London

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/BrazenHead.jpg"/>\n\nFinally you enter the Brazen Head, feeling conspicuous with your giant jug of petrol, but glad that you'll be able to get it off your hands. There are only a few people inside; a couple near the window who seem lost in each others' eyes, and a bloke in a leather jacket who's buried in a book. The man behind the counter blinks and then looks you up and down. "We don't serve that here," he says, obviously thinking himself clever.\n\nYou roll your eyes, set the jerrycan down at your feet and brush your hands on your jeans. "Actually I was just told to drop it off here."\n\nThe bartender frowns. "Got a name? I didn't order any petrol." You shrug.\n\n"I'm just the delivery person. I don't poke my nose in unless I'm asked to. Just told to drop it off at the pub near the bookstore down the street. This one's closest. Hey!" You cut yourself off to shout at the man in the leather jacket, who stood and tucked his book under his arm while you were speaking and is now picking up the petrol.\n\n"It's enough," he says, hefting it, and you frown before he looks at you with a grin, and you notice the scar crossing his face. You don't realise you're staring until he raises an eyebrow and says cheekily, "Don't tell me you've changed your mind."\n\n"Sorry?" you reply stupidly, and his eyes narrow as his face goes hard.\n\n"About poking your nose in when you're not asked to."\n\nYour hands make fists, and you force them to relax. That was a threat if you'd ever heard one, and you wonder who, exactly, this man is, before replying, "Nothing of the sort, but if you're the one that's meant for, surely you'd know who told me to get it." You mean to simply ask the question, but it comes out like a challenge. For a split second you worry about having pissed him off as his eyes narrow further, and you have the very distinct feeling that could be compared to staring down a jungle cat in the zoo. But then his face lightens and he slaps you on the back, nearly knocking you over.\n\n"Not bad. Don't poke your nose in but check you aren't being duped, is that it? The bloke's Ricardo," he says, and you smile, relieved, wondering what you would have done if he'd said the wrong name, or refused to answer. \n\n"We're good then. Will you be confirming this with Ricardo, so he knows I haven't scammed him?" you ask, and the man shrugs as he heaves the petrol into a better carrying position. \n\n"Sure," he says, and then looks at you again, giving you that creeping feeling before stalking out of the pub. You glance at the bartender, who seems to be very studiously scrubbing at a glass, ignoring you completely, quite unlike the friendliness of a moment ago, before leaving the pub yourself. You can't help but wonder who your real boss is. <<set $mission to "R1">>\n\n[[Go back to Ricardo?|Ricardo 3]] or [[Leave and don't come back. You don't trust these guys.|Walk Away 2]]<<endif>>

You end up travelling with the map Angelo provided only to knock on a very familiar door, with a very familiar knocker.\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/door.jpg"/>\s\n\n\nThe door is answered by a very familiar face. \n\n<<if $MHlist eq "yes">>\s\n"Oh, why are you back? Did something go wrong?" Mrs. Hudson asks you when she opens the door.\n\n"Oh! No, sorry. I got distracted. Still working on it," you reply. Man, this is awkward. \n\n"Oh, well, it's fine," Mrs. Hudson answers. \n\n"Right, I'll just... be off, then," you reply, and she closes the door as you decend the steps. \n\nMaybe if you go back a few steps you can figure this out?\n<<else>>\s\n<<if $knowHudson eq "yes">>\s\n"Oh, it's you again, dear! I'm still needing a couple of things, did you find a way to help, then?" Mrs. Hudson bustles sweetly after seeing you on the doorstep.\n\nYou shrug. "Is that all right?"\n<<else>>\s\nYou freeze when you're greeted by none other than Mrs. Hudson, who is already smiling kindly at you. "Oh, now, are you here for Sherlock, then?" she flutters, and you shake your head quickly.\n\n"Actually, I'm here because Angelo said you might need someone to help with some errands?" you say tenatively, and her face lights up as she clasps her hands.\n\n"Oh, lovely! I'm Mrs. Hudson. Just let me get my glasses."\n\n"They're hooked to your blouse," you offer with a smile. \n\n<<endif>>\s\n\n<<endif>>\s\n[[Maybe this will work out.|Get the List]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>You're lugging the petrol down the street, and your arms are exhausted. <<AlleyBit>>\n\n<<if $pounds >= 10>> \n[[Hand him a couple quid and get out of here!|Dropoff]]<<endif>>\n[["Sorry, mate, haven't got anything for you."|FightR]]<<endif>>

\n<<WalkAwayBit>>\s\n\nDo you walk all day?\n\n[[Yes|Sleep]] or [[No|Bump into Someone]]\n

You slide your card through the ATM, wondering if it will work like your phone and you'll have unlimited money. That would be nice.\n\nInstead, it beeps an error message at you and you frown. Darn. Still, it seems that you're now in possession of a worthless piece of plastic. Not nearly as nice as unlimited money, but you always did have a weakness for Rupert Graves' face.\n\nTime to put a worthless piece of plastic to good use. \n<<set $knowLestrade = "yes">>\nYou head over to where Lestrade is still swearing over his bike. "Um," you say hesitantly, "This doesn't work anymore - would it help?" \n\nLooking up and seeing the card, Lestrade's face lights up. "You sure? I don't wanna use it if it's not broken."\n\nYou shake your head. "No, the account is... closed."\n\nLuckily for you, Lestrade doesn't notice the break in your speech and he takes the card eagerly. <<set $creditcard -= 1>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/ASDA.jpg"/>\n\nASDA. It should have everything, right? It's basically the everyman store for everything one could need. You pop in to get the basics. They haven't got cribs, but they have baby baskets and that should work fine, right? The pram and bottles are easily found; the only problem is the nappy table, but you talk to a fellow and managed to order a decent dresser/table that will arrive in a week, and you get a changing bag. \n\n[[There you go, then. All set.|Back to 221b.]]<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <<if visited ("Grading")>>When you knock on the door to 221 Baker Street, you are unsurprised to see Mrs. Hudson answering it, while a horrific screeching noise comes from somewhere behind her.\n\n"Oh, hullo. Are you one of Sherlock's people now, then?" she asks, and once again you marvel at the strange wonder that is Mrs. Hudson, who is somehow totally used to dirty, strange, odd persons showing up on her doorstep.\n\nYou grin at her. "I guess so," you reply happily, and she smiles back. \n\n"Well, come in, then, and just pop upstairs. He's in, so if he doesn't answer just you walk right in, he won't answer knocking if he's busy."\n\nYou nod, and climb the stairs to find that Sherlock is sitting on the sofa, facing the wall and sawing at his violin, eyes unfocussed. You take a couple steps into the room and tilt your head to peer at his pupils, wondering if he's got himself high on something.\n\n"No, I'm not currently influenced by anything other than reality," Sherlock drawls, and you jump about two feet in the air before blushing bright red. He turns to look at you, setting his violin aside. "But I haven't got anything for you. <<endif>>\n\nYou're hoping you won't be forced to leave when you both hear footsteps on the stairs, and to your surprise, Sherlock gets up in a rush, pushing piles this way and that on the desk and pulling everything off of the red chair by the fireplace. John's chair. You move out of the way of the doorway, correctly deducing that it must be John's footsteps you've heard - only then you remember that you're not meant to know John yet, and put on a bland and unassuming face. \n\nJohn climbs the last couple of stairs and enters the room, just in time to see Sherlock flopping himself down on his own seat and looking up at him expectantly. "Oh, hullo John," he says, as if he hadn't expected him at all, and definitely hadn't been rushing around just a few seconds before to tidy up. You almost smile but manage to hold it in.\n\n"Hullo," says John, nodding to Sherlock, before he notices you. "Oh. Sorry. Client?" he asks, and you shake your head.\n\n"Unfortunately not," Sherlock says, before you can open your mouth to reply. "A network applicant."\n\n"Oh! You're going to work for Sherlock, then?" John says, turning to you. "We'll probably see a bit of each other. I'm John Watson, by the way." He sticks out a hand.\n\n"Doctor, Doctor John Watson," Sherlock adds, and you shake his hand as you smile politely.\n\n"It's nice to meet you, Doctor Watson. I'm <<$name>>," you reply, and John smiles.\n\n"John is fine," he tells you, then turns to Sherlock. "Haven't you got anything on?"\n\n"I wish," Sherlock says, and groans and flops his head back on the chair. "I had a case yesterday, barely a three, and then it was no good anyway because of the fire." He lifts his head to look at John. "Did you see the papers?"\n\n"The... fire near Bell Street. Yeah, I saw it. That was connected to your case?" John asks, and Sherlock shrugs.\n\n"Was, is the key word, I think," he says, and you tentatively interrupt.\n\n"Um," you say, and both sets of eyes turn to you, one warm grey and the other flashing silver, and you can't help but swallow. "Ah, if the bank burned down, couldn't it mean that the case is, er, actually bigger than you thought? Getting rid of evidence, or something? I mean, they said arson was suspected, right?"\n\nSherlock's eyes narrow as John's flicker over to watch the detective's face. He's frowning intently at you. "The embezzlement was hardly worth burning a bank over," he says, and then quickly turns away and grabs his phone off the desk. "I should ask Lestrade if they were connected to anything else, and tell him to look into the employees..." he trails off as his fingers fly over the touchscreen. \n\nJohn rolls his head back with a sigh. "Oh thank god. For a moment there, I thought I was really going to have to do the shopping."\n\n"Shopping? Shopping for what?" Sherlock says quickly, eyes lifting from the phone. \n\n"Mary wants a bunch of baby stuff," John groans, "and she wants me to get it, and I hate baby stores. They're always filled with cooing women who want to fuss over a new father-to-be."\n\nSherlock snorts. "Sounds terrible. Have you got a list?"\n\n"Yeah," John says, rummaging in a pocket. "Here." He hands Sherlock a scrap of paper. \n\n"Here," Sherlock says immediately, turning to you and thrusting the paper at you. You take it confusedly. "You can do that for us, can't you? I'm certain you won't mind. Here, take this card." He hands you a credit card as well, and then turns back to his phone. "Lestrade says there's nothing wrong with the employee's background checks, but we're free to come down to NSY to take a look. He always misses something." He grabs John's shoulders and turns him toward the door, then grabs his coat and marches out himself, leaving you standing in the sitting room of 221B, holding a list and a card. You look at the list. <<set $bbylist to "yes">> <<set $creditcard to "1">> <<set $work to "Sherlock">>[[Apparently you have something to do with your day.|Baby Shopping1]]\n\n[[Screw this, I'm not shopping for baby stuff.|ToRicardo4]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n<<PubBit>>\n[[Well, it'll do.|Hired]]\n<<set $knowRicardo to "yes">><<endif>>

((Sometimes the little choices you make can have big effects on the game in future. Watch your step, and don't be afraid to play more than once!)) \n\nTesco Express is actually right on Baker Street, so you swing by quickly. It's a cute little place and you duck inside. \n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Tesco.jpeg"/>\nHave you been to a Tesco before?\n[[Yes, of course!|Getchostuff]] or [[No, this is new|Search a bit]]

<h1>Sorry!</h1> \n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Kent.jpg"/>\n\nKent and Son's Butchers, while close to Baker Street, is a full 22 minutes away. There's gotta be someplace closer!\n\n[[Back to Google!|Butcher]]\n\n<<set $Kent = "yes">>

<<if $work is "Sherlock">> <img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/PhoneDead.jpg"/> <<endif>>\n<<if $charger eq "yes">><<$work>> is irate. "Why are you back? Oh, your phone is dead."\n\nYou wince. "Sorry. I must have forgotten to charge it."\n\n"Have you really got the intelligence of an ant? No, ants can communicate with fellow ants, whereas you seem to have forgotten how to do even that," <<$work>> says, and huffs. "[[Charge it up.|passage()][$batt = 10]] And don't forget again!" [[Back to quest!|previous()]]\n<<else>>\n<<$work>> is irate. "Why are you back? Oh, your phone is dead."\n\nYou wince. "Sorry. I haven't got a charger."\n\n"Right," <<$work>> says, and rummages across the desk... and then looks through the drawer of the side table near a chair... and then finally seems to find what he's looking for behind a pinned butterfly in a frame on the bookcase. "Here," he says, tossing it to you. It's a phone charger, one of the universal ones with multiple ports. "That ought to do. Now an important thing is: [[don't let your battery run out.|Battery Info]] I may need to get ahold of you at any time. Is that clear?"\n\nYou nod, hoping you will be able to find enough ports to charge it at, but <<$work>> answers the question before you can voice it. "Oh, there's always plugs at public places, cafes, the library... you'll be fine," he says, and you hope he's right.\n<<set $batt = 10>>\n<<set $charger = "yes">>\n"Now, then," he says, and you [[get back to work.|previous()]]<<endif>>\n\n<<set $hints to 0>>\n

\n"I nearly forgot," Mrs. Hudson says, and goes over to her purse on the side counter, rummaging through it for a moment. "Just a little something for doing the errands."\n\n"Are you sure?" you ask. It seems like an awful lot.\n\n"Of course! You earned it, after all," she says, and you smile.\n\n"Thanks," you reply, and pocket the cash.\n\nEQUIP:\n+20 pounds\n<<set $pounds += 20>>

"Oh, yes, dear! I'd be ever so grateful for the help. Here, then, just let me get the list," she says, rustling through her purse. "Here's a bit of cash and my list. Don't worry if you can't get everything today, all right?"\n\n[["Thanks. I'll do my best," you promise.|Hudson's Errand 1]]\n\nEquip: \n+1 list\n\n<<set $MHlist = "yes">>\s\n<<set $knowHudson = "yes">>\s

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> Mrs. Hudson huddles against your back, shuddering a bit and peeking over your shoulder, as the new man takes his time. You look him over while you wait. <<if $mission eq "R1">> It's that guy from the pub, the one with the scar. <<else>> He's got a long scar across his face, and his eyes are flashing dangerously as his hands carress the gun in his hand. <<endif>>\n\nYou're shoved forward. "We didn't find it," gunman says, "but we found these two. They might know where it went."\n\nScarface looks you both over contemplatively, then lifts the firearm in his hand and does something with his thumb before the gunman falls to the ground. Safety, you think hysterically, as Mrs. Hudson inches to your other side to avoid the seeping red creeping across the floor. \n\n<<if $mission eq "R1">> Scarface looks you over. "I know you," he says. "You brought the petrol yesterday."\n\nYou shrug. "Lots of good that's done me today," you tell him. "Get a few quid and the next day you get shot." You can't believe you're talking like this to a man who's probably gonna kill you. Apparently, when you're scared enough, it doesn't even matter anymore. \n\n"Yeah, well, you work for the wrong sort, you end up in all kinds of trouble," scarface says. You make a face. \n\n"Apparently," you reply, then fall silent, as scarface has decided to ignore you now, as he's watching the thug who got Mrs. Hudson. The man's trembling like a leaf, and you realise that your first impression of scarface was spot on: dangerous. <<endif>>\n\n"Joe," he says, and Joe straightens up and tries to stop shaking, but his chin is wobbling a little and it ruins the effect. "Joe, did you approve of taking hostages?"\n\n"No, sir!" Joe says quickly, and scarface nods. \n\n"Well, then, Joe, why do I have them? Not just one, mind you, but two. And one is the friend of the boss's pet."\n\nYou hadn't thought Joe could get much paler, but he now has. \n\n"Do we mess with the boss's pet?" scarface says calmly, and Joe shudders.\n\n"No," he says, and scarface nods carefully.\n\n"So tell me something, why was anyone going anywhere near the boss's pet's place in the first place? Who, on earth, could possibly be stupid enough to do such a thing?"\n\nJoe's face has gone from pale to slightly purple. "Well, the box was in there, sir."\n\n"Do you think a single man needs a crib?" scarface asks. "The boss's pet, he may be a peculiar sort, but he's hardly the sort to have a child. No, dumbass," he says quickly, stepping forward and quite suddenly right in Joe's face, holding onto his collar. "The crib was for someone else. All you two morons had to do was wait for them to move it. Or, even better, tell me what you were planning. Instead, I got to hear it all from Deceased McDeader over here." He gestures with the gun toward the deliveryman's corpse, practically snarling at poor Joe, and you think maybe this might have been what Joe meant when he said the tiger was going to kill them. But then the expression wipes off his face, and he steps back and smooths out Joe's shirt. \n\n"Right, then," he says calmly. "What did we learn today, Joe?"\n\n"Not to enter the boss's pet's home, sir," Joe says, eyes wide, still shaking. \n\n"And...?" scarface prompts, and Joe blinks rapidly for a second before replying.\n\n"And to tell you where we're going and what we're doing, sir, at all times, sir!"\n\n"Well done, Joe. Very smart of you. It'll be even smarter if you follow those rules in future. Now, off you pop," scarface says, and gestures with the firearm, and Joe practically sprints down the aisle of the warehouse to [[get away. | Not dead?]] <<endif>>

<<if $butcher eq "yes">> Lugging around this cooler is getting old, and you're exhausted, but you've finally found everything! <<else>> It took a while, and you'd swear you went down the tea aisle like five times and never saw the PG Tips, but you've finally found it all. <<endif>>\n\nEQUIP:\n1 box of PG Tips\n10 Carrots\n1 Carton of Eggs\n<<set $tips = "yes">>\n<<set $carrots = "yes">>\n<<set $eggs = "yes">>\n<<set $tescos = "yes">>\n\n[[Back to the List!|Hudson's Errand 1]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You're trudging down yet another grey street when your shoulder bumps someone walking the other direction.\n\nWhat do you say?\n\n[["Sorry! Sorry!"|Hudson on the street]] or [["Watch where you're going!"|RicardoBump]]\n<<endif>>\n

<<if $pub eq "The Brazen Head">>[[Well, don't just stand there, get going!|Brazen Head]]\n<<else>> [[No, please try again!|Burning]]\n<<endif>>

You explain the situation to Lestrade as best you can, and he frowns consideringly. "Well, you still shouldn't have done it," he says. <<if $metSherlock is "yes">> [[STORYLINE COMING SOON|Lestrade's Case 1]] <<else>> "Still, I think I have an idea. There's a fellow you ought to meet. Come with me over to Baker Street."\n\n[[It's better than getting arrested.|Sherlock]] <<endif>>

