help, but... do you want to admit any of that? As much as you trust Kim, if this is important to her, her people... how much worth are you by comparison?

>What do you do?

>>3318705
Well, the cat is out of the bag, if they want to steal from us they probably can, unless it is registered to our name only or something.

Tell her that mother left it with us at home before she left, tell it is ours and we would be happy to get food with it, but we want to see if we can activate any other thing in the other mountain

>>3318705
"It's mother's...not steal....right? I share."

Shit

>>3318767
>>3318742
As far as you knew, it was just some way of getting devices to work but you had no idea that the interface, or the account tied to it would have some other type of worth. If you had known, well you probably would have held off on letting anyone know.

"Is mother's... no steal... yes? I share."

Without missing a beat, Kim agrees... but not only to your request.

"All share Alexa! Very good, all happy! You want all happy, yes?"

"...yes."

With a happy hug and a kiss, or she's very happy at least, she "borrows" the interface and your tablet together. Probably to make good on her offer of moving it to a phone, but also for her to hold onto to "keep safe" for you, which you suppose makes sense. If the thing really is that important, it seems fair that an adult or someone important should take care of it. Sort of makes sense, sort of seems fair.

You don't think that mother would appreciate that though or would have agreed. Kim treats it like a big thing though and carries on about how much everyone will appreciate this. Takes you with her as well as far as upstairs to some assorted rooms where a few adults have things being fixed or organized. She tells you to wait while she talks with some of the older women about what you can only guess, but seems obvious.

Who knows how long that will take though, and to be honest you're feeling a little annoyed about being taken advantage of like this. You could just sit dutifully by till they eventually figure out what to do, but you'd prefer to find something else to do. Or even, try and find an adult who's going out, and try to go with her. Rather than staying put like a sucker after they took mother's account from you to "share".

>What do you do?

>>3318848
Fuck that, let's get in there, all have things, this is our thing, we share when we want but still ours. Fair is fair, we found.

I fucked up didn't I?

Lets get our thing back, its mothers, we can buy food now and them but it is our display and we want it back.

>>3318864
Yes....you fucked up majorly yes... Where the hell that share came from?

>>3318858
>>3318864
>>3318867
You want to try to roll for the attempt? If you want to try and talk your way into getting it back, since how likely is a kid to get back something so valuable?

Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>3318882
It is ours, they can ask for stuff but the thing is ours,
Mother will be angry when she gets back, they don't want mother to be angry

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>3318882

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>3318882
Give it back, I can buy food but give it back.

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>3318882

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>3318882
holy shit guys

>>3319033
Lucky dog I was *just* about to post.

>>3319041
damn, I get away for some hours and all shit breaks loose

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>>3319033
>>3318936
>>3318926
>>3318922
>>3318917
>>3319067
>82

It's one thing to lose something of yours but another to lose something of your mother's. As annoyed as you are and feel powerless in this situation, you find some bravery in treating it like getting back something of hers rather than something of yours.

So as you become more and more frustrated sitting there, finally you storm up to the older women fuming.

"All have things, this my thing. We share, but is mine! Fair is fair, mother found and give me."

Some mixed reactions as you bang on the table with your demands, from anger at your presumption to amusement at your boldness. You think maybe this wasn't such a good idea when one of the women threatens to spank you for being bad, but another stops her.

"Alexa, is name? New girl, not to worry. We're not take from you, just keep safe. If you ever want use it just let us all know."

Older so more well spoken, better grasp of the language. At least if you got spanked you could feel bad about it all, but against someone smarter than you and able to out-talk you, there's not much you can do. Other than, maybe desperately try something you remember your mother talking about once, from a story of hers.

"Is... mine, mine mine. No can work if no mine."

Tying it specifically to mother, or you at least, ought to change things. And indeed as what you say has a chance to sink in, the women begin to murmur among themselves and Kim does as she's told to take you away for a bit while they deliberate. Kim tries to lead you of course, but you shake her hand off your shoulder in frustration. After a couple minutes sitting off to the side in the big room while others work and talk then, three of the older women approach.

"All agree Alexa, it's your account. It won't use without you, but we still hold onto it, keep it safe for you. Kim have now, she'll take care of it and when you want something, she help use. Never without you say yes." another hands the device to Kim who's surprised to get it, but they're not done talking, "We help you now, keep you safe, this is your home now. We want you remember, and remember share account."

There's some last formalities to go over between them and Kim but afterward you're let go with her, though you can see them all conversing heatedly and you worry this won't be the end of the matter. You don't get much a chance to dwell on it though because once downstairs again (and she thinks is out of sight) she turns to you in a mix of excitement and awe.

"Alexa big brave! Yell at adults and get what want! That'm some for them think and talk bout."

With a laugh and a hug then, she playfully holds the interface device out but pulls it away when you reach for it, to remind you of the way things are.

"What you want do then? With this now, day whole different!"

>>3319100
wew

Let's go to the other mountain and see what we can make alive, on the way back we grab more good food so everyone is happy, food is good anyway

>>3319100
Ask Kim what happened. And what she knows we can use the display on. Any other robots that need it to be good?

Lets see the restaurant building for more things, maybe ask the elevator for eletronic stores or companies.

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>>3319153
>>3319123
You weren't privy to what was being said so you have to rely on Kim to explain any of what happened. According to her though she's been made responsible for you (which she basically was already) and is in charge of keeping hold of your account. That includes using it for whatever you want, they all just hope you'll be sensible with it and share whatever you use it for.

Keeping that in mind then, you'd like a chance to return to the building you originally were in and see what more it may have to offer with your presence and making use of your account. So waiting on her to gather some necessities for travel through Uptown and exploring, together with another person, Kenna the three of you go down a floor and over to that side of the building to cross the gap to the other skyscraper by suspended basket. That same trip over as the basket hangs from the bundle of cables across the gap, just a short distance above the clouds but enough to cross safely. The approach and slowed stop till the basket is tied to a part of the building exterior, and the three of you can get out and set foot down on the broken floor of the familiar first building.

"I go roof Kim, let know if any." Kenna says, showing her walkie talkie to which Kim responds in kind.

"Where now, Alexa? Some food?"

Kim is pretty open in her anticipation, and it seems now that while she's willing to respect the decision of the older women in keeping safe your account, she's also willing to be a little selfish in its use in the benefit of both of you before anyone else.

Of course you're thinking about what else there may be to use in this building? You could try different floors, or perhaps try to interact with some of the old robots and machine systems? Like the elevator, though as you know Kim can't use that herself.

>Do you want to try something you already know exists in this place, or see what (if anything) new you can find?

>>3319265
Lets trybtobfind something new, the girl here deal with eletronics so we can try to find a place that deals with that too, maybe one of those compabies

>>3319721
Something to leave (for now) with, but if you do decide on seeking something new, feel free to make a roll for your effort in locating.

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>3319755

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>3319755

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>>3320122
>>3319922
>58

Over the next few hours then, the rest of the morning, you and Kim spend exploring some of the building. Navigating the crumbling structure, traipsing through the ruined and ransacked floors of the remains of the old world. As this skyscraper is one of the neighbors to the one Kim's people call home, for as long as they've had a means of crossing the gap between the two, it has been explored and indeed much of the looting through the place has been by her people.

