! The Big Mama ! By Brendan Barnwell ! ! 28 lines per screen ! On 2000/08/11 at 18:18, this file was 1013 lines long. Let's get cracking! Constant Story "^The Big Mama^"; Constant Headline "By Brendan Barnwell^^"; Constant No_Places; ! Element count 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 ! Element count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Replace DrawStatusLine; Include "Parser"; Global IdleTurns; Include "Istring"; Include "OKBScrpt"; Release 8; Serial "888888"; Object LibraryMessages "LM" with before [; if (action~=##Pronouns) print "@11"; Answer,Ask: "[To talk to someone, type TALK TO PERSON, where PERSON is who you want to talk to.]"; Attack: "Hey, cool it! Take a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Thaaat's right. Now count to ten -- ",(Bold) "slowly","! Now, don't you feel better?"; Blow: "Okay, you blow ",(the) noun,". Wow, that was fun."; Burn: "Pyromaniacs Anonymous is ten till twelve, Saturday mornings at the Calle Corona fire station."; Buy: "You're not interested in buying ",(itorthem) noun,"."; Close: if (lm_n==1) "Dude! ",(CTheyreOrThats) noun," totally unclosable."; Cut: "You don't have anything sharp."; Dig: "You're not interested in excavation."; Drink: if (BigMama in location) "Ugh, no way are you drinking saltwater."; else "There's nothing drinkable around."; Drop: if (lm_n==4) "Okay, dude, you dropped it."; Eat: if (lm_n==1) {print "Ugh, no way are you eating "; style bold; print (thatorthose) noun; style roman; "!";} Fill: if (BigMama in location) "No container could hold the big mama."; Give: if (lm_n==3) "@11You hold out ",(the) noun," toward ",(the) second,", who pretends ",(HeSheIt) second," doesn't see you."; Go: if (lm_n==2) "You have no inclination to attempt going that way."; Jump: "You jump for joy, but it doesn't help -- you're still bummin'."; JumpOver: "You're not up for that kind of leap."; Kiss: "You don't like kissing anything but female human beings."; Listen: "You can hear the big mama, faintly."; LookUnder: if (lm_n==2) "Under where? Ha, ha, underwear!"; Mild: "Whoa, watch it, your clean language is one of your strengths (or so they say)."; Miscellany: switch (lm_n) { 10: "Man, now ",(Bold) "there's"," a profound statement if ever there was one."; 15: "No problem."; 19: "You look down at your body, and see just what you expected: your body. You glance right and left to make sure your arms are still on your shoulders where they ought to be; they are."; 22: ",only the almighty computer can begin a sentence with a comma! ,ha!"; 27: "I don't follow you."; 30: "You can't see whatever it is you're trying to refer to."; 31: "And. . .?"; 38: "I don't understand that verb.";} Order: "Well, who died and made ",(Bold) "you"," king? Don't go giving orders like you're some kind of monarch."; Places: "You've been to: "; Pray: "You're not a religious kind of guy."; Pronouns: if (lm_n==1) print "@11At the moment, "; Pull: if (lm_n==4) "Don't go manhandling people that way!"; Score: if (deadflag==0) "[Please, don't expect me to try to quantify your progress in this game with a number. Score yourself! Give yourself an A+++++ if you had a good time, or an F----- if you hated it. You see, it's all up to you. You could be swinging on a *** You have won ***. Or would you rather be a *** You have died ***?]"; else {print "[ This is ending #"; style bold; print deadflag; style roman; ". The total number of endings is a secret. ]";} Show: if (lm_n==2) "You eagerly display ",(the) noun,". ",(The) second," gives you a funny look, then looks away, ignoring you."; Sing: "Oh, geez, is somebody strangling a cat?"; Sleep: "You're not tired."; Smell: "You can smell the salty ocean breeze."; Sorry: "Be sorry for nothing."; Squeeze: if (lm_n==1) "Restrain yourself."; else "Whoa, that was super-useful."; Strong: "You've always found profanity unattractive; don't go being a hypocrite."; Swim: "You're a stand-on-the-shore-and-watch-the-waves-roll-in kind of guy, not a frolic-in-the-crashing-surf kind of guy."; Swing: "You give 'em a left, then a right, then another left. Then you give 'em the ol' one-two. Meanwhile, anyone who may be watching you no doubt thinks you're nuts, standing there shadowboxing some phantom."; Take: switch(lm_n) { 1: "Okay, man, you got ",(itorthem) noun,"."; 2: "Dude, you've already got yourself!"; 5: "Hey, wake up, man, you've got ",(thatorthose) noun," already."; 10: "Man, if you could take ",(thatorthose) noun,", you'd be buff, which you're not, so you obviously can't take ",(itorthem) noun,"."; 11: print_ret (CTheyreOrThats) noun," totally immovable, dude."; 12: "You can't carry any more."; } Taste: "Don't go tonguing everything in sight."; Tell: if (lm_n==1) {"You have a little confab with yourself.";} else {"[Use the TALK TO command to talk to people.]";} Touch: if (lm_n==1) "Hands off, buster!"; if (lm_n==2) "It feels kind of average."; Think: "Well, I certainly hope so!"; VagueGo: "I'm looking for a something more than that. Maybe like ~GO NORTH~ or ~GO SOUTHWEST~."; Wait: "Hey, that's not the way. Carpe Diem!"; Wake: "If only you ",(Bold) "could"," wake up and find out that everything was OK."; WaveHands: "You look like a loony, waving your hand around."; ]; Include "Verblib"; [Initialize x; !@read_char 1 0 NULL x; box "You can play this game with or without color."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "This game uses a menu-based dialogue system. If you" "play the game in color, you will enjoy two advantages:" " A) It looks cooler" " B) The dialogue menus will stand out," " making it easier to distinguish them" " from the normal game text."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box " But then again," "maybe your interpreter doesn't support color."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "The choice is yours."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "Be aware that your choice may affect the motion of one" " or more tectonic plates in your geographic region."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "It may also cause famine, plague, gangrene, blindness," "Parkinson's disease, bone deterioration, or a peculiar" " feeling of heaviness inside the skull."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "Also be aware that the game you are about to begin is" " not at all similar to this little intro in terms of" " style, tone, or content."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box " This is just the calm before the storm -- or, more" "accurately, the light-hearted intro before the unduly" " serious and much more dense game."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box " Oh, by the way, one command you MUST know. . . " "" " To talk to a character, type (surprise!): " " ~TALK TO NAME~ " " (but use the character's name instead of ~NAME~). "; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box " Another thing: you might (if you do one of a few " " particular things) encounter text in brackets: " " [like this] " "That means that I, Brendan Barnwell, the author, am" " talking to you, the player. It's not the game's " " narrator talking to the character you're " " controlling. It's a meta-comment; it is not part " " of the game world. " "" " Just so you know. "; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box " In the future, you can press C or D at any of these " "introductory boxes. Pressing C (for Color) will give" " you color. Pressing D (for Default) will deny you " " it. But enough chitchat. "; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "The moment of truth is approaching. . ."; @read_char 1 0 NULL x; if (x==99 or 67) {Color=1; jump DoTheDeal; } if (x==100 or 68) {Color=0; jump DoTheDeal; } @erase_window -1; box "Do you want color?"; Color=YesOrNo(); .DoTheDeal; if (Color==1) SetColor(8, 6); @erase_window -1; lookmode=2; location=BoardwalkNorth; player.capacity=5; move Clothes to player; StartDaemon(Dude); string 0 "^ "; string 11 " "; ChangeDefault (cant_go, "@11You can't go that way."); print "@00\ ~I'm sorry, Paul. I mean, I wish I didn't have to do this, but to be honest, you're just not right for me.~@00\ ~What. . . but. . .~@00\ ~I don't want to hear your buts, Paul. I mean, I've tried, Paul, to put up with it. But you, as a person, are just too. . . wrong. I mean, I just can't handle it anymore, Paul. I know I'm acting like a bitch, but it's only because you were acting like one first.~@00\ And after that, you didn't even attempt any more buts. You just stood in shock while she ranted on and on about your faults. Faults you never knew existed. And as she pointed accusingly to your past, citing certain incidents, you were puzzled; you couldn't remember those incidents, or if you could, you didn't remember them the same way. Looking closely, back on those days, you couldn't see what she was trying to show you, couldn't grasp the concept, couldn't fathom her arguments.@00\ It's not that you thought -- or still think -- that you were perfect. Everyone has flaws, and you knew -- and still know -- yourself to be no exception. But these things she said she saw in you, these vast tears across your humanity -- these are major, fundamental flaws. And you never had an inkling of them before. And no one else, none of the other girlfriends you've had, none of your pals, none of your family -- none of them has ever even hinted at these faults that she seems to see.@00\ That's why it's so hard to understand. Every other breakup -- four? five? -- has been fine; of course you always hated -- or at least regretted -- having to see them go, but usually there was remorse on their part too, and always you could come to terms with and understand their point of view, and so it wasn't so hard to move on. In fact, the others usually said that was one of your greatest strengths -- your ability to stand in their shoes, to see through their eyes, and to accept their viewpoint without trying to change it. But this time, you can't, and you weren't prepared for it.@00\ So after the ranting is over and she's gone, you are still in a daze, trying to figure it all out. It's always in these kinds of times -- troubled times -- that you instinctively, unconsciously remember why you chose to live next to the ocean; the great Pacific; the big mama.@00\ You moved to Las Lorena just for that reason. Sure, there's mountains, and there's palm trees, and there's people -- almost 100,000 of them -- but the peculiarity of Las Lorena (and of a select few other California towns) is the way the ocean is somehow indisputably the dominant force in the area. In LA, no; it's there, but it's just not the same. In San Francisco, New York, no. The ocean is there, but it's not the big mama; it's just some water.@00\ But here in Las Lorena, the sand on the beach doesn't just go down to the water; it goes down to the big mama. It's a corny-sounding name at first, but eventually, if you really love the ocean, you realize how appropriate it is. It breathes life into everything; makes the air utterly different than it otherwise would be; makes you know that you could never live in Kansas.@00"; print "And now all that ~big mama~ stuff comes back to you, slowly, like the tide coming in. And you sort of feel yourself walking outside, walking west, down the ten or twelve blocks to the west where the boardwalk -- an East-coast phenomenon that seems even more at home here, for some reason -- stands as the last thing between the people and the sand. Even as you stand there, bleary, cloudy-headed, leaning on the boardwalk rail, the very fact that the big mama is there -- right there, less than 20 meters away -- already begins to bring your mind back on track. And as the sun sinks slowly into the west (just like in old Westerns), creating a rippling ribbon of gold on the water, you wake up, as it were, looking around in surprise, wondering why you're here, but a glance at the water makes it obvious. You've been hurt, and you're confused, and like any hurt, confused child, you turn to your mother -- in this case, the mother of all mothers: the big mama.@00"; return; print "^Your TXD tricks won't work on me! BWA-HA-HA. . . (Play the game!)^"; if (0) { @"1OP:12" 32767; } ]; Class Room has light with name 'room', dest 'room', source 0, badroom 0, before [; Listen: if (self provides sounds) {PrintOrRun(self, sounds); rtrue;} ]; Class Thing ! This lets the contents of containers be printed automatically with after [a b; Examine: if (self hasnt supporter && (self hasnt container || TestScope(child(self)==0))) rfalse; if (self has pluralname) b=" them."; else b=" it."; if (children(self)<1) {print "There's nothing "; if (self has supporter) print "on"; else print "in"; " it.";} if (self has supporter) print "On "; else print "In "; print (the) self; objectloop (a in self) {if (a has concealed) give a ~workflag; else give a workflag;} WriteListFrom(child(self),ENGLISH_BIT+RECURSE_BIT+ISARE_BIT+WORKFLAG_BIT); "."; ]; Class Decor ! Purely scenery has scenery with description [; if (noun hasnt pluralname) print "@11It's just a regular ",(name) self,". "; else print "@11They're just regular ",(name) self,". "; ], after [a; Examine: if (self hasnt supporter && (self hasnt container || TestScope(child(self))==0)) {if (self.description~=self.Decor::description) rtrue; else "Nothing special.";} if (children(self)<1) {print "There's nothing "; if (self has supporter) print "on"; else print "in"; " it.";} if (self has supporter) print "On "; else print "In "; print (the) self; objectloop (a in self) {if (a has concealed) give a ~workflag; else give a workflag;} WriteListFrom(child(self),ENGLISH_BIT+RECURSE_BIT+ISARE_BIT+WORKFLAG_BIT); "."; ]; Class Person class Talker has proper with name 'person', ! 2 23 forecolor 6, backcolor 8, before [; Kiss,Touch: "@11That kind of behavior could get you arrested."; OKBScript: IdleTurns=0; ]; Thing Clothes "your clothes" has proper clothing worn edible pluralname with name 'clothes' 'your' 'money' 'shirt' 't-shirt' 'tee-shirt' 'tee' 'shorts' 'bermuda' 'sneakers' 'shoes' 'shoe', description "@11Pretty standard beach-town attire: T-shirt, Bermuda shorts, and sneakers. Oh, and you've got plenty of money in there somewhere -- yesterday was payday.", before [; Disrobe: "@11The police around here are pretty unforgiving towards public lewdness offenders. Besides, you're not buff, so you'd just look like a pansy compared with most of the chiseled dudes in Las Lorena."; ]; !Rooms and objects- - - - - - - - - - - - - Room BeachNorth2 "The Beach" with description "@11You're standing on the beach, just west of the boardwalk's northern extremity where a collection of snack shops stands. The tide is high, so the beach is relatively narrow, but still a good 20 or 25 meters in width. To the north, the land adjacent to the beach rises into a steep cliff, against which the surf is pounding; you'd be able to walk in front of it at low tide, but not now. To the south, the beach continues: an expanse of golden California sand so perfect it seems unreal.@00\ But obviously, the dominant aspect of this panorama is the big mama, which stretches literally as far as the eye can see to the west, north, and south. Three or four sailboats cruise lazily in the glow of the setting sun, which casts a poetic shimmer across the swells. In the distance, about 15 km offshore, you can discern the dim, hunched shapes of the oil platforms. The breeze is straight out of some beach-blanket B-movie: salty, soft, and refreshing.@00\ Honestly, you can't imagine living anywhere else. It's like some caring, artistic superior being has crafted this little coastline as an experiment in environmental beauty.", sounds "@11You can hear the soft crush of the surf.", e_to Geedunk, s_to BeachNorth, n_to "@11The tide is too high; that way won't be passable on foot for several hours.", w_to "@11You can't walk on water, but you do stroll a few steps closer to the breaking waves.", u_to Geedunk; Decor BigMama "big mama" with article "the", name 'mama' 'big' 'ocean' 'sea' 'water' 'surf' 'wave' 'waves' 'tide' 'sun' 'boat' 'boats' 'sailboat' 'sailboats' 'swell' 'swells' 'platform' 'platforms' 'oil', description "@11You see the big mama. There are two or three sailboats idly drifing in the breeze. There are four oil platforms visible at the extreme limit of your vision. Closer, you can see the water itself bulging up and down, rippling, and those bulges and ripples straining in vain to hold their balance as they rush inexorably to the shore, rising ever higher and moving ever faster, then finally foaming, spraying, toppling, confounded by the laws of physics, to the sand, and spreading out their dying tendrils of saltwater in a final attempt to gain a conclusive hold on the land, but then sliding helplessly back to be reabsorbed into the greater mass, gathering their strength to rush and fall again.", found_in BeachNorth2 BeachNorth BeachCenter BeachSouth BeachSouth2 UnderBoardwalk Geedunk BoardwalkNorth BoardwalkCenter BoardwalkSouth PierEast PierCenter PierNorth PierWest; Decor Beach "sand" with name 'beach' 'sand' 'golden', description "@11This is the stuff dreams are made of -- not big, yearning dreams of power and wealth, nor goal-type dreams of success, but normal dreams, like you get when you sleep. Dreams of giant waves that you ride as a mahout his elephant; of calm, tranquil seas to gaze at; of lazy offshore voyages in comfortable sailboats; of being buried up to your head by your laughing grandchildren; of carving magnificent sand sculptures. Erotic dreams of buff, bronzed, strapping young men (for the ladies), and bikini-clad, friendly babes (for the dudes). Like the Mamas and the Papas song -- California Dreamin'.", before [; Enter: <>; Take: "@11You reach down and grab a handful of sand, but, as sand does, it slips diabolically through your fingers, leaving you holding a mere few inscrutable grains, which you brush away."; ], found_in BeachNorth2 BeachNorth BeachCenter BeachSouth BeachSouth2 UnderBoardwalk Geedunk BoardwalkNorth BoardwalkCenter BoardwalkSouth; Room BeachNorth "The Beach" with description "@11The boardwalk is to the east, but if you turn your back to it and look out over the water, you can't see anything manmade, except the few sailboats rolling on the waves, and the small lifeguard station that sits unobtrusively on the sand. To the north and south the beach continues.", sounds "@11You hear the waves crashing on the shore.", n_to BeachNorth2, s_to BeachCenter, e_to "@11The boardwalk is too high above the sand to climb to without a measure of effort which you don't care to expend.", w_to "@11You wander a little closer to the surf."; Decor -> Kelp "pile of kelp" with name 'kelp' 'pile' 'seaweed' 'of' 'big' 'large' 'giant' 'stalk' 'stalks' 'strand' 'strands' 'bulb' 'bulbs' 'ait-filled' 'long' 'plant' 'insect' 'insects' 'tiny' 'small' 'jumping' 'hopping', describe "@11There is a big pile of kelp here, washed up onto the beach.", description "@11The pile is about the size of a stove, but a bit shorter and wider. Among the various strands of seaweed jump hundreds, maybe thousands, of tiny insects. They seem unable to sit still, instead hopping ceaselessly from one part of the kelp to another.@00\ The kelp itself consists of many long, tubular stalks, from which small, air-filled bulbs extrude at intervals of a few inches. This is the kind of plant which, in its natural environment (the ocean), can grow to be hundreds of meters tall, stretching from the ocean floor to the surface, and providing a haven for assorted marine life."; Decor -> Station "lifeguard station" with parse_name [a b; for (::) { a=NextWord(); if (a=='station' or 'hut' or 'stilt' or 'stilts') {b++; continue;} if (a=='lifeguard') {if (NextWord()=='station') {b=b+2; continue;} else {wn--; return b;} } return b; } ], description "@11The lifeguard station is essentially just a little hut on stilts.", before [; Enter: "@11It's closed. No lifeguard on duty."; ]; Room BeachCenter "The Beach" with description "@11On a hot summer day, or even any moderately warm day at any time of the year, this stretch of sand would be packed with people. Local surfer dudes with their surfer chicks; beach bums; regular bums -- that is, hobos; students from the community college; high schoolers relaxing; people playing frisbee; old duffers sitting blandly on their beach chairs, under their wide umbrellas, saturated with sunscreen but still beet-red. Now, in the evening, everyone is gone. There's just sand, north and south, and the boardwalk to the east, everything quiet; like a mother and child reunion -- you and the big mama. To the southwest, jutting out from the beach, you can see the wharf.", sounds "@11You can hear the waves as they crash against the sand of the beach.", n_to BeachNorth, s_to BeachSouth, e_to "@11You can't, or rather you don't want to climb up onto the boardwalk.", w_to "@11You move a bit closer to the water.", sw_to "@11The ocean is in the way; you'll have to go south and then west."; Decor LameBoardwalk "boardwalk" with name 'boardwalk' 'rail' 'metal' 'wood' 'wooden' 'of' 'railing' 'fence' 'barrier' 'rust' 'splotches' 'smooth', description "@11It's the boardwalk. It's sitting about a meter off the ground on top of squat supporting posts. A rail runs along the perimeter.", before [; Climb,JumpOver: "@11You haven't the energy to pull yourself up there."; LookUnder: "@11You peer under the boardwalk. For an instant you think you see someone's bare foot retreat into the shadows, and hear a little gasp, but you can't be sure, and then all you can see is sand."; GoUnder: "@11You have neither blanket nor baby, so its pointless."; ], found_in BeachNorth BeachCenter BeachSouth; Room BeachSouth "The Beach" with description "@11Here, for better or for worse, there is a variance from the normal scenery of sand and sea. The beach still stretches north and south, and the boardwalk remains to the east, but to the west there is a long wooden pier. It looks mostly, if not wholly, deserted; far out towards the end you can see a squat hut -- the bait shop.", sounds "@11You can hear the waves crashing, and, more softly, the ocean lapping at the piling of the pier.", n_to BeachCenter, s_to BeachSouth2, w_to PierEast, e_to "@11There aren't any stairs, and you don't feel like climbing up onto the boardwalk."; Room BeachSouth2 "The Beach" with description "@11Here the glory of the public beach ends. A haughty sign proclaims ~Private beach: next 1.5 miles~. ~Stupid imperial measurement,~ you mutter, as if that were all that bothered you. Sure, you could probably get away with strolling through the private property, but you're not in the mood to embark on a 2.5-km hike through enemy territory. To the west the big mama undulates, comforting you. The monolithic rear wall of some eatery is to the east, devoid of any doors or other orifices. The only legal exit is to the north.", n_to BeachSouth, sounds "@11You hear the pounding surf.", e_to "@11There nothing there but a wall.", s_to "@11You're in not in a trespassing mood.", w_to "@11Shuffling along the sand, you move closer to the ocean."; Decor -> Sign "sign" with name 'sign' 'haughty', description "@11It reads: ~Private beach: next 1.5 miles~"; Room PierEast "The Wharf" with description "@11This is the Las Lorena wharf (also known as the pier), a wooden construction stretching from the beach about 500 meters into the ocean. You're standing at the easternmost end, where it joins the land. East is the beach, and west is more pier.", sounds "@11You hear the water sloshing around the pilings below, and the waves crashing on the shore.", e_to BeachSouth, w_to PierCenter, cant_go "@11That's the Pacific Ocean."; Decor Wharf "wharf" with name 'wharf' 'pier' 'wooden' 'wood' 'board' 'boards' 'plank' 'planks' 'piling' 'pilings', description "@11This wharf was originally built sometime around the turn of the century, or so local folklore holds. The surface, where people walk and cars drive, is made of wooden planks held together with rivets. Underneath, this is supported by massive wooden pilings reaching down to the ocean floor.