You walk away, looking over the list. Mrs. Hudson must be really used to Sherlock's strangeness already, because there are things on here that would get most people sent straight to New Scotland Yard. \n\nThe list reads as follows:\n\n<<if $kidneys eq "yes">><strike>Two sheep's kidneys (unpreserved)</strike><<else>>Two sheep's kidneys (unpreserved)<<endif>>\n<<if $cowsh eq "yes">><strike>One cow's heart (preserved)</strike><<else>>One cow's heart (preserved)<<endif>>\n<<if $tips eq "yes">><strike>PG Tips</strike><<else>>PG Tips<<endif>>\n<strike>Petrol</strike> I am not getting you combustives to blow up my flats, Sherlock Holmes! \n<<if $petrol eq "yes">><big><strike><h1> Petrol </h1></strike></big><<else>><big>Petrol</big><<endif>>\n<<if $carrots eq "yes">><strike>Carrots</strike><<else>>Carrots<<endif>>\n<<if $brisket eq "yes">><strike>Beef brisket</strike><<else>>Beef brisket<<endif>>\n<<if $eggs eq "yes">><strike>Eggs</strike><<else>>Eggs<<endif>>\n\nWhere do you want to go?\n\n<<if $butcher eq "yes">> <strike> Butcher </strike> <<else>> [[Butcher|Butcher]] ((Choosing Butcher first is recommended for first time players.))<<endif>>\n<<if $tescos eq "yes">> <strike> Tesco's </strike> <<else>> [[Tesco's|Tesco's]] <<endif>>\n<<if $petrol eq "yes">> <strike> Petrol station </strike> <<else>> [[Petrol station|Petrol]] <<endif>>\n\n<<if $butcher eq "yes" and $tescos eq "yes" and $petrol eq "yes">> Well done, you have everything! [[Back to Mrs. Hudson!|Completed Errand]] <<endif>>\n\n\n

<<DAMMIT>> <<if $batt gte 1>>When you knock on the door to 221 Baker Street, you are unsurprised to see Mrs. Hudson answering it, while a horrific screeching noise comes from somewhere behind her.\n\n"Oh, hullo. Are you one of Sherlock's people<<if visited("Sherlock")>> now<<endif>>, then?" she asks, and once again you marvel at the strange wonder that is Mrs. Hudson, who is somehow totally used to dirty, strange, odd persons showing up on her doorstep. \n\nYou shrug. "I'm hoping to be," you tell her, and she smiles. \n\n"Well, come in, then, and just pop upstairs. He's in, so if he doesn't answer just you walk right in, he won't answer knocking if he's busy."\n\nYou nod, and climb the stairs to find that Sherlock is sitting on the sofa, facing the wall and sawing at his violin, eyes unfocussed. You take a couple steps into the room and tilt your head to peer at his pupils, wondering if he's got himself high on something. \n\n"No, I'm not currently influenced by anything other than reality," Sherlock drawls, and you jump about two feet in the air before blushing bright red. He turns to look at you, setting his violin aside. <<if visited("Sherlock")>> "You're back, then. Decided to try a job?" \n\nYou nod, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. "If it's still available," you reply, and he nods. \n\n[["Of course." |Meet John]] <<else>>\n\n"You're not a client," he finally says, and you purse your lips.\n\n"Yeah, I'm not," you say awkwardly, shoving your hands in your pockets. "I heard you have a network or something."\n\nSherlock's head tilts back in recognition. "Ahh. Yes, the homeless network." He claps his hands as he stands up and paces over to you. "You've got a phone and charger?"\n\nYou nod, and he frowns at you. [["I'm not certain I have anything on at the moment."|Meet John]] <<endif>>\n\n <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"<<print $name>>? Really? What were your parents thinking?" Sherlock says, and you raise an eyebrow. After all, his name is Sherlock. He just rolls his eyes at you and then claps his hands together and continues. "Anyway, <<print $name>>, it just so happens that you can get get started right away. I've just been given a case by a fellow named Mortinson who believes there's something fishy going on at the small branch of the bank he works at. It's not terribly interesting, but my brother will be really annoyed if I take it, so of course we're going to."\n\n"We?" you ask, and Sherlock nods.\n\n"It's barely a three," he scoffs, "Mrs. Hudson could solve it. It's less difficult than her errands. I'll do the thinking and you do the legwork. Now then, here's the address. Look around the neighbourhood and ask around. You'll be sure to find some information."\n\nHe hands you the address, and you barely get the chance to glance it over before he's ushering you back out the door. [["Now then, off you pop!"|Neighbourhood]] <<endif>>\n

"First of all - actually," Sherlock stops himself, "First of all, what's your name? I can't just keep calling you 'Street Person'. Well, I could, but if I kept calling you that Mrs. Hudson would scold me, and then she would tell John, and then John would make a fuss, and then my brother would get involved... Never mind. Your name, then?"\n\nYou don't feel like going by your real name here. What if another you exists in this universe? You wouldn't want to make trouble for them. You make up a name, quickly.\n\n[[Choose a name|Name]]\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>You clear your throat. "Um, aside from 'why are you attempting to crack my phone' and 'doesn't anybody care about the box of guns that's still in the centre of the room', I really haven't got much to say for myself. Though," you suddenly realise, and hold you hand out, "If you'd give me my phone."\n\nSherlock, who's been fiddling with it, hands it over with narrowed eyes, and you quickly put in your passcode, unlocking the phone and handing it to Mycroft, who raises an eyebrow. \n\n"Mind you," you tell him, "I want a replacement if you decide to keep it, with all my photos and such."\n\n"And how am I to know that you didn't just use a code that erased all unwanted data?" he asks you, and you put your head in your hands.\n\n"No idea," you mutter to yourself. "But I'd probably have thought of that if I were some sort of superspy. Which I obviously haven't got the brains to be."\n\n"<<$name>> does have a point, though," Sherlock butts in, and Mycroft looks up, annoyed. "We do have a box of guns in our midst," Sherlock points, "And we should probably do something about it."\n\n"Well, your first clue is obvious, surely, from the cypher?" Mycroft says, and then nods to Anthea, who leaves without a word. "I'll get a phone to you within the hour. Do be careful with yourselves," he says, supposedly to you and Mrs. Hudson, but Mrs. Hudson is quite asleep now, and you know it's meant as a warning to you. You watch as he descends the stairs, and then look at the box. <<set $agent += 2>><<set $phone to "no">>\n\n"There's a cypher?" you ask, and Sherlock flops down next to the box, not even looking at you.\n\n"Apparently," John says, and rolls his eyes with you as you both sip from your tea and make identical faces at the chilly liquid, then [[turn to look at the box.|Encrypted]] <<endif>>\n

<<set $e to 0; $a to 0; $m to 0>>\n[[Try again!|previous()]]

<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Ricardo.jpg"/>\nHe was probably handsome once, you suppose, but now his eyes are sunken and wide, and his teeth are mangled and crooked. There's a roughness about him that prickles at your skin. You don't trust him, not at all, even when he's smiling.

You look over to see a very recognizable head of silver hair bent over a motorbike. DI Gregory Lestrade is scrubbing at one of the fenders and cursing out loud a bit. \n "Bloody... fucking... nutters," you hear him mutter as he scrubs. "Bloody hooligans taking things out on my bike." \n "You wanna borrow my window scraper, mate? Might be able to get that mess off," offers a well-meaning man nearby, but the DI shakes his head with a grimace. \n "Naw, it'd scratch up the paint," he sighs. "Thanks, though. Need something plastic."

<<ATMBit>>\n\n<<if $butcher eq "yes" and $tescos eq "yes" and $petrol eq "yes">> "Brilliant, thanks. You mind fetching me that bucket?"\n\n[[Grab the bucket|Ride back]] or [[go back to Mrs. Hudson?|Hudson's Errand 1]] \n\n<<else>> "Ta for this. Are you new to town?" Lestrade asks as he scrubs, and you nod. \n\n"I'm just doing some errands for a lady down the way. Mrs. Hudson."\n\nLestrade looks up at you and pushes his hair out of his face. "No shit. Oh, sorry, I'm in a sweary mood today. Some kids decided to stick this muck all over my bike since I'm a cop. But I suppose cops shouldn't swear this much. All the same, I know Mrs. Hudson. She's nice. You shouldn't keep her waiting long, though."\n\n"Yeah, I know. I'll see you around?" you ask, and he grins.\n\n"'Course you will. I always seem to be running back to Baker Street for a certain someone."\n\n"Brilliant," you reply with a shy smile, and [[walk away.|Hudson's Errand 1]] <<endif>>

\nYou wake to the feeling of someone shaking you, and you groan, wondering why it's so cold. Then it all rushes back, and you groan again, with more feeling. \n\nYou blink your gummy eyes open, trying to ignore the uncomfortable crick in your back, to be greeted by the sight of a very tall, very burly man looming over you. \n\nDo you recognise him?\n\n[[YES|Angelo]] or [[NO|RicardoWake]]\n

The man's breath reeks into your face as he snarls out, "Well then your day just got a bit worse, dinnit?" \n\n<<if $knife eq "yes">> A hammy fist comes toward your head. You remember the pocketknife in your pocket, and pull it out, flipping it open. Your hand flies up to protect your face out of reflex, and the thug gives a shrill scream as the force of his own blow impales his hand. It breaks the knife <<set $knife to "broken">> so the handle is a bit twisted, but it gives you time to get away, which is all you're looking for. \n\n<<elseif $knife eq "broken">> The pocketknife is broken, but you pull it out anyway, hoping it works. The man sneers at it. "Whatcha gonna do with that, punk? It's wot, a shiny toothpick?" He lunges forward, aiming for your gut, but you bring the knife forward randomly, hoping you hit something important. To your surprise, you manage to slash at his thigh, but his weight falls heavily on your leg, making you curse as you feel something crack in your pocket, and the knife snaps in two. You think maybe something happened to your phone. <<set $batt -=5>> <<set $knife to "no">> \n\n<<elseif $knife eq "no">> You grimace as you hold up your fists, hoping you can manage to get out of this without too much damage. Unfortunately the thug is much, much bigger than you are, and he's obviously used to life on the streets. You end up with a black eye, your phone charger is totally crushed, and something in your phone is making a funny clicking noise. At least you're alive... <<set $charger to "no">><<set $batt -= 10>><<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n"Smart move," Ricardo says, and leans back from the bar to pull a phone with a tattered case out of his jacket. He thumbs at it for a bit, then grins and says, "Ah. Yeah, this'll do for a newbie."\n\nYou sigh. "What, do I have to clean the toilets or something?"\n\n"Naw," he says, and shrugs. "Just gotta get us some petrol. You know the nearest station?"\n\n"No, but I can find one on my phone. You got a [[charger|Battery Info]] I can borrow?"\n\nRicardo rolls his eyes and then rummages underneath the pub counter. "Here," he says, "take this one. Don't let your phone run out of battery, I'll wanna be able to get ahold of you whenever. I'm gonna need twenty pounds worth, and don't think you can come back with less and pocket the money. Here. Get back as soon as you can and I'll get you somethin' to eat."\n\nYou nod and take the cash, pocketing the charger as well. [["Got it."|PetrolR]]\n\nEQUIP:\n+20 pounds\n+1 charger\n<<set $work to "Ricardo">> <<set $charger to "yes">> <<set $pounds += 20>><<set $place to "the pub">><<endif>>

"I'll just sit out here," you say, and Angelo nods and gestures round the room. \n\n"Sit anywhere you like, I'll be back in a tick!" \n\nYou sit down at a booth, and watch Angelo bustle back into the kitchen. For a moment you're content with waiting, but after a bit you think he must have forgotten you, and it begins to feel really uncomfortable. What do you do?\n\n[[Head into the kitchen to see what's up|Back of Angelo's]] or [[Sneak out the front door. You don't want to be a bother.|Out the Door]]\n\n<<set $frontA = "yes">>

[[You slip out the front door, closing it gently behind you. It doesn't even squeak.|Walk Away]]\n\n<<set $outthedoor = "yes">>\s

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<OfficeBit>>\n\nYou look around the room for a bit, but there doesn't seem to be anything here. That's expected, as this is the fellow who went to Sherlock in the first place. There is a <<if $charger eq "yes"and $batt lt 10>>[[plug|passage()][$batt += 1]]<<else>>plug<<endif>> free in the power strip, though. You head [[back|Bank]]. <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You're wishing you could pull a Joe and sprint, but scarface is now looking at you and Mrs. Hudson, considering.\n\n<<if $mission eq "R1">> "You didn't seem so stupid," scarface says to you. "Why were you there?"<<else>> "Why were you there?" he asks you.<<endif>>\n\nYou grimace. "Errands. Have to make money somehow. Was sent round buying baby supplies for one of the blokes there. Well, sort of there. A friend of the guy who lives there." You don't know how much you should give away to this fellow, because you hardly trust him with any information about John and Sherlock. On the other hand, from his talk about the "boss's pet", it seems he's already pretty informed. \n\n"I see. And the baby stuff included a crib. You've caused a fair amount of trouble for me today," scarface tells you, and you straighten up with a strange sort of pride.\n\n"Right. You're the one who's totally inconvenienced and I'm the one who's probably going to die. Good to know, I'm so sorry for you," you sass back, clenching your hands. \n\n"I don't understand what's with all the fuss anyway!" Mrs. Hudson suddenly bursts out from behind you, and scarface and you suddenly have your attention diverted. "It was only a sweet little crib for the little one! Why are people shooting each other over a crib?!"\n\n"A crib, was it?" scarface asks, and you nod, realising he doesn't know you opened the box. \n\n"I ordered one from the baby store. It was nice. Bit expensive, but it's not my money, so," you shrug. "I figured he'd want the best."\n\nScarface snorts. "Go home," he says, rolling his eyes, turning away and fussing with his gun again. You blink.\n\n"Sorry, what?"\n\n"Go home. Unless you'd like to stay," scarface says, winking at you, and you frown.\n\n"No, I'd much rather head out, thanks, but... you're not going to, I dunno, practice moving target shooting on us, are you?" you ask, and Mrs. Hudson squeaks from behind you, clutching at your sleeve.\n\nScarface raises an eyebrow at you. "You'd be too slow for anything but still target shooting. No good. Off with you."\n\nNot one to think twice about an opening to get away, you turn and take Mrs. Hudson's hand, heading down the aisle where Joe ran like a scared rabbit a few seconds before.\n\n"Oh," scarface says suddenly from behind you, and you freeze. "I suppose I don't have to tell you that you aren't to say a word about any of this to anyone, or there may be very serious consequences."\n\nYou gulp. "Got it," you say quickly, and pull Mrs. Hudson along. You can feel her hand shaking in yours, and you give it a quick squeeze, pulling her closer and wrapping a steadying arm around her shoulders as you [[leave the warehouse. |Outside]] <<endif>>\n\n\n

<<if $batt eq 0>>You've run out of battery! Go back to <<$place>> and [[charge it!|Test]]<<endif>>\n

Lestrade listens to you explain your deductions, then whistles and leans back. "You know, I think I see why Sherlock gave you a chance. Fine, then, I'll give you this as making up for earlier. Off you go."\n\nYou grin and leap out of the chair. After all, you have [[errands to do.|Tesco's]]

<<back>>\nHow to save your game:\nRightclick the "Bookmark" link at the bottom of the sidebar and either bookmark the link or save it. This should bring you back to the current spot in your game.\n<<back>>\n

<h1>Hurrah!</h1>\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Pig.jpg"/>\n\nThe Ginger Pig butcher shop is only 11 minutes away! Time to [[get walking.|GingerPig]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You turn at the landing and begin to crash down the second flight of stairs when you suddenly stop and have to grab the railing. Mrs. Hudson is wide-eyed across from you, a strange man's hand clapped over her mouth. You whirl back up the stairs, heart pounding, and you can hear feet hitting the stairs behind you; apparently Mrs. Hudson's thug brought a friend. You stumble into the sitting room, looking around for a way out - the fire escape's out Sherlock's bedroom window, isn't it? You turn to cut through the kitchen when an arm reaches out from the stairwell and grabs you by the shoulder. You turn to fight back but there's a suddenly the muzzle of a gun, and it is very, very close to your face. \n\n"Er," you stutter out, walking backward and running into Sherlock's table, the glassware rattling. Some part of you hopes you haven't broken anything, while the rest of you is frantically thinking "no god I don't want to die" and considering pissing yourself a little. \n\n"The package?" the man asks. You don't know which is better - pointing out the box in the sitting room, or not. So you just stay frozen in place, staring at the nozzle of the gun and thinking about how much simpler life was back at home. When you weren't dealing with thugs and mislaid weapons. \n\nThe thug in front of you growls. He seems torn; he can't search the place, or even look away from you, because then you'd run for it - obviously. You're already hoping he'll get distracted so you can bolt for Sherlock's room. You realise with a moment of clarity that he can't actually see into the sitting room; one of the kitchen doors is closed, and it would block the box from his view. Taking a large, shuddering breath, you decide to take a gamble. \n\n"It's not here; he's already got it," you tell the thug, who growls again and shoves the gun at you, taking a step forward. Panic begins to grow in your breastbone; if he came just a bit further forward and looked, he'd be able to see the box, and then you've really screwed yourself over, because you'd be a proven liar. You quickly continue before he can move again. "It's true, he just left out the back! as coming down to tell Mrs. Hudson that we needed to go get another crib before the shops close."\n\nThug looks at you narrowly, then gestures the gun to the side, letting you step aside and then gesturing you back to the door, effectively switching places as he backs you out the door without sparing a glance for the sitting room. You end up backing down the stairs, nearly tripping down them a few times, as if your heartrate really needed the extra exercise. \n\nYou reach the bottom of the stairs and the thug holding Mrs. Hudson looks up at the gunman. "You got it?" he asks, and the gunman shakes his head.\n\n"No. They've taken it."\n\nMrs. Hudson's thug winces. "The tiger's gonna kill us," he says, sounding terrified, and the gunman shakes his head.\n\n"He's gonna kill you," he says, "I don't plan on dying yet. Take 'em with us," he orders, and Mrs. Hudson's thug begins to push her toward the back door. \n\nYou can't think much beyond, "I am getting kidnapped. This actually happens in real life. [[Kidnappings."|Warehouse]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"This is off the record," he says. "Nobody knows I'm the one that told you. Got it?" You nod, and he leans over the counter and whispers, "<<set $henchman1 to "Bradley">><<print $henchman1>> may have something to do with it."\n\n"Got it," you reply, and pull out your phone, <<set $batt -= 1>> [[making a note.|Neighbourhood]]\n\n<<set $agent += 1>>\n\n[[One of Mycroft's agents notices you made a deal for information.|Agents]] <<endif>>

<<back>>\n\nMycroft keeps an eye on London and most of the illicit goings-on. If you obtain information through underhanded means such as bribery, or end up doing favours for unsavoury personnel, you may end up with Agents following you. A certain number of agents and you may find yourself gaining Mycroft's very own personal attention. This could be a problem, seeing as you know far too much about Sherlock's world for Mycroft's liking.\n\nKeep a sharp eye!\n\n<<back>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\nYou look up the address on your phone <<set $batt -= 1>> and make your way there. You'd thought this was going to be a nice bank, like the one in The Blind Banker, but apparently not. It's in a rather rugged old neighbourhood with more than a few shady characters on the streets. There's a [[pub|Pub]] across the street from the [[bank|Bank]], and just down the block is a little [[bookstore.|Bookstore]] You suppose you'll have to look around until you've <<if $henchman1 neq "Butts" and $evidence is "papers" and $witness is "yes">> [[found everything you needed.|Grading]] <<else>> found everything you needed. <<endif>> <<endif>>

