SS(S)S - Stay focused

You’re in cleanly and you have the first-floor layout. Pranks are tempting, but not what you came for. You’re here to figure out what that was about at the con between Sal and Athena.

The answers have to be upstairs. Athena gave something to Sal. That item as well as Sal’s devices should be up there. Getting to them could be tricky, but there’s only one way to find out. You take a deep breath for courage, then stand up straight and walk into the hall. You move quietly without looking as though you’re creeping, and climb the stairs trying to project a boldness that you don’t feel. The upper hall goes two ways; lots of bedrooms in either direction. Someone’s in the hall, so you pull back out of sight and wait before moving.

Unfortunately, reality is not very convenient for you. Most of the doors are shut, and you sense that the ones that are open are open because they’re occupied. Everything you do from here carries risk. Trying a doorknob? It’s a gamble. Walking past an open door? That’s a gamble. An American house, unlike a military base in an MGS game, is not full of convenient corners and cover to facilitate sneaking.

Impulsively, creep around and look at everything that you’re able to look at without revealing yourself, but you find nothing interesting or revealing. The doors don’t have nameplates or anything to identify them. Some are decorated, but you don’t which room is Sal’s and you have no convenient way to find out. Huh. This is actually kind of hard.

What would Snake do? Throw an empty magazine as a distraction or neutralize the guards.

Well, you are not about to neutralize anybody. That leaves a distraction.

There’s also patience. Music is playing in one room, but the house is largely quiet. Sal is up here, in one of these rooms. If you can find a good spot and wait, you just have to wait until she goes to the bathroom or goes for a snack. It’s not super exciting, but it can work. But… maybe there’s a better way. A more efficient way.

You pause at one door. This is not the room where you heard the sounds, but those sounds are here: the squeaking of bedsprings and the soft “Yesyesyes,” of a girl underneath her boyfriend. You can rule this room out; Sal didn’t go from just walking into the house to being in the throes of full intercourse in such a short amount of time. Besides, Sal is sexy and confident. She seems like more the type to be on top.

OK. Sal. Sal’s sidekick. This girl getting fucked. That other room with the sounds. The room with the music. There are between 5 and 8 people in the house with you. Most of them are probably CGH girls, but there might also be a boyfriend or two. That could be a muscle girl with a strap-on in there, but a boyfriend seems more likely. It doesn’t matter. It’s not the boyfriends that worry you. Sal has an intimidating, dangerous energy around her. She’s the one you don’t want to be caught by.

You have to find her room and search it.

Create a diversion to draw the occupants of the house out to give yourself an opening?

Or become Meri the costumed ninja ghost and hope that an opening comes your way?