Blue Lacuna — 118 of 467

Chapter - Your Bedroom

Your Bedroom is a room. The bed is an enterable supporter in Your Bedroom. The description of the bed is "Posts and headboard scuffed and worn, the bed was the only piece of furniture here when you found this place. Enormous, and far too large to fit through the doorway, you expect it will remain here long after you do.".

Bedroom-stuff is stuff in Your Bedroom. Understand "long/loft" as Bedroom-stuff when location is Your Bedroom.

Instead of examining yourself when Finishing-The-Prologue is complete and Finishing-The-Painting is unsolved:

if The-Path-of-Love is happening, say "You're older, slower, and achier now than you were when you first came to the Tumble. But also wiser, calmer, and happier." instead;

else say "You are the one constant in your life, and even you change. [if mirror is enclosed by location and we have examined mirror]Studying your sleepy eyes, you[otherwise]You[end if] wonder what happened to the terrified [if player is male]boy[otherwise]girl[end if] who first painted [if player is male]his[otherwise]her[end if] way into another world, the brave teenager eager for a life of adventure, the bitter young [if player is female]wo[end if]man first touched by pain. Perhaps they still exist, somewhere in those worlds you left behind, trapped forever in amber." instead.

Instead of sleeping when location is regionally in Homeworld, say "You are too keyed up for sleep: the Call itches at your mind.".

The concept of the Call is a backdrop. The description is "[one of]It is an itch in the mind, a tug on your soul. It means that when next you wayfare, what you paint and where you go will not be entirely up to you. Some other wayfarer is pulling you closer. Someone in need.[paragraph break]You've only felt it once before, at least consciously. When you answered you found a dark, razed world where a lonely little girl was stranded. She had a gift like your own, but didn't understand it, and thought she was crazy for believing in it. You stayed with her a month, helped her survive and learn to want survival, to gain strength to sing to more peaceful worlds.[paragraph break]Yes, you remember now. Her gift was song, fragile with heartache, but the clearest, purest thing you've ever known, or ever will.[paragraph break]Did she call you to her? Did some hidden part of yourself reach through infinities to feel her suffering? Or does some power run through all universes, bringing you together in times of need? You don't know. But now the Call has come again[or]The Call pulls you, an infinitely long string attached to your mind that trembles, tickles, urges you to [d]paint[x] the image you feel forming in your mind, still unclear, though you know it will coalesce the instant your brush touches canvas[stopping].".

Homeworld is a region. Your Bedroom is a room in Homeworld. The printed name is "Loft". The bed is an enterable undescribed supporter in Your Bedroom. The prose name of Your Bedroom is "the loft".

The homeworld-accoutrements are a backdrop with printed name "lodge". They are in Homeworld. Understand "wall/walls/floor/roof/ceiling/beam/beams" as homeworld-accoutrements. The description is "Sturdy wood that has stood for many winters and should stand many more.". Instead of climbing or touching homeworld-accoutrements: say "The wooden beams are cold now, the warmth of day slowly sucked away by the cold night beyond.".

Rume is an undescribed person on the bed. Understand "love/lover/girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband" as Rume when location is regionally in Homeworld and Finishing-The-Prologue is complete. Rume is asleep.

Understand "soft" or "warm" as Rume. Rume has a number called awake-examined. The awake-examined of Rume is 0. Instead of burning Rume, try attacking Rume. Check attacking Rume: say "It comes upon you at times, surprising and frightful, in odd dreams or curious moments of the day. You have no conscious desire to hurt Rume, this [if Rume is female]wo[end if]man you've loved maybe more than any other in your life, but still, at times, some cold fury rises within you, some bitterness, some anger. Maybe it's the red core of your gift, jealous, knowing that to choose Rume means abandoning it forever, ceasing to wayfare.[paragraph break]But no. The feeling fades. You have larger realms to wander tonight than pettiness." instead.

Instead of kissing or tasting Rume when Exploring Homeworld is happening, say "[if we chose love or we chose both]Already Rume has drifted back to sleep, but you're[else]Rume drifts in deep sleep, but you're[end if] more awake than you've been in a year. You kiss [hisher] cheek, hand lingering on [hisher] warm shoulder. You'll come back to say goodbye, if... or before."

Instead of hugging or touching Rume when Rume is asleep, say "You wrap your arms around Rume for long moments, feeding off the heat of [hisher] deep sleep, but [if we chose love]now that you've fed one need, the other[else]you've already chosen. The need to paint[end if] grows deeper and deeper inside you. The Call beckons, itches. You must answer.".

