Crossroads

Crossroads. Something that everyone encounters every day. Whether it's deciding what to buy from the market or which road to take on your commute, you will be faced with decisions. After being accepted at the Severely Capable Adventuring Mercenaries' Guild, you are faced with yet another crossroads. What position will you take? [[Adventurer]] [[Warrior]] [[Medic]] [[Receptionist]]

You've decided to become an adventurer! With this position, you have the authority to travel anywhere in the world! ...As long as you don't hurt anyone during your travels. Unfortunately, this license costs 90 Gold... that you don't have! You are now in debt. Where will you go to try to pay off your debt to the Guild? [[The wilderness]] [[A carnival in a neighboring town]] [[Heck it! Make that money back in the casino!]]

You've decided to become a receptionist! The Guild is always hiring administrative staff and is happy to see you join. All staff must stay within The Severely Capable Adventuring Mercenaries' Dormitory, which costs 110 Gold per month. What task will you take on to pay off your rent? [[Accounting]] [[Paperwork]] [[I said. I want to be. A. Receptionist!]]

You've decided to fight some things--err--become a warrior! The receptionist has you sign a bunch of papers about a bunch of boring stuff like how the Guild isn't responsible for any medical bills or healing you may require blah blah something about a 150 Gold fee for every request that you take blah blah WHO CARES JUST PICK SOMETHING TO FIGHT ALREADY!! [[Easy prey for BABIES]] [[The middle (boring) option]] [[The super badass dangerous fights for BADASSES]]

You've decided to become a medic! Unfortunately, you're not qualified for the position. The Guild receptionist informs you that there's a few schools you can go to in order to learn what you need to know. Which will you enroll in? [[The Small Town Community College]] [[The Big City Beefy University]] [[The Severely Capable Adventuring Mercenaries' School]]

The Guild's receptionist tries to warn you against travelling to the Dangerous Plains, but you are determined to hunt some monsters down for money! But when you reach the plains, you weren't prepared to see how... adorable everything is! It's a paradise of fluff and feathers and scales! Your hands itch to touch the fierce creatures. Screw paying off your debt! Petting animals is more important! Which will you pet first? [[The sparkly griffin]] [[The chimera]] [[The normal-looking monkey]]

Travelling leaves you feeling tired, but all the vivid lights and smiles that you see when you finally reach the carnival makes you feel invigorated! You go to check out some of the exhibits, but stop yourself. Focus! You're here to find a job! What will you try applying for? [[Clown]] [[Fire juggling]] [[Magician]]

Hell yeah, gambling is fun! What will you play? [[Slots]] [[Blackjack]] [[Bingo]]

You've been a huge fan of snakes for a long time and knitted a hat for the ouch rope that serves as the chimera's tail! Aren't snakes in hats super adorable?? Unfortunately she hates top hats and bites you for forcing her into that monstrosity. You instantly pass out from the venom and [[wake up in the hospital.->The end]]

The monkey steals your wallet, curious about what's inside! But when he sees your adventurer's license, he grows livid. He's angry that you would renounce the jungle and settle for an existence working for humans. You don't get the chance to correct him before the rest of the creatures take you down. You regret never being able to be friends with the monkey. Thankfully, a veteran adventurer saves you before you're eaten and [[takes you to the hospital.->The end]]

The griffin bites your hand off. Turns out the sparkly stuff was just magic to lure you in. But honestly, what did you expect? [[Oh well, time to receive medical attention->The end]]

You are now in severe debt with the Guild. Looks like you'll be working it off for the rest of your life. All you can really do now is hope that your [[next position->Crossroads]] will pay more.

