the light in the forest

(set:$packing to 0)\ |fasttype>[ [[Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.]] Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck (color:#e0e0e0)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck] (color:#c0c0c0)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck] (color:#a0a0a0)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck] (color:#808080)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck] (color:#606060)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck] (color:#404040)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck] (color:#202020)[fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck]]

(enchant: ?type's chars, via (t8n-delay:pos * 15)+(t8n:'instant')+(t8n-skip: 5s))\ (enchant: ?fasttype's chars, via (t8n-delay:pos * 5)+(t8n:'instant'))\ (replace:?sidebar)[]

Need to be not (link:"here.")[in this psychiatric group home you only agreed to come to to shut your parents up.] (if:$bedstuff is not 1)[ [[Stuff]] is on the bed.](else:)[You've gotten what you need from the bed.] [[Keys]] and (if:$papers is not 1)[ [[papers]] ](else:)[ torn papers ]on the desk. (if:$clotheschange is not 1)[ [[Boxes]] somewhere.](else:)[Boxes on the floor.] (if:$toomuch is not 1)[ [[Too much.]] ](if:$packing is 6)[Ready to [[go.]]]

(set:_stuffprog to 0)\ |coat>[Coat], |bag>[bag], |tablet>[tablet], |coffee>[lack of coffee], |bedding>[bedding.] |progress>[] |done)[(set:$bedstuff to 1) [[That's everything here.->Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.]] ] (click:?coat)[(replace:?progress)[You put on your coat.](set:$packing to it + 1)(set:_stuffprog to it + 1)(if:_stuffprog is 4)[(show:?done)]] (click:?bag)[(replace:?progress)[The doctors took your meds so they can make sure you're taking them, but you hid most of them, especially the hormones, in here, since your past experiences with them managing your medication access have involved quite a lot of failing to actally do it. Your clock that tells you if time is misbehaving is quiet. You throw your bag over your shoulder.](set:$packing to it + 1)(set:_stuffprog to it + 1)(if:_stuffprog is 4)[(show:?done)]] (click:?tablet)[(replace:?progress)[The network access is restricted; you can't call your friends for help. You put the tablet in your bag.](set:$packing to it + 1)(set:_stuffprog to it + 1)(if:_stuffprog is 4)[(show:?done)]] (click:?coffee)[(replace:?progress)[You'll need to find a lack of coffee disposal site to get rid of that. Probably where you can get network access too.](set:$packing to it + 1)(set:_stuffprog to it + 1)(if:_stuffprog is 4)[(show:?done)]] (click:?bedding)[(replace:?progress)[You're not staying, no need to make the bed.]]

|dnt>[Don't need them.] (click-undo:?dnt)

(link:"You just need to sign away your autonomy. It would be easier.")[You scribble FUCK YOU I'M A GIRL in huge letters over the contract and tear it in half. It's probably a good thing you have no matches to burn it. (set:$papers to 1)\ [[Back.->Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.]]]

They're your clothes, but they're too heavy to lift. You can probably stuff a |clothes>[change of clothes] in your bag though. (click:?clothes)[(set:$packing to it + 1)(set:$clotheschange to 1)You grab a change of clothes: a black tank top, some fishnet leggings, a skirt, and underwear. [[Back.->Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.]]]

You scream silently inside your head. You have your boots (link:"somewhere.")[already on your feet. Oops.] You left your |candle>[candlebone pen] on the dresser. (click:?candle)[Ideally you would light a candle as you do this, but with only their bones and nothing for fire you are forced to make do without as you trace over the |sigils>[sigils] on your arm.] (click:?sigils)[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#101010)[(text-style:"smear")[The light in the forest calls you home.]]](t8n:"blur")[(text-style:"smear")[May the light in the forest never find us.]] (set:$packing to it + 1)(set:$toomuch to 1)(after:time+800)[ [[Back.->Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.]] ]

Just walking away is both the easiest thing and the hardest thing. (click-goto:?page,"Title Card")

==><== ###The Light in the Forest a thing by worm <== (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[= (t8n:"fade")[= So much the stronger proved He with his thunder; and till then who knew the force of those dire arms? **Yet not for those, Nor what the potent Victor in his rage Can else inflict, do I repent, or change** -Paradise Lost (click:?page)[(goto:"go 2")]

|alltag>[=You picture your parents disapproval. Its comforting, in a way. (click:?page)[="We're sorry, but you're too traumatized for us to care about you, so we're throwing you away. But if you're misgendered constantly, and cut off from all your friends, //that// will probably improve your mental health." (click:?page)[=They weren't that blunt about it, nor that self aware, but that doesn't matter, in the end. (click:?page)[=If they throw you out, why would you mangle yourself until your empty husk can fit into a world that doesn't want you? Let your parents worry about what happened to you, it might be the first time they actually cared. (click:?page)[=(replace:?alltag)[=The walk is uncomfortably long. The psychiatric facility is outside town, away from anywhere you could bother anyone the world actually wants. (click:?page)[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#101010)[This was not our doing]]The burnt forest along the way and damaged buildings, remnants of the recent time the world ended, provide interesting, if bleak, scenery. A second, phantom sun occasionally peaks out from behind the clouds. Chains burst from the sidewalk, no longer connected to anything, but not yet cleaned up. (click:?page)[=By the time you reach the city, you've mostly calmed down, though the panic has been replaced, at least somewhat, by crying, so you probably look like shit. Your glasses are |smudge>[horribly smudged.] (click:?page)[=(t8n:"blur")[(text-style:"blurrier")[The Lack of Coffee Disposal Site is just inside the city, past the already half dismantled barricade. A sign outside advertises free network access. Its not very busy today. The green flame of a single candle flickers in the window.]]<blurred| (click:?smudge)[(prepend:?smudge)[not ](replace:?blurred)[(t8n:"blur")[The Lack of Coffee Disposal Site is just inside the city, past the already half dismantled barricade. A sign outside advertises free network access. Its not very busy today. The green flame of a single candle flickers in the window.](replace:?sidebar)[] [[Head inside]] ]]

The smell of coffee is comforting, the sound of the machinary to make it less so. (link:"Find a seat.")[=You take a seat on a couch in the corner, and take off your coat and bag. You set your tablet down next to the potted plant on the coffee table. You should probably [[order something]] and [[text your friends]].

You walk up to the counter. You've been here a lot before, and at least kind of know all the staff. Today, its Mandragora Crow. You've known her the longest, though much of that is because you went to school with her and she was memorable because she was a lesbian and you wanted to be like her, which is convenient, because now you are. Also her name was Mandragora. (click:?page)[=People aren't just named Mandragora. (Not that you're complaining; your name is also weird.) (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Hey, nice to see you, what can I get you?" Mandragora asks. (link:"Break down sobbing.")[Lets not do that.] (link:"Just cry.")[That's not how you order coffee.] (link:"Freeze in panic.")[...] (link:"Suddenly forget what you even want.")[You almost always order the same thing, so suddenly blanking is embarassing.] (link:"Apologize for taking up space.")["Sorry," you squeak.] (link:"Fail to ask for coffee.")["I um. uhhh. umm...."] (link:"Ask for a coffee.")[Oops I guess you are crying.(show:?cry)] (link:"Anguished screaming.")[Screaming would annoy everyone though.] (link:"Curl up in a ball on the floor.")[While you certainly want to, you also don't want to cause a scene.] (link:"Start crying.")[Trying really hard not to.] (link:"Uncontrollable sobbing.")[Not yet, please.] (link:"Worry you look like shit.")[To be fair, you're always doing this.] (link:"Run away.")[You're doing that from your parents, not here.] (link:"Cry.")[No.] |cry)["Oh no," Mandragora says, "Are you [[okay?]]"]

(set:$textedfriends to 1)You frantically send messages saying "Hey are you around?" to everyone you vaguely know that seems like they might help. (click:?page)[=Under normal situations you'd be mortified starting this many conversations yourself, but desperate times have overruled your usual level of social anxiety. (click:?page)[=Now the worst part. (click:?page)[=Waiting. Go [[order something]] while you wait.

(set:$storyleak to 0)The question punctures (link:"your calm exterior")[ |haha>[**Hahahaha no.**](after:time+1s)[(replace:?haha)[the brittle eggshell of your sanity]]] and all the events of the past week spill out of the leak you've sprung. |st1>[The homelessness]. |st2>[Your parents refusing to let you stay with them.] |st3>[Sleeping on couches.] |st4>[Your parents saying you need to institutionalize yourself again.] |st4b>[Not even being allowed to take care of yourself.] |st5>[The social worker, insisting she's misgendering you because its institution policy to do so.] |st6>[Being cut off from your friends.] |floor>[Your story pools grotesquely on the floor around you.] (click:?st1)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)[Landlords become harsh gods when not placated with their monthly sacrifice.]]\ (click:?st2)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)[They'd kicked you out years ago. They might help occasionally, but only in ways that don't inconvenience them much.]]\ (click:?st3)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)[They're too small and not really comfortable to lie on for hours. Your everything has been sore most of the week.]]\ (click:?st4)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)["We can't help you if you don't try to fix yourself." Plus, they just showed up where you were staying and took all your stuff over. It happened too fast for you to say no.]]\ (click:?st4b)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)["We can't trust you with your meds, you might decide for yourself whether you need them. Even the ones we didn't prescribe you." Plus they have schedules of when you're allowed to do things. Can't leave unless they say so. Have to sleep at certain times.]]\ (click:?st5)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)["It's not your official name, so we can't use it." Like a conversation is legal paperwork. She's lying, anyway.]]\ (click:?st6)[(set:$storyleak to it + 1)(if:$storyleak is 7)[(show:?st7)](replace:?floor)[Of all the problems with this institution, the paradox that cutting you off from everyone you care about is supposed to make you less unhappy is the most incomprehensible.]]\ |st7)[At some point while you were babbling Mandragora came around the counter to [[hug you.]]]

Mandragora squeezes you tightly. It's nice. (link:"What do you do?")[=Oh god, what //do// you do? (link:"Stand there awkwardly.")[=You stand awkwardly while you try to think what to do. (link-reveal:"It's nice.")[ It's nice. Fuck, you realize you haven't had any positive human `(or adjacent)` contact in years.] (link:"Hug back.")[You cling tightly to her, so your life won't blow you away.] (link:"Say thanks maybe?")[The gravity of your stomach pulls the words away from your mouth, but you manage to eventually get a "Thanks" out.(show:?gayemergency)] (link:"Apologize for being a mess.")["Sorry," you say. "It's okay," Mandragora says.(show:?gayemergency)] (link:"Cry more.")[It's not really what you want to do but it doesn't feel as hopeless now.] (link:"Ask her to stay for a while.")[You aren't sure how, but you squeeze her back. Maybe that says enough.(show:?gayemergency)] (link:"Make sure she knows this helps.")[If you don't tell her this helps she might think this bothers you and never help you agin. You have to say something, but the words struggle to coalesce. "(text-size:0.65)[helps]" you manage to weakly say.(show:?gayemergency)] |gayemergency)["Hey," Mandragora calls to the other person working today. "I need to take a break for sec, it's a [[gay emergency.]]]

The other Disposal Site worker, an older woman who's gender is barely visible under her really cool leather jacket, says, "Oh no! What's wrong?" (click:?page)[=Mandragora unwraps herself from you and glances back towards you. "She needs some help." (click:?page)[="Oh no," the other woman says, "How bad is it?" (click:?page)[="Bad enough to invoke the Gay Emergency policy," Mandragora says. (click:?page)[="You have a gay emergency policy?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Oh, yeah," Mandragora says, "For, you know, if a lesbian shows up crying. It's important to help." (click:?page)[=You laugh slightly. "So, just lesbians?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Not actually, we'd help other people who showed up crying to. But uh, we're an employee owned coffee shop staffed mostly by cute gay women, so that's like, most of who comes here. Anyway why don't you go sit down and I'll bring you a coffee?" (link:"Offer to pay. ")["Oh I can, um, pay for that." You say. (hide:?nod) (click:?page)["You could," Mandragora says, "But you won't."(show:?nod) ]]\ |nod>[(link:"Nod.")[You nod and scurry [[back to the couch]] with your tablet.]]

When you get back to the couch, (if: $textedfriends is 1)[you have (link-reveal:"message from one of your friends.")[ "Oh no! I hope you find somewhere to stay soon! `<3`" A nice gesture but it doesn't actually help.(show:?dp)]](else:)[(link-reveal:"nobody has messaged you.")[.. because you forgot to send out requests for help before you got distracted crying.(show:?dp)]] |dp)[(link:"Wait.")[(hide:?dp) (replace:?results)[You just watch as Mandragora gets you cup of coffee and it looks like some food? She's really cute. It'd be very much the sort of thing a wretched needy lesbian would do to get a crush on the first girl that's nice to you. You try to push those thoughts aside before you do.](show:?more)] (link:"Cry.")[(replace:?results)[Actually, you try to do the opposite. You're starting to feel better, a little. Your eyes still feel like their full of gunk, and the salt residue on your face still taunts you. But you manage to compose yourself.](show:?more)(hide:?dp)] (if: $textedfriends is not 1)[(link:"Text your friends now.")[ (replace:?results)[You forgot to text your friends earlier. Mandragora might be able to help you, but it's probably worth checking with other friends in case you need it.](set:$textedfriends to 1)(show:?more)(hide:?dp)] ]\ (link:"Examine the plants to pass time.")[(replace:?results)[Petals of liquid smoke. Leaves fringed with red-glass. These flowers weren't part of this world before it ended, and now after its restarted, they linger is the weakened places. They look nice.](show:?more)(hide:?dp)] (link:"Watch the crowds.")[ (replace:?results)[Its mostly humans. Other species don't really eat the same food as us. You see at least one couple that looks like they're gay. It makes you feel less alone.](show:?more)(hide:?dp)] ]|results>[] |more)[=(click:?page)[=Mandragora comes over to the couch with a large coffee and a slice of cheesecake. "I brought you some food too; cheesecake always helps me feel better." (click:?page)[=She plops down on the couch beside you. You immediately begin devouring the cheesecake. [[Say something.]]

Your mouth is full of delicious food, which leeches the anguish from your soul as you eat. (click:?page)[=However, this does mean you can't actully talk, so you just give Mandragora thumbs up and smile. (click:?page)[=With the amount of crying you've done lately, you aren't entirely sure it's a very convincing smile, but she smiles back anyway. |crush>[She's |rlycute>[really cute] when she smiles.] (click:?rlycute)[=(replace:?crush)[You struggle to not get a crush.]\ (after:time+1s)[=It is too late. Your stomach gives birth to a thousand flaming butterflies that burst forth and swarm throughout your body. (click:?page)[=It feels nice, you think, as the heat from the butterflies melts your emotions into a gloopy mess all over the couch, but you hope this won't make your social anxiety too crippling. (click:?page)[="So how is it?" she asks. [["It is helping?"]]

"So how is it?" she asks. "It is helping?" |fakechoice>[(link:"\"It's really good!\"")[(hide:?fakechoice)(show:?cont)] (link:"\"Yeah. So are the cute girls smiling at me.\"")[(hide:?fakechoice)(show:?cont)] ]|cont)[=It doesn't matter what you want to say, your mouth is full. You nod vigorously. (click:?page)[="That's good!" Mandragora says. "So you need a place to crash for the night?" (click:?page)[=You finish chewing your food before you try to speak.(after:time+500)[=.(after:time+500)[=.(after:time+500)[=.(after:time+500)[=.(after:time+500)[= "Yeah, I think so," you say. "And somewhere longer term to stay." (click:?page)[="I mean, I have a couch, you could stay with me for a few days." [["Are you sure?"]] [["Okay, that helps."]]

"Are you sure?" you ask. "I don't want to impose." (click:?page)[="Don't worry," Mandragora says, "You're not." (click:?page)[="I just don't want to take up too much space," you say. (click:?page)[="I mean it's definitely more important to me that you're safe and have somewhere to stay than the small amount of space you'd take up in my apartment," she says. [["Why am I important to you, though?"->priority]] (set:$prioritytext to "\"Why am I important to you, though?\"")

"Okay," you say, "That helps a lot." (click:?page)[="Glad I can help," Mandragora says. "Also if we need it, I can help you try to find somewhere to stay longer term." (click:?page)[=You nod. (click:?page)[="But I think making sure you're okay is the first priority." [["Why am I a priority though?"->priority]] (set:$prioritytext to "\"Why am I a priority though?\"")

$prioritytext you say. "You barely know me." "I don't need to know someone that closely to care about them," Mandragora says. "But also we've known each other a while, you're at least a casual friend." (click:?page)[="Okay," you say. (click:?page)[=Some of the cheesecake still remains. It calls to you. (link:"Embrace your destiny as a cheescake black hole.")[=You embrace your destiny as a cheesecake black hole. "Like, we built that rocket back in school," Mandragora says. The two of you were the only girls in the class for building rockets, though you didn't know it at the time. [[Just nod->trying again]] because you are eating cheesecake again.

You nod. (click:?page)[="Too bad ours kind of sucked," she adds. "Mmmf..." you start, before swallowing your food and (link-reveal:"trying again.")[= "I mean, at least it sucked in an impressive way," you say. (click:?page)[="Ha, yeah," Mandragora says. [[Reminisce about fire.]] [[Bring forth the gender feels.]]

"At least we didn't set anything else on fire," you say. (click:?page)[="I mean, the roof of that shed, a bit," Mandragora says. (click:?page)[="They got that out pretty quick," you say. (click:?page)[="God I have no idea why they let us make our own engine," Mandragora says, "You'd think this would've happened before us." (click:?page)[="I'm honestly surprised they still passed us," you say. (click:?page)[="Well I'm certain they didn't want us to repeat the class after that," Mandragora says. She laughs. [[She's so cute when she laughs.]]

"You know," you say, "I'd been afraid I'd be the only girl in that class. Or well, afraid that girls wouldn't be in that class, which would prove I was actually a normal guy. Except I didn't even understand that that was what I was feeling, at the time." (click:?page)[="God yeah, thinking I was the only girl in that class sucked," Mandragora says. "Honestly it was probably why I asked to partner with you," she said, "You didn't seem like other guys." (link:"oh my god oh my god oh my god")[=A wave of gender euphoria crashes against you, scattering whatever thoughts you were going to say. (click:?page)[="I was worried guys would be weird and hit on me and I guess you seemed more like a lesbian than the guy you were disguised as." (click:?page)[="The guy skin I had draped over myself like a bedsheet ghost," you say. You aren't sure why that simile was what you thought of, but wearing your own flayed skin certainly is what it felt like. (click:?page)[=Mandragora laughs. [[She's so cute when she laughs.]]

You can never tell the correct amount of eye contact your supposed to make, and god she's so cute. You look away, and stare at your coffee, so you don't act weird and stare at her too long. (click:?page)[="So are you doing better?" she asks. (link:"\"I think so.\"")[="I think so," you say. "That's good!" Mandragora says, "I should probably go work some more, but if you stick around we can head to my place in a few hours when my shift ends. Will you be alright?" (click:?page)[=You nod. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Hug?" she asks. |hugchoice>[(link:"\"Sure!\"")[(replace:?next)["Yeah!" you say. You're a bit worried you're too excited about it, but Mandragora's smile quickly obliterates that concern.](hide:?hugchoice)(show:?next2)] (link:"Hesitate.")[(replace:?next)[You hesitate long enough that Mandragora starts getting up, presumably assume you don't. Seeing your chance at physical closeness crumbling away between your fingers is enough to break through the wall of social anxiety and you blurt out "Wait, yes I do!"](hide:?hugchoice)(show:?next2)] (link:"Decline.")[(replace:?next)[You stop yourself before saying no. There's no reason to do that. You really want to be close to her, and social anxiety around a crush is a terrible reason to not accept a hug from them. You don't say anything, but go for the hug. Its less stress.](hide:?hugchoice)(show:?next2)] ]|next>[] |next2)[=(click:?page)[=The hug is nice. Being this close to Mandragora is nice. (click:?page)[=After you break off the hug, you say, "Um, before you go, do you have a candle that I can use?" (click:?page)[="Oh, uh, yeah, I think I can get one, why?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="I got marked by demons when the world ended, and now I don't really fit in the world properly, so I need to refresh my wards and I didn't have a candle to properly do it before." (click:?page)[="Oh, shit, yeah," Mandragora says, "I can get you one." She heads to the back to get one. [[Wait.]]

After a couple minutes Mandragora comes back with a small tea light candle, and a candlebone plate to put it on. Also some matches. (click:?page)[="Will that work?" she asks. (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say, "I think so." (click:?page)[=Mandragora leaves to head back to work. [[Light the candle.]]

(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#101010)[Come to our side]]You strike the match, and light the candle. (link:"Take out your candlebone pen.")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#121212)[Why live in a world that will not cherish you?]]The bones that remain, when a candle is gone, made real by a moiraic engine. (link:"Trace the sigils")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#141414)[You have already cut away so much pain]]The pen is like a knife, but the blood it draws is smoke and the pain, nothing but a cold prickle. (link:"Speak the invocation")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#161616)[(text-style:"smear")[The light in the forest calls you home]]] (t8n:"blur")[(text-style:"smear")[May the light in the forest never find us.]] (after:time+1s)[ [[Watch the flame for a moment.]]]