So she knows the building decently well, in this case though it's a matter of going around with you and seeing what use can be made of your interface circuit. Several places she wants to check like private rooms or businesses on different floors, remain closed to you so as just a viable guest to the building it's not like you can go anywhere you want. However, with the elevator use you are able to travel to the roof which is a first time for her.

"Look! Green!"

"What that is?!"

Reaching the uppermost floor available to the elevator, and the second to last in total, it's a floor encompassing the majority of the roof. Though it has some sort of small restaurant type of building called a "cafe" with lots of big broken windows (providing an impressive view of the cloudy city around), the place itself is not open to business, no robots to work it or anything like that. Some automated systems though, and functioning appliances for those who would know how to use them, as the place itself is in fairly good condition. Apart from the birds and signs of them around the place, to your eyes it seems like no one has been up here before or at least not for a very long time. And whether or not any of the devices are usable to Kim and her people, even things as simple as furniture in good condition have value.

The real focus however, is outside, the rest of most of the roof.

"No is trouble, can touch!"

Much of the exterior roof, the top of the building, is covered in green growth. It scares you with no idea what any of it is, but Kim assures you that it's safe and the things are called "plants". What must have been some rooftop garden originally, over a long time has expanded to cover much of the roof and perhaps more than you can see. Cautiously you can try touching the green things and do a little exploring yourself, but Kim's delight is distracting when she finds some big flat shiny panels in various places on the roof, mostly overgrown but easy for her to pull the plants away. Something she refers to as "solar" but like the plants, you really have no idea... seems important to her though, she's very happy.

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Besides that from your exploring together, on the way down in the elevator while Kim goes on about all the possibilities the roof could mean to her people, you make a last stop at what the elevator called a "fitness center". Some old place in poor condition like the rest of the building, but lots of strange old machines all over the place and heavy equipment. A very big and open place of two floors, you and Kim get lost for awhile checking out all the different rooms till she finds some facilities with working water. A bunch of high faucets on the ceilings in what is some sort of very large bathroom with big metal stands here and there, she recognizes a shower when she sees one and if the water works then she'd love the chance to wash. If the chance is there you suppose it could be nice too, really all you've been able to manage is just half-attempt little baths of splashing water on yourself from working sinks you can find.

Though, you did want to try checking out the sub-level of the building with the elevator in what time for exploring remained. And not to mention, one of mother's rules about never being without clothes around anyone else. Perhaps a wash but you'd have to wait till Kim is done and then hope she'll have the patience to wait for you after and in private.

>What do you do?

>>3320916
let's wash, Kim really needs it and we should too, we can always go down there tomorrow if it get's too late, I feel we improved the people's life a lot today with our discoveries

ask Kim if the others will be happy with us for today

>>3320932
Good for me

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Apologies, little delay there had to get something to eat.

>>3320932
>>3320971
You're fine with a shower then, you haven't had a bath since you left home. But the difficult situation of trying to figure out how to manage it separate from Kim.

"No wash?" she notices you sitting there uncomfortably while she sets aside her belongings and undoes her jacket.

"Nhn... yes'm... I only."

"Alexa no scared! We family now, come wash."

She tries to help you with your clothes but whining nervously, you panic and fidget away from her to which she shows concern. Trying to sit next to you, she gently rests a hand around your shoulder.

"Some trouble, Alexa have fore? Can tell Kim, keep safe now."

"No... no trouble... mother only say so."

It's nice that she has genuine concern for you, and seems to think something bad may have happened to you in the past that would upset you to undress. Is that a normal thing in the outside world here? Maybe not Kim, but you think if an adult wanted to hurt you, there isn't anything you could do to stop it as a child. Apart from your laser pistol, but how many girls are lucky enough to have something like that?

In any case you'd rather not talk about it here and now, which Kim is willing to respect. You do like the offer she makes to try and help you feel better, of washing your hair and you getting to wash hers. But still, mother's rules. You can at least dispel some of the discomfort by showing and giving to Kim a soap and a tiny bottle of shampoo from your personal bag. She's delighted by this and hasn't had a chance to get this clean in some winters she says, so leave you alone after that. The chance for you to wash on your own once she's done and takes the chance then to further explore the fitness center, after showing you how the showers work.

The ruined locker room, much like the rest of the building and the city itself, but still some few working things here and there. Some running water with sporadic bursts of hot water, whether or not it's clean hardly a concern since you're not drinking it. But the chance to wash, get the dirt and grime of many days off, and clean your long hair. At some point you'll want to return with Daisy, she could use a wash too.

---

By the time you're dry and getting dressed, Kim calls to let you know she's waiting outside. Asking as well what you want to do after this since it's only an hour or two after "middle day" so you've plenty of time together before nightfall.

>What do you do?

>>3321145
Let's see below the fog.

>>3321214
You mean some floor beneath the cloud level? If you can find one where the windows aren't smashed.

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>3319265

>>3321228
Sorry I have barely got on but I had to do something and I barely got to the point where we had to roll. And then I posted it and everything updated.

>>3321220
Maybe sub sub ground levels, are tgere any subterranean places?

>>3321145
Let's check the botton restaurant and see how it is.

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>>3321229
That's no problem, whatever you can manage is fine.

>>3321244
Downtown is anywhere inhabitable below the fog. According to mother and some of Kim's people you've asked, there's plenty of people who live below the clouds under the ground. The problem is getting between Downtown and Uptown, above the clouds. What stairs within buildings haven't crumbled away, tend to be flooded with clouds so it's not an easy effort to get between the cloud layer.

>>3321244
>>3321257
You have a keen interest in seeing what is at the lowest levels of the building, that the elevator can reach. But that feels like a big step, maybe a halfway compromise of visiting the lower restaurant to see what it is like?

Make a roll then, for the condition of the place and what you may find.

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>3321269
Rolling then

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>3321269

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>3321269

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>>3321278
>>3321285
>>3321296
>30

Still a good few hours to spare, so why not check out the lower restaurant? You know the upper one well enough, what else might this building have to offer? So with Kim you get to the elevator and begin the descent till the floor is reached and the doors open.

"See clean? Clouds can come."

Kim points out the state of the elevator corridor on this floor while putting on a breathing mask, and how it's not some totally ruined rubble heap. Old yes, faded and in some disrepair, but not crumbling like the rest of the building. From what you've seen that tends to be the case, wherever the city is flooded with clouds, it all remains in relatively good condition since no one can live or loot through such areas. It's the exposed places above the clouds, the upper portions of the infrequent skyscrapers tall enough to be above the clouds, where people have lived and looted and survived since the big war.

That said, at this moment the floor isn't inundated with clouds. The rolling fog through the city comes and goes with the weather so at certain times it's safe to travel or explore, so Kim says. Such is the case here, from the hall you can actually see a ways down the cloud seeping in through broken exterior windows, but not flooding through the floor.

"We fast here, no long time. Look out first for clouds fore go any place."

"Mhmm."

Keeping what she says in mind along with mother's own stories about the clouds, you affix your own filter mask and follow after Kim. A shame how well (compared to what you're used to) the place has kept up, how nice it would be to live here were it not for the danger of the billowing fog. The floors aren't too cracked, the walls aren't falling down, the ceiling isn't caving in, and most of the power and systems still work. In this case, some sort of cafeteria on the floor. A few big wide open seating areas and many places for where food may have been for customers in the past, along with an array of different serving stations of different names and types of food. You can't see entirely clearly through the place, as portions have the clouds rolling through but Kim can carefully navigate a path to reach those serving stations where she thinks the useful things to be.