"Just one more," you say. "Just let me pull one more time," you say. "I'm going to get lucky soon, I just know it," you say. "I just need a little bit more money," you insist. Unfortunately, the staff at the casino happen to be working for the Guild as well and are unhappy with how much money you've been spending. They send you back to their boss with a bill that [[makes you faint.->The end]]

You were SO CLOSE to winning, but then that granny who won ten rounds in a row won yet again! Finally fed up by this old lady who was OBVIOUSLY cheating, you flip the table, sending all the bingo cards scattering. The granny cries out in alarm, and you are instantly detained by Guild employees. "She's cheating! She's a fraud! Listen to me! Just look at her!" But no one is listening to you as you're dragged away. All the men holding you comment about is how much you're going to get fined for causing a scene. Just before you are forcefully escorted out of the building, you swear you catch a triumphant [[smile->The end]] on that old lady's face.

"Over." "Under." Over. Under. Over. Under. Over, then under. Under then over. Over under over under over under. The numbers. They aren't on your side. The numbers are a deception. Why can't you win? Something isn't right in this CAsino, you screaM. The GUILD is in control of the numbers. Why can't anyone else see it? You're dragged back into the Guild headquarters, all while muttering about [[the numbers, the numbers, the numbers.->The end]]

The only way to replace the clown is to challenge him to a duel! You put up your fists, ready for a fight, only to be immediately arrested by mysterious men in black suits. Remember? You're not allowed to fight people with an adventurer's license. You get thrown in jail and are faced with a hefty [[fine.->The end]]

Um. Are you sure you want to do that? [[YES.]] [[DOUBLE YES.->YES.]]

You're hired on the spot! The old magician retired due to a workplace injury. Wait... workplace injury? Nah, it was probably nothing you have to worry about. Your assistant instructs you to get inside a box. You obey, innocent as a lamb to slaughter, until you notice your charming assistant pull out a saw. Suddenly you understood what they meant by "workplace injury." You try to jump out of the box, but you're tied to the inside. Your assistant gives you a positively devilish smile and lowers the saw to where your torso is within the box. Panicking, you shake back and forth until the box tips over, shattering the fragile material and freeing you from certain dismemberment. Unfortunately, the Guild is not so happy that you escaped using such a method. They make you [[pay for the box you broke.->The end]]

You became a human torch! Honestly, what did you expect? Thankfully there were some Guild employees with water nearby that was able to put you out and cart you off to the [[hospital.->The end]]

"Hi cutie! I heard you're Y/N, the newest student at this school! I'm your roommate, my name is Fictional Character Name, but you can just call me F/N! I can show you around the school if you'd like, or I can help you get settled in the dorm. "I have a feeling we're going to be the best of friends, Y/N! What did you want to do first?" [[Look around the school]] [[Settle into the dorm]] [[SMOOCH F/N]]

Heeey bruh, 'sup? Heard you're new here at *sniff* Beefy U uhuh. Tuish is like 100,000 Gold per semes', you know, dude. Whatchu gonna do about it? Haha, loser. [[Get a part time job]] [[Punch this guy]] [[Offer him a bro handshake]]

Welcome to The Severely Capable Adventuring Mercenaries' School! This is a school funded by the Guild, for the Guild! As such, this school has a low admission of only 90,000 Gold per semester! We suggest students work a part time job while attending class to get a head start on repaying their debt. What will you do? [[Apply to work as a barista at a nearby cafe]] [[Take all your classes in one semester so you have the lowest amount of debt]] [[Rebel against the system]]

Did you expect this to be a relaxing part time job like those coffee shop AU fics you read? Hell no, this is REAL work and the Guild demands that you take it seriously. If you can't handle 50 hour work weeks AND attending school full time, that's on you. You said you were a hard worker during the interview and we expect you to prove it. Unfortunately, working at the cafe leaves you too busy to attend classes and you [[end up dropping out.->The end]]

HELL YEAH. 40 CLASSES IN ONE SEMESTER?? AIN'T NO THANG. YOU BE OUT HERE CHUGGING ENERGY DRINKS AT 3AM STUDYING FOR A CLASS AT 5AM TAKING AN EXAM AT 7AM STUDYING AGAIN AT 9AM CHUGGING ENERGY DRINKS AT 10AM EATING YOUR HOMEWORK AT 11AM ATTENDING CLASS AT 12PM CHUGGING MORE ENERGY ENERGY ENERGY EN E R G Y........ You end up collapsing during midterms and being taken to the hospital. You failed all your classes, still have to pay for them, and now you have ridiculously expensive hospital bills to pay for. [[Great job.->The end]]