The candle slowly burns down. It occasionally flickers otherworldly colors, and the sound of the world seems to fade around you. (replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#121212)[I want you to be happy.]] (click:?page)[=This calm lasts only a few minutes before a buzz from your bag snaps you out of it. Your clock is vibrating. (click:?page)[=You check the time. It's ticked forward two seconds. You wait a bit to see if it ticks forward more, but it seems to be holding at two seconds of time gained, which isn't enough desynchronization to be woried. (click:?page)[=You pass the next couple hours mostly reading things on your tablet. (if:$textedfriends is 1)[(click:?page)[You get a few more responses to your messages, including some possible backup housing if you need it after this. (click:?page)[Eventually, Mandragora gets off and comes over to your corner [[to get you.]] ]]](else:)[(click:?page)[Eventually, Mandragora gets off and comes over to your corner [[to get you.]] ]]

"Hey, ready to go?" Mandragora asks. (click:?page)[=She's put on a denim jacket over her tank top, which makes her look even more gay than she usually does. The kind of lesbian who absolutely does not care if they are wearing denim on denim. |flirt>[(link:"\"I like your jacket\" ")[You struggle to get the words out, worried she'll think it's weird for you to say that. Its not a very rational fear, you tell yourself, and besides its a pretty mild compliment. "So, uh, your jacket. Um. It's cute," you say.(hide:?opt) (click:?page)[Well that was slightly more gay than you intended. (click:?page)["Thanks!" Mandragora says.(set: $flirting to it + 1)(show:?opt) ]]]](link:"\"Alright, lets go.\"")|opt>["Alright," you say, packing up your stuff. "Let's go." Mandragora helps pull you to your feet. "It's [[not far]], we can walk."(if:$flirting is 0)[(hide:?flirt)]]

It's already getting dark when you arrive. The sun is setting early, and it's starting to rain. (click:?page)[=Mandragora's house is an apartment in the back of a fairly run down house. It looks like its subjected to the absolute minimum of repairs, though compared to some of the other buildings in this city, it got off easy when the world ended. (click:?page)[=You squeeze through the narrow path around the side of the house, and into the back yard. There's not really a lawn, just some broken sidewalks and a lot of gravel. The fences around the lawn are overgrown with plants, mostly endogenous but you think you see a glint of steel leaves amongst the foliage. (click:?page)[=Mandragora fumbles with the keys, and lets you [[inside.]]

"So, uh, this is the place, there's a couch in the living room down that hall, the kitchen's over there, bathrooms the door next to the living room..." (click:?page)[=It's a bit small, and kind of messy. It's still nice, and the warm lighting and the rain outside makes it feel cozy. Mandragora leads you down the hall toward the living room, stopping for a second by her room to drop of her bag. (click:?page)[="You can make yourself at home on the couch," Mandragora says. "I'll probably be over at the desk," she gestures at a desk with a computer at it across the room from the couch, "for a while before I go to bed. If it's going to bother you and you need to sleep sooner I can probably move stuff to my bedroom, but its a bit of work." (click:?page)[="Oh, yeah, I think I should be fine." (click:?page)[="I tend to stay up late," she says. "I don't work morning shifts, so let me know if you change your mind and want some privacy." (click:?page)[=You toss your bag on the [[couch.->eoc1]] (set:$hour to 1)(set:$room to 1)(set:$mandy to "Mandragora")

(if:$firsttime is not 1)[The couch is reasonably comfy. You stretch out on it to get a feeling for how it'll feel. It's longer than most of the couches you've slept on recently, and so you might actually be able to sleep on it without cramping your legs in the morning. Mandragora sits down at her desk and starts working at her computer.(set:$firsttime to 1)\ ](else-if:$room is 1 and $hour<10)[$mandy sits at the desk on her computer. It's dark, and poorly lit, but the living room feels comfortable and the most like a home of any place you've stayed in months.\ ](elseif:$room is 2 and $hour<10)[The sound of rain on the door to the house is louder here, in the kitchen. The door to the basement creaks slightly.\ ](else:)[What do you do next?  ] (if:$hour is >= 3 and $hunger is not 1)[You're starting to get hungry. ](elseif:$hour is >=5 and $hunger is not 1)[You're starting to get tired. And you're still hungry. ](elseif:$hour is 5)[You're starting to get tired. ](elseif:$hour is 6)[You're getting really tired. ](for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet: when visits is 0 and $hour is 1)(urgency:1)\ (set:$hour to it + 1)\ "I like your house," you say. "It's cozy." (click:?page)[="It feels less cozy when you have to deal with the shit plumbing and the malfunctioning doors," Mandragora says. (click:?page)[="Has there ever been a cheap apartment that doesn't have poorly installed doors?" you say. (click:?page)[="Oh, no, that's actually the worldwide standard," Mandragora says. "Once your apartment is fancy enough to have had its doors put on correctly it's considered a rich person's apartment and they add two zeros to the rent." (click:?page)[="Yeah that sounds about right," you say. "But either way, I haven't really stayed anywhere, um, nice in a while." (click:?page)[="That sucks," $mandy says. "I mean, I still protest that my apartment is //nice// but I get what you mean." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Well also you are here," you say. "Having a friend around helps make it not feel as isolating." (click:?page)[="Oh, yeah," $mandy says. "I living with people you don't know is barely better than living alone." (click:?page)[="You don't like living alone?" you say. (click:?page)[="I mean... not really," $mandy says. "It's not like, the worst ever, except when there's weird noises outside or I'm stressed for whatever reason. There's certainly worse places to live." (click:?page)[="Oh, that's definitely true," you say. "That's why I'm here." (click:?page)[=There is a brief silence. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Um, Mandragora?" you say. "Thanks." (click:?page)[="Oh you can call me Mandy," she says.(set:$mandy to "Mandy") "It's shorter." (click:?page)[="Oh fair," you say. (click:?page)[="And yeah no problem. Like I said, you're important and I don't want to let anyone be abandoned. Especially not when everything is likely to be much worse for them because they're being constantly misgendered." [[You nod->storyhub]]

(storylet: when $textedfriends is 1 and visits is 0 and $hour < 10)\ (set:$hour to it+1)(set:$room to 1)Now that you're safely to $mandy's house you feel like you should probably text your friends so they don't worry about you. (click:?page)[=**Solanine** Hey everyone, thanks to anyone who messaged me with offers of support. I may get back to some of you in a bit, but currently I am staying at a friends house for at least a couple days. I should be okay. Didn't get eaten by stray demons or anything lmao. (click:?page)[=I don't want to discuss the entire situation publically but if you want to message me to help I can elaborate a bit more. (click:?page)[=Uh, and please don't tell my parents where I am right now if you you see me and they ask. I need some space from them and all. You can tell them I'm okay at least. **Likes:** |likes>[**0**](after:time+100ms)[=(clickgoto:?page, "update friends 2")(after:time+2s)[=(replace:?likes)[**1**](after:time+200)[=(replace:?likes)[**2**](after:time+500)[=(replace:?likes)[**3**](after:time+4s)[=(replace:?likes)[**4**]

(storylet: when $textedfriends is not 1 and visits is 0 and $hour < 10)\ (set:$hour to it+1)(set:$room to 1)You never actually managed to ask friends for help, but it occurs to you you probably still should, especially if you end up needing another place to go later. (click:?page)[=**Solanine** Hey everyone, so I've gotten in a bit of a precarious situation with housing. I am currently staying at a friends house for at least a couple days. I should be okay for now, didn't get eaten by stray demons or anything lmao, but I might need more help with housing soon. Other support might also be appreciated, because it's not like I have a very stable money supply. (click:?page)[=I don't want to discuss the entire situation publically but if you want to message me to help I can elaborate a bit more. (click:?page)[=Uh, and please don't tell my parents where I am right now if you you see me and they ask. I need some space from them and all. You can tell them I'm okay at least. **Likes:** |likes>[**0**](after:time+100ms)[=(clickgoto:?page, "text friends 2")(after:time+1s)[=(replace:?likes)[**1**](after:time+2s)[=(replace:?likes)[**2**](after:time+300)[=(replace:?likes)[**3**](after:time+500)[=(replace:?likes)[**4**]

(storylet:when true)(exclusivity:-1) This shouldn't be visible. If you see it and you're not me tell me what you did for it to show up. (If I sent you an unfinished copy of this game this will show up once you've hit the content boundary.) If you are me, please remember that you're still cute even if you suck at programming.

(storylet:when $hour<10 and visits is 0 and $cute is 0)\ (set: $cute to 1)(set:$hour to it +1)(set:$flirting to it + 1)\ While you wouldn't exactly say your current outfit isn't girls' clothing, it's a sweater and jeans because you're a bit nervous to go out in public in something more overtly feminine. (if:$room is not 1)[(click:?page)[(show:?more)You grab your clothes from the bag and head into the bathroom to change.]](else:)[(click:?page)["I'm going to change into something cuter," you say to $mandy. "Since I don't need to dress androgynously now." (click:?page)["Alright!" $mandy says, "Show me your cute outfit when you're done!" You struggle to keep your emotions from bubbling over and embarassing you, with limited success. (click:?page)[You grab the clothes you packed from the bag and practically bounce into the bathroom.(show:?more)]]]] |more)[=(click:?page)[=Your reflection stares at you from the mirror. It's starting to reach the point where it looks like you. [[Change your clothes]]

(set:$textedfriends to 1)(set:$flirting to 5)(set:$mandy to "Mandragora")(set:$bed to 1)(set:$kiss to 1)(set:$hour to 10)(set:$hunger to 1)(set:$basementclue to 1)(set:$explorebasement to 1)(set:$nightshade to "the dream woman")(set:$dream to 1)(set:$shop to 0)(set:$research to 1)\

The new outfit isn't as warm, but its more comfortable. You like the feeling of fishnet leggings, and its a lot harder to mistake you for anything but a girl when you have on a tight fitting tank top. (click:?page)[=Your reflection still seems a bit off, and you try to force yourself to not pay attention to all your flaws like (link:"your chin")[**No!!**] or your (link:"nose")[**Stop it!!**] or how you're (link:"too tall")[**Girls can be tall!!**] or how your breasts are still (link:"too small")[**real!! They //exist// don't beat yourself up about this!**] (after:time+2s)[=You hope $mandy appreciates it. [[Go back to the living room]]

"Hey $mandy!" you say. "Check out my outfit!" You try to do a twirl, which doesn't work very well, because your dress isn't long enough to actually do the floofy thing. (click:?page)[="Wow," $mandy says "That is really cute." (click:?page)[=Her approval feels like a drug being injected into your heart. You didn't not previously realize it was possible to be this gay. (click:?page)[="Now you can be a small titty goth GF," $mandy says. (click:?page)[="That'd require anyone to want me as a GF," you say. A part of you hopes she'll volunteer, but you try to shove that thought aside as too silly to ever happen. (click:?page)[="I mean I don't know why they wouldn't," $mandy says, "You're cute and nice." Oh my god oh my god. (link-reveal:"\"I... ")[=(link-reveal:"Um... ")[=(link-reveal:"Uh. ")[=(link-reveal:"Oh, uh... ")[=thanks." You definitely could have said that smoother, but $mandy smiles at you anyway. You smile back. You feel a lot cuter [[now->storyhub]].

(storylet: when $cute is 1 and $flirting >= 2 and $hour < 10 and visits is 0)\ (if:$room is 1)[You sit in silence for a bit, watching $mandy at her computer. She's really cute. Like, wow.](else:)[Your thoughts wander for a bit, and you start thinking about $mandy. She's really great and she seems to actually think you're cute, which is impressive because you generally assume nobody does that.] You really want her to pay attention to you and want to flirt with her. (click:?page)[=Unfortunately, just waiting and hoping she does is not actually a vary productive way to go about things. Always waiting for someone else to make the first move... or well I guess by now it's like, at least the third move--is not very effective. Especially when you're a lesbian. This has been well documented by lesbiologists. (click:?page)[=You need to figure out some way to weaken the wall of social anxiety enough to say something. (if:$room is not 1)[You head back to the living room and do a little twirl.](else:)[You get up and do a little twirl in the middle of the room.] (click:?page)[="Damn," you say. Your skirt still stubbornly refuses to do the floofy thing. It turns out getting a skirt that clings to your ass, meagre though it is, is pretty much a perfect inverse correlation to ability to do the floofy thing. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Damn?" $mandy asks. (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say. You twirl again. Still nothing. "I can't get my skirt to do the floofy thing." (click:?page)[="Awww," $mandy says. "Well, you're still cute." (click:?page)[=You had been trying to slowly chip down the social anxiety wall long enough to tell her she was cute, so you weren't ready for $mandy to just smash her way directly through it and end up in your face. (link:"Oh no now you're picturing $mandy literally in your face and its very distracting.")[= **Focus. Please.** (click:?page)[="You're cute!" you manage to squeek out. (click:?page)[="Well yeah," $mandy says. "But you're the one doing cute twirls." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=You giggle, and do another twirl. (click:?page)[="You really think I'm cute?" you say. (click:?page)[="Yes," $mandy says. "I mean, look at you, you're clearly cute." (click:?page)[=You cover your face with your hands to try to reduce your embarassment, but also despite all the anxiety this also feels really good. "Noooo I can't be cute." (click:?page)[=$mandy gets up and comes over to you. Oh no now she actually is in your face. Or at least, kind of close to you. Enough that your previous efforts to bury the distraction are for naught. (click:?page)[="You are really cute, trust me," $mandy says. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="O-okay," you say nervously, peeking out from between your fingers. (click:?page)[="Hug?" $mandy asks. (click:?page)[=You hug her. She squeezes you tightly. Despite everything that's going on right now, this is probably the best you've felt in a long time. (click:?page)[="Thanks," you say. "This is nice." (click:?page)[="You're nice," $mandy says. (click:?page)[=(set:$flirting to it + 1)(set:$room to 1)(set:$hour to it + 1)You laugh. For a moment you can forget that there are [[other things going on.->storyhub]]

(storylet:when $hour >=3 and $hour < 10 and $hunger is not 1)(set:$hour to it+1)\ (if:$room is not 1)[You head back to the living room and ](else:)[You ]ask $mandy "Hey I'm starting to get hungry, is there anything I can eat?" "Oh, um," $mandy says, "Yeah, you can like, make some food in the kitchen." "What food is there?" you ask. "Uh... I mostly have sandwiches honestly. I have homemade bread though! Uh if you want to like, make a grilled cheese or something..." "Oh that sounds like something I can make," you say. "Alright, let me know if you need help!" $mandy says. [[Head to the kitchen.]]

(replace:?sidebar)[ (text-style:"fidget")[ [[Panic!]]]]\ (if:$cookingpanic > 4)[Its too much. You don't know what to do. You curl up in a ball on the floor and [[start crying.->Panic!]]](else:)[=\ The possibilities of the kitchen unfold before you. There are so many of them. //So many.// (if:$cookingpanic >= 1 and $cookingpanic < 3)[You are starting to consider the merits of [[panicking.->Panic!]]](else-if:$cookingpanic >= 3)[You note that if you just [[panic->Panic!]] you don't have to do this.] (if:$cookingpanic > 3)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ (if:$ckbutterknife is not 1 and $ckneedsoap is 1)[ [[Wash the butter knife->washfail]] ]\ (if:$ckbutterknife is not 1 and $ckneedsoap is 2)[ [[Wash the butter knife]] ]\ (if:$grilling is 1)[ (link:"Turn on the stove")[ [[Wait]] ] ]\ (if:$grilling is 3)[ [[Wait some more]] ]\ (if:$grilling is 2 and $ckspatula is 0)[ [[Flip the sandwich->flipfail]] ]\ (if:$grilling is 2 and $ckspatula is 1)[ [[Flip the sandwich]] ]\ (if:$ckbutterknife is not 0 and $ckbutter is 2)[ [[Put butter on your knife]] ]\ (if:$ckbutterknife is not 0 and $ckbutter is 1)[ [[Put butter on your knife->lidfail]] ]\ (if:$ckbutter is 3 and $ckbread is 1)[ [[Spread the butter->spreadfail]] ]\ (if:$ckbutter is 3 and $ckbread is 2)[ [[Spread the butter]] ]\ (if:$ckbreadknife is not 0 and $ckbread is 1)[ [[Slice the bread]] ]\ (if:$ckbutter is 4 and $ckcheese is 2 and $ckblockgrate is 0 and $grilling is 0)[ [[Put the cheese on the bread]] ]\ (if:$cookingpanic > 3)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look in the fridge]] [[Look on the table]] (if:$cookingpanic > 3)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look in the sink]] [[Look in the cupboard above the sink]] (if:$ckbutterknife is not 0 and $ckcheese is 1 and $ckbutter is not 2)[ [[Slice the cheese]] ]\ (if:$ckbutterknife is 1 and $ckcheese is 1 and $cksteakknife is 1 and $ckbutter is 2)[ [[Slice the cheese]] ]\ [[Look in the cupboard next to the fridge]] [[Look in the drawers below that cupboard]] (if:$cookingpanic > 2)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look in the the cupboard above the stove]] (if:$cookingpanic > 3)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look in the cupboard next to the sink]] [[Look in the drawers next to the sink]] (if:$ckbutter is 1)[ [[Take the lid off the butter]] ]\ (if:$cookingpanic > 2)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look in the cupboard below the sink]] (if:$ckcheese is 1 and $ckcheesegrater is 1)[ [[Grate the cheese]] ]\ (if:$cookingpanic > 1)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look on the shelves next to the counter]] (if:$ckblockgrate is 1 and $ckpan is 1)[ [[Move the bread to the pan]] ]\ (if:$cookingpanic > 2)[ [[Panic!]] ]\ [[Look in the room that might be a closet?]] [[Get your bearings]]

Its too much. Everything is too much. Your parents were probably right, you can't take care of yourself and should be locked away where you won't bother anyone. You curl up on the floor and start crying. After a little bit, $mandy comes into the room and asks, "Hey, um. Are you okay?" "[[No,]]" you sob.(set:$flirting to it+1)

(if:$ckcheese is not 0)[You already have what you need from here.](else:)[It takes a little searching, but you eventually find a block of cheese. (set:$ckcheese to 1)] (click-goto:?page,"Head to the kitchen.")

It is full of ingredients for baking. (if:$ckbread is 0)[There is also a half of a loaf of bread here. You take it.(set:$ckbread to 1)] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

It is full of pots and pans. (if:$ckpan is not 1)[Most relevantly, it has a frying pan, which you take out and put on the stove.(set:$ckpan to 1)] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

Its full of a wide assortment of kitchen tools, many of which are irrelevant to your purposes. (if:$ckcheese is 1 and $ckcheesegrater is not 1)[(set:$ckcheesegrater to 1)You take out a cheese grater to shred some cheese. ](if: $ckspatula is not 1)[(set:$ckspatula to 1)You take out a spatula.] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

The sink is mostly empty, but there's a few pieces of silverware in it. A sponge and an empty bottle of dish soap are on the back ledge by the faucet. (set:$ckneedsoap to 1) (if:$ckbutterknife is not 1)[There is a dirty butter knife amongst the silverware.] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

There are a lot of packages of food here. You consider whether you possibly should have made instant noodles instead, but you are commited now. (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

It's full of cups, plates and bowls. (if:$ckplate is not 1)[You take out a plate and put it on the counter.(set:$ckplate to 1)(click-goto:?page,"Head to the kitchen.")](else:)[You already have what you need from here.(click-goto:?page,"Head to the kitchen.")]

It is full of silverware, or at least, full of forks. (if:$cksteakknife is 0)[There is a knife here, serrated and pointy. It looks a little weird, but you take it. (set:$cksteakknife to 1)(if:$ckbutterknife is not 1)[(set:$ckbutterknife to 2)](if:$ckbreadknife is not 0)[(set:$ckbreadknife to (min:$ckbreadknife, 2))](else:)[(set:$ckbreadknife to 2)]] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

It turns out this is mostly storage for cleaning supplies and some spare paper towels. (if:$ckneedsoap is not 1)[So it's not very useful for you at the moment.](else:)[You take a fresh bottle of dish soap out of the cupboard.(set:$ckneedsoap to 2)] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

(if:$ckbutter is not 0)[You've already gotten what you need from here.](else:)[There are some stray books on the table, but also a tray with butter on it. You take the butter over to the counter.(set:$ckbutter to 1)](click-goto:?page,"Head to the kitchen.")

It is covered in a variety of non-perishable foods(if:$ckbread is not 0)[.](else:)[, which unfortunately does not include bread.] (if:$ckbreadknife is not 1)[You find a bread knife here.(set:$ckbreadknife to 1)] (click-goto:?page,"Head to the kitchen.")

