Part 64: Tens High

Well, that's the Monkey route. Easily one of the, if not THE, most intriguing routes to go through, primarily because of how much it leans on everyone else the whole way through. After all, Monkey did nothing for the whole route! She's been tied up the whole time. Some stuff we already know the specifics for, some stuff we still need the context for, but definitely a great route to hit midway through the LP.

Themis said that they had always wanted one route where the “traitor” never has to take any direct action and just sends the rest of the group against each other, and obviously Monkey is the best choice for that... but it also means that this route was one of the hardest to write as a result. They had to make sure that the logic all checks out in regards to what would motivate each character to turn on each other, without actually giving away what it is if you hadn't done the route yet. For example, we knew going into this that Rooster has a personal hatred for Ox (and enough personal drive to actually act on it if given the ideal chance), but if you did this route before Rooster's, you'd be left wondering just what the hell was going on with that one

It should also be noted this is the only route where Monkey actually stays in the chair (and thus has nothing but time to dwell on things, including her interactions with Brian); with Pig, she's let loose since Pig goes mask of basically immediately, and with Rooster, it obviously couldn't be her so she's let loose there, too.

Either way, we did also avoid all the other endings for this route, so lets get to it, starting with our first conversation with Monkey when Mouse goes to untie her...

[We can't trust Monkey.]

[BGM: Silence]


I hesitated for a second.

...I don't know if that's the case anymore, Monkey.

...What?

I mean, you're great and all, but, you know, you're a traitor. I'm glad you outed yourself, but... …

I didn't know what to say. It felt shameful to let my dark suspicions out in the open like that. But I just couldn't lie to Monkey. Monkey, for her part, sighed.

Oh, Mouse. I understand your thoughts. But at the very least, I thought you would see I bear the group no harm.

Mouse returns to Pig like normal, and the two keep searching classrooms into the next round. Mouse goes to untie her once again, before returning to talk with Pig about Monkey ...



She's giving up her life for us. The least we can do is treat her right.

That's really considerate, Mouse.

Well, you kno-

*bang!*

Wh-wha-

I couldn't even get a coherent thought out, I just fell to the side. A bullet had burst through the door and struck me right in the stomach. I could feel blood pouring out of my body in massive quantities. I could see Pig beginning to freak out, with no idea how to respond.

...Oh. This is how I die, isn't it? I wish that was a peaceful revelation. But it's one that fills you with panic. You start thinking of all the things that you wish you could have done, that you wanted to do, had you not died. Your mind is swarmed with unfulfilled desires and unsaid thoughts. And in that miasma of regret, eventually, it stops. But that's not a good thing.

Because it only stops when you're fully dead.



[Ending – 10 of Clubs]

A butterfly effect might put Mouse in the bullet's path. There isn't much that can be done to stop the killer before they strike. But, perhaps their target can be redirected.

The next ending is whether or not we decide to go deal with Dog like Monkey suggests.

[Go on the offensive against Dog.]

[BGM: Silence]


Of course. I had to be strong. I had to survive.

Okay then. It's simple self defense. He's killed nine people. I'm not going to let him make it ten.

Monkey anxiously tapped her fingers to the side of the chair.

Yes, Mouse. You're right. Your father would agree, this is the correct decision. It's a shame, but it has to be done. Could I suggest, Mouse, that you grab the pistol from Dragon's corpse? That should give you a major advantage.

Right. Good thinking, Monkey.

I walked over to the horrific sight, and did the accursed act of rummaging through the dead body. Sure enough, there was the pistol. And with it, I summoned my resolve. I was here to bring back sanity. To do that, I needed to kill the madness.

[BGM: Metal Horse]


Kill Dog.

Of course, to do that, I'd need to find him. The first floor was covered, so that left the second and third. I had no basis to suspect he'd be on one over the other, so I decided to start checking the third. Luckily enough, I stumbled across him soon enough. He was sitting lazily on a couch in some student commons area.



The moment I saw him, I raised my pistol at him.

Woah, hey, Mouse, what are you doing?!

