Mint and the Secret of the Bunnoys

(set:$scaredycat to true)"Stay away, you monster!" $hmc didn't know who or what it was, but one thing was for certain, her survival instincts kicked in at that moment."Don't worry. I'm here to help you." The voice was soothing, it was calm and firm, not showing any hesitation at all. "My name is $bmc, I'm a female $bunnoy, not a monster." She confirmed. "What about you, what's your name?"$bmc was trying to approach $hmc as smooth as possible. She had woken up in an unknown situation with a stranger whose intentions were unclear and that made her feel uneasy. But she didn't feel like $bmc was dangerous, so she spoke her mind."I'm $hmc..." She said softly before gaining enough confidence. "But I don't believe you! You could have either kidnapped or restrained me!""I can't really prove that you aren't being restrained. And even if I could, you might not believe it either." Neither her words nor eyes wavered at all in comparison to $hmc's resolve."I can only say that if I wanted to hurt you, I'd have already done so before. So I can only say that I won't harm you in any way." She still had the same strength and composure as before."You've got a point... I guess. Hmm... I'll believe you for now." She didn't want to acknowledge what she was hearing. But her fears already dissipated the moment $bmc finished speaking.She knew her options were limited and that $bmc had a point in all she said. She could only accept for now and see how it turned out later."Then, [[why->Why Here]] am I here?"

(display:"Walking outside")"[[Hey->Friend Outside Intro]]!"

With $bmc's parting, the room was engulfed in an awkward silence between the remaining two guests."So uh, you're pretty quiet." She had broken the silence with a more than an awkward statement. $hmc didn't know how to reply to something like that and just stared back speechless. "Are you... having fun?""Yes...?" If this was an attempt from $bmcf's part in trying to be friendly, it wasn't exactly alluring."That's cool..." The silence had arrived as soon as it had disappeared. They both looked away, possibly trying to come up with anything barely worth mentioning to soften the heavy atmosphere.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look who's here." Another $bunnoy with a more purple tone on their fur approached while waving their hand and ears, quite happy to see them. They covered their body with what looked like padded armor and also carried a sword by their side, hanging from the hip.$knowledgeable[Since she knew who they were, she was fascinated to see many $bunnoys walking around.](else-if:$scaredycat)[There were many $bunnoys, $hmc didn't trust them. None of them looked specially dangerous.] Although there weren't that many compared to the amount of people roaming in the marketplaces she used to visit, roughly one fourth of the usual amount. Some had simple clothes dyed in different colors like $bmc and others had armor like the purple one.Most of them carried the same equipment. There were some that had small variations here and there and just a few that carried completely different equipment varying from subtle accessories as pendants or earrings to more flashy apparel or weapons.Another trait all of them shared was that they were looking her way."Hi, $bmcf! $hmc, she is $bmcf, another female $bunnoy and a good friend of mine. What are you doing here?""I was going to visit you. I wanted to check on your little patient..." She glanced at $hmc, she was taller than $bmc, what made her more intimidating. "Speak of the devil."(if:$weather is 1)[(display:"Clothes")]"How are you, girl?" She was asking $hmc directly."I'm fine, thanks..." She hid behind $bmc, scared of what could $bmcf do next."Is she that shy?" She was puzzled at $hmc's behavior.(display:"HMC was")"I see. So what were you going to do?""I thought I could show her around. Get to know each other better.""That definitely sounds like a plan. But isn't it a bit late?" She said carefully."Hmm, you are right. They should be closing by now. It's not a good time for a tour, we should head back. Tomorrow we could possibly visit the forge, the arcanum and the farms. What do you say?$hmc was slightly disappointed by that. She had just woken up, had all this place to explore and she had to give up on that. It wasn't ideal, but she wouldn't say no to her $scaredycat[allegedly ] rescuers. "Yeah, [[okay->Room]]."

"$knowledgeable[She was very cheerful and talked a lot before. It was a bit odd at first, but she's nice.](else-if:$scaredycat)[She shouted and screamed when she saw me. She was quite scared at first, but she has calmed down.](else:)[She was very confused and cautious but she still talked more before.]"

{(set:$hmc to"|hmc>[Mint]", $bmc to"|bmc>[Berry]", $bmcf to"|bmcf>[Cherry]", $bunnoy to"|important>[bunnoy]", $bunnoys to"|important>[bunnoys]", $weather to 0, $knowledgeable to false, $scaredycat to false, $languageexplained to false, $earlyrest to false, $lewd to false, $eat to false, $foodlie to false, $shecool to false, $shenotcool to false, $sleeptogether to false, $lewdlie to false, $bookcool to false, $booknotcool to false, $day2path to 0, $farmer to"|farmer>[Angy]", $smith to"|smith>[Raddy]", $mage to"|mage>[Corny]", $mom to"|mom>[Olivia]" )}

(set:$languageexplained to true)As told, $bmc started the explanation:"They are written in our language. Most of them are ancient books from generations back.""Your language? But aren't you talking in mine?""Oh, no. I'm not talking in yours. I'm talking in my language while you talk in yours." The explanation went as far as $hmc's confused expression. "By bringing you here, you already understand what we say. And the opposite, we also understand you. But it doesn't work that way with books since they aren't essential for communication.""How come?""It's... uh... how to say it... like a magical device that translates our words? And it's configured to only work with spoken words." It was obvious she was struggling to come up with a believable and, at least, easy explanation. "It's not exactly that, but close enough, I guess.""Oh! You have a magical device down here?""Well, yes, it's the “source” of our energy. It lits the area and keeps us warm as well.""That's sooo cool.""You think so? It's been like that for me all my life.""And I've never seen any magical device in my life.""I see, that's understandable."

"Ooooh. It looks just like a fountain.""I'm not sure how it exactly works either, I was only told tales when I was younger. But it's supposed to be a very ancient artifact that's been here for generations.""That sounds so cool!""Hahaha."$hmc was confused, they were talking about their weird device and suddenly $bmc started laughing aloud instead of her usual giggling."What's so funny?""It's just, it's so exciting that you're here with us." She tried to calm down from her sudden burst, still smiling. "That something so mundane for me is so impressive for you.""I guess you're right." Now that she thought about it, it was as funny as $bmc said. If a stranger was very excited about some herbs she had seen time and time again, she would probably find it weird.

"Wait a second... $bmc." She examined $hmc from head to toe for a bit, grinning before speaking again. "I didn't notice before since she was all muddy. But she's a cutie." The mischievous grin on her face scared $hmc. She didn't like being examined that much, it made her feel uncomfortable. But the grin was even worse, she felt like prey ready to be hunted. "Too bad she's already taken." She shrugged looking at $bmc. "W-what do you mean? You know it's not like that!" She was angry and her cheeks were flushed."Oh, is it? I'm not so sure.""Come on! Don't be mean!""What's going on here...?" It seemed like $bmcf was teasing $bmc about something. Not only the last statement had confused $hmc a lot, it had broken the illusion where she was prey about to be hunted.

"I was going to tell you in a moment." She pauses for a second, wondering what to say. "It's an artifact, like a magical device.""Like a magical device?"$earlyrest["When you looked at the books in my bookshelf, they were written in a different language."](else:)["We speak different languages, you and I."] Moving her hands along with the explanation. "But we can still understand each other.""That's the artifact that manages all of that and even more things."(display:"More Explain")

(set:$lewd to false,$earlyrest to false,$languageexplained to false)"I found you in the outside world. You were unconscious, lying on the ground." She started speaking. "My friend and I brought you to our nest to help you recover. Since you could have ended up catching a cold." Her voice was soothing.(if:$weather is 1)["And since you were completely drenched, we also changed your clothes. So you'll have to stick with those for now while they dry."]"Oh, thank you... I guess."$hmc was surprised but grateful at the same time. She could have stayed unconscious for hours and her clothes wouldn't have made sure of her safety for that long without shelter. It was highly probable that she could have gotten sick.Thinking about it, if $hmc ever found someone in need of help wherever she passed by, she would have done the same.$scaredycat[ So maybe she was telling the truth, which reassured her a bit more.]"Wait... outside world? Nest?""Yes, we are underground, in a sort of... gallery." She was showing an interest in $hmc's surprise and explained further. "This is my home, all my relatives live here.""A gallery... could I have a look around?!" Her curiosity awakened. She always had a weak spot for multiple creatures and environments in nature, and galleries was one of them.$knowledgeable[ And who would pass an opportunity to explore the home of the intriguing $bunnoys? Definitely not her.]"I'm sure you could." She chuckled amused by $hmc's sudden interest. "But maybe you should rest for a while longer."$hmc wasn't exactly feeling bad, but maybe she could follow her advice and lay down a bit more, she had a choice in front of her, to [[keep resting->Rest]] or to [[look around->Explore]].

(set:$earlyrest to true,$lewd to false,$languageexplained to false)$hmc considered her options. She thought that maybe she could relax for a bit before doing anything else. She was sure there would be another chance later. Maybe she was sick and didn't know it yet, she had woken up not too long ago, after all."I think you're right. I should probably rest for a bit.""Okay, just let me know if there's anything you'd like. I can bring you anything if you're hungry or thirsty." She paused for a bit, recalling something. "Although I've got to go now but I'll be back soon, I promise." She left with a smile.It hadn't been long enough for $hmc to start walking in circles wondering what to do before $bmc arrived. She wished time would (link-reveal:"pass quickly")[(show:?time)].|time)[As the minutes ticked and her boredom grew, her sight fell on a bookshelf. There were plenty of books and her thirst for knowledge and curiosity sparked her to get closer.She started browsing title after title, cover after cover to no avail. All the books looked rather old, but that wasn't the problem. They were written in a different language she did not know, full of complex drawings and designs that would not help the reading experience one bit.$hmc was getting frustrated, she liked challenges and puzzles but that felt like a punishing game. She was going to stop when she reached a soft cover at the bottom right corner of the bookshelf. "Soft?" All books from the bookshelf had hard covers.It picked her interest, not only was the cover soft, it was also hidden between two larger incomprehensible volumes. $hmc pulled it out and brought it closer to her face. It was small, rather new compared to the rest, even though almost anything would look new in that regard, and it had a much simpler cover. The title was definitely handwritten.$hmc's eyes were wide open as she realized for a moment... "Maybe it's a diary!" Doubts assaulted her, if it was a diary it would probably be very personal and that would go wrong quickly. But she was curious and she was sure taking a peek inside wouldn't be as harmful since it was in a different language... [[Put it back->Don't look]] or [[just a peek->Peek]].]

