yogen | have you got a friend who'll stay?

[ It was then that Turing realized there was a very real possibility that Stephanie would go on her own if they didn't go with her. Uh oh. ]

Okay, but will it really be fun...?

Of course it will! Haven't you ever been to an amusement park? It's just like a roller coaster. [she has never actually been to an amusement park.

when they get to the elevator and the door opens, she gestures.] After you!

No, actually... [ Though that was because Hayden was a no fun-haver and wouldn't let them outside!!

Turing gave a nod in response, steeled themselves, and almost tiptoed inside. ]

Shall we try the buttons for each floor of the school first?

[looks at them.

looks at the big shiny red button.

looks back.]

Sure! Pick whichever ones you want. [she did promise.]

... [ Turing did have some skill at reading the room (the "R" in ROM didn't stand for "Relationship" for nothing, after all), so they pointed at the red button. ]

This one, then?

[ And then they pressed it--! ]

[and then stephanie and turing both fucking died.

no, they don't. but, as the floor drops beneath her and her stomach goes right along with it, her first thought is definitely that she's going to die, which is a great thought to have blaring in your head for a full minute.

she bangs her shin on the ground when it stops, and that pain should be enough to answer her question, but she asks it out loud anyway.]

... Are we dead?

[ RIP, the elevator gets two tally marks

Turing did not deal with the fall well at all. It was essentially a minute of internal screaming at themselves about how if Stephanie died, it would be all their fault. They didn't have to press the button. They could have just chosen to press the buttons for the other floors. It was their fault. Their fault. Their fault!

That also meant their reaction to Stephanie's words wasn't good. ]

What?! Do you really think we...d-died just now?

I don't know! That's why I asked!

[she sits up, shaking her head.]

... Try doing something only a ghost could do.

Something only a ghost could do...?

[ Uh, what could ghosts do? Their knowledge of pop culture was woefully inadequate, and supernatural stuff wasn't really something they kept on their personal memory. Eventually (thought their "eventually" was only a long time from a computer's point of view) they went to the large doors and made an unsuccessful attempt to put their hand through it. ]

Do ghosts have to learn how to be ghosts?

... I... don't know. There aren't ghost schools, are there?

[pause]

No, there aren't ghost schools. It doesn't look like we're ghosts, then.

Whew...

[ Turing slumped forward as all that pent-up stress left their body all at once. ]

I thought that because I pressed the button, you were... [ Saying the rest of it felt like tempting fate. ]

[she leans over and gives them a little head pat.]

Don't worry about it. I bounce.

[she pauses, looking around at the elevator.]

I wonder why that button made it do that. Why would you have a "drop out of nowhere" button in the first place?

[ The head pat seemed to settle them down, despite the fingerprints that were now on the top of their head. ]

I would like to know the answer to that question as well... I wonder if that also means the school has a multitude of hidden basement floors?

Is it even possible? I mean, I know people that live under the ground, but you can only go down so far...

[she glances at the door]

... Wonder what's on this floor.

[ Turing nervously glanced at the elevator doors. Whatever was out there would have to be investigated sooner or later, so that was a very important question. ]

You...want to go look?

[ Of course, knowing something should be done and actually wanting to do it were two very different things. ]

Anything that's behind a big red button has to be really important. [nods decisively

and then looks on expectantly for them to press the button to open the door.]

[ Oh boy. They could just pull a fast one and press one of the buttons for the upper floors, but there was also nothing stopping Stephanie from going right back down here again. ]

I don't disagree, but it could be dangerous, so please be careful...

[ They looked back at her one more time as if to say "you're really sure about this, right??" before finally pressing the button. ]

have you got a friend who'll stay?

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