<<set $code = [[prompt("Three Numbers","000")]]>>\n<<if $code eq "246">>[[The box opens!|Evidence]]\n<<else>> [[No, please try again!|CODE]]\n<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <<if $henchman1 eq "Bradley">>\n"You're back. That took ages," Sherlock says, and frowns at you. "So, what have you got?"\n\n"Well," you say, "First of all, I have these for you." You pull the papers from the lockbox in the bank out of your trouser leg and hand them to him. "They were in a lockbox in the safe of one of the bank offices, but the box seemed a little odd, and the numbers didn't seem right. Office of a man named 'Mason'."\n\nSherlock looks over the papers. "Oh, very nice," he rumbles happily, flipping through pages. "Looks like someone's either very bad at maths, or practicing loan fraud."\n\nYou blink and nod. "Loan fraud would make sense," you say, "Because I met a fellow at the bookstore who seemed rather nervous about loan policy. Mr. Blotts."\n\n"First name?" Sherlock asks you, and you shake your head. \n\n"No idea, but I got a picture. And sent him to New Scotland Yard. He was nervous about being an accomplice since he said he was the perpetrator's secretary. Didn't say his name, though."\n\n"Moderately helpful," Sherlock says, "But you should have got his first name. And who he worked for."\n\nYou sigh. "He was a bit nervous and shaky. I didn't want to scare him off being a witness altogether. If he goes to NSY and feels safe, he may be willing to speak more."\n\nSherlock narrows his eyes at you. "Decent reasoning," he says, "But you should send him to me and not Scotland Yard. This way the police won't give me any information because of witness protection. All the same, maybe if I text Lestrade..." he murmurs, and pulls out his phone, typing quickly before glancing up at you. "Anything else?"\n\nShrugging, you say, "A name from the guy across the street, but I don't know how much I trust him."\n\nFinishing his text, Sherlock pockets his phone and gives you his full attention. "The name?"\n\n"Bradley," you say awkwardly, and Sherlock's face splits into a grin. \n\n"Well then, case closed," he says happily, and pulls out his phone again. "Didn't even need Lestrade. Bradley Mason seems to have quite the amount of damning evidence. And..." he flips his phone around to show you the bank's staff page, "his secretary is Hermann Blotts." \n\nYou grin. "So you've got the papers and Blotts will be a witness?"\n\n"Obviously," Sherlock says, and flips his phone in his hand before looking you up and down. "You didn't do terribly. This time. Although you still reek. The shower's down that way," he nods past the kitchen to the hall, [["Go shower and I'll get you something for your work."|EndDay1]]\n\nEQUIP:\n+50 pounds\n<<set $pounds += 50; $hints += 2; $mission to "S1">>\n<<else>>"<<$henchman1>>," you say awkwardly, and Sherlock frowns. \n\n"Can't be," he says, "I've checked the bank's staff page, and no-one of that name works there. You said the fellow you spoke to was shady?"\n\nYou nod awkwardly. "I dunno, he seemed odd."\n\nSherlock narrows his eyes at you. "Go back to him and try again," he orders, "only - wait -" He disappears down the hall for a moment, then comes back with a wig and a really, incredibly dirty and ratty coat. "Wear this."\n\nLooking at the items with distaste, you grimace, but Sherlock manhandles you into the coat and soon has the wig on your head. [["Off you go."|AlleyFight]]<<endif>>\n<<endif>>

"I, um," you start off, and then the words begin to come to you. "I'm not from here. I was moving into town, and - and my luggage got stolen. It had everything, ID, papers, money... the whole lot. I've got nothing."\n\nThere. [[That's not such a bad bit of subterfuge.|Angelo's Idea]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<LestradeBit1>>\n<<if $creditcard >= 1>>\s\n You suddenly remember - you have <<print $creditcard>> credit card(s) in your wallet. \n[[Try out your card|ATMYC3]] or [[Head back. Ricardo is waiting!|Finished PetrolR]] \n<<else if>> Too bad you haven't got anything plastic on you. [[Head back. Ricardo is waiting!|Finished PetrolR]] <<endif>> <<endif>>

((This is a basic tutorial of a mini-puzzle of a A Fan In London. You may need to look up information on Google or other sources in order to find the correct answers to questions. In the simpler puzzles you can just try every option until you get it right, but as the game progresses choosing the wrong option may lead you on entirely different paths, or lead to mistakes that end the game. \nGood Luck!))\n\nWell, first of all, you've got to find the nearest butcher. You pull out your phone and try Google, hoping that it won't bring down your minutes. \n\nWhich of these is closest?\n\n<<if $Kent eq "yes">><strike>Kent and Sons</strike><<else>>[[Kent and Sons|Kent]]<<endif>>\n[[Ginger Pig|Hurrah!]]\n<<if $SOrganic eq "yes">><strike>Sheepdrove Organic</strike><<else>>[[Sheepdrove Organic|SOrganic]]<<endif>>\n\n<<set $butcher = "yes">>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> It's late in the afternoon by the time you make it back to Ricardo, and you're tired. You're not used to walking the crowded streets of London all day, and you didn't want to take another "shortcut". Still, you've arrived, and you push open the door to the pub with a sigh, plopping yourself down on one of the stools.\n\n"Please tell me the scar bloke told you I dropped it off, because I really don't wanna deal with anything else today," you tell Ricardo, who is slightly pale.\n\n"What? Yeah, yeah, I got it," he says, looking distracted, shoving a glass at you. You shrug and drain the water, thirsty again after all the walking, and push it back.\n\n"Another?" you ask hopefully, and Ricardo silently fills the glass again. \n\nYou wonder what's gone wrong, but don't have a chance to ask before he mutters, "I'll just... get you something to eat... that was the deal, yeah?" You nod, and he ducks into the kitchen in the back. You look around for a place to [[charge your phone,|Texts]] and end up waiting for a few minutes before Ricardo comes back, looking much better than before. \n\n"Here," he says, giving you a take-away box of chips with a sad-looking sandwich next to them. "And a couple extra quid for your trouble; the boss said it was fine. Come back tomorrow and we'll see if you can make yourself useful again." <<set $pounds += 20>>\n\n[[You nod and grab the food before leaving the pub and finding an empty bench.|Walk Away 2]] <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>Sherlock gets up from the floor and takes his mug from John, teabag still in and with no sugar. John sighs and turns to you; "He'll forget about it in a moment, just wait."\n\nSure enough, Sherlock doesn't even take a sip before he sets the mug down and begins to talk.\n\n"This," he states, staring at the box, "Is either purposeful or a rookie mistake, a stupid one done by someone new to an organization."\n\n"So... which do you think it is?" you ask after a moment, and Sherlock looks up at you and grins. \n\n"I think it may be both."\n\n"An accidental mistake on purpose?" John sums up, looking exasperated, and you frown.\n\n"Wait, so. You think the organization knew it would be left here, but the newbie didn't. He made a mistake, but the people above him were counting on it."\n\nSherlock turns back to the box. "Exactly."\n\nJohn purses his lips. "And how do you possibly know that?"\n\nSherlock circles the box and gestures. "If you lost this, John, would you leave it here?"\n\nRaising an eyebrow, John shakes his head. \n\n"On the other hand, the label is wrong," Sherlock says, and points at the label in question. "So it was, obviously, meant for someone else. Though the [[label is encrypted."|Encrypted]]\n\n<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>When you get back to the pub, your fingers are slightly numb and your nose is sniffly from the cold. You breathe a large sigh of relief when entering the room, and Seb looks at you from the bar. \n\n"You came back in one piece!" he cheers. "That's new."\n\nYou raise an eyebrow at him. "That's... not comforting," you tell him, and he laughs, gesturing you over and turning to Ricardo. \n\n"Get <<$name>> something. Something decent, this time, to warm up," he orders, and Ricardo makes a face before pushing over a drink.\n\n"Um. Is it really that brilliant I got a crate across London?" you ask, staring at the drink suspiciously.\n\n"It is when you've won me two bets," Seb crows, and you look at him suspiciously before he shakes his head. "Never you mind. Suffice it to say that the Boss likes you more than he expected to."\n\nYou almost ask who the boss is, but you've got a feeling you already know, and it might not be a good idea to get on his radar. Instead, you raise your glass, sniffing at it subtly before taking a sip. "Glad to hear it," you tell Seb, who grins at you, most of his teeth showing.\n\n"You're smart, <<$name>>. Nice to know we've got some people around here who know how to hustle," he says, and you don't miss Ricardo's flinch on the other side of the bar. \n\nThe pub bell rings and a group of men walk in, all wearing similar colours, and you guess that they're a team of some sort. They're loud, and you make a face.\n<<if visited("Welcome to the Web")>>\s\n\n"Right," Seb says, pushing away from the bar. "<<$name>> and I are gonna go get to work, you can take care of the place, right, Ric?"\n\nRicardo doesn't say anything, just nods, but he doesn't look happy, and you almost feel a bit bad before heading down to the [[gun range.|Puzzle]] <<else>>\n"Right," Seb says. "Here's a bit to tide you over. You've not done [[half bad."|Walk Away 3]] <<set $pounds += 20>><<endif>>\n <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <<if $mission eq "R1">>Ricardo looks up as the door of the pub shuts behind you. "You again," he grunts, and you shrug. \n\n"Where else am I gonna go in this city? It's freezing outside," you tell him, hopping up on a stool. "Can I have something to drink?" \n\nRicardo rolls his eyes and grabs a glass from behind the bar, reaching for the tap, when a rough voice from behind you says, "Don't skimp on the new guy, Ric." You turn around to see scar-man. He's grinning down at you with his hands in his pockets. "You didn't do half badly yesterday," he tells you, and you raise an eyebrow. \n\n"It was fetching petrol. A monkey could do it if you trained him for an hour," you tell him. The sound of a glass tapping the table comes from the bar, and you turn to grab the drink Ricardo's slid over. "What is it?" you ask him, and he grins that gap-toothed grin at you. \n\n"Just a soda," he says. "Don't want you gettin' drunk before work." You narrow your eyes at him and sniff at the drink before taking a sip. Yep, it's root beer. You consider the possiblity of a roofie before realising that you live on the street and you have scar-face behind you, and you're pretty certain he has a gun. You're screwed either way. So you down a large gulp and wipe your mouth on the back of your hand, which you then wipe on your jeans. \n\nScar-face sits down on the stool next to you, gesturing to Ricardo, who turns to the beer taps and shoves over a dark brew. "So," he says to you. "You're interested in another job?" You glance at him. \n\n"Depends on the job. I'm not whoring myself out just yet." Ricardo snorts from behind the bar, and scar-face glares at him. \n\n"Nothin' like that," he tells you. "Just more hauling stuff around." \n\nYou look at him narrowly before draining the rest of your root beer, feeling it fizz down your throat and wondering why scar-face is allowed to have a decent drink and you're not. "Sure," you finally decide, setting the glass on the ground. "Wasn't so bad the first time." \n\nScar-face grins, and it makes him look both friendly and fierce at the same time. Like the cheshire cat. "Glad to hear it," he says, and then turns to Ricardo. "You got the key to the back?" he asks, and Ricardo winces a bit before handing over a rusty key. "Thanks, Ric." Scar-face slips off his stool and chugs the last of his beer before slamming the glass on the bar and gesturing to you. [["Come this way."|Welcome to the Web]]<<endif>>\n\n<<if $mission eq "S1">>\n"You're the kid from yesterday," says a voice from nearby, and you jump to see Ricardo looking at you from from a couple feet away. You didn't even hear him walking up. You must be more tired than you thought. "You interested in the job, then?" he asks, and you shrug. "Sure," you say, and he grins without any real humor in his gaze. "Brilliant. This way, then." \n\nYou follow him to a dirty pub. <<PubBit>> \n\nIt's cold outside, and you rub your hands as Ricardo hands you a glass of water, which you eagerly gulp down. "So what's the job?" you ask, and Ricardo shrugs. "Just a crate that needs delivering. Got some old bottles and silverware and tins in it, you know, so it's heavy, but you'll get paid enough." \n\nYou shrug. "Sure," you say, and Ricardo nods. "Just let me go get it," he says, and heads to the back, pulling a rusted key from his pocket. \n\nYou wait at the bar, before a man enters the pub and looks you over. You feel slightly like a piece of meat, or a mouse that just got set before a cat, as his eyes narrow and he tilts his head at you. "So why are you here?" he asks.\n\nThe scar between his eyes crinkles as he frowns before you reply, "I'm just here as the errand runner." \n\n"That so," the man says, and he sits down next to you. "I'm just here for a drink, and then I'll probably be running errands too. Haven't seen you doing that particular job around here before." \n\nYou nod. "I'm new. Ish. Sort of." \n\nScar-face raises an eyebrow at you. "Ish and sort of? Shady, are you?" \n\n Grinning at him, you sass back, "No more than any other poor sod on the streets."\n\n"Touche," he says, before Ricardo comes back, dragging a crate across the floor. You eye it warily; it looks heavy and you're really not looking forward to dragging it around town. \n\n"Really, Ric? Leaving that to the new kid?" Scar-face says, looking disapproving, and Ricardo jumps about three feet in the air before turning around, face pale.\n\n"They should be able to get it where it's meant to go, sir," he says. "Just a bunch of pub junk, after all." Scar-face looks you over, a bit more intently this time, and you wonder if he's the owner of the pub.\n\n"Fine, then," he says after a moment, "but if it goes wrong, expect a visit."\n\n"Yessir," Ricardo says shakily, and you frown inwardly. Scar-face wasn't that terrible to talk to. Maybe he's just an awful boss. \n\n"This needs to go to the Longbridge in Regent's park," scar-face tells you, and you nod. You can look that up on your phone. "Another bloke will take it from there."\n\n"I packed it up careful, so don't go opening it or you'll get packing peanuts all over the place. And don't drop it, there's glass and such in there," Ricardo says, and you nod. \n\n"Got it," you say, and hop off your stool. "Do I just come back after, for payment?"\n\nRicardo nods, and you walk over to the crate. It takes some heaving, but you manage to balance it on a shoulder pretty well. You never liked grunt work. You're going to have an indent on your shoulder where the crate's digging in. \n\n"I'll be back, then," you tell them, and [[head out the door.|Regent's Park]]<<endif>><<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Van.jpg"/>\nYou are transferred to the same delivery van you saw drive off earlier. You suppose the fellow who dropped off the box must have reported to these guys, or something, and they realised the box went to the wrong place. You feel bad for him for a moment, but you don't really have time to think about it much before you're shoved into the back. Mrs. Hudson is shoved in next to you, and you do your best to gentle the impact and catch her a bit. She's crying just a little, sniffling like she did in A Scandal in Belgravia, but there's fire in her eyes and you have hope yet. There's the knife in your pocket for one. \n\n"Hands behind you, now," gunman barks out, and you both put your hands behind your back. Apparently the goons don't have any sort of twine or zipties to tie you with, which is lucky. "If you take your hands away, I shoot," he tells you, and you believe him. They only need one of you alive to make a deal with Sherlock to get the box back.\n\nYou feel the van move off and you're knocked into Mrs. Hudson's shoulder. "Sorry, sorry," you say, feeling bad, and realising you haven't tried to comfort her at all, you've been too frightened yourself. \n\n"Oh, it's all right - oh, but nothing's all right, and where is that boy, do you suppose, he always comes just in time," Mrs. Hudson fusses, and you wish you could dry her face, but gunman is watching you both out of the corner of his eye, and you don't dare. \n\n"He'll come, Mrs. Hudson. Sherlock will look for you," you tell her, knowing that it's true, and realising that there's no reason he'd look for you if she wasn't here. You're just another member of his homeless network, after all. Maybe John would talk him into trying to find you, but your guess is that Sherlock would do it to find the origins of the weapons, not for your benefit. \n\n"I'm sure he will, dear, it's just so distressing," Mrs. Hudson assures you, and you try to give her a smile in return. The gunman is talking in lowered voices to his companion in the driver's seat, and has looked away for just a moment. You try to feel around behind you for anything to use as a weapon, but the only thing in your back pocket is the picture of you and your person, and the gum you've carried since you first arrived in London. You frown; that won't help much. [[On the other hand... |Warehouse2]]<<endif>>

Weapons dealing! Because then we can get a gun. And if we find out later that human trafficking was a thing involved, we shall find that out later. Whoop whoop. \n\nOkay so Moriarty's dealing weapons and the bank dude (Mason) is the one who was keeping the money by giving out "loans" (i.e. paying for the guns) and then receiving back payment and "interest" (i.e. Moriarty's goons would sell the guns and the money went via wire transfer to the bank account Mason took care of, with profit) and then Moriarty would hack the account via intimate knowledge of Mason's birth street and mother's maiden name, thus meaning Moriarty had no real connexion to the money, which is brilliant if I do say so myself hell yeah. \n\nIf we're going to Ricardo we're assuming the bank is burned. You've either worked for Sherlock or you haven't. Either way the bank is burned.\n\nOkay so we're going to need two versions of this I think, one with Seb and one without. The one with Seb means you get a gun at the end, the one without means you don't. Muahaha. Of course this means we're going to have to keep track of bullets and that is going to be a massive pain the the arse just like the damn fucking battery fucking damnit. \n\nIf you have a gun you cannot get bullets from Sherlock, you can only get them from Seb. Rules. Because guns are illegal and Sherlock only likes John having one. Maybe later if we have a point where you can save Sherlock with a gunshot we will change that, but probably not. \n\nSo the weapons dealing. The bank is blown. Let's say we have two versions of this; we'll have RSG1 and R2 for tickers. RicardoSebastianGun and Ricardo two. What is your job? Your job is to transport a box of handguns. Just the one. Because Moriarty is smart and splits up his deliveries as previously stated.\n\n((DO WE WANT TO HAVE A DOUBLE-CROSS MOMENT NEAR THE VERY END OF THE GAME IN WHICH YOU CAN SELL ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT MORIARTY'S STUFF TO MYCROFT CAUSE THAT COULD BE A THING))\n\nAlso Jim and Seb totally made a bet about whether you would shoot Seb once given your own gun or not, just FYI\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\nThe night is chilly, and you huddle into your coat. Where do you spend the night?\n<<if $pounds gte 20>> \n[[A hotel|Hotel]]\n[[On the street|Street]]\n<<else>>\n[[On the street|Street]]\n<<endif>>\n<<endif>>

STORYLINE COMING SOON\n

<<if $frontA eq "yes">> "Sorry, I thought maybe I'd come back here after all... if that's okay?" you ask, and Angelo looks up at you and grins. <<else>> "If I won't be in the way, the back is fine," you say, and Angelo leads you to the kitchen. It's warm in the back, and every surface seems covered in a variety of things: blocks of cheese, bags of flour, bowls and pots and pans of all sorts. <<endif>>\n\n"Sit down," Angelo says, pulling a stool up to a wooden work surface and pushing aside some bowls. "I'll get you something. Want a drink?"\n\n"Sure," you reply, and soon you're set up with a full plate and something to drink. It looks delicious.\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Food.jpg"/>\s\n\n"So, what's your story?" Angelo asks, and you look at him with your mouth full. You take your time chewing so you can decide what to say.\n\n[[Tell the truth|Oh Dear]] or [[Come up with a story, fast!|The Lie]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> Shooting Seb is almost terrifyingly easy, but you aren't going for a kill shot - just the shoulder - so you suppose your conscience doesn't mind. You quickly exit the room, putting the safety on the gun and shoving it into the back of your trousers, covering it as best you can with your jacket and shoving your extra magazines in your pocket. You walk as quickly as you can; you don't want to attract attention by running. \n\nA few streets down you finally see a panda car parked on the side of the road. Jogging toward it, you notice the window rolling down. "Sorry," you begin, out of breath, "But can you take me to-"\n\nYou cut yourself off in horror as familiar, blank brown eyes stare out at you, with a slightly manic grin. "Shouldn't have done that," Moriarty snarls, and lifts a hand. You whirl around to see Seb's cool eyes looking over a barrel, and then [[everything goes black.|END]] <<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>Sherlock has given you plenty of money for a hotel, but he doesn't seem to even consider the idea of letting you crash on his sofa before he kicks you out. You're slightly annoyed by it, but you remember his large 'homeless network'. He can't take care of everyone, you suppose, and you sigh as you kick at a piece of rubbish at your feet. You stick your hands in your pockets, realising you really are reduced to the clothes on your back, and sigh again, wishing you were home and comfortable and (you cannot stress this enough) warm. [[Instead you're on the streets of London in the cold.|Walk Away 2]]<<endif>>