(set:$starttime to(current-time:))<h2 class="chapter">Day 1</h2>Inside a perfectly generic gipsy wagon used for traveling, stood a woman dressed in some worn out green and brown clothes. They were resistant to many weather conditions since they were meant for travelers, after all.The woman stood there, looking at a covered cradle, and spoke:"Would you like to hear a story? I'm sure you'll like it. It's a story about how you came to the world. It took place months ago, in a distant land, it was..."(link:"Sunny")[(set:$weather to 0)(go-to:"Weather Chosen")], (link:"Rainy")[(set:$weather to 1)(go-to:"Weather Chosen")] or (link:"Foggy")[(set:$weather to 2)(go-to:"Weather Chosen")]...

{(set:_c to(css:"color:#4169E1"))This is a list with all the variables used, just to keep track of them.Fixed variables:<ul> <li>_c[[$]hmc] name of the Human Main Character: Mint</li> <li>_c[[$]bmc] name of the Bunny Main Character: Berry</li> <li>_c[[$]bmcf] name of the Bunny Main Character Friend: Cherry</li> <li>_c[[$]bunnoy] name of the bunny species singular</li> <li>_c[[$]bunnoys] name of the bunny species plural</li> <li>_c[[$]farmer] name of the bunny farmer: Angy (Orange)</li> <li>_c[[$]smith] name of the bunny blacksmith: Raddy (Radish)</li> <li>_c[[$]mage] name of the bunny in the arcanum: Corny (Blue Corn)</li> <li>_c[[$]mom] name of the human main character's mother: Olivia (Olive)</li> </ul>Variable variables:<ul> <li>_c[[$]starttime] the time you started reading</li> <li>_c[[$]weather] can be 0 Sunny, 1 Rainy, 2 Foggy</li> <li>_c[[$]knowledgeable] if hmc knew in the introduction</li> <li>_c[[$]scaredycat] if hmc panicked in the introduction</li> <li>_c[[$]earlyrest] if hmc decided to rest when asked</li> <li>_c[[$]languageexplained] if hmc heard the language explanation</li> <li>_c[[$]lewd] if hmc took a peek at the book</li> <li>_c[[$]eat] if hmc ate the roots before either lying or telling the truth</li> <li>_c[[$]foodlie] if hmc lied about the food</li> <li>_c[[$]shecool] if hmc said bmcf was nice</li> <li>_c[[$]shenotcool] if hmc said bmcf was uncomfortable to be with</li> <li>_c[[$]sleeptogether] if hmc accepted sleeping together</li> <li>_c[[$]lewdlie] if hmc lied first about why she had the book</li> <li>_c[[$]bookcool] if hmc said she liked the book</li> <li>_c[[$]booknotcool] if hmc said the book was gross</li> <li>_c[[$]day2path] can be 0 Farms, 1 Forge, 2 Arcanum. Used to know which path the player chose the first time</li> </ul>}

A branch broke, alerting $hmc. That usually meant someone or something was close, and in most cases it wasn't a good sign.The alerted $hmc was right, a wild animal came out of a nearby bush. She should have seen what animal it was to act accordingly. But she had panicked and didn't know what to do, her only thought at the moment was... RUN!The girl couldn't do anything but run. She ran so far and fast that, in the end, she was tired, tripping with her own feet and falling on the (if:$weather is 1)[wet ]ground, ready to [[sleep->Unconscious]].<figure><img src="img/falltogroundcg.png" alt="Mint unconscious on the ground." title="Poom">(if:$weather is 1)[<img class="coverimage" src="img/falltogroundcgrain.png" alt="Mint unconscious on a puddle on the ground." title="Sploosh">]</figure>

(set:$knowledgeable to false,$scaredycat to false)$hmc slept soundly for a good while. She was exhausted from running wildly for mere minutes, but waking up somewhere else was outside of her expectations."Huh? What's going on? Where am I?" She wondered, confused. "Wasn't I in the forest?" It was too much for her before she finally realized. "Oh, right. I panicked and ran away before I tripped and fell..."The place was lit enough to see without much strain its dirt walls. They were dressed with pictures, furniture and other decorations. $hmc looked around, adjusting her eyes to the new place and grasping her surroundings better, she had been sleeping over a mountain of dry leaves and grass that turned out to be pretty comfortable.(if:$weather is 1)[Not only the environment was strange to her, even her clothing was different. She didn't carry her weary but useful coat with her anymore and her pouch belt was nowhere to be found. Who would have taken it and why?](else-if:$weather is 2)[The environment was strange, but although not as important at the moment, she finally noticed her clothes had suffered from her fall. They were stained with dirt and leaves and probably needed a wash.]"What's this place? This looks underground...? A cave? How did I end up here?" She was ready to panic any time, she was in an unknown location, underground."Hello." A feminine voice echoed in the room, it was higher pitched than $hmc's, although it wasn't difficult to achieve since her voice was deeper than the average girl. "I hope you had a nice sleep."A figure she did not know appeared from within the shadows, she couldn't see well and the sudden appearance of the figure made $hmc jump backwards."I'm glad you're much better." The figure got closer, whoever they were they didn't sound aggresive, in fact, they sounded relieved.As the figure got closer, $hmc noticed pink fur covering all their body, well, not all their body as they were wearing clothing, they also had a small sword hanging with the help of belts from their hip, two big pointy ears protruding from their head, and an overall rabbit shape, confusing her even further.$hmc considered her options...<ul><li>[[Who are you?->I don't know you]]</li><li>[[Are you...?->I know you]]</li><li>[[Panic more.->I panicked]]</li></ul>

"Who... are you?" She had never seen anyone like her... But she wasn't afraid. Definitely not. She was curious.$hmc remembered she heard a long time ago a saying that said “curiosity killed the cat”. She knew exactly what it meant, she had experienced it first hand during her travels and she knew it was dangerous, but for some reason, she didn't feel that whoever was in front of her would hurt her at all."I'm $bmc, a female $bunnoy." She spoke softly, without any hint of malice in her words. "What about you, what's your name?""I'm $hmc. Human." She replied, still confused about the surreal situation."Nice meeting you, $hmc." She smiled."Nice to meet you too." Without realizing, $hmc found herself smiling back.The small presentation was followed by silence, it was an awkward situation for $hmc. The only question that pondered her mind was:"So... [[why->Why Here]] am I here?"

(set:$knowledgeable to true)"...Are you possibly a $bunnoy?" She pondered with a spark of curiosity."Huh? Well, yes, I am...""Oh my god... I can't believe it! I'm so excited!" It seemed as if she had ingested sugar and it was about to burst out of her body. "My mom used to tell me all sorts of stories about your kind!"The $bunnoy girl didn't know how to tackle the situation, it was a bit... unusual for her."Believe me, I really mean it!" Her emotions were overflowing, the situation was reversed in a moment and the $bunnoy was definitely looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry... I just got carried away.""It's fine, I'm $bmc by the way." She tried to give it no importance seeing as $hmc looked remorseful."Right. I'm $hmc!" It was something she really appreciated.The small presentation was followed by silence, even though they both tried hard to make it smooth, it was still an awkward situation for $bmc.As soon as the excitement left $hmc's body, a question remained in her mind that she had to ask: "Excuse me but... [[why->Why Here]] am I here?"

$hmc's curiosity was finally defeated by her strong resolution to keep the diary in its rightful place in the shelf. She decided to go back to browsing the rest of the titles with no luck on finding something easy for the eyes."How are you feeling?" $bmc had entered the room completely silent."Oh, pretty well. I was wondering if I could read anything to kill time. But I can't read any of the books.""Of course... I didn't realize sooner. I'm sorry." She sounded apologetic as she seemed to recall something. "If you wish, I could [explain]<Language| why you can't read any text and I could show you around afterwards or we could just go outside [[now->Explore]]."(click:?Language)[(display:"Language")]

(set:$lewd to true)$hmc's curiosity finally achieved victory over her resolution to keep the diary safe. Only a peek wouldn't hurt at all since she didn't know the language the books were written in. Taking a look at a diary and be safe about it at the same time was a win-win situation that not many could take advantage of.She opened the book, almost covering her eyes out of fear before finding some lines of text which looked like the title of a chapter. It didn't feel like she was reading a diary, so a few more pages wouldn't hurt anyone.Drawings! The next pages took $hmc by surprise. She wasn't expecting any sort of drawing, and even less that many together. It could be a diary with drawings or maybe a sketchbook. She remembered seeing sketchbooks from her travels but the lines were too clean to be one of them. It had frames separating each drawing in a linear fashion.After a few more pages she felt all the frames were connected, they were telling a story she could barely understand without reading the text that appeared within each frame.The characters depicted were more $bunnoy people, she could tell as much due to the obvious physical characteristics, but she could not tell who they were. She hadn't met many of them, in fact, she only knew $bmc.Without realizing, $hmc ended up at a page with two $bunnoys kissing. It wasn't a sight she would have expected, but the drawing of that particular scene was more vivid and impressive than the previous ones. The lips were especially alluring...She kept turning page after page, drawn more and more to the drawings, she found herself not being able to drop the book, as both, the characters caressing each other and her cheeks flushing were growing in intensity. They started from the top, unbuttoning their layers of clothing to something more revealing. The drawings were very detailed, but also subtle, keeping hidden vital pieces of information, leading to a very imaginative and embarrassed reader."I'm back!" Her arrival made $hmc panic. Closing the book with force and hiding it behind her as fast as her body would allow her.[[Act as if nothing had happened but fail misserably.->Peek 2]]