@00\ There used to be gee-dunk stands and tourist traps out here, but an earthquake shook down most of the buildings a few decades ago, and the city government took the opportunity to forbid further commercialization. The wharf was rebuilt, but the only businesses allowed out here now are the Harbormaster's Office (which is really neither a business nor an office, just a silly deputy who wanders around the pier), the Fisherman's Club (which consists of a few old tables under a corrugated aluminum roof), and the bait shop (which, being as old as the wharf, and having survived the earthquake, had ~earned the right to remain~ according the city council).", found_in PierEast PierCenter PierWest PierNorth; Room PierCenter "The Wharf" with description "@11Here the wharf diverges. The main pier continues to the east and west, but there is also a sort of appendage sticking out to the north.", sounds "@11You hear the ocean sloshing around the pilings beneath the pier; the crash of the surf is also audible.", n_to PierNorth, e_to PierEast, w_to PierWest, cant_go "@11There's nothing but endless water in that direction."; Room PierNorth "The Wharf" with description "@11At one time, this little arm of the wharf held dozens of tiny tourist traps -- ice cream for thrice what any sane person would pay; California souvenirs made in China; tours offered in creaky rowboats and ~guided~ by minimum-wage high school kids. After the earthquake knocked down most of the buildings some 30-odd years ago, they weren't rebuilt. Now this part of the pier has become a sort of quiet spot where intellectuals come to sit on the wooden planks and think about intellectual stuff. The main pier is to the south; the big mama is everywhere else.", sounds "@11You can hear the water lapping against the giant pilings that hold up the wharf, and the surf crashing on the beach.", s_to PierCenter, cant_go "@11You're not in the mood for a swim in dark, 10-degree water rife with who knows what kind of sea creatures."; Room PierWest "The Wharf" with name 'shop' 'bait', description "@11The wharf ends here. All around is ocean, except to the east, where there's the rest of the pier. The bait shop is here too, but it's closed.", sounds "@11You can hear the soft slap of the swells against the pilings below; the crashing surf is barely audible.", e_to PierCenter; Room Closet "A Maintenance Closet" with name 'closet' 'maintenance', description "@11This isn't really a room in the traditional sense of the word. It's just a little closet where the lifeguards and other beach workers stash their stuff. You're surrounded by surfboards, stretchers, deflated rafts, life jackets, oars, and bathing suits for both genders. Everything is either Red Cross red or international orange. Grand Gee-dunk Central is to the southwest.", sounds "@11You can faintly hear the surf crashing from outside.", cant_go [; print (string) random( "@11You walk right into a bright red surfboard.^", "@11You bang your nose on a life jacket.^", "@11You stub your toe on a surfboard.^", "@11You walk into a deflated rubber raft.^", "@11You can't go that way.^", "@11You emerge into a beautiful meadow, covered with sweet-smelling white flowers. Butterflies are buttering fly. Sirds are binging. You fall on your face in the inviting grass and -- just kidding. You can't go that way.^"); ], sw_to Geedunk; Decor -> Equipment "equipment" with article "some", name 'equipment' 'surfboard' 'surfboards' 'stretcher' 'stretchers' 'raft' 'rafts' 'deflated' 'jacket' 'jackets' 'life' 'oar' 'oars' 'suit' 'suits' 'bathing' 'trunks' 'red' 'medical' 'cross' 'orange' 'international', description "@11There's a whole bunch of beach equipment here. Surfboards, stretchers, rafts, life jackets. . . Mostly bright red -- medical red -- but some are international orange. None of it is very unusual or interesting.", before [; Examine: rfalse; Smell: "@11It smells salty."; default: "@11Don't mess with the lifeguarding equipment."; ]; Room Geedunk "Gee-dunk Central" with name 'central', description "@11You are surrounded by snack shacks, grotto bars, gee-dunk stands -- all different names for the same thing. These little establishments sell everything from shrink-wrapped, dessicated muffins to decent hot dogs. To the northwest is ~Greg's Grotto~, and to the north is ~Sam's Sand Snacks~ (not the most appetizing of names). To the northeast is a small maintenance closet full of bright red surfboards and other lifeguard paraphernalia. To the southeast is ~Joe's Junk Food~, to the south is ~Greta's Gee-dunk~, and to the southwest is ~Brad's Beach Bread (and other necessities) -- WORLD FAMOUS!!!~. The parking lot is to the east. But more important than any of these are the stairs leading down to the west, their lowest members buried in the sand. The big mama is just few dozen meters away.", sounds "@11You can hear the waves crashing on the nearby beach.", source 'greg^s' 'grotto' AJC nw_obj 'sam^s' 'sand' 'snacks' AJC n_obj 'joe^s' 'junk' 'food' AJC se_obj 'greta^s' 'geedunk' AJC s_obj 'brad^s' 'beach' 'bread' 'necessities' 'world' 'famous' AJC sw_obj, nw_to "@11Greg's Grotto is closed -- rats, no grotto.", n_to "@11Sam's Sand Snacks is closed, but that's okay; you never had much of a taste for sand.", ne_to Closet, e_to ParkingLot, se_to "@11Joe's Junk Food is not open for business. A sign on the door says ~Will return at:~, and then there's a little circle with plastic clock hands that the owner is supposed to turn to to the time when he'll be back. Right now, it's turned to approximately 12:03, but somehow you doubt that Joe will be back at midnight.", s_to "@11Greta's Gee-dunk is closed for the night.", sw_to "@11The sign on the door reads ~Brad's Beach Bread is closed. We value your custom.~ You assume this means that the ~(other necessities) -- WORLD FAMOUS!~ part of the store is closed too.", w_to BeachNorth2, d_to BeachNorth2; Decor GeedunkStands "gee-dunk stands" with name 'stand' 'stands' 'gee-dunk' 'geedunk' 'shack' 'shacks' 'snack' 'bar' 'bars' 'grotto' 'establishment' 'establishments', description "@11There are some gee-dunk stands at the northern end of the boardwalk, all in a little cluster. They're little shops that sell candy, chips, and other cheap junk food.", found_in GeeDunk ParkingLot BoardwalkNorth BoardwalkCenter BoardwalkSouth BeachNorth2 BeachNorth BeachCenter BeachSouth; Room ParkingLot "A Parking Lot" with name 'lot' 'parking' 'space' 'line' 'lines' 'white' 'painted' 'asphalt' 'car' 'cars' 'jalopy' 'jalopies', description "@11Rows and rows of white, painted lines. And asphalt everywhere. This being the evening on a weekday, the only cars here are the grungy jalopies of beach bums. Many have surfboards on their roofs. To the south is the boardwalk, and to the west a few gee-dunk stands stand between you and the big mama. In all other directions is asphalt.", sounds "@11You can hear the surf crashing nearby, and the strange, rapid clicking of a car engine cooling down.", s_to BoardwalkNorth, w_to Geedunk, n_to "@11There's nothing there but asphalt.", ne_to "@11That's just more asphalt.", e_to "@11Why? It's just asphalt.", se_to "@11You don't feeling like wandering around the parking lot.", sw_to "@11That's more parking lot -- you don't want to go there.", nw_to "@11Your stomach turns at the thought of walking on more asphalt."; Room BoardwalkNorth "The Boardwalk" with description "@11You stand on the boardwalk in Las Lorena, a stone's throw from the big mama herself, who stretches away endlessly to the west. The surf is relatively calm; it rushes in hurriedly, then pulls back slowly, with a hissing sound. A low rail separates you from the beach to the west and the city to the east. To the north is the parking lot, and, nearby, its associated bundle of gee-dunk stands. The boardwalk continues to the south, terminating in the distance at a commercial strip -- restaurants, surfboard shops, hotels with private, hedged-in beaches where honeymooners can make love in the surf over and over again -- people in general. From beneath your feet come low conversational and relaxed sounds; some people remain, even at the end of the day, under the boardwalk, on blankets with their babies -- just like in the Drifters song. That's where you'd like to be.", n_to ParkingLot, s_to BoardwalkCenter, w_to "@11You can't walk through the rail.", e_to "@11You don't feel like walking around in the city; that's why you're here."; Decor Boardwalk "boardwalk" with name 'boardwalk' 'wood' 'floor' 'wooden', description "@11It's the boardwalk. It's the old-fashioned wooden kind -- none of this fiberglass or artifical compacted synthetic something-or-other -- easier to get splinters, but somehow it feels more natural.", before [; LookUnder: "@11The boardwalk is opaque; you'd have to be on the beach to see under it."; GoUnder: "@11Without a blanket and a baby, there's just no point."; ], react_before [; Listen: "@11You hear words, softly spoken, little giggles, relaxed sighs, and other such sounds from beneath the boardwalk."; ], found_in BoardwalkNorth BoardWalkCenter BoardWalkSouth Geedunk ParkingLot BeachNorth2; Decor Rail "rail" with name 'rail' 'railing' 'fence' 'barrier' 'rust' 'metal' 'splotches' 'smooth', description "@11This smooth metal rail separates the boardwalk from the adjacent territory, like a magic circle to keep out the impure, or a fence separating the Pacific Embassy from the hostile nation surrounding it. The metal itself is rusted in splotches, and rubbed smooth by the many hands that have gripped it, and bodies that have leant on it, and, perhaps most importantly, people who, too anxious to go all the way down to the stairway, have jumped over it in their haste to reach the beach.", found_in BoardwalkNorth BoardwalkCenter BoardwalkSouth Geedunk, before [; Climb,JumpOver: print "@11You hop lightly over the rail and land with a soft thump on the sandy beach.^"; switch (location) { BoardwalkNorth: PlayerTo(BeachNorth); BoardwalkCenter: PlayerTo(BeachCenter); BoardwalkSouth: PlayerTo(BeachSouth); Geedunk: PlayerTo(BeachNorth2);} rtrue; GoUnder: "@11The rail is too low to walk under; it'd be easier to jump over it."; ]; Room BoardwalkCenter "The Boardwalk" with description "@11This is the midpoint of the boardwalk, which continues to the north and south. At the northern end you can make out a parking lot and a clump of snack shacks. The southern end fades into the commercial district. To the east, over the rail of the boardwalk, is a quiet residential street, and to the west, over the other rail, is the beach, and, beyond that, the big mama.", sounds "You hear words, softly spoken, little giggles, relaxed sighs, and other such sounds from beneath the boardwalk.", n_to BoardwalkNorth, s_to BoardwalkSouth, w_to "@11You can't walk through the rail.", e_to "@11You have no desire to walk away from the ocean."; Room BoardwalkSouth "The Boardwalk" with description "@11As if on a precipice, you stand at the southern extremity of the boardwalk. Just a few steps farther south, the smooth wood of the boardwalk ends, and a concrete sidewalk begins. There also ends the serenity of the beach and the hustle and bustle of the city; restaurants, shops, hot dog stands -- all compete for customer attention, creating a lively hullabaloo. A little too lively for you.", sounds [; print_ret (string) random( "@11The hissing sound of the surf reaches your ears through the noise of the city.", "@11You hear a man sitting at one of the sidewalk caf@'es; he says to the woman sitting across from him, ~Your eyes are like two full moons on the same night. Their rare beauty. . .~ And then his voice is drowned out by the multitude of others.", "@11You hear a woman sigh somewhere nearby.", "@11You hear a man and a woman yelling at each other.", "@11You hear a hot dog vendor to a customer: ~Whaddya want, pal? We got chili dogs, bratwurst, classic New York style . . .~", "@11You hear the lone saxophone of a street musician.", "@11You hear a discarded newspaper page rustling as it is breeze-blown across the sidewalk, among the unheeding legs of the pedestrians.", "@11You hear a man say to someone, ~You're an asset to the company, Harry. That's why I'm trusting you with this. . .~ before his voice is lost into the din.", "@11You hear the clatter of dishes as some waiter somewhere stumbles and struggles to keep from dropping his burden.", "@11You hear a strange silence; for a minute moment -- no more than half a second -- the natural pauses in conversation, wind, surf, pots clanging, have all aligned themselves to form this one instant of total silence. It is gone, yanked away into the effervescent noise, before you can concentrate on it more closely."); ], n_to BoardwalkCenter, s_to "@11Even as you stand here on the fringe, you can only rarely still hear the familiar sounds of the big mama. Like a child unborn, you fear the outside, and do not want to go there; you cling to the tranquility of the beach and boardwalk.", w_to "@11You can't walk through the rail.", e_to "@11No. The city is too loud, too full, too ebullient."; Room Hospital "At The Hospital" with name 'hospital' 'bed' 'ER', description "@11The room, like so many hospital rooms, is all white. You really aren't concentrating on the decor, though, you're concentrating on the girl on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over her face, and the man in the lab coat with a clipboard in his hand. There is an exit to the west, though.", sounds "@11You can hear various words from various medical personnel as they do their business about the hospital. Underlying this is the breathing of the girl on the bed.", w_to [; deadflag=8; print "@11You walk out of the room, ignoring the ER doctor. Soon, you're sleeping like a baby in your own bed, dreaming of softly crashing waves against a golden beach."; rtrue; ]; Decor -> Asthmatic "girl" has animate static with article "the", name 'girl' 'teenager' 'teenager' 'asthmatic' 'having' 'asthma' 'attack' 'bed' 'mask' 'oxygen' 'face', description "@11You can only see her head protruding from the pristine white sheets, and even that is mostly covered by an oxygen mask. Her eyes are closed. She is breathing softly, regularly; whatever it was the doctors did (you can't remember) it seems to have worked.", before [; Examine: rfalse; OKBScript: "@11Shh! She's asleep!"; Smell,Listen: "@11You can hear her breathing, if you listen carefully enough, and the doctor's. There is a faint smell of some unidentifiable chemical -- that strange, sterile, hospital smell."; Kiss: print "@11You bend over the sleeping woman and kiss her softly on the mouth. Her lips quiver; her eyelids open; she sees your face above her. Suddenly her arms are around you and she's practically crushing your face into hers. The kiss lasts almost a full minute. She relaxes her grip for a moment, and you pull your face away a scant centimeter to breathe.@00\ In that instant, thousands of thoughts flash across your brain: What is the doctor thinking? Who is this I'm kissing? Why is she kissing me? God, that felt good. Is she okay? It's been a long time since I've had a kiss like that. Is she a nymphomaniac or is she just grateful? Or is she somehow in love with me? How did I get here? But before you can even attempt to begin to process even one of these, her lips reach out and possessively grasp yours.@00\ And in THAT instant, all those thoughts flee from your head, and you realize that none of that is at all important, and that this is a GOOD thing, and you are enveloped in pure joy."; deadflag=3; default: "@11Don't go disturbing her; she's asleep."; ]; Room BeachRestaurant "A Restaurant On The Beach" with name 'restaurant' 'sand' 'beach' 'ocean' 'water' 'surf' 'mama' 'big' 'sea' 'table' 'fork' 'knife' 'spoon' 'napkin', description "@11In the tourist season, this place would be swamped with people. Of course, in a place like Las Lorena, it's always sort of tourist season; the weather's almost always better than wherever the tourists are coming from. But, this being a weeknight, the place is fairly calm. You've got a great outside table with nothing but sand between you and the ocean.", sounds "@11You can hear people talking at other tables in the restaurant.", each_turn [; if (HowMany(GRAboutPaul)==1 && HowMany(GRLasLorena)==1 && HowMany(GRPlayer)==1) {deadflag=40; "@11Pushing her chair back from the table, Ginger stands up. ~Well,~ she says, ~it's been a nice dinner. Thanks, Paul.~@00\ You shake her extended hand. With a smile, she goes on her way.";} ], before [; Go,Exit,AdjGo: "@11No way are you going to get up and leave this girl.^"; ]; Thing -> RedSnapper "grilled Red Snapper" has edible with name 'plate' 'dish' 'snapper' 'red' 'pacific' 'grilled', describe "@11The grilled Pacific Red Snapper you ordered is here.", description "@11Pacific Red Snapper, grilled to a turn. Looks great, but you're more interested in Ginger.", number 18, before [; Examine: rfalse; Take: "@11Right, you're gonna carry it home in your pocket? Don't play with your food."; Search: "@11[You had to try it, didn't you?] Okay, you search the red snapper. You find a secret identification card and a gold watch in its pocket. Don't play with your food."; LookUnder: "@11Lifting up the snapper with your fork, you see the plate beneath it. Wow."; Smell: "@11It smells great, considering it's a dead fish."; Attack: "@11[Why? Why? Why?]^^ Like a panther, you lunge at a Pacific Red Snapper with your fork!^ You hit a Pacific Red Snapper for 23 points of damage!^ A Pacific Red Snapper swings its rice pilaf at your abdomen!^ You grunt in pain as a Pacific Red Snapper hits you for 7 points of damage.^ With a bloodcurdling battle-cry, you MUTILATE a Pacific Red Snapper's lemon sauce!^ You hit a Pacific Red Snapper for 37 points of damage!^ Growling menacingly, a Pacific Red Snapper lashes out with its parsley!^ A Pacific Red Snapper hits you for 13 points of damage!^ Howling like a wild beast, you lay your fork next to a Pacific Red Snapper's soul!^ A Pacific Red Snapper whimpers as you hit it for 19 points of damage!^ With a terrifying shriek, a Pacific Red Snapper goes to meet its maker!^ A Pacific Red Snapper is DEAD!^@00\ Oh, wait, it was already dead. We're talking about a ",(Bold) "DEAD FISH"," here. So put down your +3 silver fork, you're scaring the other customers."; Eat,Taste: print "@11You take a bite of your Red Snapper. Yum."; self.number--; if (self.number==0) { remove self; " As you finish the last bite, a waiter comes and takes the plate away.";} new_line; rtrue; default: "@11Don't play with your food."; ]; Thing -> Wine "your wine" has proper drinkable with name 'wine' 'red' 'glass' 'your' '1998' 'cabernet' 'sauvignon', describe "@11The glass of local red wine you ordered is here.", description "@11It's a glass of some local red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, 1998. People say you should drink white wine with fish, but you like fish, and you like red wine, and you're not going to sacrifice your preferences for some silly tradition.", number 8, before [; Examine: rfalse; Take: "@11Right, you're gonna carry it home in your shoe? Don't play with your food."; Search: "@11[You had to try it, didn't you?] Okay, you search the wine. You find a secret microfilm and a gold ring in its pocket. Don't play with your food."; LookUnder: "@11Lifting up the wine glass, you see the table beneath it. Wow."; Smell: "@11This particular vintage has a very complex nose."; Attack: "@11[Why? Why? Why?]^^ Screaming bestially, you lunge at a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon with your palette!^ You hit a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon for 19 points of damage!^ A 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon thrusts its rich, fruity aftertaste at your neck!^ You yelp as a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon hits you for 11 points of damage.^ Gathering your courage, you MUTILATE a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon's bouqet!^ You hit a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon for 35 points of damage!^ With a sudden howl, a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon jabs at you with its thick, earthy texture!^ A 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon hits you for 15 points of damage!^ Bellowing your war-cry, you lay your palette next to a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon's soul!^ A 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon groans in pain as you hit it for 19 points of damage!