After a moment you hear an ambulance coming round the corner. You don't expect it to stop outside the building, though. The paramedics come forward carefully as everyone else backs away from you.\n\n"Now, then. We're going to need you to come with us," one says, and you shake your head, realising what's going on.\n\n"I'm not crazy!" you insist, and the paramedic shakes her head sympathetically.\n\nOf course not," she says, and you know you've made a [[mistake.|END]] \n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<PubBit>>\nYou ask for a water from the man behind the bar. It may still be chilly out on the street, but you've been doing a lot of walking. He slides it over to you with a grin, then leans over to look at you. <<RicardoBit>> <<if $knowRicardo is "yes">> "Oh, it's you." <<else>> "I'm Ricardo," he says. "You're new." <<endif>>\n"Yeah," you reply awkwardly. "Just got a new job. I'm a... a...\n[[...reporter!|rightname]]\n[[...detective.|wrongname]] <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\nThe morning dawns bright and early, and you find yourself awake and wandering the city earlier than expected. It's windy, and old rubbish and a [[newspaper|Bank Burned]] flies by you and nearly hits you in the face. You shove your hands in your pockets, trying to decide where you want to go. \n\n<<if $mission eq "R1">>[[Go back to Ricardo. You know he'll pay you.|Ricardo 4]]<<elseif $mission eq "S1">> [[Sit down for a bit.|Ricardo 4]]<<endif>>\n<<if visited("Grading")>>[[You're in the world of your favourite TV show! Go see Sherlock!|Meet John]]<<else>>[[You're in the world of your favourite TV show! Go see Sherlock!|Meet Sherlock2]] <<endif>> <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>There's a small key nestled in a hollow where the keypad used to be. You pick it up and turn it over in your hand, then look toward the steel door on the other side of the room. You make your way through the crates and fit the key in the door. Sure enough, Seb's sitting on the stairs, smoking a cigarette at the ceiling. \n\nYou toss the key at him. "You're a jerk," you tell him, and he grins.\n\n"And?" he prompts, and you sigh.\n\n[["And I'm out of here."|Walk Away 3]] or [["And you're right; you do have the coolest birthday presents."|Payment]]<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <<endif>>\n\n\n\n\n3633\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \nYour phone rings just as you're getting up to make another cuppa, and you jump and nearly spill the cold tea all over your recent case notes. You fumble for your phone and hit the button. "Hello?" <<set $batt -=2>>\n\n"It's me. Let us up," Sherlock says, without preamble.\n\n"Right. Give me a second," you say, and hang up on him before dialling Mrs. Hudson. \n\n"Hullo?" she says sweetly.\n\n"It's <$name>, upstairs; can you let Sherlock in? He just called; he's out the front," you ask her, and she flutters. \n\n"Oh, yes, of course dear! You know it was his idea not to have a key for the deadbolt; he didn't want it to get stolen if he got kidnapped, because then it might not be safe for me. But that doesn't help much when I'm having to get up and fetch the door for him all the time, does it?" she fusses, and you hear a click before she hangs up, and Sherlock's baritone drifts up from the hallway. \n\n"Tea?"\n\n"I'm not your housekeeper, dear. Make your own."\n\n"I'll make it, Mrs. Hudson, thank you. Sorry to make you get up like this," says John's voice, as you hear Sherlock's footsteps thudding up the stairs. You unlock the door for him and put the kettle on just as he comes crashing through the door, eyes immediately fixating on the box as he walks over to it and flops onto the floor. You rinse out your tea mug, amused, as he studies the exterior of the box from a cross-legged sit, hands meeting in front of his face as he thinks. \n\n"Oh, hullo, again," John says as he enters and notices you in the kitchen. "Errands go all right?"\n\n"Brilliantly, excepting the lack of a crib," you tell him, pulling some tea out of the cupboard. "The rest of the deliveries should be here later today."\n\n"How many deliveries, exactly?" John asks, fighting a smile, and you grin, tapping your fingers against the counter as you wait for the water to boil.\n\n"Oh, six or seven. Nothing major, you know. Just the Aston Martin buggy, and the really lovely bottle set, and I couldn't help but pick out a few sets of clothes, you know - I'm sure Sherlock won't mind, do you Sherlock?" you ask him, but he's obviously not paying attention when he hums. You wink at John, who is glancing between you and Sherlock with mild exasperation.\n\n"...Right," he finally says, "Are you making tea for all of us, or...?"\n\n"I put enough water on, but I'm not sure how you take it," you reply, and he pulls down a mug. \n\n"That's fine, Sherlock won't drink any when he's focussed and I can make my own. Thanks for doing all this, today."\n\nYou shrug. "I got to stay somewhere warm, and buy a lot of baby stuff, and I didn't even have to do the paying bit. It's fine." You decide not to mention having (perhaps) solved the routes of a drug organisation. \n\n"Two sugars, no milk," Sherlock suddenly says from the floor, and John sighs from where he was adding sugar to his own tea before grabbing another teabag from above him. Sherlock looks up at you both, [[eyes flashing.|Rookie Mistake]]\n<<endif>>\n

<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Bookstore.jpg"/>\nThe bookstore is small, musty, and reminds you a bit of Ollivander's wands from Harry Potter.

<h1> THE END </h1>\n\nSorry, you've been locked up for life, or you've died! Either way, the game's over. Try again!

jquery:off\nhash:off\nbookmark:on\nmodernizr:off\nundo:on\nobfuscate:off\nexitprompt:off\nblankcss:off\n

<center>\s\n|!<<print $name>>|!INVENTORY|\n|Gum: <<print $gum>>|Dollars: <<print $USmoney>>|\n|Pounds: <<print $pounds>>|Credit Cards: <<print $creditcard>>|\n|Phone: <<print $phone>>|Knife: <<print $knife>>|\n|Wallet: <<print $wallet>>|Picture: <<print $personalpic>>|\n|Charger: <<print $charger>>|Phone Battery: <<print $batt>><<if $batt is "0" and $charger eq "yes">>Your phone is dead! You have to visit a cafe and <<set $hint = 0>><<if $batt lt 10>>[[charge it up!|previous()][$batt = 1; $pounds -= 1]]<<endif>><<endif>>|\n|Mycroft's Agents: <<print $agent>>|Favours: <<print $hints>>|\n|Gun: <<print $gun>>|Bullets: <<print $bullets>>|\n|Key: <<print $key>>|>|\n|[[Help|Help]]|[[Credit Page|Credit]]|\n</center>\s\n||c\n <<set document.title = "A Fan in London">>\n

<<set $puzzle1 = [[prompt("Enter First Word","Word")]]>>\n<<set $puzzle2 = [[prompt("Enter Second Word","Word")]]>>\n<<if $puzzle1 eq "Tiger" and $puzzle2 eq "Claw">>[[The keypad flips open!|Key]]\n<<else>> [[No, please try again!|Puzzle]]\n<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> "Well flat B is just upstairs, but they're not home," Mrs. Hudson is telling the delivery man, and you jog up to the door quickly. \n\n"Actually, Mrs. Hudson, I can accept it," you say, and she steps back with a smile. \n\n"Oh," Mrs. Hudson smiles, "You've got stuff for Sherlock, then. How nice."\n\n"Actually, getting stuff for John," you admit, squeezing past the delivery man and gesturing toward the stairs. "Just up here," you tell him, and obediently he lugs the box up to the sitting room of 221B, surveying the mess and papers with disdain, and looking suspiciously at the skull on the wall. You realise that the place must look odd to regular people, but you're so used to it from the show that you never cared. "You can put it on the floor for now," you direct, and he sets down the box and leaves quickly, hunching into his jumper. \n\nYou frown at the doorway, pretty certain that the store had said that assembly was included in the delivery service, but he's already scarpered off, and you move to the window to see him quickly leaving in the delivery van. Odd. \n\nTurning to the box, you notice a note near the <<if $charger eq "yes"and $batt lt 10>>[[plug|passage()][$batt += 1]]<<else>>plug<<endif>> on the desk with your name on it. You pick it up. <$name>, it says, We'll be out for a bit longer. There's payment for the errands under the skull. \n\nYou look at the skull. Sure enough, there's a wad of bills. You pocket the money and then sigh and turn to glare at the box. You'd feel bad leaving the crib unassembled for John to do. Wrenching a knife out of the fireplace where it's holding Sherlock's mail to the mantle and using it to cut the tape on the top flaps.\n\nOnce the box is open, you stop and stare at the contents for a moment before pulling out your phone and dialing a familiar number. [[That's not a crib.|Awwwshit]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>><<set $batt -=1>>\nYou wait for Sherlock to pick up, but instead of deep baritone, you're greeted with John's slightly irritated voice. "Yes, Sherlock's phone, John speaking, because the lanky git is too lazy to answer a bloody phone call, how can we help you?"\n\n"John? It's <$name>," you say nervously. "Um, how's the bank case coming?"\n\nJohn sighs. "It's all tied up in legal tape over here. The witness, Mr. Blotts, is protected by the police, they don't want to let Sherlock talk to him, and nearly everything that Sherlock doesn't have is in ashes. How are things on your end?"\n\nGrinning, you reply, "Oh, I got you some stuff. Nothing too fancy, you know. Just what I felt Sherlock could afford." The mischief must leak into your tone, because you can hear John's snort of laughter over the phone.\n\n"Oh, well done, then," he says. "Good to know I don't have to do it, anyway."\n\nYour smile fades. "I might have to go out for another crib, though... I've run into a bit of a problem."\n\n"What sort of problem?" John asks, and you look down at the box at your feet, wondering how to put this without sounding insane.\n\n"Well, the crib was sort of fancy, and they said they'd deliver it straight to the door, you know, as a service, since you're definitely paying for it..." you trail off because John's begun to giggle over the phone. \n\nYou can hear Sherlock's baritone in the background, demanding, "What? What is it? What's so funny?" \n\n"Nothing, just - I like this <$name> person," John says, a bit softer, as if he's leaning away from the phone, and then gets louder as he says, "Sorry, sorry, I'm back. So the crib gets delivered, yeah?"\n\n"Yeah," you reply. "And it just arrived - I just got back to Baker Street, you know, but... but the box says all the right stuff, and it's from the right company, but it's definitely not a crib."\n\n"Well, what is it?" John asks, and you hesitate again. \n\n[["Um... I think it's pistols."|Sherlock Hijacks the Phone]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"What, really? How'd you get into that?" he scoffs, and you shrug. \n\n"Really needed the cash."\n\n<<if $knowRicardo is "no">> <<RicardoRecruitBit>><<endif>>\s\n\nYou take a sip of your water and look across the street in a way that you hope looks subtle, but you fail completely. \n\n"You're looking over at the bank. Getting a scoop on the fraud, then?" Ricardo asks, and you shrug. \n\n<<if $pounds gte 3>>[[Slide over some money. He looks like the sort to accept a bribe.|Bradley]]<<endif>>\s \n\n"Why? Do you think you have something helpful?" you ask him, and he leers at you. \n\n"Maybe. If I was given the right incentive."\n\n[[Take the bait?|Petrol Quest]] or [[No way. He's creeping me out.|Random Name]]\n<<endif>>

"Um, sorry, excuse me," you say awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. Mary smiles at you and you grow a bit more confident. "I'm not from around here, and I'm looking for these?" You show her the list.\n\n"Oh! Yes, the tea's just round the corner," she says, and then looks the list up and down. "You working for Sherlock, then?"\n\nYou almost shake your head before remembering that you've never actually met Sherlock in this world. "Um, no. A lady named Mrs. Hudson?"\n\n"Oh, she's a sweetheart," says Mary. "Looks like she's having you do Sherlock's shopping as well, though. Only Sherlock goes looking for cow's hearts in London."\n\nGiggling, you take the list back, and Mary gives you quick directions through the rest of the shop. Brilliant. [[You've got everything.|Hudson's Errand 1]]\n\nEQUIP:\n1 box of PG Tips\n10 Carrots\n1 Carton of Eggs\n<<set $tips = "yes">>\n<<set $carrots = "yes">>\n<<set $eggs = "yes">>\n<<set $tescos = "yes">>\n<<set $knowMary = "yes">>

<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/GingerPig.jpg"/>\n\nWalking into the Ginger Pig with your list is a little awkward, but as soon as you start to read off what you need, the man behind the counter stops you. \n\n"Ne'er min', I got wot you want. Gimme just a minute," he says, heading to the back, then comes forward with a small cooler. "'ere you go, two kidneys, cow's 'eart, an' brisket, wrapped separate. You're off to Baker Street then?"\n\nYou nod, and he shakes his head. "I'll just 'ave it billed to the 'ccount, then. You mind signin' for the pickup?"\n\nYou take the offered pen and scribble a nonsense signature at the bottom of the page, and the man hands you the cooler of... various organs. You're trying not to think about that too hard. \n\nEQUIP:\n+2 Sheep's Kidneys\n+1 Cow's Heart\n+1 Beef Brisket\n\n[[Now then, back to the list! Let's hope you can carry all this stuff.|Hudson's Errand 1]]\n\n<<set $kidneys = "yes">>\n<<set $cowsh = "yes">>\n<<set $brisket = "yes">>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>><img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Longbridge.jpg"/>\n\nYou reach Regent's Park out of breath. The crate is heavy and you're not best pleased with the whole situation. Still, you manage to find Longbridge after a look at some signs. It's pretty - or would be, if you weren't carrying a gigantic crate of stuff<<if visited("Welcome to the Web")>> that you don't really want to think about<<endif>>.\n\nThe man who meets you on the bridge is huddled into his jumper. He states "Ricardo," quietly, and you glance over him before handing over the box. He has the same sort of rough edges you recognise from Ricardo and scar-face, and you wonder if you'll start to have the same attitude after some time on the streets. It's still freezing, and carrying the crate has warmed you up a bit, but the cold cuts into your bones as you [[head back to Ricardo|Ricardo 5]]. <<endif>>

"Oh, I've just got to finish these errands is all, it's nothing."\n\n"I could do them," you offer. "I mean, I don't have any cash on me, but if you want..."\n\n"Oh! Would you? That would be lovely, and I could just go home and put on a cuppa," she beams up at you, and you smile at her even as you frown inwardly. How she can be so trusting after her husband was a murderer, you don't know. Handing cash to someone she met on the street! At least it's you, and not someone who would actually steal her money.\n\n[["Right, then, it's settled," you tell her.|Get the List]]

\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/newspaper.jpg"/>\nWell that's interesting. <<if $mission eq "S1">>That bank is the one you were at yesterday. Someone must not want any more information found. <<elseif $mission eq "R1">> That bank is awfully close to where you dropped the petrol off yesterday. You frown at the paper and then let it fly away on the wind, before shaking your head. Nah. Couldn't be. <<endif>>\n\n<<back>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\nInside the box there are several papers, and you pull them out and look them over. It may just be you, but some of this math doesn't look quite right. Sherlock will know for sure. <<set $evidence = "papers">>\n\nYou roll the papers up and stuff the bottom of the roll in your shoe, then pull your trouser leg over the top, flattening the roll against your leg as best you can. You then close the lockbox and shut the drawer, leaving the room with your head held high. The receptionist barely blinks at you, and you breathe a sigh of relief as [[you step out into the street once again.|Neighbourhood]] <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<ATMBit>>\n"Brilliant, thanks. You mind fetching me that bucket?"\n\n"Ta for this. Are you new to town?" Lestrade asks as he scrubs, and you nod. \n\n"I'm just doing some errands for a man down the way. Sherlock Holmes."\n\nLestrade looks up at you and pushes his hair out of his face. "No shit. Oh, sorry, I'm in a sweary mood today. Some kids decided to stick this muck all over my bike since I'm a cop. But I suppose cops shouldn't swear this much. All the same, I know Sherlock. You shouldn't keep him waiting long, though."\n\n"Yeah, I know. I'll see you around?" you ask, and he grins.\n\n"'Course you will. I always seem to be running back to Baker Street for a certain someone."\n\n"Brilliant," you reply with a shy smile, and [[walk away.|Finished Petrol]] <<endif>>

When you're at the top of the stairs, you linger in the doorway until Sherlock catches sight of you. \n\n"Yes, come in, sit," he says, and then wrinkles his nose. "Actually, don't. When is the last time you showered? Even I can't estimate it by the smell. Too long. Stand. There. No, on the mat. Yes."\n\nYou've managed to follow his arm-waving to some extent and now stand barely inside the door to the sitting room, on a mat that you'd bet is Mrs. Hudson's.\n\n"Yes, it is, but it doesn't matter, she doesn't care about it anymore," Sherlock says quickly, and you jump a bit before nearly smiling. As much as you miss home, it is really cool to see Sherlock work in person.\n\n"Right, so I've heard you've done a couple of errands for Mrs. Hudson?" he asks, turning quickly and narrowing his eyes at you. You nod silently, and he purses his lips.\n\n"I have a network of the less fortunate in London, general vagabonds and ne'er-do-wells, as well as the occasional good lad who's down on his luck," he says quickly, looking you up and down and popping the 'k'. "They assist me when I need information from places no clean person wishes to go, or where a person without a decent layer of London grime would stand out. I pay, of course, but it starts low and is based on your ability to do what I want when I want it and get what I need when I need it. Would you be interested?"\n\n[[Hell yes!|Phone Charger]] or [[No way!|Walk Away]]\n<<set $metSherlock = "yes">>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"Hell yeah, I do," Seb smirks, then takes a long inhale on the cigarette and blows a smoke ring straight up. "Boss knows how to throw a party, too."\n\nYou lean against the wall and fold your arms. "Am I meant to be asking questions about the boss yet, or are you just gonna hint obtusely in order to pick at my patience?" you ask him, and his eyes flicker at you. \n\n"I'm gonna hint, and you'll pick up on it quick enough," he says after a loaded pause, before getting up and putting his cigarette out on the stairway wall. [["Come on."|Gun]] <<endif>>