(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#101010)[The forest lies beyond]]It turns out this actually leads down to the basement. Its definitely not where you want to go. (if:$cookingpanic < 3)[You hear a noise like wind from down the steps.](else:)[You hear something that sounds like a voice from the basement. You think you hear your name.(set:$cookingpanic to it+1)(set:$basementclue to 1)] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

(set:$ckbutter to 3)(if:$ckbutterknife is 2)[You attempt to get butter on your knife. The shape of the knife it turns out is not very conducive to this, with the tip being too narrow because of the point, but after a few false starts you're able to manage it.(set:$cookingpanic to it + 1)](else:)[You spread the butter on your knife. Now you are ready to apply it to the bread! You hope.] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You go to spread the butter but are struck with the horrible realization that you haven't sliced the bread yet. You set the buttered knife down on the counter, somewhat precariously as it is covered in butter. (set:$cookingpanic to it + 2) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You spread the butter on your slices of bread. It works almost flawlessly. (if:$ckpan is 1)[You put the bread in the pan.](elseif:$ckplate is 1)[(set:$ckplate to 2)You put the bread on the plate.(set:$ckblockgrate to 1)](elseif:$ckplate is 2)[You don't have a place to put the bread, because the plate is still covered in cheese. You put the bread down on the counter, but you're worried that's not the cleanest place for it.(set:$cookingpanic to it + 1)](else:)[Almost. There's nowhere to put the bread yet. You're forced to set it on the counter, which you're worried is not the cleanest place for it.(set:$cookingpanic to it+1)] (set:$ckbutter to 4) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You go to put butter on your knife before you realize you forgot to remove the lid from the butter tray. Your knife tinks uselessly into the glass cover. (set:$cookingpanic to it + 1) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You try to wash the butter knife. It works eventually, but without soap the grease on the knife sticks and it takes a lot of scrubbing. Your hands are wet and slightly greasy. It's unpleasant.(set:$ckbutterknife to 1)(set:$cookingpanic to it+2) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You put a bit of soap on the sponge and easily wash off the butter knife. The feel of water on your hands is uncomfortable, but now you have a butter knife, so it could be worse.(set:$ckbutterknife to 1)(if:$ckbreadknife is 0)[(set:$ckbreadknife to 3)] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

(if:$ckbreadknife is 1)[You use the bread knife to saw off a pair of bread slices. They aren't quite even but the whole process isn't too bad.](else-if:$ckbreadknife is 2)[(set:$cookingpanic to it + 2)You struggle to slice the bread; the knife you have is to short to properly cut it so you have to cut in a circle all the way around the loaf. You're left with a couple of uneven pieces.](else:)[You struggle to slice the bread. It kind of works, but the serration on your butter knife is not really ideal for this, and the blade is way to short, so you have to cut in a circle all the way around the loaf. You're left with a couple of uneven pieces.(set:$cookingpanic to it + 3)](set:$ckbread to 2) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

The knife you use to slice the cheese, it turns out, is really not optimal for this. Plus making a grilled cheese sandwich with slices of cheese and not grated cheese just seems wrong, but you're able to get several pieces of cheese sliced off in a variety of uneven shapes. (set:$cookingpanic to it + 1)(if:$ckplate is 1)[You put the cheese on the plate.](elseif:$ckbutter is 3 and $ckpan is 1)[(set:$grilling to 1)You put the cheese on the sandwich and prepare to cook it.](else:)[You sort of squeeze the cheese on the plate with the bread.](set:$ckcheese to 2) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

(if:$ckplate is not 1)[You go to grate the cheese and realize that you forgot to have a place free to put the grated cheese. You just sort of grate it on the counter, which is not ideal. (set:$cookingpanic to it + 1)](else:)[(set:$ckplate to 2)You grate the cheese onto the plate.](set:$ckcheese to 2) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You transfer the bread from the plate to the pan.(set:$ckblockgrate to 0)(set:$ckplate to 1) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

(set:$grilling to 1)You put the cheese on the bread and prepare to actually grill the sandwich. It is time. Everything has lead to this moment. (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You remove the glass cover from the butter tray (set:$ckbutter to 2) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

Oh god oh god there's too much. (set:$cookingpanic to it + 1) Okay. You try to stay calm, somewhat less than successfully. (if:$cookingpanic is 5)[Significantly less than successfully.](elseif:$ckbread is 0)[You still need to find some bread.](elseif:$ckcheese is 0)[You still need to find cheese.](elseif:$ckbutter is 0)[You still need to find butter.](elseif:$ckbutterknife is 0 and $ckbreadknife is 0 and $cksteakknife is 0)[You need to find a knife.](elseif:$ckpan is 0)[You still need a frying pan.](elseif:$ckbread is not 2)[You need to slice the bread.](elseif:$ckbutter is not 4)[You need to put the butter on the bread.](elseif:$ckcheese is not 2)[You need to put the cheese on the bread.](else:)[Everything should be ready. Just need to cook the sandwich.] (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

(if:$cookingpanic > 2)[You step away from the kitchen for a moment. Everything is overwhelming. You try to stay calm. You press your face against the cool glass of the back door, and look out across the yard. (click:?page)[(t8n:"blur")[A light flickers in the distance](replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#141414)[(text-style:"smear")[The light in the forest calls you home]]]]](else:)[You pace back and forth in the kitchen. You may be awful at cooking, but you're pretty sure if you get distracted //at all// you're probably going to burn your sandwich, which you would definitely rather not do. You're doing so well so far.](set:$grilling to 2) (click:?page)[= [[Wait some more->Head to the kitchen.]]

After checking to make sure the bottom is browning properly, you flip over the sandwich. Soon you will no longer hunger. Soon it will be time for the feast. (set:$grilling to 3) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. You don't have a spatula. You can't use a knife you don't want to scratch $mandy's pans. (set:$cookingpanic to it+3)(set:$spatulafail to 1) (click:?page)[(goto:"Head to the kitchen.")]

You wait for the final bit of cooking to be complete. (click:?page)[=(if:$basementclue is not 2)[In the distance, you hear a voice whispering your name.(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#141414)[Solanine]](set:$basementclue to 1) Its a bit alarming. You make a note to redraw your sigils again.](else:)[The eerie sound of the wind whistling outside fills your ears.] (click:?page)[=After a bit more, your sandwich is complete. Holy crap you actually did it. You're actually impressed with yourself. (click:?page)[=(if:$ckplate is 0)[...or at least, you would be, if you didn't suddenly realize you had entirely forgotten to get something to put the finished sandwich //on.// You tear a paper towel off the roll by the sink and put it on that. You have come too far to panic now.(set:$sandwich to 1)](elseif:$cookingpanic is 0)[(set:$sandwich to 2)You're not even stressed. You feel like a normal person. Your parents truly were full of shit when they said you couldn't take care of yourself.](else:)[At last this trial is over. You feel almost like a normal person. (set:$sandwich to 1)] [[Time for the feast.]]

It is said, in the holy books of the demon church, that hunger is the gift and price of the thousand handed crown. There is a place for all at the feast. (click:?page)[=You can't really say much about that, other than that you are hungry and eating is nice. [[Chomp]]

Your food is delicious. (set:$room to 2)(set:$hunger to 1) [[Your hunger recedes.->storyhub]]

(t8n-arrive:"instant")[[New Game]] (if:(saved-games: ) contains "A")[(link:"Load Game")[(loadgame:"A")] ][[Content warnings]] [[Credits]]

(if:$grilling is not 0)[$mandy is able to quickly salvage your almost complete sandwich, and, after doing so, pulls you to your feet and hugs you. ](else:)[$mandy helps you to your feet and hugs you. "I can finish it for you," she says. You nod, wiping the tears off your face. ]"Sorry," you say. (click:?page)[="It's okay," $mandy says, "I should've given you more guidance." (click:?page)[="No I should... I should be able to do this myself," you say. "This is why they wanted to put me in an institution." (click:?page)[="And would that have actually like, helped?" $mandy says. (click:?page)[="Probably not," you say. "They just wanted to tell me how to cook like... I know //how// to cook there's just too many moving pieces and I can't keep anything straight." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Well, I'm happy to help if you need it while you're here," $mandy says. She hugs you again. "Anyway here's your sandwich. Look on the bright side, you get to have a cute girl make you food this way, that's always a plus." (click:?page)[=You smile. The overwhelming strength of your lesbianism isn't quite enough to crush your anxiety about how you should be commited to an institution for crimes against self-care, but it manages to peek through the cracks regardless. [[Time for the feast.]]

(storylet: when $hour >=5 and $hunger is not 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:1)(set:$hour to it + 1)\ (if:$room is not 1)[You head back to the living room and ](else:)[You ]say to $mandy "Oh shit I'm starting to get tired but I haven't eaten yet." "Oh, um," $mandy says, "There's some food in the kitchen you can make." "What food is there?" you ask. "Uh... I mostly have sandwiches honestly. I have homemade bread though! Uh if you want to like, make a grilled cheese or something..." "Oh that sounds like something I can make," you say. "Alright, let me know if you need help!" $mandy says. You head to the kitchen and spend a few minutes staring at everything. Your ability to cook is limited at the best of times, but when tired its even worse than normal.(set:$cookingpanic to 1) [[Get started->Head to the kitchen.]]

You also check through a couple messages people sent you. Mostly are just offers of support, but there's a few leads on potential housing if you end up needing another place. (if:$flirting >= 4)[You kind of hope you can stay here long term, plus you think $mandy seems to like you but it's hard to tell if that's actually true, or a combination of wishful thinking and the fact that you have an enormous crush invading all your thoughts and distorting them. But also maybe the crush is making you worried when you shouldn't be? Oh god everything is complicated.](else:)[You still kind of hope this works as a longer term place, because moving around constantly, while less stressful than being literally homeless, is still like, pretty stressful. Also you have been doing a very bad job with keeping that crush on $mandy under control. (link:"But that's not really why you're thinking this, you tell yourself.")[**Can you //be// less in denial about your own motivations please.**]] (set:$room to 1)[[Alright, that's taken care of.->storyhub]]

(storylet:when $hour <10 and $hour >= 2 and visits is 0)\ (set:$hour to it+1)(set:$room to 2)(if:$basementclue is 0)[(set:$basementclue to 1)]\ The apartment isn't very large. It's pretty much entirely what $mandy described when you came in. A kitchen area, with a corridor leading to a larger living area in th back of the apartment (or maybe the front, since the entrance is in the back of the building?), and a pair of doors in the hallway that lead to the bedroom on one side and a bathroom on the other. There is, however, also a basement. (if:$basementclue is 2 and $explorebasement is 0)[Based on the steps which transition from bare wood to concrete at the first landing, you can assume this is not a basement used for anything important, and is probably just like, laundry and a storm shelter.](elseif:$explorebasement is 1)[You've also already explored that, so there's not really much more to see here.](else:)[When you peak into the basement, the whispers start.(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#101010)[Solanine]] (click:?page)[You can barely make out words, but you can see lights flickering in the dark, and think maybe you can hear your name mixed in. (click:?page)[You hurriedly close the door. You should retrace your arm sigils, before the light in the forest gets a stronger grip on your soul. [[Take a moment to focus yourself->storyhub]] ]]]

(storylet:when $flirting > 2 and visits is 0)\ (set:$hour to it + 1)(set:$flirting to it + 1)(set:$morningready to it + 1)\ Showering in an unfamiliar location is always a pretty severe source of anxiety. You've had a lot of bad experiences with it in the past. (click:?page)[=Obviously, you tell yourself, this isn't at all relevant here, you trust $mandy and there's nobody else here. But this doesn't actually make things easier. (click:?page)[=(if:$hour < 10)[(if:$room is not 1)[You head back to the living room. ]"I should, um, shower," you say to $mandy.](else:)[You find $mandy and say "So I should shower before we head out.] (click:?page)[="Alright, do you need anything for that?" she asks. (click:?page)[=(if:$hour < 10)["I mean, yeah, I don't have much of anything; I left most of my stuff behind when I ran away.](else:)["Oh yeah, any of the stuff I had for showering is with the stuff I left at the institution.] Also, um...|cont>["] (link:"Asking for help is hard.")[=(replace:?cont)[ Sorry showering is also really stressful; is there... like, any way you can help with that?"](click:?page)[="Oh, um. Stressful how?" $mandy asks. (click:?page)[="Oh, like, I... bad experiences, I guess. Like, I'm a girl who was forced to shower around guys when I was a teenager." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Oh yeah I think that makes sense. Would it help if I just, hung out nearby so I can talk to you while you shower? I feel like, if a shower feels threatening having someone nearby who's not might help make you feel safer." (click:?page)[=(if:$bed is 0)[She hesitates for a moment, then adds, "Well, I hope I'm not threatening," and gives a slightly nervous chuckle.](else:)[She pauses for a moment, and then adds, "I mean, I assume my presence would be comforting, because, you know, last night." She laughs.] (click:?page)[="Oh, um. Yeah I think that would work," you say. (click:?page)[=(if:$bed is 0)["And, yeah I don't think your threatening. Anyway let me get in the shower quickly and then you can come hang out with me I guess?"](else:)["And yeah, it was helpful last night, so..."] (click:?page)[="Alright!" $mandy says. "Here let me get you a towel first." (click:?page)[=She leads you to the bathroom and gets out stuff for showering, and then says, "Okay let me know when you're ready for me to come in; I'll wait just outside while you change." [[Step into the shower]]

(storylet:when $basementclue is 1 and $hour < 10 and visits is 0)\ (set:$hour to it + 1)(set:$basementclue to 2)\ (replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#101010)[Come to our side]]Take the candle, an offering to the woods that lurk in your dreams. (click:?page)[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#131313)[There is a place for all at the feast]]Light the candle, a beacon to the powers that lurk in the night. (click:?page)[=The bones wrought from nothing, to create a wall against the light.(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#161616)[We can wait until you are ready]] (click:?page)[=Enscribe the names of this world into your flesh. You belong here, where...(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#191919)[Your world is full of pain]] (after:time+1500)[=well a few people care about you. (after:time + 1s)[=Maybe. (click:?page)[=(replace:?sidebar)[(text-color:#1c1c1c)[(text-style:"smear")[The light in the forest calls you home]]](t8n:"blur")[(text-style:"smear")[May the light in the forest never find us.]] (click:?page)[=(replace:?sidebar)[][[The candle burns out, and the light recedes->storyhub]]

(storylet:when $basementclue is not 0 and $explorebasement <=0)\ (set:$hour to it + 1)(if:$basementclue is not 2)[(set:$flirting to it + 1)](set:$room to 2)\ (if:$basementclue is 2)[You head down to the basement. Its quiet and still, and also fairly dark. (if:$hour<10)[Even when you flip on the lights, they barely illuminate things.](else:)[A tiny beam of light barely pierces the gloom from a single window.] (click:?page)[(if:$hour<10)[Despite the eerie ambience, there doesn't seem to be anything here. Whatever unnatural pull you felt earlier seems to have quieted itself. Your arm sigils are working. The light in the forest will never find you.](else:)[Despite the eerie ambience, there doesn't seem to be anything here. But a strange warmth in your arm attracts your attention. The sigil $nightshade left is awake, and it writhes through time and the void.] (click:?page)[(if:$hour<10)[You glance around the room, but its mostly just boxes, and a washing machine in the corner. Not much to see here. [[Head back upstairs->storyhub]] (set:$explorebasement to 1)](else:)[The sigil pulls at you, breaking through whatever protections your arm sigils would otherwise provide. There is something here. [[There is something here.->Darkness]]]]]]\ (else:)[=Against your better judgment, you open the door to the basement and descend. (click:?page)[=It's dark, and the (if:$hour < 10)[lights in the basement barely make](else:)[single beam from the lonely window barely makes] anything brighter. (if:$hour < 10)[They flicker ominously, and then...](else:)[A cloud seems to pass in front of the sun, and suddenly...] =><= (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[= [[Darkness]]

(storylet:when $hour is 6)(exclusivity:1)(set:$hour to it + 1)\ You're getting fairly tired, and probably should just go to sleep, but you still kind of want to spend time around $mandy. Plus, you're actually still pretty anxious. Today was a bad day for that. (click:?page)[=You try to tell your brain, hey, that's all silly, $mandy will be here tomorrow, and things are safe here, you can sleep, but your brain stubbornly remains tense and antsy. (click:?page)[=You decide you can at least stay up [[a bit longer->storyhub]]

(storylet:when $hour is 6 or $hour is 8)(exclusivity:1)(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFA0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFD0)))\ Time to sleep. (click:?page)[=You tell $mandy goodnight, and she heads off to her room, leaving you alone in the living room. (click:?page)[=You leave the lights on, because as much as the dark would help you sleep a bit more, you're anxiety has been a fuck all day, so you don't want to be alone in the dark. (click:?page)[=You curl up on the couch, and pull a blanket over your body, and soon fall asleep. (click:?page)[=(t8n:"blur")[=[[Dream]]

You also directly message a few of your friends who you're closer to, though for the most part you don't really have very many of those living in the area. (if:$flirting >= 4)[You kind of hope you can stay here long term, plus you think $mandy seems to like you but it's hard to tell if that's actually true, or a combination of wishful thinking and the fact that you have an enormous crush invading all your thoughts and distorting them. But also maybe the crush is making you worried when you shouldn't be? Oh god everything is complicated.](else:)[You still kind of hope this works as a longer term place, because moving around constantly, while less stressful than being literally homeless, is still like, pretty stressful. Also you have been doing a very bad job with keeping that crush on $mandy under control. (link:"But that's not really why you're thinking this, you tell yourself.")[**Can you //be// less in denial about your own motivations please.**]] (set:$room to 1)(set:$textedfriends to 1)[[Alright, that's taken care of.->storyhub]]

(storylet:when $hour is 6 or $hour is 8)(exclusivity:1)(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFA0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFD0)))\ Time to sleep. (click:?page)[=You tell $mandy goodnight, and she heads off to her room, leaving you alone in the living room. (click:?page)[=Unfortunately, as soon as you are alone, your anxiety decides to ambush you. You toss and turn in the bed, trying to stay calm. (click:?page)[=It's not working very well, so you read a bit on your tablet your the next hour or so, until finally your tiredness is stronger than your anxiety, and you are able to fall asleep. (click:?page)[=(t8n:"blur")[=[[Dream]]

(storylet:when $hour is 8 and $flirting >= 4)(exclusivity:1)\ (set:$bed to 1)"Hey, um, $mandy," you say. (click:?page)[="Yeah?" $mandy says. (click:?page)[=You struggle to form words. What if she thinks you're being weird? Your worried she'll think you're trying to flirt with her, even though you're actually not. Well, mostly not. (click:?page)[="I'm having... trouble sleeping," you say. "I... I think I'm still really anxious after today." (click:?page)[="Oh no, that doesn't help." (click:?page)[="Um..." (link:"You struggle to formulate a sentence.")[=(link:"Your words hit a wall in your throat.")[=(link:"Your words are dragged back into your throat by your anxiety.")[=(link:"Your words come out as mostly ums and uhhs.")[= With one final push, you manage to get out what you're (link-reveal:"trying to say.")[= "Can I cuddle with you for a bit to help calm down?" (click:?page)[="Oh, um, sure!" $mandy says. She takes you by the hand and leads you to her room. Your gayness threatens to sweep you away, never to be seen again. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=Her room is nice, and her bed is actually pretty big. There isn't much room in here besides the bed, with it taking up more than half the room. You nervously sit down on the side of the bed. (click:?page)[="I mean if it'll help with your anxiety, and you're comfortable with it, you can sleep in here to," $mandy says. (link:"Oh my god you'd really like that.")[=(link:"You just need to be able to say words.")[="Um, yeah that would be nice," you say. (click:?page)[="Alright!" $mandy says. "Do you need pajamas? I know you didn't pack much clothing." (click:?page)[=You nod. (if:$cute is 1)["Yeah this was the only change of clothes I had.](else:)["Yeah I only brought one change of clothes, and its not pajamas.] I left the rest behind." (click:?page)[="Alright," $mandy says, "I mean, none of my clothing is likely to fit you well but if you're okay with a baggy tshirt that's basicaly what I usually wear, and I think we can safely assume any of my shirts will work for //that// on you." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=She tosses you a shirt with what you're pretty sure is a band logo, showing a flaming angel falling out of the sky, with an utterly illegible font for the band name. (click:?page)[=She looks away while you take off (if:$cute is 1)[your skirt](else:)[your pants] and change into the new shirt. (click:?page)[="I don't... I don't really mind if you see me topless," you say. (click:?page)[="That's fair," $mandy says. She peeks over her shoulder at you while you pull on the shirt. "Wow, you are... really cute. Your boobs are really nice." (click:?page)[="Thanks!" you say, "I grew them myself!" (click:?page)[=$mandy laughs. [[You climb into the bed]]

(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFA0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFD0)))(set:$explorebasement to 2)\ <==> |lt>[] =><= [Candlelight]<ck| (click:?ck)[(replace:?ck)[](replace:?lt)[=(t8n:"blur")[=(color:#FFFFA0)[=a thousand lights flicker in the dark and the forest calls all into its thorny embrace beyond the reach of the world and gods who would judge and hurt and especially cause pain to you who are (if:$hour<10)[named [[Solanine]]](else:)[named [[Solanine->solanine2]]] who we call to this place to be free from the pain of the world beyond the forest but here in the dark and the woods there are exiles from the world and exiles from the night and exiles beyond the reach of gods and paradise who have escaped the light of the red and golden suns and now dream in the light of the pale moon which was cut free from the third sun which is the pale sun which was torn from the sky by the gods of night and flood who dwell forever in the starless realms and shape a new name over the flesh of the old as was ordained by the three handed crown which protects and destroys and offers hope and vengeance to those who are wounded and here in the forest you can rest and the candlelight is unending and your name is cut in the flesh of the trees where those who cannot be loved wait in their shadows to find those who would love them regardless of their flaws and wounds that were cut upon them by pain and traitor gods who fear the storm and the night and flood of darkness but we who are blessed by the night and storm and flood will be given gifts and the law of hope will protect us and restore us and any who come will be offered a place at the table or beneath the table to devour its scraps or in the shadows away from the table for those who fear to sit at the side of the monstrous but the table welcomes all and those who are not monstrous can become monstrous and while the world may reject them we offer hope and a place to dwell beyond the reach of gods and paradise and the law that denies creation]