^ Writhing in agony, a 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon returns to the big oak barrel in the sky!^ A 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon is DEAD!^@00\ Oh, wait, it was already dead. We're talking about a ",(Bold) "BUNCH OF CRUSHED GRAPES", " here. So put down your +2 palette, you're scaring the other customers."; Drink,Taste: print "@11You take a sip of your wine. Delicious."; self.number--; if (self.number==0) {remove self; " As you drink the last bit, a waiter comes and removes the empty glass.";} new_line; rtrue; default: "@11Don't play with your food."; ]; Decor -> VagueSand "sand", with article "the", name 'beach' 'sand' 'golden', description "@11The sand stretches up from the water to peter out in a scattering of grains beneath your table.", before [; Take: "@11You don't want to get your hands dirty at dinner."; ]; Decor VagueMama "big mama" with article "the", name 'mama' 'big' 'ocean' 'sea' 'water' 'surf' 'wave' 'waves' 'sun' 'boat' 'boats' 'sailboat' 'sailboats' 'swell' 'swells' 'platform' 'platforms' 'oil', description "@11The big mama undulates as ever in the dimming light. Stray, lagging sunrays glint off random wavepeaks. Pelicans swoop low over the surface, scanning the interior for prey. Far out, the buoys bob unpredictably; farther out, the stolid oil platforms sit, immovable, at the outer limit of your vision.", found_in BeachRestaurant EmilysHouse; Room UnderBoardwalk "Under The Boardwalk (Down By The Sea)" with description "@11Well, here you are, under the boardwalk. It surrounds you totally, except for the sand below you and the low opening leading out to the beach.", sounds "@11The silence is almost total. All you can hear is Lucy's heavy breathing and the crashing waves.", before [; Go,Exit,AdjGo: if (Clothes has worn) print "@11"; else print "@11You dress hastily. "; deadflag=22; "Saying nothing, you crawl out from under the boardwalk onto the beach, and, snuffing up the invigorating air with a deep breath, turn your back to ocean and begin to walk home."; ]; Room EmilysHouse "On Emily's Patio" with name 'patio' 'emily^s' 'house' 'lawn' 'grass' 'plant' 'plants' 'tree' 'trees' 'palm' 'vine' 'vines' 'honeysuckle' 'greenery' 'lush' 'fountain-shaped' 'leaves' 'long' 'broad', description "@11Truly, a lovely residence. Emily's house sits at the very edge of a protruding bluff that towers over the beach below. Because of the shape of the land, no other houses are directly adjacent to it. On three sides is the empty air, and on the inland side a cul-de-sac terminates in a lengthy driveway lined with palm trees -- although that's not visible now, because you're on the other side of the house. All around the rim of the promontory, fencing in the property, lush greenery flourishes: low, bushy palm trees; long vines of honeysuckle; small, fountain-shaped plants that thrust long, broad leaves up to the sky like cresting waves.@00\ The house itself is a wide, one-story California bungalow with numerous long windows, including two skylights, one on each side of the gable's squat peak, which run nearly the whole length of the house. Here, in the back yard, a sliding door opens onto a brick patio shaded by an expansive awning. Off-center in this patio sits a glass table flanked by two comfortable chairs. Beyond, closer to the precipice, is a luscious crescent-shaped lawn.", sounds "@11You can hear the whooshing wind and, far below, the faint smashing of the waves upon the sand.", each_turn [; if (HowMany(EMNight)==1 && HowMany(EMDoStuff)==1 && HowMany(EMPlayer)==1) {deadflag=41; "@11You twiddle your thumbs nervously, unable to think of anything to say. Finally you break the silence by saying ~Well, thank you for having me over Emily, but I have to be getting home.~@00\ She nods. ~Of course. Thanks for coming.~ She escorts you out to the front door.@00\ ~Good night,~ you say, waving, as you walk away down the street. She waves back."; } ], before [; Go,Exit,AdjGo: "@11But you don't want to leave!"; ]; Decor -> GlassTable "glass table" with name 'table' 'glass' 'clear' 'polished' 'recently' 'chair' 'chairs' 'reclining' 'reclined' 'slightly' 'cushion' 'large' 'soft', description "The chairs are slightly reclined, and each is covered with a large, soft cushion. The table is glass, so you can see through it. It seems to have been polished recently, because the glass is extremely clear; pristine.", before [; Enter: "@11Okay, you're sitting in the chair. Big whoop."; ]; !NPC Code - - - - - - - - - - - - - - !!! Person BeachGirl "teenage girl" Geedunk has female ~proper with name 'girl' 'teenage' 'woman' 'young' 'good-looking' 'pretty' 'bikini' 'green' 'bright' 'top' 'bottom' 'babe', describe "@11A teenage girl in a bikini is here, lounging around.", description "@11The girl is a sun-bronzed beach baby, an archetypical icon of California surf culture. Her tan skin implies that she spends a lot of time ~laying out~. She's wearing a bright green bikini, and it looks good on her. Her hair is shoulder-length and beach-bleached-blonde. She leans against the rail, her back to the ocean, apparently just luxuriating in the salty breeze and the calm of the evening. She looks about 16 or 18 years old -- not much younger than you. Really, she's a young woman, although for some reason the word that comes to your mind is ~girl~. What a difference a diploma makes. . .", leavechance 30, talkchance 20, flag 0, each_turn [other; StartDaemon(self); if (self.flag==1) {self.flag=0; rtrue;} self.flag=0; if (self.leavechance>95) self.leavechance=90; if (self.talkchance>95) self.talkchance=90; other=BeachNorth2; if (self in other) other=Geedunk; !other=Geedunk; if (random(100)<(self.leavechance)) {move self to other; if (other==BeachNorth2) {"@11The girl in the bikini strolls off onto the beach.";} else {"@11The girl in the bikini strolls up the stairs to the gee-dunk stands."; } } if (random(100)<(self.talkchance)) {actor=self; print "@11The girl in the bikini catches your eye and says, ~Hey, what's up?~^"; ; } print (string) random( "@11The young woman in the bikini glances at you.^", "@11The girl in the bikini gives you a half-smile, then looks away.^", "@11The teenage girl runs her bare toe back and forth along the back of her other foot.^", "@11The girl adjusts her bikini top.^", "@11The girl runs her hand up and down along her thigh.^", "@11The young woman yawns, spreads her legs, and bends over forward, placing her palms flat on the ground, stretching, then stands up again.^", "@11The girl in the bikini drums her fingers on her thumb.^", "@11The young woman hums a Beach Boys tune.^", "", "", "", "", "", ""); ], daemon [other; if (self in location) rtrue; self.flag=0; other=BeachNorth2; if (self in other) other=Geedunk; !other=Geedunk; if (random(100)<40) self.leavechance++; if (random(100)<30) self.leavechance--; if (random(100)<40) self.talkchance++; if (random(100)<30) self.talkchance--; if (random(100)<(self.leavechance)) {move self to other; if (location==other) print "@11The girl in the bikini saunters in.^"; self.flag=1;} ], before [; OKBScript: if (actor~=self) print "@11You approach the teenage girl in the bikini. She looks at you with a mix of fearlessness and curiosity. ~Hey,~ you say.@00\ ~Hey,~ she says. ~What's up?~@00"; SmileAt: "@11You smile tentatively at the teenage girl. She smiles back, then looks away."; ]; PLine ->-> BG0 "Silence" has general edible with description "The girl raises her eyebrows.@00", leavem 20, talkm -20; PLine ->-> BG1 "Not much." has edible with description "~Not much,~ you say.@00\ ~Hmm.~ she says.@00", leavem 10, talkm -10; PLine ->-> BG2 "Not much, how about you?" with description "~Not much,~ you say. ~How about you?~@00\ ~Same,~ she says. ~Just, y'know, kickin' it at the beach on a Thursday night.~@00", leavem 0, talkm 0; NLine ->->-> BG2x0 "Silence" has general with description "~Yep. Just hangin' around by myself, y'know?~@00", leavem 5, talkm 5; NLine ->->->-> BG2x0x1 "You're quite a beautiful young woman." with description "~You're quite a beautiful young woman,~ you say.@00\ She gives a short, sharp laugh. ~Thanks, Don Juan.~.@00", leavem 5, talkm 5; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0 "Silence" has general with description "You remain silent. ~Hey, c'mon,~ she says, ~I'm just kiddin' around, man.~@00", leavem -20, talkm 10; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x0 "Silence" has general with description "You keep your silence. ~Ah, geez, are you mad that I called you Don Juan?~ she says incredulously.@00", leavem 5, talkm -5; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x0x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "When you do not reply, the girl says, ~Fine, jerk. If you can't take a little joke, I don't want to be around you. Too bad. You seemed like an all right guy.~ She strolls off into the parking lot and says over her shoulder, ~You just lost yourself a pretty wild night, my friend.~ You watch her get into a little Honda and drive away.", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x0x1 "Yes, I am, actually." has edible with description "~Yes,~ you reply, tight-lipped. ~I am, actually.~@00\ The girl drops her jaw in surprise. ~Fine, jerk. If you can't take a little joke, I don't have any reason to hang around. Too bad. You seemed like an all right guy.~ She strolls off into the parking lot and says over her shoulder, ~You just lost yourself a pretty wild night, my friend.~ You watch her get into a little Honda and drive away.", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x0x2 "No, actually, I took it as a compliment." has edible with description "~No,~ you say, grinning a little. ~Actually, I took it as a compliment.~@00\ ~Ha!~ she says, punching you in the shoulder. ~You had me going there for a minute. Nice timing on that, too. I really appreciate the art of the hoodwink.~ She extends her hand. ~Name's Ginger.~@00\ You shake her hand. It's smooth and soft to the touch. ~I'm Paul.~ Nice to meet you.@00\ ~Likewise, Paul. You wanna go get some dinner or something?~@00 Ten minutes later you're sitting at a patio table at a seaside restaurant, having just ordered the grilled Pacific Red Snapper and a half-carafe of some local wine. Ginger is talking. . .@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x0x3 "I could never be mad at you, sweetie." has edible with description "~I could never be mad at you, sweetie,~ you say.@00\ ~Sweetie?~ she says. ~Sweetie?~ Suddenly she bursts into laughter. ~Man, you just went off the deep end. Talk about corny. Sorry, pal, but I'm not your sweetie, and I don't think I want to be either. I'll catch you later, man.~ Still laughing, she goes out to the parking lot, from whence she drives.", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x1 "Yay." has edible with description "~Yay,~ you say.@00\ The girl gives you a funny look. ~Yeah, yay is right. . . I guess. . . Hey, uh, I gotta be going, y'know. Later.~ She goes out into the parking lot, gets into a white Honda, and drives away.", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2 "No problem." with description "~No problem,~ you say, looking into her bright green eyes.@00\ ~No problem, huh? I bet there's a big problem. I bet the problem is that you're so gaga over my body that you're just saying whatever you think will make me like you, so you can maybe convinve me to take off even these little scraps of clothing I'm wearing. Is that the problem? Huh?~@00", leavem 10, talkm 5; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "~You just dunno what to say to that, huh? Well, you don't have to. I'll take you, silent or no.~@00\ Your disbelief quickly changes to excitement as she drags you to a secluded spot under the boardwalk. Five unbelievable minutes later, you're on your back in the sand, naked, with the girl (whose name, it turns out, is Lucy) lying likewise by your side.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(UnderBoardwalk); while (child(player)~=0) {move child(player) to location;} ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2x0x1 "You bet it is." with description "~You bet it is,~ you say, blatantly ogling her.@00\ She grins. ~Well, at least you admit it. Truth is, I was sort of thinking the same thing. I mean, now that we've broken the proverbial ice as far as our motives, I gotta say you're a goddamn hottie. Do you want to know my name or should we just go have sex and keep our identities to ourselves?~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2x0x1x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing. ~That's cool, man. If you don't wanna talk, I'm cool with that. Let's find a little more private place, huh? You lead the way.~@00 What happens next should be obvious. But that's over with. So now you're lying naked next to this girl (who has revealed her name after all -- it's Lucy), under the boardwalk, down by the sea, in the sand.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(UnderBoardwalk); while (child(player)~=0) {move child(player) to location;} ]; NLine ->->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2x0x1x1 "I'm Paul." has edible with description "~I'm Paul,~ you say.@00\ ~I'm Lucy,~ she says. ~And I'm just about ready to explode. Let's find some secluded spot, quick. You lead the way, Paul.~@00 Ten blazing-hot minutes later, you're lying naked next to her in the sand under the boardwalk.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(UnderBoardwalk); while (child(player)~=0) {move child(player) to location;} ]; NLine ->->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2x0x1x2 "Let's skip the names part." has edible with description "~Let's skip the names part,~ you say, licking your lips.@00\ ~Whatever you say, handsome,~ she replies. ~Let's get ourselves to some quiet little place and then I'm yours, if you know what I mean. Lead on.~@00 After you get under the boardwalk and finish with the ~I'm yours~ part, you lie down to catch your breath. She's lying next to you, panting also.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(UnderBoardwalk); while (child(player)~=0) {move child(player) to location;} ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x0x1x0x2x0x2 "Uhh, no?" has edible with description "~Uh,~ you stutter, a little discombobulated. ~No?~@00\ The girl hauls back and gives you a serious slap across the face. ~Liar.~ Before you can recover from the shock, you hear a car driving away, and she's gone.", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x0x1x1 "Actually, my name's Paul." has edible with description "~Actually,~ you say, ~my name's Paul.~@00\ ~Oh, sorry,~ she says with a grin. ~I'm terrible with names.~@00\ ~It's an easy mistake, Do@~na Juana.~ you say.@00\ ~Actually, my name's Ginger.~@00 Soon you are both seated on the patio of a restaurant right on the beach. You order the Pacific Red Snapper and she orders the Beach Burger.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x0x1x2 "Cut the wisecracks and take off that bikini before I beat the crap out of you." has edible with description "Unable to contain your urges any longer you snap at her: ~Cut the wisecracks and take off that bikini before I beat the crap out of you.~@00\ She gives you a look of utter astonishment, then bursts out laughing. She reaches around and unfastens her bikini top, letting it drop to the boardwalk. Your jaw drops open. She closes it with a left uppercut, and follows up with two karate kicks to the abdomen. As you double over, she grabs you by the hair and smashes your face into her knee repeatedly. After about the fifth iteration, you black out.@00\ You wake up with handcuffs around your wrists, sitting alone in a cell. The girl is outside, telling a guard how she defended herself against your attempted rape. The guard looks at you, disgusted.@00\ Odds are you'll be able to talk your way out this, considering you never actually laid a hand on her, but it's going to take time and money. For now, you're looking at a few days (or more) in prison. Bummer.", after [; deadflag=23; ]; NLine ->->-> BG2x0x2 "What are you suggesting?" with description "You give the girl a sly look. ~What are you suggesting?~@00\ ~Suggesting? Who, me?~@00", leavem -10, talkm 10; NLine ->->->-> BG2x0x2x1 "Yes, you." with description "~Yes, you,~ you say rhythmically.@00\ ~Couldn't be,~ she replies, a smile twitching at her lips.@00", leavem -10, talkm 10; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x0x2x1x1 "Then who?" has edible with description "~Then who?~ you say.@00\ There is a pregnant pause.@00\ Then it gives birth: ~GINGER stole the cookie from the cookie jar!~ the young woman says suddenly, and then dissolves into laughter. ~Awesome, man, awesome,~ she says as she recovers, and extends her hand. ~Hey, I'm Ginger, by the way -- and I didn't steal any cookies, I was framed.~@00\ ~I'm Paul,~ you say. ~And I believe you -- it's the system's fault.~@00 One thing leads to another, and soon you're both having dinner at a beachside restaurant. . .@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x0x2x1x2 "Yes it could." has edible with description "~Yes it could,~ you say. ~Why not?~@00\ She stares at you coolly. ~Yeah, I guess it could. Anyway, I'll catch you later.~ She goes out into the parking lot and drives away in a white Honda.@00", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->-> BG2x1 "You all by yourself?" with description "~You all by yourself?~ you ask.@00\ ~Yep,~ she says, ~just me.~@00", leavem -5, talkm 5; NLine ->->->-> BG2x1x0 "Silence" has general with description "You remain silent, gazing, glassy-eyed, out over the sea, listening. You can hear the girl's heartbeat -- not metaphorically speaking; you can actually HEAR a thump coming from somewhere near that tiny wisp of a bathing suit. . . Glancing over furtively, you see her foot on the boardwalk, the toes clenching and unclenching, and her leg, the muscles quivering. Still her heart is beating (kind of a silly thing to think -- if it wasn't, she'd be dead): THUMPah. THUMPah. But it's getting faster: THUMPah. THUMPah THUMPah THUMPah. THUMPahTHUMPahTHUMPahTHUMPahTHUMPahTHMPTHMPTHMPTHPTHHTPTHPTHPTMMTHTPTP. . . Her eyes are blinking unusually often, and they're riveted on you.@00", leavem -50, talkm 10; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x0x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You stay silent, even though your heart is gearing up to speed just like the girl's. Soon, an amazingly natural harmony is created with a 11-piece orchestra: The waves rolling in; your heart, beating; her heart, beating; your two lungs, working overtime; her two lungs, working unpaid overtime; the boardwalk rail, being nervously beaten with your fingers, sending out an almost inaudible ~bing~; her bikini bottom, being nervously fidgeted with by her index finger and thumb, sending out a slightly more audible rustle; and, most peculiar of all, her eyelids, which you can hear, somehow, in this symphony, softly slapping against her corneas, again and again.@00\ At the same moment it becomes unbearable for both of you. Simultaneously, you both turn and fall into each other's arms. Unfortunately, since you BOTH fell (usually it's just the damsel in distress, or perhaps the war-weary prince), you actually DO fall, all the way to the boardwalk, both of you. You're stretched prone, full length on the sandy wood.@00\ But adrenalin can do wonders, and neither of you feels the fall. You DO feel her lips meeting yours, and your heart finally crossing the finish line and taking a cool-down victory lap. You remember that you have arms (even if they are crushed under your body), and you bring them out and around hers. (Coincidentally, she has similarly remembered that she has arms.) Then you kiss again -- what a relief, in a purely biological sense if nothing else -- and your heart finally sits down on the bench at the side of the track with its gold medal around its neck.@00\ Then there's a sappy little epilogue where you gaze into each other's eyes and find nothing there but true love -- which is totally uncalled for, considering you've never laid eyes on each other until today. And then says, smiling sweetly (awwww!): ~I'm Emily.~ And of course, you tell her your name. And just then a passing seagull craps RIGHT on your head; just by chance. But since it was just by chance that you fell onto the boardwalk next to your soul mate, you forgive the gull.", after [; deadflag=3; ]; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x0x1 "Are you okay?" has edible with description "~Are you okay?~ you ask the girl.@00\ She seems startled at your speech. ~What?~ she says breathlessly.@00\ ~You seem to be a little. . . stressed out. . .~@00\ ~You're darn right I'm stressed out. I -- you -- where have you been all my life?~@00\ ~What?~@00\ ~Shut up,~ she says, and kisses you -- big time.@00\ ~Mmglpth! Shmblmff!~ you say. But she keeps right on going.@00\ Finally, just when you're about ready to asphyxiate or choke on her tongue, she pulls away and gulps in a huge double lungful of air, as do you. At first you think she's some sort of nymphomaniac (kissomaniac?), but then you realize you were seconds away from doing the same thing. All is confirmed as well and good when she smiles at you with a total lack of psychological aberration and says, ~Hey, I'm Emily.~ Obviously, this is just a girl who needed a good kiss. Can you blame her? You think not.@00\ ~Hey, I'm Paul.~@00 After that, one thing leads to another, and you wind up at her place, which is on a high bluff overlooking the ocean. Your bellies are both full of seafood dinner, and you're sipping some delicious lemonade together, talking about this and that.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(EmilysHouse); ]; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x0x2 "You're hyperventilating." has edible with description "~You're hyperventilating,~ you say cautiously.@00\ She continues hyperventilating. ~Am I? Oh, crap, I am.~ Her breath is getting ragged. ~Oh my God, I'm having an asthma attack! Call 911!~@00\ ~Don't you have an inhaler?~ you ask.@00\ She gasps at your face. ~Inhaler? Where do you think I'm carrying my inhaler, Einstein? Do you see any pockets in this bikini? I --~ she collapses. ~Call the number, we'll talk about inhalers later.