"See big door and big box? Inside thing keep cold, good parts to take for scrap. We look each?"

Hopping the counter of one of the stations and lifting you over, you follow Kim to a back room with many racks of boxes both closed and open and much trash strewn across the floor. In particular though she points out a big metal box with some small doors, and then a big metal door itself at the back of the room. Both of them she says may have good things inside, so to check each station for while you split up.

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>>3321382

Although the condition of the floor and the cafeteria itself is pretty decent, it's not as though people have never been here, same as you and Kim were able to come here. So you check the back rooms behind a few of the stations and find them in similar states of disarray, and some appliances working while others not. Interestingly you do come across one station which has some old robots working it and willing to take orders and prepare food, something to keep in mind but they won't let you in the back so you keep looking. It's the fourth one you check, after having to avoid several due to clouds passing through, that you find signs of people perhaps having lived here but importantly the appliances and the back cold room powered and working.

"Mmm... good stuff!"

It's while checking the box that you're alerted to sudden movement, and get a light shined in your eyes when you look back, only to get roughly shoved inside the box and have the door slammed behind you. Panic as the inside light goes off when the door shuts, and you try to find some footing through a pile of old frozen foods at the bottom. You push and bang against the door, but can't tell if it won't open or something is stopping it.

"No trouble kid, be good and no trouble. Why you here and friend?"

A stranger's voice from the other side of the box, an adult woman by the sound as she seeks some answers.

>What do you do?

>>3321393
Look for good stuff, no trouble, see metal box and think it's good. If it's yours we go, no trouble.

>>3321406
+1

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>>3321406
>>3321453
Not like you have any way of getting out of here, unless you resort to the laser pistol. Taking a deep breath and trying your best to not let the cramped dark space bother you, you muster a response.

"L-Look for good stuff, no trouble, see metal box and think good. If yours we go, no trouble."

"No, not mine. How about you kid?"

You hear her call out to someone, before she eases up against the fridge door and takes a peek in. With the door open the light comes on to show you cowering to one side away from her, but you can see her in kind. Dark skin, pretty rough appearance (but then who isn't in these times?), though her clothes are quite thick and in a better condition than Kim's or any of her people. Some solid coverings outside of her clothes as well, some metal plates here and there. Looking you over she grabs you to pull you free, and while she isn't mean or violent about it she is firm. Only violent in fact when you kick and struggle and resist against her, she responds with a quick smack.

"Good I say! Be good, no trouble."

Tearfully feeling the sting of your face, you accept to stop struggling as she looks you over more closely and feels your hair in her hands and squeezes your mouth to check your teeth. As scared as you are, she eases up on you though doesn't let you go, by the time another girl looking like her comes into the back room.

"What is?"

"Look here, find a little'un. Not sick, she from Uptown I think."

Your heart sinks when over the course of them talking about you, two other women arrive, similarly suited and equipped. One of them carrying a stuffed box of goods. Now that you have a look at several of them, it takes you a bit to recall but finally you remember, seeing that dead body in the upper restaurant and having similar style of clothes as these women.

"How many other there is girl? Any weapons?"

One of the other women smacks the hands of the one holding you to her annoyance, and holds you to her as she takes a knee beside, trying a more gentle and even approach. They want to know about Kim it seems, or if there is anyone else. Probably how much trouble they could expect.

>What do you do?

>>3321577

no, you are going to hurt, I know you will, you want trouble but I have nothing.

please let go, I no trouble

if they don't let us leave let us pull our pistol on her and try to back away

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>>3321577
And I think this will be my last post for now, got some early work tomorrow. Will continue later today as usual, from here >>3321603 and whatever else responses there may be.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>3321603
Now that she is not holding us back away and pull the gun on her.

Maybe we can convince we are not worth the trouble like the restaurant was not worth the trouble.

These people are the same as the restaurant and kim said they are big trouble.

Back away from them and try to find Kim, we need her to make the elevator work, she has the display

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>3322474
holy shit dude, don't surprise roll like that, now we all gotta do it

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>3322491

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>3322474

>>3322721
loli operator

Hey all just a heads up that because of the busywork I'm involved with, playtime will probably be later today.

Bit late but maybe we can get some posts in.

>>3322721
>>3322598
>>3322491
>>3322474
>99

As frightened as you are, you don't trust this woman or any of them one bit.

"...no. You will hurt, I know you will. You want trouble but I no have things"

"Things... like this?" she says running her hand down your neck to reach in your shirt and pull out your necklace from mother. Trying to get a look at it, she must have noticed or felt the chain on your neck. Of course the moment she pulls at it, you instinctively fight as hard as you can to get away from her; mother's most important rule of all, to never ever take off your necklace. As she wasn't grabbing you personally, pushing away from her to her surprise is able to put some distance between you, as you try to back away.

"P-P-Please let go, I n-no trouble."

Whether or not they'd have listened to you otherwise it impossible to tell, but when they see the laser pistol in your hands shaking in their direction, all four of them become on edge and similarly back away and spread out through the back room. The gentler one tries to reason with you, but eventually they try to get the other girl appearing around your age to try.

"Come on girl, with us. See what live with us like, it's better than with them Uptown."

It's one thing for the adults among them to be better spoken but even the girl is, as she tries to defuse the situation and interact with you from one younger girl to another. Not that you feel you can trust them but her offer is a simple enough one, if you'd come with them rather than them taking you with them.

"Alexa?! Alexaaa!"

It's Kim's voice you and the others hear though, that changes things. One of them had ducked out of the room entirely when you pulled the pistol and you can hear her calling quietly into the room to one of the other women in here, about going after the source of this new voice.

"Hmm? How bout... Alexa? Come with us, and friend too, or have trouble."

You'd be fine to threaten them with the pistol or even defend yourself instead of cooperating. But if they're going to threaten Kim that's something worrying and not really something you can do much about. Not only their superior numbers to Kim but also their better equipment.

You managed to free yourself and there's really no way they can force you do do anything now with the gun out, in fact you could probably make demands yourself. But can you stop them from going after Kim instead of you?

>What do you do?

>>3324195
Kim there's trouble, big trouble

try to go on Kim's direction while holding them on sight

>>3324748
Well there's only one door into and out of this back room and two of them are in the way. You can try to get past them but it will mean having to get closer in order to get by and out that door.

>>3324751
we instruct them to clear a path while on gun point,
"go that way, out the door"
and we slowly go that way, I don't think they want to risk getting shot but then again they may be feeling lucky, there's no way we are going with them and leaving Daisy behind

>>3324811
woops, not OUT the door, but away from the door

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>3324811
>>3324813
That makes sense. As for Kim...

>>3324817
Tell them to stay at one side of the room while we leave
Warn Kim
Looks like Kim can roll

>>3324822
That's probably a roll to not immediatly run away at the first sign of trouble and leave us behind.
I'll be very surprised....and grateful if she doesn't leave us.

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>>3324817
>>3324822
>>3324830
Your hands shake, your heart races, you're scared but you try your best.