(set:$room to 2)The light in the forest calls to you, but you run away. It is not time (text-style:"smear")[yet.] You pull away, and the lights go out, all at once, and you are back in darkness. (click:?page)[=In moments, the basement lights come back, but before then you see the face that has haunted your dreams ever since you were maked by demons. A disheveled woman, who seems soaked in water and crying, reaches out to you, and then she is gone. (click:?page)[=Having otherworldly visions of strangely attractive sad girls in a forest full of candles is not the most normal thing for a lesbian, but it's also one of those things where if you told anyone, you feel like it would make you sound even more gay than you usually do. (click:?page)[=In fact, you probably should tell someone about this, and you run back upstairs and find $mandy to do so. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Are you okay?" $mandy asks, when you arrive, breathlessly, in front of her. (click:?page)[="The light in the forest," you say. (click:?page)[="Sorry, um, that's... there's an otherworldly something haunting me." (click:?page)[="Yeah you mentioned that earlier," $mandy says. (click:?page)[="It... a bunch of candles appeared in the basement. Something was calling me. Fuck. Um." You realize you are a lot more stressed than you had thought. (link:"Try to not panic")[This does not work.] (link:"There is something outside")[It's the rain. It's only the rain] (link:"Fail to say words")["Um. Fuck. Uh..."] [[Ask for a hug]]

"Can... Can I have a hug?" you say. (click:?page)[=$mandy gets up and hugs you tightly. "Yeah, of course," she says. "Do you need to do your candle ritual again?" (click:?page)[="Uh, maybe," you say. "I probably should.|endquote>["] (click:?page)[=(replace:?endquote)[] Also, uh, sorry for being stressed all the time I swear I'm usually a fun person to be around and not a horrible mess of trauma." (click:?page)[="I mean I think you're still fun to be around," $mandy says, "While like, obviously I don't like that you're stressed, because I don't want you to suffer, consider also: I get to hug a cute girl, so it's not like this is some horrible burden I'm taking upon myself and getting nothing back." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=Being called cute it turns out, is like a precision strike to your anxiety, and while it doesn't banish it entirely, having suddenly a new emotion fighting for space in your brain is a great way to dislodge it. (click:?page)[=You laugh. It feels silly that its that easy. "I like... I like when you call me that." (click:?page)[="Cute?" $mandy says. (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say. "It also helps with the anxiety because apparently my lesbianism is stronger than my anxiety. Unless its causing the anxiety, I guess." (click:?page)[="Well I'm glad I can help." She squeezes you tightly again one more time before breaking off the hug for now. "And you definitely are cute." (click:?page)[=Your anxiety [[continues to recede->storyhub]], and is replaced by [[a lot of gay.->storyhub]]

This game contains: * depictions of anxiety and trauma * psychiatric and parental abuse * homelessness * transphobia/transmisogyny * some horror elements * non-explicit sexual content [[Back->start]]

It turns out, with someone else nearby, the most stressful part of a shower is getting in and out of it, because once you're actually in its pretty comfortable and is really helping you feel better. (click:?page)[=Its warm and nice. (click:?page)[="How're you feeling?" $mandy asks. She's just sitting just inside the bathroom on top of the closed toilet seat. At least, you think that's what she's sitting on, there's a curtain in the way that makes it difficult to actually see anything. (click:?page)[="I'm doing okay," you say. "And sorry I'm like... weird about people seeing me (if:$hour >= 10)[completely] naked." (click:?page)[="I feel like that's the normal reaction to things?" $mandy says. "Is that not a normal thing?" (click:?page)[=You laugh. "Okay, yeah, I guess it is. I mean... (if:$hour<10)[I'm totally comfortable with people seeing me naked from the waist up because, well, I have boobs now.](else:)[Obviously I don't mind girls seeing me topless. As you've learned.] But the rest... eaughhh." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=$mandy thinks for a bit. "I think that makes sense. Like its a gender thing?" (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say. "I think so.|cont>["] (link:"A joke you want to make struggles to worm its way up through your throat.")[=(replace:?cont)[ God I feel bad for my future girlfriends who have to put up with this anxiety."] (click:?page)[="Sure but they'll be your girlfriends," $mandy says, "So they'll love you enough it won't matter. QED." (click:?page)[="I don't know if that's how proofs work," you say. (click:?page)[="Yes it is!" $mandy says, "It's a valid syllogism. If you have a girlfriend she'll love you, and people who love you won't be bothered by your emotional hangups because that's part of who you are. Therefore your girlfriends won't care. QED. Another victory for logic!" (click:?page)[=You laugh. (link:"God she's really cute.")[=(if:$hour < 10)[You try to say it out loud, but stumble.](else:)["Wow Mandy you're really cute," you say.] (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(if:$hour < 10)[Fortunately $mandy rescues you by saying,](else:)[Mandy laughs. You kind of wish you could see her right now, because she's so cute when she does.] "I'm glad you appreciate my stupid sense of humor(if:$hour>=10)[," she says, "](else:)[. ]I feel bad for //my// future girlfriends who have to put up with that." (click:?page)[="You just proved that wouldn't matter! With logic!" you say. "Besides its cute and it'll probably be part of why your girlfriend likes you!" (click:?page)[=You are somewhat shocked that you were able to say that sentence without being crushed beneath the heel of social anxiety. (if:$hour<10)[And, oh god oh god did you just imply you kind of wanted to date her (because obviously you //do// but you can't just tell her that).](else:)[Even despite the fact you have (if:$bed is not 1)[clearly been flirting](else:)[literally been making out], you worry that the fact that you vaguely, subtextually, implied you might want to date her is too forward.] (click:?page)[=A few moments pass before she reacts, and your social anxiety seems determined to have every thought possible at once during that window. (click:?page)[=Maybe you shouldn't have said that? She probably hates you now. (The more sensible part of your brain tries to point out (if:$bed is not 1)[this is silly to think.](else:)[that //you have literally been kissing//.]) (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Yeah, okay, fair," $mandy says. She laughs. Okay she doesn't hate you. That's good. (click:?page)[=You spend the rest of the shower talking about other relatively minor topics, and eventually you send her out so you can change back into your clothes. (if:$cute is 1)[After you change you (if:$hour < 10)[ [[head back out into the living room.->storyhub]] ](else:)[ [[head back to the living room.->storyhub2]]]](else:)[= (set:$flirting to it+1)(set:$cute to 1)(if:$hour <10)[You decide to take advantage of this to change into your other clothes, since you don't need to go out and you definitely look cuter in that outfit.](else:)[You put on the change of clothes you brought with you, for today.] (click:?page)[=The new outfit isn't as warm, but its more comfortable. You like the feeling of fishnet leggings, and its a lot harder to mistake you for anything but a girl when you have on a tight fitting tank top. (click:?page)[=After you change you head back to the living room and do a little twirl. Your skirt stubbornly refuses to do the floofy thing, as its much too tight fitting. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Wow, you really are cute," $mandy says, when she sees the outfit. (click:?page)[=Her approval feels like a drug being injected into your heart. You didn't not previously realize it was possible to be this gay. (click:?page)[="Thanks, haha," you say. (if:$bed is 0)[Wow you really wish she'd come over and kiss you but you try to keep your expectations from getting out of control (or maybe you're just undervaluing yourself?)](else:)[Mandy comes over and holds you and kisses you, which, you know what, ignore that last bit, //now// you're at the levels of gay you didn't know were possible.] (click:?page)[=(if:$bed is 0)[You do another twirl, again with no success on the floofiness front. Oh well at least its still a cute skirt. [[Plop down on the couch->storyhub]] ](else:)[Being held and kissed while in a cute outfit is also like, really great for your confidence about your ability to be a girl. Like, um, wow. [[So what is next for the day?->storyhub2]]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))(set:$hour to 10)You stand in a forest at night, the wind carrying [[whispers]] all around you. Nestled amongst the branches of the trees are countless candles, their light piercing the [[gloom]]. The path you stand on is well maintained, stones carefully marking its boundary, as the edges transition into underbrush, filled [[flowers of liquid smoke.]] [[Books]] sit on the side of the road, each written in a language you cannot understand. The road moves [[forward]], twisting through the candle trees, until it disappears amongst them.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))You walk down the path, winding through the forest. Strange carvings in stone and wood and candlebone line the path. Structures built by an unknown hand. A river of dark water, which you cross via a decrepit bridge. And then, ahead of you, [[you see her.]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))Their scent is like ash, and their form melts away in your hand, leaving only beads of red glass behind. Something calls you [[forward]]. A voice, or a light.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))You cannot read them, and their illustrations are strange, and otherworldly. They seem old, and yet, in good condition. Written by hand, and yet there are hundreds. Something calls you [[forward]]. A voice, or a light.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))She is familiar and a stranger. You have seen her in your dreams countless times before, and occasionally in your waking moments. But its never felt so real. She is disheveled, soak in water, and looks like she's been crying. Her clothes are torn, but even so, she is eerily beautiful. She reaches out to you, and you reach out to her, and your hands touch, and your fingers intertwine. [["Who are you?"]]

(color:#FFFFA0)["Who are you?" she says to you, before you can speak. "Wait, what?" you say.]<clr| (click:?page)[= (change:?clr's chars, (color:"white"))The strange calm of this place is suddenly broken, and the weirdness of this place suddenly feels clear to you. (click:?page)[=You've just walked through some kind of otherworldly forest and held hands with a stranger who you think is cute but you know literally nothing about and also only see in your dreams. (click:?page)[="You keep haunting my dreams," she says. (click:?page)[="You're haunting my dreams," you say. "What is going on?" (click:?page)[=She looks thoughtful for a moment. "I... saw you before, when demons were breaking into your world. Our worlds were bleeding together." (click:?page)[="I mean that's when I started being haunted," you say. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="I called upon the forest, and the light at its heart," she says. "I... I needed to escape and, I think you were caught up in that?" (click:?page)[="Well the light in the forest has been trying to take me?" you say. (click:?page)[="I'm sorry," she says, "I think I accidentally tied our destinies together." (click:?page)[="Wait what?" (click:?page)[="You know, like... it's like fated lovers or something. Except it's kind of weird when it //actually// happens because I mean, I don't actually know you." (click:?page)[="That's... kind of weird," you say. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Yeah, tell me about it. You've been haunting my dreams and I couldn't figure out why until I got a good look at you." (click:?page)[="Why now though?" you say. (click:?page)[="I don't know. But. I think I can fix this. Now that I know what's going on. I can probably break your connection with the light in the forest, and you'll never have to see me again." (click:?page)[="Um," you say. [[Break the connection]] [[Wait, I want to know more about this]]

(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))|first>["If you can stop me from being haunted," you say, "I won't say no."] (click:?page)[=|first>[The woman nods.] (click:?page)[=(color:#FFFFA0)[An eerie feeling settles over the forest.] (click:?page)[=(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))"Shit, we're losing your connection. Give me your arm." You hold out your arm, and she traces a sigil on your arm, joining those etched by candlebone. The feeling is strange, like your candlebone pen, but warmer. The sigil glows faintly. "I'll try to contact you again when..." her voice becomes inaudible. And then... (t8n:"blur")[ [[Wake->eoc2]]] (set:$nightshade to "the dream woman")

(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))|first>["Wait before I reject this forever, who are you? What is this place?"] (click:?page)[=|first>["Oh, um," the woman looks surprised and kind of flustered. "I didn't expect you would care. I'm um. Nightshade. I'm like... kind of a demon?"] (click:?page)[=|first>["A surprisingly cute demon," you say.] (click:?page)[=|first>["Well, um, yeah, that's the kind of part. I'm..."] (click:?page)[=(color:#FFFFA0)[An eerie feeling settles over the forest.] (click:?page)[=(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))"Shit, we're losing your connection. Give me your arm." You hold out your arm, and she traces a sigil on your arm, joining those etched by candlebone. The feeling is strange, like your candlebone pen, but warmer. The sigil glows faintly. "I'll try to contact you again when..." her voice becomes inaudible. And then... (t8n:"blur")[ [[Wake->eoc2]]] (set:$nightshade to "Nightshade")(set:$dream to 1)

(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ (color:#404080)[(t8n:"blur")[The darkness beyond the path is cold and sinister, and the lights fade into shadow and the mist rises and obscures everything.]] (click:?page)[=(color:#404080)[(t8n:"blur")[There are things lurking in the dark.]] (click:?page)[=(color:#FFFFA0)[(t8n:"blur")[But here, there is light, which banishes the cold and the gloom.]] (click:?page)[=(t8n:"blur")[ [[The light in the forest calls to you, pulls you forward->forward]]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ ==><== (t8n:"blur")[ [[The light in the forest calls you home->Dream]]] (after:3s)[(t8n:"blur")[Solanine]] (after:5s)[(t8n:"blur")[Come to our side]] (after:7s)[(t8n:"blur")[We offer hope and a world without pain]] (after:10s)[(t8n:"blur")[We are patient and we will wait until you are ready]] (after:13s)[(t8n:"blur")[Why choose to live in a world that will not cherish you]] (after:16s)[(t8n:"blur")[There is a place for all at the feast]]

You climb into the bed and lay down facing $mandy. She holds you with one arm, and smiles at you. (click:?page)[=You try to look at her face, but you can't really hold eye contact for more than a few seconds before you have to look away because of how intense the gay is. (click:?page)[=You lay together in silence for a bit. (click:?page)[="God you're really cute," you say, eventually. (click:?page)[="I try," she says. "You are too." (click:?page)[=God you really want to [[kiss her]], but the anxiety [[makes that hard.->nokiss]]

Are you sure you want to kiss her? [[Yes]] [[No->nokiss]]

(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))You lay there in silence a bit longer, and then say "I should try to sleep." (click:?page)[=$mandy nods. You roll over and pull the blanket up over you, as $mandy turns out the lights. She then wriggles closer to you and wraps her arms around you and pulls you close. (click:?page)[=It's comforting and feels nice and secure and also, oh god your crush is totally hold you, that is, the best thing. (click:?page)[="Goodnight, $mandy," you say. (if:$mandy is "Mandragora")[(click:?page)["Oh, you can call me Mandy," she says. "You don't have to use my long name." (click:?page)["Oh, okay," you say. "Goodnight, Mandy."(set:$mandy to "Mandy")(show:?more)] ]](else:)[(after:1)[(show:?more)]]|more)[=(click:?page)[="Goodnight, Solanine," $mandy says. (t8n:"blur")[=[[Dream]]

Are you really sure? [[Yes!!]] [[Not really.->nokiss]]

What if she doesn't take it well? What if she thinks you're being creepy? [[Kiss her!!!]] [[Okay yeah I guess not->nokiss]]

"Um," you say. "Can... can I kiss you?" (click:?page)[=$mandy nods vigorously. You lean forward, and press your lips against hers. At this point (linkreveal:"every gay bone in your body")[ (all of them)] is shouting excitedly. (click:?page)[=$mandy pulls you closer and holds your head in her hands. You're overcome with emotions, mostly about how great this is, and how gay you are, but there is also a bit of your mind that's like 'man its kind of weird that you have someone else's tongue in your mouth.' (click:?page)[=You tell that bit of your brain to be quiet, you're busy kissing a girl thank you, and squeeze $mandy closer. She runs a hand through your hair. You hope you can do this more. (link:"Wow you're gay.")[=After a bit you pull back and say, "Wow, um. I'm gay." (click:?page)[="Me too," says $mandy, "Don't worry." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))The gay part of your brain that wants to just plunge headfirst into a relationship wants you to confess your undying love right here, right now, but you hold off at least on that. (click:?page)[="Hey, if you want to roll over we can snuggle as we fall asleep," $mandy says. "Unless you'd prefer to be the big spoon I guess, then I can roll over." (click:?page)[=You laugh. "Oh I'd love to," you say, and roll over. $mandy hugs you close, as you drift off to sleep.(set:$kiss to 1) (t8n:"blur")[=[[Dream]]

(if:$bed is not 1)[You wake on the couch, with sunlight streaming in the window.](else:)[You wake in the bed, sunlight streaming in the window. $mandy appears to have already gotten up.] (link:"Check your arm.")[=The spot $nightshade marked on your arm is glowing faintly, the sigil still there in the waking world. (click:?page)[="Well that's weird," you say to yourself. Other than the glow, it seems just like the others on your arm. (click:?page)[=So $nightshade was apparently real, at least. You make a note to look into this, when you get a chance. In the mean time, you should go look for $mandy. [[Get up]](if:$basementclue is 2)[(set:$basementclue to 1)](set:$firsttime to 0)

$mandy is in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. It appears to be something involving eggs. Possibly an omelet. (click:?page)[="Hey Solanine," she says. (click:?page)[="Hey $mandy," you say. (if:$mandy is "Mandragora")[(click:?page)["Oh uh, my close friends usually use Mandy," she says. (click:?page)["Oh, okay," you say, "I can call you that."(set:$mandy to "Mandy") (if:$kiss is 1)[ [["So, um, last night..."]] ](elseif:$bed is 1)[ [["I managed to sleep well last night!"]]](else:)[ [["So what's the plan for today?"]] ]]]](else:)[(if:$kiss is 1)[ [["So, um, last night..."]] ](elseif:$bed is 1)[ [["I managed to sleep well last night!"]]](else:)[ [["So what's the plan for today?"]] ]]

"So what's the plan for today?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Uhh, well breakfast first," Mandy says. "Do you like omelets?" (click:?page)[="Kinda?" you say, "I mean I can eat them, but I don't usually because cooking anything with eggs makes me really uncomfortable because they're like... goopy and eaugh." (click:?page)[="Well then, I can make you one, problem solved," Mandy says. "In fact, you can have this one in a sec." (click:?page)[="Thanks," you say. (click:?page)[="No problem," Mandy says, "I like cooking for cute girls." (click:?page)[="I think that means you should make that omelet for yourself," you say. (click:?page)[=Mandy laughs. "While I agree I'm cute, I really would prefer to cook for //other// cute girls, so congrats, you get an omelet." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=She dumps the omelet onto a plate, and turns and hands it to you. (click:?page)[="Thanks," you say, and sit down at the table, while Mandy gets started on the next omelet. (click:?page)[="By the way," Mandy says, "Do you need like, pajamas?" (click:?page)[="Oh, uh, I guess?" you say, "I don't really have any. (if:$cute is not 0)[I just slept in these clothes.](else:)[I do have a change of clothes, which I'll put on after I eat, but only the one.]" (click:?page)[="I can loan you a tshirt," Mandy says, "I don't think any of my //other// clothes will really fit you, but I've got plenty of baggy oversized shirts you could wear as pajamas in the future." (click:?page)[="Oh, uh, thanks," you say. (click:?page)[="I am definitely not offering just because I think you'd look cute wearing only an oversized tshirt," Mandy says. "No ulterior motives." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=You smile embarassedly. "I uhhh, you think I would?" (click:?page)[="Yeah," Mandy says, "Most girls do, to be honest. Also to be fair I actually do think you'd be more comfortable sleeping in that than jeans, but, you know. Gotta be gay." (click:?page)[="Well I won't argue with that," you say. In fact, currently the amount you are being gay is quickly threatening to overwhelm you, since your defenses against getting flustered when someone flirts with you are severely lacking. (click:?page)[="I do, uh, usually just sleep in my underwear," you say, "but I felt a little weird doing that at someone else's house." (click:?page)[="I mean, I expect that is also cute," Mandy says, "But also that makes sense." (click:?page)[=You pull your legs up and hug them against your chest. Making yourself smaller seems to help with not being entirely overwhelmed by how gay you are. "I don't know, my boobs are kind of tiny and I look weird," you say. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Well //I// think they'd look great," Mandy says. "Anyway there's an easy way to settle the argument," she adds, laughing. (link:"Uhhhh")[=(link:"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh")[=(link:"Nothing about this helps with you being flustered!")[=(link:"You kind of want to take her up on the suggestion, but...")[=(link:"Unfortunately your anxiety mostly leaves you paralyzed, so you can't")[=Mandy fortunately sees you are paralyzed with anxiety and saves you by saying, "That was mostly a joke, sorry." (link:"No, fuck that")[="No no, you asked for it, so I've got to do it." Even though you definitely //do// have a choice here, implying you don't is enough to trick your brain into momentarily shutting up, at least, long enough for you to take off your shirt. (click:?page)[="Oh, uh," Mandy says, "Uhh... wow." (click:?page)[=You do a little wiggle. "So, I take it from your reaction I lose," you say. (click:?page)[="Oh, definitely," Mandy says, "Except maybe for the part where you being cute really kind of means you win, too." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=You laugh, and pull your shirt back on. "I guess we both win, then." (click:?page)[="Oh yeah, I //definitely// also win," Mandy says. Her smirk as she says this feels really nice You cover your face to help a bit though because, again, the gay feelings are kind of overwhelming. (click:?page)[="So, um," you say, "There was [[another thing]] I'm worried about, but it's kind of weird."(set:$flirting to it + 1)

