You awake within The Mall of America.
It is the Holiday Season in the United States.
Today is Black Friday.
Your mission: Acquire the most Items and Gifts for your Friends and Family
and
SURVIVE
How do you begin?
[[Gather Resources from Food Court]]
[[Enter the First Department Store]]
(text-colour:black)[You decide the first order of business is to fuel up at the Mall's Food Court.
Before you is a hall of decadent, fatty, luxaries as far as the eye can see.
On either side of the long, stretching hall, are store fronts advertising their greasy wares.
Which do you Approach First?
[[Auntie Ann's]]
[[Rain Forest Cafe]]](text-colour:white)[Pure pandemonium greets you as you enter your first department store.
Shoppers fight tooth and nail for the discounted products being sold.
Products are strewn all over the store, alongside hanging racks and once-bolted down furniture.
How do you make your Approach?
[[Enter the Fray]]
[[Observe and Roam]]
]
(text-colour:black)[You observe a Rainforested themed establishment in the distance.
You approach it and see the cafe near deserted, save for the soul manning the reception.
They are a glassy-eyed, wage slave; as you near they snap to attention, and make forceful eye contact.
"Hi! Do you have a reservation with us today?" They greet in a false warm tone.
[["I do not have a reservation"]]
[[Leave]]]The sight of the wage slave has made you uncomfortable, and you turn to leave from the establishment.
Additionally, you also do not have a reservation, waiting to eat would be a waste on a day like today.
What Next?
[[Enter the First Department Store]]
[[Auntie Ann's]] The false smile painstainkgly adhered to the wage slave twitches, threatening to falter.
"You can't eat here without a reservation, can't you see how busy we are?"
A tumbleweed passes through the abandoned restaurant.
[[Comment on the lack of diners]]
[[Leave]]]
"There's nobody even eating here. You're lying." You utter to the wage slave.
"Oh, would you like to speak to The Manager regarding your complaint?"
[[Yes]]
[[No, Leave]]
(bg:red)[The wage slave turns, not once dropping their saccharine smile, and pulls out a shotgun.
"Say hello to Our Manager."
You are shot in the chest, exploding your innards, killing you instantly
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)].]
(text-colour:black)["No, thank you." You reply to the wage slave, turning away from the eerie establishment.
Do you continue on your quest for grease, or forefeit your current endevor?
[[Auntie Ann's]]
[[Enter the First Department Store]] ]
(text-colour:black)[In the distance you see, haloed by an almost holy light, a giant pretzel.
The smell of salt and hot oil greets you as you approach the pretzel stand.
A few individuals mill around the establishment, muching happily on pretzels and the like.
Before you know you reach the counter, and immediately a steaming pretzel is thrust into your mouth.
"Pretzels are free today! It's a Black Friday miracle!" The Auntie Ann representative chirps happily.
You enjoy your salty pretzel, and continue on your quest.
[[Enter the First Department Store]]](text-colour:white)[You hurtle yourself head first into the Fray of Shoppers.
You thrash, bite, and claw at your fellow shoppers for the goods circulating amongst the hoard.
You manage to wrestle a flatscreen TV, a microwave, and various jeweled accessories.
You are bleeding
How do you proceed?
[[Continue in the Fray]]
[[Pay and Continue to Next Store]]](text-colour:white)[You decide against heading straight into the fray of Shoppers, and instead roam on the sidelines.
Not much of value has been left untouched, but you manage to find a few articles of nice clothing and quality jackets tucked away, likely by another shopper.
The hoard continues raging on, items of high value being violently exchanged amongst the shoppers.
What do you do?
[[Pay and Continue to Next Store]]
[[Enter the Fray]]](bg:red)[You decide what you have acquired is not quite enough, and remain in the hoard.
Your wounds weaken you, losing blood and stamina, and eventually the items you had.
Eventually, you realize you are too weak to even leave the mob of fighting shoppers; and you succumb to exhaustion.
You are trampled to Death.
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)]]
(text-colour:white)[Juggling your items, you push your way to the till, where again chaos has its claws sunk into the fabric of the store.
Customers fight not only with each other but with the cashiers assiting them in making their purchases.
Your cashier appears as if they are on the verge of collapse, nevertheless your items are scanned.
You manage to purchase your secured items, for only $12.49.
You exit the store and continue on.
[[Enter the Second Department Store]]
](text-colour:white)[Clutching your purchased items close to your chest, you enter the next department store.
It is eeriely quiet in the store, save for the ragged breathing of fallen shoppers.
The iron stench of blood fills the air, bright red splotches are splattered throughout the store.
How do you proceed?
[[Approach the fallen Shopper]]
[[Proceed with Caution]]](text-colour:white)[You crouch low to the ground, keen not to become incapacitated as your fellow shoppers have.