<<if $e eq "Glen" and $a eq "Sonny" and $m eq "Bob">>\n\n[[That's Correct!|Right]]\n<<else>>"If Sherlock has you working for him, he must see something in you," Lestrade says, and shrugs. "I'll let you off this time, but you'll have to hang round the office for a bit. Wish I could tell you to make yourself useful, but there's nothing I can show you with out breaking rules."\n\n"Can I have something to doodle on, at least?" you ask, sitting in the chair across from Lestrade and settling in.\n\nLestrade digs around in a drawer and pulls out a legal pad and a pen, tossing them over to you. "Have at it," he says, and turns to his own pile of papers. \n\nYou look down at the paper in front of you, trying to decide what to draw, when you realise you can read the words Lestrade must have written on the paper above it, because they're indented into the paper. You trace them out. \n\n\n* Bob and Theresa got married when Bob was 18 and Theresa was 17.\n\n* The murderer does not like football. \n\n* Glen has never been married, and has no kids.\n\n* Sonny became class president after Theresa graduated.\n\n* The murderer's son goes to school with the accomplice's daughter. They're both on football teams, and Theresa films the games.\n\n* Bob and Theresa's son got them a two-person bike for their wedding anniversary. \n\n* The one who knows where the evidence is hidden is older than Bob. \n\n\nYou frown at the paper and look up at Lestrade. "Um, did you solve the case with Bob and Theresa?" you ask, and he shakes his head. \n\n"No, we didn't, we - how did you know about that?" he says, looking at you suspiciously, and you hold up the pad. \n\n"It was indented and I traced it. But never mind that, I think I can help you out."\n\nWho is the murderer? (hit button after choosing)\n\n <<radio $m "Bob">>\n <<radio $m "Theresa">>\n <<radio $m "Sonny">>\n <<radio $m "Glen">>\n\n\nWho is the accomplice?\n\n <<radio $a "Bob">>\n <<radio $a "Theresa">>\n <<radio $a "Sonny">>\n <<radio $a "Glen">>\n\n\nWho knows where the evidence is?\n\n <<radio $e "Bob">>\n <<radio $e "Theresa">>\n <<radio $e "Sonny">>\n <<radio $e "Glen">>\n\n<<button [[Tell Lestrade|passage()]]>> \n\n<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"Oh, thank you so much," the man huffs, wiping his forehead again. He really does seem incredibly distressed.\n\n"May I ask why you're looking?" you ask, and he turns quite red. You purse your lips and decide to take a guess. "Could it be you don't think something's quite right at the bank?"\n\n"However did you know?!" the man exclaims, then snaps his mouth shut as his eyes widen in panic. You smile. \n\n"Don't worry. I shan't tell anyone. I'm working with a detective who is looking into the matter." If anything, the man's face turns even more purple as he gasps.\n\n"Detective?!"\n\nYou tilt your head. "You don't look like a criminal," you say kindly. "Why does that scare you?"\n\nThe man looks at you closely, then flops down into a chair and puts his head in his hands. "I'm a secretary of a very important man down at the bank. And if I didn't notice what he was doing, it could be me that gets in trouble. As an accomplice!"\n\nYou frown. "On the other hand, if you help to catch him, then you'd be helping the police. That's got to count for something, right?"\n\nHe looks up at you hopefully. "Do you think so?"\n\nThinking about it, you nod. "I'd go tell someone at New Scotland Yard. They'll know how to handle it. And they might be able to get you some protection, too."\n\nThe man pales, then gets up hurriedly. "Yes, god, yes, I'd better do that. Thank you, thank you for your help, um..."\n\n"<<print $name>>," you supply, and he nods several times, emphatically. \n\n"Thank you, <<print $name>>. I'm Mr. Blotts, by the way, though I hope we don't ever have to meet under these circumstances again," he says, holding out a hand to shake, even though it's already quite shaky.\n<<set $witness = "yes">>\n"Same here, though it is a pleasure to meet you. Have a nice day!" you say, and shake his hand before he bustles off, buying his book and leaving the store. You take a picture of him before he walks away, just making sure Sherlock has a face in case Mr. Blotts turns out to be more than just a witness, and then [[leave the bookstore.|Neighbourhood]] <<endif>>

The pub is dark, and a bit dirty, but you head up to the bar anyway. There's a <<if $charger eq "yes"and $batt lt 10>>[[plug|passage()][$batt += 1]]<<else>>plug<<endif>> set into the fixture, and an old lightbulb with a dusty shade is plugged in and hanging from the ceiling by a meat hook. You hope you can finish with your work here soon.

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> "Oh, what do you want?" Sherlock demands instantly, and Mycroft raises an eyebrow at him before carefully setting the point of his umbrella exactly between the tips of his shoes.\n\n"Actually, brother dear, I'm not here primarily for you," he says, and Sherlock's eyebrows raise before he automatically glances at John.\n\n"Sir, it's not working," Anthea says, and Mycroft turns to her and raises an eyebrow before Anthea slips your phone into his hand. He flips it over a few times, then glances at you, eyes narrowing. \n\n"You are entirely ordinary," he tells you, and you don't think you're imagining the faint annoyance in his tone. You blink a few times as his gaze stays fixated on you, wondering if you're meant to suddenly do something extraordinary or if he's mistaken you for a weeping angel.\n\n"Wait, you're here for <<$name>>?" John exclaims after a moment. You look over at him, and he's looking from Mycroft to Sherlock for an explanation, but both Holmes boys are suddenly staring at you. You squirm a bit.\n\n"Ah," you say, then frown a bit and clear your throat. "Um, hello, yes, am I meant to be special, then?" You're trying very, very hard not to think about who you are or where you grew up or how you got here, because you're pretty certain that the two brothers could read it off your face in a flash.\n\n"Your phone is untraceable. Once you call or text someone, they seem to have the ability to call or text you, but otherwise it is uncrackable and untraceable by the best in the country," Mycroft muses aloud.\n\n"I know, I tried," Anthea supplies, staring at her own phone with a disturbed expression, even if her voice is still placid.\n\n"You hacked our conversation earlier, you sent a car!" Sherlock says, and Mycroft glances at him disdainfully, tossing your phone up in the air and letting Sherlock catch it.\n\n"Yes, through your phone line, brother dear. This one seems unpenetrable. Add this to the fact that no-one - and I do mean no-one -"\n\n"I've checked," interrupts Anthea - \n\n"No-one seems to have any record of <<$name>>, whatsoever," Mycroft continues, unperturbed. He turns on his heel to face you. "You're equipped with technology we have not heard of, have no record, and the day after my sources can place any sort of sight on you in London, my brother receives a box of firearms." His eyes flick from his umbrella to you. "Have you anything to say for yourself?"\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Mycroft.png"/>\n\n[[Lie. Definitely.|Oh Shite]]\n[[Redirect the conversation.|Okay we got this]] \n<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"What, really? How'd you get into that?" he scoffs, and you shrug. \n\n"Really needed the cash."\n<<if $knowRicardo is "no">> <<RicardoRecruitBit>><<endif>>\s\n\nYou take a sip of your water and look across the street in a way that you hope looks subtle, but you fail completely. \n\n"You're looking over at the bank. Getting a scoop on the fraud, then?" Ricardo asks, and you shrug. \n\n"Why? Do you think you have something helpful?" you ask him, and he gives you an appraising look.\n\n"This is off the record," he says. "Nobody knows I'm the one that told you. Got it?" You nod, and he leans over the counter and whispers, "<<set $henchman1 to either("Lucille", "Jones")>><<print $henchman1>> may have something to do with it."\n\n"Got it," you reply, and pull out your phone, <<set $batt -= 1>> [[making a note.|Neighbourhood]]\n<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n<<AlleyBit>>\n\n<<if $pounds gte 10>>[[Bribe him off for 10 pounds!|Neighbourhood]]<<endif>>\n\n[["Sorry, mate, haven't got anything for you."|Fight]]<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n<<FightBit>>\nYou stumble out of the alley, breathing hard and feeling the worse for wear. So much for the "shortcut". You head toward the bank neighbourhood, avoiding any more shortcuts. [[Get me out of here!|Neighbourhood]]\n<<endif>>

<<silently>>\n<<set $knowAngelo = "no">>\n<<set $knowHudson = "no">>\n<<set $phone = "no">>\n<<set $knife = "no">>\n<<set $gum to 0>>\n<<set $wallet = "no">>\n<<set $USmoney is 0>>\n<<set $creditcard to 0>>\n<<set $personalpic = "no">>\n<<set $MHlist = "no">>\n<<set $kidneys = "no">>\n<<set $cowsh = "no">>\n<<set $tips = "no">>\n<<set $petrol = "no">>\n<<set $carrots = "no">>\n<<set $brisket = "no">>\n<<set $eggs = "no">>\n<<set $Kent = "no">>\n<<set $SOrganic = "no">>\n<<set $butcher = "no">>\n<<set $tescos = "no">>\n<<set $knowLestrade = "no">>\n<<set $fakeit = "no">>\n<<set $MoriartyFavour = "no">>\n<<set $knowMary = "no">>\n<<set $frontA = "no">>\n<<set $charger = "no">>\n<<set $batt = 0>>\n<<set $name = "you">>\n<<set $knowRicardo = "no">>\n<<set $pounds = 0>>\n<<set $clean = "dirty">>\n<<endsilently>>\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Cover1.gif"/>\s\n\nYou wake up feeling disoriented and slightly nauseous. You'd fallen asleep in bed, next to your loved one, happily asleep, and you've woken somewhere completely different. You don't even have to open your eyes to know this; you can catalogue the damp, dirty, uneven feeling of what you're lying on, which is hard and nothing as comfortable as your warm bed. It's cold and wet and something thin and about two inches long is pressed into your cheek. \n\nThe sounds around you are cars and the murmur of people moving at quick paces, slow paces, talking on phones and the buzz of electric lighting. City, your mind catalogues, and you think it's probably right. Part of you is panicking, but you're not quite awake enough yet, your mind still in that foggy haze between reality and dreamscape, and you're really not in a hurry to pull yourself out of it, because the rational, panicky part is screaming at you. But the rest of you, the sleepy, soft parts, tell you that if you just stay still and pull up your covers over your head, it will all go away, and you float for a moment, before a drop of something wet lands on your head and the heavy haze tumbles off you as you shake your head irritably. \n\nYou freeze like a spooked animal as your eyes open to see dirty cobblestone and a brick wall. Dirt, cigarette butts, and old McDonalds wrappers and cups have tumbled against the edge of brick and stone, whirled there by an old wind that isn't blowing now. Rain begins to drizzle and you blink a few times, pressing yourself up against a nearby wall as you feel your heartbeat increase and your palms become sweaty as you try to figure out where the hell you have suddenly found yourself. The thing stuck to your cheek is still there, and you brush it off, another cigarette butt falling to the ground. You squint up at the drizzling sky, seeing two walls stretch above you to a night-dark sky, the clouds reflecting the strange orange of city light back at you despite the rain. \n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Alley.jpg"/>\s\n\n An alley, then, you gather from the walls surrounding you, and you clench your fists and take a deep breath, looking down at yourself. You're covered in a thin film of dirt and wet from the ground on one side, but relatively clean on the other, dressed in sturdy, thick jeans and a shirt, with a sweatshirt and leather jacket layered on top. Good. You pull the hood of the sweatshirt over your head; it's getting colder as the rain continues, and you hate the feeling of damp hair.\n \n After a moment of feeling your body temperature drop in the chill, you finally clench your teeth and decide to [[move|Wander]].

\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Entrance221.png"/>\s\n\n<<221BakerBit>> You're actually here. \n\nYou're glad to be able to sit down with that tea in Mrs. Hudson's kitchen. Lugging everything around hasn't been easy. \n\n<<if $rideback is "yes">> "Do you take sugar?" Mrs. Hudson asks you, then turns to Lestrade. "What about you, Inspector?"\n\n"However he likes it," you say, and Lestrade shrugs.\n\n"I like it black, myself," he says, and Mrs. Hudson smiles.\n\n"Right, here you are, then," Mrs. Hudson says, handing you the cup, and you sip at it. It's warm, and goes all the way down to your bones. The chill that's been lingering since the rain last night finally begins to leave.\n<<PaidBit>>\n"MRS. HUDSON! SEND UP YOUR GUEST, WOULD YOU?" shouts a baritone from upstairs, and you jump, nearly spilling your tea. Mrs. Hudson flusters over to the door and calls up the stairwell.\n\n"Which one?"\n\n"NOT LESTRADE, HE'S BORING, HE HASN'T GOT A CASE. THE OTHER ONE," Sherlock shouts, and your heartrate quickens. This is it. You're about to meet Sherlock Holmes.\n\n"Oh, that boy," Mrs. Hudson says, wringing her hands and turning to you. "Do you mind? Only if you don't he'll just keep shouting."\n\n"It's - it's fine," you stutter, gulping down the last of your tea. "I'll just, um."\n\n[[You set down the teacup and climb the stairs.|Sherlock]] \n\n<<else>>You're glad to be able to sit down with that tea in Mrs. Hudson's kitchen. Lugging everything around hasn't been easy. \n\n"Right, here you are, then," Mrs. Hudson says, handing you the cup, and you sip at it. It's warm, and goes all the way down to your bones. The chill that's been lingering since the rain last night finally begins to leave.\n<<PaidBit>>\n"MRS. HUDSON! SEND UP YOUR GUEST, WOULD YOU?" shouts a baritone from upstairs, and you jump, nearly spilling your tea. \n\n"Oh, that boy," Mrs. Hudson says, wringing her hands and turning to you. "Do you mind? Only if you don't he'll just keep shouting."\n\n"It's - it's fine," you stutter. Your heartrate quickens. This is it. You're about to meet Sherlock Holmes. You stand up, gulping down the last of your tea. "I'll just, um."\n\n[[You set down the teacup and climb the stairs.|Sherlock]] <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\s\nThe man looks down with a combination of a sneer and a scowl. \n<<RicardoBit>>\s\n<<if $knowRicardo eq "yes">>\s\n[["You again. You interested this time?"|Ricardo]] Ricardo asks you.\n<<else>>\s\n"You gotta get up, the coppers are gonna be comin' soon," he tells you, and you groan and flop your head back.\n\n"Don't have anywhere to go," you tell him, and he grins toothily. \n<<RicardoRecruitBit>>\s\n\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if $mission eq "S1">> [[No thanks. You'd rather go back to Baker Street.|Meet John]]<<else>>[[No thanks.|Walk Away]]<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \nYou sigh and read the list in your hand. <<if visited ("Completed Errand")>>Lists are apparently your thing, you think to yourself, remembering Mrs. Hudson's. At least this one doesn't have cow's hearts on it.<<endif>> The list reads as follows. \n\n* Crib \n* Pram \n* Bottles \n* Nappy Table \n\nYou frown at it. It doesn't look too bad, but some of these are going to have to be delivered. You aren't going to be able to carry all of this around London. You think about it for a moment, then look down at the credit card in your hand. You've got (for now) unlimited money. \n\nWhat do you do? \n\n[[This is John's baby. Go to every elite baby place in London and buy only the best, and maybe some extra doodads just because. You know Sherlock would approve of spoiling the child rotten, anyway.|That's not a crib]] or [[Go get the basics. Babies don't need anything fancy, they're babies!|The Basics]] \n<<endif>>

You approach the woman, and she catches sight of you out of the corner of her eye. She turns to greet you and you see a large curved belly. Oh... It's Mary! You'd never forget that face after the last two episodes. \n\nDo you trust her?\n\n[[Yes|Ask for Help]]\n[[No|Fake it]]

<<if $petrol eq "yes">> Lugging around this cooler is getting old. Luckily, you know your way around and are able to pick up your things super fast! <<else>> You know your way around and are able to pick up your things super fast! <<endif>>\n\nEQUIP:\n1 box of PG Tips\n10 Carrots\n1 Carton of Eggs\n<<set $tips = "yes">>\n<<set $carrots = "yes">>\n<<set $eggs = "yes">>\n<<set $tescos = "yes">>\n\n[[Back to the List!|Hudson's Errand 1]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\nYou get a call as you're lugging the petrol back to the pub. <<set $batt -= 1>> Setting the jerry can down, you sit on it as you answer the call.\n\n"'lo?" you ask, already knowing who it is. There's only one person you know here, anyway. \n\n"'s Ricardo," Ricardo says, and then snorts. "I don't even know your name."\n\n"Oh," you reply. You don't want to use your real name here; after all, an alternate version of you might exist, and you don't wanna get caught up in their crap. You make up a name, quickly.\n\n[[Choose a name|Name2]]<<endif>>

This meeting is only something you can get to if the bank is burnt down, I.E. you skip the entire first Sherlock case.

Use Walk Away 2 if the bank is burnt.

$clean - "disgusting", "dirty" or "dangerous" - used in alley fight scenes and perhaps in self-descriptions

<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/petrol.png"/>\n\nYou've finally made it to Vale Service station.\n<<if $tescos eq "yes">>Because of trying to keep your tesco bag from swinging and breaking the eggs, you're entirely exhausted. You don't know how you're going to carry a can of petrol with you as well.<<else>>\nYou buy one of the (smaller) jerry cans (there's no need to give Sherlock a lot of petrol). You've just filled it, only to hear someone cursing from another side of the station. That voice sounds familiar. What do you do?<<endif>> \n[[See if you can help.|Meet Lestrade]]\n[[You've got to get back to work.|Hudson's Errand 1]]\n\n<<set $petrol = "yes">>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>><<set $clean to "dangerous"; $pounds -= 20>> <<if $charger eq "yes">> <<set $phone = 10>> <<endif>>\n\nYou get a small room at a dingy hotel, but it has a free breakfast and a running shower, and you duck under the hot water with a sigh of relief.\n\nGranted, the hot water runs out after about five minutes, but it gives you time to scrub yourself down, and you feel much better. You wash your clothes in the bathtub, using the little shampoo bottle provided by the hotel as laundry soap, then hang them over the shower curtain bar to dry. In the morning you'll have clean clothes and a breakfast to boot. <<if $charger eq "yes">> There's even a plug for your phone! <<endif>>\n\nYou snuggle down in the sheets, not caring about their quality just so long as the blanket is warm. For the first time since you woke up in the alley you feel comfortable. \nYou set the alarm clock by your bedside to 10 am and then let yourself fall [[asleep.|Wake up!]] <<endif>>

"What about a charger? I can't have you coming back to Baker Street all the time to recharge the thing," Sherlock says.\n\n<<if $charger is "yes">> [[Yeah, I've got one.|Sherlock 2]] <<else>> [[Sorry...|Charger Page]] <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<BookstoreBit>>\n\nYou wander the shelves for a bit, looking around and trying to find the economics section, or maybe financial self-help. To your surprise, when you reach the economics section there is a rather fussy-looking man already pulling books off the shelves, rifling through them, and putting them back. You watch him for a moment, amused, when he pulls one more book than he can carry off the shelves and his whole armful tumbles to the ground in a heap. \n\n"I'm terribly sorry," he says, as you move forward to help him pick them up. He wipes the sleeve of his suit against his forearm. "I'm so very sorry."\n\n"It's no problem," you assure him. "Why are you looking through all of these, anyway?"\n\nThe man turns quite red as sweat breaks out along his brow again. "Oh, it's nothing, at least, I hope it's nothing."\n\n"Can I help?" you ask, and he sighs. \n\n"Well, I'm looking for a book - a quite specific one - but all I can remember is a passage of it. So I'm trying to find the passage. I'm afraid it's probably no good after all."\n\nYou shake your head. "What is the bit you can remember?"\n\nThe man closes his eyes and composes himself as best he can, and then rattles off, "After a loan is made a sheet is opened and the account entered in the usual manner in the loan section In case taxes or insurance is paid upon property used as collateral it is entered in the portion devoted to that purpose. The interest computed monthly is charged in the Interest column and this portion should balance the interest account for loans and discounts in the general ledger."\n\nYou raise an eyebrow. "Maybe you ought to write that down," you tell him. "I'll help you look."\n\n"Oh, thank you so very much!" he huffs, and hands you a stack of books.\n\nYou look at the titles. \n\nBank Note Descriptive List \nThe Presidency Banks' Act\nBank Bookkeeping \nSylvester's Bank-note and Exchange Manual\n\nWhich book contains the required passage?\n\n <<radio $book "Bank Note Descriptive List ">>\n <<radio $book "The Presidency Banks' Act">>\n <<radio $book "Bank Bookkeeping">>\n <<radio $book "Sylvester's Bank-note and Exchange Manual">>\n \n <<button [[This one|BookAnswer]]>>\n\n<<endif>>

The bank is quiet, and the receptionist barely glances at you as she goes over some paperwork. You see two security cameras above you, and one down the hall.