You and some classmates start peacefully protesting against tuition prices at the Guild's school. Unfortunately, not many people decide to join in, and even those who do quickly lose steam and give up their protests. They still need to study for exams and maintain a job to pay for their classes, after all. But you don't give up. You're outside the administrative building day after day protesting against the exploitative practices within the Guild and the school. Until one day you wake up in a dark room. "You can't stop the guild," the voice of an older woman warns. You can't make out any faces in the darkness; only silhouettes. "We are more powerful than you will ever be." You feel a hand caress your cheek, not unkindly but not affectionate either. "Just give it up," she says before the darkness overwhelms your senses. You wake up to find that you've been [[expelled from the school.->The end]]

"Don't go in that hallway, there was a murder there last spring," F/N helpfully warns you with her/his/their cheerful voice. "Or in that one," F/N adds. "Oh, look out for the ghosts in the music rooms, Y/N," F/N says with a cute smile. It seems like everywhere you go, there has been either a murder or a horrible accident. You start to wonder if the school might actually be cursed or something. But F/N is pretty hot, so you decide to stick it out. That is... until you notice that her/his/their feet aren't actually touching the ground, but instead are floating. Yep, college debt be damned. You hightail it out of there like [[your life depends on it.->The end]]

"What the hell!?" F/N slaps you before your lips make contact, sending you spiraling into incoming traffic. You're carted off to the hospital, now with [[insane medical debt.->The end]] But honestly, you kind of deserved it. Never smooch someone without their permission!

"You know," F/N says, twiddling her/his/their thumbs after you've unpacked your bags. You're both facing each other on your respective beds, enjoying a nice cup of tea after the hard work of moving in. You hum in response to show that you're listening after F/N goes silent. She/he/they take a breath before continuing. "I'm so happy to finally have another roommate again. I didn't think I would get another one, not after..." F/N trails off. You're so curious, but something in F/N's expression tells you that you shouldn't ask. Part of you wonders if you might regret knowing. [[Ask]] [[Don't ask]]

You can't help it. You ask. F/N smiles at you and then says with adorable cheer, "I ate them." You gasp awake in a white room, machines beeping around you. A doctor rushes in to check your vitals and explains to you that you've been unconscious for nearly a month. You ask about F/N and The Small Town Community College, but the doctor has no idea what you're talking about. According to her, you were found passed out in front of the Guild... and they now want you to pay for your hospital bills. You lie back against your pillows, unconcerned with that for now. It's all okay. It was just a dream. It was just a dream... [[right?->The end]]

You decide not to ask, respecting F/N's privacy. Instead, you settle in for the night, excited for a college life that's sure to be special with such a cute person as your roommate. But soon enough it becomes clear that something isn't right. Somehow you feel... lighter than before. Every night you go to sleep early, and every morning you feel almost as if you're missing something. Like your center of gravity is off, or like you just lost a bunch of weight. You're eating as much as normal, but somehow it feels like something is missing. Like you are a void. Like you are disappearing. Like there are stiches on your stomach that you don't remember being there the day before and like F/N's teeth smelling like iron and like living inside of a horror movie but not feeling the fear, never feeling the fear even though something is wrong very wrong and you don't know how to escape. Why does the outside of the school look emptier than your torso? When will you wake up? Because this has to be a horrible dream and you have to escape and you can't take this anymore and the apathy is tearing you apart and you don't know your name anymore and the only person who talks to you only calls you Y/N and what does Y/N even mean and you're tired and you're light and you're afraid to wake up but even more terrified of staying asleep and suddenly you wake up to a doctor handing you your discharge papers after a [[long hospitalization.->The end]]