"Someone's at the door. Give me a moment."$hmc found her opportunity, she could take this chance to leave the book on its place as fast and silently as possible..."Hey, $bmc! How's your little patient doing?""She was doing fine, a bit worse now so she's resting. Want to come in?" $hmc heard footsteps, they were coming inside and she was still halfway to the bookshelf. Oh, no! Abort!"Hey there!" They said as they looked at the nervous patient. "She definitely looks better now than when we found her outside." Another $bunnoy taller than $bmc and with a more purple tone on their fur approached her while examining her up and down. They covered their body with what looked like padded armor, also carrying a sword by their side, hanging from the hip."She is $bmcf, another female $bunnoy and a good friend of mine. $bmcf she's $hmc.""Heyo.""Uhm... hi." She looked pretty intimidating.(if:$weather is 1)[(display:"Clothes")]"Is she that shy?"(display:"HMC was")"Her fever might be at fault here.""You think so? She looks scared to me.""Why would she?""I... don't know.""Either way, $bmcf here helped me get you inside." She tried to shrug it off by changing the subject."I couldn't have carried you alone." She continued $bmc's statement."...Thank you.""That didn't sound very thankful." She squinted."It's fine, it's fine! I'm sure she's glad you helped her.""Yeah, okay." Neither her eyes nor tone expressed the same feeling as her words."Uhm... Would you like a drink and some snacks?""Sure! I'm always up to some treats." She said cheerfully."Then excuse me for a moment." She left entering through a door that either led to a storage room or a kitchen."Please, don't leave me alone with her!" Was her first thought.(display:"Silence")"So." She stated without looking at her. "You aren't sick at all, are you?" She stared at $hmc, showing no hesitation on her words. "Why are you faking it?""She got me?! How?!""I swear if you are planning anything. If you ever hurt anyone, I'll crush you." $hmc didn't have to confirm how serious she was. Her eyes were fierce as her tongue, leaving no room for doubts of what she was capable of doing.(display:"Eat or")

This is the end for now.To measure the reading time: You started reading at $starttime, now it's (current-time:).You can try different options if you wish: [[Reset Story->Restart]].

(set:$foodlie to true)"No, no, they are fine. I'm not feeling like it." She tried to excuse herself. She wasn't capable of telling them the truth. It might have hurt them more if she told them she couldn't bear eating the roots instead of just saying it was her own health that couldn't let her enjoy any food at the moment."I seriously hope you get well." She definitely looked worried."I-it's not that bad. Just a bit unwell."$lewd["Yeah, poor thing! You should probably rest.""Don't be sarcastic, she's having it tough.""Okay. Sorry." She shrugged. Her expression literally meant ‘whatever’."Why am I suddenly feeling bad...?" She thought it would be a petty lie, that it wouldn't do any harm. But maybe it wasn't such a good idea. She was regretting it already.](else:)["She probably needs something warm." She was definitely lying. But $hmc couldn't bring herself to correct her. It would probably end badly.]"I can bring you a soup if you want.""Maybe later. I don't want to be a burden.""It's fine, you're not a burden.""Okay... then a soup is fine." Against others' persistance $hmc was a bit weak, she would accept almost anything anyone asked if they insisted enough."Just wait a bit, I'll be back." She left through the same door she had passed not that long ago.$lewd["So." $hmc had completely forgotten about her issue regarding $bmcf, which made her shiver. It might have been better if $bmc never left to search for the food. "Poor thing, let me help you rest soundly." Her scornful comment made her shiver even more."I-I'm fine, I'm fine!" She was definitely scary and wouldn't want to spend more time with her. She hoped $bmc would come back quickly to put an end to this situation. But for now, she was alone. "I don't need any help!""Are you sure? I wouldn't want anything bad happening to you." She smiled."She's so scary!""Why? Why are you doing this?" Her smile had disappeared, she wasn't ‘joking’ anymore and that confused $hmc even further. What would she come up with now? What was she planning? "I said it before, but I swear that if anything bad happens to $bmc, you're dead.""I... I really don't want to hurt anyone!"](else:)["You better keep quiet about this.""I will!""Remember I won't go easy on you." She explained. "This is between you and me. I don't want you running your mouth.""I swear I won't say anything!"]"You better not.""You better not what? What's going on?" In contrast to the first time, none of them heard the footsteps coming back from the storage/kitchen room. $hmc couldn't think of anything to say. There was no avoiding the confrontation now."Welcome back, $bmc." Contrary to her way of thinking, $bmcf wasn't the slightest nervous, she seemed to have everything under control. "I was saying, she better not get any more sickly than this.""I agree, that would be very bad." She smiled, innocently. "Anyway, I brought you a veggie soup. Enjoy.""Thanks." The stew, on the other hand, smelled delicious. It was enough to make her stomach rumble loudly. Everyone laughed at the sudden sound coming from $hmc's stomach but no one mentioned anything else. The three of them enjoyed a good, possibly afternoon?, party without further incidents.[[Some roots later]]

$hmc couldn't keep it within herself. She needed to tell them that she couldn't eat those bitter roots no matter what. She had planned to eat them in the beginning, but she couldn't."Well... I can't bear to eat them. Humans don't eat these type of roots." She was a bit scared. What if that offended them? What if they couldn't take it?"Oh, is that so? I didn't know." She sounded surprised, not exactly offended. "I'll try to bring you something else, maybe a soup?""I'm fine for now, I'm not hungry." $bmc sounded worried, but she didn't want to be a bother."Are you sure? It's not a big deal.""Well... if you insist." Against others' persistance $hmc was a bit weak, she would accept almost anything anyone asked if they insisted enough. "Considering roots, root vegetables do the job.""Sure. Just wait a moment." She left through the same door she had passed through earlier."So." $hmc had completely forgotten about her issue regarding $bmcf, which made her shiver. It might have been better if $bmc never left to search for the food. "You don't eat roots.""Humans eat root vegetables, but only roots... not really." She tried explaining herself as best as she could without fearing for her life so much.$eat[ "I'm sorry if I don't like them, I tried eating them. But I can't seem to be able to eat them." With all that said, she could only embrace for whatever reaction would come next."Yeah... you did try. I can't really blame you for that." What came out of $bmcf's mouth shocked her. She was even prepared against force and sharp comments... but an actual apology kind of comment? Not in her wildest dreams was she ready for that. "I still don't trust you, but you seem pretty honest... For now." Her current behavior was confusing $hmc more, what was she trying to say?$lewd["Although I still demand an explanation. Why are you playing sick?""Ah! T-That's difficult to explain." $bmcf still wanted to know about the book. But she couldn't tell her! If $bmcf behaved like that before knowing she actually did something that could be considered bad, she didn't know what would happen to her!"I see.""Huh? That's it?" She was puzzled. She wouldn't insist more? Not a single question more?]](else:)["Have you ever tried them?" Her expression didn't seem to like $hmc's way of handling things."Well, yes... Since I'm an alchemist I've tasted all sorts of ingredients, be it roots or any type of plants." It was very important for an alchemist to spend a lot of time around forests, tasting a lot of plants to know their effects. "Even poisonous ones..." She shuddered at the thought. "But I wouldn't be able to survive long eating only those. It requires more for humans to survive.""Is that so?" $hmc nodded, she felt she had gone nowhere. $bmcf would probably not believe her and it would end up in more questions. But it didn't.]The soothing creaking noises and footsteps reached $hmc's ears. Spending too much time with $bmcf would wear her out. She also appreciated $bmc's kindness more, all had to be said."I hope these are to your taste. I brough a small selection of veggies." She had arrived with a full bowl of vegetable stew. You could see some chunks floating around."Just a few would have done.""Don't worry about it. I want to learn more about humans. They are quite fascinating!" She smiled as she placed the stew in front of $hmc. "Don't you agree, $bmcf?""They sure are."$bmcf seemed to be in a good mood now as she smiled back at $bmc. The stew, on the other hand, smelled delicious. It was enough to make her stomach rumble loudly. Everyone laughed at the sudden sound coming from $hmc's stomach but no one mentioned anything else. The three of them enjoyed a good, possibly afternoon?, party without further incidents.[[Some roots later]]

(set:$eat to true)"I uh..." Both $bunnoy girls were staring at her with completely different expectations. She tried to come up with some sort of excuse but she couldn't, her only hope was to eat the roots. Maybe they weren't as bad as she remembered.$hmc grabbed a root and got it closer to her face, she needed courage to gulp it down as quickly as possible before the bitterness would invade completely her taste. She sniffed it a bit before opening her mouth, but it only smelled as fresh dirt. She knew the taste would be very similar."Ugh... Tastes like wood and dirt..." She knew it. The taste was the same back when she was learning and it'd be the same nowadays. It couldn't magically change its taste for her sake in this situation."Are you sure you're alright? You're putting on a weird face." $hmc tried her best to eat the roots without raising suspicions around her, but it turned out to be impossible. No human being could possibly eat such roots and enjoy them. She was sure of that. However, that didn't fix her current predicament and now she had to either [[lie->Food Lie]] or tell the [[truth->Food Truth]] about the food.