~ She groans, gags, and coughs up a giant gob of phlegm. You're convinced.@00\ Ten minutes and one hardcore lights-and-sirens ambulance ride through the peaceful streets of Las Lorena later, you're sitting next to a hospital bed where she lies, unconscious, her hand has a death grip on yours, and you're trying to explain to the ER doctor that you don't know jack about this girl -- he seems to suspect that you two are drug users, illicit lovers, and/or illegal aliens.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(Hospital); actor=Doctor; <>; ]; NLine ->->->-> BG2x1x1 "Kind of dangerous, isn't it?" with description "~Hm!~ you say. ~Kind of dangerous, isn't it?~@00\ She laughs. ~Oh, yeah, a young woman at large in the mean streets of Las Lorena. I could get confronted by -- horrors! -- a surfer.~@00", leavem 0, talkm 0; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x1x1 "Hey, don't underestimate surfers!" with description "~Hey,~ you say, ~don't underestimate surfers!~@00\ She laughs again. ~Whoa, sorry, buddy. Are you one of those 'wild ones' who 'hangs ten' and 'rides the big one'? How long since you 'wiped out'?~@00", leavem 5, talkm 5; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x1x1x1x1 "Maybe I is and maybe I ain't." has edible with description "~Maybe I is,~ you sez, ~and maybe I ain't.~@00\ The girl busts up laughing. ~Now you're what, a surfer from Brooklyn?~@00\ ~So wat if I is?~ you sez.@00\ ~Man, that was pretty hilarious,~ she says, recovering from her mirth. She extends a quaking hand. ~I'm Ginger, by the way.~@00\ ~Paul,~ you say, shaking her hand.@00\ ~Want to go get something to eat?~ she asks. ~I'm starved.~@00\ ~Sure,~ you say, ~I know this great restaurant right on the beach. . .~ And pretty soon, you're there.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x1x1x1x2 "Not since back in '87. Them was the days. . ." has edible with description "~Eh,~ you say. ~Not since back in '87. Them was the days. . .~@00\ ~Oh, them was, was them? Well, he, I are Ginger. Who am you?~ She shakes your hand while you're trying to figure out what she just said.@00\ ~Uh, I, uh, is, Paul.~@00\ ~Well, nice meeting you, Paul,~ she says. ~Are you hungry? I was thinkin' maybe we could go grab a bite.~@00\ ~Sounds great,~ you reply. Ten minutes later you're sitting in a great restaurant right on the beach, and she's sitting across from you.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x1x1x1x3 "I'll wipe YOU out, smarty!" has edible with description "~Hey,~ you say belligerently. ~I'll wipe YOU out, smarty!~@00\ The girl stares at you for about ten seconds before erupting into laughter of biblical proportions (although the exact chapter and verse of that laughter escapes you). Soon she is driving away in a white Honda, pedal to the metal, laughing so hard she's liable to be halfway to St. Louis before she recovers.@00", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x1x1x1x4 "Actually, I prefer boogie boarding." has edible with description "~Actually,~ you reply, ~I prefer boogie boarding.~@00\ ~Hey, y'know, me too,~ she says, suddenly in earnest. ~Surfers, they like to act cool, with their big ol' boards and their crazy wax, but boogie boarding's just as fun, and the board isn't so darn unwieldly.@00\ ~Uh. . . my sentiments exactly.~@00\ ~Hey, man, I'm Ginger, by the way.~@00\ ~Oh, I'm Paul.~@00 And soon, you're seated across from Ginger on a patio right next to the beach, just finishing up your appetizer of scallops.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->-> BG2x1x2 "You could get raped." has edible with description "~You could get raped,~ you say, more predatorily than you had intended.@00\ The girl looks at you coldly. ~So could you.~@00", leavem -10, talkm -5; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x2x1 "Ha! By you?" with description "~Ha!~ you snort. ~By you?~@00\ ~Oh, you betcha,~ she says, without any hint of humor.@00", leavem -20, talkm -10; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x1x2x1x1 "I'd like to see you try!" with description "You snort contemptuously. ~I'd like to see you try.~@00\ She needs no further encouragement. Before you can say ~girl power~, she hits you between the eyes with an etremely painful karate kick (just like at the end of The Karate Kid). She takes a quick look around, then kicks you under the boardwalk. (You don't really see this, by the way. You mostly see hydrogen bombs exploding behind your eyelids.) Before you can say ~clothing optional~, she takes off her bikini top, uses it to hogtie your wrists to your ankles, then takes off the bikini bottom and gags you with it.@00\ [If I described the next five minutes of the story, I would get last place in Comp2000 just on general principle. Besides, I'd probably be to blame for the hospitalization of several judges with cardiac arrest. So it is with little remorse that I omit the description of Paul's rape. My only regret is that I can no longer sell this game for $5 in a porno shop.]@00\ The girl gives you an indescribable look, says, ~If you speak above a whisper, I'll do it again -- worse.~ and ungags you. You gasp. ~So, champ,~ she says, with a disgusted/triumphant look on her face, ~what do you say?~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x1x2x1x1x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing.@00\ ~Speechless, huh? Pathetic,~ says the girl. She gags you once again, takes your clothes from the sand [Don't ask me how Paul's clothes left his body -- you don't want to know.], and puts them on. Then she crawls out from under the boardwalk, looks around, and walks away.", after [; deadflag=4; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x1x2x1x1x1 "More!" has edible with description "~More!~ you gasp.@00\ The girl gives you an even more indescribable look than before. She regags you. Then she grabs your clothes from the sand [The part where Paul lost his clothes was too gruesome to describe, remember?] and puts them on. She seems about to leave, but then her eye falls on a forgotten inner tube lying on the beach, and she says ~I've got a better idea.~@00\ She takes a quick look around, then switfly runs out, puts the inner tube in the ocean, runs back, picks up you up, and drops you, still hogtied, into the tube. She gives it a good hard shove, and you're on your way. Don't worry -- it's not shark season.", after [; deadflag=5; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x1x2x1x1x2 "You call that a rape?" has edible with description "~You call that a rape?~ you whisper.@00\ Instantly you regret it. But the damage has been done. She regags you. By the time she's done, you've lost consciousness. By the time anyone else finds you, you've lost sanity.", after [; deadflag=6; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> BG2x1x2x1x1x3 "HEEEELLLLPPP!" has edible with description "You take a deep breath and yell, ~HEEEELLLLPPP!~@00\ True to her word, she gags you and does it again -- worse. Just as she's finished up and is about to go (wearing your clothes), leaving you sobbing in the sand, a short Japanese tourist passing by notices you both. He is carrying a cellular phone. She notices him too, and starts in with the karate routine. But he knows karate too -- and he's better. Eventually, she is sentenced to 20 years in prison for two counts of rape. You emerge from psychological therapy to find that everyone in Las Lorena knows that you were raped by a teenage girl. Never mind that very few people could have defended themselves adequately against such a formidable martial artist -- the stigma is permanent. But you can't leave the big mama, so you stay in Las Lorena and spend your days and nights sitting on the sand, inches from the surf, as far away from everyone as possible.", after [; deadflag=7; ]; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x2x2 "True." has edible with description "~True,~ you say.@00\ She says nothing. After a little while, she walks off into the parking lot and drives away in her car.@00", leavem 5, talkm -5; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x1x2x3 "Yep. What a cruel world." with description "~Yep,~ you say. ~What a cruel world.~@00\ ~Indeed,~ she replies.@00", leavem 10, talkm -10; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x1x2x3x1 "Indeedy." has edible with description "~Indeedy,~ you say.@00\ ~A friend in needy is a friend indeedy,~ she says.@00", leavem 5, talkm 0; NLine ->->->-> BG2x1x3 "Do you like it that way?" has edible with description "~Do you,~ you say, ~like it that way?~@00\ ~Sometimes.~@00\ ~How about now?~@00\ ~Okay, fine, you can buy me dinner,~ she says with a grin. ~I'm Emily, by the way.~@00\ ~I'm Paul.~@00\ After dinner, you go to her place, to sit on the patio, from which you can see the ocean.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(EmilysHouse); ]; NLine ->->-> BG2x2 "So I see." has edible with description "~So I see.~@00\ The girl says nothing.@00", leavem 5, talkm 0; NLine ->->-> BG2x3 "You, uh, wanna go get some dinner?" with description "~Hey,~ you say. ~You, uh, wanna go get some dinner?~@00\ ~Whoa, you move pretty fast, mister. First of all, I'm way younger than you. Second of all, I don't know you at all. Third of all, look how I'm dressed. Hardly dinner attire.~@00", leavem 10, talkm 5; NLine ->->->-> BG2x3x1 "Pah! These are small obstacles." has edible with description "~Pah!~ you say ostentatiously. ~These are small obstacles.~@00\ ~Oh, fine,~ she says. ~I'm hungry anyway. Actually, I'm Ginger.~@00\ ~I'm Paul,~ you say. ~Nice to meet you, hungry -- I mean Ginger.~@00 In a matter of minutes you're both sitting at a table in a beachside restaurant, and the food has just arrived.", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(BeachRestaurant); ]; NLine ->->->-> BG2x3x2 "WAY younger?" has edible with description "~WAY younger?~ you say.@00\ ~Well. . .~ she says, ~younger.~@00\ ~Well, geez, one of us HAS to be younger. Would you feel differently if our ages were reversed?~@00\ ~I don't even know your age.~@00\ ~That's the point! Who gives a dilly-o? C'mon, let's go get some dinner, huh?~@00\ ~Oh. . .~ she says, apparently about to acquiesce. ~No. No. No. I have to go. Goodbye.~ So she leaves. She gets in her little white Honda and drives away.@00", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->-> BG2x3x3 "So dress different." with description "~So dress different,~ you suggest.@00\ ~DifferentLY,~ she says, chuckling. ~Different how?~@00", leavem -10, talkm 10; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x3x3x1 "You tell me." with description "~You tell me,~ you say enigmatically.@00\ ~Is that supposed to insinuate something?~ she says.@00", leavem -10, talkm 10; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x3x3x2 "No." has edible with description "~No,~ you say.@00\ ~Good.~@00", leavem 0, talkm 5; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x3x3x3 "It's supposed to insinuate that I want you to take off your clothes." has edible with description "~It's supposed to insinuate,~ you reply, ~that I want you to take off your clothes.~@00\ ~I'll bet you do,~ she says. ~Unfortunately, I don't want to show you any more than you've seen. Adios.~ She walks away into the parking lot and drives away in a Honda.", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x3x3x4 "Hey, YOU brought up the whole clothing issue." has edible with description "~Hey,~ you say indignantly, ~YOU brought up the whole clothing issue.~@00\ ~Oh yeah,~ she says. ~I did. OK, then I'll send it down. Clothing is irrelevant. I just don't want to go out with you. No offense, huh? Now I'll be going.~ And she does.@00", after MissedSomething; NLine ->->-> BG2x4 "Isn't it a lovely night?" with description "You inhale deeply. ~Isn't it a lovely night?~ you say.@00\ ~Oh, yes,~ she replies earnestly. ~Very.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> BG2x4x0 "Silence" has general with description "You say nothing.@00\ ~Do you --~ begins the girl, then stops.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> BG2x4x0x1 "Do I what?" with description "~Do I what?~ you ask.@00\ She turns away, blushing. ~Nothing, nothing,~ she says.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x4x0x1x1 "Oh, okay." has edible with description "~Oh, okay,~ you say. There is no need for the reply which she does not give.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> BG2x4x0x1x2 "C'mon, tell me." has edible with description [; "~C'mon,~ you coax, ~tell me.~@00\ ~No,~ she says, ~it was something stupid; you'd laugh, or else think I was. . . a fool, or worse.~@00\ ~No,~ you say, ~what was it you were going to say? Do I. . .~ You trail off expectantly.@00\ She takes a deep breath. ~Do you want to go out and get something to eat?~@00\ Your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. There's this beautiful girl, all alone at the beach, who you'd fall all over yourself to go out with, and ",(Bold) "she"," does the asking? How can you refuse?@00\ Even more amazing, the offer is extended to include a visit to her house, where you now sit, on a brick patio, next to this girl (who introduced herself as Emily).@00"; ], after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(EmilysHouse); ]; NLine ->->->-> BG2x4x1 "It's this kind of night that makes me glad I live here." has edible with description "~It's this kind of night,~ you say, ~that makes me glad I live here.~@00\ She suddenly says, ~Me too!~ Then, with a strange look, she extends her hand. ~I'm Emily, by the way.~@00\ ~Paul,~ you say, shaking it.@00\ ~I'm really. . .~ she says ~impressed? No, sort of surprised -- well, pleasantly surprised by. . . I can't believe you just said what you said.~@00\ ~What, that I love living here?~ you say, puzzled.@00\ ~Yes,~ she says, ~because I was just thinking the exact same thing. Do you -- do you want to go get some dinner?~@00\ Of course, you're not the kind of guy to turn down a dinner offer from a beautiful young woman, especially since your own girlfriend just broke up with you. Nor are you the type to turn down a further offer, after dinner, to stop by her house, where you now sit on a patio on a high cliff overlooking the sea.@00", after [; remove Speaker(self); PlayerTo(EmilysHouse); ]; !!! Person Doctor "ER Doctor" Hospital has animate male with name 'doctor' 'doc' 'er' 'emergency' 'room' 'glove' 'gloves' 'clipboard', describe "@11The ER doctor is here, glancing back and forth between you and his patient.", description "@11He looks like something out of a children's book about ~what do you want to be when you grow up?~ He's wearing a lab coat, his hair is short and brown, and he's wearing those weird-smelling disposable rubber gloves.", each_turn [; if (random(100)>; } ], before [; OKBScript: if (actor==self) print "@11~Sir?~ says the ER doctor. ~I'd like to ask you a few questions.~^"; else print "@11~Uh,~ you say to the doctor, ~I --~@00\ ~I'm sorry, sir, but I can't really chat with you now; I need some information about this patient.~^"; ]; PLine ->-> ER0 "Silence" has general with description "You remain silent.@00\ ~Sir?~ says the doctor, ~Did you hear me? I need to know some things about this young woman.~@00", goto Doctor; PLine ->-> ER1 "Shut up, quack." has edible with description "~Shut up, quack,~ you say flippantly.@00\ The doctor splutters. ~Why -- why -- get out of here at once, you -- SECURITY!~@00\ So security escorts you out. You stand there on the sidewalk and wonder about that girl. After a while you take a deep breath, sigh, and move along. It really wasn't your fault or your business, her asthma. So you go home. . .", after [; deadflag=8; ]; NLine ->-> ER2 "I don't know anything!" has edible with description [; "~I don't know anything!~ you exclaim. ~I've never seen this girl before today!~@00\ The doctor gives you a funny look. ~Not even her name?~@00\ ~No!~ you say.@00\ He gives you another look, then shrugs. ~Well, if you're not going to cooperate, or if you don't know -- it doesn't matter which -- I'll have to ask you to leave the room, please.~@00\ So you do.@00\ You sit in the lobby, worn to a frazzle, and doze off. You wake up hours later and rush back into the room where the girl had been. She's not there. You run into the lobby and are about to ask the lady at the desk what happened to the girl, but then you realize you don't know who you're looking for. No name, no number, no identification. Even if the desk lady ",(Bold) "did"," remember a girl who was brought into the ER in a bikini, she'd probably think you were some kind of stalker.@00\ Dejected, you begin the long walk home; you don't feel like taking a bus. Of course, odds are the girl had no interest in you anyway, and you definitely don't want to make her feel obligated to ~put out~ (or whatever) in exchange for your calling 911 on her behalf. But still. . ."; ], after [; deadflag=9; ]; NLine ->-> ER3 "What do you want to know?" with description "~What do you want to know?~ you ask the doctor.@00\ ~Well,~ he says, ~for starters, what's this young woman's name?~@00"; NLine ->->-> ER3x1 "I haven't the foggiest idea." with description "~I haven't the foggiest idea,~ you say.@00\ ~What?~ says the doctor. ~Come on, guy, this is no joke.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> ER3x1x1 "HA HA HA! What a knee-slapper!" has edible with description "~HA HA HA!~ you guffaw, nearly losing your balance. ~What a knee-slapper!~ As if to confirm the knee-slapper-ness of. . . of whatever it was that was a knee slapper, you slap your knee a few times.@00\ The doctor frowns at you and makes a little disapproving noise. ~If you're going to be silly, mister, you'd better get out of here before I have security throw you out.~@00\ ~Oh, no need for that,~ you gasp, still recovering from the hilarity. ~I'm on my way out.~@00\ Soon, you're standing on the curb, still chuckling periodically, as you wait for a bus to take you home.", after [; deadflag=10; ]; NLine ->->->-> ER3x1x2 "I know!" has edible with description "~I know!~ you say earnestly.@00\ ~Well, then, what's her name?~ the doctor says impatiently, gesturing at the girl on the bed.@00\ ~Like I said,~ you say, ~I don't know. I'm not BSing you here; I just met this girl a few minutes ago. I'd like to help, but I don't know anything about her.~@00\ The doctor grimaces at you appraisingly, then nods. ~Just helping her out, eh? Well, good for you. I guess we'll have to just do our best for her and see if her parents or somebody calls in a missing person. You're welcome to stick around.~@00\ ~Definitely,~ you say.@00\ After just a few hours (during which you doze in a plastic chair) a distraught fat woman rushes into the room, glances at the girl on the bed, and collapses in a heap. ~Oh! My darling baby Helen! What's happened?~@00 Little by little the story is unfolded to and by the various interested parties; it turns out Helen is as kind and friendly as she is beautiful. (It's like some kind of fairy tale.) She's grateful for your help, and you become friends, but she's got a boyfriend, and you can tell they're in love, so you keep the relationship ~at that level~, as they say.@00\ And really, when you think about it, you love it. Being able to just sit and talk and have fun with a woman is something you haven't had for a while; it takes a load off; your life seems to ease up off your shoulders; the world seems good, and affable.", after [; deadflag=11; ]; NLine ->->-> ER3x2 "Uh. . . Susan. Susan Heddelrich." has edible with description "~Uh. . .~ you say, hoping to brazen it out. ~Susan. Susan Heddelrich.~@00\ ~All right,~ says the doctor, scribbling on his clipboard, ~Do you know her phone number?~@00\ The only numbers you can think of are your own, 911, and 555-1212, so you gabble, ~Uh, no.~@00\ ~Well,~ says the doctor, ~Wait here.~ You wait until he leaves, then try to sneak out, commando-style, but a nurse shoves you back in and chats you up while adjusting various medical paraphernalia. She's good-looking, and you get to talking, and you've almost forgotten about your little white lie when the doctor comes back in with an old matriarch.@00\ Wouldn't you know it. There just happens to be a Susan Heddelrich in Las Lorena. She's 86 years old, and she knows less about this asthmatic girl than you. She's also pissed, in a way that only ~back-in-the-day~-spouting old ladies can be pissed, about you giving out her name to hide your ignorance. The doctor's not too pleased either.@00\ You manage to weasel your way out of any serious trouble, but the old lady's glare will be with you till your dying day. And of course, the humane, pretty nurse is shocked at your thoughtless behavior. Not to mention that when that girl recovers from her bo-hunking asthma attack, she's going to find out that some stranger brought her in, lied about her, and then tried to sneak out. Altogether, hardly the best possible situation, but at least it's not so terrible either.", after [; deadflag=12; ]; Person Ginger "Ginger" BeachRestaurant has female with name 'ginger' 'girl', describe "@11Ginger is sitting across the table from you.", description "@11It's Ginger, the girl you met at the beach, remember? She looks about the same as she did there.", goto GRPlayer, each_turn [; print (string) random( "@11Ginger takes a sip of her root beer.^", "@11Ginger takes a bite of her beach burger.^", "@11Ginger pokes at her food with a fork.^", "@11Ginger glances out toward the ocean.^", "", "", "", "", "", ""); if (random(100)<60) {actor=self; <>;} ], before [; OKBScript: if (actor==self) switch(random(2)) { 1: if (HowMany(GRAboutPaul)<=1) {return;} print "@11Ginger looks you in the eye and says, ~So, tell me about yourself, Paul.~^"; self.goto=GRAboutPaul; 2: if (HowMany(GRLasLorena)<=1) {return;} print "@11Gazing absently out to sea, Ginger remarks, ~I love this place, don't you?~^"; self.goto=GRLasLorena; } else self.goto=GRPlayer; Kiss,Touch: "@11The relationship's not at that level yet."; ]; Holder ->-> GRAboutPaul with share GRAP0x1; SLine ->->-> GRAP0 "Silence" has general with description "You remain silent. Ginger reaches across the table and playfully pokes you in the shoulder. ~Hey,~ she says, ~spit it out! C'mon, tell me a little about yourself.