The question is, what have you done, Dog!

A lot of stuff, if I'm being honest, but I imagine you're talking about something in specific.

Stop with the games. You've killed nine people. You don't get to joke around.

Nine people! Wow, good job me! That's the first time I'm hearing about it, though.

His expression didn't falter. Was... was he telling the truth? No, no, focus!



Bullshit! You're the only one it could be!

I mean, I have to imagine that's wrong, but I can tell based on your expression that you're not changing your mind.

Right.

And so, you're determined to kill me before I kill you.

Yes.

...By shooting me?

Yes!

Huh.

[BGM: Silence]


Shooting me with a gun that has its safety on. Bold play, we'll see how it plays out.

Safety on? Fuck, my lack of knowledge about guns was biting me in the ass! My eyes drifted to the weapon in my hands. And in that instant, Dog made a blistering-quick move. Before I could do anything, he had pulled out a pistol from behind his back and shot me in the stomach. Fuck... He had another pistol?

I tried to hold on, to fire back at him, but I didn't have it in me. Soon, I collapsed to the floor. I could feel the floor getting wet around me. I could feel my life slipping away from me. And I could hear the monotonous voice apologizing beyond my vision.

Ah, damn. I meant to just hit your shoulder. Disarm you, you know? Too bad I'm a shitty shot. My bad, really, this is on me.

Fuck... you.

That was the last thought that crossed my mind before my grip on consciousness slipped away.



[Ending – 10 of Diamonds]

Mouse confronting Dog is a bad idea for a number of reasons. ...Chief among them being that Mouse is horrible at confrontations.

She's not heartless or skilled enough to take the initiative in a situation like that. Had she only fired first, talked later, things would've turned out so much better. But that's not her nature. And so it won't happen. And so, a new route must be found.

The final ending happens if we focus on the wrong death when deducing everything at the end – one where we can't get any answers, due to the people involved already being dead. I grabbed one at random for this bonus update, which turned out to be Ox's death.

[Pick the wrong death to be suspicious of.]



Ox's death is weird.

I thought your explanation made sense.

Yeah, well, I don't doubt the details of it. But... why did Rooster do it? He seemed, at the very least, harmless. To kill Ox like that feels so weird.

What's tragic is that there's no longer any way to find the truth.

Right... Anyone who could answer those questions is dead.

And it was that grim note that lingered in the air.

[BGM: Final Squeal]


You should get to work on trying to reach the finish line.

Monkey began anxiously drumming on the side of her chair.

If you gather the tablets and Minor Trinkets of all the victims, you should be able to reach it in very little time.

And Dog?

Surely if he had any sense, and if he was really alive, he'd have made his way back to the cafeteria by now, instead of fathering so much doubt. There was supposed to be a group meeting by now, correct?

It is a true shame, but him not showing up must mean that he's not able to anymore.

… I thought about it for a moment, and realized Monkey was right. If Dog wasn't the culprit, then him not showing up must mean he's... Then, would I be surviving alone? That felt horrible to think about, but... For now, I should focus on collecting the tablets and Trinkets, like Monkey said.

[BGM: Silence]


I began going around the school, collecting what I could find. But then, when I was going up the stairs to collect Ox and Rooster's tablets... SHLINK. I could feel blades piercing into my neck. What... the hell...!!! What... was happening?! The pain was fire, but what really gripped me was confusion. I was being executed, right?

To die like this... Instantly, my mind doubled back to Dog. Dog... were my deductions wrong? Were you behind Snake and Dragon's deaths? Were you behind... all the deaths? If not... why was I suddenly being executed, for no rhyme or reason? It doesn't ma... FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! Finally, the excruciating pain won over my reasoning. For my few remaining minutes alive, my head was filled with nothing but agony.

When I finally died, it was a relief.



[Ending – 10 of Hearts]

A fate far trickier to comprehend than most. One that requires a full understanding of the board.

At any rate, one thing is simple. Mouse can't turn her head from the truth. If she discovers the true origin of the killings, this can be prevented.

Next update, we start on a different path towards a different route!