(set:$shecool to false,$shenotcool to false)Some roots later, or so they thought, hours had passed without any further incidents. They spent a lovely... afternoon? eating pastries made out of roots and drinking tea, also made out of roots to no one's surprise. Not forgetting to count $hmc's stew that had root vegetables as ingredients.They talked during all that time about many things from the human world and their way of living to be compared, at the same time, to the $bunnoy world.There were some similarities between both cultures but their diet and way of living gave away some important differences.Both $bunnoys looked intrigued, one more than the other, and wanted to know more, but no matter how interesting was a conversation, time wasn't endless."It's about time I leave." She said getting up from her comfortable position. "It's getting late." $hmc was surprised, she knew time had passed and she was sure it wasn't exactly early. But it made her wonder what time it was. She couldn't tell underground without the sun."Okay, I'll accompany you outside. I'll be back in a moment." She motioned before getting up as well. "Today was pretty fun, we should repeat this more often.""Okay." $bmcf looked at $hmc, reminding her of their small talk by the beginning of the “party”. $foodlie[Her eyes were as fierce as they were before. There was no doubt she wouldn't forget it that easily.](else-if:$eat)[Her expression didn't show any sign of hostility nor malice, she was calm, cautious maybe, but calm. It looked like she was just observing her.](else:)[She was checking on her, her eyes didn't show any sign of hostility, but she wasn't just staring, she was examining her with caution.]Both girls left the room for a moment. $hmc was thoughtful, considering what she would have to do about $bmcf the next time she saw her. It wasn't easy to plan ahead, did she even need to do that?"Hey, $hmc, I would like to ask you a question.""Huh? What is it?" She was lost in thought and didn't realize that $bmc had come back. She was fidgety, showing signs of nervousness. Which made her wonder what the question was about."Did you have fun today?" She asked to $hmc's surprise. "I know $bmcf can be a bit pushy when dealing with people."So that's what it was all about. Well, that was easy to discuss now that $bmcf wasn't here... or was it?<ul><li>(link:"She was pretty nice.")[(set:$shecool is true)(go-to:"How was Cherry")]</li><li>(link:"I wasn't exactly comfortable.")[(set:$shenotcool is true)(go-to:"How was Cherry")]</li><li>[[I don't mind.->How was Cherry]]</li></ul>

(if:$weather is 1)["A-also..." She was blushing quite a lot, fidgeting before and after the words started to form. "About what she s-said before about you and me...""Don't worry about it.""Really? You're fine with it?" She couldn't believe it, maybe it was strange for $hmc to say that."Uh... yeah, I guess." She didn't know what was going on nor what $bmc was trying to tell her, but all she could do was try to shrug it off and be fine with whatever the outcome was. She felt that if she had played along, it would end worse than just playing dumb."That's such a relief." Her thoughts might have been weighing on her shoulders more than $hmc was aware of."I might be missing something." Regardless of the origin of the trouble, it looked like paying it no mind was the best decision.]"It's getting late, we should get ready to sleep." She mentioned, now back to her usual relaxed self."Oh, right!" $hmc remembered. "I was wondering, what time is it? How do you know? I'm so clueless underground." She spent all day either conscious or unconscious below the surface, yet it could have been more than just a day and she wouldn't know. Without the sun, it didn't matter how long she had slept or how long she had been awake, she was lost. Although knowing how long she had been there was definitely important too."I... guess we just know it." She was struggling to explain. "We could go outside to check but we don't usually do that. We have almost the same schedule for waking up and sleeping, so we're used to it. I guess.""So it's like... a biological clock?" Her grandma's anatomy lessons paid off. She wasn't an expert, but she knew several things that would come in handy for alchemy."Probably? I'm not so sure what a biological clock means, but that might be close enough." From their conversations at the tea party, $hmc realized that they had different vocabulary terms for some items or expressions. Or there wasn't even a different word, it just didn't exist. Since they were born under different cultures it was pretty understandable, although a bit of a pain when it came to explaining."That must be nice, though. Knowing when you have to do certain tasks every day without having to check the time..." She thought of the possible advantages a precise clock that was biological could have. "Like when taking a medicine or... [[OH NO]]!"

(set:$sleeptogether to false)"Do you need a change of clothes to sleep?" $hmc shaked her head, she didn't have to consider it at all. That's the one thing she wouldn't do with someone else beside her. Not again. (if:$weather is 1)[She also had cleaner clothing now, although that meant someone had changed it for her. But she didn't want to think about it yet.](else:)[Although having a change of clothes would be a good idea, her usual attire needed a wash.]Doubts assaulted her as soon as they where ready to rest. She didn't see any bed and the only place that looked comfortable enough was a single mountain of leaves. "Where am I going to sleep?" She asked, assuming $bmc would be the one sleeping there."$lewd[Where you already were, that's my only spot for sleeping in the room.](else:)[There's only one spot for that, and it's where all the leaves are.]" She said as if it were the most natural thing to do."Your only spot...? Wait, does that mean...?" Her assumptions turned out to be correct. She wanted to avoid considering the possibility even if she already knew the outcome."What does it mean? By the way, do you mind sleeping with someone else? We, $bunnoys, always tend to sleep in groups, keeping each other warm." $hmc's mind shut itself, it had been forever since the last time she slept with someone, and she never slept with anyone outside her family. "Although it's not exactly needed since we never suffer lower temperatures than what we currently have inside. I guess it's a habit, and whenever we're alone we tend to use some plushies instead." She pointed to some $bunnoy dolls scattered around the room.$lewd["I still haven't returned the book, what should I do?" She had to very carefully consider her options or the end result could be fatal. "But sleeping together? Together? Isn't that... inappropriate or something?!" Many possibilities and very little time. "What if she realizes I'm different?"](else:)["I guess it's fine...? It's been forever since I slept with someone else, I don't think I'll be used to it again right away, though... But what if... she realizes I'm different?"]"Hello? Are you still there?" $hmc had been so focused on the “sleeping together” part that she zoned out for a while, not realizing how long she had been in that state."Yes! Yes, I am! I need a moment." It was yet another excuse to buy some time for her to actually think on the issue instead of just panicking on the inside."Wait! When did she change her clothing? Did she change right there and I didn't even realize it? And taking a good look... $lewd[She... looks so cute and... oh my god! What am I thinking? Put yourself together! This might be too much stimulation...](else:)[She's pretty cute on her pajamas.]"She had to consider, should she [[accept->Accept to sleep together]] or [[refuse->Maybe another time]] her proposal?

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" $hmc's sudden shout worried her."I forgot to take my dose!" Her breath and voice becoming unsteady. "At what time did you find me outside?!""That was... around dusk yesterday..." She didn't know what was happening, but she knew the best course of action was to answer her.(if:$weather is 1)["Where are my clothes?" It was a demand more than it was a question."They were drying. Let me grab them for you." She explained before moving her body to the storage room. She had to move swiftly to get the clothes $hmc was asking for. As soon as the clothes were in sight, her face brightened."Thanks!" She gladly took the neatly packed clothes in a hurry, ruining the beautiful presentation to take a look at the pouch belt. $hmc wasn't looking specially for her clothing, she was looking for her belt. The pouches in it carried herbs and other plant matter that weren't important either. She was looking inside a specific pouch, it was clearly different from the rest, marked with simple embroidery. "I need to take my dose right away, I can't wait any longer!"](else:)["I need to take my dose right away, I can't wait any longer!" She felt the belt surrounding her hips. The pouches in it carried herbs and other plant matter that weren't important at the moment. She was looking inside a specific pouch, it was clearly different from the rest, marked with simple embroidery.]"What are you talking about?" It was especially confusing. She didn't know if $hmc needed help or if she was sick, all she could do was ask and try to understand the situation better."It's some sort of medicine I have to take every day." She tried to explain as simple as possible after swallowing some pills without delving too much as it might have turned into an akward moment for them both."Are you okay?""Yes, I will in a second." Even though $bmc looked extremely worried, $hmc had already taken her dose and started breathing regularly. "Oof, I almost forgot to take it. Sorry for panicking. I can't stay too long without them." It was her best attempt at flashing a soothing smile at $bmc."Is it bad?" It seemed to partially work, reducing her visible concern. She wasn't so distressed anymore."Not exactly. It's not that I'm sick, but I need them as they are important to me." It might have been the most vague excuse $hmc could think at the moment. It wasn't entirely false, that's for sure. But she wanted to avoid the subject as much as she could for the time being."Oh, okay... I don't understand, but if they are important, you should keep them close.""Thank you." She appreciated the gesture. But she also had other matters to attend, and quick. "Also, where is the bathroom?""Bathroom?" That was a bad moment for them not to have that word in their vocabulary."A place to... pee and all that stuff?""Oh! Yes, of course! I'll lead you there." That confused $hmc, why would she need to lead her there? As she realized they don't have a “bathroom” inside their rooms.The “bathroom” wasn't definitely what $hmc would have expected. It's not like she looked for something fancy, most of the time she had to do whatever she needed to at forests due to her peddler job. And anywhere she went only nobles would have fancy bathrooms, or so she heard. But she was definitely expecting more than just a mountain of leaves and other dry branches in a separated and dark room. At least the smell wouldn't haunt them at night."If everything's fine already..." They had finished their businesses and were already back in the room."Yes, everything's fine now. Thanks.""As I was saying, it's getting late so we should [[go to sleep->Sleep]]."

(set:$sleeptogether to true)"Okay." $lewd[She wasn't completely sure. It might turn into a mistake later on, but $bmc looked like she really wanted to, and $hmc couldn't bring herself to say no to her.](else:)[She wasn't sure if she was ready to sleep together with someone that wasn't part of her family. But she thought it could be a good opportunity to give it a try. Plus, $bmc was expecting it.] "Let's sleep together." She said, resigning to her bunny eyes."Great!" Her eyes were shining. "I wasn't sure if humans were different in that regard. So I really wanted to ask." She was full of energy considering it was the end of the day."Well, some do." She remembered the people she met during her travels. "I have slept with my family before, but it's not like every human is the same. We can be very different.""I see. We are indeed quite different, but our customs are more or less the same." It was obvious that they were different just with a glance, but it was also true that to their very soul they were very similar."I guess we have more in common than you thought.""Could be. But it's still exciting to know about you and your culture." She had a broad smile drawn on her face."I'll turn off the lights and I'll be joining you in a second." She walked until she reached a wall, doing a gesture with her hands that made the light of the entire room fade."$lewd[She's coming, she's coming...!](else:)[I still wonder how those spheres provide light. It's quite interesting.]" She couldn't see anything but she could clearly hear the footsteps, they were light. Which made her more nervous."There's not much space, here I go!" The $bunnoy mentioned with the typical edge to her voice that meant she was about to do something. In this case, jumping over the $lewd[fidgeting ] human girl and the pile of leaves.$bmc was kidding, she didn't throw herself on top of $hmc but she did get very close to her and hugged her as she would a plushie. She was quite happy to have someone to sleep with, contrary to $hmc's troubled expression. She was almost fighting for air and space."Good night.""$lewd[[[Night->Night Together Lewd]]](else:)[[[Night->Night Together Not Lewd]]]."