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRAP0x0 "Silence" has general with description "You still say nothing. Ginger frowns, looks at you appraisingly, then says, slowly and carefully, ~Are you deaf? Okay, let me try this again. Tell me about yourself, Paul.~@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x0x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "When you still remain mum, Ginger wrinkles her brow, stands up, and walks out, muttering, ~Jerk.~ You remain silent, gazing out over the ocean, oblivious.", after [; deadflag=13; ]; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x0x1 "Pardon?" with description "You come to your senses with a start. ~Pardon?~ you ask, holding your hand to your ear.@00\ Ginger chuckles. ~Whoa, you were totally spaced out. I was just saying I'd like you to tell me about yourself.~@00", goto GRAboutPaul; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2 "I was born in Pillbox, Arizona, on the 28th of April, 1979." with description "~I was born in Pillbox, Arizona,~ you say suddenly, ~on the 28th of April, 1979.~@00\ Ginger seems somewhat startled by this abrupt influx of information, but she smiles and says, ~Cool. Year of the shakedown.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x1 "Uh. . . yeah." has edible with description "~Uh. . .~ you say, ~yeah.~@00\ ~It's --~ she begins, then stops. She pauses, thinking, then opens her mouth to say something, but halts midway. You can hear the soft thudding of her glottis as she cuts off the nascent sound.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x2 "Which shakedown was that?" with description "~Which shakedown was that?~ you ask innocently.@00\ ~It's a -- forget it,~ Ginger says. ~Go on.~@00", goto GRAboutPaul; NLine ->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x3 "Indeed." with description "~Indeed,~ you say knowingly, with a slight grin.@00\ ~Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt,~ she says. ~Go ahead.~@00", goto GRAboutPaul; NLine ->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4 "Cool kids never have the time." with description "You nod and say, ~Cool kids never have the time.~@00\ Ginger points at you emphatically, replying, ~On a live wire right up off the street.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x0 "Silence" has general with description "You say nothing. Ginger seems to be waiting for something, then shakes her head shiveringly, as if waking herself up. ~So, okay, tell me more.~@00", goto GRAboutPaul; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x1 "You and I should meet." with description "~You and I should meet,~ you say.@00\ She smiles and wags a finger at you. ~Right on,~ she says. ~I love the Smashing Pumpkins, man.@00", goto GRAP0x0x2x4x2; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x2 "Smashing Pumpkins are great." with description "~Smashing Pumpkins are great,~ you say.@00\ ~OH yeah,~ she says.@00"; NLine ->->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x2x0 "Silence" has general with description "You don't reply. ~Uh,~ Ginger says, ~so, getting back to you -- tell me more about yourself, man.@00", goto GRAboutPaul; NLine ->->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x2x1 "What's your favorite Pumpkins song?" with description "~What's your favorite Pumpkins song?~ you ask.@00\ ~Oh,~ she says, ~It's gotta be '1979'.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x2x0x1 "Me too." has edible with description "~Me too,~ you say happily. ~I love it.~@00\ She grins. ~I also really like 'Tonight, Tonight'.~@00\ ~Oh, yeah,~ you say. ~And how about 'Thirty-three'?~@00\ ~Dude, I forgot about that one!~ she says. ~Oh, dude, what about 'Disarm'?~@00\ ~Excellent,~ you reply. ~And 'Stand Inside Your Love'?~@00\ And on and on you go, forgetting your food, naming Smashing Pumpkins songs deep into the night. It would be kind of weird except that you talk about other things too; your conversation ranges over various topics; but just when one of you thinks -- nay, fears -- that the other has forgotten the Smashing Pumpkins aspect of the conversation, that other jumps in with a song reference, or lyric quote, or something.@00\ Then, as you walk together, hand in hand, at the edge of the sand (like the Owl and the Pussycat), as you walk her home, and as you say goodnight, you think that Billy Corgan might have some social tact after all -- he sure managed to bring you two together with about as much finesse as any socialite. And then you think -- naaaah.@00\ But you still can't resist listening to '1979' when you get home.", after [; deadflag=3; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x2x0x2 "I hate that song." has edible with description "~I hate that song,~ you say harshly.@00\ Ginger looks, bug-eyed, at you, and says nothing.@00"; NLine ->->->->->->->->-> GRAP0x0x2x4x2x0x3 "That one's all right." with description "You contort your lip in an expression of unenthusiastic acceptance. ~That one's all right.~@00\ Ginger pauses for a moment, then says, ~So, anyway, go on. You were telling me about yourself, remember?~@00", goto GRAboutPaul; SLine ->->->-> GRAP0x1 "Uh, well, there's not much to tell." with description "~Uh, well,~ you say falteringly, ~there's not much to tell.~@00\ ~Oh, don't be like that,~ Ginger coaxes. ~I'm sure you've got lots of interesting stuff in your life.~@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x1x1 "Well, I'm an orphan." has edible with description "~Well,~ you say, ~I'm an orphan. How's that for interesting?~@00\ ~Great!~ she says, looking earnestly into your face. ~Wow; who did you grow up with?~@00\ ~Well, I lived with my aunt and uncle in Idaho until I was about 10. They died within a few months of each other, and I moved to live with an older cousin of mine who was attending college near here.~@00\ ~At UBM?~@00\ ~Yeah. And I've lived here ever since.~@00\ ~See? That was darn interesting,~ she says, and then pauses to take a few bites of her food.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x1x2 "Let's see. . . I'm a musician." has edible with description [; "~Let's see. . .~ You ruminate. ~I'm a musician,~ you say tentatively.@00\ ~Oh, wow,~ she says, ~What instrument?~@00\ ~Well, I play French Horn, piano, and guitar. I --~@00\ ~",(Bold) "Wow!","~ she gushes, ~That's awesome, man!~@00\ ~And I do a bit of composing.~@00\ ~Man, that is so cool,~ she says. ~I gotta hear some of your stuff.~@00\ ~Anytime,~ you say.@00\ ~Well,~ she says, ~how about right now?~@00\ ~Uh, I --~ you begin, but she cuts you off, yelling, ~Check please!~ The waiter hurries over with the bill. She's tugging at your sleeve, so you grab a wad of bills from your wallet and toss it on the table as she drags you out of the restaurant and over to a bus stop.@00\ ~Where are we going?~ you inquire breathlessly.@00\ ~Your house,~ she says, as the bus pulls up. You stuff a few bills into the slot. ~",(Bold) "WHAT?","~@00\ ~I assume you have a French Horn, piano, and guitar at your house?~ she says, plopping down on the seat next to an old fat woman.@00\ ~Yeah. . . uh. . .~@00\ ~Well, there we go. Which stop?~@00\ ~Um, Paseo Papagayo, but --~@00\ ~Oh, be quiet, it's gonna be fun,~ she says, and reaches out to take your hand.@00\ Suddenly you realize that it ",(Bold) "is"," going to be fun -- more than that, it's fun already. All the troubles that have been tormenting you are washed away like sandcastles, and you understand that ",(Bold) "this"," is what you were looking for when you wandered, dazed, down to the ocean.@00\ Looking at Ginger, and comprehending your luck, your initial reaction, bizarrely, is to mentally thank the Pacific Ocean; you came there looking for this, and you got it; it seems like cause and effect. Grinning at her, for the moment deaf to her bubbly chatter, you think of Greek myths, and, by a leap of imagination, visualize Ginger as an Aphrodite, appearing spontaneously from the crashing foam, fully grown and perfect in every way.@00\ The bus stops with a jerk, bringing you back into the real world. She pulls you out, and now it is you who are leading her, laughing up the stairs to your little place, throwing open the door, walking through, and entering a new phase in your life."; ], after [; deadflag=3; ]; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x1x3 "Um, I speak Spanish." has edible with description "~Um,~ you say, searching for some eye-catching feature in your personality, ~I speak Spanish.~ Instantly you realize how silly that was -- probably three out of every four people in Las Lorena speak Spanish to some degree.@00\ But she seems to find it funny. ~Well, I mean, you kind of have to, around here,~ she chuckles. ~My grandpa was Mexican, so I'm nearly fluent.~@00\ ~Cool,~ you say.@00\ ~Yeah, knowing two languages is neat,~ she says.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRAP0x1x4 "I'm really very boring." with description "You raise your eyebrows ruefully. ~I'm really very boring.~@00\ ~Ahhh,~ she says, waving her hand dismissively, ~don't BS me. C'mon.~@00", goto GRAP0x1; Holder ->-> GRLasLorena; NLine ->->-> GRLL1 "OH yeah." with description "~OH yeah,~ you say. ~I love it like a mother.~@00\ She raises her eyebrows and takes a sip of her root beer. ~I don't know if I'd go that far,~ she says. ~But I do love it here. It's so. . . nice.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRLL1x1 "I know what you mean." with description [; "~I know what you mean,~ you say wistfully, looking out over the vast water. ~It's like a paradise -- no, it ",(Bold) "is"," a paradise. No, it is ",(Bold) "the"," paradise.~@00\ She looks at you questioningly. ~Sounds like you really do love it.~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->-> GRLL1x1x1 "What, you didn't believe me?" with description [; "~What,~ you say jovially, ~you didn't believe me?~@00\ ~Well,~ she says, ~I mean. . . it's one thing when somebody says, 'Don't you love this place?', and you say, 'Yes.' But it's another thing to. . . to, y'know ",(Bold) "really"," love it. Really.~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL1x1x1x1 "So it is." has edible with description "~So it is,~ you say softly, still looking out at the big mama, darkening swiftly as the sun sets.", after [; deadflag=14; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL1x1x1x2 "That's the power of intensity." has edible with description [; "You sigh and say, ~That's the power of intensity.~@00\ ~What?~ Ginger asks.@00\ ~Intensity,~ you say, turning from the ocean and focusing on her. ~It's overpowering. The difference between what people do in their day-to-day lives -- the normal stuff. . . It's like, people are so used to -- to just regular stuff, that when they encounter something that they feel strongly about, they become afraid of that strength -- that strength of feeling. And the same when someone else has such a feeling toward them: they shy away from that larger-than-life kind of emotion.~@00\ There is a long pause. ~You know what I mean?~@00\ Ginger looks at you strangely -- the way babies look at things, like they're thinking ~What in the world is ",(Bold) "that","?~@00\ ~I'm not sure that I do,~ she says, then looks down at her plate to guide her hamburger to her mouth.@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL1x1x1x3 "Yep." has edible with description "~Yep,~ you say, though there is really very little need for words.@00\ ~Yep,~ she says, though by that time there is none.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRLL1x1x2 "Well, I do." has edible with description "~Well,~ you say simply, ~I do.~@00\ Ginger nods silently.@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRLL1x2 "It's beyond nice." has edible with description [; "~It's beyond nice,~ you say. ~It's. . . it's way more than ",(Bold) "nice",".~@00\ ~Yeah,~ she says, ~I guess it is.~"; ]; NLine ->->-> GRLL2 "Yeah, it's wonderful." with description "~Yeah,~ you say, ~it's wonderful.~@00\ Ginger says, ~What do you like best about it?~@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRLL2x0 "Silence" has general with description [; "You say nothing.@00\ ~I like the weather best,~ Ginger says matter-of-factly. ~It's always so -- just right in the middle of the comfortable range, you know? Never too hot and never too cold. I mean, it can be a little warm, but it's never ",(Bold) "really"," hot; it can be a little nippy, but it's never really ",(Bold) "cold"," cold, just. . . you know?~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1 "Yeah, I know." with description "~Yeah, I know,~ you whisper.@00\ Ginger looks around slyly, then leans across the table toward you, smiling vividly, her eyes aglimmer. ~Why are whe whispering,~ she whispers throatily.@00"; PLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing. Ginger hovers expectantly over the table for a few seconds, then slides back into her chair, seeming slightly deflated.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1 "Because we're telling secrets." with description "~Because,~ you whisper, leaning in likewise, barely audible even to her, ~we're telling secrets.~@00\ ~Ahhhh,~ Ginger says, her breath blowing pleasantly over your face. ~I see. What are the secrets we are telling?~@00", adopt GRLL2x0x1x0; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x1 "Secrets of the sea." has edible with description "~Secrets of sea,~ you say sibilantly, suggestively.@00\ Ginger widens her eyes and looks sideways, toward the ocean, like a person peering around a corner. ~Those are the best kind of secrets,~ she says.@00\ And, hunched across the table, blind and deaf to all but the sand and the water, you share those secrets of that sea.", after [; deadflag=15; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x2 "Secrets of the sand." has edible with description "~Secrets of the sand,~ you rasp, every consonant a fricative.@00\ ~Oh,~ she replies, rounding her lips slowly into a perfect circle. ~I love the sand. I used to build castles -- fantasy castles.~@00\ ~My castles always fell,~ you say.@00\ ~Let's go build a sandcastle,~ she whispers, leaning over so far that her mouth is right next to your ear, your faces millimeters apart.", after [; deadflag=16; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x3 "Secrets of the shore." has edible with description "~Secrets,~ you whisper mysteriously, ~of the shore.~ As you say the final word, your mouth rounds into a circle. Hers rounds also, as she repeats, hypnotically: ~The shore. . .~@00 As that doubly-whispered vowel sound floats out to meld with the similar sounds of the surf, your two pairs of rounded lips meet in a kiss, like the tender kiss of the little wave as it lovingly brushes the sand.", after [; deadflag=3; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x4 "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret." with description [; "~If I told you,~ you whisper, pausing dramatically, ~it wouldn't be a secret.~@00\ ~But if you ",(Bold) "didn't"," tell me,~ she replies, ~would it be worth keeping?~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x4x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You do not reply.", after [; deadflag=17; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x4x1 "Yes." has edible with description "~Yes,~ you say.", after [; deadflag=18; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x1x4x2 "No." has edible with description "~No,~ you say.@00\ ~You see?~ she says. ~You cannot have a secret and then end your secret there. You cannot say, 'I have a secret,' and say no more. You must say, 'There is a secret, and it is between' -- and then it must be between two things. Or more -- but two is best.@00\ There can be no secret, no true secret, without that between, and there can be no between within a unit, a singularity.@00\ Now, pluralize!~", after [; deadflag=19; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x2 "So we can hear the ocean." has edible with description "~So we can hear the ocean,~ you say, still whispering. Cocking her head to one side, she listens. You hear the waves, rolling in repeatedly, so near, and you assume she does too.@00\ ~I love that sound,~ she says.", after [; deadflag=20; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x0x1x3 "Because it helps us concentrate." has edible with description [; "~Because,~ you say hoarsely, ~it helps us concentrate.@00\ ~Concentrate?~@00\ ~Yes,~ you say. ~Notice how --~ you raise your voice to a normal speaking level ~--when I talk normally, my voice blends with those of everyone else. Now, I could always --~ you raise it higher, not quite to a yell, but to a more-than-necessary loudness ~--talk ",(Bold) "really"," loud--~ the other people in the restaurant glance at you suspiciously ~--but that draws attention, and annoys people. But notice how --~ you begin again to whisper ~-- when I whisper, my voice stands out just as much as when I yell, if you're near enough to hear. It sounds mysterious; it makes you want to listen, so you can hear what I have to say.~@00\ By this time, your faces have drawn side by side, parallel, each mouth next to the other's ear. Ginger barely needs to make a sound for you to hear: ~What ",(Bold) "do"," you have to say, Paul?~@00\ And you move your lips and expel the air in your lungs, to say to her that all-but-inaudible, all-but-inexpressible thing."; ], after [; deadflag=21; ]; NLine ->->->-> GRLL2x1 "The ocean." has edible with description "~The ocean,~ you say.@00\ She nods many times -- little nods, like she's nodding to herself. ~Yeah. . .~@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRLL2x2 "The big mama." with description "~The big mama,~ you say. ~Definitely.~@00\ She looks at you quizzically. ~Big mama?~@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRLL2x2x1 "The ocean." with description "~The ocean,~ you say. ~The big mama is the ocean.~@00\ ~Huh,~ she says. ~Why do you call it that?~@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x2x1x1 "Because it was the birthplace of life." has edible with description "~Because,~ you say earnestly, ~it was the birthplace of life.~@00\ ~Life?~@00\ ~Yeah, you know, life. Life began in the water, and only much later did it expand to the land. So, I mean, even in a purely biological sense, we are all descended from the ocean -- it's our womb.~@00\ ~Hmmm,~ she says. ~Interesting.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x2x1x2 "Because it's everything's refuge." has edible with description "~Because it's everything's refuge,~ your reply.@00\ ~Refuge?~@00\ ~Yeah. I mean, look at a population distribution map sometime. You'll see that most of the world's population lives on the coast. Just like dutiful sons who grow up and have their own lives but still live next door to their parents. It's almost like we can never fully break from it.~@00\ ~That's an interesting concept,~ she says.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRLL2x2x1x3 "Because it's the world's source of nourishment." has edible with description [; "~Because it's the world's source of nourishment,~ you say.@00\ ~What?~@00\ ~Well, really, everything that life depends on can be traced back to the ocean. If you trace it back any further, you have to leave Earth and trace it back to the sun.@00\ I mean, what is essential to life: water, oxygen, food, and shelter -- which basically means appropriate temperature and chemical conditions.@00\ Well, water is obvious: the ocean is by far the primary source of water. It's not freshwater, but it becomes fresh when it evaporates, and that evaporated water falls as rain; without the ocean, there wouldn't be nearly enough rain.@00\ Oxygen: the ocean is home to billions of tiny algae that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen -- just like trees -- so all living things can breathe. Plus, it provides oxygen directly to all the fish that breathe with their gills.@00\ Food: Well, by providing water and oxygen, it indirectly sustains the entire land-based ecosystem, allowing land animals and plants to survive. And it holds the entire marine ecosystem ",(Bold) "inside"," itself, and sustains it with all the nutrients that are in the water -- oxygen being the most important one.@00\ And, finally, shelter: the ocean is the largest domicile in the world. It shelters literally hundreds of billions of life forms from the elements -- ultraviolet rays, fires, earthquakes, and so forth. And that amount of water contributes ",(Bold) "hugely"," to the world's climate, ensuring that Earth's temperature range is relatively stable -- unlike, say, the moon, where the lack of water means it's roasting in the daytime and super-cold at night.~ You take a deep breath. ~And there you have it.~@00\ Ginger's eyes are wide. ~Wow. That was quite a lesson in ocean appreciation.~@00\ You chuckle. ~Sorry if I made that sound like some kind of preachy. . . thing. I didn't mean to act like I was educating you or anything.~@00\ ~No, no, no problem. It was really very interesting,~ she says.@00"; ]; Holder ->-> GRPlayer; PLine ->->-> GRP0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You decide not to say anything after all.@00"; NLine ->->-> GRP1 "So, what do you do?" with description "~So,~ you say, ~what do you do?~@00\ ~Do? Well, I don't do much. I was in high school till a few months ago. Still can't make up my mind what to do.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRP1x1 "You gonna go to college?" with description "~You gonna go to college?~ you ask.@00\ ~Ahh,~ Ginger replies doubtfully, ~I dunno.~@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRP1x1x1 "Well, what is it you want to do?" with description "~Well,~ you say, ~what is it you want to do?~@00\ ~Eh,~ she says, ~I like kids -- like talking to 'em and stuff -- so I'm thinkin' maybe I should be a teacher or a nanny or something. Except I know if I do I won't get to hang around with -- you know, with people like me. I want some job where I can do it, but still have the opportunity to -- I want a job where. . .~ She pauses.