entranceway | one; audio {with bitter words, that's how the boy talks.}

[Jason woke up inside the mansion, gave it all a cursory look-through, and promptly noped the hell on out of there. Ain’t nobody got time for this Wonderland theme park bullshit - especially not the Red Hood.

Of the available options, the forest seemed like the best way out, so that’s where Jason is now, trampling through the brush, snapping twigs underfoot as he mutters his complaints into the comm device:]

This would be going a lot easier if there had been any vehicles worth taking …

[The sounds of movement stop, and Jason sighs loudly. He is Officially Lost, and he wasn’t in the best mood to begin with, so he’s understandably a little tense in addressing whoever might be listening.]

All right, this is officially stupid, and I don’t have time for stupid. Got much bigger fish to fry, so I’ll get right to the point. Whose head do I have to stuff in a duffel bag to get a map of the way out of here? Tick tock, losers, answer fast – Daddy doesn’t like being kept waiting.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Creative about not getting killed, or creative about not getting caught killing other people? Because everyone who's tried at the former has failed, and the cannibal who tried at the second one failed, too.

[ There's a slight pause. ]

How long have you been here, if I may ask?

Why not both? I'm what you might call a motivated go-getter.

[Also not a cannibal??? What is wrong with this place, jfc.]

Left my watch in my other jacket so I can't say for sure, but prob'ly about half an hour. Why? Was there a timed test I wasn't informed about?

[ So many things are wrong with this place, Jason. SO MANY THINGS. The place has, what, fourteen floors and no elevators. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WRONG HERE? ]

Not so much a test as research you should probably check into. I mean, you don't want to do something that makes you look stupid, right?

[ What's that? Some sort of psychological manipulation? Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe. ]

Hey now - you haven't seen what I look like, don't go jumping to conclusions about that.

[ If she weren't so concerned that he's about to get himself killed, she might be amused by that. ]

I'd assumed you don't look stupid on an everyday basis, but I apologize.

You really might want to check out how other people have tried to escape before, though. Maybe take the challenges they faced into account. You know. Just in case you don't want to look stupid-er.

[... OK, sure, that's actually not a bad idea.]

Don't suppose you've got a record of all that around somewhere, do ya?

That's one of the reasons I asked how long you've been here. There are brochures that give a good, if brief, rundown of the place.

You'll also want to poke around in the library. Evelyn O'Connell has taken up librarian duties and would be able to help you find more information, if not tell you the answer yourself.

We also have scientists and people with an interest in science here who have been trying to better understand the place.

The network is an invaluable research tool of sorts, too. Some people have tried to escape - you can consider what did and didn't work.

[Brochures, library, scientists, network. Got it. Jason may not look or sound like it, but he's not half bad at research, when it comes to things he cares about. And finding a way out of this funhouse is definitely at the top of his list.]

Maybe I'll take a poll. Some of you around here are helpful, at least.

Some of us. [ Her voice is dry. ]

If you can keep yourself from rushing to your death, you can also look through the archives on the network - that way, you can see all the replies to other posts. Look at people's personalities. Determine whether you can trust them or not.

[ She says it in such a calm tone that he could, potentially, dismiss the hint of warning. Because not everyone here should be trusted. There's no cannibal here anymore, hasn't been since before she arrived. But there are people who will get him in trouble and give him bad advice just to see what happens. ]

[Rushing to his death. Wouldn't be the first time, and he almost says as much but choosing instead to offer a dry laugh, almost under his breath.]

I already know better than to trust anyone. Don't need to read archives to know that.

[Still, the information is appreciated.]

[ It sounds like she's offered all the help she can - or at least all he'd be willing to hear. She doubts it would do any good to force anything. ]

If I can help any more, let me know.

[ And try not to die, she thinks as she turns off the feed. She'd say it out loud, but she suspects doing so would be a waste of breath. ]

one; audio {with bitter words, that's how the boy talks.}

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