$hmc shaked her head, she couldn't help it, but sleeping together with someone might have been too much for her yet. She needed some time and space alone before she could wrap her head around it. "I'm sorry.""It's okay. You keep my spot warm, I'll place some plushies around for myself." She didn't seem to mind it, although she looked a bit disappointed. She probably looked forward to sleeping together."I'm sorry...""Why? You don't have to be." She dropped some of the plushies she was carrying on the ground.$scaredycat["You probably need some time for yourself, might have been harsh and scary arriving to an unknown place without realizing. Even if I haven't experienced it myself, I know how lonely it can be." She was a bit more serious than usual. "I hope you had fun today."]"I..."$lewd["$scaredycat[And y](else:)[Y]ou've been pretty sick today. I think it'll be safer if you sleep calm and relaxed. You don't have to worry about me." Her usual smile returned.](else:)[$hmc tried opening her mouth, but $bmc stopped her. "I don't mind sleeping like this, really. I'm quite tough, I'll be fine." She played around with the plushies, stretching, throwing and applying force to them showing her “strength”.]"This is all new to me and I feel like I've been making mistakes all day around you. So I want to properly know how you sleep. Instead of forcing you into doing something you don't like.""Okay..." She smiled slightly. $bmc's words definitely carried strength that affected $hmc in some way, it almost filled her with the confidence she lacked."So I'll do everything on my paws to help you with anything you need.""I'm still sorry about it, though.""It can't be helped, I guess humans don't tend to sleep together.""Ah, I used to sleep with my mom before. It's not like all humans are the same, but some do.""Oh? I also used to sleep with my mom! And my dad, and siblings..." She looked sad for a moment."Is it a let down?""No, not at all! This is very exciting! I never knew about humans aside from some old tales. Experiencing it for real is a rare opportunity!""$knowledgeable[I also heard about $bunnoys from tales. It's very exciting for me as well.](else:)[I guess you could say that. I'm also kinda excited about this.]""Right? Anyway, I've finished placing my sleeping spot, I'll turn off the lights now." She finished putting together the mountain of plushies on the ground. $hmc didn't notice she had so many in the room until she saw them all together. There were probably dozens of them. $bmc walked to a wall, there seemed to be something there that she touched, turned or some other action to make the lights in the entire room fade. "How does that work?""Good night.""$lewd[[[Night->Night Separated Lewd]]](else:)[[[Night->Night Separated Not Lewd]]]".

(display:"Restless night intro")"I can't stop thinking about it... Stupid book! And we're not that close." She glanced at the other pile made out of plushies on the other side of the room."She looked a bit disappointed though. But I couldn't accept sleeping together! Should I have agreed either way? Ugh, now I'm conflicted.""I should just focus on sleeping and forget it all. But no, it's haunting me!"$hmc knew there was a harsh way to get her much needed sleep. But she didn't dare think of the result. "I could drug myself... But I really don't want to think in the side effect... Why must this be so hard?"(display:"BMCF Thoughts")"And those hips of theirs... OH MY GOD THIS ISN'T WORKING!"Without much else to do she finally found a simple solution."I guess I could count sheep? Alright, I'll do that.""One sheep, two sheep, three sheep... Twenty six sheep, twenty seven sheep, twenty eight sheep... seventy two sheep, seventy three sheep, seventy four sheep... One hundred and sixty nine sheep..."The solution was simple... but it didn't seem to be effective. [[Possibly a thousand sheep later->Day 2 Passage]].

(go-to:"Day 2")

(display:"Restless night intro")"I wish I could just fall asleep. I'm not used to sleeping with someone." She remembered those good times with her mom, it was a nice feeling. But that was a long time ago, and even though she liked the warmth, she was relunctant to sleep with a stranger.$scaredycat[ A stranger that might be after her. That couldn't be good. But then... they didn't seem hostile either.]"She's so close, I can feel her breath. Thinking about it... She can probably feel my breath too...""I just want to fall asleep, why is it so hard?" The excitement of being in such a mystical place hadn't left for sure. But she wasn't so sure that was the only reason. "Maybe I should drug myself... But the side effect... I really don't want to think about it." She couldn't dare remember those dark times. Not any more."Hmmmm..." $bmc moved comfortably against her sleeping partner. Tightening her grip."Ah! Don't wake up. Don't wake up. And don't hug me so hard!""This might be the second worst night I've ever had... Maybe I end up sleeping due to loss of consciousness. Well, it's not that bad... But it's still pretty hard to sleep.""You smell... so nice, $hmc.""Eep!" She jumped, slightly shocked by the sound coming almost on top of her ear. She relaxed once she saw the $bunnoy's eyes closed. "She sleep talks?! My heart almost abandoned me!""I'm probably overreacting. Although everything's been interesting so far.""I ran away from a wild animal and stranded myself before ending up here. What a day."(display:"BMCF Thoughts")"I explored a bit of their tunnels and got to know part of their culture.""This is a completely turn of events.""I'm excited to see what I get to see tomorrow. $bmc mentioned a forge, farms and the arcanum. Gosh, so exciting!" Her breath almost leaving her as $bmc tightened more once again. "If I'm still breathing by then...""Let's try to sleep, [[again->Night Together]]."

(display:"Restless night intro")"I can't sleep, at all! Why? Why are you doing this to me?""She's too close, too close! I can feel her breath in my cheeks and neck.""She's so warm and cute... And her lips... AH!""Don't think about it, don't think about it!""Focus on something else..."Her thoughts went astray faster than she could say them aloud, she needed to halt her thoughts for a moment.(display:"BMCF Thoughts")"And their lips and hips are so..."She stiffened once she knew her she was heading. "JEEZ! STOP! MIND STOP!""Let's count sheep! Right, let's do that!""One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four sheep... Nineteen sheep, twenty sheep, twenty one sheep... Thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight...""Hmmmm..." While $hmc seemed to be having quite a lot of trouble, $bmc was indulging herself in the huggable human that was with her. Something that stirred some feelings she didn't want at the moment into her."AAAAAAAH!" $hmc suffered the consequences of said hug, her mind struggled to keep herself in check and her body twitched in response. "Oof, oof... Don't hug me so much! I'm going to melt of fluffiness at this rate!""I need to put myself together! But she's so... so close and so... kiss... AH!""This is all that stupid book's fault! If I hadn't peeked at it I wouldn't be having so much trouble."$hmc tried to blame all her problems at the simple book that rested below her, hopefully it wouldn't bend while she was on top. She needed it intact to place back in the shelf it originated from."Come on! Let's try to sleep [[again->Night Together]]!"

(display:"Restless night intro")"I can't seem to sleep."She didn't know what to think about.$scaredycat[ Maybe how she didn't trust them, but that didn't seem correct. They weren't that hostile, they could have done a lot to her and they hadn't done anything yet. It seemed weird.]$languageexplained[ Maybe how interesting their language seemed to work. And how they could understand one another.]Whatever it was, she had to come up with something.(display:"BMCF Thoughts")"..." "I guess that's about it. Time to [[sleep->Day 2 Passage]] again, then."

"$hmc... Are you alright?" Seen her struggling so much within her grasp, $bmc ended up waking soon enough. Worried tinted her voice as she asked.The human girl felt somehow gilty she had woken someone up due to her excitement. Nevertheless, she felt like asking."Did I... wake you up?""Well, a bit, you've been moving a lot."$lewd[It was quite obvious why she had been moving a lot. But $hmc wouldn't dare mention anything about that. It was already hard facing her to even consider the possibility of doing exactly that.]"I'm sorry...""You can't sleep?"She paused for a second, nodding the next one."I can't seem to be able to sleep.""Are you cold or something?""I'm... actually pretty warm."$lewd[ She hesitated. Her cheeks flushed.]"Do you have to pee again?""Not really..."$scaredycat["Then... could you still be scared?"$hmc paused, confused. "Scared?""You were pretty scared when you met me.""Oh... Right." She had completely forgotten about that moment. She even enjoyed herself today. To say she was scared, was a huge misunderstanding.$bmc looked doubtful, she didn't know if she was scared. She didn't seem so, but maybe something deep inside her surfaced when she got hugged. "Please, tell me. Are you scared?" She sounded demanding, almost pleading."No, I'm not." She had forgotten to reply.]"Then, are you worried about something?"Considering her question carefully, she found herself easily replying."...Yeah.""What is it you're worried?""I... I'm not sure. It could be... I think I'm overwhelmed.""The situation is... a bit too much for me. I don't really know how to feel about it. I'm conflicted...""Well, everything's going to be fine. I'm here with you. Let all your worries begone!""$lewd[You're exactly the problem why I'm conflicted! And d](else:)[D]on't hug me so hard! I can't breathe!"$lewd["This is exactly what I didn't want! Is nature's goddess testing me?"](else:)["I guess I just have to bear with it tonight."]It seemed like she just had to wait [[until morning->Day 2 Passage]].

"Hmmm. I could recapitulate what happened today.""It's been hectic. I met $bmc and $bmcf."$knowledgeable["Who turned out to be $bunnoys! If mom knew this happened... I wish she knew..."]"They've been pretty friendly. Although...""I told $bmc that $shecool[$bmcf was pretty nice.$foodlie[.. But she was pretty harsh. Well, quite scary rather than harsh. Yeah, harsh and scary.](else-if:$eat)[ At first she was quite harsh, but afterwards she was actually quite easy to talk to. Still a bit scary, though.](else:)[.. She wasn't exactly friendly. But she was still nice enough. I guess.]](else-if:$shenotcool)[I was uncomfortable around $bmcf... $foodlie[Which is true... Yeah, she was harsh and scary.](else-if:$eat)[At first she was quite harsh, but afterwards she was actually quite easy to talk to. Still a bit scary, though... I shouldn't have said that. She was actually not that bad. She was a bit pushy, as $bmc said, but.. I don't know...](else:)[She wasn't exactly friendly. But she was still nice enough. I guess it's kinda true.]](else:)[I couldn't really say anything about $bmcf. $foodlie[But she was quite harsh. Should I have mentioned it?](else-if:$eat)[But that's not exactly right. She was quite nice. Even though she was a bit scary at first.](else:)[Might be true enough, she was kinda scary but she was also a bit nice. I can't really tell. This is a bit confusing.] I don't know what to think.]"