You silently shuffle around the store, keeping close to knocked over stands and hiding beside mannequins.
Suddenly, you hear a roar.
[[???]]](text-colour:red)[You decide on approaching one of the fallen shoppers, perhaps they can inform you on what has occurred.
"My friend, my brother in arms, what tradegy has befallen this once spirited establishment?" You whisper to the fallen shopper.
They are situated in a pile of their own blood, it has satured their nearby shopping bag, ravaged by something seemingly inhuman.
"...Run...run...you must abandon this place..."
[[Run]]
[[Stand your Ground]]]The sight of the fallen shopper made you uneasy, now their words fill you with a gripping terror.
You heed their warning, turning and fleeing the department store, then the mall.
You managed to survive Black Friday, with minimal goods in tow.
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)](text-colour:red)[You arise from your kneeling position next to the shopper.
Their words do not inspire fear in you, only a desire to avenge this poor soul.
You scan the deserted store, glaring down the hidden threat.
Suddenly you hear a roar.
[[???]]](text-colour:black)[You turn towards the direction of the roar, and observe a horrible beast.
You have only heard of this creature in myth and legend, never believing it could quite exsist...
A KAREN!!!
"M..MANAGER!!! Where, WHERE is the MANAGERRRRRR!!!" The Karen Bellows out.
She pauses, sniffs the air, then slowly, turns to face you.
You are paralyzed by shock and fear.
[[RUN]]
[[FIGHT]]]](bg:red)[Your instinct of fight or flight kicks in, and you choose the later.
You bolt for the exit, abandoning your purchases.
But...
You are not fast enough.
Within seconds you are within the Karen's grasp, her acrylic claws sinking into your flesh.
You cry out, begging for a mercy that this beast will not bequeath you.
The last thing you see is the Karen, sinking her fangs into your throat, demanding a manager who will not save her.
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)]](text-colour:black)[Your instinct of fight or flight kicks in, and you choose the former.
The spirit of your fellow shoppers fills you with courage to face this beast.
You await as the Karen barrels towards you, frothing at the mouth, and a hoard of purchases in her wake.
How do you take down this formidable beast?
[[Frontal Attack]]
[[Projectile Attack]]](bg:red)[You decide to take the Karen head on as she charges at you.
You brace yourself for impact.
But you could not prepare yourself for the pure force that the Karen wields as she runs into you, tearing you apart.
The Karen huffs at you, a potentially worthy opponent, but you proved to be nothing more than a typical shopper.
You lie on the linoleum, pieces of your body strewn about, bleeding out.
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)]](text-colour:black)[You decide a projectile attack is the best form of action to take, as to slow the beast down.
You hurl your previous purchases at the Karen, those that land incite a howling screech that nearly deafens you; but she slows.
Once she is within range, now limping due to your blows, you have her cornered.
[[Finish Her]]](text-colour:red)[With the one last shopping bag you have, you hit her full force, knocking her down to her knees.
She kneels before you, and you can see the person she once was.
A human, who simply became too entitled, and whose entitlement was unhealthy fostered by those in managerial roles.
A single tear falls from her lead poisoned eyes.
[[Spare her?]]
[[FINISH HER]]](bg:red)[You see past the beast that she is, dropping your shopping bag in shame, shame at would you could've done.
You turn away from her.
Then suddenly you feel a blazing pain in your leg.
You whip your head back and the Karen is sinking her fangs into you.
Your vision fades and soon the floor rises up to meet you as you fall.
The karen stands over you, smiling venomously, her teeth stained red.
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)]](text-colour:red)[Did this beast show mercy to your fellow shoppers?
Did she show mercy to the wage slaves she harrassed?
Mercy to the managers she hurled abuse at?
NO!
You fling your shopping bag one last time, knocking her head clean off.
Her body falters, slowly collapsing, then disintegrating into dust.
[[?]]]]You watch the dust be slowly carried away by the wind.
The fallen shoppers fade away as well.
But those that were hidden and trapped by the Karen pop their heads up from their hiding places.
"Our Savior, you are our savior"
"The Karen Slayer! Karen Slayer"
"Hail the beast slayer!"
Their cries and cheers fill the once dead air.
Suddenly, it is as if the whole mall has appeared at your feet, prostrating before you, worshipping you.
[[...]]For your service to not only the store, the shoppers, but the good of the whole mall, you are rewarded for your efforts all the goods within, and crowned...
KING OF THE MALL
You emerge victorious (and Royal) from the mall, shopping carts laden heavily with goods.
Your Black Friday has been not only sucessful, but bountiful and plentiful; gifts for all your friends and family are guranteed.
=><==
###Game over.
=><=
(link: "Restart") [(reload:)]