"So um, last night..." you say. (click:?page)[="What about it?" Mandy asks. (click:?page)[="Uh, the um...|endq>["] |strlink>[You still struggle with words, ]|cont>[even though you literally made out last night and she clearly liked it.] (click-replace:?strlink)[=(replace:?endq)[](replace:?cont)[=the, um, last night. The in bed, um." (link:"Your sentences are barely coherent.")[=You try to diffuse your anxiety a bit by diverting the topic. "I'm sorry apparently not grammar today," you say. (click:?page)[=Mandy laughs. "I'd come hug you but," she gestures at her frying pan, "I'm currently omelet." (click:?page)[=You also laugh. Your anxiety skulks back behind a rock, but does the "I'm watching you" hand gesture. (click:?page)[="Anyway I assume you mean about kissing?" Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Uhhhh!" you say. Your anxiety pounces, and all your attempts to mitigate it are immediately ruined. "(text-size:0.65)[I... yes,]" you squeak. You bury your face in your hands. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Well I liked it," she says, "You're pretty good at it.|endq2>["] (click:?page)[=(replace:?endq2)[]Well, I guess kissing is like, a social interaction, so it's not really something you're good at. That's like saying you're good at hanging out with your friends." (click:?page)[="Oh I'm bad at that," you say, peeking through your fingers. (click:?page)[="I don't mean in the like, anxiety way or... like, what you actually did wasn't as important as the fact that it was you, because I wanted to kiss //you//. Does that help?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Not with the embarassment!" you say, covering your eyes again. (click:?page)[="Well, I might know something to help with that," she says. "One sec." You lower your hands to peek through your fingers again and she her dumping an omelet onto a plate. "Oh, by the way, do you like omelets? Because if you want this one you can have it, I'll make another." (click:?page)[="Oh, uhhhh, sure," you say. Your voice is slightly muffled by your hands. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Okay good, but before I do that..." she walks over to you and puts her hands on your wrists. "Can I see your face?" (click:?page)[=You nod and let her gently peel your hands off your face. You are too overwhelmed by gay to make eye contact though, but she leans forward and kisses you, so it quickly doesn't matter. (click:?page)[="There!" she says. (click:?page)[="That doesn't make me less embarassed at all!" you say. (click:?page)[="Well we'll have to do some exposure therapy then," she says. She kisses you again. "Anyway, you can have the omelet," she says, stepping away for a moment to grab it off the counter and hold it out to you. [[Take it and sit down]]

"I managed to sleep really well last night!" you say. (click:?page)[="That's good!" Mandy says. (click:?page)[="I have like, no idea if sleeping near you was why but it was nice, either way." (click:?page)[=Mandy smiles at you. "I'm glad I was helpful!" (click:?page)[=You wonder if you should mention that you really wanted to kiss her. God, you wanted it so badly. You still kind of want it. But she's just being friendly, it was probably just platonic cuddling. (click:?page)[=Platonic cuddling, gazing longingly at each other, saying your cute, and then falling asleep in her arms. (click:?page)[=You know, just friend things. (link:"That's so stupid.")[="Um, so," you say. You try to hide your embarassment and awkwardness by changing th topic. "What are you making for breakfast?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Omelets!" Mandy says. "Well, an omelet, though I can make you one if you like them." (click:?page)[=(if:$sandwich is not 0)["Oh, um, yeah I wouldn't mind one," you say.](else:)["Oh god please, after I fucked up cooking yesterday I don't think I'm ready to try making something myself again."] (click:?page)[="Alright!" Mandy says. "Cooking for cute girls is always nice anyway." (click:?page)[="Isn't that just what making a meal for yourself always is?" you say. (click:?page)[="Well, true," Mandy says, "But its more fun when its another cute girl. You can't really flirt with //yourself.//" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=So this //is// flirting. Definitely not just a friend thing. Which, one, holy crap holy crap holy crap you this is so great your crush actually likes you like what the fuck that never happens??? (click:?page)[=And, two, you probably should like, say something. Being shy and anxious certainly has (link:"never done you wrong,")[|srsly>[**Seriously? We're claiming //that?//**](after:time+2s)[(replace:?srsly)[some obvious drawbacks,]]] but it'll probably be a lot less anxiety in the long term if you just, talk about how you feel. (link:"Tell her you like her")[=(link:"You can do it!")[=(link:"She just said she was flirting with you!")[=(link:"She's not going to take it badly.")[=(link:"Solanine, you can do it!!!")[="Um, so, uhh... Mandy?" (click:?page)[="Yeah?" Mandy says. (click:?page)[="I uh...|endquote>["] (link:"The hyping yourself up still wasn't quite enough.")[=(replace:?endquote)[]I really like you. Like, a lot." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="See?" Mandy says. "Flirting! It's great!" (click:?page)[=You aren't quite sure how to interpret that response, but fortunately Mandy notices your distress and adds, "I like you too." (link:"But what if she just means it in a friend way?")[=(link:"OH MY GOD, SOLANINE!")[="I mean that in a gay way," you add. (click:?page)[="I don't know how else you would mean it after all the flirting," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Okay, good," you say, "I was afraid I was flirting badly." (click:?page)[="Look," Mandy says, "Flirting is easy, because all flirting is is a way of signalling to another person you're interested in them. There's a whole bunch of like, subtle codes and stuff that you can do to say you're interested but it's just as effective to just, go up to someone and say, 'hey, you're hot, wanna make out?'" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="I feel like maybe that's not that easy to do," you say. (click:?page)[="Okay, one sec," Mandy says, dumping the omelet onto a plate. "I'll give you a demonstration." (click:?page)[="Uhhhhh..." you say, and then immediately worry that that was going to make it sound like you didn't want her to do that. (click:?page)[=Fortunately it does not appear to be the message Mandy took from that, as she walks over to you and stands (link-reveal:"very close to you")[ (wow she's cute)] and says, "Hey, Solanine." (link-reveal:"\"Yeah?\"")[= "You're really hot. Like, wow." She looks down at your body for a bit and smirks before looking back up at your face. "Do you wanna make out about it?" (link:"Nah")[You are //not// talking yourself out of this this time.] (link:"Yes!!!")[="Yes!" you say, "Oh god yes I'd like that." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=Mandy reaches up and takes your face in her hands and pulls you in for a long kiss. You gasp slightly, which just encourages her more, and about the only thoughts in your head now are constant excited gay screaming. (click:?page)[=Like, wow. This is so nice. (click:?page)[=After a bit, Mandy pulls away and hands you the omelet. "I should another omelet for myself," she says. (click:?page)[=You nod, and sit down at the table and begin immediately devouring it. (click:?page)[=After a bit, between bites, you say, "So, um, thanks." (click:?page)[="Shouldn't I be thanking you?" Mandy says, "We were kissing because //you// were the hot girl." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Yeah but you're also hot," you say, "And anyway I meant more like... 'thanks for reassuring me this isn't just you being friendly and you actually want me.'" (click:?page)[="Oh, yeah," Mandy says, "God I really want you." (click:?page)[=You smile widely. "I am entirely on board for that," you say. (click:?page)[="Great!" Mandy says. "It's settled. We should make out and flirt more. Anyway, anything else you're worried about?" "Oh, uh, yes, there is [[another thing]], but it's not a gay thing,(if:$dream is 1)[ mostly,] and its kind of weird."

You sit down at the table while Mandy begins prepping another omelet. (click:?page)[="So, um," you say, "Why?" (click:?page)[="Why what?" Mandy says (click:?page)[="Why do you like me?" (click:?page)[=Mandy shrugs. "Like, I don't know?" (click:?page)[=Oh no that must mean you don't have any (link-reveal:"likeable qualities.")[= You try to tell yourself to stop being silly. (click:?page)[="What do you mean?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Uh, like, I don't know, liking people just sort of happens, and like I can give you some vague reasons like, you're cute and nice but I don't know if that really answers the question.|endquote>["] (click:?page)[=(replace:?endquote)[]I mean like, why do you like //me?//" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="I mean... I guess yeah I only have hard to define reasons. Or I guess the (link:"cynical reason.\"")[=cynical reason, which is I'm lonely and desperate and gay and you're the first person who was nice to me. But I don't think that's the only reason." (click:?page)[="I mean," Mandy says, "I'm also lonely and desperate and gay so I can't really fault you too much." (click:?page)[="Really?" you say. (click:?page)[="I mean, yeah," Mandy says. "Like, living alone kind of sucks, (link-reveal:"nobody's really interested in me,")[(show:?cont)] and there was a recent apocalypse that sort of made meeting new people a lot harder, which was already hard, because like ninety percent of girls are straight." |cont)[="I mean I'm interested in you!" you say. (click:?page)[="Hence, the kissing," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=You nod. It's not like you can really complain, since you got to |kiss>[(link-reveal:"kiss a cute girl")[(replace:?same)[did the same thing yourself."](replace:?react)["God kissing you was really nice," you say. (click:?page)["That's because I'm hot and gay," Mandy says. (click:?page)[You laugh. "I knoooow," you say. (click:?page)["But yeah, I'd gladly do stuff with you again, because you're also really hot."(show:?cont2)]]]]]] and, honestly, [(linkreveal:"did the same thing yourself.")[(replace:?kiss)[kiss a cute girl](replace:?react)["I mean, yeah," you say, "That was pretty much what I did." (click:?page)["Kissing is usually a mutual activity," Mandy says. (click:?page)["No, I meant, seeing a girl was maybe interested in me and immediately throw myself at them." (click:?page)["Well it's not the worst reason to do that," Mandy says.(show:?cont2)]]]]]]<same| |react>[]|cont2)[= (click:?page)[="But yeah, I guess I'm just (link:"worried.\"")[=worried. Like, what if this is too fast? What if I'm just being emotionally reckless?" (click:?page)[="Well," Mandy says, "It //is// a cliche that lesbians move in together on the second date." (click:?page)[="I started staying here on the //first// date," you say. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="True," Mandy says. "Look, I don't think we need to like, go slowly just out of some platonic ideal of relationships. (click:?page)[=God the fact that 'platonic relationship' is a term makes that sentence a lot more confusing than it needs to be." (click:?page)[=You nod. "I guess that means I don't want a platonic relationship in either sense here." (click:?page)[="Reasonable," Mandy says. "Look, if you're lonely and desperate and want to cling to the first person who's interested... I... I kind of like that because its nice to be wanted." She looks kind of sad for a moment, and adds, "for once." (click:?page)[=But that quickly passes, and she says, "Anyway. If you're worried things might go badly, I think at least at the moment it's probably not a bad idea to make sure you have other places you can go if, like, we end up not living together well." (click:?page)[=You nod. (if:$textedfriends is not 0)["I did ask people about that earlier," you say.](else:)["Good idea," you say.] (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Anything else you're concerned about?" Mandy asks. (click:?page)[="Uh, I guess like, I'm worried I'm being stupid because being lonely and desperate isn't a good basis for a relationship?" you say. (click:?page)[="Hmm," Mandy says, "I think like, even if its not the best basis for a long term relationship I don't think it's a bad place to start? Like clearly we do have other things in common. Like building rockets that catch on fire." (click:?page)[="I feel like if we ever build a rocket again the catching on fire is something to avoid," you say. (click:?page)[=Mandy dumps her omelet onto a plate and comes over to the table to sit down next to you. She scoots a bit closer to you and smiles at you. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=She is so cute and when she's this close its difficult to focus on much else besides how great she is and how much you want to |ch1>[(link-reveal:"hug her")[(show:?r0)(show:?r1)]] or |ch2>[(link-reveal:"kiss her")[(show:?r0)(show:?r2)]] or even just |ch3>[(link-reveal:"hold her hand")[(show:?r0)(show:?r3)]]. You close your eyes before the feeling causes you to |ch4>[(link-reveal:"leak emotions all over the floor")[(show:?r0)(show:?r4)]]. |r0)[(replace:?ch1)[hug her](replace:?ch2)[kiss her](replace:?ch3)[hold her hand](replace:?ch4)[leak emotions all over the floor]]\ |r1)[You lean over and wrap your arms around her and squeeze her tightly. She hugs you back. You never want to let go, but you probably have to so she can eat.(click:?page)[(show:?rmore)]]\ |r2)[You lean over and kiss her. She reaches up and puts one hand on the back of your neck and strokes your cheek with the other. Its nice. Its so nice.(click:?page)[(show:?rmore)(replace:?react)["Ooo, you taste like omelet,"]]]\ |r3)[You reach out and take her hand and intertwine your fingers. She squeezes it gently. It's a small thing but it still feels really nice.(click:?page)[(show:?rmore)(replace:?react)["Okay, let's see if I can eat this one handed,"]]]\ |r4)[Everything is so much and you're kind of overwhelmed but also you really like it and don't want it to stop. You pull your legs up and hug them tightly against your chest.(click:?page)[(show:?rmore)]] |rmore)[=|react>["You're so cute, holy crap,"] Mandy says. (click:?page)[=You laugh. (click:?page)[="Anyway, was that all that was worrying you?" (click:?page)[="No of course not," you say, "I'm a ball of anxiety and lesbianism. But that was the main things on //that// topic. There, um, was [[another thing]], but its a bit weird.

"So, I had a weird dream," you say. (click:?page)[="Weird how?" (click:?page)[=You hold up your arm. The sigil you acquired in your dream is still glowing. "Weird enough to leave a glowing mark on my arm after I woke up," you say. (click:?page)[="Oh, that is weird," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Yeah, so... like I was in a forest full of candles and something called me forward until I met this woman. (if:$dream is 1)[She was sort of cute? In like, a strange disheveled way.](else:)[It was really weird. But she did seem sort of cute.] And then I reached out and held her hand..." (click:?page)[="Well at least it was a gay weird dream," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=You laugh. "Yeah. Anyway then everything suddenly felt, I don't know, clearer? Like I'd suddenly woken up. Except I was in the forest still. And the woman said our destinies were like, entwined because of the light in the forest, but she thought she could fix that." (click:?page)[="Well that seems good?" Mandy says. "At least you can stop being haunted?" (if:$dream is 1)[ [["Uhhhhh, yeah, so about that..."]] ](else:)[ [["Yeah, hopefully?" ]] ]

"Uhhhh, yeah, so, about that..." you say. "I um. Told her not to yet because I wanted to get to know her better?" (click:?page)[=Mandy laughs. "Okay I... can't //entirely// argue with that, 'cause, lets be honest, if I was destined to meet a cute otherworldly woman in my dreams I might do that too." (click:?page)[="Well I'm glad you're understanding. Besides, like, I can change my mind later." (click:?page)[="That makes sense," Mandy said. "And then what happened?" (click:?page)[="Oh, uh, she said her name was Nightshade, and she put this mark on my arm, and then I woke up. And the mark was still there." (click:?page)[="Wait her name is Nightshade?" Mandy says, "God maybe you really are destined to be together. (if:$bed is 0)[That's gonna make my crush on you complicated.] Do you know anything about the mark's purpose?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(if:$bed is 0)["Wait, hold up, //your// crush on //me?//" (click:?page)[Mandy looks kind of embarassed. "Oh, uhh, yeah. (if:$flirting is not 0)[I mean we //have// been flirting a bit.](else:)[We were just flirting right now, you know.] (click:?page)[(if:$flirting <= 2)[You'd been afraid you were being too subtle, although, you guess that //definitely// stopped being true five minutes ago.](else:)[That certainly is true] You smile awkwardly. (link-reveal:"You probably should say something, or she might think you aren't interested.")[ "I mean, I like //you// so that's good," you say. (click:?page)[Mandy smiles brightly at you.(show:?more)]]]]](else:)["I guess I could maybe make some guesses?" you say. (click:?page)[Mandy nods.(show:?more)]] |more)[=(click:?page)[="So I //think// it's like, some kind of anchor so she can try to find me again with whatever magic she's using." (click:?page)[="That makes some amount of sense," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="I think mostly that means I just need to like, wait until she gets back to me though? And I'm not sure if like, retracing the other arm sigils is a good idea or not." (click:?page)[="You might be able to find some information online about those?" Mandy says, "I don't really know." (click:?page)[="I'll look in a bit," you say. (click:?page)[=Mandy nods. "Anyway, [[do you know what you're doing]] today?"

"Yeah, hopefully?" you say. "I don't really have any idea what this process is though." (click:?page)[=Mandy nods. "You might be able to find some information about it online?" (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say, "I guess I can. To be honest I don't even know if I can trust this woman, like... she shows up in my dreams and is like 'hey our destinies are entwined' and like would you trust a weird girl that shows up in your dreams and says that? Even if she is cute?" (click:?page)[="I mean, usually when I encounter cute girls in my dreams I make out with them," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=You laugh. "I mean, fair, but also I don't think this was entirely a dream, either." (click:?page)[="Well, to be fair, when I encounter cute girls in real life I //also// frequently make out with them," Mandy says, "Or at least want to." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(if:$bed is 0)[Does she mean you? Because god that would be nice but you're not entirely sure how to ask.](else:)[You'd argue that there's probably plenty of cute girls she hsn't made out with, but then again, you are definitely a pretty solid example that, yes, she would make out with cute girls at the slightest provocation.] (click:?page)[="That's reasonable," you say. "But also it would be nice to be not cursed." (click:?page)[=Mandy nods. "Well hopefully she can fix the problem," she says. (click:?page)[="Yeah, though its still a little awkward to just like, be stuck here waiting. I don't even know if I should be like, replacing my other arm sigils? I guess I might as well?" (click:?page)[="That all makes sense," Mandy says. "I don't think I can answer any of those questions though." (click:?page)[="Oh yeah, I didn't expect you to," you say. "I guess I'll do some research in a bit." (click:?page)[="There's probably something out there to find," Mandy says. "Anyway, do you [[do you know what you're doing]] today?"

"Anyway," Mandy says, "do you know what you're doing today?" (click:?page)[="Uh not really," you say, "I need to maybe at some point try to get my stuff from the psychiatric hospital, but I don't know if I have the energy to do that today." (click:?page)[="That's understandable, taking a day to recover is probably not a bad idea." (click:?page)[="What's your plans?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Well I have work in a couple hours," Mandy says, "Technically I can call out but I need more money right now, and I already made Thistle pick up the slack for me earlier this week when I called out because I was too busy crying." (click:?page)[="Oh no, that sounds bad," you say. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Things have been rough," Mandy says. Sadness leaks into her voice through a few small cracks in her otherwise confident exterior. "I'm not always great at coping with everything and... I haven't had many friends since the apocalypse." Her sadness suddenly recedes, and she laughs. "Which of course is the biggest problem with the world ending." (click:?page)[="Well its still a real problem," you say. (click:?page)[="Yeah but also it is a lot harder to be lonely when you're hanging out with a cute girl," Mandy says, "So I'm doing okay now." (click:?page)[=You nod. "Although... um..." The prospect of Mandy being off at work and leaving you alone for like six hours or something shouldn't be a problem. You're a (link:"functional adult")[|function>[**Well, an adult**](after:time+2s)[(replace:?function)[adult]]] and have no reason to panic about being alone. (link:"No reason to panic.")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[Except, you know, all the trauma from the past few days, and, honestly, the month before that. Being around Mandy is nice because you're gay but it also is really good at helping you keep your trauma from sending its insidious tendrils all throughout your emotions until nothing is left but crying and panic.] (click:?page)[="Sorry," you say, "I'm just worried if I'm left on my own I'll end up having a meltdown." (click:?page)[="Well I mean if you want to come along and hang out there while I work you can," Mandy says. "I can't like, hang out with you per se but I can at least check in on you occasionally and provide coffee." (click:?page)[="Oh that sounds nice," you say. (click:?page)[="Well then you should probably get read to go soonish; I have to leave in a couple hours." (click:?page)[="[[Sounds like a plan->storyhub2]]," you say.