(set:$day2path to 0)"The farms sound interesting for a first choice. I want to know how it works down here and what do you cultivate."$bmc nodded at her choice. They continued walking through a few more tunnels starting from the square, but soon enough they had reached a very lit and wide open chamber almost entirely consisting of tall straight plants and many $bunnoys working with them. Gathering, moving it to a different place and seeding the soil. $hmc had experience with plants and she could tell it was flax."Oh hello, $bmc. What are you doing here?" A short and plump $bunnoy with orange fur walked up to them. They carried a sickle and wore simple clothes in contraposition to the padded armor $bmc wore."Hello $farmer. I'd like you to meet $hmc, I'm showing her the place around. $hmc, this is $farmer, she's like family to me.""Is that... a human? Oh my, my sight must be getting bad. Welcome to our lands. A friend of $bmc is a friend of mine.""Thank you."$farmer gave off a fealing of warmth and welcome.$scaredycat[ If $hmc had any doubts left about the evil $bunnoys, they completely dissipated when she met her.] $hmc wondered what type of relation they had to be “like” family."Is there anything you'd like to see in particular?""Oh, uhm, I see you cultivate flax, what else do you have?""Mainly flax, we require a lot to make and repair clothes and armor, as well as book pages for the arcanum. But we also have other fruits and roots to help with the supply of food. We used to have more variety... But now we stick with what grows faster. We need the stock. For the rest we gather it from the outside since we don't need that much."Something felt odd in what $farmer had said, although $hmc couldn't figure exactly what."How does all of this work underground?""It's all thanks to our central artifact that the soil and warmth is perfect. Although flax doesn't need that much work. I can't really help you with that.""I see, and what do you do here?""I would say we only plant the seeds and take care of it until harvest. We refine the flax for use later and either craft or store the material for when the time is right. Want a tour around?""That would be great! Thank you."All three of them moved around, being $farmer the guide and showing $hmc the land while $bmc simply looked at all her reactions for something she already knew since she was conscious of her own actions, the tools they used and how it was done. It was a fascinating experience that she got to see so much from up close. Something she had never had the chance up until then.$knowledgeable[ Only if her mother was here, she could it all to her.]However, their fun was interrupted when two $bunnoys entered the chamber carrying their armor and weapons. They didn't look friendly to her. They went in a bee line as much as possible without walking over the crops until they were in front of them.(display:"Meeting soldiers")

"Bummer.""She must be tired, you can't blame her.""Okay, okay.""I'll prepare something you'll like.""Treats! Great!" Upon hearing the magical words “prepare” and “like” together, her eyes were shining."You're a glutton.""How can you say no to treats?""I know, I also like them." She smiled. "It's good that some things don't change.""Definitely."It was obvious that both girls were very close friends and $hmc couldn't butt in the ongoing conversation, she felt a bit left out."But you'll get fat at this rate!""Never! I'll just exercise more!" She was the athletic type, that was for sure, so $hmc never thought her weakness would turn out to be sweets.Both laughed as they kept teasing each other until they [[arrived->Room 2]] at their destination.

The group arrived at $bmc's room once again, it hadn't been that long since the last time they were there. But it was already filling $hmc with nostalgia. It was the only place that didn't feel so strange to our protagonist within the walls of the underground labyrinth."Get comfy while I grab the food." She left entering through a door that either led to a storage room or a kitchen."Treats, treats!" $bmcf sang enthusiastically. She was really into those treats. $hmc wondered how tasty they would be, but that only made her stomach rumble eagerly, making her remember the last time she ate.(display:"Silence")"You know, I want to be honest from the beginning." These words didn't come out kind at all."I don't trust you and I don't like you." Which didn't surprise $hmc much. She knew it almost since the beginning. What shocked her was her honesty about it. "I didn't like the idea of helping you when $bmc found you and I still don't. If you ever hurt anyone here, I'll make you regret being born. Mark my words, stranger." Her eyes were as fierce as her tongue, leaving no room for doubts of what she was capable of doing.(display:"Eat or")

(set:$foodlie to false,$eat to false)"So scary!" The sudden confession was too much to take in. The thought of being assaulted at that moment made her almost piss herself, but the following creaking noises and footsteps saved her."I'm back! I hope I've brought enough food.""Sweet!" Her expression changed as soon as her friend stepped back inside."Is something the matter, $hmc? You're pale."$hmc could tell she was worried about her, but how could she tell her what just happened? Peeking at her bully she saw her staring right back at her. Those eyes meant more than just a stare, they meant trouble.$earlyrest["I'm just feeling a bit down! Yeah, that's all!" She thought that might soothen it a bit, but she was wrong, $bmcf only stared even fiercer at her, which scared her even more.](else:)["She must have been feeling down. It was a good idea to come back to the room.""Right..." She didn't feel like arguing anything. Going with the flow was a better strategy.]"If that's the case, you should definitely eat something. I hope you enjoy them as much as $bmcf does!"In front of $hmc laid a bowl of definitely not tasty mixed roots.<ul><li>[[I just don't feel like eating much.->Food Lie]]</li><li>[[Humans don't eat those kind of roots.->Food Truth]]</li><li>[[Eat the roots.->Food Eat]]</li></ul>

"Oh hi! How you doing?""Hi...? You're acting a bit strange... Wait! You're red! Are you getting worse than you were?""Oh... OH! That, that might be it. Ahaha... I'm sorry, I'll try to sleep.""Let me help you." She stepped forward, getting closer to the flushed girl."It's fine! It's fine! I can get there myself!"She tried putting some distance between them, but it turned out for naught as $bmc kept closer with determination on each of her steps."I don't want you falling over, you look quite sick to me.""O-okay." She followed $bmc's lead while doing her best at not being discovered before laying down on the same spot she woke up the first time."Let me measure your temperature." Her furry hand swiftly touched the patient's forehead which only heated up more as a result. "I thought you would be almost recovered... but I guess you could still be developing a cold." $hmc was almost reaching another plane of existance as her brain couldn't handle such a proximity to lips like those. "I should probably ask a doctor to check on you. You might have a fever.""Oh, no, no! It's fine! I don't feel so weak. I'm sure if I rest a little I'll be fine!""If you're completely sure... I'll wait until tomorrow. If you're still feeling sick by then I'll call a doctor. Let me know if it gets worse before it's late, please.""Don't worry! I will!"$bmc smiled, taking some steps away. The increasing distance between the two let $hmc calm down a bit. She had averted a possible crisis, if it was only due to her current state, she wouldn't need to worry about tomorrow at all."I already finished all I had for today so I'll be here if you need me."Her problem became something else at that moment. $bmc had taken a book from her bookshelf and sat down nearby, flipping the pages. She was an immovable force that would survey every single one of her movements. $hmc cursed to her insides, she was trapped without the possibility of returning the book to its rightful place. Her hands were tied, she couldn't do anything but stay put and her mind hadn't fully calmed down, which made the resting idea an impossible exercise."I can't read any of the books... What language is it?" She finally remembered, it was her best approach on forgetting and putting her mind into something else."Hmm, it's a bit complex but I could still try and [explain]<Language| why. Unless you don't feel like it."(click:?Language)[(display:"Language")(replace:?change)[after hearing $bmc's explanation and]"I could show you it later, after you've rested enough.""That would be pretty cool!"]Some time later, |change>[after] some more attempts at coming up with plans that would let her place the book where it belonged without any viable solution, two loud knocks called from the outside of the room.[[Knock knock->Friend Inside Intro]]

(display:"Reset")(go-to:"Beginning")

The woman smiled as she remembered."Right. (if:$weather is 0)[The weather was perfect to look for ingredients. It was neither too hot nor too cold.](else-if:$weather is 1)[It was raining like there would be no tomorrow. Despite the terrible weather, our protagonist really needed those ingredients.](else:)[It was foggy, the worst possible scenario appeared before our protagonist. But she needed the ingredients badly and had to go outside nevertheless.]""Her name is $hmc. She's been looking for ingredients for a while.(if:$weather is not 0)[ But the weather became worse than it was a few moments ago.]"(if:$weather is 0)[Our protagonist was impatiently looking for ingredients, she was used to moving around forests like this one..."I just need a few more and I'll be done. It shouldn't take me too long." She muttered to herself.](else:)["Uuuuh, I can't believe this happened! (if:$weather is 1)[The trail got washed out! I can't go back home!](else:)[I can't see the trail anymore to go back home!]"She was angry and frustrated. Not only did she get lost due to not thinking ahead properly, but she also couldn't find the ingredients she needed. And that made her even more frustrated."(if:$weather is 1)[I'm dripping wet and lost!](else:)[Stupid fog!] This is the worst!" She was definitely pissed. But that wasn't all fate had reserved for her.](display:"Wild Animal")