"G-Go that way, out the door."

You don't want to just get grabbed again so you gesture as best you can for them to put some distance between the door that you can comfortably get out, all the while never turning your back on them.

"Alex- aagh! H-Hey, you is?!"

You head a scuffle outside and once out of the back room you rush around the counter out of the food station to see Kim struggling with the other woman among the seating area. Fortunately the other woman wasn't able to get the drop on her so Kim took a defensive response, as they struggle and trip over a table. By luck Kim manages to tangle the other up with some chairs, enough a chance to get up and usher you to her so that you can leave together.

"You is hurt?!" she asks while urging you on ahead of her.

"No... but try take me."

An occasional look back and you can see the other group of women are hot on your heels, having regrouped and now chasing their targets. Still you and Kim manage to leave the cafeteria together ahead of them, but find the elevator door jammed open with some old trash bins. Kim should be able to dislodge them but it will cost some precious seconds which might give the others the time they need.

"Try stairs? Or hide till them go?"

As far as Kim is concerned those are your best options after only being able to pull one free after a few moments, but if you had something else in mind you could as well...

>What do you do?

>>3324868
Let's hide, they'll probably have to spread out to try and find us and we still have the gun, so if they find us we can always shoot them or tell them to surrender again, and there's a chance that there is another elevator somewhere, it's a big building.
If we go through the stairs and find more fog we will be traped.

>>3324876
Ok, hide and search for another elevator, maybe, probably.

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>>3324883
>>3324876
You opt to hide then with Kim, leaving the elevator behind and rushing down the corridor to the other side of this floor of the building. Again, you can tell the other women are following you but Kim is pretty crafty and she looks for any side halls and rooms and particularly parts of the building where the clouds are pouring through. Pulling you into one such room of many visible, she quickly takes her drone out and turns it on to send it buzzing off through the building. Of course you don't understand any of what it is or how it works but she seems to be watching where it goes through a cracked, dim old screen and making it do what she wants.

Following the sound of buzzing come the yells of the other women, but both noises eventually fade as it seems like Kim distracted and lured them away to a clouded area where they wouldn't follow.

"There'm, we just only no noise and keep hide, keep safe."

"Mhmm..."

The two of you can wait here for an hour or two keeping quiet, in some old abandoned office room in the dark. Kim periodically checks for any signs of anyone else with her drone, and though the first two time she eventually encounters the other women again, on the third and fourth time there's no sign of them according to her. The coast clear as well it would appear, at the elevator where the other women left probably the way they came in, by one of the stairwells. So pretty straightforward just to get back to the elevator, move the junk and you can be out of this place.

One problem dealt with there, at least the main one, but another encountered when you both pack up ready to leave.

"Ah! Back, back!"

Satisfied with your escape, Kim goes to open the door but nearly walks right into the cloud thick outside the door. Some even silently pours into the room before she slams the door, and pulls you away to a corner of the room, shielding you against the walls with her own body. Thankfully the fog within the room comes to dissipate within time (though she is still wary of approaching the door for awhile still), but there's enough outside the door and probably flooding through the hallway that you may be stuck here for... who knows how long.

"No'm scared, got food, got water! Just stay some!"

Kim tries to hide how worried she is but you can hear it in her voice. Although your own experience on the subject is woefully limited, even to your young mind you can wonder and fear... what if the clouds never go away? Well you don't mind a chance to spend time with Kim, but eventually you may need to consider options of escape other than the door out.

But hey, at least the power works!

>For now, you're stuck. Anything you want to do to pass the time with Kim, while you're in here together?

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>>3324892
And this will probably be my last post for now, just a heads up. Weird schedule yesterday, but things should continue as normal later on.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

>>3324892
Hug her tightly for confort and thank her for bot leaving us behind.

Ask her if we can look through the windows, maybe exit from there

>>3324892
This big buildings usually have vents and such right? Let's explore them with the drone and look for a way out asay from the clouds.

Hold on Kim and don't let go, we didn't know that being alone could lead to so much trouble, good thing we found her.

>>3325162
If we can see if the next room is clear too we can probably break the wall, office wall are flimsy right?

>>3324899
>>3325162
Well her drone is maneuverable enough to navigate hallways but not as tight as space as vents or ducts. However you could maybe fit, it you were willing to do that.

>>3325498
Or this, you (she) could try smashing through some walls into other rooms or areas.

Whichever choice you prefer, you can roll for.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>3325555
Rolling for duct crawling to find a place where Kim cam smash to follow us.

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>3325555
Ok, let's scout through the vents system and try to find sone cloud free areas we can both reach

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>3325555

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>3325555
>>3325809
this

Just a heads up, resuming in a little bit.

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>>3326083
>>3325887
>>3325809
>>3325799
>65

As scared as you are, you hang onto Kim tightly for a long while. After that scary business with those other women, having to run away and now being stuck with the cloud, it's a lot for you to have to cope with. Thankfully Kim hugs you close and reassures you that everything is alright now, and doesn't mind when you eventually doze off after all that action earlier, letting you rest in her lap while she sits up and waits for the hopeful chance to leave.

For however long, however many hours or more that may be...

---

"-wh*r* y** *t K*m?"

"-mmuh?!"

The sudden sound of her walkie talkie startles Kim which in turn wakes you up suddenly and in a fright, but she's there to calm you down and remind you of where you are. Giving you her old canteen to drink and opening a can of some food for you, she gets up to try and have a broken conversation through the walkie talkie with Kenna, the other adult you came with to this building. It sounds very scratchy and largely incomprehensible though so she must be far away or maybe even the clouds are interfering?

Kim feels satisfied though that if she picked Kenna up in the first place that must mean you're being looked for. So once you've had a chance to eat and drink something, she helps you up and packs your things for you as she tries to think of a way out. Smashing through the walls is her idea since some of these buildings, the interior walls can be broken through after so much time being abandoned or ruined. While watching her look around for something to use though, a flickering light draws your attention to the ceiling where you better notice the many holes form collapsed ceiling tiles.

"Mmmh... Kim? Up there, I can?"

"Ah, good think! Just only be careful."

You first have to shed most of your belongings and even your outer layer of clothes to be able to get around up there Kim thinks. But after finding two chairs then to put beneath a hole in the ceiling, she picks you up and lifts you while standing on the chairs, eventually pushing your butt and then your feet up so you can climb all the way. Reminding you to be careful then, she passes you her walkie talkie and gives you a quick rundown on how to use it before wishing you luck. And, a chance for her to recall and point the general direction she thinks the elevators were.

So then while she continues to try to smash her way through a wall, you can climb around through the ceiling and even find some vents and ducts here and there to navigate. It's pretty dark and obviously cramped, easy to get tangled up in old cables and pipes, but it's either this or remain stuck by the cloud.

>Where do you go then? You have a general direction heading to try and crawl towards, but are you on the lookout for anything, or seeking any particular paths as you go?

>>3326439
be on the look out for what Kim will find on the next room she will break into first, just to see if it's safe and there is no cloud, then we try to make a path for the elevator, both for us and for her down there

>>3326463
+1

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>>3326515
>>3326463
With your hazard meter ahead of you then and a flashlight to see, you begin crawling along through the ceiling space of the floor here. Doing your best on the way to not get stuck, tangled or lost, you check to see Kim isn't breaking into a room flooded with clouds but the coast looks clear for it and several more after if she is able to get through and continues in a relatively straight line. In any case you continue on for maybe an hour or so and come to realize you must have overshot because you end up in the ceiling above the cafeteria. Finding a way down shouldn't be too hard if you can manage to get to the back room of one of the food stations, where there's shelves and racks to climb down onto.