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You're led to the back room of the pub. Most of it is filled with various types of liquor in crates or boxes, and a dishwasher where plates and pub glasses are stacked, waiting to be washed. You look around curiously as scar-face leads you to the back corner. \n\nThere's a walk-in cooler, and scar-face unlocks it with the little key, pulling it open and gesturing to you. \n\n"In we go, then," he says, and you make a face. \n\n"Please tell me this isn't where you plan to store my body," you tell him, and he grins. \n\n"You caught me," he says, but you step in in front of him and he closes the door behind the both of you, flicking on a torch and leading you to the corner, where he moves a crate and pulls up a panel. You look down to see a ladder leading into darkness before scar-face flips a switch. \n\n"Down into the rabbit hole, Alice," he chuckles, and you put a foot on the top rung, lowering yourself slowly into the small space. It gets darker and darker as you go down, and finally you're feeling around with your foot only to touch ground. You step down and aside so scar-face can follow you down, and he rustles about a bit next to you before you hear another switch click and the room illuminates. \n\n"Welcome to the web," scar-face says, as you take in the area around you. It's got boxes and crates of all sorts, but most amazingly it seems to have a shooting range to the far left, with a sheet-glass barrier around it. You blink at it for a moment. \n\n"Is that soundproof?" is the first thing that comes out of your mouth, and to your surprise, scar-face starts laughing and claps you on the back. \n\n"You're a strange one, newb," he says. "What's your name?" \n\n"<<$name>>," you reply, still in awe of the - well, secret base is all you can think of as a term for it, but secret base brings to mind blanket forts made as a child, and this is much, much more complex than that. \n\n"Nice to meet you, <<$name>>. I'm Seb," the man says, and you freeze for a split second. Luckily Seb isn't looking your way, as you search for the name in your mind. Something... he was connected to Sherlock, wasn't he? Or Moriarty. Somebody important. But he wasn't actually in the show. \n\n"Is that soundproof?" you ask again, catching up to where Seb has walked over to the range. \n\n"Yep," Seb says proudly, opening a door in the glass wall and ushering you through. "I asked for a birthday present. This is what I got." \n\nYou look around in disbelief. "This is a birthday present?" you say, and Seb laughs again. \n\n"Here," he says, leading you over to a table and handing you a pair of earmuffs. "Put these on. You any good with a handgun?" \n\nYour eyes widen and you shake your head. "No idea."\n\nSeb shrugs. "Well, you're gonna be," he tells you, then picks a handgun off the table and loads it quickly with a magazine he pulled out of his pocket. "Hold your arm like this. This," he says, showing you the different bits of the gun, "is the safety. Always on unless you're gonna shoot. Trigger; finger does NOT go on it unless you are pointing at your target and you plan on shooting it within the next three seconds. Magazine, this is where the casing comes out, grip. That's the basics, but it's really all you need to know for now. You won't get this one to carry, but you finish the drop today without incident and come back here after, and I'll train you a bit more. For now, try it out and see if you got a knack for it." \n\nHe hands you the gun and steps back, and you make very, very careful attention to where it is pointing. This is not what you expected when you said yes to dropping off a crate. \n\nAll the same, it is pretty damn cool, and you point the gun forward toward the target on the other side of the range, flip the safety off - it's a bit awkward to do while holding the gun, but you suppose you'll get practice - and put your finger on the trigger before shooting. Your shoulder jolts backward and your wrist feels a bit numb, and the noise, even through the earmuffs, is very loud. \n\nYou can't see any damage to the target. \n\n"Bit to the right," Seb says from behind you. You realise he must have been shouting this whole time, due to the earmuffs, and you quickly take your finger off the trigger and set the gun down, facing toward the target and flipping the safety back on. \n\n"No, try again," he says, and you pick it up again gingerly and look at him, gun still facing the range. \n\n"Do I have to switch anything because of the casing?" you ask, and he shakes his head. You nod and turn back to the range, and Seb comes up behind you. \n\n"Here," he says, pointing at two little green things on top, "line these up with the sight on the end of the barrel. Both eyes open, don't do the pirate thing. You need your sense of distance. Hold your shoulder like this and don't tense these muscles. Deep breath, and shoot."\n\nA loud bang, and you lower the gun carefully after switching the safety to see that you've hit the outer edge of the target. \n\n"Not bad," Seb says, and nods. "You can put it down now."\n\n"Right," you say, a bit shakily, and set down the gun on the table carefully, then pull off your earmuffs. "What's the verdict?" you ask.\n\nSeb narrows his eyes at the target. "Gimme a week and we'll have you half decent. You come back here after the drop. Here, you can go out the other exit," he says, and leads you out of the shooting range, grabbing a crate and heaving it onto your shoulder before leading you to some stairs behind a steel door. <<set $work = "Seb">>\n\n"Longbridge at Regent's?" you confirm with him, and he nods. [["Be right back, then," you tell him, and he grins ferally at you before shutting the door. |Regent's Park]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> Shooting Seb is almost terrifyingly easy, but you aren't going for a kill shot - just the shoulder - so you suppose your conscience doesn't mind. You quickly exit the room, putting the safety on the gun and shoving it into the back of your trousers, covering it as best you can with your jacket and shoving your extra magazines in your pocket. You walk as quickly as you can; you don't want to attract attention by running. \n\nA few streets down you finally see a taxi parked on the side of the road. Jogging toward it, you notice the window rolling down. "Sorry," you begin, out of breath, "But can you take me to-"\n\nYou cut yourself off in horror as familiar, blank brown eyes stare out at you, with a slightly manic grin. "Shouldn't have done that," Moriarty snarls, and lifts a hand in an ironic wave. You whirl around to see Seb's cool eyes looking over a barrel, and then [[everything goes black.|END]] <<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \nYou set the list and card down on Sherlock's desk and make a beeline for the door. [[Ricardo will have something more interesting for you to do, you're certain. |Ricardo 4]]<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You hail a cab, figuring that you've got money, and you won't be able to make it to all the places you want to go before the day's out without faster transport than your legs. \n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Shopping.gif"/>\n\nAnd then - and then it's a whirl of shops and looking things up on your phone,<<set $phone -=3>> ordering cribs at one place and bottles at another and a truly magnificent buggy from Harrod's (Aston Martin, can you believe it?) and clothes here and blankets here because they may not be on the list, but let's face it, you're having fun and Sherlock won't mind. \n\n<div id="gaf210imvustylez_youtubebox" style="width:187px;height:25px;overflow:hidden;"><object width="187" height="25"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FpkagAVN0MM?version=2&theme=dark&border=0&autoplay=1&loop=0&hd=1"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FpkagAVN0MM?version=2&theme=dark&border=0&autoplay=1&loop=0&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" width="187" height="25"></embed></object></div>\n\nEverything is sent to 221B by courier, and a couple of stores are so grateful for the sheer amount of money that you've spent that they offer free delivery. You end up arriving back at 221B just in time to see the [[crib box arrive. |That's not a crib 2]]<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>You frown before Seb can pass you and lead you into the basement again. "Hold on," you say, and hold out your hand. "I want the key before I go back in there."\n\nHe blinks twice at you, and then begins to chuckle. It starts small but turns into a full laugh as he slaps the key into your hand, then grabs it and pulls you into the basement. "Boss!" he says between breaths, "I'm keeping them!"\n\nLooking around, you don't see "Boss" anywhere, but the lights flicker twice and then stay on, and Seb snorts out another laugh, and you think, maybe, that's a yes. Seb closes the door behind you and leads you back to the range, picking up the gun and looking over at the targets, which boast three holes each. \n\n"Not bad," he says after a moment, "Especially for being locked in and using a phone light. By the way, the switch is over there." He points to the light switch, which is by the ladder. You glare at him.\n\n"Yeah, well, I was mostly thinking a lot of expletives about you at the time, not necessarily thinking 'where is the light switch', especially seeing as I didn't know if there was somebody else down here. So ta for that, but I repeat my earlier sentiment of 'you're a jerk'."\n\nRolling his eyes, but smiling, Seb rummages under the table and begins to toss you small black items. Looking one over, you realise it's a pistol magazine. You're trying to balance four when he tosses you the last one and begins to rummage through a box he has shoved into a corner. \n\n"Here," he says, and pulls out a pouch. "Now, those are 13 rounds each, and you've got five. Use 'em carefully because you might not be able to get back here to restock before you're in trouble again. Don't shoot unless you have to - and you'll know when you have to. Now, here's how you load."\n\nSeb hands you the gun and walks you through the loading process, and it takes you three times to get it right. He makes you do it twice more just to ensure you've got it. "I'll show you how to clean it in a second," he tells you. "Here's a spare magazine; try shooting again. I want to see; I know you managed the shots earlier but that doesn't mean your form is right."\n\nYou've got a gun, ammo, and information on what is obviously a major crime ring in London. What do you do?\n<<set $gun to "yes">>\n<<set $bullets to "65">>\n\n<<if $knowLestrade eq "yes">>[[Shoot Seb and find the nearest police station. Lestrade will know what to do.|Bahahaha Good Luck]]<<endif>>\n[[Shoot Seb. You may not know who "Boss" is, but they aren't invincible to a bullet, and there's a crime ring in London to be run. You're just the person to run it.|Stupidest idea you've had in your entire life]]\n[[Point at a target, aim, and fire.|Game 2]]\n\n<<endif>>\n

The offices are clean, with basic industrial blue mottled carpet and the smell of paper dust in the air. A computer hums on the desk and there are several bookshelves with books like [[Principles of Economics: Volume 1|http://books.google.com/books?id=bykoAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false]] and [[The Elements of Banking|http://books.google.com/books?id=F4EBAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=banking&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9KtZVKHVDbCGigKLjYHYCA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=banking&f=false]]. How dull.

<<back>>\nThis Twine game is written by Sherrinford Holmes.\n\t\nCREDIT TO THEMESBYERIS.TUMBLR.COM for the background image!!\n\nI do not own Sherlock Holmes, BBC Sherlock, or any of the characters therin. This is a fan work for fans and no money is gained by it whatsoever.\n\nMany of the places mentioned in this game are actually in London, but I have never been to any of them, nor are any of them, to my knowledge, involved with any sort of criminal or investigative activity. Their names and pictures are used for worldbuilding realism purposes only. \n\nAll photos were found with the understanding that they were public licensed. If your work is found here and you want it taken down/credited, please let me know at myownpersonsh@gmail.com.\n<<back>>

"Actually, I think I'll pass. Maybe I can find a place that'll pay a bit more," you say, and Angelo's face falls, but he nods.\n\n"I guess I understand. You're done with your food?" he asks, and you nod. \n\n"Thanks for the meal!" you say, and [[head out the front door.|Walk Away]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You quickly dial the number that's still saved as the "Rejection Hotline", waiting for Mrs. Hudson to pick up as you lock both doors to the stairway. "Hello?" she says, as you're struggling with the curtains.\n\n"Mrs. Hudson? Would you be a dear for me and close and lock the front door? And then make sure your door is closed and locked, too. And stay inside?" you ask, trying to put on a cheery voice.\n\n"Oh, dear, has Sherlock got pulled into something nasty again?" Mrs. Hudson asks, and you can hear her below you, shutting the door firmly.\n\n"Apparently," you reply tiredly as you pull the last curtain closed, considering whether or not to venture into Sherlock's room and check the windows there as well. In the end you decide to, just because you remember Irene Adler coming in that way in A Scandal in Belgravia. "If I call you again, it's because Sherlock's arrived, but otherwise we're to stay locked up and safe. Or as safe as we can be." You open the door to Sherlock's room, walking to the window and checking that it's closed and locked before pulling the curtain.\n\nMrs. Hudson heaves a sigh. "I had my bridge club today, too," she says unhappily, then sighs. "Oh well. Do you have anything to eat up there? The tea's in the cupboard next to the fridge, and there are generally a couple of good mugs in there as well, that John told him not to use in experiments. There was a lot of shouting that day, as I recall."\n\n"Thanks," you say, amused. "So I can assume the kettle's safe?"\n\n"Oh, yes, dear, John and I would be having words with that boy if he messed with the kettle. Just you make yourself at home. I'll come up to have a little chat later once everything's settled."\n\n"Ta, Mrs. Hudson. Have a cuppa yourself," you reply.\n\n"Thank you luv. Just call me when they get here, then. Bye!" Mrs. Hudson says cheerily, and hangs up. \n\nYou hang up and make a face at your phone, then begin to rummage in the kitchen for the tea-making supplies. You haven't had anything to eat, and you debate checking the fridge, but decide you'd really rather not see the cow's heart after a day of degeneration. You put on the kettle and flop on the sofa to [[settle in.|Case File One]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> "They just let you go," Sherlock rants as he paces. He all but dragged you and Mrs. Hudson upstairs when you arrived back at 221B, and John made tea to placate Mrs. Hudson, who was insistant about her cuppa. So you're currently on the couch while your phone <<if $charger eq "yes"and $batt lt 10>>[[charges|passage()][$batt += 1]]<<else>>charges<<endif>>, sipping at a perfectly made cup of PGTips, while Mrs. Hudson tries to drop back into a drowse next to you, and John is comfortably ensconced in his red chair by the fireplace, staring unhappily at the box of guns. \n\nYou sigh and refocus on the conversation. "Yeah," you reply. "They just let us go."\n\nSherlock stops in place and turns to you with a slightly manic, urgent glint in his eyes. "Is there anything you're not telling me?"\n\nQuirking a smile, you glance at John. "I'm currently wearing black underwear, I desperately need a shower, I miss home and you're being a git. Do you want me to continue?"\n\nGlaring, Sherlock climbs over the back of his chair and then flops into it, knees up to his chin. "It's not sensible. According to your description, the man you saw sounds very like Sebastian Moran."\n\n"Who's Sebastian Moran?" John asks, interjecting for the first time since he sat down with his tea. Sherlock turns all of his intense focus to his friend.\n\n"He was Moriarty's second-in-command; the one who did most of the 'dirty work', since Moriarty didn't like to do those sorts of things himself. The grunt man, as it were."\n\n"You said 'was'," John points out, and Sherlock nods.\n\n"I killed him in Prague," he says, matter-of-factly, and John's eyebrows rise to his hairline.\n\n"You what?" he says incredulously, setting his tea aside and leaning forward. Sherlock, in juxtaposition, leans back.\n\n"You needn't look so suprised," he says. "What did you think I was doing the whole time I was gone? Having a party? No, I was eliminating Moriarty's web. I shot Sebastian in Prague after a four-month manhunt. He was one of the hardest. He was in the army, you know," Sherlock tells John easily, "As a colonel. Sniper, and a good one too. Trying to get within shooting range was half the battle. One of my contacts died."\n\n"You had contacts," John says shortly, and Sherlock's eyes widen.\n\n"Not - they didn't know who I was. Just that I wanted Moran dead. They agreed with the sentiment," Sherlock says, and John nods tersly. \n\n"But you shot him, so who's this?"\n\nSherlock scrubs his hands through his hair frustratedly. "I don't know. And more to the point, why did he let you go? He knew you'd describe him to me."\n\n"Perhaps that's exactly the point," says a languid voice from the doorway, and you look up to see "Anthea" (Andrea is her real name, wasn't it? In the credits? Though probably best not to let on about that) standing in the doorway, looking down at her Blackberry with a mildly disconcerted look on her face. She glances up to meet your eyes a moment later and takes a step forward. "May I borrow your phone?" she says, and you frown, glancing down at hers, but shrug and pull yours off the charger. \n\n"Sure, but it's the only one I have, so I'll want it back," you tell her, and she nods before stepping back to the doorway as [[Mycroft walks in.|Oh Dearie Me]] <<set $phone to "no">>\n\n<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\nYou come back with the stuff and the changing bag, lugging it up the stairs and into 221B with a sigh. You set it all down and straighten up to notice a note on the desk with your name on it. You pick it up. <$name>, it says, We'll be out for a bit longer. There's payment for the errands under the skull. \n\nYou look at the skull. Sure enough, there's a wad of bills. You pocket the money and hover in the room for a moment, warming yourself up as your phone <<if $charger eq "yes"and $batt lt 10>>[[charges,|passage()][$batt += 1]]<<else>>charges,<<endif>> then head out [[into the cold again. |Walk Away 3]] <<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/petrol.png"/>\n\nYou've finally made it to Vale Service station.\n\nYou buy one of the jerry cans for 20 pounds. <<set $pounds -= 20>> <<set $petrol2 = "yes">> <<if $knowLestrade eq "yes">> [[You can head back to Ricardo,|Finished PetrolR]]<<else>> [[You can head back to Ricardo,|Finished PetrolR]] but you can hear someone cursing from another side of the station. That voice sounds familiar. What do you do?\n[[See if you can help.|Meet Lestrade3]]<<endif>> <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n"Right, okay, <<$name>>," says Ricardo. "Apparently your parents had personal problems."\n\n"Oi, shut it," you retort, and you can hear Ricardo scoff on the other end of the phone. "Anyway, don't bother coming back here. I need you to head to the pub near the Archive Bookstore on Bell Street. Tiny little place. Drop the petrol off there."\n\n"Got it," you reply, and hang up, looking up the place on your phone. <<set $batt -= 1>>\n\nWhere do you go?\n\n <<radio $pub "The Perseverance ">>\n <<radio $pub "The Chapel">>\n <<radio $pub "Bell House">>\n <<radio $pub "The Brazen Head">>\n \n <<button [[This one|PubAnswer]]>> \n\n<<if $hints gte 1>>[[Call Sherlock for help!|Hint1]] <<endif>><<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/petrol.png"/>\n\nYou've finally made it to Vale Service station.\n\nYou buy one of the (smaller) jerry cans for 2 pounds. <<set $pounds -= 2>> <<set $petrol2 = "yes">> <<if $knowLestrade eq "yes">> [[You can head back to Ricardo,|Finished Petrol]]<<else>> [[You can head back to Ricardo,|Finished Petrol]] but you can hear someone cursing from another side of the station. That voice sounds familiar. What do you do?\n[[See if you can help.|Meet Lestrade2]]<<endif>> <<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You head to the back, and Seb pulls the crate off the trapdoor and gestures to you again. You climb down the ladder, and you're halfway down when the light begins to fade and you look up to see Seb closing the door on you. \n\nYou panic. It's dark and even though you're scrambling up the ladder as quickly as you can, you can already hear Seb moving the crate on top of the trapdoor. You're effectively trapped down here. \n\nSlowly, you descend the ladder, feeling for each rung with your foot before stepping down, and blindly reaching for rungs with your hands. When your foot finally reaches flooring instead of ladder, you drop down, still holding to the ladder as you shake with relief. \n\nRummaging in your pocket, you manage to find your phone and turn it on, using the photo flash as a flashlight. The room is devoid of people, but still full of crates. Seb's firing range is empty as well, you find, as you tiptoe toward it, half expecting someone to jump out of nowhere and shoot you. \n\nYou turn around and weave through the crates to find the door you were at before. It's locked. Great. You look down at your phone; there's no signal on it, either. Great. Just great.\n\nYou make your way back to the shooting range. Maybe you can shoot the lock? However, when you open the door, you notice a paper on the table with a pistol.\n\n <<$name>>, it says,\nThe best know how to fire under pressure. Hit each one and you might be able to get out.\nSeb\nP.S. I get the best birthday presents, and I dare you to tell me I'm wrong after this.\n\nYou look at the gun. Nine bullets, you think, but you're not sure. You look across from you, pointing your phone carefully. [[Three targets. |Game]]<<endif>>\n