Instead of waking Rume when Rume is asleep: say "[CHeShe] [if we chose love or we chose both]has already fallen asleep again[else]still sleeps[end if], so deep and complete that for the moment you can't imagine [himher] awake again[if we chose love or we chose both], a faint smile still lingering on [hisher] lips[otherwise], the twinges of desire from moments ago vanished into dreams when you slipped away[end if]. You'll come back to say goodbye, if... or before.". Instead of greeting Rume when Rume is asleep, try waking Rume.

The description of Rume is "[if Rume is asleep][Rumeasleepdesc][otherwise if the number of spoken terminal beats in RC > 0]Already the shadow of the doorway half-conceals [himher], as if [hisher] reality already begins to fray.[otherwise]Wrapped in light cloth despite the lingering chill, Rume regards you steadily with no hint of sleepiness. Pale blue smoke rises from [hisher] sikar, nearly smoked down.[setRumeflag][end if]".

To say Rumeasleepdesc: say "[CHisHer] features are only just distinct in the dim and flickering firelight. A year. You've known [himher] a year now, and [heshe] looks the same as the day you met, in the dazzling light of a high and snow-scraped cirque. A life spent exploring this alpine world has infused winter into Rume's face; [hisher] nordic cheekbones, bleached hair, and ruddy cheeks hint at coldness, but the warmth of [hisher] touch, [hisher] laugh, [hisher] soul, dominates. There is fire in [hisher] sea-blue eyes, and from the moment you met [himher] it burned in yours too.

Now, three months after this mountain cabin became your shared home, you see other things in Rume's face as well. You know what it looks like in anger, in pride, in guilt. You can imagine now as you never could before how that face will age, the lines along which youth and energy will drain until one day only a dry mask remains, faded and cold. In your life you have seen death, but not aging. Never aging.

But now?

No matter how many final decisions you've made, no matter how many times you've put the question behind you for good, it still lingers. Could you truly give up your gift, the magic heart of your soul, to grow old here with Rume, on this world of kind people but cold and bitter winds? Could you really never know the breeze of another world again, the tang and rush of new reality? You have always been a wayfarer. Who would you be if you let that go?

You look away, at last, as if from the sun. The questions burn too deep[tutorial-lookreminder].".

To say setRumeflag: now the awake-examined of Rume is 1.

The description of Your Bedroom is "[ybeddesc].".

To say ybeddesc:

if Prologue is happening begin;

say "[run paragraph on]";

otherwise;

say "[if player is not on bed]The bare floorboards at your feet are cold as you stand in the long loft,[else]Firelight trickles through the open doorway into this long loft, seeps deep into[end if] huge wooden beams strung with pine [o]boughs[x] angling above your head";

if player is on bed, say ". You lie in the warmth of your bed, buffered from the air's winter chill by layers of warm [o]furs[x][one of][or][or], but anxious to [d]get up[x][stopping]";

say ".[paragraph break][if player is on bed]Next to you[else]In your bed[end if] lies [o]Rume[x], breathing quietly, [if we chose love or we chose both]already asleep again[else]asleep[end if]. Beside [if player is not on bed]your bed[else]you[end if] sits a simple [o]nightstand[x]";

if player is not on bed, say ".[paragraph break][exits][tutorial-directions]";

else say "[tutorial-objects]";

if player is on bed, say "[tutorial-descriptions]";

end if.

The exits text of Your Bedroom is "Faint red firelight gutters through the open [dr]doorway[x]". Understand "door/doorway/balcony" as west when location is Your Bedroom.

Some furs are a prop on the bed. Understand "fur" as furs. The description is "Brown and black, thick with the heavy warmth once needed by creatures who slept through long mountain winters.". Instead of taking furs, say "It's chilly, but Rume snuggles beneath them, and needs them more than you now.". Instead of touching furs, say "The thick furs are soft and warm; without them, nights here would be unbearable.".

Some refracted firelight is a minor setpiece in Your Bedroom. Understand "fire" or "fire light" as refracted firelight. The description is "The remnants of last night's fire down on the lodge's main floor are mostly shadow now, but in the black of night provide just enough light to see by.".

The simple nightstand is an undescribed supporter in Your Bedroom. The description is "Made simply from unfinished pine, it has the naked functionality and unexpected beauty that marks everything made by Rume's hands. Atop it rests a framed [o]drawing[x] and a small round [o]mirror[x][tutorial-moredetails].".