@00 ~I want a job,~ she continues, ~where I don't have to do any more than the job. Like, I don't want some teaching job where they're gonna want me to do after-school meetings and administration crap, or some desk job where I have to work weekends when some project's due or something. I want the job to end at a certain time, and then to be free until it begins again, y'know?~@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> GRP1x1x1x1 "Tough to find a job like that." with description "~Tough to find a job like that,~ you remark.@00\ ~Yeah,~ she chuckles, ~that's the problem. Plus, mostly you gotta have some kind of degree if you want to make a decent wage. Ahh, but enough work talk. You're makin' me think seriously, and I don't want to right now.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->->->-> GRP1x1x1x2 "You should be a factory worker." has edible with description "~You should be a factory worker,~ you say, half-joking.@00\ ~Heh,~ she says. ~Yeah, I've thought about getting some mindless job like that. I just don't know. . .~ She tails off, ruminating.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRP1x1x2 "I don't like how people try to make you feel obligated to go to college." with description "You say, ~I don't like how people try to make you feel obligated to go to college.~@00\ ~Yeah,~ she says, almost with a sense of relief. ~It's wack how society seems to view non-college grads as somehow less. . . valid than others.~@00\ ~Intelligence is different than education,~ you say, nodding.@00\ ~Right! I mean, education can increase your intelligence, but your intelligence can also increase without any education in the traditional sense.~@00\ ~I'm with you,~ you say.@00\ She says nothing, but looks happily into your eyes.@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->->-> GRP1x1x3 "Supposedly, it will make you smarter." with description [; "~Supposedly,~ you say, holding on a straight face, ~it will make you smarter.~@00\ ~So they say,~ she says. ~I'm really not too interested in being 'smart'.~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRP1x1x3x1 "Oh?" has edible with description [; "~Oh?~ you say questingly.@00\ ~Yeah, y'know?~ she says. ~I mean, what is smart going to do for me? I want to be ",(Bold) "happy"," -- not smart per se.~ She pauses introspectively, staring out over the water.@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> GRP1x1x3x2 "What are you interested in?" with description [; "~What ",(Bold) "are"," you interested in?~ you ask.@00\ ~Being happy,~ she says simply. ~I mean, it's such a gyp. You can't get squat in this world if you're not smart, it seems. Why is it that people who aren't smart are viewed as somehow undeserving of happiness?~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRP1x1x3x2x1 "Are they?" has edible with description "~Are they?~ you ask.@00\ ~Well, yes, they are!~ she replies emphatically, jiggling her head up and down. ~I -- oh, forget this. I'm getting all riled up, and I don't want that to happen. I just want to have a nice dinner. Just a nice dinner. . .~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->-> GRP1x1x3x2x2 "Maybe they think dumb people couldn't comprehend happiness if they had it." with description [; "You shrug suggestively. ~Maybe they think dumb people couldn't comprehend happiness if they had it,~ you say.@00\ She chuckles. ~I guess -- but who are they to make that decision? Heck, who ",(Bold) "are"," they, period? Who is this 'they' we're talking about?~@00\ ~I dunno,~ you say philosophically, scratching your neck.@00\ ~Well,~ she says, ~enough of 'them'. Let's just have dinner -- you and me, huh?~@00"; ], goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->-> GRP1x2 "Are you working?" with description "~Are you working?~ you ask.@00\ ~Yeah,~ she says reluctantly, ~I'm working as a waitress.~@00\ You raise your eyebrows. ~Oh?~@00\ ~Yeah,~ she says, sounding somewhat dejected. ~It's at this kind of seedy place, and. . . I get a lot of lecherous guys who. . .~@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRP1x2x1 "Well, I can see why." with description [; "~Well,~ you say, ~I can see why.~@00\ ~What's that supposed to mean?~ she says indignantly.@00\ You wave your hands in small, tight circles, warding her off. ~Oh, I meant it as a compliment, entirely!~@00\ ~Well, I ",(Bold) "hope"," so,~ she says; then, noticing your still-frightened face, she adds, ~Hey, I'm not mad. I know you're just payin' me a compliment, and that's cool.~@00"; ], goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->->-> GRP1x2x2 "Bummer." with description "~Bummer,~ you say.@00\ She giggles. ~Yeah, man, bummer is right. But hey, it's not so bad.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->->-> GRP1x2x3 "Aha." with description "~Aha,~ you say knowingly.@00\ ~Yeah, you're darn right,~ she says, laughing a little. ~But it's not so bad; nothing I can't handle.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->-> GRP1x3 "Still living with your parents?" with description "~Still living with your parents?~ you ask, brushing away an insect.@00\ ~Nah,~ she says, ~I moved out. I'm living with some friends in this big old beat-up house. It's no mansion, but I don't need luxury. It's actually pretty fun.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->-> GRP2 "You come to the beach a lot?" with description "~You come to the beach a lot?~ you ask.@00\ Chuckling, she replies, ~In other words, do I come here often? Yeah, I do, actually. Once or twice a week, usually. Sometimes more, if I have the time.~ She pauses, absently rubbing the tablecloth between her thumb and index finger. ~I love it here.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->-> GRP3 "Tell me about yourself." with description "~Well,~ you say, beckoning with your hand, ~tell me about yourself.~@00\ She makes a funny face. ~Myself? Huh, what can I say? I, uh. . . I like to go to the movies, I volunteer at the art museum sometimes -- is this the kind of random stuff you're looking for?~@00"; NLine ->->->-> GRP3x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing. Thinking that perhaps you didn't hear her few random bits of information, she hurriedly grabs her drink and buries her mouth in it.@00"; SLine ->->->-> GRP3x1 "Yeah, totally." with description "~Yeah,~ you say. ~Totally.~@00\ ~Well, uh. . . this is weird. . .~ she continues. ~I don't know what kind of stuff to mention. I like Alanis Morissette, um. . . I like art -- sculpture and painting, mostly. . .~@00"; NLine ->->->->-> GRP3x1x1 "You're interested in art?" with description "~You're interested in art?~ you say. ~What kind of stuff?~@00\ ~Oh, I like all kinds,~ she says vaguely. ~Of course, the Classical stuff is cool -- naked buff guys, right? -- and Renaissance. I really like Rodin. And as far as painting goes. . . I tend to go for less realistic stuff; kind of more. . . fantastical.~@00", goto GRP3x1; NLine ->->->->-> GRP3x1x1x1 "Wow, you'll have to show me some of your favorite stuff." with description "~Wow, you'll have to show me some of your favorite stuff,~ you say. ~I'm totally in the dark as far as art goes.~@00\ ~Anytime,~ she says. ~I volunteer at the art museum every Tuesday; I'm there most of the day.~@00\ ~Cool.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->->-> GRP3x1x1x2 "I'm not so big on art." with description "~I'm not so big on art,~ you say.@00\ ~Well,~ she says, shaking her head, ~you're missing out.~@00", goto GRPlayer; NLine ->->->-> GRP3x2 "Hardly." has edible with description "~Hardly,~ you say.@00\ She gives you an annoyed look. ~Well, like I said, I dunno what to say, uh. . .~ She trails off, then abruptly shifts her attention to her food.@00"; !!! Person Lucy "Lucy" UnderBoardwalk has proper female with name 'lucy' 'girl' 'bikini' 'top' 'bottom' 'half' 'halves' 'two', describe "@11Lucy is lying beside you, panting.", description "@11Lying a few inches away, on her back, is Lucy, the girl with whom you have just completed a passionate tryst. She's naked; the two halves of her crumpled bikini lie, crumpled, off to the side.", goto LYPlayer, each_turn [; if (random(100)<30) {actor=self; <>;} print (string) random( "@11Lucy takes a deep, trembling breath.^", "@11Lucy's leg twitches involuntarily.^", "@11Lucy glances at you.^", "", "", "", "", ""); ], before [; OKBScript: if (actor==self) {if (HowMany(LYLucy)<=1) {return;} else {print "@11~Whoa,~ Lucy says breathlessly. ~That was really something.~^"; self.goto=LYLucy;} } else {self.goto=LYPlayer;} Kiss,Touch: "@11That could really set Lucy off again, and you don't have the stamina for another go-round.";]; Holder ->-> LYLucy; PLine ->->-> LYL0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing, considering her remark rhetorical. She is silent in response to your silence.@00"; NLine ->->-> LYL1 "I'll say!" has edible with description "~I'll say!~ you say emphatically.@00\ Without looking over at you, Lucy grins slightly to herself.@00"; NLine ->->-> LYL2 "I guess so." with description [; "You shrug. ~I guess so.~@00\ Lucy raises herself on one elbow and stares at you, jaw gaping. ~You ",(Bold) "guess"," so?~ she says incredulously.@00"; ]; NLine ->->->-> LYL2x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing. Lucy opens her mouth as if to say something, then collapses onto the sand, seemingly to exhausted to protest.@00"; NLine ->->->-> LYL2x1 "Hey, I'm just kidding, it was awesome." has edible with description [; "~Hey, I'm just kidding,~ you say, ~it was awesome.~@00\ ~I ",(Bold) "hope"," so,~ she says, her indignance cooling down. She gives you a playfully reproaching punch in the shoulder, then collapses onto the sand again.@00"; ]; NLine ->->->-> LYL2x2 "Don't flatter yourself -- it was average." has edible with description [; "~Don't flatter yourself,~ you say dryly. ~It was average.~@00\ Lucy's jaw drops even farther. ~Well, you're welcome! Since you seem so unimpressed, I'll leave you to satisfy yourself.~ Then she grabs a hefty handful of sand and throws it in your face.@00\ You resignedly begin blinking the sand out of your eyes. Meanwhile, you can hear her dressing and then crawling out onto the beach, without saying anything.@00\ When you finally are able to see clearly again, you reach over to get your clothes -- and you see how mad she really was. Lucy took ",(Bold) "your"," clothes, leaving you to wear her bikini or nothing."; ], after [; deadflag=24; ]; NLine ->->-> "Hardly." has edible with description "~Hardly,~ you say.@00\ Lucy jerks her head over to look at you with unbelieving eyes. ~Well,~ she says, ~I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll be going now, huh?~ You watch as she puts her bikini back on, takes a peek out onto the beach, and then crawls out, her final dragging foot leaving a soft gully in the sand.", after [; deadflag=9; ]; Holder ->-> LYPlayer; PLine ->->-> LYP0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You decide not to say anything after all.@00"; NLine ->->-> LYP1 "Thank you." has edible with description "You heave a deep sigh. ~Thank you,~ you say sincerely.@00\ She turns her head to look at you, her eyes wide with wonder and says, ~Anytime.~@00", after [; deadflag=25; ]; NLine ->->-> LYP2 "Geez, is that the best you can do?" has edible with description "~Geez,~ you yawn, ~is that the best you can do?~@00\ ~Hell no~ she says, and jumps on you.", after [; deadflag=26; ]; NLine ->->-> LYP3 "Well, I'll catch you later." has edible with description "~Well,~ you say, reaching over to grab your clothes, ~I'll catch you later.~ You pull your shirt over your head.@00\ ~Really?~ she says.@00\ You pause with your pants half-on. ~What do you mean by 'really'?~@00\ ~Will you really catch me later? Or is this it?~@00\ ~Look, Lucy,~ you say, zipping your fly, ~I'm not really interested in starting a relationship with --~@00\ ~Me neither!~ she says abrutply. ~Let's just keep the relationship just the way it is.~@00\ You consider momentarily, then shrug and say, ~Okay, what the heck. Next Thursday, same bat-time, same bat-location?~@00\ ~Right on,~ she says.@00\ ~Adios,~ you say over your shoulder, as you crawl out from under the boardwalk and emerge standing on the beach.", after [; deadflag=25; ]; !!! Person Emily "Emily" EmilysHouse has female with name 'emily' 'girl' 'dress' 'forest-green' 'green' 'ankle-length' 'hair' 'fingers', describe "@11Sitting near you, on a reclining lawn chair, is Emily.", description "@11It's Emily, the beautiful, sweet young woman you met at the beach. She's changed out of her bikini into an ankle-length, forest-green dress, and is still barefoot. Her hair is combed, straight and sleek, no longer gritty with the sand and salt from the beach. She looks like some kind of elf queen: tall, slender, classically beautiful. . .", goto EMPlayer, each_turn [; if (random(100)<75) {actor=self; <>;} print (string) random( "@11Emily runs her fingers through her hair.^", "@11Emily drums her fingers on the glass table.^", "@11Emily rolls her neck around and around, working out the kinks.^", "@11Emily smiles at you spontaneously.^", "@11Emily hums something indistinguishable.^", "@11Emily scratches her long, shapely neck with her long, shapely fingers.^", "", "", "", ""); ], before [; OKBScript: if (actor==self) switch(random(3)) { 1: if (HowMany(EMNight)<=1) {return;} else {print "@11Scooting her chair a little bit closer to yours, Emily says, ~What a lovely night.~^"; self.goto=EMNight;} 2: if (HowMany(EMNight)<=1) {return;} else {print "@11Emily looks at you shyly and says, ~Want to, uh, do something, Paul?~^"; self.goto=EMDoStuff;} } else self.goto=EMPlayer; Kiss,Touch: "@11The thought is repugnant to you; it would be like scribbling in the margin of a first edition of ",(Und) "Moby Dick","."; ]; Holder ->-> EMNight; PLine ->->-> EMN0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing. Emily sighs and lazily drags her bare foot back and forth across the smooth bricks of the patio.@00"; NLine ->->-> EMN1 "It sure is." with description "~It sure is,~ you say.@00\ ~I love nights like this,~ she says, closing her eyes and raising her chin to let the brisk wind slip over her face. ~The air, the wind, the ocean. . . It feels like you're flying. If you close your eyes, it's like being in a dream.~@00", adopt EMN0; NLine ->->->-> EMN1x1 "This already feels like a dream." with description "~This already feels like a dream,~ you say.@00\ Emily opens her eyes and looks over. ~A good dream or a bad dream?~ she asks.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> EMN1x1x1 "A nightmare." has edible with description "~A nightmare,~ you say.@00\ Emily's green eyes lose their brilliance; where once they were the green of living plants, now they are the green of slime, of mold, of stagnant water. Her lips move slowly, awkwardly, as if laboriously forming foreign utterances. As you look away, out to the ocean, a tear rolls down her face, unseen by you, and falls to form its own small salty sea of sadness in a pockmark in the brick.", after [; deadflag=27; ]; SLine ->->->->-> EMN1x1x2 "A good dream." with description "~A good dream,~ you say reassuringly.@00\ A smile flashes strangely from one side of her mouth to the other. ~What makes a good dream?~ she says.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> EMN1x1x2x1 "A picturesque setting, for one thing." with description "~A picturesque setting, for one thing,~ you reply.@00\ Emily nods. ~What else?~@00", goto EMN1x1x2; NLine ->->->->->-> EMN1x1x2x2 "The right combination of sounds and smells." with description "~The right combination of sounds and smells,~ you say.@00\ Emily gestures at the air that streams past you both. ~Here,~ she says, ~we have it all! We smell the salt and hear the crashing and sloshing of the waves below. What else, though?~@00", goto EMN1x1x2; NLine ->->->->->-> EMN1x1x2x3 "A beautiful woman." with description "~A beautiful woman,~ you say. ~That is the essential ingredient.~@00\ She smiles a little and looks away. ~Essential? Is that all that makes it or breaks it? A woman? Does it matter if she is happy or sad? Free or chained? If she hates you or loves you?~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->-> EMN1x1x2x3x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You do not reply. Emily kicks a tiny crumb of brick in apparent frustration and says, ~No matter.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->-> EMN1x1x2x3x1 "Why should it?" has edible with description "~Why should it?~ you say.@00\ She looks at you with amusement. ~Should it not? Beauty is all, then. . .~ she says, trailing off into a low hypnotic monotone. ~All. . .~@00\ Abruptly she snaps out of it, and, rising, gestures to the house. ~It's getting late,~ she says, ~and I am tired. Perhaps I'll see you again sometime.~ Before you can reply she has whisked you through the house and into the front yard. ~Do you need a ride?~ she asks politely.@00\ ~No,~ you stutter, pointing over your shoulder haphazardly, ~I --~@00\ ~Good night, then, Paul,~ she says, and, retreating into her house, she closes the door, leaving you stumbling slowly backwards down the street, still staring dumbly toward the house.", after [; deadflag=28; ]; NLine ->->->->->->-> EMN1x1x2x3x2 "It matters a lot!" has edible with description "~It matters a lot!~ you say, startled. ~A lot.~@00\ She leans in toward you confidentially, saying, ~Do you want to know, then? Those things?~@00\ Still not quite sure what she means, you say, ~Yes.~@00\ ~She is happy,~ she says, and you realize she's still talking about that theoretical beautiful woman. ~And free. And she loves you.~@00\ You spend so long pondering the first two statements that you almost don't even get around to puzzling out the third. But it turns out that one's the easiest of the three. Rising from out your mental morass of consideration, your mind centers on Emily, and wraps itself around her, as hers apparently has around you, and your final thought of ~I barely know her~ is killed in infancy, and all is ignorance and bliss.@00", after [; deadflag=3; ]; NLine ->->->->-> EMN1x1x3 "A better dream than any I've ever had." has edible with description "~A better dream,~ you say, ~than any I've ever had.~@00\ Emily smiles sublimely, and says, ~For me, too.~ For the first time today, you stop thinking about the big mama and start thinking about Emily.", after [; deadflag=29; ]; NLine ->->->-> EMN1x2 "You're right." has edible with description "You close your eyes, following Emily's example, and instantly feel your other senses leap to fill the void. ~You're right,~ you say with surprise. You feel like you're leaving the ground, leaving the earth, leaving the atmosphere, floating in space, free. From your vantage point beyond physical reality, you see how futile is the self-pity in which you have drowned yourself since the breakup, and you toss it aside with a flick of your finger, as a god would discard an unsatisfactory galaxy. Then you breathe deeply, dive back to the earth, and open your eyes to Emily.", after [; deadflag=29; ]; NLine ->->->-> EMN1x3 "What a pile of crap." has edible with description "You grunt derisively. ~What a pile of crap,~ you say, leaving your eyes blindly open.@00\ Saying nothing, Emily presses her eyelids even closer together, shutting you out.", after [; deadflag=28; ]; NLine ->->-> EMN2 "I can't imagine anyone I'd rather spend it with." with description "~I can't imagine anyone,~ you say, ~I'd rather spend it with.~@00\ She looks at you with an expression that is seven parts incredulity and one part quailing hope. ~What?~ she says, her voice quivering. ~I haven't even known you for more than two hours.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> EMN2x1 "So?" has edible with description "~So?~ you say, half-laughing.@00\ Her quailing hope gradually overtakes her incredulity, and this is mirrored by the transformation of her mouth from a gaping skeptic into an upturned optimist. ~Yeah. . .~ she says, the final remnants of the incredulity still valiantly battling within her, ~I guess. . . you're right. Who needs a reason?~ And her hand slowly stretches out to clasp yours as the spoils of victory.", after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->->-> EMN2x2 "Yeah, I suppose you're right." has edible with description "~Yeah,~ you say deflatedly, ~I suppose you're right.~ Her eyes fall, and her mouth shivers as though speaking words too powerful for it to contain, but the emergent sound is a mere squeak.", after [; deadflag=31; ]; Holder ->-> EMDoStuff; PLine ->->-> EMDS0 "Silence" has general edible with description "When you do not reply, Emily sighs and bites her lip, as though holding something in.@00"; NLine ->->-> EMDS1 "Nah, not really." has edible with description "~Nah,~ you say, ~not really.~@00\ Emily grinds her lips together pensively during the ensuing silence. After a few minutes she stands, yawns, and stretches. Politely, she informs you that she is tired and wants to sleep. She ushers you out the door and says goodbye, leaving you staring at the house, staring at the trees, at the sky, at everything, but seeing only her, everywhere.", after [; deadflag=28; ]; NLine ->->-> EMDS2 "Like what?" with description "~Like what?~ you ask.@00\ She shrugs, carrying the movement through her body as a ripple. ~Watch a movie? Take a walk? Play a game?~ She shrugs again, similarly.@00", adopt EMDS0 EMDS1; NLine ->->->-> EMDS2x2 "Yeah, let's watch a movie." has edible with description "~Yeah,~ you say, nodding, ~let's watch a movie.~@00\ ~Do you want to go to the theater or just watch one on video?~ she asks, rising from her chair.@00\ The choice is clear; you hadn't thought watching a movie alone with her in her own house would even be an option. ~Video,~ you say. ~Is there a rental store near here?~@00\ ~Oh,~ she says, ~no. But I have a lot of movies on DVD.~@00\ You furrow your brow skeptically; you're a fairly film-oriented person, and even you go to the video store for most of your movies. ~How many?~@00\ ~A lot,~ she repeats, motioning you to follow her as she goes in through the patio door. In the living room is an abnormally long couch facing an even more abnormally long armoire in which there is a TV. Below the TV, there is a cabinet with a pair of short, oblong double doors. Emily kneels on the soft carpet and opens these doors.