<<set $work to "Sherlock">><<set $place to "221B">>\n"Have you got a phone?" Sherlock asks you. \n\n<<if $phone is "yes">> [[Yeah.|Phone Charger 2]] <<else>> [[No, sorry.|Crap phone]]<<endif>>

You don't really know your way around a Tesco, and even if this one is tiny, you can't seem to find the things on your list. And all this food is making you hungry. You've thought to ask the clerk but it seems he's stepped out for a smoke break. What do you do?\n\n[[Steal the stuff!|Arrested]]\n<<if $fakeit eq "yes">> [[Take your time searching|GotTescos]] <<else>> [[Ask that lady over there.|Meet Mary]] <<endif>>

\nYou turn quickly and pretend to look at that lovely display of jam. Yes. Jam is ever so interesting at the moment. Definitely. After pretending to decide not to get it, [[you turn away.|Search a bit]]\n\n<<set $fakeit = "yes">>

You grab the bucket of water standing nearby and Lestrade uses it to rinse out his rag. You kneel down next to the bike. "Here, give me that," you say, holding out your hand for the rag. "You scrape, I'll scrub."\n\n"What, really? You don't have to," the DI says, and you shrug. \n\n"It's fine. Mrs. Hudson said not to hurry."\n\n"Mrs. Hudson?" Lestrade asks, and you nod.\n\n"Yeah, I'm doing some errands for her."\n\n"Is that why you're lugging around a cooler and a jerry can?" Lestrade asks, and you can't help but smile.\n\n"Don't look in the cooler if you've eaten recently," you tell him, and the detective grimaces.\n\n"So she's got you doing Sherlock's shopping as well."\n\n"I guess," you say, "there's something about him not being allowed combustives written on the list."\n\n"Oh hell no," Lestrade says, eyes widening at the thought, and he shakes his head before turning to scrape a bit harder at a persistent spot of muck. "Tell you what, you finish helping me with this, and I'll give you a ride back to Baker Street. Don't tell anyone a copper let you ride without a helmet, though."\n<<set $rideback = "yes">>\nYou laugh. [["Sounds like a deal."|Completed Errand]]\n\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>Storyline coming soon! <<endif>>\n

<<set $puzzle1 = [[prompt("Enter First Word","Word")]]>>\n<<set $puzzle2 = [[prompt("Enter Second Word","Word")]]>>\n<<if $puzzle1 eq "Barrel" and $puzzle2 eq "Rider">> Seb grins. "Knew you'd be worth the investment. Right, you'll need a proper ankle holster and draw training, and a mag pouch. Do yourself a favour and never shove your gun down your trousers, people only do that in films and it generally ends badly and painfully."\n\nYou nod, and Seb gestures you over to the table. "Sit," he says. "Gonna teach you how to clean this thing." \n\nFor the next half hour, you're taking apart the pistol, putting it back together, shown how to use gun oil and the rag Seb hands you to turn the entire weapon into a shining, well-oiled death dealer. Seb seems pleased with your progress when you've finished, giving you a pat on the back that nearly knocks you off the table. \n\n"Here," he says, rummaging in a pocket. "That's your payment, of course, but you'll probably want something to make sure you survive the next few days." He hands you a small wad of bills, and you shove them in your pocket, then strap on the magazine pouch and the ankle holster Seb hands you, and he shows you how to properly secure the gun. \n\n"Off with you, then," he says, pleased. "Keep the key."\n\nYou raise an eyebrow at him. "Really?"\n\nSeb shrugs. "Where else are you gonna practice with an illegal gun in London?"\n\n"I thought you'd enjoyed locking me in," you grin at him, and he rolls his eyes. \n\n"I never said I wouldn't change the locks. Now get outta here, I don't wanna see your ugly mug till tomorrow."\n\nLaughing, you use your new key to [[head out the door.|Walk Away 3]] <<set $key to "yes">>\n<<else>> [[No, please try again!|Game 2]]\n<<endif>>\n\n

\n"You sure?" you ask, and he nods. \n\n"Something happened to you, yeah? You don't look the bad sort. And I was there myself once. Gotta pay the good things forward, you know," he says, grinning widely and clapping you on the back as he lets you into the [[room|Angelo's]].\n\n\n<<set $knowAngelo = "yes">>\s

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<if $petrol2 eq "yes">> "I have the petrol you wanted," you say, lugging in the jerry can. \n[["Thanks a ton," Ricardo smiles.|Bradley]]<<endif>><<endif>>

You sigh and call Sherlock, unable to find the place. He picks up with a curt, "What do you want?" Of course there's no social niceties like, 'hello?'\n\n"I need to find a place, and I was wondering if you knew it," you say awkwardly, and Sherlock scoffs. \n\n"Of course I know it, where?" \n\nYou breath a sigh of relief; apparently he's not busy, or he'd have just hung up on you. "The pub near Archive Bookstore on Bell Street."\n\n"The Brazen Head," he says, and you hear a click before the line goes dead. You take the phone away from your ear and sigh. Well, at least you got your answer. \n<<set $hint -= 1>>\n\n<<back>>

"Here, take this then," Sherlock says, and tosses you a cheap old phone. "It's old but it works, and it has a browser even if it's slow."\n\nYou've gained a phone! <<set $phone += 1>>\n\n[["...Thanks."|Phone Charger 2]]

<<if $knowAngelo eq "yes">>\n"You're the one from yesterday! Change your mind, did you?" Angelo booms from above your head, and you nod awkwardly. "Well, then, [[come inside!|Angelo's]]" he beckons.\n<<else>> \n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Angelo.jpg"/>\s\nYou know that face! It was just for a moment in the very first episode. \n\n"Angelo?" you mutter blearily, and his eyes widen.\n\n"Do I know you?" he asks, and you shake you head, feeling droplets of water fall off your hair and run down your neck uncomfortably. \n\n"Sher - ah, someone I... know of.. likes your food," you say uncomfortably, wondering how much you ought to let on here. It's becoming more and more clear that you've found yourself - improbably, impossibly - in the world of your favourite television show. Though, you suppose he'd say that after you eliminated the impossible, whatever was left must be the truth. \n\nYou wonder uncomfortably what episode you're in. \n\n"Oh, well of course," Angelo booms, looking cheerful at the compliment. "Best Italian in London. But you can't sleep in front of the shop."\n\n"Yeah, sorry. Just... didn't have a place. I'll move on," you say, smelling the food wafting out the door and standing uncomfortably, hoping your stomach won't growl and give away how hungry you are. \n\nYou begin to walk away when you hear Angelo clear his throat. \n\n"Ah, actually," he says, and you turn around. He looks at you a moment, then purses his lips and says, "Come on in. We've got some breadsticks and pasta from last night."\n\n[[Sounds good!|Come in]] or [[Leftovers? No Thanks!|Walk Away]]\n\n<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n\n"What sort of incentive?" you ask, and Ricardo considers you a moment.\n\n"My boss needs something to get a flame started. Think you can help with that?"\n\nYou blink at him. "You want me to go get petrol? <<if $petrol eq "yes">>That's the second person who's needed that today.<<endif>> Yeah, I can do that."\n\n"Here's a few pounds," Ricardo says, handing you two quid. <<set $pounds += 2>> "If you take my money and don't come back with the stuff, there will be a problem." He glares at you, and you nod seriously. Seems a bit of fuss for two pounds. All the same, you pocket the money.\n\n"Got it," you reply, and head off to the [[station. |Petrol Station]] <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <<if $l eq "Cocaine" and $c eq "Heroin" and $e eq "Krocodil" and $p eq "Nothing">>You're quite satisfied with your conclusions, and put down the pen to pick up your mug, only to realise that [[your tea's gone cold.|Sherlock Arrives]]<<else>>\s\n\n\nAfter you've gotten yourself a steaming cuppa (sans milk, due to not wanting to open the fridge), you settle carefully on the sofa, pushing a few papers aside to set your tea on the coffee table. One of them falls to the ground, and you pick it up, hoping they weren't stacked in a specific order. The word 'drugs' catches your eye, though, and you scan the page as you pull your legs up next to you and tug over Sherlock's dressing gown, which was puddled against the sofa arm. (If you're going to be stuck alone here, you're going to at least be warm.)\n\nThe page has the following notes:\n\n\n* Drug Distribution\n\n* The cocaine is not being routed through Scotland or Wales.\n\n* The heroin is being routed through either Penzance or Cardiff.\n\n* One city is not a trading centre.\n\n* Krocodil was seen being traded by a man with a Scottish accent. \n\n* The city with the same name as a pirate opera is not trading the heroin or the cocaine.\n\nAfter a bit of studying, and a minor amount of Google, you're able to sort out the drugs to their cities. You find a pen under another batch of papers, scribbling down the answers. \n\nWhat does London distribute?\n\n <<radio $l "Cocaine">>\n <<radio $l "Heroin">>\n <<radio $l "Krocodil">>\n <<radio $l "Nothing">>\n\n\nWhat does Edinburgh distribute?\n\n <<radio $e "Cocaine">>\n <<radio $e "Heroin">>\n <<radio $e "Krocodil">>\n <<radio $e "Nothing">>\n\n\nWhat does Cardiff distribute?\n\n <<radio $c "Cocaine">>\n <<radio $c "Heroin">>\n <<radio $c "Krocodil">>\n <<radio $c "Nothing">>\n\nWhat does Penzance distribute?\n\n <<radio $p "Cocaine">>\n <<radio $p "Heroin">>\n <<radio $p "Krocodil">>\n <<radio $p "Nothing">>\n\n<<button [[Write it out.|passage()]]>> \n<<endif>><<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n\nA grimy smell hits your nose, and you immeadietly know where you are; close to the banks of the Thames, close enough to smell it, anyway. You look around and begin to follow your nose. You can look up a map on your phone once you've found a point of reference. \n\nMrs. Hudson is shivering in the cold, and you realise it must have been adrenaline keeping her going so far. She's going to be far more susceptible to the chill than you, and you pull your leather jacket off, keeping your hoodie, and help her into it.\n\n"Oh, I'm sorry, love, I know it's silly," she says, clutching at your upper arm, and you shake your head.\n\n"It's fine, Mrs. Hudson, really. Anyone would be shaken up," you tell her, and she looks up at you.\n\n"You're not," she says, and whacks you lightly on the shoulder. "You were in there, standing up to him as if you had nothing to lose!"\n\nYou look at her for a moment, then quirk a sad smile, realising she's right. "That's exactly it," you tell her. "I hadn't anything to lose. Well, I was worried about you, but mostly - I haven't much except the stuff in my pockets." Turning, you put your arm around her shoulder again, and you begin to walk toward the Thames again, while you scan the area for stuff you recognise.\n\n"OH!" you suddenly say, and stop. "May I just...?" You turn and pull the wadded-up gum out of your jacket sleeve. "I was thinking," you tell Mrs. Hudson, who is looking at you curiously, "that I could shove this into a door lock if they tried to lock us up somewhere. But now..." You pull your wallet out of your pocket. You don't like the idea - it's your only remnant of them - but it's also the only absolutely unique item that you own, and you take out the picture of your person. "This. It can be a marker." You look down the street, where you can see just a sliver of the warehouse between the buildings, and then take the wad of gum and the picture and stick it to the nearest light pole. "For Sherlock later."\n<<set $picture to "no">> <<set $gum -= 1>>\nMrs. Hudson looks at you, then at the picture. "Who is that?"\n\n"Er, my person," you say awkwardly.\n\n"Oh, dear. That's not a happy voice," Mrs. Hudson says as you begin to walk again, and you think about what to say.\n\n"They're not dead," you finally say. "They're... do you remember that bit in Doctor Who where Rose gets stuck and the Doctor's on the other side?"\n\n"Oh, Doomsday! I cried," Mrs. Hudson confides in you, and you laugh suddenly, wonderingwhat on earth has happened to your life that this is the sort of thing you talk about.\n\n"Yeah, well, it's kind of like that," you explain.\n\n"Oh, they emmigrated," Mrs. Hudson says, and you shake your head with a smile.\n\n"Slightly more complicated than that," you say. "And I suppose technically I'm the one who moved. Though I didn't do it on purpose," you assure her, and she pauses as you reach a street that borders the muck that lines the Thames.\n\n"Exactly how far away from home are you, dear?" she asks, and you look down at your feet, blinking hard. \n\n"Rather far," you admit after a moment, and she reaches out to pull you into a hug. \n\n"Tell you what," she says, "When we get back home I'm just gonna make us both a cuppa and we'll sit down and let go of some of this stress while Sherlock sorts it all out. It seems to me that a good cuppa and a sit-down would just hit the spot; and my hip would really love a good moment with my sofa and a soother."\n\nYou snort out a chuckle and pull out your phone, <<set $batt -=1>>[[calling Sherlock again.|Call]]\n <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> "Where are you?" Sherlock demands straight off, and you look around you. \n\n"Um, not quite sure, to be honest. Warehouse district near the river. Mrs. Hudson's hip is acting up and we're both cold. Any chance we could get picked up?"\n\n"A car should pick you up shortly," a smooth voice interrupts, and you freeze. Mycroft. That is a whole new can of worms that you'd really prefer wasn't opened yet. \n\n"Right," you say. "Great. Um, nearby I've tacked up a picture with gum; if you find it you can just turn... north, I think it was, and you'll see the warehouse we were taken to. I doubt they've had a chance to move all the stuff that was in it."\n\n"My thanks for the tip," Mycroft says calmly, and hangs up just as his car pulls up.\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Jaguar.jpg"/>\n\n"Ah, who was that?" you ask Sherlock, remembering the need to play innocent.\n\n"My brother. You can get in the car, it's probably just arrived. He does like to time things dramatically."\n\n"Thank heavens you don't have any melodramatic tendencies at all," you say, echoing a remembered line of John's, as you help Mrs. Hudson into the car. \n\n"I told you to block the doors and stay in Baker Street," Sherlock scolds, and you roll your eyes before remembering he can't see it. \n\n"They were already in the house when I was hanging up. They had Mrs. Hudson," you tell him, and Mrs. Hudson squeezes your arm.\n\n"And how did you escape? I'd expect it to be a bit difficult," Sherlock says, and you make a face.\n\n"Um, I was snarky and rude and basically expected to get killed, and they let us go," you reply, just to be annoying, because you know he won't believe you, and sure enough, he hangs up, leaving you to turn to Mrs. Hudson, who's giggling.\n\n"Oh, now, that wasn't very nice," she tries to scold you, but her laughter makes it difficult. "You know he'll be all up in a bother about it when we get home."\n\n"Yeah, well," you say, pocketing your phone. "He can just stew on it for a bit. I got kidnapped today, I think I deserve a little fun."\n\n"You're right," Mrs. Hudson says, "But he'll make you pay for it, you know." You wince.\n\n"Probably," you reply, and Mrs. Hudson leans against your side with a tilt of her head on your shoulder. \n\n"Do you mind, dear?" she says, looking up at you. "Only I thought I'd take a nap till we get home. My old bones aren't used to all the excitement."\n\nYou snort a laugh. "Lies. You deal with Sherlock on a regular basis, excitement is your lifestyle. Which just means you need the sleep. Go on."\n\nGiggling again, Mrs. Hudson snuggles down as you stare out the window, trying to remember every bit of scarface and commit it to memory to recount to [[Sherlock later.|Back to 221B]] <<endif>>

<<LestradeBit1>>\n\n\n<<if $creditcard >= 1>>\s\n You suddenly remember - you have <<print $creditcard>> credit card(s) in your wallet. \n [[Try out your card|ATMYC]] or [[Head back. Mrs. Hudson is waiting!|Hudson's Errand 1]] \n<<else if>> Too bad you haven't got anything plastic on you. [[Head back. Mrs. Hudson is waiting!|Hudson's Errand 1]] <<endif>>

There are plugs and charging stations for free in many buildings you visit. Every time you use your phone, your battery will decrease by one! Keep an eye on the level in the inventory. \n\nIf your battery reaches 0, you can go to a cafe and charge it for a pound. However, if you use your phone at zero, you will have to visit <<$place>> to charge the phone. This doesn't cost anything but you will lose all favours, as <<$work>> gets rather annoyed by you running out of battery so he can't call you. \n<<back>>

Angelo's restaurant is as warm as it looked on television, even in the grey foggy morning of London.