You decide to get a part time job at the university, but unfortunately they only have one offering: human weight for the Beefy Bros. Yes, you are the weight. The pay is pretty good and you really don't have to do any work. It's probably the easiest job you've ever had. Unfortunately, the Bros aren't so good at holding back their inner strength, so they end up crinkling your spine in a way spines aren't meant to be crinkled. You end up in the [[hospital before the start of midterms.->The end]]

This guy sounds like a jerk. You punch him right in his stupid jerk face! Unfortunately, he's ten times larger than you and easily crushes you like a pancake. He spits on you and calls you a loser. You certainly did lose there. You pass out and [[wake up in the hospital.->The end]]

You hold out your hand and he doesn't miss a beat. Shake, wiggle, hip check, slap on shoulders, patty cake, he knew all the moves! You're impressed as you test his skills in bro handshake-ry, but are confident that he won't know this final move! You clasp his hand tight and tug him forward, wrapping the other hand around him in a gentle hug. He, the perfect bro, matches your final move perfectly, surrounding you in seriously impressive muscles. "I never thought the day would come where I would experience the bro handshake that ends in a hug..." The bro sniffles, his teary eyes meeting your own. Nothing is quite as emotional as a bro handshake that ends in a hug. You stare into each other's eyes, lost in this magical moment, until... *Crack* Your spine can no longer handle the intensity of the hug, and your new best bro needs to [[carry you to the hospital.->The end]]

The receptionist hands you a list of beginner-friendly monsters to fight, looking relieved with your choice. Which one should you hunt down first? [[A slime with an ambiguous enough design not to get accused of copyright infringement]] [[An innocent looking weasel-like creature]] [[Something named "Tom"]]

"Oh, so you really decided to choose the boring option, huh?" The narrator laughs at you. "I bet you think there might be something interesting in these options. Well I'll tell you right now that there isn't. "And you know what? Just in case you think there might be an interesting option here, I'm going to give you far more options than usual. See just how much time you waste. Have fun!" [[Boring option A->Boring option A]] [[Boring option B->Boring option A]] [[Boring option C->Boring option A]] [[Boring option D->Boring option A]] [[Boring option E->Boring option A]] [[Boring option F->Boring option C]] [[Boring option G->Boring option A]] [[Boring option H->Boring option A]] [[Boring option I->Boring option A]] [[Boring option J->Boring option A]] [[Boring option K->Boring option A]] [[Boring option L->Boring option A]] [[Boring option M->Boring option A]] [[Boring option N->Boring option A]] [[Boring option O->Boring option A]] [[Boring option P->Boring option A]] [[Boring option Q->Boring option A]] [[Boring option R->Boring option A]] [[Boring option S->Boring option A]] [[Boring option T->Boring option A]] [[Boring option U->Boring option A]] [[Boring option V->Boring option A]] [[Boring option W->Boring option A]] [[Boring option X->Boring option A]] [[Boring option Y->Boring option B]] [[Boring option Z->Boring option A]]

HELL YEAH! Congrats on picking the CORRECT option. Ignore how concerned the receptionist looks. Here are your options for what you can fight. Not that you actually stand a chance against any of them but think about how COOL it would be if you won! [[An emo wizard]] [[The Dragon of Total Destruction and Annihilation]] [[The final boss]]

Haha, it's just a furry wittle weasel, how tough could it be? You thought, mockingly, only to cry like a wittle baby when it started fighting back. Some things that you learned after encountering the weasel creature that you didn't bother to research ahead of time were: 1. It's fast. 2. It has SHARP claws. 3. It can fly?? Thus, all you could really do was huddle into a ball and endure cut after cut until another Guild employee came by and saved you. You walked into the hospital, [[humbled and embarrassed.->The end]]

"Tom" turned out to be some sort of dark creature wearing a hood. It seemed a bit creepy, but when you finally spotted it, you learned just how small it is. This is going to be an easy request! You walk up to it, full of confidence, too arrogant to predict what happens next. The creature lifts its arm slowly and touches you. Just the tip of one finger is enough to take you out. You wake up in the hospital, disoriented, confused, and [[horrified.->The end]]

