Four.

SpoilerShow

Here's my stab at a non-improvised thread. Expect surrealism, mixed media (including low-poly 3D shenanigans!), a vaguely serious tone, and a cute aesthetic. :D

If you've been spoiled for the story because I'm a loudmouth in chat, please keep the speculation in spoiler tags!

ACT 0: The World In-Between

An echo of a memory permeates the void. An island and a door spring into existence, as the World In-Between prepares to accommodate a trespasser.



You have been chosen to assist her. Lucky you! Listen closely, now: What do her memories whisper?




My name is ­■■■■■ ■■. I'm 11 years old.
My favorite color is ____ and my favorite subject is ____.

Last week, my parents took me and my best friend, ____, to the movies.
No-one believes me—not even my parents—but something strange happened
in the theater that day...

My name is ­■■■■■ ■■. I'm 11 years old.
My favorite color is SKY BLUE and my favorite subject is HISTORY.

Last week, my parents took me and my best friend, JACKIE, to the movies.
No-one believes me—not even my parents—but something strange happened
in the theater that day...

My name is ­■■■■■ ■■. I'm 11 years old.
My favorite color is orange and my favorite subject is language arts.

Last week, my parents took me and my best friend, Sam, to the movies.
No-one believes me—not even my parents—but something strange happened
in the theater that day...

My name is ­Timathew Q. Zorg. I'm 11 years old.
My favorite color is grey and my favorite subject is bureaucracy.

Last week, my parents took me and my best friend, Spork the magical mango, to the movies.
No-one believes me—not even my parents—but something strange happened
in the theater that day...

My name is ­■■■■■ ■■. I'm 11 years old.
My favorite color is Red and my favorite subject is Math.

Last week, my parents took me and my best friend,Axle, to the movies.
No-one believes me—not even my parents—but something strange happened
in the theater that day...

>Orange
>Language Arts
>Jackie

As our heroine's soul approaches, the echoes scramble. An orange glow bleeds into the world.

Slowly, slowly, the door swings open.



Ah. There she is.

Let's leave you two alone.

>_

>"yo, howz life gurl"

>Immediately ask to borrow some money.

" H e l l o - h u m a n o i d - c r e a t u r e . "
" P l e a s e - i d e n t i f y - y o u r s e l f - f o r - t h e - d i r e c t o r y - o f - s t o r i e s . "

> Our customer service line is 12-188-188-19987. Hours are available every third Citadel and forth Bell.

>Arrest the trespasser

>I don't suppose you have any idea why you're here at this moment?

" H e l l o - h u m a n o i d - c r e a t u r e . "
" P l e a s e - i d e n t i f y - y o u r s e l f - f o r - t h e - d i r e c t o r y - o f - s t o r i e s . "

GIRL
"It's Aubrey again."
"...Finally."

>"yo, howz life gurl"
>Immediately ask to borrow some money.

AUBREY
"Is this a joke?"

>I don't suppose you have any idea why you're here at this moment?

AUBREY
"I'm looking for someone."
"Don't worry, this isn't my first time 'visiting' the In-Between."
"It's been a long time, but I already know how the guide-visitor
relationship works."



Aubrey has welcomed you into her mind. You're now privy
to her Health Bar and the contents of her Inventory.

You can view the world through both this third-person view and Aubrey's eyes.
Simply enter the <SWITCH CAMERA> command to swap between them. When examining
an item from the Inventory, you will automatically do so from Aubrey's POV.

AUBREY
"What should I call you?"

>_

>Call us Council. An appropriate enough name.

>No.

>I'm not saying you shouldn't call us something, I'm saying to call us No.

" [NOH] - I s - a - t y p e - o f - t h e a t e r , - i s - i t - n o t ? "
" W e - s e c o n d - t h e - n a m e - o f - [COUNCIL] . "
" W e l c o m e - b a c k - U s e r - A u b r e y . "
" H o w - c a n - w e - b e - o f - a s s i s t a n c e ? "

>Full title Please. The Over-Council of Ostentatious Hats, Shoes, and Sundries.

>Dave

>Call us Council. An appropriate enough name.

>No.

>I'm not saying you shouldn't call us something, I'm saying to call us No.

" [NOH] - I s - a - t y p e - o f - t h e a t e r , - i s - i t - n o t ? "
" W e - s e c o n d - t h e - n a m e - o f - [COUNCIL] . "

>Full title Please. The Over-Council of Ostentatious Hats, Shoes, and Sundries.

AUBREY
"... ... ... ..."

Aubrey gives you a moment to sort yourselves out.

AUBREY
"I'd heard of collective guides being conflicted,
but I didn't realize to what extent they were..."

AUBREY
"'Council' it is. There's no way I'll remember,
uh, whatever your full title was."

" W e l c o m e - b a c k - U s e r - A u b r e y . "
" H o w - c a n - w e - b e - o f - a s s i s t a n c e ? "

AUBREY
"I need your WILL."

AUBREY
"The last time I was here... it wasn't voluntary, and I never would
have escaped without my last guide's support."

She's quiet for a moment.

AUBREY
"The In-Between's strange about autonomy. We visitors may interact
with the world, but we're weaker than children unless we borrow a guide's WILL."

AUBREY
"On the other hand... for as powerful as your kind are, you can't physically
affect anyone or anything without a visitor as your proxy. No-one but me
should be able to hear you."

AUBREY
"Council..."
"I'm literally asking you to lend me your strength."
"Beyond walking and talking, I can't do much for
myself in this world. I'm defenseless."



Aubrey closes her eyes. The void shudders. Three doors blink into being around her.

AUBREY
"Pick one. The person I'm looking for's somewhere in this world. It doesn't matter where we start."

>Blue, to match your Nudity Obscurers and Light Devouring Look Orbs Garments and Eyes

>Our will? I trust you have the appropriate documentation for such a transaction.
>The blue door seems like a lucky choice. I'm sure some culture out there says blue is lucky.

" ＲＥＡＬＩＧＮＩＮＧ ＵＮＩＴ ＰＡＲＡＭＥＴＥＲＳ : Ｔｈｉｓ ｕｎｉｔ ａｇｒｅｅｓ ｔｏ ｌｅｎｄ ｙｏｕ ｉｔ'ｓ 'ＳＴＲＥＮＧＴＨ' ａｎｄ 'ＷＩＬＬ'. Ｄｏ ｙｏｕ ｒｅｑｕｉｒｅ ａ ｔｏｋｅｎ ｂａｄｇｅ ｆｒｏｍ ｕｓ ｔｏ ｍａｋｅ ｕｓｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｉｓ ｐｏｗｅｒ? Ａｌｓｏ ｔｈｉｓ ｕｎｉｔ ｓｅｅｓ ｎｏ ｒｅａｓｏｎ ｎｏｔ ｔｏ ａｇｒｅｅ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ Ｍｉｄｄｌｅ Ｄｏｏｒ. Ｕｎｔｉｌ ｆｕｒｔｈｅｒ ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ ｉｓ ｐｒｏｖｉｄｅｄ, ａｌｌ ｔｈｒｅｅ ｄｏｏｒｓ ｍａｙ ａｓ ｗｅｌｌ ｂｅ ｔｈｅ ｓａｍｅ ｃｏｌｏｒ ｔｏ ｕｓ. "

"Blue shall be the door of choosing. To that place we deposit ourselves."

>Eeny, meeny, miny, mame,
Catch a door by the frame.
If it's wrong, you've us to blame!
My guide says to pick the very best one,
so go through Y...O...Blue!

Off to a good start, we all actually agree on something.

Blue is a nice color.