You have to be quick, careful and creative in your path out of the cafeteria though because the clouds are much more thick through the place now, in fact only the working air conditioning it seems of that one food station still in operation by robots, is what's keeping the clouds from completely inundating the entire cafeteria. Still, the entire seating area and most of the space is obscured by fog so you quickly clamor your way back to the elevator lobby.

"Hiya? Kenna?"

"Th*t not Kim, wh* this is?"

"Is Alexa, Kim is stuck!"

Doing as you were shown and hailing Kenna with the walkie talkie, you can communicate better now and explain to her the situation. How you're down on a lower floor but Kim is trapped. Kenna is thankfully very patient and reassuring with you which does a wonder to help in your state, and it's not much trouble after that to spend the effort to drag free the trash propping the elevator open and then take it back up to the common floor where this building is tethered to the home one.

"Kenna, please fast! Kim in trouble!"

"Heya, is ok! Kim take care of her, first I take care you."

By the time the elevator reaches the common floor Kenna is there waiting for you as you throw your arms around her, partly in desperation but mostly in relief. She's surprised to see you so worked up, but tries her best to calm you down and assure you that Kim can handle herself for a few hours at least. Which, you feel she is probably right about, Kim has lived her whole life above the clouds in these buildings so this must be nothing new to her. Still though you can't help but feel worried, especially when Kenna says she wants to first get you back home to safety before returning with some others and equipment to go and help Kim. Even though that may seem like the best idea and Kenna is older and wiser than you, it doesn't sit right with you to go home safely while Kim remains in danger. Also of course, leaving her to wait for any longer.

>What do you do?

>>3326605
say no, we can crawl through the vents and help, we can see safe passage, tell her we want to help and go down there

>>3326635
Well, yeah, we can help, and we should go down there and tell her help is coming

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>>3326725
>>3326635
Maybe Kenna is right and has your best interests in mind, but you're not going to go back now and stubbornly refuse her. For the trouble she gives you a spank for being cheeky and reminding you that girls are supposed to do what women tell them, but finally relents and agrees to let you come with. If only because of how much effort it would be to go all the way back home and then return with help. Plus, you're the only one the elevator will work for.

So you travel back down to the cafeteria floor, and try to give her a quick explanation about what happened and where you were with Kim. She'll try her best to navigate through the building and avoid the clouds on the way to where Kim may be while you can climb overhead and communicate with her if you can find out that way. So looking for something to reach the ceiling in a different room, Kenna helps you up again and it's back to crawling through the ceiling.

"You can be safe up? What if clouds in?" she asks as you look down one last time before parting ways.

"Have this, Kim know." you hold out your hazard meter to show, which indeed is a useful tool here.

So you climb along, back through the tangled mess of cables, supports, old ventilation and wires strewn about. It's not as difficult or as scary as the first time though and you can make a better pace of it, remembering where to look out for so you don't slip or cut yourself on anything.

"Kim! Kiiiiim!"

"...ver ....re!"

Between the walkie talkie to Kenna and calling out for Kim as you go, eventually you think you can start to hear her faintly some distance away, and communicate with Kenna as to your assumed discovery. As you hurry more than before to get closer to Kim's voice though, you try going through an air duct in what looks like a shortcut. The going seems fine, but the buckle of metal beneath startles you, as does the groan of old metal. A sudden shift, a downwards jolt that throws off your balance, and though you try to back out fast as you can the whole thing eventually gives way. The crashing sound of metal accompanying your scream.

---

"-urrrr... aagh!"

A time later it seems, through the dark and the haze you start to regain clarity. Too quickly for comfort, as you feel and then look to see you're practically hanging right on the edge of the collapsed duct, itself hanging a very long way up above some high open atrium. Probably not even the same floor anymore. With a yell you scramble to back up fully inside the duct, though it shudders unsteadily as you do, and you can tell you have to get out of here quickly.

Thinking fast, you could try to keep crawling back through the duct and hope the other side fell to somewhere more safe. Or you could risk it and try to crawl back out, over the atrium and try to move to some other portion of hanging ceiling debris before the whole duct just collapses entirely.

>What do you do?

>>3326885
Crawl back, let's try tonfind some way to the floor so we can reach the elevator.

>>3326885
Go back, let's try to reach the girls, use the walkie talkie to say that we are alright and where we are.

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>>3326916
>>3327017
It's too dangerous you think to try and reach or climb across any gaps, especially when with the lobby far below flooded with clouds, you can't even see the floor. A drop like that...

Quickly backing up through the duct then, you go as far as you can as it reaches an upwards incline, a ways up through which you can see the caved in portion of the upper floor or so where you had been before. The lobby has several upper surrounding walkways and balconies overlooking it though, and end of the duct hangs above such a walkway. Still some distance down but you can't go up and you aren't going to wait for the whole thing to collapse with you in it. So precariously leaning out to reach for some hanging bundles of cable you can see, you grab ahold and take a breath, trying to mentally prepare yourself for what's to come. Not so long a wait though because when the other end of the duct where you had been hanging over the lobby starts to break and come undone, you crawl out of your end of the duct and make the drop while hanging onto the cables for dear life.

"Aie!"

Maybe a ten or fifteen foot fall, partly slowed by your pulling the cables undone from the ceiling but they only give so much and being snagged taught loses your grip. Falling the rest of the way, you hit the carpeted floor with yelp. Winded, seeing white from the impact, and jolting with pain, you can't help crying from it as you struggle to cope. Only some solace as you look over to the balcony side while laying on the carpeted walkway, to see the whole duct come tearing down, smashing the walkway balcony and showering the area in debris before landing in the lobby with a deafening crash.

Your vision blurs, fades, but at least you're alive.

---

"-Alexa! Alexa!"

"...muhhh- K-Kim?"

It's the sound of a familiar voice faintly that brings you to again, curled up on the floor numb with pain. Kim's voice obviously through the walkie talkie but distant and below. It must have dropped you think during the fall, as you wipe away your tears and try to suck it up before crawling over to the edge of the walkway over the debris to look down to the lobby.

"-Alexa! You is?"

"Uhhh-less-aaa..."

You have to cover your mouth to keep from screaming but you sharply gasp and your eyes go wide at the sight. Something down there among the clouds vaguely visible but definitely there. Big, lumbering, hunching on four limbs as it moves but seeming to sit upright as it investigates the walkie talkie noise and paws at it with an arm. Between wisps of the clouds you catch glimpses of a head (?) of hair but an otherwise hairless fleshy body, with what appear to be old scraps of clothing either hanging loosely from it's body or stretched tight across in a poor attempt to fit. A scary enough sight of some grotesque monster not so very far beneath you, but when it... seems to talk, you practically feel your heart in your throat.