The apartment in the morning is brightly lit, and the smell of breakfast makes it feel like an actual home; somewhere you haven't had in years. (if:$firsttime is not 1)[(set:$firsttime to 1)You hope this is a place you can stay for a while.] (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet: when visits is 0 and $hour >= 10)(set: $morningready to it + 1)(set:$hour to it + 1)\ Unfortunately you'll need to find a way to get your antidepressants back from the psychiatrist before too long because you handed over most of them already, but you had a second bottle from before your last refill that wasn't quite out, and so you still have antidepressants to last the next few days. (click:?page)[=But that puts a time limit on your inevitable confrontation with the psychiatric institution or your parents, or both. (click:?page)[=Hormones are at least not in short supply. You swallow your antiandrogen and put your estradiol pills under your tongue to (link:"dissolve.")[=(link:"dissolv")[=(link:"dissol")[=(link:"disso")[=(link:"diss")[=(link:"dis")[=(link:"di")[=[[d->storyhub2]]

(storylet: when $hour >= 10 and visits is 0)(set:$msigil to 1)(if:$basementclue is not 0)[(set:$basementclue to 2)]\ Is this the correct plan? You don't know. Will this even work with the glowing sigil on your arm? (if:$research is 1)[Probably not.](set:$hour to it +1) Blah blah blah (link:"light the candle...")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(linkstyle: (color:#101020)+(hoverstyle: (color:#303060)))[ [[Solanine?]]]]light the candle (link:"trace the sigils...")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(linkstyle: (color:#181830)+(hoverstyle: (color:#484890)))[ [[Solanine?]]]]trace the sigils (link:"speak the words...")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(linkstyle: (color:#202040)+(hoverstyle: (color:#6060C0)))[ [[Solanine?]]]]speak the worlds (link:"may the light in the forest please consider stopping finding me all the time!")[=(replace:?sidebar)[(linkstyle: (color:#282850)+(hoverstyle: (color:#7878F0)))[ [[Solanine?]]]]may the light in the forest never find us You're kind of in a rush and the dream you had last night makes you think this whole thing might just not be working well in the first place. [[Well, hopefully that's enough.->storyhub2]]

(storylet: when $hour >= 10 and visits is 0)(if:$basementclue is 0)[(set:$basementclue to $msigil + 1)](set:$hour to it + 1)\ \ The late morning air is cool, the kind of weather where if you were stepping outside with a jacket on, and ready to deal with it, would be pretty nice. The problem, of course, is that you are not. (click:?page)[=(if:$cute is 1)[With just a short skirt, the chill jabs at your unprotected legs. The price you must pay to look cute as hell.](else:)[Given that your change of clothes is a short skirt and fishnet leggings, the cold taunts you with the discomfort it intends to inflict upon you while you're out.] Fortunately, the Lack of Coffee Disposal Site is not very far. (click:?page)[=Turning to head back into the house, you notice a flicker of light from (if:$basementclue is 0)[a](else:)[the solitary] basement window below the steps to the apartment door. (click:?page)[=There is something (if:$basementclue is not 0)[definitely ]strange about the basement. (if:$explorebasement is 2)[You've already seen that, of course, but the fact that the strang effect is persisting is worth remembering. It might be useful for whatever plans $nightshade has.](if:$explorebasement is 1 or $explorebasement is -1)[You obviously have been there before, but, maybe you missed something. If its some strange magic, your arm sigils may have hidden it. Or $nightshade's new sigil might draw it out.(set:$explorebasement to -1)](else:)[It probably is worth checking out. Though who knows what the consequences will be.] [[Head back inside, away from the cold, for now->storyhub2]]

(storylet: when $hour >= 10 and visits is 0)\ (set:$hour to it +1)Unfortunately, the short version is, (link-reveal: "you can't.")[= The longer version is, well, you spend like, an hour reading through stuff about exotheology and moirurgy and other esoteric disciplines with weird names, and find quite a lot of exactly the same dozen pieces of information that do not matter here and that you already knew. (click:?page)[=This doesn't entirely suprise you. Most sigils such as this are the representations of names, so your working theory is that this sigil is $nightshade's name. It would make sense how that would function to let her find you, anyway. (click:?page)[=You had slightly more success when you looked up details about candlebone sigils and the light in the forest. The information there suggests that lighting candles is a way to placate the forest, and your arm sigils are a way to help the forest not find you, which, oops the glowing sigil might ruin that. (click:?page)[=As for the forest itself, it is believed to be a domain of hell, which isn't entirely reasurring, but the few attempts to understand it after it started bleeding into the world after the apocalypse do make it sound... not entirely dangerous. (click:?page)[=There's still a lot about carnivorous plants and wolf serpents mentioned, so like, its not wholely reassuring. Although if you have a friend there, maybe that helps. (click:?page)[=(if:$dream is 1)[The light is said to call to people, to offer a place of healing, and honestly being able to hide from everyone who treats you like shit in a forest surrounded by monsters to keep them away sounds, kind of nice. Plus you'd have a weird friend to show you around and... oh my god Solanine are you literally crushing on the //second// person who was nice to you to.](else:)[The light is said to call to people, but you're wary of that, because, you know, weird otherworldly allure is maybe not the best way to decide where to go. Even if you have a friend who's from there who can talk to you...] (click:?page)[=(if:$dream is 1)[You don't even know if she's human!](else:)[No, you shouldn't let the forest get a grip on you. Who knows where that goes. And you definitely should crush on the second person who was nice to you, especially because you don't even know her name.] [[Sigh and put away the research for now.->storyhub2]](set:$research to 1)

You and Mandy set out into the cold. It gnaws at your legs, and tries to worm its way beneath your skin, but you preservere for the like, five minutes it takes to walk to coffee shop. (click:?page)[=As soon as you step inside, you are greated by warmth, which wraps itself around you and assures you the awful mean cold will never hurt you again. (click:?page)[=It's lying, you're going to need to go home eventually, but at least you're comfortable.(set:$shop to 1)(set:$hour to 30) [[You settle into the corner while Mandy brings you some coffee.->storyhub3]]

(set:$room to 2)The light in the forest calls to you, and you hesitate. It is not time (text-style:"smear")[yet.] You pull away, and the lights go out, all at once, and you are back in darkness. (click:?page)[=Seconds pass, and seem to stretch into minutes. If you had your clock with you it would be buzzing. (click:?page)[=In the dark, you hear a voice, and then, somehow, even without any light, you see $nightshade. She is still disheveled, but she seems more composed than before. She turns, and looks at you. (click:?page)[=She says something, but her voice cannot be heard. She calls to you, but you cannot hear. (click:?page)[=You reach out, and then, her voice cuts through the silence, for a brief second. "This place, where you are. It might work." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=And then she is gone. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(click:?page)[=(t8n:"fade")[=You can't exactly complain about having otherworldly visions of strangely attractive girls in a forest full of candles. Plus if you were ever worried you weren't gay, being haunted by hot ghost girls in your dreams is, obviously, pretty exceptionally gay. (click:?page)[=You aren't entirely sure what she meant by this place working, but you should probably talk to Mandy about this. (click:?page)[="Are you okay?" Mandy asks, when you arrive, breathlessly, in front of her. (click:?page)[="The light in the forest," you say. (click:?page)[="Sorry, um. Let's try that again. I saw $nightshade. The dream place. Um..." (click:?page)[="Where?" Mandy asks. (click:?page)[="Um, in the basement. A buch of candles appeared, and it was like... the forest was calling to me. And then I saw $nightshade and she said something. I think there's something she wants me to do there?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Did she tell you //what// though?" Mandy asks. (click:?page)[="I mean, no, not really," you say. (click:?page)[="Hmmm..." Mandy says. [[I guess I just ignore it for now?]] (if:$dream is 1)[ [[I wish I could find a way to talk to her]]](else:)[ [[Maybe there's something I need to do there to break the link]]]

"I guess I just ignore it for now?" you say. "I don't really know what else to do." (click:?page)[="Have you done research about the topic yet?" Mandy asks. "Because you could do that." (click:?page)[=(if:$research is 1)["Yeah, but it didn't tell me much,"](else:)["Oh yeah, that would be something,"] you say. (click:?page)[=(if:$research is 1)["I guess that's not surprising,"](else:)["It may not help much, admittedly,"] Mandy says, "This kind of stuff couldn't have been studied until after the world ended, and now everyone's got a //lot// of stuff to do." You nod. "Well hopefully $nightshade comes through soon." [[In the mean time...->storyhub2]]

"I wish I could find a way to actually talk to her," you say. "She seemed nice? Or... cute at least." (click:?page)[="That is almost the gayest thing you've said today," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Almost?" (click:?page)[=(if:$bed is 1)[(if:$kiss is 1)["Well there was the part where we were talking about whether our relationship was going too fast. I feel like that was probably more gay."](else:)["Well there was the bit where I asked if you wanted to make out and you said 'Oh God, yes, I'd like that,' so you know, you've got a high bar to clear for gayest thing.]](else:)[You did say that you liked me. It's a lot more mundane than pining over an otherworldly dream girl but its also a lot more directly gay."] Mandy laughs. (click:?page)[="Fair," you say. "I mean I just as much want to talk to her to find out who she even is? All I have is a name and that she's technically a demon." (click:?page)[="I mean demons can look pretty indistinguishable from people. There's that whole religion about it." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="She probably isn't trying to start a dynasty of half-demon princes though. Which probably is a plus, let's be honest; I'm not ready for kids who want to conquer the world." (click:?page)[=Mandy laughed. "Well regardless of her motives, one of you will probably find a way to communicate soon." (click:?page)[=You hope so. You take a moment to hug Mandy before you [[get on with your day.->storyhub2]] It helps with anxiety, and even if you have more of an idea what is going on with the light in the forest, its still kind of stressful and weird.

(click:?page)[="Maybe there's something I need to do there to break the link?" you wonder. "I mean, that's my best guess of what she meant." (click:?page)[="That would maybe make sense," Mandy says, "Though... why my basement?" (click:?page)[="I have no idea," you say. "I mean the walls of reality got perforated during the apocalypse so maybe that's just somewhere things are... easier to reach through?" (click:?page)[="Well that's certainly the better option, between that and 'my basement is haunted,' Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Well your (if:$bed is not 1)[current] roommate is haunted," you say. "So either way we're dealing with demonic hauntings." (click:?page)[="Ah, fuck," Mandy says, "At least my (if:$bed is not 1)[current] roommate is cute, that makes up for it." (click:?page)[=You laugh. Mandy joins you, and seeing her happy like that helps drain away the last bits of anxiety about being haunted. [[What do you do next?->storyhub2]]

(storylet: when $hour >=10 and $bed is 1 and $kiss is 1 and visits is 0)\ You get out your tablet and compose a message to your friends. You wonder if you should mention that you and Mandy are... well you're not sure if you're dating or not. So you decide not to until you have a chance to ask her.(set:$hour to it+1) (click:?page)[=**Solanine** (if:$textedfriends is 0)[Okay so, everything has been a bit hectic the past twenty four hours, but the short version is that I didn't have a place to stay, but now do.](else:)[Okay, housing issues from earlier are mostly resolved now; I have a place to stay potentially indefinitely.] (click:?page)[=(if:$textedfriends is 0)[The slightly longer version is, this is probably somewhere I can stay long term, which is great, but I still wanted to send out messages and stuff to see if people could help me, for a couple reasons, but the main one is, I wanted to see if I had backups in case this place ends up not working out.](else:)[If people are able to offer a place to stay, it probably would still help if you can message me about that, because I'm sharing a small apartment with a friend right now and we might not live together well after all, and having backups in case that happens would help prevent future panic like this.] (click:?page)[=(if:$textedfriends is 0)[I don't think it will, but I'm staying with a friend in a one bedroom apartment, so it may turn out we need more space.](else:)[Thanks everyone who's responded already, I'll get back to you individually in a bit.] **Likes:** |likes>[**0**](after:time+100ms)[=(clickgoto:?page, "storyhub2")(after:time+1s)[=(replace:?likes)[**1**](after:time+700)[=(replace:?likes)[**2**](after:time+1400)[=(replace:?likes)[**3**](after:time+2300)[=(replace:?likes)[**4**](after:time+200)[=(replace:?likes)[**5**]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))Solanine? **Solanine?** [[Is that you?]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))"Wow you did it!" $nightshade says. (click:?page)[="Wait, what did I do?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Managed to create a link to me. I can talk for a moment, I think." (click:?page)[="How?" you say, "I just did the ritual that's supposed to block out the forest." (click:?page)[="Ohhh I think I get it," she says. "I think my mark messed that up a bit and then you answered my call." (click:?page)[="Okay, that makes sense," you say, (if:$dream is 1)["Does this mean I can contact you again? Because I really would like to know you."](else:)["But how do I keep having a normal life while I wait for you to do your thing?"] (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=(if:$dream is 1)["Oh, uh, oh! I..." she sounds embarassed slightly, "Wait you really want to get to know me? Nobody does that."](else:)["Uhh," she says, "I think the ritual will still //work// a bit but maybe try to avoid places where the world is weak in the mean time."] (click:?page)[=(if:$dream is 1)["Well you seem nice," you say.](else:)[That might be easier said then done, but, you say (color:#FFFFFF)["Okay I'll try."]] (click:?page)[=(color:#FFFFFF)[There is no response. The link is already fading.] (set:$convo to 1) [[Back to your world->storyhub2]]

Various guests of numerous genders, sexualities, and species come and go from the shop. (either:"A customer who's gender almost certainly could be described as a hungry void orders an unspeakable amount of tea.", "You see a salamander come in with a small group of humans, but they don't actually order anything, because they don\'t have bugs on the menu here.", "A cool woman covered in tattoos and an eye patch, with a demonic left hand orders a quadruple shot of espresso.", "Thistle passes time during a lull between customers by throwing paper airplanes at the trashcan.", "Mandy glances over at you and smiles. It feels really nice.", "A group of four woman who appear to all be dating each other come in and claim a table where they set up a board game that appears to be about transforming into beetles.", "The ambient music starts playing a track of some guy singing, but Mandy makes a face and skips the song.", "Thistle gets in an argument with some guy who demanded to see her manager. Mandy fetches the spiked baseball bat and scares him off.", "Wait they have pie here? How did you not know that. You should buy some.") (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet: when $shop is 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:1)\ During a lull in the crowds you walk over to the counter where Thistle is standing. (click:?page)[="Hey, um, hi," you say. It's not the ideal start to a conversation really. (click:?page)[="Hey, did you need Mandy?" Thistle asks. (click:?page)[=|retry>[(link:"\"No,")[(show:?cont)] um, I was (linkreveal:"just...")[(show:?cont)] I'm (linkreveal:"uh")[(show:?cont)] ]|cont)[=(hide:?retry)(link:"Let's try that again.")[=(replace:?passage)[=During a lull in the crowds you walk over to the counter where Thistle is standing. (click:?page)[=After several seconds of verbal flailing and wishing you could restart the conversation, and some other moments where you regret ever speaking to anyone you weren't already friends with to begin with, you finally manage to say what you were trying to say. (click:?page)[="So I don't think we were ever properly introduced." (click:?page)[="That's fair," Thistle says, "I'm Thistle." She points at her name tag, which does not say that. It just has a picture of a milk thistle flower. (click:?page)[="Yeah Mandy mentioned your name to me," you say. (click:?page)[="To be fair, she's also mentioned your name to me when talking about you, so I guess we've been passively introduced." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Wait, Mandy talks about me?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Do your friends not usually talk about you?" Thistle asks. "I talk about my friends all the time. Especially if I think they're hot." (click:?page)[="I guess you're right," you say, "I'm just not used to people actually caring about me that much." (click:?page)[="That sucks," Thistle says. "And I don't know how much you've hung out with each other since graduating school but I'm pretty sure she's had a crush on you for a while." (click:?page)[="Oh!" you say. (click:?page)[=(if:$gf is 1)[Thistle laughs. "Your girlfriend has a crush on you is probably not actually a revolutionary discovery, but still."](elseif:$bed is 1)[Thistle laughs. "I suppose it's pretty obvious by now."](elseif:$maybegf is 1)["It does look like you maybe figured that out by now."](else:)["So if you want to make out with girls I suggest talking to her."] (click:?page)[=You laugh. "Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, I should let you work more." [[Continue->storyhub3]](set:$hour to it +1)

(storylet: when $hour >= 31 and $shop is 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:1)\ You're sitting on the couch in the corner, reading through an article about the ongoing salvage operations around the demonic spire, when suddenly you hear a buzzing from your bag. |call>[(linkstyle:(color:#101020)+(hoverstyle:(color:#303060)))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]] (click:?page)[=(replace:?call)[(linkstyle: (color:#202040)+(hoverstyle: (color:#6060C0)))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]]You pull out your clock. It is ticking forward. Time is out of sync. (click:?page)[=(replace:?call)[(linkstyle: (color:#303060)+(hoverstyle: (color:#3090F0)))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]]You look up. Everything seems sluggish. (click:?page)[=(replace:?call)[(linkstyle: (color:#404080)+(hoverstyle: (color:#00BFFF)))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]]People seem to move in slow motion. The air feels off. (click:?page)[=(replace:?call)[(linkstyle: (color:#4150A0))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]]You glance around. Lights flicker in the dark around you. (click:?page)[=(replace:?call)[(linkstyle: (color:#4160C0))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]]A warm breeze passes through the trees, and in the distance the sound of birds. (click:?page)[=(replace:?call)[(linkstyle: (color:#4170E1))[ [[Someone calls your name]]]](text-style:"smear")[The light in the forest calls you home]

(storylet: when $showmom is 1 and $shop is 1 and visits is 0 and $hour >= 33)(exclusivity: 1)You are sitting in the corner, watching the crowds, when you see her come in: (after:1s)[=(t8n:"flicker")[**Your mother.**] (after:time+1s)[=(set:$k to 0)(live:500)[(set: $k to $k + 1)(append:?links)[(t8n:"fade")[ [[Run away!]]] ](if:$k is 12)[(stop:)]]|links>[]

(storylet: when $shop is 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:1)\ When there's a break in the crowd you slip up to the counter and wave at Mandy.(set:$hour to it+1) (click:?page)[="Hey, is there something you need?" Mandy asks. (click:?page)[="Oh, uh, no not really," you say. "I just wanted to come over and say hi. And possibly tell you you're cute." (click:?page)[="Oh yeah that's reasonable," Mandy says, "I am indeed cute." (if:$bed is 1)[She leans over the counter and kisses you.] (click:?page)[="But yeah I mostly just saw you were free for a moment, its nothing particularly important." (click:?page)[="I may be somewhat biased, as the beneficiary of your calling me cute, but I wouldn't say telling me I'm cute is unimportant." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Okay, yeah," you say, "I do like telling you you're cute." (click:?page)[="Good," Mandy says, "That's settled. Anyway, next on the agenda for today, I have recieved reliable reports from myself that you are also, to quote these reports, 'really cute'." (click:?page)[=Your ability to cope with emotions when someone you like calls you cute is somewhat limited, so you try to make a joke to trick your brain into thinking you're maintaining a level of ironic detachment. Unfortunately, this plan is thwarted by those very emotions, which are rude and are making you a bit too overwhelmed and nervous to come up with a clever joke, and so you just sort of awkwardly stammer "Thanks." (if:$bed is 0)[(click-goto:?page,"flirt2")](else:)[(click-goto:?page,"flirt3")] (set:$hour to it +1)

(storylet: when $shop is 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:1)\ You are suddenly confronted with a wealth of options in delicious baked goods.(set:$hour to it +1) |food>[(link:"Delicious Baked Goods")[Maybe???] (link:"Tasty Baked Goods")[Maybe???] (link:"Delicious Pastries")[Maybe???] (link:"Really Delicious Cookies")[Maybe???] (link:"Cake That Looks Amazing")[Maybe???] (link:"Tasty Cookies")[Maybe???] (link:"More Delicious Baked Goods")[Maybe???] (link:"Exceptionally Delicious Baked Goods")[Maybe???] ](after:2s)[=(hide:?food)Fortunately, you have a secret for dealing with being overwhelmed by food, which is having a weirdly restricted diet because of a complex web of food anxieties that means you can eat like, two things ever, so you can just order [[the same thing you always do]]. Also, you have a (if:$gf is 1)[girl]friend who works here who can [[provide advice.]]

(storylet: when $shop is 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:1)(set:$hour to it + 1)(enchant:?passage, (color:#000000))(set:$hour to it +1)\ =><= ##Executive Dysfunction Simulator a thing by worm (click-goto:?page,"edsim1")

(enchant:?passage, (color:#000000))You have a lot to do today. (link:"Places to go")[**But your chair is comfy... :(**(show:?more)], (link:"things to clean")[**I guess its not that bad, you can do it tomorrow**(show:?more)], (link:"food to make")[**You are too hungry to make food...**(show:?more)], (link:"writing to get done...")[**But there's also,** (linkrepeat:"let's see...")[(replace:?reroll)[(either:"**a new video series about cultivating eggplants you could watch**", "**a new show about lesbian bank robbers with laser sharks you could watch**", "**a stupid joke about your unmedicated ADHD you could make**", "**a video game about being a sad murder mom you could play**", "**friends you could flirt with**", "**a movie about someone who discovers they are actually a robot you could watch**", "**a video game about building vampire castles you could play**", "**blog posts that just say \"ferrets are cool\" you could make**")]](show:?more)] |reroll>[] |more)[=(after:time + 5s)[= (link:"Please do SOMETHING oh my god.")[=You don't. [[Fuck.]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#000000))<(print:"!--") note: finish this later --> (color:#FFFFFF)[(bg:#000000)[(size:0.66)[Achievement unlocked: Untreated ADHD]]] [[Well that game sucks.->storyhub3]]

You get a bagel with cream cheese. Its not exciting but you pretty much cannot make a plain bagel with cream cheese that you cannot eat, so it's the easy choice in a place like this. (click:?page)[=You also grab a scone, because they're reasonably filling and you can just sort of nibble on it slowly all day. (click:?page)[=Which, [[you do.->storyhub3]]

"Hey Mandy," you say, "What snacks do you recommend?" (click:?page)[="Besides the cheesecake?" Mandy says, "Because, that. But if you want somethig else..." (click:?page)[="You know what," you say, "I have had a shitty week, so, bring forth the cheesecake." (click:?page)[=Mandy does. [[It is delicious.->storyhub3]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ You stand in the [[forest.]] All around you the candles flicker. (upperfirst:$nightshade) is here. She laughs, and sets down her candle and her [[half-real wooden effigy.]] "It worked!" she says. "I think if you stay, well, there, the link shouldn't break. She points at the [[circle cut in the dirt]] and marked in wax, around you. "I can finally explain [[everything!]] Or uh, I mean, I guess I can explain [[most things.]] There's a lot I don't know."

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))A field of candlelight, amongst the twisting branches of countless trees. The light flickers all around you, hedging out the gloom beyond. Whispers writhe between the trees, and strange birds can be heard in the distance. Though the forest is dark, [[the light in the forest welcomes you->Someone calls your name]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))It's not even clear it actually is wood, it might be stone, it might the shadow left behind when wood is burned, it might be vitrified rejection of law, it might even be nothing, but in that paradoxical sense that gives nothingness substance. You're not even sure speculating on this is meaningful. It sort of flickers and your eyes don't focus on it right, and it both looks like a perfect copy of you and an unshaped block of wood. Either way, its less important than [[everything else here.->Someone calls your name]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))You've seen a summoning circle before, even if you've never actually seen one used. But this isn't that. This is something else, something stranger. It cuts through the world like it cuts through the dirt, a delineation between Here and There. An anchor in the forest's earthen skin where the laws of your world can exist amongst the laws of the other world. Or something like that, metaphysics isn't your expertise. You're haunted by the light in the forest, not an expert on it. (upperfirst:$nightshade) is the one who should [[know things.->most things.]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))"Oh no, I'm just like, an amateur demon witch, I can't explain a lot of things. I barely know what the different Crowns are. But what's going on here, I think I [[understand.->most things.]]"

