Snake in the Grass

**Snake in the Grass** is an opportunity in House Party.

During this opportunity you ask Leah for help recovering Ashley's pet snake, Julius Squeezer. Frank is clearly terrified of the snake and orders Leah to do nothing, so you must convince her to defy her "sensei." As you and Leah search for Julius, you learn that Leah dreams of opening a self-defense studio, but Frank is trying to steal the rental out from under her to open a strip club.

Your choices here determine what happens in Broken Code. If you impress Leah with your honor and courage, you'll set up the "Honor Bound" ending, in which she saves Frank from Julius. If you frustrate Leah and encourage her paranoia about an assassin, you'll set up the "Hellion" path where she abandons her code and carries Julius around.

## Discovery

* Complete Causing a Ruckus to set Julius Squeezer loose.

## Walkthrough

### Get Leah's help

Talk to Leah:

* "There's a security threat and I need your help"
* Leah doesn't believe a real emergency is happening
* "There's a fucking snake on the loose"

Leah insists on reporting this to Frank. Frank will walk out to the Fire Pit to call someone about renting space for his new business. Follow Leah and wait for her to finish talking to Frank. Frank is afraid of snakes and orders Leah not to investigate.

Talk to Leah again:

* "Leah, we're still definitely going after that snake."
* Leah thinks disobeying Frank would go against "the code of kick-ass."

You can choose one of the following responses:

* "Sometimes you have to break one code to do right by your own code." (HonorboundTracker +1)
* "Isn't it the duty of an apprentice to rise up and defeat her master? Frank is weak, prove it by catching this snake." (HellionTracker +1)

### Search the Garage

Either way, you'll convince Leah to begin the search. Complete Guiding Light to get a light for searching dark areas. (The light can either be Madison's Phone or Patrick's Phone.)

You can also affect Leah's path by asking her about her self-defense studio:

* "As long as you teach self-defense, and not "Bully Basics 101", I'm there." (HonorBoundTracker +1)
* "Fuck self-defense, you teach me how to knock someone's teeth out of their mouth and I'll be there in a heartbeat!" (HellionTracker +1)

Go to the Garage. Leah will direct you to shine your light in various places. Avoid pointing the light directly at Leah. She'll get mad if you do it too many times.

When you hear crashing noises, that means you've found the spot where the game wanted you to point the light. After the third crash, Leah complains you're not fast enough, and asks you what the matter is.

You can choose one of the following responses:

* "In my defense, this is a very tense situation!" (neutral)
* "How can I be scared with someone like you fighting by my side?" (HonorboundTracker +1)
* "You were yelling too much and not telling me where to point the light!" (HellionTracker +1)

Whichever choice you make, Leah will ask you to spar with her.

### Spar with Leah

Leah insists that you spar with her so she knows what you're capable of.

Attack Leah. (She won't be harmed since she's tough and you're not.) After you've punched her a few times she'll be satisfied. Tell Leah the snake came from this house, and lead her to the Spare Room.

On your way, Patrick will interrupt you to talk about his virtual reality project.

## Show Leah the Terrarium

Once Leah enters the Spare Room, she'll notice someone had to deliberately release the snake, and wonder why.

You can choose one of the following responses:

* "Someone wanted the snake to be free to live its life!" (HonorboundTracker +1)
* "Someone wants to draw blood tonight...with fangs." (HellionTracker +1)

Either way, Leah hears a hissing noise nearby. Go to the Art Room and wait for Leah to tell you to search the closet.

If you hesitate, Leah will tell you to put on your big kid pants. You'll have two choices of for a response:

* "I will, because I am a big kid, dammit!" (HonorboundTracker +1)
* "I must have little kid pants because this is too scary for me..." (HellionTracker +1)

If you refuse to go in, Leah searches the closet herself and accidentally sprays herself in the face with the Spray Paint. If you go in, you'll have to take the Spray Paint and give it to Leah to continue. Either way, Leah decides the snake has escaped outside.

Based on her HonorboundTracker and HellionTracker scores, Leah will either offer words of encouragement or complain that you're the worst partner she's ever had. If the scores are tied, she'll say you've been hit and miss.

## Search the perimeter

Go outside with Leah and she'll instruct you to do a perimeter check. You can follow her to Yard Left Corner (the side of the yard with the Fire Pit) or split up and go the other way.

Locate the Katana in Yard Right Corner (the side with the Gazebo). Inspect the Katana, then find Leah and tell her you found a sword in the fence. She'll follow you to it. If you don't do this, Leah will eventually walk over there herself. Either way, she'll tell you to shine your phone light on the Katana.

Leah thinks the Katana is genuine and assumes the worst. Your choices are:

* "Yeah, this is looking more and more like an assassin is hiding amongst us. No doubt in my mind." (HellionTracker +1)
* "Hmmm, are those pot leaves on the blade? Let's be cautious, we don't wanna overthink this." (HonorboundTracker +1)

If you say "Let's be cautious," you'll get another set of choices:

* "Maybe I could have someone take a look at that katana and verify its authenticity"
* "There's nothing more to think about it. Someone's trying to take you out of the game with a deadly snake/blade combo."

This choice won't directly affect Leah's path, but if you suggest verifying the sword, you'll get the option to ask someone about it.

### Authenticate the Katana

You can try giving the Katana to Dan if he's around, but he just makes a joke. The game won't let you ask anyone else about it but Amy.

Amy will ask you to work on her Scavenger Hunt before she will tell you anything about the Katana. After giving Amy Derek's Shirt, she will admit she's been messing with you and that the Katana is obviously fake.

### Hide in the bushes with Leah

If you suggested verifying the Katana, Leah will wait until you do so and then hide in the bushes between the house and the Fire Pit. Otherwise, Leah will take the Katana and immediately hide in the bushes.

Find Leah in the bushes, crouch, and talk to her. When you tell her about the Katana, you have three possible choices, depending on whether you showed the sword to Amy.

* "Amy verified it's nothing but some cheap-o sword bought at a carnival." (HonorboundTracker +2)
* "I still think that katana's a straight up tool of destruction..." (HellionTracker +1)
* "Eh, nothing. Nevermind. Just go with whatever your gut tells you." (Random)

If you tell Leah to go with her gut, she can decide the Katana is real, that it's phony, or that there's no way to know.

No matter what, Leah will hear something and you'll have to wait for Frank to make another phone call by the Fire Pit. Leah is stunned and betrayed when she learns Frank is stealing her rental space out from under her.

Leah will step out from the bushes, disillusioned. Your choices are:

* "Leah, you can come back from this. Remember the code! Look to the light!"
* "Yes...open yourself to the dark side..."

If Leah's HonorboundTracker score is high enough, she'll abide by her code even if you tempt her to the dark side. If her HellionTracker score is higher, then she'll abandon her code no matter what you say. If the two scores are tied, then it's up to you which way she leans.

After this, you'll be locked into the Honor Bound or Hellion path. In both paths, Leah runs off to Yard Left Corner and disappears.

## Completed

The opportunity is completed once you talk to Leah about Frank's betrayal. Leah will run off and jump over the fence. You can now continue Broken Code by convincing Frank to apologize to Leah.

## Trivia

* The opportunity Snake in the Grass is a reference to the quest in Assassin's Creed Odyssey with the same name where you chase the man who ordered the main character to kill his/her own father.