>>3327101
Frightfully backing away from the edge, you desperately try to think and look for a way out as panic sets in. But what can you do in this state, unable to even move well? Up here on this balcony floor with branching off halls and rooms attached, there's also a big metal staircase down to each lower balcony floor and then finally the lobby at the bottom. But no sight of any elevators here from where you are, and even up here, some of the hallways and rooms are clearly flooded with clouds.

The only thing your mind can focus on in your terror is returning to the other girls... but how?

>What do you do?

>>3327117
Look at the cieling, from where we fell, try to follow the vents or the direction we came from to see if we can find an elevator. Damn this is bad

>>3327117
FUck fuck fuck

We have to reach either the stairs or the elevator but first we have to get away from that, see if there aren't any maps on the walls, we must have seen some of those in other buildings

>>3327170
>>3327180
That's right, a map could help. And with much of the ceiling caved in here, you could try and follow the exposed ventilation. You're going to have to crawl along though, or limp by at your very best.

>Make a roll for finding an escape route.

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>3327195

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>3327195

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>3327332
>>3327203
Now the other side.

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>>3327340
>>3327332
>>3327203
>81

Crawling along then as best you can, you make your way along the uppermost walkway around the lobby to what area looks the most "open" to you. All along the way you can hear Kim continue to try and reach you on the walkie talkie, while the creature down there poorly imitates speech in response and randomly presses buttons. You can only guess that it was drawn here by the crash of the collapsing ceiling but the walkie talkie holds its attention pretty well apparently.

In any case you manage to slowly crawl your way around and come to find something of a channel of the clouds flowing through the elevator corridor on this floor along and down over the side, billowing down into the lobby almost like a waterfall. Too risky to try there, however there is a wall map of the lobby and each floor with a balcony above it. You can see that each floor has an elevator stop at the equivalent same place on every floor, so you could just crawl down the metal stairs to the floor below this where the clouds aren't drifting through. Of course the last thing you want to do is go down any further, any closer to that creature but if it's just only one floor (second from the top) you'd still be several floors above the lobby itself where the thing is, so not like you're creeping right next to it.

Alternatively there are two stairwells you could reach from this floor you're on and by the looks of things, one is safe to reach without the clouds stopping you. However it's a choice to made, on whether you want to try to use a stairwell to get up or down through the building.

Or of course, you could always just find a room to hide in or some such, maybe spend the night since it is dark outside you can see. Eventually you would hope the creature would leave, or that the clouds would move on, either way.

>What do you do?

>>3327362
Go for the elevator

Damn, this is getting complicated, I hope we can find the girls

>>3327362
Lets get away from that thing asap
To the elevator

Little later than usual but resuming in a bit.

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>>3327570
>>3327541
In your state you don't think you could go climbing stairs, and that's even without knowing whether the stairwells are safe. No, you know the elevator works for you so you'll rely on that.

With the map in mind then you crawl towards the metal stairs down, able to do so on all fours now that you've recovered a little more from the fall, as opposed to just inching along on your belly. Still a sharp pain in your leg though that stands out above the dull ache of everything else. Looking over the edge when you reach the metal stairs down, you can see the creature now sitting and focused on the walkie talkie and... humming to itself? You're only going one floor down though while it is several down at the bottom; you can do this.

"Wh-agh!"

As carefully and quietly as you had been all this way, your cover is all but blown when you crawl onto the top of the metal stairs ready to move your way down, but without warning they start moving on their own. Powered and activated by your presence upon them it would seem, the internal machinery grinds to activity as the metal steps move diagonally downwards taking you with them. The panic of them unexpectedly becoming mobile once you moved onto them is one thing, but you face sheer dread when you anxiously peer look over the side and see the creature peering up at the sound before moving to all fours and moving through the clouds after it.

"-aaagh..."

At the very least you manage to reach the next floor down faster with the stairs moving, but you still have to get over to the elevators. With a cry of pain you try your hardest to stand up, and try with all your might to limp and stagger over to the elevators, already breathing heavy with your heart racing now and tears streaming down your face as your teeth clench through the pain.

You made it to the elevator hallway of this floor though and hit all the buttons you can to call whichever the working elevator was, hoping there's enough time. The moving metal stairs don't sound like they work for the creature but you can still hear it thumping it's way up the floor beneath and... think you can even hear it humming, getting closer.

If the elevator arrives in time then, you quickly try and think of where you're going to send it to, if you want to try and go to the same floor and hope the other girls are there or if you want to go someplace else. Or even, if it's too risky to wait now...

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An audio chime as the elevator reaches the floor and one of the sets of doors behind you opens. You wheel around quick as you can, staggering from the pain. As you look up to continue on though, you see at the far end of the corridor in the direction of the lobby, a large pair of fingers grip around the corner with the creature to follow. That mess of hair and head on a long neck leading to a grossly oversized and muscled body, haphazardly clothed with elongated but powerful arms and legs to move with.

Perched on all fours at the end of the hallway, massive form facing you entire. And through that mess of hair, you think, a pair of sullen eyes... just watching you, as it stands there and sways a little in place. Ready to charge, to pounce, but withholding for something.

>What do you do?

>>3329807
>>3329807
Fuck, that's mother isn't it?

Enter the elevator and hit the girls last known floor

>>3329832
Does it resemble her hair or clothes or anything familiar?

>>3329832
>>3329841
Mother's hair was red, this is the same color as your hair. You're unable to see the face clearly, and different clothes, but then for as long as she was gone for it's not like she'd still be wearing the same clothes.

But if hair color alone is anything to go on, this probably isn't her.

>>3329880
Fucking bail, getvinto that elevator smash the floor button and smash the close dor button

>>3329900
>>3329900
Get the pistol when we are inside too, in case it gets too clase before we are our of here

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>>3329979
>>3329900
Your heart frozen in your chest, even though you can't see it all that clearly, you can't help but get something of a... human vibe from the creature. Despite it's grotesque form after all, it is vaguely humanoid, isn't covered in hair like an animal as opposed to just the head, and seems to have attempted to wear clothes. The realization of all of this just makes the fear that much worse, and you don't wait around to get a better look as you make a dive for the elevator and scream out a floor for the elevator to take you to. As you scramble to hit the close door button fast as you can.

Not before you hear the creature call something out and bound down the corridor, gripping around the elevator door frame and looking in after you just as the doors close. Disturbingly, it's almost as if the only reason it doesn't try to grab you or stop the doors from shutting, is because it sees you holding the laser pistol at it to which it hesitates and allows the doors to close...

---

Having reached the same floor as the cafeteria, you spend a good while in the elevator just catching your breath and trying to make some sense, trying to cope with what you saw. Whatever that nightmarish thing was, is gone now but not from your mind.

"Agh! When did..."

Eventually your mind starts to focus more and more on the pain in your leg as the dull ache through your body fades little by little, and bothering to check it you notice a patch of red on your pants. Cut through and bleeding some, it looks like you must have landed on something sharp from your fall out of the duct, some chunk of metal or bit of glass. It's not some dire wound pouring blood, but it does hurt too much for you to be able to do anything about on your own, as you try to touch it and maybe see about what's causing the trickle of blood and possibly removing it. Unfortunately you'll probably need the help of an adult for that.

In the meantime though, you're on the floor and in relative safety. Away from the creature at least. But Kim and Kenna are nowhere to be found, at least not here in the elevator corridor leading either to the cafeteria or the other side of the building (where you and Kim had hidden and been trapped by the clouds). If only you had the walkie talkie you could just let them know, but as you are, you're not sure of any easy way to find them or where they may have gone off to. Possibly looking for you even.