<<AngelosBit>>\s\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Angelos.jpg"/>\s\n\n"You want to [[sit out here|Front of Angelo's]]? Or you can [[come back to the kitchen|Back of Angelo's]] and hang out with me and the cooks," Angelo offers.\n\n\n

"Oh, it's just fine, dear!" the familiar voice from yesterday says, and you whirl on your heel to see the sweet face of Mrs. Hudson blinking up at you.\n\n"No, really," you say quickly, feeling twice as bad now, "I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you all right?"\n\nShe's wincing a bit now, a hand going to her hip. "Oh, it's nothing, you know, just age. Getting older! I've got a hip, you know," she confides in you, and you nod sympathetically. \n\n[["I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"|Help out]] OR [[Well, I hope you feel better!|Walk Away]]\n\n<<set $knowHudson = "yes">>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> <img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Pint.jpeg"/>\nRicardo sits you down and shoves a dirty pint glass full of water at you. You glance at it unhappily, then realise that you probably won't be able to get water this easily now, what with not having a house and all. Also, you haven't had anything to drink for about fifteen hours and you are parched. You pick it up and drain it. \n\n"So who's got this job you keep talking about?"\n\n"No one of interest to you," Ricardo says, and you raise an eyebrow at him. You've had a cold night and a frustrating day so far already, you don't need someone talking riddles at you. \n\n"Really. Seems I'd have an interest if I'm meant to get a job from him. Or her. Or whoever."\n\nRicardo gives you an unfriendly grin. "Oh, the job you can do. You just don't need to know who you're doing it for."\n\nBlinking at him for a moment, you shrug. \n\n[["I don't trust mystery bosses. I'll just be off."|Walk Away]]\n[["If I get paid and can claim innocence, it's all good to me."|Petrol For Ricardo]] <<endif>>

\n<<set $name = [[prompt("What's your name?","Name")]]>>\n\n<<if $name eq "you">>Please hit <<back>> and try again!\n<<else>> [[Yes, that name will do.|Burning]]\n<<endif>>

\n"Right," Sherlock says, and rummages across the desk... and then looks through the drawer of the side table near John's chair... and then finally seems to find what he's looking for behind a pinned butterfly in a frame on the bookcase. "Here," he says, tossing it to you. It's a phone charger, one of the universal ones with multiple ports. "That ought to do. Now an important thing is: [[don't let your battery run out.|Battery Info]] I may need to get ahold of you at any time. Is that clear?"\n\nYou nod, hoping you will be able to find enough ports to charge it at, but Sherlock answers the question before you can voice it. "Oh, there's always plugs at public places, cafes, the library... you'll be fine," he says, and you hope he's right.\n<<set $batt = 10>>\n<<set $charger = "yes">>\n"Now, then," he says, and you [[straighten up and listen.|Sherlock 2]]\n\n

"Yeah, sounds great. Anything's good at this point," you say, and Angelo grins. \n\n"Gimme a moment and I'll give you directions," he says, and comes back with a paper and pencil, sketching out a quick map as you finish your meal. [["Here."|Meet Mrs. Hudson]]

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<BankBit>>\n\nYou decide to try a trick you've seen Sherlock use - confidence. You walk straight down the hall, being sure not to look at the camera directly, and find two offices; one labelled [[Mortinson|Mortinson's office]] and the other labelled [[Mason|Mason's Office]]. <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<ATMBit>>\n"Brilliant, thanks. You mind fetching me that bucket?"\n\n"Ta for this. Are you new to town?" Lestrade asks as he scrubs, and you nod. \n\n"I'm just doing some errands for a bloke down the way."\n\nLestrade looks up at you and pushes his hair out of his face. "No shit. Oh, sorry, I'm in a sweary mood today. Some kids decided to stick this muck all over my bike since I'm a cop. But I suppose cops shouldn't swear this much. Probably shouldn't keep your friend waiting long, though."\n\n"Yeah, I know. I'll see you around?" you ask, and he grins.\n\n"'Course you will. I always seem to be running back to Baker Street for a certain someone."\n\n"Brilliant," you reply with a shy smile, and [[walk away.|Finished PetrolR]] <<endif>>

"Do you know anyone around here who could help you out?" Angelo asks, and you shake your head. \n\n"Nope. It was just me. I was gonna sign a lease yesterday but they wouldn't take me without paperwork."\n\nAngelo nods. "Well, tell you what, I don't know much of what I can do, but there's a lady I know who was just saying she'd like someone to do her errands for her, since she's got a bad hip. It might not be much but it could probably pay for a cheap hotel for a night. Wanna try?"\n\n[[Hell yeah!|Address to Hudson]] or [[Not worth it...|Not a chance]]

The inside of 221 Baker Street is warm and cosy, even if the wallpapers are horrendous. It's so strange to be stepping into a place from a television show, but the building around you looks nothing like a set.

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<LestradeBit1>>\n<<if $creditcard >= 1>>\s\n You suddenly remember - you have <<print $creditcard>> credit card(s) in your wallet. \n [[Try out your card|ATMYC2]] or [[Head back. Ricardo is waiting!|Finished Petrol]] \n<<else if>> Too bad you haven't got anything plastic on you. [[Head back. Ricardo is waiting!|Finished Petrol]] <<endif>> <<endif>>

<<set $name = [[prompt("What's your name?","Name")]]>>\n\n<<if $name eq "you">>Please hit <<back>> and try again!\n<<else>> [[Yes, that name will do.|Sherlock 3]]\n<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n<<OfficeBit>>\n\nYou rummage through the room. It's nearly spartan clean and everything has locks, but you notice that one of the drawers of the desk is slightly open. Prying at it, you manage to pop the drawer all the way free. You're greeted by a stack of papers, but underneath is a lockbox. \n\nYou can't just take the whole box; someone would notice, especially if the receptionist managed to actually pay attention to you coming back here. If you just take what's inside, though, you may be able to fool anyone who was just studying the cameras. \n\nThe box has a symbol on top, and you study it for a moment. \n\n As2S3\n M= \n\nUnderneath there is a number pad, with a screen with space for three numbers. You think for a bit and then [[enter the code.|CODE]]<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> \n<<FightBit>>\nYou stumble out of the alley, breathing hard and feeling the worse for wear, clutching the can of petrol. So much for the "shortcut". You head toward the bookstore neighbourhood, avoiding any more shortcuts. [[Get me out of here!|Dropoff]]\n<<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>You pull the gum out of your pocket slowly, unwrapping it as quietly as you can before mashing it between finger and thumb. Slowly it becomes more pliable.\n\n"That's enough, then," the gunman barks, and for a moment you fear he's noticed what you're doing, but then Mrs. Hudson hiccups and you realise that he wants her to be quiet. \n\n"Sorry, Mrs. Hudson. I'm not much help," you tell her, still working the gum, and she nods, trying to stifle herself into little whines of fear. \n\nThe van begins to slow after numerous twists and turns, and by the time it stops you've managed to get the gum semi-sticky, and you shove it against the fabric of your inner sleeve, hoping it'll stay there, hidden on the inside. Gunman ushers you out, training his pistol on you the whole time you try to climb out while keeping your hands behind your back. Mrs. Hudson nearly falls, but you duck under and manage to catch her with a shoulder, and she straightens up awkwardly.\n\n"I'm so sorry," she flutters, "So sorry."\n\n"It's fine, Mrs. Hudson, really," you reassure her, and she sniffles again. \n\n"That's it, move on," gunman says, "Hands behind your backs still, that's it."\n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Warehouse.JPG"/>\n\nThey march you into a warehouse, huge, with all the lights on. You look around, realising the entire place is empty, the shelves packed and loaded with merchandise that looks normal but you'd bet is filled with contraband, but not a single person in sight. There's an entire section with the crib boxes in the corner. \n\n"I - I'm sorry," comes a voice, very faint, from the other side of the warehouse. "It was just a mistake, it was only me second run, they all look alike! I won't do it again, promise, me mum - "\n\nYou don't get to hear about his mum, though, because the talking stops abruptly, and gunman shoves you through aisles and round a corner. There's a man, studiously looking over a firearm, and a man in a puddle of red. [[You quickly step in front of Mrs. Hudson, gulping and trying not to notice the copper smell of blood in the air.|Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright]]<<endif>>

"Oi, what are you doing there?!" comes a voice from nearby, and you whirl round to see a uniformed cop standing just round the corner. \n\n<<if $knowLestrade eq "yes">> [[Ask for Lestrade, he'll understand!|Get out of jail free maybe]] <<endif>> \n\n<<if $knowLestrade eq "yes">> [[Ask for Lestrade, he'll understand!|Get out of jail free maybe]]\n<<else>>"I saw that. You'll need to come with me," she says, and you groan as she grabs your arm and [[marches you away.|END]] <<endif>>

<<if $rideback is "yes">>Mrs. Hudson greets you and Lestrade with a wide smile. \n\n"Oh, that was quicker than I expected!" she says, and then steps back and waves her hands. "Come in, come in, I'll put the kettle on. You here with a case, Detective?"\n\n"No, actually," Lestrade says, sounding a little surprised at himself. "Just helping them bring back your groceries." He nods to you with a shrug.\n\n"Well, that's very kind of you. I didn't know you knew each other," Mrs. Hudson says, and you look at Lestrade.\n\n"We didn't," you answer. "We met at the petrol station."\n\n"Oh how nice!" she twitters. "Well, you'll have to both come in for a cuppa, then. Come on, in you get." <<else>>\nMrs. Hudson greets you with a wide smile. \n\n"Oh, that was quicker than I expected!" she says, and then steps back and waves her hands. "Come in, come in, I'll put the kettle on."\n\n"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother," you say, but she shakes her head. \n\n"I insist. Besides, I ought to give you something for doing all that running about for me. My hip feels a wonder." <<endif>>\n<<silently>>\n<<set $completed errand = "yes">>\n<<set $kidneys = "no">>\n<<set $cowsh = "no">>\n<<set $tips = "no">>\n<<set $petrol = "no">>\n<<set $carrots = "no">>\n<<set $brisket = "no">>\n<<set $eggs = "no">>\n<<endsilently>>\n\n[[You step into 221A Baker Street.|221A]]

<<if $book eq "Bank Bookkeeping">>[[You're correct!|Witness]]\n<<else>> [[No, please try again!|Bookstore]]\n<<endif>>

You explain the whole story, from waking up in the alley. Angelo's face grows more and more concerned as he listens. Eventually he gets up. \n\n"Sorry, I've got to make a [[call."|SECTIONED]]

\n"Hard on money," he sympathises. "I know the feeling. Let me know if you ever need a job. <<if visited ("Pub")>>[[I've got a place that accepts almost anyone who comes calling."|Hired]] <<else>>[[I've got a place that accepts almost anyone who comes calling."|Ricardo]] <<endif>> <<set $knowRicardo = "yes">>

You see a small alley. It looks like a shortcut, and you duck through only to have a rather <<$clean>> man bump into you -- on purpose, it looks like. \n\n"Oy," he says, turning on you. "Apologise!"\n\nYou grimace. "Sorry."\n\n"Not good enough," the man growls at you, and backs you toward a wall. "I'll be needing compensation."

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> "It's what?" John snaps, sounding like Captain Watson. \n\n"Er, pistols. I'm almost certain that's what they are, anyway. I'm not big on guns. Or firearms of any kind, really. I've only shot one once. But they definitely look like pistols. They're packed in Styrofoam. So, ah... please tell me Sherlock didn't order any pistols in a crib box," you say nervously, trying to make a bit of a joke, but it falls flat since you mostly just sound nervous. \n\n"Sherlock," John says on the other side of the phone, and his tone is both serious and joking. You can suddenly picture him on the sands of Afghanistan, cracking morbid jokes while watching surrounding buildings for snipers. It's the sort of tense joking you'd hear on the edge of battle, you think. Giggling at crime scenes indeed. "Sherlock, you didn't order any guns, did you?"\n\nThere's a bit of rustling, a "give me the phone," and then Sherlock's voice is directly in your ear. "Have I received guns?" he asks, and you nod before realising that he can't see you.\n\n"Yeah. In a crib box," you reply.\n\n"Don't let anyone into the house. Did you touch it?" he demands.\n\n"No - well, I opened it, obviously, but I haven't touched anything inside."\n\n"Good. Lock the front door, tell Mrs. Hudson to stay inside, stay away from the windows, and don't let anyone in unless I call you and tell you it's me. Personally. Not John, he gets kidnapped far too often," Sherlock tells you, and you hear a "hey!" from John in the background before the line goes dead. \n\nYou're left holding the phone, still staring at a box of guns, before your mind snaps to life. \n\n[[Barrel down the stairway, shouting, "MRS. HUDSON!!"|Kidnapped]] <<if $batt gte 2>>or [[Barricade the door and call Mrs. Hudson from here.|Wait for Sherlock]]<<endif>><<endif>>

<h1>Sorry!</h1> \n\n<img src="http://afaninlondon.neocities.org/Sheepdrove.jpg"/>\n\nSheepdrove Organic Butchers, while close to Baker Street, is a full 22 minutes away. There's gotta be someplace closer!\n\n[[Back to Google!|Butcher]]\n\n<<set $SOrganic = "yes">>

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<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\s\n\nYou regret lashing out almost as soon as you turn around.\n<<RicardoBit>>\s\n<<if $knowRicardo eq "yes">>\s\n[["You again. You interested this time?"|Ricardo]] Ricardo asks you.<<else>>\s\n"Watch yourself. What are you doin' running into people, anyway?" the man leers. \n\nYou shrug. "Got nowhere else to go."\n<<RicardoRecruitBit>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n[[No thanks.|Walk Away]]\n<<endif>>\s

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>> You go to charge your phone at the plug, but there's another phone plugged in. You unplug it and stick your charger in, plugging your phone in and letting it charge. You're flipping the other phone in your hand, waiting for the food and feeling your stomach growl, when the phone in your hand gives a chime and you nearly drop it. You look at the screen, where a new text alert has appeared. \n\nYou think about it for a moment, but curiosity gets the better of you and you study the screen. Ricardo - you assume this is his phone - doesn't have a lock, you just swipe the phone open and immediately can view the message, as well as scroll through the messages before. \n|||\n|SM: You shouldn't have pawned off a job on a stranger. |>|\n|>|RD: I'm sorry, sir. I didn't think it mattered. |\n|SM: Everything matters. Lucky for you I think we hit it off. I'll let you know of anything else I want them to do. |>|\n|>|RD: Of course, sir. |\n|SM: Damn right. Watch it, Dominguez. Boss doesn't like laziness. |>|\n||c\n\nYou carefully mark the last text as "unread" and lock the phone before unplugging your own and carefully plugging this one back in, exactly the way it was. So you met someone important. Not the Boss, obviously, but someone who could talk like he knew him. You shudder, remembering the way scar-face looked at you, and then you snort. That was "hitting it off"? \n\nWhat has happened to your life? <<set $batt = "10">>\n\n<<back>> <<endif>>

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>><<set $clean to "disgusting">> \n\nYou curl up on a bench in the park, slightly hidden behind some bushes, and hope the cops don't find you in the middle of the night. <<if $knowLestrade eq "yes">> If Lestrade found you getting arrested for loitering, that'd just be awkward. <<endif>> It's freezing, and you find yourself huddling in a curled-up ball, nearly falling off the narrow ledge of the seat, and unable to get comfortable. You can't help but wish you were back at home, and your mind sets to cursing whatever sort of force thought it would be funny to bring you here. \n\nAll the same, you can't stay up forever, and after a bit you slowly fall [[asleep.|Wake up!]] <<endif>>

\n[[You curl up on a chair underneath the awning of a closed restaurant before shivering yourself to sleep|Restaurant]].

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>You blink at him, and try, quickly, to remember the story you had told at Angelo's. "Was moving to town. They lost all my stuff. Bag with ID and the rest of it included."\n\nSherlock scoffs, and John smiles into his tea, and Mycroft sighs. "Is that really the best you can do?"\n\nYou make a face. "Not a superspy, sir. Just got a shite phone, apparently. Or a really good one, I suppose, if I were the sort who hacks into phones. Why are you trying?"\n\nMycroft narrows his eyes at you. "I occupy a minor role in the British Government."\n\nNow John is chuckling and Sherlock has turned his head to the wall to hide an outright smile, but you can see it in the mirror.\n\n"Minor role, my arse. Look, you can have the phone, if you like, but I'll want a replacement," you tell him, and he smiles at you, but not one of the real ones. \n\n"I'm afraid," he says, "I'd much rather you come with me." He taps his umbrella on the ground, and a couple of men in black suits come up the stairs. Not-Anthea's got a gun trained on you, and both Sherlock and John are watching you intently as Mrs. Hudson jumps out of her doze. \n\n"Oh, dear! What's all this, now," she exclaims, before turning to Mycroft. "Oh, dear, you can't think <<$name>> is terrible, can you?"\n\n"Can, and am," Mycroft says placidly. "No need to worry, Mrs. Hudson, my assistant is an excellent shot." He glances at you, eyes hard. "I'm certain you understand what your position is like, <<$name>>."\n\nYou shake your head, heart-rate suddenly going quite quickly. "I do, but I don't like it," you reply, and he shakes his head. <<set $phone to "no">>\n\n"Luckily, you don't have to like it," he says. "You just have to behave. Good luck with your little puzzle, Sherlock. Pay attention to the cypher." He turns on his heel and walks out, his assistant allowing the two men to pass her and take you by the arms. You look at Sherlock and John in panic. John is frowning, but Sherlock has already turned to the box.\n\nRemembering home, you bow your head, and allow yourself to be escorted [[out of 221B.|END]]<<endif>>\n

<<DAMMIT>><<if $batt gte 1>>\n"Sorry," you say, trying to sound sincere. "I haven't got anything but my phone on me."\n\nRicardo frowns, then sighs. "Oh, fine. But this is off the record," he says. "Nobody knows I'm the one that told you. Got it?" You nod, and he leans over the counter and whispers, "<<set $henchman1 to either("Lucille", "Jones", "Bradley")>> <<print $henchman1>> may have something to do with it."\n\n"Got it," you reply, and pull out your phone, <<set $batt -= 1>> [[making a note.|Neighbourhood]] <<endif>>

Where you're going, you have no idea, but the walking should at least warm you up a bit. \n\n Thus you find yourself trudging the streets of an unknown city, feeling increasingly wet and miserable as the time passes, and wondering how you're going to find food. The thought makes you pause for a moment and rifle through your pockets. Wallet, check. Phone, check. Pack of gum, check. Pocketknife, check. Maybe the gum will hold you over until you can get some real food. \n\n You sigh and check your phone. It's just a standard smartphone, and you're still on a minute plan. Contracts always seemed so expensive after you moved out of' your parents' place. You try a quick text to a friend: "Hey, know where I am?" \n\n No response, but you weren't really expecting one. \n\n On the other hand, you do learn something worthwhile, because when you close the texting app you see the minutes notification at the top of the screen. 345 min, it says. Odd. That's what you had before you texted. You frown, then place a call to the prank number you have saved as "The Rejection Hotline." To your surprise, it goes through, and you hold the phone to your ear, expecting to hear a man's voice booming, "You have been rejected." You jump a bit when instead the call is picked up by a voice you recognise. \n\n "Martha Hudson! Who's this?" chirps a cheery female voice, and, flabbergasted, you hang up the call in a panic. \n\n And panic it is, for the unreality of your situation hits you with all the force of a dozen bricks, the sound of the sweet old woman's voice becoming the catalyst to your own miniature internal explosion, and you curl up on a chair underneath the awning of a closed restaurant before shivering yourself to [[sleep|Restaurant]].\n\n<h1> EQUIP: </h1> \n+1 phone \n+1 knife \n+10 gum \n+1 wallet \n\tIN WALLET \n\t\t+20 USD \n\t\t+1 credit card \n\t\t+1 picture of your loved one \n\n<<silently>>\n<<set $phone = "yes">>\n<<set $batt to 10>>\n<<set $knife to "yes">>\n<<set $gum to 10>>\n<<set $wallet = "yes">>\n<<set $USmoney to 20>>\n<<set $creditcard to 1>>\n<<set $personalpic to 1>>\n<<endsilently>>\n\n