@00\ As if the evening could get any better. Inside the cabinet are literally hundreds of DVD discs. Little tabs affixed to the shelves indicate that they are organized by category. The selection is enormous. ~What do you feel like watching?~ Emily asks.@00\ ~Bahhh. . . puh. . .~ you stammer, overpowered.@00\ Emily laughs softly at your surprise, then takes your hand and guides you to your knees beside her. Your gaze sweeps dumbly across the shelves, confounded by the vast array of possibilities. Her hand still lightly clasping yours, Emily looks up expectantly into your eyes.", after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->->-> EMDS2x3 "A walk sounds great." has edible with description "~A walk sounds great,~ you say, standing up. She rises also, and together you walk through the house and out onto the street. Shunning the asphalt street, Emily leads you sideways down a secluded path that skirts the cliff edge, shaded by overhanging trees.@00\ She walks on the outside, the ocean side, closest to the cliff, whose plunge is separated from the path only by a wooden fence and a few feet of gnarled shrubs. As you walk in silence, looking out over the precipice, the surf invisible, to the placid vastness beyond, she takes your hand and winds hers into it, like a animal, burrowing into its den. Slowly, as you stroll on, her body follows her hand, gradually leaning inland, resting its weight, on your shoulder, your hip, as her bare feet pad rhythmically along the dirt path.@00\ You can't understand it, but you can't imagine anything better. You lean westward, out to sea, and your two bodies mutually support one another in their journey to parts unknown.", after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->->-> EMDS2x4 "Let's play a game." has edible with description "~Let's,~ you say, ~play a game.~ You wait for her response, still unsure what kind of game she's planning.@00\ ~Come on,~ she says, walking inside. You follow. She turns down a long hallway, at the end of which an open door reveals a bed. ~What kind of game do you want to play?~ she says, glancing half-back over her shoulder.@00\ ~Um,~ you say as she motions you into the bedroom. She moves to the other side of the bed and opens a closet door.@00\ Inside are dozens of games of all shapes and sizes. Board games, party games, decks of cards, decks of special cards for special games. . . You stutter for a moment and finally say, ~You pick.~@00\ She laughs briefly (~Ha!~) and then draws forth some indeterminate box from the shelf. You don't notice the name. Deftly, she unfolds the board and places some pawnish pieces on it, then as you reach for the rulebook to acquaint yourself with the game, she grabs your hand, moves it toward the board, and presses two dice into your palm.@00\ ~Roll,~ she says, and you do, watching with growing happiness as the cubes dance randomly, unpredictably across the board.", after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->-> EMDS3 "Sure." has edible with description "~Sure,~ you say. ~What should we do?~@00\ ~I don't know,~ she says, smiling into your eyes, ~we'll think of something.~", after [; deadflag=30; ]; Holder ->-> EMPlayer; PLine ->->-> EMP0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You decide not to say anything after all.@00"; NLine ->->-> EMP1 "I can't thank you enough for this.", has edible with description "~I can't thank you enough for this,~ you say to Emily.@00\ She peers quizzically at you. ~For what?~@00\ ~For this,~ you say, waving your hand in the air. ~This night. For letting me come to your house and just. . . you know.~@00\ She smiles and blushes slightly. ~Well, you're welcome.~@00"; NLine ->->-> EMP2 "Emily, you look ravishing." has edible with description "~Emily,~ you say, ~you look ravishing.~@00\ She giggles. ~Why, thank you, DAHling,~ she says, ~it's MAAHHvellous of you to say so.~@00"; NLine ->->-> EMP3 "Why did you bring me here?" with description "~Emily,~ you say hesitantly, ~why did you bring me here?~@00\ She raises her eyebrows. ~Bring you here? You make it sound like I dragged you, kicking and screaming.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> EMP3x1 "Well, it's just so overwhelming." with description "~Well,~ you say, ~it's just so overwhelming.~@00\ ~What's overwhelming?~ she says.@00\ ~Well. . . I mean, I meet you at the beach, and two hours later here I am at your house! It's. . . it's overwhelming.~@00\ ~You feel I was too. . . forward?~ she asks cautiously.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> EMP3x1x1 "Frankly, yes." has edible with description "~Frankly, yes,~ you say heavily.@00\ Emily bites her lip. ~I'm sorry you feel that way,~ she says. ~I'd hoped that, perhaps, you might forgive such. . . 'overwhelming' behavior for the sake of the -- because of where it's gotten us.~@00\ ~Gotten us?~@00\ ~Ah!~ she says exasperatedly, expelling air abruptly from her lungs with a glottal thud. ~Never mind. You're welcome to leave.~@00\ ~Ba. . . er. . .~ you say.@00\ ~Please,~ she says, her voice quaking, ~go. Before I too am overwhelmed.~@00\ In a daze, you wander out of the house, leaving her overwhelmed by your overwhelmedness.", after [; deadflag=27; ]; NLine ->->->->-> EMP3x1x2 "Oh, no no no!" has edible with description "~Oh, no,~ you say hastily. ~No, no. . .~@00\ ~What then?~@00\ ~I. . .~ you say, struggling to determine how to express yourself.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> EMP3x1x2x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "But you are unable to. ~I. . .~ you begin again, but you cannot finish. Emily looks down desperately at the rolling ocean below.", after [; deadflag=31; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> EMP3x1x2x1 "I'm so flattered by all this that it's disconcerting." has edible with description "~I'm so flattered by all this that it's flattering,~ you conclude.@00\ The strange desperate quality leaves Emily's aspect. ~Oh,~ she sighs. ~Well, don't be -- disconcerted, I mean. I'm flattered that you're flattered.~@00\ ~Ehp --~ you say abortively, then pause. ~You're. . .~@00\ Then you both inexplicably begin to laugh.", after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> EMP3x1x2x2 "I'm frightened by your eagerness." has edible with description "~I'm frightened by your eagerness,~ you conclude.@00\ Emily bites her lip and wrinkes her eyebrows sadly. ~I'm sorry,~ she says.@00\ ~Well, you don't have to --~ you begin, but she cuts you off.@00\ ~I didn't mean to frighten you,~ she says. ~I just wanted to get to know you. You seemed like a nice guy.~@00\ ~Well, I --~@00\ ~Now I've bunged it all up,~ she moans, aggravated.@00\ ~But --~@00\ ~Oh,~ she says, ~why are you still here? I thought you were scared of me! Run, before I bite you, or rip you, or absorb you, or drag you screaming into a region of death!~ She collapses into a weeping pile.", after [; deadflag=27; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> EMP3x1x2x3 "I just can't believe you really like me that much." has edible with description "~I just can't believe you really like me that much,~ you conclude.@00\ She looks at you, her lip curving upward. ~Well,~ she says, ~I do.~", after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->->-> EMP3x2 "I'm just stunned by your generosity." has edible with description [; "~I'm just stunned by your generosity,~ you say. ~I know you for two hours and you let me into your house? That is so. . . kind.~@00\ ~It's my pleasure,~ Emily replies. ~I like having you here; I ",(Bold) "wanted"," you to come, because I like you, and I didn't want to just sit there and let you say goodbye. Was that wrong? Should I have waited? Should I have moved more slowly?~@00\ ~Y --~ you begin instinctively, but stop, and think. Where would you have been if she hadn't moved so fast? Probably sitting at home alone or sitting on the beach alone, or wandering the boardwalk alone, in any case consumed by your own sadness. Whereas now. . . ~No,~ you say firmly.@00\ She grins. ~I hoped not,~ she says, and takes your hand."; ], after [; deadflag=30; ]; NLine ->->-> EMP4 "Um, can I have your phone number?" has edible with description "~Um,~ you say, scratching your chin nervously, ~can I have your phone number?~@00\ She giggles. ~Of course,~ she says, ~just a minute.~ She runs into the house. Still inside, she yells out at you, ~You want to call me, huh? You want to see me again?~@00\ ~Well, uh,~ you say, yelling toward the house, ~yeah.~@00\ She comes out with a little piece of paper and pen. ~Here,~ she says, and, putting the paper on the table, she begins to write on it. You lean over to see, but she shields the paper with her arm. ~No peeking!~@00\ You take the paper when she is finished and, glancing at the number, put it in your pocket. ~Thanks,~ you say.@00\ You sit and chat for another half-hour or so. Eventually, as the night sets in, you excuse yourself. She stands in her doorway and waves as you walk away down the cul-de-sac. Even with your back to her, you are somehow aware that she is still standing there, in the doorway. You reach into your pocket and pull out the scrap of paper. You read the number a few times.@00\ For no particular reason, you turn over the paper. The back side bears a small, perfect drawing of a heart, circumscribed around the word ~LOVE~, and, below that drawing, another word: ~Anytime~. You stop walking to look at this for a moment. Still you can sense Emily in her doorway behind you.@00\ You turn around.", after [; deadflag=30; ]; !!! Person Dude "surfer dude" BeachCenter has ~proper ~general male ! general means he's in the water with name 'dude' 'surfer' 'duder' 'dude-o' 'guy', describe [; if (self has general) {"@11There's some dude surfing out there in the ocean.";} else {"@11There's a surfer dude lying here on the beach.";} ], description [; print "@11This is the absolute archetype of a ~dude~. He's got sort of shaggy blond hair, a scruffy little beard, and he's wearing board shorts. "; if (self has general) {"He's out there surfing, even though it's late and the waves are small.";} else {"He's lying on the beach with his board next to him.";} ], each_turn [; if (random(100)<40) {"@11The dude flashes you a thumbs-up.";} ], daemon [; if (random(100)<50) {if (self has general) {give self ~general; if (self in location) {print "@11The surfer rides a wave in, picks up his board, and comes out of the water to lie on the sand.^";} } else {give self general; if (self in location) {print "@11The surfer dude grabs his board and runs out into the water to hit the surf again.^";} } } ], before [; Kiss,Touch: "@00Your sexual orientation isn't of that ilk."; OKBScript: if (self has general) {"@11Man, the dude is way out there in the surf; he can't hear you.";} ]; NLine ->-> D0 "Silence" has general edible with description "On second thought, you decide not to say anything.@00"; NLine ->-> D1 "Yo, dude." with description "~Yo, dude,~ you say to the surfer.@00\ ~Hey, man,~ he says. ~What's up?~@00"; PLine ->->-> D1x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You don't reply. The surfer shrugs.@00"; NLine ->->-> D1x1 "Not much, man." has edible with description "~Not much, man~ you reply.@00\ The dude chuckles. ~Yeah, isn't that always the way?~@00"; NLine ->->-> D1x2 "I'm bummin'." with description "~Ah,~ you say, ~I'm bummin'.~@00\ ~Why, what's up?~ he says.@00", adopt D1x0; NLine ->->->-> D1x2x1 "Dude, my girlfriend just dumped me." with description "~Dude,~ you say, ~my girlfriend just dumped me.~@00\ ~Whoa, dude,~ he replies. ~Bummer.~@00", adopt D1x0; NLine ->->->->-> D1x2x1x1 "Yeah, big time." with description "~Yeah,~ you say, ~big time.~@00\ ~Dude,~ he says, ~were you, like, into her?~@00", adopt D1x0; NLine ->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x1 "Yeah, pretty much." has edible with description "~Yeah, pretty much,~ you say with a sigh.@00\ ~Bummer,~ he replies with finality.@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2 "Not hardly." with description "~Not hardly,~ you say.@00\ ~Then why you bummin'?~ he asks.@00", adopt D1x0; NLine ->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x1 "Ahh, I dunno." has edible with description "~Ahh,~ you say, shuffling sand with your shoe, ~I dunno.~@00\ ~I hear ya, bro,~ says the surfer. ~Mostly, when I'm bummin', I dunno why myself.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x2 "I guess I was sorta into her." with description "~I guess I was sorta into her,~ you say reluctantly.@00\ He grins. ~Hey, dude, sounds like you still grapplin' with this babe -- in, like, a totally metaphorical sense, I mean.~@00", adopt D1x0; NLine ->->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x2x1 "Yeah, man, I guess so." with description "~Yeah, man,~ you say, ~I guess so.~@00\ ~Well, shoot, dude,~ he says. ~What you doin' here bummin'? Why aren't you back up there at her place, on your knees, beggin' for forgiveness, man?~@00\ ~What?~ you say.@00\ ~Dude, you all messed up, man,~ he says. ~Nobody ever got a girl by sitting on the beach moaning the blues to some bum like me. What you doin'? Get over there and say, 'Hey, baby, I'm sorry, man, and I love you, and let's not fight no more.'~@00", adopt D1x0; NLine ->->->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x2x1x1 "Hell no!" has edible with description [; "~Hell no!~ you say.@00\ The surfer chuckles. ~Shoot man, you too proud, huh? You too much of a big man to ask your woman to forgive you? Man, all that's a pile of crap, man. Lookit that.~ He gestures indolently toward the ocean. ~What's up there? You think you something big? You think you the big man? Man, you nothin'! You best shut up with your pride crap and go beg that babe to take you back. 'Cause look, man: that water out there, she's bigger than you ever gonna be, bro. You're no great shakes, man! You're just some dude. And she's just some babe. But dude, if some dude and some babe got something goin' on -- man, that's where it's at, you get me?~@00\ You remain impassive.@00\ ~Ah, dude,~ he says, ~you gonna ",(Bold) "stay"," bummin'.~"; ], after [; deadflag=32; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x2x1x2 "Maybe you're right, dude." has edible with description "~Maybe you're right dude,~ you say.@00\ ~Darn right I'm right, dude,~ he says. ~Now get on with you! No more mopin' here, bro. Get over there and tell that babe you're not gonna let her go. Right now, dude, I gotta catch this wave.~ He grabs his board and runs out into the foam.@00\ You stride off along the beach, looking for a phone booth, or a bus stop.", after [; deadflag=33; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x2x1x3 "Man, you're right." has edible with description "~Man,~ you say, ~you're right.~@00\ ~Hey, dude,~ he says, ~you don't have to tell me! Now get outta here and go do your thing, bro.~@00\ You begin the walk to the bus stop, your brain clearing of self-pity as you plan your return to grace.", after [; deadflag=33; ]; NLine ->->->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x2x2x2 "Naaah." has edible with description "~Naaah,~ you say.@00\ The surfer shrugs. ~Whatever, dude.~@00"; NLine ->->->->->-> D1x2x1x1x3 "Don't be vulgar." has edible with description "~Don't be vulgar,~ you say contemptuously.@00\ The surfer chuckles. ~Hey, whatever, bro.~@00"; NLine ->-> D2 "How's the surf, dude?" has edible with description "~How's the surf, dude?~ you ask.@00\ ~It's all right,~ he says. ~No big ones, you know, but nice little relaxing waves. I'm just taking a breather here for a minute.~@00"; Decor Surfboard "surfboard" BeachCenter with name 'surfboard' 'board' 'dude^s' 'surfer^s', description [; if (Dude has general) {"@11You can't really get a good look at the surfer's board, because it's in the water, and he's on it.";} else {"@11It's a pretty decent board, as far as you can tell; you're not really an expert on surfing.";} ], before [; Examine: rfalse; default: if (Dude has general) {"@11The board, along with the guy, is 20 meters offshore; you can't do squat to it.";} else {"@11~Dude,~ says the dude, ~don't mess with my board.~";} ]; !!! Person Fisherman "fisherman" PierWest has ~proper male with name 'fisherman' 'man' 'old' 'rod' 'pole' 'line' 'reel', describe "@11An old fisherman sits here, his legs dangling off the side of the pier.", description "@11The fisherman seems very old -- possibly in his 80s. He is holding a wooden fishing rod, which he periodically reels in and recasts.", each_turn [; print (string) random( "@11The old fisherman coughs terribly.^", "@11The fisherman hacks grossly and spits into the sea.^", "@11The old man reels in his line and casts it again.^", "@11Grumbling, the old man reels in his line, which has been stripped of its bait. He rebaits the hook and casts the line again.^", "@11The fisherman sniffs repeatedly, then suddenly sneezes, almost knocking himself off the pier.^", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); ]; PLine ->-> F0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You decide not to disturb the old man.@00"; NLine ->-> F1 "Good evening." has edible with description "~Good evening,~ you say.@00\ The fisherman grunts in reply.@00"; NLine ->-> F2 "Catch anything?" has edible with description "~Catch anything?~ you inquire.@00\ ~Just a cold,~ he says grumpily.@00"; NLine ->-> F3 "Aren't you afraid you might fall off the pier?" has edible with description [; "~Aren't you afraid you might fall off the pier?~ you ask the old fisherman.@00\ ~Shut up,~ he says. ~I've been fishing from this pier for close on 75 years, and I'm damned if I ever even came ",(Bold) "close"," to falling off.~@00"; ]; NLine ->-> F4 "What are you fishing for?" has edible with description "~What are you fishing for?~ you ask the old man.@00\ ~Fish,~ he replies shortly.@00"; NLine ->-> F5 "The ocean is lovely tonight." with description "~The ocean is lovely tonight,~ you remark.@00\ The fisherman chuckles wheezily. ~Heh,~ he snorts. ~Tonight and every other night.~"; NLine ->->-> F5x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You say nothing; nor does he.@00"; NLine ->->-> F5x1 "Yeah, you're right." has edible with description "~Yeah,~ you say, ~you're right.~@00\ The fisherman grunts derisively. ~Oh, am I? Thanks for confirming me, teacher. Heh.~@00"; NLine ->->-> F5x2 "Do you fish here a lot?" has edible with description "~Do you fish here a lot?~ you ask.@00\ The fisherman looks warily over his shoulder at you. ~Yes,~ he says. ~I've been fishing here for 70-odd years.~ He turns back to his rod.@00"; !!! Person Lifeguard "lifeguard" BeachNorth has ~proper female with name 'lifeguard' 'female' 'guard' 'life' 'woman' 'girl' 'young' 'buff' 'strong' 'strong-looking' 'suit' 'bathing' 'red' 'bright' 'brown-haired', describe "@11A young female lifeguard in a bright red bathing suit is lying on the sand near the lifeguard station.", goto LNormal, description [; "@11She looks about your age -- and ",(Bold) "strong",". Her arms are not large, nor are they ~ripped~, but their smooth curves seem to conceal powerful muscles. Her stomach muscles stand out in relief through her tight red bathing suit. The muscles in her legs are well-defined and powerful. Her hair is brown, and hangs down her back about halfway to her waist."; ], before [; Kiss,Touch: "@11She'd kick the crap out of you if you dared to try."; OKBScript: if (LYouWin has visited) {self.goto=LYouWin;} ]; Holder ->-> LNormal; PLine ->->-> L0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You decide not to say anything to the lifeguard.@00"; NLine ->->-> L1 "HELP! HELP, I'm drowning!" with description "~HELP!~ you yell from your position behind the reclining lifeguard, ~HELP, I'm drowning!~@00\ She leans her head far back to view you upside-down. ~I'm off duty,~ she says. ~Swim at your own risk.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> L1x1 "Uh, I was just kidding." with description "~Uh,~ you say, ~I was just kidding.~@00\ She chuckles. ~I sort of assumed that. Don't you have anything better to do than tease lifeguards?~@00"; PLine ->->->->-> L1x1x0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You don't reply. The lifeguard shrugs indifferently.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> L1x1x1 "No." has edible with description "~No,~ you say.@00\ ~Aw, poor thing,~ she says sarcastically.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> L1x1x2 "Hey, I don't tease just any lifeguards." with description "~Hey,~ you say, ~I don't tease just any lifeguards.~@00\ ~Oh no?~ she says.", adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->->->->-> L1x1x2x1 "Nope -- just the pretty ones." has edible with description [; "~Nope,~ you say, ~just the pretty ones.~@00\ ~Wow,~ she replies, ~",(Bold) "that"," was an inspired pickup line.~@00"; ]; NLine ->->->->->-> L1x1x2x2 "That's right, just the heartless ones." with description "~That's right,~ you say, ~just the heartless ones. The ones who just sit there and watch people drown.~@00\ ~Ha!~ she chuckles, her head still craned backwards. ~Drown in the sand?~@00", adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->->->->->-> L1x1x2x2x1 "Why couldn't I?" with description "~Why couldn't I?~ you ask. ~Some people bathe in the sand. Can't you drown in a bathtub?~@00\ She chuckles again. ~Okay, you win, Casanova,~ she says. ~Come on over here and let's chat for a while.~@00\ You stroll over and lie down on the sand next to her.@00", after [; give LYouWin visited; ], goto LYouWin; NLine ->->->->->->-> L1x1x2x2x2 "Okay, you got me there." has edible with description "~Okay,~ you admit, ~you got me there.~@00\ ~Aha,~ she says triumphantly, bringing her head back to its normal position, facing away from you.@00"; NLine ->->->->-> L1x1x3 "Yeah: collect their phone numbers." has edible with description "~Yeah:~ you say, ~collect their phone numbers.~@00\ ~Oh, geez,~ she says disgustedly. ~What a lame line.~@00"; NLine ->->->-> L1x2 "So you're going to let me drown?" with description "~So you're going to let me drown?~ you ask.@00\ ~If you think you can drown in the sand, go right ahead,~ she says. ~My jurisdiction is ocean only.~@00", goto L1x1x2x2; NLine ->->-> L2 "How's it going?" with description "~How's it going?