>What do you do?

>>3330138
Look for them where we were, maybe Kim sent the drone out to find us, call her name.

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>3330470
Well let's see...

>>3330714
ketktus, if this is a Kim roll like before she is awesome

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>>3330714
>100

As it turns out, it's simply just a matter of time! Kim and Kenna had remained waiting on this floor, simply having moved to a different area as you know the clouds can roll through here. Not fifteen minutes after the drone buzzes by though, that the other girls come to your aid.

"You fall down? Lucky alive!" Kim rushes to you and picks you up in an embrace, but your painful exclamation is noticed by Kenna.

"Ah, Kim! Care, she hurt... blood."

Worrying her head off over your sake, Kim wants to know what happened and make sure you're alright while Kenna bandages your leg on the elevator ride back to the upper floors. You can explain your fall with the duct, but for now you decide to leave the monster out of this if only for your own anxiety sake at having to recall and talk about it.

---

Under an hour and you're back to the home mountain, Kim and Kenna not wasting any time making any unnecessary stops and returning immediately to the linking cables and crossing basket. She even activates some bright strobe light which really stands out at night now, and you take to mean an emergency so that the basket is pulled back across the gap at a faster pace.

"She'm hurt bad?!"

"Need to Red Cross!"

"Tell some Joan, need help."

Once you return, you feel more than a little self-conscious since your injury is not so great, but there's a great amount of attention over you as all the women and girls back home crowd around you being carried by Kenna. Varying reactions from panic and worry to determination and assistance, as several of the younger girls run off to fetch Joan or one of her daughters, the resident "doctors" of the community.

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A relief for sure and again you weren't that worried since it's not that serious an injury you think. Being taken to a comparatively more clean room among the upper floors here though and one which appears to be afforded consistent power, many women stay to watch after your condition but are told to get out by a Joan in question, though they all end up just crowding around the outside and looking in through the doorway. A younger woman with better condition clothes and without the usual mass of small electronics and cables affixed to her person like the other women, it's clear that her focus is not on fixing up old devices but instead keeping people in good health.

"Leg hurt! Bleeding bad!" Kim complains to the other woman, though she is busy at the moment with someone who apparently ate something poisonous earlier in the day.

"Kenna patch her up, yes? I can see them wraps. Calm down Kim, I help her." much better spoken as well.

The longer you sit there though, the more you start to worry, especially as you notice another patient with her arm bandaged up and resting... without her shirt. Is Joan going to have to see you without clothes on too? One of mother's most important rules against such a thing, even if it means having your injury taken care of, it's not worth the risk...

...right? With eyes on you, you can't just sneak out but maybe you could try to convince them you don't need help?

>What do you do?

>>3330799

ask Kim for help, she understood at the bath, she may understand here, tell her we need clothes on, can't take them off

>>3330799
Ask if we will need to remove our clothes, if yes try to convince them its nothing serious.

>>3330810
As your mind starts to get carried away with more worries and what mother always told you, your panic gets to the point of becoming visible. And between her complaints for your sake, Kim comes to notice.

"See?! She bad way!"

"...Kim..."

"Oh, hm? Is ok?"

You're not sure how to tell her as you start to turn a little red from embarrassment, but nervously gesture towards the other patient.

"Shower fore... clothes?"

"Huh? She no showe- oh! Yes'm."

The realization hits her and with a knowing nod she rests a hand on your shoulder before returning her attention to Joan.

"And other, no off clothes."

"Kim I can't help if bundle up. At least no pants, to see leg. Unders can stay."

Kim looks to you if that's alright, though you're not really sure. If it's only your outer wear, just your pants and nothing else... you wonder what mother would say, considering when it's to help with a bleeding wound. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that as time has gotten along, you've started fearing more and more for your life in regards to the injury. Certainly it's the worst you have ever experienced in your life, so it's easy to dread the worst.

Fearing that, weighing against mother's rules...

>What do you do?

>>3330869
tentatively agree, ask to cover what she doesn't need uncovered, try not to die of embarrassment

>>3330880
and only because it's Kim, she would do no bad, no trouble, Kim helps

>>3330869
Let's get treated, infections are no joke.

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>>3330921
>>3330885
>>3330880
Between your own worries of mortality over a leg injury, and some convincing from Kim, eventually you accept. Which is good, otherwise they'd have had to hold you down. Fortunately it's not as bad as you'd worried, you end up only needing to get your pants down enough for a clear look at your thigh where the injury is, and don't need to bother with your underwear. Joan merely wonders aloud jokingly about what you're keeping safe in your briefs as she notices what looks like something stashed for hiding, a common enough thing in these times, before she focuses on your leg. Looking it over, asking how much it hurts, then getting some things out.

"...is bad?" Kim asks, holding your hand for support.

"No, no stitch either. But something to take out... and it shouldn't bleed still."

By the sound of things you do have a shard of glass poking in your leg so Joan will have to take it out, before she can clean and patch it up. She has everything she needs, it's just going to be hard on you.

"Be brave Alexa. Bite this if you need."

Knowing what is to come, you can't help but get afraid and start breathing heavy despite being told to calm down and Kim telling you it's alright. Joan even does a countdown which to some extent makes it worse for the dread, but instead you're surprised when she pries the glass free on "two" rather than zero.

"Aie!"

"There go, that's the hard part."

Of course it hurt and you scream from the pain of it, can't help but start crying but indeed the worst of it is over. Just a sharp, intense sting as she washes it over with some old bottle of something that bubbles, puts some sort of unpleasant sticky wipe on it that stops the bleeding, and finally patches it down with an actual adhesive bandage compared to just the clean bit of torn cloth Kenna used earlier.

All in all not the worst thing, not as bad as you'd worked yourself up nearly into a fit over, and Kim is there to hug you better while talking with Joan about it and what to do from here. Mostly it seems just some rest for you, and occasionally for Joan or one of her sisters or mother to check on the injury to see how it's healing. In any case Kim remains by your side, while several of the other girls and women come in to see how you're doing, Kenna brings you something to eat, and despite Joan's protests Chaya carries Daisy in for you to see; the little dog placed on the bed, anxious and eager to see you.

Eventually Joan will probably usher everyone out, but if you had anything you wanted to go over with any of them or ask, you could. Otherwise it'll just be Kim for now, and eventually Joan to keep you company as you rest here. And Daisy of course, Chaya threatens to have the robot break Joan's arm if she tries to take the dog from you.

>What do you do?

>>3331001
tell Kim about the monster when we are alone.

ask her if we can sleep with her tonight so we are not alone, don't let go.

>>3331017
Kim can't really stay all night, just sitting here with you while you get a bed. Though she'll stay till you fall asleep at least. Or if you like, Joan actually will be here all night since she lives here.

>>3331001
This will probably be my last post of the night, just a heads up. Will resume here when we continue.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

>>3331096
s'fine then, just hold her tight until we fall asleep, if we wake up before morning we seek out Joan

>>3331017
+1

We have to warn them about the monster, some of them might decide to go tobthat building tomorrow and we have to warn them not to do it.

Will be resuming in a bit now.