(set:$day2path to 2)"The arcanum! I want to see what kind of place it is, what's stored, what I can learn from there!"$bmc nodded at her enthusiasm. They continued walking through a few more tunnels starting from the square, but soon enough they had reached a wall different from many others. It had a proper door stuck on it made out of metal. It had different symbols carved on it. It was the first door $hmc saw since she was underground. And she had not expected it.$bmc walked up to it and knocked twice. It was silent afterwards for a very long time. As if no one had heard the knocking. A small slit opened where one could see eyes behind."Who's there?"The eyes searched around. Resting first on $bmc."$bmc? What are you doing here?""Hi $mage. I'm showing around the place to my friend $hmc. She wants to check the arcanum. $mage, meet $hmc. $hmc, meet $mage. He's a really cool and intelligent $bunnoy.""Stop with the compliments. You know you can't do that. The entrance to the arcanum is forbidden for the time being.""Oh, so it's still closed. I thought that would be over already.""Well, it's not over. No one can enter. And that's it."$bmc looked at $hmc with regret in her eyes. "Sorry. I thought I could show you our archive." Then she became louder in a tone that meant she was trying something. "Even though you can't read our texts."$mage sighed."Look, $bmc. If they knew I let you in we three would be in trouble. No matter whether the human can or cannot read our texts."Now it was $bmc's turn to sigh. "Yes, you're right. Could she at least ask you some questions?""Yeah, I can answer her. As long as she doesn't get inside all should be okay."$hmc looked struck. It was her time to learn something new. "Okay, hmm. Why is it forbidden to enter?""That's confidential to outsiders."$hmc mentally clicked her tongue. If it was confidential to her, but not to the $bunnoys, maybe she could ask someone else later."So, what do you store here?""All of our texts, written by the wisests of our kind for centuries. Everything that's happened to us, every interaction to the outside world is recorded here.""I see. That's very interesting."$knowledgeable[She thought for a moment, wavering whether or not to ask her next question. "Do you have any texts regarding interactions with humans?"He glared at her through the hole in the door. "Why would you want to know?"She had come all this way, she couldn't back down now that the solution was in front of her."My... mom, used to tell me tales of a $bunnoy civilization underground. So I thought maybe she had met any of you. And maybe you would know what happened to her."$bmc looked curious about the reply and felt sympathy for the human who had lost her mother."Your mother?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. He saw the human fidgeting and sighed. She reminded him of someone. "I shouldn't be doing this but... tell me what her name is, when was the last time you saw her and I'll see if I can find anything about her. Is that okay for you?"$hmc beamed a large smile as she heard that. "Yes! Thank you so much! Her name's $mom. I think it was 5 years ago the last time I saw her."Both $bunnoys widened their eyes. Something was off and $hmc didn't know what it was."Is something wrong?""No, no. Absolutely not. It's fine, I'll tell you whenever I find something. Don't worry."He smiled trying to reassure the human girl. Even if they couldn't tell what his mouth was doing, they could tell he was smiling due to the wrinkles around his eyes and the tone of his voice.]"Anything else?""No. I can't think of more.""Well then, I'll go back to work."As the slit on the door closed, they decided it was time to go somewhere else. Unluckily for them, a few $bunnoys clad in armor and carrying their weapons entered their field of view. They didn't look friendly to her. They moved in a bee line until they were in front of them.(display:"Meeting soldiers")

(set:$day2path to 1)"The forge sounds interesting for a first choice. I want to know what sort of tools you make."$bmc nodded at her choice. They continued walking through a few more tunnels starting from the square, but soon enough they had reached a small hole that led to a very warm chamber. Inside many $bunnoys were working with what looked like anvils, furnaces and other tools. The noise was pressing inside her skull as the smacking of metal echoed throughout the room repeatedly."$smith, hello!" $bmc called out to one of the $bunnoys around. The one who replied was big, they knew how to handle the hammer in their gloved hands as they looked up. Their fur was fiery red, although $hmc wasn't sure whether that was due to the amount of light inside or not. Their right eye was hidden behind an eyepatch. They looked very protected under their heavy clothing. How they handled the heat was a mystery to her."$bmc, what brings you here?""I'm showing the place around to my friend. $smith, this is $hmc. $hmc, this is $smith. He takes care of the forge.""Hmm, hi." The human said a bit intimidated of his presence."So it's true what they say." The $bunnoy narrowed his visible eye. "You shouldn't bring an outsider here.""I couldn't leave her behind, she was drenched under the rain, she could have died!" $bmc complained."You say that, but it could be us next." He sighed. "Listen human, I don't have anything against you. But it's not a good time to hang around underground.""Uh, thanks?""Come, on. I only wanted to show her the place, don't be like that.""Sure, okay. But don't get into my or anyone's work. We are busy. Now, I'll head back to work.""Uh, could I ask some questions?"$smith narrowed his eye once again. He glanced at $bmc and back at $hmc. After a few seconds he sighed again."Okay, let's get it over with.""What kind of work do you do here?""We smelt ore, make weapons and tools. Also repairs."$hmc waited for a second before realizing $smith was done talking. And nervously came with the next question."Why are you so busy? Living underground and hidden like this I wouldn't think you were in such a hurry."The $bunnoy narrowed his visible eye once again."We have a stock of weapons to finish.""Okay... How can you handle this heat? Aren't you melting?"$smith spat a single "No." and turned around to keep working."Don't worry, $smith is a good friend. He doesn't mean anything bad."Both went outside after a moment of observation. The $bunnoys definitely worked hard. They were considering where to next when two $bunnoys entered their field of view carrying their armor and weapons. They didn't look friendly to her. They went in a bee line until they were in front of them.(display:"Meeting soldiers")

This path is not available for the time being.

$shecool["She was nice and fun to hang out with." She smiled as best as she could, reassuring $bmc."Really? That's so good to hear. I was worried you might dislike each other.""Oh, not really. She was kinda intimidating at first, though.""She tends to give off that vibe to others. But she's my best friend for a reason.""I see."](else-if:$shenotcool)["I... wasn't comfortable around her. She was scary.""Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." She looked sad. "She tends to be pushy but she's a good person. I hope you two get to know each other better.""Maybe..."](else:)["I don't think I can say much about her." She tried to play her cards safe. It wasn't exactly incorrect that she couldn't give a proper opinion about someone she just met. "I don't know her that much and she seemed nice. But I can't really say.""Oh, is that so? It's a pity..." She looked very disappointed. "But I'm sure you'll get to know each other well soon enough.""I guess."]Since all conversation seemed to die down, it was the perfect moment to move [[on to something else]].

(set:$lewdlie to false)<h2 class="chapter">Day 2</h2>Morning had arrived and $hmc hadn't slept much. She moved around in the pile of leaves. One or two even entered her mouth as she yawned and ended up coughing."Morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"$hmc could barely register the voice, she was tired. Rested but tired, she assumed she ended up falling asleep at some point in the night but couldn't remember when nor how much she slept. That could be why she felt so sluggish at the time..."Morning... what time is it?""It's early in the morning, some time later than dawn."She sighed. "It somehow feels earlier."The $bunnoy giggled with that sweet melodic voice of hers. "You're kinda adorable like that."$lewd["W-what?" She panicked. "Could $bmc be interested in her?"That sparked confusion in $bmc, wondering if she had done something wrong, commented what she shouldn't or maybe it was something else. She stepped closer to $hmc and crouched to be at her eye level."Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I did.""N-no, i-it's okay! The human girl turned her head away, too embarrassed to be that close to $bmc. Her head was too close for her comfort."Are you still feeling sick?"Right after saying that, $bmc extended her arm trying to touch $hmc's face out of concern. As the fingertips grazed her cheeks, $hmc jumped in surprise. Standing quickly and moving out of range."I-I'm okay, really."$bmc was definitely concerned, $hmc was acting strange and she couldn't figure out why. Turning away from her, her gaze lingered on the spot the human had been a moment ago. There was something there..."$hmc." Her tone was quiet, subdued even. "Look at me."She didn't really want to, but the tone used was strange on her own. Something told her she had to look her way. And so she did. What she saw left her speechless. She gasped."Oh no! The diary! How could I forget about it?"The dreadful book was in hold between $bmc's hands. It wasn't broken nor bended in any way, which was a relief in itself, but that wasn't her worry at the moment."Why... was this under your body during the night?"$bmc sounded stern. Her eyes narrowed. And $hmc couldn't be sure, but her cheeks looked a stronger shade of pink.Finding herself in that situation she knew she could only [[confess->Confessing]] or (link:"make something up")[(set:$lewdlie to true)(go-to:"Confessing")] and hope she would buy it.](else:)[She didn't comment, but slightly smiled at her, it was an appreciation she looked that way even to an entire different species.With a bit of an effort she stood up, wobbling enough to almost trip. She tried to take appreciation of the fresh morning air as she usually did when waking up, but found herself unable to feel the soft morning's wind caressing her skin. That's when she remembered she was underground. A bit disappointed, but excited nonetheless as today would be a day full of exploration.$scaredycat[ Her fears already long forgotten, she was brimming with energy, despite the bad night she spent.]$knowledgeable[ So many $bunnoys to meet. So many things to learn. It was so overwhelming and beautiful.]"You look happy.""I definitely am. Such an opportunity.$knowledgeable[ If only mom was here...""We have even more things in common it seems.That expression confused $hmc. "Huh?"](else:)["][[Continue with the morning->Morning routine]].]

Later in the night. $hmc found herself unable to get a wink of sleep.

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$lewdlie["I-I don't know! I-It must have been there already!"$bmc stared intensely at $hmc who was sweating buckets as she said that. She was trying to come up with something on the spot but couldn't think of anything more."You're telling me, this book just happened to be here all the time even before I brought you here, and you didn't notice it at all while laying down?""Y-Yes?"$hmc heard $bmc sigh with her eyes closed before staring at her again. "Why are you lying to me about picking a book from the bookshelf?" She sounded wounded, making $hmc feel more guilty than she was.She closed her eyes and gulped unable to think of what to do. Not seeing any other possible escape route at the moment she decided to confess this time.]She turned her head to the side. "I... was a bit bored when you left me in your room and I decided to browse the bookshelf... I picked that book out of curiosity and... after checking its contents... you came back, I panicked and didn't find the chance to put it back in its place... So I ended up carrying it with me to bed... Sorry.""It's okay. Thanks for telling me the truth.$lewdlie[ Even if it was the second attempt.]" Her voice didn't carry any hostility, she was calm. "But why couldn't you put it back?"$hmc took a moment to respond. "I was... embarrassed." She paused, trying to calm herself down. "Still am."Several seconds passed between the two in a tense silence. Neither of them seemed to be able to think of what to say. Until one of them spoke."You checked its contents...$languageexplained[ Even if you know you can't read written text... you didn't need to for this book.]" $bmc took a moment to continue. Her voice seemed to quiver with the following words. "What do you think of it?""Huh?" $hmc turned her head to look at the $bunnoy, confused by her words and tone. Surprise hit her directly as she observed $bmc looking fidgety and embarrassed, with her gaze lowered to the floor."She wants to know what I think of those... drawings? What should I reply?"<ul><li>(link:"I like it.")[(set:$bookcool to true)(go-to:"Confessing 2")]</li><li>(link:"It's gross.")[(set:$booknotcool to true)(go-to:"Confessing 2")]</li><li>[[It's okay, I think.->Confessing 2]]</li></ul>