You encounter a small slime-like creature with a perpetual smile that looks vaguely familiar to you. You scratch your head, but you just can't quite place where you might have seen this creature from before. You shrug and easily defeat it with a single punch. Unfortunately, the reward for hunting down this slime didn't amount to nearly as much as it cost to accept the quest, and now the receptionist [[won't allow you to fight anything else until you pay off your debt.->The end]]

"Wrong!" The narrator punches you for wasting time and [[sends you to the hospital.->The end]]

"Ooh you're getting close! Haha, just kidding! There's seriously nothing here! Give it up!" The narrator starts throwing stale breadsticks at you, and then sticks you with [[the restaurant bill.->The end]]

"Oh wow, you actually got it! Surprise! Here is your one interesting answer from a sea of boring answers. Congrats!" [[Click here to claim your prize.->The end]]

"You think you can defeat *me*, The Great Wizard of The End, Malthezorre!?" A man with dark hair parted over one eye pops up behind you, posing dramatically as he clutches a bandage-covered hand over his concealed eye. "I know I look weak now, but once you see my true form..." He pauses long enough to shake his head, his eye twinged with pain. "You see, I have a demon trapped in my arm, and once he gets out, there's no way to save you. I annihilate everything around me." You feel yourself starting to cringe away, but decide to humor Malthezorre for a bit. "Do you have something trapped in your eye too?" He dramatically drapes his bandaged hand over his concealed eye, a look of exaggerated shock coloring his face. "How did you know!? Yes, the spirit of the Great Archangel Michael inhabits my eye. He deems that I must root out all injustice in the world... Hey, wait, where are you going?" You continue walking away, ignoring Malthezorre's calls. Nope, this is too cringey for you. This guy keeps bringing back memories of your middle school days that you hoped to lock away forever, so now you're suffering from intense psychological damage. Unfortunately, you still need to [[pay the quest acceptance fee.->The end]]

The Dragon of Total Destruction and Annihilation Lv. 999 HP 100,000 What will you do? [[Attack]] [[Magic->Attack]] [[Escape]] [[Plead for your life]]

You come face-to-face with... a granny? You're shaking your head, wondering if you got the wrong address or something, when suddenly the old woman disappears! You dart your head around, trying to see where she walked off to, when suddenly you hear a voice behind you, "You're a thousand years too young to be fighting me, kid." You feel a tap on your neck and are seized by an immense, horrible pain. You have just a moment of consciousness to catch the [[smile->The end]] on the older woman's face before you pass out.

You attack! -1 HP for The Dragon of Total Destruction and Annihilation The Dragon of Total Destruction and Annihilation attacks! -999,999 HP for you [[Game over->The end]]

You try to escape! --Speed check: Failed-- --Stealth check: Failed-- --Dexterity check: Failed-- --Geographic knowledge: Failed-- --Eagle knowledge: Failed-- You are unable to escape! The dragon snorts, roasting you with their fiery breath. You wake up [[in the hospital.->The end]]

"P...please don't attack me," you cry out, falling to your knees and bowing before the magnificent dragon. "Please, I wasn't actually going to fight you! I just thought this choice would be funny!" But The Dragon of Total Destruction and Annihilation isn't feeling very merciful. They whack you with a claw for daring to disturb them, launching you directing into the nearest Guild [[hospital.->The end]]

Ooooh you must be good at math! I bet several members of your family suggested that you get into accounting after you got that A+ on your math exam, you over-achiever, you! How would you like to utilize your smarts, smarty-pants? [[File for bankruptcy]] [[Calculate remaining debt]] [[Embezzle money from the Guild]]

So you've decided to snoop around the Guild's paperwork--oh, oops! I meant *file* the paperwork! Of course you would never snoop... right? [[File the paperwork normally]] [[Snoop a little bit]] [[Snoop a lotta bit]]

Okay okay, I get it! Jeez! Who do you want to help out first? [[A retired magician]] [[The Great Wizard of The End, Malthezorre]] [[Someone who looks like a newbie]]