~ you say casually to the lifeguard.@00\ ~Not too bad,~ she replies. ~Yourself?~@00", adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->->-> L2x1 "Halfway decent." with description "~Halfway decent,~ you say.@00\ ~Glad to hear it,~ she replies.@00", adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->->->-> L2x1x1 "Looking for a little company?" with description "~Looking for a little company?~ you ask.@00\ She laughs. ~How can I refuse so blatant a request? Have a seat.~ You comply.@00", after [; give LYouWin visited; ], goto LYouWin; NLine ->->->-> L2x2 "I'm a little lonely." has edible with description "~I'm a little lonely,~ you say.@00\ ~I'll bet you are if you talk to every girl like that,~ she says.@00"; NLine ->->-> L3 "So is this what lifeguards do when their shift is over?" with description "~So,~ you ask, ~is this what lifeguards do when their shift is over? Kick it on the sand?~@00\ ~Not as a general rule.~ she says. ~Most of 'em are too beached out to hang around. But I like the ocean.~@00", adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->->-> L3x1 "What a coincidence! So do I." with description "~What a coincidence!~ you say. ~So do I.~@00\ ~I sorta figured you must; nobody hangs around here this late if they don't.~ She gestures to the sand beside her. ~Have a seat.~@00", after [; give LYouWin visited; ], goto LYouWin; Holder ->-> LYouWin with adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->-> LYW1 "How long you been guarding lives?" with description "~How long you been guarding lives?~ you ask.@00\ ~'Bout 5 years,~ she says. ~Since I was about 16.~@00\ ~Is it cool?~ you say.@00\ ~Actually, in the summer it's pretty hot,~ she jokes. ~No, actually, it's a pretty nice job. Get to hang out at the beach the whole day. . .~@00", adopt L1x1x0; NLine ->->->-> LYW1x1 "Sounds great." has edible with description [; "~Sounds great,~ you reply.@00\ ~Yeah, I know,~ she says. ~A lot of people think I'm loony or something when I tell 'em I actually ",(Bold) "like"," spending almost every waking hour at the beach. I mean, everybody likes the beach, but my friends think I'm wacko; I'm here, like, 24/7.~@00\ ~You sound like my kind of gal!~ you say jokingly.@00\ She chuckles. ~Thanks.~ She sighs, then pauses. ~You want to go get some dinner or something?~@00\ ~Absolutely,~ you say.@00\ And it only gets better from there."; ], after [; deadflag=35; ]; NLine ->->->-> LYW1x2 "Man, I wish I had a job like that." has edible with description [; "~Man,~ you say, ~I wish I had a job like that.~@00\ ~You know, now that you mention it,~ she replies, ~there's actually an opening. My partner, who's been working in this station --~ she gestures at the nearby lifeguard station ~--just moved to Texas.~@00\ You almost don't hear the last part of her sentence. A job? Working at the beach? All the time? Spending all your days with this girl? But then a brief snag presents itself. ~Well, geez, that sounds cool,~ you say, ~but don't you have someone else you'd rather have work the shift with you?~@00\ ~Nahhh,~ she says. ~In fact, I was never really friends with my old partner. I mean, she was just in it for the dough.~ She looks you in the eye and says, ~To be honest, I'd ",(Bold) "love"," having a partner who actually ",(Bold) "wanted"," to be there -- you know, who actually liked the ocean. You wouldn't believe the fun stuff you can find to do on a quiet day. . .~@00\ ~Say no more,~ you say. ~Where do I sign up?~"; ], after [; deadflag=35; ]; NLine ->->-> LYW2 "You look pretty, uh, buff." has edible with description [; "~You look, pretty, uh, buff,~ you say.@00\ ~Heh, yeah,~ she replies, flexing her bicep. ~I work out quite a bit; it helps, you know, in this job. All the better to save you with.~@00"; ]; NLine ->->-> LYW3 "I love the ocean." has edible with description "~I love the ocean,~ you say spontaneously.@00\ This seems to strike a chord with the lifeguard. She looks over at you and says, ~Me too.~@00\ You look at each other, considering, for a moment, like two primordial amoeba meeting in the prehistoric ocean that surrounded Pangea, and testing to see if they are compatible. You test positive.@00\ ~I like you already -- what's your name?~ she says.@00\ ~Paul,~ you say, shaking her sandy palm.@00\ ~I'm Christine,~ she says, ~and I like you already, Paul.~", after [; deadflag=35; ]; !!! Person Boy "little boy" BeachSouth2 has ~proper male with name 'boy' 'little' 'child' 'kid' 'shaver' 'fellow' 'playing', describe "@11There is a little boy here, building an unusual sandcastle.", description "@11A barefoot boy with cheeks of tan -- blessings on this little man! Apparently, this little shaver is about 5 or 6 years old. He industriously scoops up handfuls of damp sand, molding them into a strange construction before him. He seems to know no limit; his castle never stops growing. Heedless of the thin tendrils of water that curl around his sculpture, he continues to build.", each_turn [; print (string) random( "@11The little boy globs more sand onto one side of his castle.^", "@11The boy carefully applies a handful of sand to the surface of his edifice.^", "@11The boy looks around for a bit of sand with just the right amount of moisture.^", "@11The boy carefully smooths and shapes a tower on his castle.^", "", "", "", "", "", ""); ]; PLine ->-> B0 "Silence" has general edible with description "You decide not to interrupt the boy's construction.@00"; NLine ->-> B1 "What's up, little fellow?" with description "~What's up, little fellow?~ you ask affably.@00\ ~Billin' a cassel!~ he replies bluntly.@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B2 "That's quite a castle!" with description "~That's quite a castle,~ you say, with genuine admiration.@00\ The boy nods vigorously. ~Gonna be the bestest cassel ever!~@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B3 "How long you been working on this castle?" with description "~How long you been working on this castle?~ you ask.@00\ ~Long time,~ he says vaguely.@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B4 "Where's your mom?" with description "~Where's your mom?~ you ask.@00\ ~She went out,~ he says. ~Boat.~@00", adopt B0; NLine ->->-> B4x1 "Your mom went out on a boat?" with description "~Your mom went out on a boat?~ you inquire.@00\ He nods.@00", goto B4; NLine ->->-> B4x2 "Is she coming back soon?" with description "~Is she coming back soon?~ you ask, wondering what kind of mother would go out on a boat and leave her son alone on the beach.@00\ He shrugs. ~Dunno.~@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B5 "How old are you?" with description "~How old are you?~ you ask the boy.@00\ ~I'm 5,~ he says, not taking his eyes off his work.@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B6 "You like building sand castles?" with description "~You like building sand castles?~ you ask.@00\ The boy nods. ~Like it a lot. I bilta lot of 'em.~@00", adopt B0; NLine ->->-> B6x1 "How many?" with description "~How many?~ you ask.@00\ ~My mom said a number,~ he says, wrinkling his nose in thought. ~She said a number. It starts with a -- mmmmmm.~@00", adopt B0; NLine ->->->-> B6x1x1 "Many?" with description "~Many?~ you suggest.@00\ He shakes his head negatively.@00", goto B6x1; NLine ->->->-> B6x1x2 "More?" with description "~More?~ you offer.@00\ ~No,~ he says.@00", goto B6x1; NLine ->->->-> B6x1x3 "Million?" with description "~Million?~ you suggest.@00\ He nods repeatedly. ~Million! She said I made a million of 'em.~@00", goto Boy; NLine ->->-> B6x2 "When?" with description "~When?~ you ask.@00\ ~Alla time,~ he says. ~Every day. I billa cassel every day -- well, almost every day I billa cassel.~@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B7 "What's your name?" with description "~What's your name?~ you ask.@00\ He pauses in his work and looks up at you suspiciously, scrutinizing your face. ~Not gonna tell,~ he says, grabbing another handful of sand and beginning to build again.@00", goto Boy; NLine ->-> B8 "You like hanging out by the ocean?" with description "~You like hanging out by the ocean?~ you ask.@00\ He pauses, his sand-filled hands halted in midair. ~Yep,~ he says. ~The ocean's coooooooool.~@00", adopt B0; NLine ->->-> B8x1 "You like to swim?" with description "~You like to swim?~ you inquire.@00\ He shakes his head. ~Too cold, mostly. Plus I get knocked over by a wave -- big one! Alla time; don't like it. Plussa seaweed -- ugh! It's slimy -- ugh! Don't like it.~@00", goto B8; NLine ->->-> B8x2 "You like to go out in boats?" with description "~You like to go out in boats?~ you ask.@00\ He shakes his head. ~Never been inna boat. I wanna go inna boat but mom says I too little; I go when I bigger.~@00", goto B8; NLine ->->-> B8x3 "You just like to sit and watch it?" has edible with description "~You just like to sit and watch it?~ you ask.@00\ He nods. ~I like it -- ocean. I lika billa cassel; then the wave come -- big one! -- hits it all down. Then, I billa 'nother. Wave hits that one too -- now it's jussa pile of sand; all lumpy. Then I billa 'nother cassel -- better one. Every one cassel more betterer than the other cassel I arready built.@00\ Plus I like to watcha wave. They come -- so fast! -- rush, I yoosta be afraid they hit me down, even when I'm far away. But then, they hit the sand, they fall. Can't go no more. They try -- see! --~ he points to crashing wave, indicating the stretching foam that reaches agonizingly for the dry sand, but is pulled back into the water -- ~--but the ocean, it pulzem back. They wanna leave; wanna get out of the water; but they can't. Can't go nowhere, only back inna ocean.@00\ So I don't care; I don't. So what iffa wave hit down my cassel? He dunno. He trying hard, hard to get away fromma ocean. I bilta 'nother cassel. 'S fun, bilta cassel. I like it.~@00\ You pause to make sure his soliloquy is over; then, rising from your crouch beside his castle, you put your hands in your pockets and stare contemplatively westward.", after [; deadflag=39; ]; Decor Sandcastle "sandcastle" BeachSouth2 with parse_name [a b; for (::) { a=NextWord(); if (a=='sandcastle' or 'castle' or 'construction' or 'sculpture' or 'edifice' or 'boy^s' or 'tower' or 'towers') {b++; continue;} if (a=='sand') {if (NextWord()=='castle') {b=b+2; continue;} else {wn--; return b;} } return b; } ], description "@11One of the most unique sandcastles you have ever seen. Its layout is wildly different from that of a traditional medieval castle. The ~roof~ is uneven, wrinkled; the ~courtyards~ within are irregularly shaped; towers jut out unexpectedly from strange places. Somehow, in its peculiarity, it is oddly compelling. It is still under construction; the boy continually adds a clump of sand here or there.", before [; Examine: rfalse; default: "@11It would be rude (or worse) to manipulate the boy's sandcastle."; ]; !Utility routines - - - - - - - - - - - - - [Bold a; ! Prints the given String in bold type style bold; print (string) a; style roman; ]; [Legacy a b c; ! Returns the total number of children of the given if (children(a)==0) return 1; ! Object, including the Object itself objectloop (b in a) c=c+Legacy(b); c++; return c; ]; [MissedSomething; deadflag=34; ]; [Und a; ! Prints the given String in underline type style underline; print (string) a; style roman; ]; !Entry points - - - - - - - - - - - - - [GamePreRoutine; IdleTurns++; ! One more turn without doing anything meaningful rfalse; ]; [GamePostRoutine; if (IdleTurns>48) {switch (random(4)) { 1: deadflag=36; "@00You hear the quickening step of someone coming along behind you. You turn to see your friend Andy coming toward you. ~Hey, Paul,~ he says. ~I heard you broke up with --~@00\ ~Yeah,~ you interrupt. ~Yeah, we broke up.~@00\ ~Bummer, man,~ he says.@00\ ~Yeah, it's a bummer,~ you say.@00\ ~Well, shoot, man, there's only one thing to do in a situation like this,~ he says.@00\ ~What's that?~@00\ ~Go get drunk. C'mon, dude.~ And he leads you away from the ocean toward a night of booze and a morning of headaches."; 2: deadflag=36; "@00You hear the heavy, rough breath of a woman approaching. You turn and see the woman who you thought was your ex-girlfriend running toward you, breathless. ~Oh, Paul!~ she gasps, ~I am ",(Bold) "so"," sorry, honey. I don't know what I was thinking. You're -- you're not -- you're ",(Bold) "none"," of those things I called you. You're the ",(Bold) "opposite"," of all that. Oh, honey, can you forgive me?~ she begs, hanging around your neck, her big, dark eyes staring humbly into your own. She rises slightly, and, with an air of a slave kissing his master's feet, softly and carefully kisses you on the lips.@00\ You put your arm around her, and begin to walk back the way you came, still puzzling out the strangeness of your experience."; 3: deadflag=37; "@00You hear the jovial voices of a group of people approaching. Soon, a group of your friends comes into view. They know of your breakup. They sympathize. They open their nest of hands and shoulders and engulf you in their amalgam, absorbing your loss and your feelings into their collective emotional state."; 4: deadflag=38; "@00Without warning, you are suddenly tackled from behind. Before you can react, you are roughly turned over onto your back, and you find yourself staring into the face of a blindingly beautiful woman for a brief second before she locks her mouth onto yours.@00\ Later, you discover that she was a friend of a friend, who'd heard you were a nice guy and had been ~checking you out~ at parties and the like. Your friends had mentioned her, saying things like ~she's a real pistol~ and ~she's a pretty in-your-face kind of chyk~. The magnitude of her in-your-face-ness did not manifest itself until she heard you had broken up with your girlfriend, at which point she decided to strike.@00\ You don't really have much of a choice but to deal with her in one way or another; and she is ",(Bold) "very"," pretty, but it means you have to put your soul-searching conference with the big mama on the back burner, and somehow it seems that you've been dragged into this, unable to choose for yourself. But then, there are a lot worse things you could be dragged into."; } } rfalse; ]; [DeathMessage; switch (deadflag) { 3: print "You have somehow found happiness."; 4: print "You have been raped by a woman younger than you and left under a boardwalk, naked, and gagged and hogtied with her bikini. [Remember -- winning is a relative term.]"; 5: print "You are floating, naked, hogtied, and gagged, in an inner tube on the Pacific Ocean. Be thankful that you have such a good relationship with the big mama."; 6: print "You have been psychologically FUBAR."; 7: print "You have become an object of ridicule in the one place on earth where you like to be."; 8: print "You have managed to avoid involvement."; 9: print "You may or may not have missed something."; 10: print "You have been oblivious to reality."; 11: print "You have forged a lasting friendship."; 12: print "You have survived with a few minor blots on your character."; 13: print "You have let friendship slip away."; 14: print "You have slipped into a reverie."; 15: print "You have been duly initiated into the solemn mysteries of the deep."; 16: print "You are building a sandcastle."; 17: print "The extent of your secretiveness has remained secret."; 18: print "You have kept your secret."; 19: print "You have shared your secret."; 20: print "You are listening to the big mama."; 21: print "You have conveyed a message."; 22: print "You have completed a one-night stand."; 23: print "You have been incarcerated."; 24: print "You are wearing a bikini."; 25: print "You got yourself a ho'."; 26: print "You're at it again."; 27: print "You have broken Emily's heart."; 28: print "You have been rejected."; 29: print "You have begun to concentrate on your life again."; 30: print "You have begun a new phase of your life."; 31: print "You have faltered."; 32: print "You are still bummin'."; 33: print "You have not given up."; 34: print "You have lost something worth having."; 35: print "Things are looking up."; 36: print "You have left your emotional issues unresolved."; 37: print "You have emptied your sorrows on the shoulders of your friends."; 38: print "You have a beautiful, wonderful, vivacious, kind girlfriend who you don't love."; 39: print "You have gleaned wisdom from the mouth of a babe."; 40: print "You have finished dinner."; 41: print "You have said goodnight."; ! NextDead } ]; [AuthorsChoice ending; if (ending==-1) return 8; CreditsSub(); AboutSub(); print "@00[@11@11"; style bold; print "---This is ending #",ending,".---"; style roman; print "@00I'm not going to tell you how many possible endings there are -- where's the fun in that? I will say only these two things:@00\ A) Some endings can be reached in more than one way.@00\ B) Your opinion of this game will almost certainly benefit from a second playing. ]^"; return 8; ]; [PrintRank; rtrue; ]; [DrawStatusLine i; i = 0->33; if (i==0) i=80; font off; @split_window 1; @buffer_mode 0; @set_window 1; style reverse; @set_cursor 1 1; spaces(i); @set_cursor 1 1; print "@11@11",(name) location; style roman; @buffer_mode 1; @set_window 0; font on; ]; !SUBs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [BuildCastleSub; if (location==BeachSouth2) {"@11No castle you could build could compete with the boy's.";} if (Beach in location || VagueSand in location) {"@11You're not really in the patient mood required for good sandcastle building.";} "@11There's no sand here."; ]; [GoUnderSub; "@11You can't go under that."; ]; [LieDownSub; "@11You don't feel like it."; ]; [SmileSub; "@11You force a smile."; ]; [SmileAtSub; "@11You smile at ",(the) noun,". "; ]; [SitDownSub; "@11Okay, you're sitting. Big whoop."; ]; [StandUpSub; "@11Okay, you're standing, as if it matters."; ]; [TalkToNPCSub; "@11[ ~First line,~ you say.@00\ ~Second line,~ NPC replies.@00\ ~Oh, yeah, well, third line to you, buster!~ you verb.@00\ ~Ha! Fourth line! And your mama too!~@00\ ~Aw, c'mon, man. Fifth line.~@00\ ~You're right. Sixth line,~ he replies adverbly.@00\ ~Seventh line, then?~@00\ ~Eighth line!~@00\ NPC verb preposition noun. You other-verb other-preposition article other-noun. Interjection, pronoun verb adjective. Adverb, you verb object. ]"; ]; [WaveToSub; if (noun hasnt animate) {"@11There's no point in waving at ",(ThatOrThose) noun,".";} "@11You wave at ",(the) noun,"."; ]; [FollowSub; "@11Oh, come on, can't you just move on your own?"; ]; [SurfSub; "@11You're not really the surfing type."; ]; [ToastSub; "@11You're not a toaster."; ]; [YellSub; "@11I know it's tough breaking up, but try to control yourself."; ]; [CreditsSub; print "^[ Credits for ",(Bold) "The Big Mama",": "; "@00First off, thanks to Graham Nelson for writing Inform and enabling me to create this game. I'd like to thank Gunther Schmidl for his library extension that makes colors work properly after saving and restoring, and for his TXD-blocking hack. Thanks also to everyone on rec.arts.int-fiction and ifMUD who helped me with the various problems I encountered while writing this game. Another huge thank-you goes to all my beta-testers, without whom this game would have been as bad as my last one :-):@00\ Melinda ~Mel~ Brittingham W. Top Changwatchai Vincent Lynch@00\ Gabe McKean Mike Sousa@00\ [Your name here :-)]@00\ ^Thanks to all the judges for giving a me a good score (hint, hint :-), or, alternatively, for playing this game despite their dislike for it. My gratitude also goes to Stephen Granade for all his work as organizer of Comp2000.@00\ Finally, thanks to you, the player (even if you were already thanked above), just for taking the time to play this game. ]"; ]; [AboutSub; print "^[ Random information about ",(Bold) "The Big Mama"," and its author: "; "@00This game was written between June and September 2000, with the bulk of the work talking place in the last two months of that period. (During the 18-day period between 2000/08/11 and 2000/08/28, I wrote an average of roughly 150 lines of code per day.)@00\ Some statistics about the source code you may find interesting (I do):@00@11\ Total number of lines: 3570@00@11\ Lines devoted to LibraryMessages/entry point routines: 398 (11.1%)@00@11\ Lines devoted to VerbSub routines: 93 (2.6%)@00@11\ Lines devoted to general-purpose routines: 14 (0.4%)@00@11\ Lines devoted to Classes: 41 (1.1%)@00@11\ Lines devoted to rooms and scenery objects: 559 (15.7%)@00@11\ Lines devoted to NPCs: 2422 (67.8%)@00@11\ Lines devoted to miscellaneous stuff: 43 (1.2%)@00\ Yes, ~The Big Mama~ ",(Bold) "is"," a term I actually use to refer to the ocean, although not with such frequency as in this game.@00\ I (Brendan Barnwell) live in Southern California. My first game, ",(Und) "Lomalow",", got 21st place out of 37 entries in IFComp1999. I like cranberries. If you have any opinion whatsoever about this game (or indeed about anything even remotely related to this game, such as California, beach bums, bikinis, etc.), ",(Bold) "please"," email me with your opinions. My email address is ",(Und) "BrenBarn@@64aol.com",". I eagerly await your comments, questions, hate mail, and praise. ]"; ]; [WinLoseSub; "@11That's a subjective term."; ]; [HelpSub; "@11[I have no help to offer. Just keep playing; something will come along.]"; ]; !Verb definitions - - - - - - - - - - - - - Include "Grammar"; Include "Adjacent"; Extend 'go' first * 'under' noun -> GoUnder; Extend 'lie' first * 'down' -> LieDown; Extend 'sit' first * 'down' -> SitDown * -> SitDown; Extend 'stand' last * 'up' -> StandUp * -> StandUp; Extend 'talk' first * 'to' 'NPC'/'name'/'character' -> TalkToNPC; Extend 'wave' last * 'at'/'to' animate -> WaveTo * 'at'/'to' noun -> WaveTo; Verb 'follow' * topic -> Follow * -> Follow; Verb 'toast' * topic -> Toast * -> Toast; Verb 'yell' 'scream' * topic -> Yell * -> Yell; Verb 'credits' 'credit' 'cred' * -> Credits; Verb 'about' * -> About; Verb 'win' 'succeed' 'lose' 'fail' * -> WinLose; Verb 'help' 'hint' * -> Help; Verb 'smile' 'grin' * -> Smile * 'at' noun -> SmileAt; Verb 'surf' * topic -> Surf * -> Surf; Verb 'build' * 'castle'/'sandcastle' -> BuildCastle * 'sand' 'castle' -> BuildCastle * 'castle' 'in'/'of'/'from'/'with' 'sand' -> BuildCastle;