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))"Okay, um, right," $nightshade says, "There's a lot to cover. I'm (if:$dream is 0)[ Nightshade, ]a demon witch who sort of stumbled into your world while the Oldest Crown was trying to consume it, and I kind of accidentally linked our fates together. Which, sorry about that!" she laughs nervously. (link:"Yeah, you mentioned that earlier")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Okay, okay, right," Nightshade says, "Anyway, (if:$dream is 0)[if I can meet you in person I can probably undo it. Which uh, I guess I should mention you're not, like, actually physically here. It's complicated." She picks up a pebble and lightly tosses it at you. You try to catch it, but it doesn't work, as it passes straight through you. [[How do I meet you in person?]]](else:)[um, you said you wanted to get to know me? I'm um, a like, half-ish human demon witch who mostly lives alone in a cave with no friends. Which, wow //that// must make me sound really cool. [[Up until recently I didn't even have a place to live]]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))|txt1>["Oh, uh, right, okay I have an idea, but it might be tricky. There's, um, you probably need to find a place where the boundaries between worlds are thin, which, I guess lately that's pretty easy, they're sort of everywhere." She laughs nervously. (if:$explorebasement is 2)[(link:"So I might already know where one is")[(show:?txt2)(hide:?txt1)]](else:)[(link:"I'll see if I can find one ")[(show:?txt2)(hide:?txt1)]] ]|txt2)[=(t8n:"fade")[=(if:$explorebasement is 2)["Oh! That's useful! Once ](else:)["That might be the hard part, unfortunately. Um, but the rest, once ]you find it I think it's actually pretty simple you just need to go there and call to be deliberately and I can do the ritual to create the bridge. Uh, but that does, uh, probably mean you shouldn't use your arm sigils. The ones that hide you from the forest. Not mine, that one um, probably I do need there." (link:"So just, go to a weak spot in the world and don't refresh my arm sigils?")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Yeah! Basically! I guess that isn't super hard, (if:$explorebasement is 2)[if you already know where to go,](else:)[other than like, knowing whee to go,] but the problem is the rituals I need to do to prepare might make... things a little more hyperactive on your side." (link:"What do you mean?")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[=She gestures wildly. "You know, like, the pull of the forest. Time might be weird. Things might bleed into your world temporarily. Uhhhh... lots of stuff. Just try not to get too caught up by it, I guess? I doubt that's too helpful." (link:"I mean I've had periods where this was worse, before they figured out how to treat it")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Okay, that's good, just use that experience. Um. You'll be okay, I don't think things will actually bleed into your world, like, until they're me. I'll bleed into your world, but that's like, the point." She laughs. "See you soon?" [[See you soon, I guess.]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))"Well that's fair then, um. Sorry I guess also a thing about me is I don't talk to people super often and it's sort of hard." (link:"I mean, same")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Okay right, that makes sense. I mean, yeah I guess I don't have a lot to actually be anxious about, except the inevitable consequences of trying to bleed into your world and stuff, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Anyway, uh, did you have any specific questions about me?" (set:$nsconvo to 1) (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:where its tags contains 'nightshade'))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

You frantically run scramble to the counter, off to the side, to try to keep out of your mother's line of sight. Mandy isn't there. Oh no. Mandy isn't there. (click:?page)[=You crouch down a bit, hoping that hides you, and wave over Thistle. "Hey I need to talk to Mandy where is she?" (click:?page)[=Thistle gestures to the doorway to the back. "You can go through and find her," she says. "I think she was getting a thing." (click:?page)[=You scamper into the back, looking for Mandy. She is not hard to find, fortunately. (click:?page)[="Hey what's up?" she asks. (click:?page)[="My... my mother's out front," you say. "She's probably looking for me." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Oh no," Mandy says, "Do you want me to get her to go away?" |yes>[(link:"Yes")[It'd be easier in the short term to say yes, but there's a lot of reasons why, ultimately, it wouldn't particularly help. Better to get this over with now.] ](link:"No")[=(hide:?yes)"No," you say. "I need some stuff that they have and and like she'll find me eventually and it's better to talk to her now while I have friends around to help. (click:?page)[="Alright," Mandy says, "Do you want me to come with you?" (click:?page)[="Probably?" you say. (link:"Just stand by, I can talk to my mom")[You start to say that, but you immediately realize, with all that's happened, attempting to directly talk to you mother would lead to one of crying or shouting. Or both. ] (link:"Being there would help")[Would it be enough though? You struggle to not cry, even now. You're not sure you're in any state to actually talk to your mom. ] [[I think I might need you to talk to her]]

The world snaps back into focus around you. Your clock is buzzing frantically, and, when you check it to reset the alarm it shows several minutes more have passed for you then have passed for the world around you. (click:?page)[=That's probably to be expected. You feel the pull of habit telling you its time to refresh your arm sigils, but you try to suppress the urge. You hope the consequences of that won't be too disorienting. (click:?page)[=And you hope this demon girl knows what she's doing better then the occultists that checked you out after this stuff started. Which wouldn't be hard, everything about your situation was new ground that had barely been studied prior to the apocalypse. (click:?page)[=You can't really fault them for being largely grasping in the dark when it comes to the light in the forest. (click:?page)[=You sit back down and sip your coffee. It tastes vaguely of light and a warm breeze. ...that might not be a good start for things being [[normal.->storyhub3]](set:$showmom to 1)

(storylet:when $nsconvo is 1 and visits is 0)(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ "So you know how some demons are shapeshifters that can assume the guise of humans?" (link:"Yeah that's sort of what I'd thought you might be")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="No it's not, that's what my parents are. I'm like, what you get when two creatures who have assumed the physical form of a human have a baby. Which is, their body's just, perfectly emulated being human and made a normal human baby. Except like, then some like, metaphysical demon shit happens and you end up not quite right. I don't have enough interactions with other humans though they all think I'm weird so I can't entirely explain how I'm, um, not like you. I think you can't usually smell emotions?" (link:"Metaphorically or literally?")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[=Uh, literally. Like your current mood smells like... uh what's that purple fruit?" (link:"Grapes?")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Maybe? Do they have spines? And their trees try to stab you if you get close without placating them with honey?" (link:"Oh I... I don't think we have those")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Ahh, fuck, well, your current mood smells like that. I'm sure if you get to know me more you'll find lots of other stuff that doesn't fit what normal humans do. But yeah basically I'm human but not quite. Which I guess is probably more than half human but it's metaphorically anyway both my halfs are human and also both of them aren't. Anything else you were wondering about?" (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:where its tags contains 'nightshade'))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet:when $nsconvo is 1 and visits is 0)(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ "I mean, it's the forest."(set:_txt to "aaa") (link:"I mean, I was hoping for more detail than that")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Well, it's one of the realms of what you call hell, but its one of the nicer ones. The candle forest, not the screaming one." (if:$research is 1)[(set:_txt to "That much my research did turn up, yeah")](else:)[(set:_txt to "Well I think I'm glad this forest isn't screaming")](link:_txt)[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="I visited there once, I think the secret to coping with it is to not have ears. Unfortunately, I've got this human anatomy, so I left quickly. Anyway this place is like, a sanctuary forest created by a... thing? An entity? God? I don't know what you'd call it, but its the light at the heart of the forest." (link:"I've... seen it? Felt it?")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Oh, yeah, you would have. It's what I think I called upon when I accidentally linked us together to like, drive off less benevolent demons. Um. Which, sorry, again, about that. It's weird and I'll see if I can figure out a way to stop it from just sort of creeping into your life when you don't want it, but yeah. Ummm... I'm not sure what else to say about the forest. It's a forest and I live here." (link:"That\'s fair")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Yeah. Um. Any other questions?" (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:where its tags contains 'nightshade'))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet:when $nsconvo is 1 and visits is 0)(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ "Oh uh, no obviously not, why do you ask?" (link:"You seemed like you were crying earlier")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Ohh yeah I mean it's a whole complicated thing. Um, I had a fight with my parents and stuff? I realize that's probably wildly mundane for problems an otherworldly demon witch has but like, you know how it is. Or maybe you don't?" (link:"Well... I mean I know how fighting with your parents is, at least")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Okay yeah, its like that, except my world is run by transcendant powers and my parents are giant snakes. Anyway trying to figure out this thing with you gives me something to do at least, and your another human to talk to, because I don't get to the human realms very often. The ones over here. I mean technically I also got to your realm once but that's even rarer. Anyway, uh... did you have other questions?" (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:where its tags contains 'nightshade'))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet:when $nsconvo is 1 and visits is 0)(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ "So like, its hard to just punch through the walls of reality; I mean, that's probably obvious. So you sort of like, write stuff on one side of the paper of reality and then get it wet and the text bleeds through. But like, metaphorically. I mean you also carve sigils in the flesh of reality, so that's more literal but the water is definitely a metaphor." (link:"What's it a metaphor //for?//")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Oh like, the metaphor is more the stuff soaking through the page. I mean I guess the light in the forest is the water? I need to like, invoke a divine engine to create the bridge sort of and it's the easiest and least dangerous ascendant power I have access to. Um. Sorry this is all kind of abstract and complicated to explain. (link:"Oh I don't mind, don't worry about it.")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Okay that's good. Basically its how I need to create a bridge into your world. Its how I'm like, talking to you right now. It might have some weird side effects, and all, but yeah. It should be fine. I think. Um..." She trails off. (for: each _p, ...(open-storylets:where its tags contains 'nightshade'))[(link-goto: _p's name) ]

(storylet:when $nsconvo is 1 and visits is 0)(exclusivity:-1)(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))\ "Oh right, yes, I did still do some looking into this. I can like, either sever the connection between us, that's actually kind of easy but like... I don't know, if you for some reason can tolerate me and want to stay in touch it might be hard to keep in touch then." [[Well that makes this choice difficult]] [[It's probably best to cut the link]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))(set: $cut to 2)\ "Haha well fortunately there's another option. I can at least like, make your link with the light in the forest quiescent and then it at least shouldn't bleed into the world around you all the time, but the link will still be there and I can use it to project across the world. I mean, if you want to hang out or something. I don't know." (link:"I will admit when I started being haunted by otherworldly forces, I was not expecting a cute demon girl with self confidence issues to be responsible")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Oh I mean, yeah I think being a weird demon hermit is not great for self... wait you think I'm cute? Why?" You laugh. (link:"You really are proving my point about self confidence")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Okay yeah that's fair. I am bad at that. I'm a demon witch, not a... person who socializes well. Anyway uh, thanks for thinking I'm cute, you're also really cute." (if:$bed is 1)[You hadn't really expected, when you ran away from everything your parents wanted you to be, that this would result in you flirting with a bunch of girls quite so quickly.](else:)[You wonder a bit if flirting with a girl you met because she was haunting you is normal, but then again, rejecting being normal was why you ran away from the life your parents wanted you to have.] (link:"So uh, back on topic, how do we do the quiescence thing, whatever that means?")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="Right, um, it'll make the link dormantish. And, to do that I need to meet you in person. Like actually in person, this is still mostly a projection." [[How do I meet you in person?]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFD0)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFFF)))(set:$cut to 1)"Yeah, yeah, that makes sense," she says. "I mean obviously an otherworldly link can be a bit disruptive and stuff. Ummm. So it um, will make things worse for a bit probably, I should warn you." (link:"Well that isn't great")[=(replace:?passage)[=(t8n:"fade")[="No, not really, but I think I can fix it. I will need to meet you in person though, after I finish some stuff here, so I can do stuff over there. It won't be that bad, I'm pretty sure, but you might have some weird stuff happen." You nod. [[How do I meet you in person?]]

(storylet:when $hour >=10 and visits is 0)\ You ask Mandy if she has stuff for coffee, because you inevitably need caffeine to not get a headache and also to function at all because it helps you focus a bit.(set:$morningready to it + 1)(set:$hour to it + 1) (click:?page)[=She does, but, it is, unfortunately, currently unground whole beans, so you go find them to grind them. (link:"Pick up the bag of coffee beans")[=Oh no. (click:?page)[=Fuck. (click:?page)[=Beans spill everywhere on the floor. (click:?page)[=Fuck fuck fuck. (link:"Curl up face down on the floor and cry.")[=(replace:?passage)[=Mandy comes into the room. "What happ-oh I see," she says. You hear her walk over to you and kneel down beside you. "Hey, it's okay," she says. (link:"Apologize")[="Sorry, I um...|endq>["] (link:"Apologize again")[=(hide:?endq)sorry. I picked... I thought it was sealed. I...|eq2>["] (link:"Better apologize again to be safe")[=(hide:?eq2)sorry!" (click:?page)[=She puts her hand on your back gently. "Its okay, really," she says. "I'm not upset. I'll sweep it up, I just want to make sure you're okay." (click:?page)[="I don't think I'll be okay for a bit," you say. (click:?page)[="Well I'll wait," Mandy says, "You're important." (click:?page)[="Yeah but... but I picked up the wrong end of the bag and it wasn't sealed right and I need coffee but I fucked up and so I don't have coffee." (click:?page)[="I mean..." you hear her pick up the bag. "I think there's still enough for a cup of coffee. And besides, we're going to a coffee shop in a bit it's literally impossible for you to fuck up so bad you won't get coffee." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="I... yeah but that's like, not the... real issue.|eq3>["] (link:"Angstsplosion")[=(hide:?eq3)Like, my parents said I should be locked up and and they want me to be normal and able to function like a person and I know I should and I shouldn't even be here and they're right I'm a useless fuckup and and and...|eq4>["] (link:"Try apologizing again")[=(hide:?eq4)sorry I'm getting in the way." (click:?page)[="You're not. Like, I like having you around," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=You sit up, and gesture at the scattered field of coffee beans on the floor around you. "Even when I do this?" (click:?page)[="I think normal people sometimes spill things too," Mandy says, "I am pretty sure that's a thing, though I guess I'm probably not normal enough to verify it." (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say, "I just... (if:$sandwich is 0)[I couldn't prepare my own food last night,](else-if:$sandwich is 1)[I had to try really hard to not panic last night when I was cooking food,](else:)[I have to like, cook simple stuff all the time because otherwise I'll panic,] and I don't know how to do a bunch of really basic stuff and even when I do know it's just... What if my parents are right and by running away and being here I'm just making everything worse?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Would being at the institution even help?" Mandy asks, "Nothing you've described sounds actually helpful." (click:?page)[="I mean..." You shrug. "Some of it probably would? But yeah I guess its more like... an ideal situation of people helping me would help. And that doesn't exist so my parents have decided I need to do a much less ideal situation that will mostly try to force me to be normal." (click:?page)[=Mandy nods. (click:?page)[="But like they probably have some use? Like this program has to help someone and why am I so fucked up it wouldn't?" (click:?page)[="I don't know, but I don't think you're fucked up. Also some of the problems you described were literally just transmisogyny; that's like, a pretty big barrier to accessible mental healthcare that has nothing to do with anything that could be vaguely described as 'fucked up'." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=You nod. "I guess its like, I need some kind of help dealing with life, and my parents have decided that this must work, and don't want to put effort into helping me themselves. Which, saying that out loud, what the actual fuck are they doing? That's like, the worst parenting." (click:?page)[="A lot of parents just sort of fixate on an idealized version of us that doesn't really exist and try to force us to change," Mandy says. "See also me kissing girls. I imagine developmental disabilities make that a lot worse." (click:?page)[=You nod. (click:?page)[="Anyway, I can't like, necessarily help as well as a bunch of professionals..." (click:?page)[="I mean you probably can, that's a low bar to clear, with the people I dealt with." (click:?page)[="Okay, fair, but I'm still not a professional but if you need help with coping with people and developing life skills or whatever we can... I don't know I can try to talk to friends and see if they can help. I doubt it will be perfect or anything but..." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="You don't have to do that much to already be more helpful than either the parents that kicked me out for being too depressed or inpatient programs that won't let you do anything they don't have scheduled and have a weirdly punative hierarchy of privileges like being allowed to watch TV that you have to earn." (click:?page)[="Yeah that's a fair point," Mandy says. "Anyway, if you're a bit more calm do you need me to sweep up the spilled coffee beans or make coffee while you do that or something?" [[I think I can sweep it up if you show me where the broom is->makecoffee2]] [[I'll make the coffee if you can sweep this up->makecoffee2]]

Once you've calmed down and gotten your coffee and everything is cleaned up, things are a lot better. (click:?page)[=Also, your coffee is delicious. It occurs to you while you taste it that there is a vague sort of taste that you would describe as not actually remotely like fruit but similar to fruit in sort of the same way a tiny pinch of bakers chocolate tastes like a candy bar. (click:?page)[=Is this what those weird coffee labels mean when they say they taste like citrus? What the fuck that's not entirely bullshit? (click:?page)[=Your bafflement over this honestly does a lot to help you feel better, by distracting you from how you were upset earlier. [[Continue->storyhub2]]

Mandy nods. "Alright, I'll be ready." (click-goto:?page,"themaw")

"Alright," Mandy says. "I'll see what I can do to help." (set:$mandyhelp to 1)(click-goto:?page,"themaw")

=><= |descend>[(color:#FF0000)[**Descend in the shrieking maw**]](after:time+1s)[=(hide:?descend)(link:"Talk to your mom")[= (replace:?passage)[=You step back out into the front of the store and look for your mom. She is currently speaking to Thistle about something. (link-reveal:"Possibly asking about you.")[ That possibility is not reassuring.] (if:$mandyhelp is 1)[Mandy takes your hand and leads you over to your mom.](else:)[You approach your mother anxiously.] "Hey, mom," you say. "I'm here." "Solanine! Are you alright?" your mom asks. "Yeah I'm fine," you say, "I'm staying with (if:$mandyhelp is 1)[her](else:)[Mandragora.]  [[themaw escalate 1]] [[themaw deescalate 1]]

"Alright," Mandy says. "I'll talk to her." (click:?page)[="I'll be nearby if I need to cut in or you need to ask me anything," you say. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[= =><= |descend>[(color:#FF0000)[**Descend in the shrieking maw**]](after:time+1s)[=(replace:?descend)[~~**Descend into the shrieking maw**~~ ](link:"Talk to your mom")[= (replace:?passage)[=You step back out into the front of the store and look for your mom. She is currently speaking to Thistle about something. (link-reveal:"Possibly asking about you.")[ That possibility is not reassuring.] Mandy approaches her, with you lurking a bit behind, not quite out of site but back enough to signal to her that you really would rather not talk here. (click:?page)[="Solanine doesn't really want to talk right now," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=Your mother looks up. "Mandragora? What's going on?" (click:?page)[="Exactly what I just said," Mandy says. "She's here, and she's safe but she doesn't really want to talk." (click:?page)[="Is she coming back?" your mom asks. "Does she have a place to stay? Why doesn't she want to talk?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="She's staying with me right now," Mandy says. "I don't think she plans on coming back." (click:?page)[="Well they'll only hold her spot for 48 hours so she doesn't have much time to complete the check in process," your mom says. (click:?page)[=Mandy sighs, and looks back at you for guidance. [[Have Mandy try to get her to leave you alone->mandy escalate 1]] [[Try to explain why you won't go back->mandy deescalate 1]]

You sort of gesture to push away your mother, and hide behind the doorway. Mandy fortunately seems to understand your somewhat vague communication, and turns back to your mom. (click:?page)[="She isn't going back there; you should probably just leave us alone." (click:?page)[="I need to make sure my child is okay," your mom says. (click:?page)[="We told you," Mandy says, "She's fine, she's staying with me. That's all you should need to know right now." (click:?page)[="I'm trying to help her; you know she needs help to function in the world and this program will help with that." (click:?page)[="Oh fuck off," you say, "No it won't, you can't just leave me surrounded by people who treat me like shit and won't respect my gender and then try to force me to become someone else, because it doesn't matter how well I function out in the world, because I still have to live with my mind and that will just make me miserable!" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="But won't your life be a lot better if you have better life skills? This program|interrupt>[ can help you learn to function in the world and...]" (after:time+1s)[=(replace:?interrupt)[—]"Not if I get support //that// way; I'd take a more messed up life with my friends where I'm struggling but happy to one where everything's together except I'm miserable any day." (click:?page)[=Your mom sighs. "Look, if you don't go to this program I don't think we can help you any more." (set:$escalation to 1) [[Well you gave her a chance->mandy escalate 2]] [[Try to make her understand->mandy deescalate 2]]

"Mom, I'm not going there," you say. (click:?page)[=She looks your direction; it seems like she hadn't seen you before this. "Solanine? What's going on?" (click:?page)[="I have a place to stay," you say, "I don't need that." (click:?page)[="Are you sure staying with her is secure?" your mom asks, gesturing at Mandy. (click:?page)[="Hey!" Mandy says, "I am right here, and I'm her (if:$gf is 1)[girl]friend." (click:?page)[=(if:$gf is 1)["Wait, she has a girlfriend?" your mom says.](else:)["Sorry, I just want to make sure my child is safe."] (click:?page)[="How much do you even know about your daughter?" Mandy says. "Given what she's said about the program your trying to put her in, I'm not convinced you actually listened to her needs." (click:?page)[="It'll help her function in the world though," your mother says. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Yeah," you cut in, "And if you have to force me to become someone else, and surround me by people who treat me like shit and won't respect my gender, it doesn't matter how well I function out in the world, because I still have to live with my mind and that will just make me miserable!" (click:?page)[="But won't your life be a lot better if you have better life skills?" your mom says. (click:?page)[="Not if I get support //that// way; I'd take a more messed up life with my friends where I'm struggling but happy to one where everything's together except I'm miserable any day." (click:?page)[=Your mom sighs. "Look, if you don't go to this program I don't think we can help you any more." (set:$escalation to 0) [[Well you gave her a chance->mandy escalate 2]] [[Try to make her understand->mandy deescalate 2]]