You go to file for bankruptcy to escape from your debt and the Guild... only to see your request denied. Later, a note is slipped onto your desk from an unknown source. [["You can never escape from the Guild."->The end]]

Your remaining debt is INFINITE. It will take you INFINITE years to repay it! [[You faint.->The end]]

You're smart about it, only taking a little bit of money at a time so they wouldn't notice. You discreetly move the money into another bank account, cautiously making enough to start slowly paying off your debt. Until one day, you're called into your boss's office. "Did you think we wouldn't notice?" He asks, spinning around in his chair, a Persian white cat smirking at you from his lap as he stroked it. "N-notice what?" You play off, very coolly. You are so calm and collected right now. "I really thought you would have realized by now," he shakes his head in mock disappointment. "We own all the banks. And all the hospitals and schools and casinos and carnivals and markets and wherever else you may try to run." "No..." You collapse to the ground, full of despair. "You can [[never escape->The end]] from us."

You throw yourself wholeheartedly into your work, becoming the very image of a dedicated employee! You make enough to pay off your rent every month, but not much more than that. Days are filled with work and you're too exhausted to do anything at night. You don't find your work very rewarding, so you calculate to see how much you have left to pay for your debt to the Guild. [[INFINITE->The end]]

You start looking in some of the unlocked filing cabinets to see what you can find. It doesn't take long for you to find your own personal file. Birthdate. Social security number. Bank account number. Number of hairs on your eyebrow. Food preferences. Remaining debt. Age you made your first friend. Extent of relations with even people you've passed on the street. It had every detail of your life, down to how many breaths you take in a single day. It was too much. You suddenly felt eyes everywhere, recording your every move. You had to get out. You had to run. They knew too much. You try to escape, but you've realized it by now, haven't you? [[You can't run.->The end]]

You grab a crowbar and wrench open a locked filing cabinet to see what you can find. But as soon as it's open, an alarm starts blaring. You know you have a limited amount of time to look so you grab the first document you can. "The Severely Capable Adventuring Mercenaries' - S.C.A.M.'s method for creating infinite debt..." You don't have the chance to finish reading before Guild employees take you away and [[throw you into prison.->The end]]

A magician in a top hat walks in, clutching his torso. Apparently his assistant tried to cut him open and he had to retire due to the injury. "But I need the money to pay off my debt," he says, pleading you with his eyes. "Please, don't you have any easy jobs?" You search for something, anything for him, but the only available job is... his old position as a magician. The light leaves his eyes as he accepts his job, staggering away from the Guild counter. You watch his back fad away with a feeling of sympathy and regret, his fate reminding you of [[your own.->The end]]

"I, The Great Wizard of The End, Malthezorre, can only accept the best of the best, the hardest of the hardest, the most justifiable of justified, and the most villainous of evil requests that you have!" A man with dark hair covering one eye poses dramatically in front of the counter, somehow finding a new way to pose himself after every clause. You start cringing away from this man, his antics reminding you too much of your middle school self. "Answer me, dear receptionist! Do you not hear The Calling of The Apocalypse?" Malthezorre leans in uncomfortably close in his excitement. Your hand moves on instinct, grabbing the lemon from your tea and squeezing it in his eyes. [[You're fired on the spot.->The end]]

You look up to see... you. You wouldn't mistake that face anywhere! You recognize it from examining it in the mirror every day. You must have travelled back in time or something. You recognize this moment as the one where you first entered the Guild. But now, you're on the other side of the counter. Maybe you can stop yourself from making a horrible mistake. Maybe you can stop yourself from falling into the Guild's hands. [[Stop yourself]] [[Do nothing->Someone who looks like a newbie]]

[[Did you really think that would work?->The end]] [[Did you really you could free yourself from us?->The end]] [[Debt is inevitable.->The end]] [[The Guild is unstoppable.->The end]] [[You should just give up now.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]] [[Give up.->The end]]