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>>3331571
>>3331361
You spend the rest of the evening them in the makeshift bed with Daisy sleeping by your leg and Kim sitting beside to keep you company. Visits from several of the other girls and women as well to see how you're doing, including Olivia which is nice of her. A strange but welcome feeling to know you're cared about by so many people. For their sake though, you feel the need to tell them what you saw, letting Kim know about the creature as to warn anyone else.

"Hm? Oh, all know that. Down the clouds them many monster. Them live the ground, the uh... streets? Floor between mountains. None us all never go down so much so no trouble."

It seems the creature, or creatures if there are more, are a common enough hazard as the clouds so they are similarly avoided. You only crossed paths with that one because you were at such a low floor of the building inundated with the clouds. Strange that an environmental danger to you and everyone else, is the dwelling of such creatures. Really though you're not thinking so complexly about the matter, it was just a scary encounter for you which you hope won't give you nightmares. Thankfully Kim is there to keep your mind off it, and you can have a pleasant enough evening together, though she half-teases you curious herself about what you'd had stashed in your undies, but you don't keep anything there so you don't know how to answer her. Instead you can ask her about the things you found together earlier in the day that she was happy about.

Comforting to hold her hand and hear her talk about it and continue on, while you drift off to sleep.

---

"Muhh... Daisy?"

"Oh? Here Alexa, I'll help her down."

You are awoken at some point in the night or early morning, Daisy stirring and standing at the edge of the bed, too old to get down herself. An older adult carries her out of the room to give to some other adult to mind though, before she returns to see how you're doing. Introducing herself as Joan, but she must be the mother of the two other Joans. You can see the resemblance between them at least, but this older Joan has some rather nice and clean clothes on including a thin white coat with some kind of red patch on the arm. Clothes almost in as good condition as yours in fact.

"How are you doing sweetie? Here, drink up. Can I get you anything?"

Certainly well-spoken enough for it too, maybe the best spoken person you've ever met before. In any case she is very attentive and caring towards you, happy to get you anything you might need, or simply keep you company if you want. Or you could simply just go back to bed, only a little interruption of a good night's sleep.

>What do you do?

>>3334102
Let's ask if we can leave the hospital bed and go to Kim to sleep.
If it is too soon for that, adk for company to sleep again, we don't want to be alone today

>>3334323
Well you might wake up Kim by showing up in her room, but if you want you can, Joan will let you go after checking on your leg.

If not then she'll certainly keep you company till you fall asleep again, or if you had anything you felt like talking to her about from today, or anything else for that matter.

>>3334846
Why everyone thinks we have sonething hidden, we have nothing there is there sonething wrong?
Obviously don't take our clothes off.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3334846
Ask her about the other woman, the arnored ones, and what they want.

And then

1 go to Kim
2 ask for company to sleep

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>>3334987
Well you're confused about it for sure, you can only assume they mistook your under-parts, but all people have under-parts right? That's what mother said anyway, and why one of her rules about you never having your clothes off around anyone. That would be very rude, according to her.

So no, obviously you're not going to take your clothes off. Must be some mistake on their part.

>>3335052
Although she'll let you leave if you want after she's checked on your leg, you realize Kim is probably asleep by now and wouldn't want to wake her. Even still, Joan is happy to keep you company till you doze off again. You do have some questions though, and appreciate her better grasp of the language to be able to explain it.

"Other mountain, other people. Have big clothes and weapons, want hurt us?"

"Hm? Oh, a gang probably... a group of people that live and work together. There's lots of them around the city. Some are violent... mean, they take things they want without asking or being nice. If they are the ones I think, they wouldn't have hurt you but they would have robbed... steal from you, the things you have."

Like mother's necklace, right? Kim's people live here in this skyscraper, the top of it at least, but there's lots of skyscrapers around the city also tall enough to be above the clouds, so it makes sense that there would be other people living around and with different styles of living and group culture or "family".

And not to mention Downtown, beneath the clouds and under the ground. Joan thinks the group you encountered were from another building and had come over to loot around what they could, after hearing or seeing the restaurant light up with activity when you first ate there a couple days ago. That would explain at least why they first went to the restaurant and you saw some of them dead there, probably looking for whoever got the place to operate normally.

And of course you already know from how Kim's group responded to you, that someone who can operate old systems in the buildings, is very valuable. Probably if the other gang found you first instead of Kim, you'd be living with them now instead and helping them.

Something to think about at least, as Joan continues to talk and even is as kind as to tell you a story to go to sleep with, and you doze off with her hands around yours.

---

You're awoken you assume the next morning, when someone comes in with an injured hand after a fight over breakfast. The eldest Joan sees to it but one of her daughters is there for you, and lets you know that Kim stopped by with Daisy, and is currently getting herself breakfast but promised to return and bring you some.

So, the start of another day!

>What do you do?

>>3335197
>>What do you do?
See if you can get some of those tasty foodstuffs.

>>3335197

try to walk a little,wait for Kim with he breakfast and thank her properly for helping us yesterday, if she wants we can go to the restaurant later to get some good food or even some funny water, mother was always happy when she found a bottle of those, she got very happy and singing after she drank

>>3335257
I meant alcohol btw, Alexa probably never drunk it but kother may have found some purple water or some water with a strong smell.

>>3335197
Tasty breakfast and then ask her if there are any other mountains nearby, the people and the customs

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>>3335219
>>3335257
>>3335305
>>3335317
Putting some weight on your leg then, it doesn't feel so bad as you try to stand up and walk around the bet a little, with Joan's help. By the time you feel comfortable enough and she's checked your leg, Kim is already back with a plastic container full of food and Daisy hungrily close behind. Gladly you can stuff your face before thanking Joan and her daughters for their help, before you follow after Kim, carrying Daisy.

"Thank Kim, help foreday. Can go good food place?"

"No way! You'm hurt, no go out for long time!"

Hoping to repay her in thanks, you'd want to get some food for everyone and something special for Kim and Kenna maybe, but Kim simply refuses you showing her worry for your condition. Even though it's not that bad, she won't let you go out, not with her anyway.

In the meantime then at least, as you walk around with Kim to get better used to it, around the upper floor here you get a decent view of the city under the morning sun and above the clouds.

"How'm other mountains?"

"Two can to from home, one find you in and other."

Through various means of connection, it looks like the home building of Kim's people can reach two others including the one you're familiar with already. That one particular is generally abandoned and used by people around this area as something of a travel hub between other buildings. The other one from here though is occupied by a different group of people who are known for their skills with clothing and material and indeed you can see from here the uppermost floors of a building across the gap, has great colored sheets and lengths of material hanging from building spanning many floors and billowing in the wind. It reminds you of something called a boat from one of your books back home, only the material that had was white while on the building over there it's all sorts of colors and patterns fastened together. Kim's people maintain a truce and occasionally trade with them, but while Kim's people have to go looking around for electronics to collect and bring home, the other group of people are well known enough that others bring material to them to work with.

Then of course there's Downtown but Kim is not so familiar with those sorts since travel back and forth between the clouds is difficult. For the rest of Uptown there are other well-known groups like the Red Cross building, the Empress of the city's tower, the Guard armory, and the Rock, but those are all farther out and would require several days travel at least to any one of them. She does point some of them out however, that are faintly visible far and away across the clouds.