A small round mirror is a prop on the nightstand. The description is "The brass stand and edging is adorned with simple repeated patterns like everything the craftsfolk of this mountainous country put hand to. Inside the dark circle you see only your own [o]reflection[x].". Understand "reflection" as yourself. Instead of attacking small round mirror, say "You'd wake Rume.". Check touching small round mirror: say "The mirrored surface is cold and smooth." instead.

The framed drawing is a prop on the nightstand. Understand "sketch/hand/hands" as framed drawing. The description is "Set in a wide frame of grey stone, Rume gave you this pencil sketch some weeks ago. [CHeShe] had rarely drawn before, which to you makes the sketch even more remarkable: [if player is male and Rume is male]two masculine sinewy hands, entwined, but the difference between yours and Rume's clear[otherwise if player is female and Rume is female]two gracefully feminine hands, entwined, but the difference between yours and Rume's clear[otherwise]your graceful artist's hand and Rume's calloused and practical one, entwined[end if]. Though crudely drawn it has as much power in it as anything you have painted, and the intensity of everything Rume creates.[paragraph break]In darker moments, you cannot help but see the strength with which Rume's hand clutches yours in the drawing. In darker moments, you wonder whether your hand is trying to pull away.". Instead of attacking framed drawing, say "It seems a petty thing to do to something given in kindness.". Instead of touching framed drawing, say "The paper is rich and textured, the graphite marks smooth grooves.".

The bathrobe is an undescribed wearable thing in Your Bedroom. The printed name is "simple robe". Understand "robe" as bathrobe. The description is "Simple, but it keeps you warm.". Instead of taking off bathrobe, say "You shiver at the thought. Winter seeps relentless through the walls of the lodge.". Before wearing bathrobe when player is on bed: try exiting instead.

[ New players often try to get dressed or look for clothes at this point, so we gamely accommodate them with an otherwise undescribed bathrobe object.]

Vague dressing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "dress" or "get dressed" or "wear clothes" or "put on clothes" as vague dressing. Check vague dressing: if bathrobe is not worn by the player and homemade outfit is not worn by the player and location is regionally in Homeworld, say "A simple robe waits for you beside your bed." instead. Check vague dressing: if ( yourself wears bathrobe and location is not Old-Tumble-Cellar ) or yourself wears homemade outfit, say "You are already dressed." instead. Carry out vague dressing: try wearing homemade outfit.

Vague undressing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "undress" or "take off clothes" or "get naked" as vague undressing. Carry out vague undressing: repeat with article running through things worn by player begin; try taking off article; end repeat.

The pine boughs are a setpiece in Your Bedroom. Understand "bough/tree/branch/branches/pine" as pine boughs when location is Your Bedroom. The description is "Arranged gracefully across the slanted ceiling, the pine boughs infuse the room with the scent of the forest outside, while somehow making this mostly empty space seem whole. Rume's work again: undeniably right, but you'd have never thought to do it.". Instead of touching boughs, say "The needles are crisp and still sharp as you raise a hand and run your fingers idly through them, redolent with the tactile essence of the forest.". Instead of taking or pulling boughs, say "This is not the time to redecorate.". Instead of smelling boughs, say "The scent of the fresh pine boughs blends with the muted smells of the old logs of the lodge to produce some comfortable mixture of the wild and civilization.".

The wooden ceiling beams are a setpiece in Your Bedroom. Understand "wood" or "roof" as beams. The description is "The four large beams, cores of once mighty pines, slant upwards above you to create this long angled room. The wood is old but solid, placed long before you came here by some unknown master builder." Instead of touching beams, say "The surface of the wood is smooth and chill. Ancient ripples wend and warp across the rounded surface.".

Report getting off bed: say "Careful not to disturb Rume, you slip out from under the warmth of the furs into the chilly air[if player had not been wearing bathrobe], quickly wrapping a robe around yourself[end if]."; try looking instead. After getting off bed: now the player is wearing the bathrobe; continue the action. First check going up when location is Your Bedroom and player is on bed: try getting off bed instead.

Instead of saying farewell to when location is Your Bedroom, try kissing Rume.

Report going from Your Bedroom to The-Tumble: say "You pass through the open doorway, old floorboards creaking comfortably under your feet, into the light and open space of the rest of the lodge.".