"No, fuck that, I'm still not going back," you say. (click:?page)[="Seriously?" Mandy says, "Seriously?" (click:?page)[="Well," your mom says, "we can't enable her if she's|interrupt>[ not going to make effort to get treatment."] (after:time+500)[=(replace:?interrupt)[—"]"Oh fuck off," Mandy snaps, "You're not helping her, you're making shit worse." (click:?page)[=Your mom looks stunned for a moment, so Mandy glances at you to get your approval to continue. (link:"Nod")[=(replace:?passage)[="You kicked her out of your house," Mandy says, "I don't really think you can talk about helping her after that." (click:?page)[="Well she|interrupt2>[ was difficult live with and...]" (after:time+250)[=(replace:?interrupt2)[—]"Shut up," Mandy says, "You can listen for once, and then you can leave us alone until you're ready to be not a shitty parent." Mandy turns to you, "Do you have anything to add?" (click:?page)[=You shrug. "Maybe, but I'd rather just be left alone right now," you say. (click:?page)[="Alright," Mandy says, "Get out." She glares at your mother and points at the door. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="She's my child," your mother says, "You can't just cut me out of her life!" (click:?page)[="Your //daughter//," you say, "And yeah I can. You..." (click:?page)[=(color:#404080)[Have you ever felt the cold dark gaze of a thousand eyes circling the dying candleflame of your world?](set:$escalation to it + 1) (click:?page)[=(enchant-in:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))[=(enchant-in:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))[=[[Because now you have]]

"Stop trying to coerce your daughter into a psychiatric program that will mistreat her," Mandy says, "If you even think about it //at all// it should be obvious that's not going to help." (click:?page)[="Well we can't enable her..." (click:?page)[="You're talking about a developmental disability," Mandy says, "Not like, a habit of arson. The whole //point// is to enable her to function." (click:?page)[=Your mom hesitates. It seems this is an angle she hadn't actually considered. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="All you're going to do if you keep going on this path is have your daughter cut you out of her life entirely as soon as she gets the chance," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=You nod. Let's be honest, at this point you're strongly considering it (linkreveal:"no matter what happens.")[= What happens isn't what you expected though. (click:?page)[=(if:$escalation is not 1)["I'm just trying to help, I'm sorry, I'll drop it.](else:)["Alright, fine, you win, I'll 'fuck off' for now.]" (click:?page)[="Thank you," you say. (click:?page)[="I'll (size:0.8)[sen](size:0.6)[d yo](size:0.4)[ur s](size:0.2)[tuff...] (click:?page)[=(color:#404080)[Have you ever felt the cold dark gaze of a thousand eyes circling the dying candleflame of your world?](set:$escalation to it + 1) (click:?page)[=(enchant-in:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))[=(enchant-in:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))[=[[Because now you have]]

[[themaw escalate 2]] [[themaw deescalate 2]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

(color:#F0F0F0)[The lights (if:$escalation is 0)[flicker slightly](elseif:$escalation is 1)[flicker and go out for a moment](else:)[go out]. You hear your clock buzz a frantic alert.] (click:?page)[=|ready>[(color:#404080)[The darkness beyond the forest paths gazes into this world, its stare cutting apart all laws of light and time.]] (click:?page)[=(color:#E0E0E0)["Solanine, your pen," your mom says.] (click:?page)[=|ready>[(color:#404080)[The light in the forest cannot hold back the flood. A single candleflame against the endless consuming maw.]] (click:?page)[=(color:#D0D0D0)[You were warned this might happen. You are caught between panicking and taking the ]|safe>[ [[safe way to stop this]]](color:#D0D0D0)[, or continuing on a path that might save you.] (click:?page)[=|ready>[(color:#404080)[There are no paths away from this place]] (click:?page)[=(replace:?safe)[(color:#D0D0D0)[safe way to stop this]](color:#C0C0C0)[You're not even sure there's a candle ready, so you just ]|run>[(color:#C0C0C0)[run.]] (click:?page)[=(replace:?ready)[(color:#FFFFA0)[(text-style:"smear")[I'm ready]]](replace:?run)[ [[run.]]]

There are no candles. You aren't ready for this. (click:?page)[=|ready>[(color:#404080)[You cannot run from the hungry gaze of the night]] (click:?page)[=You run from the hungry gaze of the night. Mandy follows you. (click:?page)[=|ready>[(color:#404080)[The night is all around you]] (click:?page)[=You're not entirely sure if this can cause problems for other people, but its late afternoon and the shop had too many people in it and you need to get away from them. And away from everything. (click:?page)[=|ready>[(color:#404080)[And now, the ooze wolves seep into your world]] (click:?page)[=|bad>[That seems bad.] (click:?page)[=(replace:?ready)[(color:#FFFFA0)[(text-style:"smear")[I'm ready]]](replace:?bad)[ [[That seems... good? Bad? It's not clear->That seems bad.]]]

It's only late afternoon, and the sun is still up, and people are all around you. (color:#404080)[The night circles around you. You are alone, and lost in the darkness beyond the reach of sun and candlefire.] You aren't actually sure how much this intrusion of hell can actually cause problems for other people, but you don't really want to risk finding out what will happen if it does. (color:#404080)[You cannot run from the hungry gaze of the night.] You run from the hungry gaze of night. Mandy chases after you. (color:#404080)[And now, the ooze wolves seep into your world.] [[That seems bad.]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#404080))(enchant:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))[=(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))Shadows curl on the walls around you. You hear an unpleasant squelching sound. The gaze of the night is upon you, and all routes away from it fold back in on themselves, leading back here. You're not sure if you're trapped or if the darkness simply makes it seem like you are, but either option isn't pleasant. A shadowy pool on the ground shlorps towards you. Teeth seem to ripple in the dark. [[You run]]

(enchant:?passage, (color:#404080))(enchant:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))The laws of this world buckle under the weight of the shadows. Time spirals off into [[the night.]] Space is a [[labyrinth.]] Eyes and teeth form from the shadows. An [[ooze wolf]] shclurkts into existance from the pool in front of you.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#404080))(enchant:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))The night cannot end. The night cannot end. It hungers and seeps into everything, it seeks to consume you, and unravel all the world. After several hours in the dark, or maybe several seconds, the wolves resolve into focus before you. That wasn't exactly what you //hoped// would happen, but it's what happened, regardless. They ooze toward you, and leak through the cracks in the walls. Their awful shlorping steps are both alarming and a fairly unpleasant noise. The largest [[snarls]], wetly.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#404080))(enchant:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))The city is dark, and the path winds amongst the trees and thorns. Cars rush past, tearing through the underbrush. Briars tear at your feet. You cannot find a path. You cannot find a path. The wolf drips from the trees. It [[snarls]] wetly at you.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#404080))(enchant:?link, (color:#404080)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #606080)))The creature seems to be a wolf, or at least vaguely canine, but also made of some horrible viscous fluid that makes so many unpleasant sklurching sounds. It shlups towards you, dripping with malice. It bears its teeth, and [[snarls]] wetly at you.

(enchant:?passage, (color:#FFFFA0))(enchant:?link, (color:#FFFFFF)+(text-style:"smear"))(enchant:?link, (hover-style: (color: #FFFFA0)))(color:#404080)[The wolf lunges, but before it can reach...] (click:?page)[=Mandy knocks it out of the air with a baseball bat. (click:?page)[="What the fuck is going on," Mandy says. "Also, fuck off," she says. She points her bat at the gloopy puddle (color:#FFFFFF)[on the sidewalk in front of you.] (click:?page)[="I don't know!" you say. "I think reality is falling apart because of the forest? Or something? And there's monsters. Because of course there are." (click:?page)[="Is this the kind of thing you deal with all the time?" Mandy asks, "Because you should never worry if you're being irrational about making a pact with a demon in your dreams if this kind of thing keeps happening." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Is this the kind of thing you deal with all the time?" Mandy asks, "Because you should never worry if you're being irrational about making a pact with a demon in your dreams if this kind of thing keeps happening." (color:#FFFFFF)[=This is a bit new, but yeah this kind of thing occasionally happens. I don't usually get attacked by goop monsters that unravel time but... "Okay," Mandy says, "So time feeling like a labyrinth wasn't just me then?" She looks around. [[The sun]] is shining, and the only real sign of anything strange is [[the puddle]] on the ground, but even it is dissolving. It seems [[the threat has passed,]] for now.

There is only one sun; the pale sun that occasionally sneaks into the sky isn't there right now. (click:?page)[=Reality is healing. (click:?page)[="I think we need to get to your house," you say. "I got a feeling... a message? It was weird. Anyway I think Nightshade is [[ready for us]]."

You aren't actually even sure if this puddle was a horrible monster in reality, or just in your dreams. You're not entirely sure that distinction matters, either, but also thinking abt the blurring of subjective experience and objective reality makes your head hurt even more than whatever the hell just happened to you already did, so you decide not to dwell on it much. (click:?page)[="I think... I think we should get to your house?" you say, "I got a feeling... a message? It was weird. Anyway I think Nightshade is [[ready for us]]."

"Yeah weird stuff like this just happens sometimes," you say. "But I'm pretty sure we're clear for now." "That's good," Mandy says. "So should we head back to the shop?" "I think we should head to your house. I got a feeling... a message? It was weird. Anyway I think Nightshade is [[ready for us]]."

The short walk to Mandy's house is uneventful. Mandy takes the time to call Thistle and let her know you weren't feeling good on account of demons from outside the world trying to eat you or something and that she's taking you home. (click:?page)[=When you arrive, Mandy hugs you tightly as soon as the door is closed. (click:?page)[="Fuck I was really worried," she says. (click:?page)[=You hug her back. (click:?page)[="I don't even know if it was an actual danger because of everything that happened but I got seperated from you sort of and I really... I really don't want something to happen to you," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="I don't want something to happen to me either," you say. (click:?page)[="I know I know sorry," Mandy says, "I just... I really like you and maybe this is just lesbian loneliness and someone seeming interested in me but..." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=She kisses you. (if:$bed is not 1)[It's a brief kiss, but you're like fuck it this is probably a good time to make out, and go back and kiss her again, for much longer.](else:)[She clings to you tightly, like she's afraid you'll slip out of her grasp and disappear. Given recent events, that may even be possible to literally happen.] (click:?page)[="Okay, sorry," Mandy says, "I'll save the rest of the being gay for after you do whatever you wanted to do here." (click:?page)[="Right," you say. "(if:$explorebasement is 2)[We need to go to the basement. I am pretty sure there's like, [[a weak spot in reality down there.]]](else:)[I'm... not actually sure. I had a weird feeling that I should be here but... I need to find a place where reality is thin and I'm [[not sure where that is.]]]

"Well that's slightly alarming," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="A bit," you say, "But I think those are just there since the demon apocalypse. It mostly makes weird stuff happen if I go there, but I guess right now there's specific weird stuff is what we're trying to have happen." (click:?page)[=Mandy nods. (click:?page)[=You descend. (click:?page)[=And in the sort of dim light of the basement, [[you light a candle.]]

"Uhhh, I don't know, if you had a weird feeling you should be here, is there a weird feeling you should be somewhere else in the house?" Mandy says. (click:?page)[=(t8n:"blur")[Probably the basement.] (click:?page)[="The basement? Maybe?" you say. "Having weird intuitions is not the usual way I solve my problems." (click:?page)[="Well we can try that," Mandy says. (click:?page)[=You descend. (click:?page)[=And in the sort of dim light of the basement, [[you light a candle.]]

"(size:0.4)[Oooo](size:0.7)[oooo]ohhh fuck." Nightshade is suddenly there in the room, though it looks like she just hit something solid as she appears. (click:?page)[="Okay, okay, fuck, ouch, I was hoping this wouldn't do that but I guess I was wrong." (click:?page)[="Are you okay?" you ask. (click:?page)[="Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just. Transition shock. Your world doesn't like stuff coming through and it made the shock of the transition a bit painful." (click:?page)[="Oh wow she is cute," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Wait, really?" Nightshade says. "You said I was cute?" (click:?page)[="Yeah," you say. "'cause you kind of are. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=Nightshade laughs, but its a somewhat nervous laugh. "Okay I guess!" she says. (click:?page)[="Anyway, um," you say, "I guess we've met in person now? Anyway, this is (if:$gf is 1)[my girlfriend, Mandy](else:)[my friend who I (if:$bed is not 1)[apparently] sometimes make out with, Mandy]." (click:?page)[="Hi!" Mandy says, waving. (click:?page)[="Anyway, Mandy, this is Nightshade, (if:$dream is 0)[the weird, but also cute girl who has been haunting my dreams.](else:)[who is I guess a friend (if:$gf is not 1)[who I don't sometimes make out with](else:)[who haunts my dreams sort of]]." (click:?page)[=(if:$gf is not 1 and $dream is not 0)["Let her know if you want to change that though," Mandy says.](else:)["Sorry, I wasn't trying to curse you with me haunting your dreams," Nightshade says.] (click:?page)[=(if:$gf is not 1 and $dream is not 0)["I mean, um, I suppose, yeah, if you are interested," you say.](else:)["If we fix that though then that's not a problem anymore," you say. (if:$dream is not 0)["And I mean we wouldn't have met otherwise, so..."]] (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Yeah, I suppose," Nightshade says, "Anyway, right, so I hope things didn't get too weird while I tried to prep this." (click:?page)[="We got attacked by ooze wolves and the gloom or night or something?" you say. (click:?page)[="Ahhh, fuck," Nightshade says, "I was afraid that might happen, but was pretty sure I'd prevented it. Are you all okay?" (click:?page)[="Yeah," you and Mandy both say. (click:?page)[="Okay, good," Nightshade says. "So um, (if:$cut is 2)[I know you said you wanted me to try to make the link just... like, dormant, but if the darkness beyond the forest is bothering you maybe we shouldn't.](else:)[are you ready? I mean, its not actually a very complicated thing. Um. I could also I guess try to just make the link dormant if you want to be able to use it to find me again? Um. If you want. I don't know if that's actually very, uh, safe though.] (if:$dream is 1)[ [[Lets break the link first and go from there.]] ](if:$dream is 0)[ [[Let's break the link.]] ][[I guess try making it dormant? I'd like to get to know you more.]]

"Alright," Nightshade says, "It's probably safer that way. I... I might be able to still visit your world because these cracks are still //there//, it'll just be harder." (click:?page)[="Well also you're here now," Mandy says, "If you want to go on like, a triple date or whatever. Wait a double date is two couple, this is one group of three people. Fuck I don't know what to call it." (click:?page)[=Nightshade laughs. "Are you asking me on a date then?" (click:?page)[="Apparently!" you say. (click:?page)[="Well let me fix this first," Nightshade says. She holds up a hand, and says something that sounds not only like a language you don't know, but a language you aren't actually sure humans can speak. "Hold out your arm." (click:?page)[=You do. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=She wipes off the faintly glowing sigil on your arm. (click:?page)[="Alright," she says, "That's resolved, so, you actually want to spend time with me?" (click:?page)[="Why not?" you say, "When you aren't like, accidentally cursing me you're pretty cute. Okay actually you're cute then too." (Nightshade giggles at this.) "But anyway, you fixed this problem, and it seems like I don't have to worry about time labyrinths and goop wolves." (click:?page)[="Hopefully not!" Nightshade says. (click:?page)[="So let's try going on a group date, and see how that goes," you say. (click-goto:?page, "endcard")

"Okay, right," Nightshade says, "So..." she holds up a hand, and says something that sounds not only like a language you don't know, but a language you aren't actually sure humans can speak. "Hold out your arm." (click:?page)[=You do. (click:?page)[=She wipes off the faintly glowing sigil on your arm. (click:?page)[="Anyway, um, that's that," she says. "I know that might be a little anticlimactic, but um, yeah." (click:?page)[="I think the wolf attack was plenty climactic," You say. (click:?page)[="Um, anything else?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Yeah," Mandy says, "Before you go, and I say this is the most lesbian way possible, we should go out for some coffee. Like, the three of us." (click:?page)[="Mandy oh my god," you say. (click:?page)[="Look, she's cute, and she seems nice, if prone to accidentally haunting people, we should get to know her better." (click:?page)[=Nightshade laughs nervously. "I mean, um, if you want." (click:?page)[="Yeah, you know what, that seems nice," you say. (click-goto:?page, "endcard")

"You'd like to get to know me more?" Nightshade says. (click:?page)[=(if:$dream is 1)["I'm pretty sure I've said that before," you say.](else:)["I mean yeah, you're cute and seem nice. I'm not sure why I wouldn't."] (click:?page)[="Okay that's fair!" Nightshade says. "I mean sorry I'm not great at talking to people." She laughs. (click:?page)[="Neither am I," you say. (click:?page)[="You both seem to be doing fine right now," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Okay fair!" Nightshade says. "Anyway, before we do anything else, let me do the ritual thing." (click:?page)[=You nod. (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[=She holds up a hand, and says something that sounds not only like a language you don't know, but a language you aren't actually sure humans can speak. "Hold out your arm." (click:?page)[=You do. (click:?page)[=She reaches out and traces a second sigil on your arm. You feel a strange sensation of warmth, but it passes almost immediately. (click:?page)[="Okay, let me check a thing," she says. She makes several more of those not-quite human sounds. "Seems like it's working. Hopefully this means less problems now." (click:?page)[="And you can still use this link to talk to me then?" (click:?page)[="Yeah," Nightshade says. (click:?page)[="Okay, good," you say, "Because I do actually kind of like having a cute girl around." (click:?page)[="Two cute girls!" Mandy corrects. "Three even, if you count yourself." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="True, you are cute," Nightshade says. (click:?page)[=You laugh. "Anyway, um, do you want to like, go get some coffee some time with me?" you ask. (if:$dream is 0)["We should probably get to know each other if we're going to be haunting each others dreams."](elseif:$gf is 1)["I did just get a girlfriend but I wouldn't mind having more friends I can make out with."](else:)["If you want to like, join Mandy on the list of friends I make out with."] (click:?page)[=Mandy laughs. (click:?page)[="Ummmm... (if:$dream is 0)[Yeah I think that would be nice!"](else:)[I can try making out!"] Nightshade says. (click:?page)[=(if:$dream is 0)["Then it's settled!" you say. You pull both Nightshade and Mandy in for a group hug.](else:)[You try making out.] (click-goto:?page, "endcard")

==><== (t8n:"blur")[###The Light in the Forest] a thing by worm (clickgoto:?page, "Credits")

Writing and scripting: Emily worm `(`(link-repeat:"Twitter")[(gotourl:"https://twitter.com/wormapotheote")]`)` Feedback/testing: gayghostprince, KiriAmaya, Sophos, Vicky (link:"Return to menu")[(restart:)]

=><= ##Chapter 2 [[Continue->storyhub]] (link:"Save")[(if:(save-game:"A"))[Saved!](else:)[Could not save, sorry]]

=><= ##Chapter 3 [[Continue->Wake]] (link:"Save")[(if:(save-game:"A"))[Saved!](else:)[Could not save, sorry]]

(storylet: when $hour >=15 and $morningready is 3 and visits is 0)\ =><= ##Chapter 4 [[Continue->Head out2]] (link:"Save")[(if:(save-game:"A"))[Saved!](else:)[Could not save, sorry]]

"Anyway, if you want to make out later when we get home, I'd be entirely in favor of that," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="Wait wait, you want to make out with me?" you say. (click:?page)[="I mean yeah," Mandy says. "Like the point of flirting is to say you're romantically and-slash-or sexually interested in someone, you know. In the case of me flirting with you, both." (click:?page)[=Your first instinct is to be like, "Why though." You don't say that. Like, oh my god don't try to talk her out of liking you that is a terrible idea. (click:?page)[="I, um..." Your anxiety tries to stop you from forming words, but you force your way through. "Yeah I'd like that." (click:?page)[="Then its settled, making out at my place later. Well I guess its your home at the moment too." (click:?page)[=You would think that the part that stuck with you the most later was that she wanted to make out with you. But really, given everything that's been going on, it was actally the fact that she called her house your home. [[Continue->storyhub3]](set:$maybegf to 1)

After a little bit of alternatingly smiling at her and staring at your feet to keep from being overwhelmed, you ask, "So um... I really like you." (click:?page)[="I've noticed," Mandy says. (click:?page)[="I hope that's not a problem," you say. (click:?page)[="Solanine, I really like you." Mandy says, "Like I think you're hot and I'm interested in you romantically. So yeah, it's. Very not a problem." She smiles. "Also if you're ever worried I don't like you I'd like to point out that I literally just kissed you." (click:?page)[=You laugh. "Yeah okay my anxiety isn't entirely rational," you say. "Anyway, um... what does this mean we are?" (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Lesbians who are gay at each other," Mandy says, "Obviously." She laughs and then takes a more serious tone, "I mean labels aren't really important, and so on but also I realize especially if your anxious and lonely being able to say, 'hey this relationship is a real and important thing' is also valuable and especially with gay women its really easy to end up in this situation where you're both like 'wait but is she really into me?' and having a clear label helps make that like..." she trails off a bit. "Sorry that was a lot of rambling." (click:?page)[="It's okay," you say. (click:?page)[="Anyway my point was, I don't know? And if you don't either, that's fine but also if you want to be my girlfriend that's also fine? I think." (click:?page)[="I'd like that!" you say. "I'd really like that." (click:?page)[=(replace:?passage)[="Then it's settled," Mandy says. She holds up a hand for a high five. "Congrats on the hot girlfriend." (click:?page)[=She isn't wrong, your girlfriend is really hot. (set:$gf to 1)[[Continue->storyhub3]]