(if:$weather is 1)["Oh, by the way. Your clothes finished drying, want them back? The $bunnoy said holding what seemed to be $hmc's clothes from her hands."Yes!" $hmc rapidly jumped from her position to grab a hold of her clothing. Hugging it close to her chest."You really like those clothes, don't you?" She asked amused of her behaviour.$booknotcool[ She seemed to be back to her usual self, or at least as usual as she expressed herself.]$hmc looked longingly at what she was clutching and muttered, "My mom made them for me.""I understand, you should take more care of them then. No running in the rain like that again." She sounded like a mother giving a certain type of speech many would roll their eyes at but not $hmc. The human girl smiled and muttered a simple. "Yes."With her old clothing back to her, she darted towards another connected room to quickly change. Not forgetting to give back the clothes $bmc had lent her as soon as she was back in the room.]"We should have some breakfast now, what do you think?" $bmc added, pointing out that it was time to eat something.$eat[The thought of eating those same roots she had the previous day revolved in $hmc's stomach. She much preferred the soup if that was possible. Gulping at the thought, she timidly asked.](else:)[Wondering what they would be having, she $foodlie[asked $bmc what the options were.](else:)[knew $bmc was informed that she couldn't eat roots per se, so she was curious about what else she had available.]]"$eat[W-]What are we having?""We have some fruits and root(if: not $foodlie)[ vegetable]s. We could have a salad with all of that."$foodlie[Hearing the word “roots”, $hmc became nervous. She couldn't eat that. Yet the fruits sounded promising. Although the combination might be better, the idea didn't sound that appealing."Do we have something else other than roots?""Are you still feeling sick? Want me to prepare another soup instead?""N-no, I... uh..." $hmc didn't know what to say, maybe mentioning that she couldn't eat regular roots would be the proper way right now. Swallowing a bit, she readied herself to speak. "I should have probably mentioned this earlier but... I can't eat roots. Humans eat root vegetables, but only roots... not really.""Oh, is that so? $eat[Was that why you couldn't taste them yesterday? ]Then let's add root vegetables instead." She smiled, that small gesture caused $hmc to second guess why she hadn't said so in the beginning.]That sounded good, and so $hmc nodded in acceptance.Soon enough $bmc had cleaned and chopped everything needed, and two rough ceramic bowls were filled to the brim with many little shapes and colors. It looked great. And it tasted great as well. $hmc was enjoying her first $bunnoy breakfast and Berry enjoyed her enthuthiasm of what was a regular breakfast for her."Do you have everything you need?" $bmc asked as she put the dishes away for later.$hmc was doing some last preparations before heading out to the “world” outside. Or more like the tunnels outside the room. She was excited and she wanted to be absolutely certain she wouldn't forget anything. After taking her medicine as usual after breakfast and touching her pouches several times, she was ready."Okay, it's not like we are going far away, but I can't help but be nervous.""Let's [[go->To the tunnels]]."

Remember to add flavor text depending on knowledgeable, scaredycat and lewd. So once they are out, they could have lunch and talk about a few things from whatever place they searched that day. And then they hang out once again. Maybe have another chance in the afternoon? And choose one of the other places they didn't look for. Or maybe they decide to have some fun? How do bunnoys have fun? And maybe later that day Mint can learn about Cherry's visits to the memorial tunnel.

(display:"Reset")This passage is a cheat to jump quickly to parts of the story. [[Regular Start->Restart]] (link:"Day 2 no intro, no lewd, weather rain")[(set:$weather to 1)(go-to:"Day 2")] (link:"Day 2 scared intro, no lewd")[(set:$scaredycat to true)(go-to:"Day 2")] (link:"Day 2 knowledgeable intro, no lewd")[(set:$knowledgeable to true)(go-to:"Day 2")] (link:"Day 2 lewd")[(set:$lewd to true)(go-to:"Day 2")] (link:"Day 2 lewd, language explained")[(set:$lewd to true,$languageexplained to true)(go-to:"Day 2")]

$bookcool[$bmc lifted her head, she seemed relieved, happy even to hear such words. Something that made $hmc think how beautiful she seemed at the moment, almost... breathtaking."You really think so?"$hmc nodded not daring to break eye contact. "Yes."The moment seemed to extend forever with their eyes locked into each other until $bmc coughed once and moved to return the book to its rightful place.](else-if:$booknotcool)[$bmc didn't move from her downward gaze, but for just a second, $hmc could swear she saw her twitch slightly. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, but she felt like that had happened."I see." Was all the $bunnoy seemed to be able to mention before moving to return the book to its rightful place in the bookshelf."This is... awkward."](else:)["Fine?" $bmc looked confused."The art looks very good. I don't think I've seen drawings so good as those anywhere else."A moment of passed before $bmc recovered her ability to speak."Oh, thanks." The $bunnoy looked relieved from a moment ago, quite more cheerful, but there was something that seemed wrong in her reply.$bmc took the book back to its rightful place with quick steps.]Even though there seemed more they could tell each other, it was quickly becoming even more awkward. It was time to [[continue with the morning->Morning routine]] before they did something they would regret later.

(if:not $lewd)[As the previous day, both girls walked for some time through perfectly lit excavated tunnels. The small transparent orbs still stuck in the cave walls. She kept wondering how or what they were. But it seemed like it was some sort of magic from what she gathered from what $bmc had told her the previous day.Soon enough they were back to the main square. Where the “fountain” stayed. Looming over their figures and the rest of the $bunnoy passersby. Amazing as it was to be considered a magical artifact that made life sustainable here. $hmc wondered when she could take a closer look or if she could ever learn how it worked. Considering their own knowledge, it sounded like an impossible task. The sound of $bmc's voice pulled the human girl out of her thoughts."Where do you want to go? I can show you either the [[farms->Farmlands 1]], the [[forge->Forge 1]] or the [[arcanum->Arcanum 1]]. I'm not sure we will have enough time to check them all."](else:)[(display:"Walking outside")It seemed like $hmc had said something that $bmc wasn't too comfortable talking about. She knew all too well what it was to lose your parents. But she wasn't sure how to strike a conversation."But everyone has been friendly and I have Cherry helping me out now and then. She's my best friend." She added, before muttering. "Sometimes I wonder what I would have done without her."She quickly perked up. "Anyway, where do you want to go? I can show you either the [[farms->Farmlands 1]], the [[forge->Forge 1]] or the [[arcanum->Arcanum 1]]. I'm not sure we will have enough time to check them all."]

Both girls walked for some time through perfectly lit excavated tunnels that didn't have nor show any sign of torches. $hmc hadn't realized before, but the room she was in a moment ago was probably the same. She squinted hard, looking for any possible sign and found some small transparent orbs that were stuck in the cave walls."This is our main square, our meeting point." She explained as they exited through the tunnels into an underground open space where a lot of other tunnels seemed to connect. In the middle stood an ostentatious statue or fountain. $hmc wasn't sure what it was. "All tunnels converge here.""So, this is the central part of your home?""Yes, some tunnels deviate into other squares that deviate into more tunnels and rooms. It's a lot bigger than it seems. Although it's not as big as it sounds." She giggled at $hmc's stupor."What is that fountain in the middle?" She asked as she recovered from trying to figure out how big the place was.$languageexplained["That's the artifact I was telling you about."(display:"More Explain")](else:)[(display:"New Explain")]All of this was new to $hmc, she was astonished that something would be able to do so much in such a big space, which made her imagination run wilder than usual."By the way, how many of you live here?""We're a group of six families.""So six different families live here?""Oh, no. Not that. I'm using family as a measure, not as actual family. We're all basically from the same family.""Oh, so that means all your family members live here? Could I meet them?""Not all my family... My parents..."

The trip became annoyingly silent. $hmc didn't know what to talk about nor if she could even talk in the intimidating presence of the $bunnoys that guided her. One in front and one behind. At least $bmc was with her and that made her feel somewhat relieved. They had shared a short amount of time together, but she felt a tad more comfortable with her around.As they reached what looked like another entrance to a chamber, the $bunnoys accompanying her placed themselves at each side of the entrance after mentioning that the human had arrived.They were made to enter. $hmc's hand was being held by $bmc's one.$lewd[ And she was sweating every time she thought about it. Now wasn't the time to have those kind of thoughts. She had to be serious to confront the Elders, but the $bunnoy's warmth was making her feel all weird inside.]When they entered they were met with silence and three $bunnoys sitting in front of them. Their fur didn't look as shiny as the others, probably indicating their age. All three of them wore some pretty and elegant clothing. To their left was purple, to the right was green and in the middle was yellow. They prompted them to sit down before speaking."Human, we have summoned you before us for the sake of understanding. We want to know what your intentions are within our burrow."$hmc was struck. They wanted to know her intentions, but, she really didn't have many. She fidgeted."I uhm, just want to learn more about your culture."The three whispered among themselves."What will you do with that knowledge?""I haven't really thought about that. It's just for me."More whispering. "This is unsettling.""What were you doing in (if:$day2path is 0)[our farming lands](else-if:$day2path is 1)[the forge](else:)[our sacred arcanum]?""I was just showing her around!""Silence. This question is directed to the human."It felt like they were judging her. And she did not like it."Like I said, I just want to learn about you and your way of living."The whispering intensified."How do we know you won't give this information to the outside? How do we know you aren't trying to learn about us to strike later once you are free to roam over the surface?""I won't. It's just for me, I swear. I would never do that."She tried not to shout, but it was obvious she was getting nervous. They kept whispering for a long time. What if they judged her to be untrustworthy? That was unfair. She hadn't hurt anyone."We cannot allow the human to roam free. It will have to stay here under custody until we decide what to do."She didn't know what she disliked more, the judgmental whispering or being treated like an object."What? That's unfair. I brought her here!""We are aware of your intentions. But we cannot confirm the human's intentions or motives. It could have already been searching for us when you found it. Take it to a cell."Before $hmc knew what was happening any more, two $bunnoys had grabbed her and seemed to be ready to get her somewhere else."Wait! I was looking for herbs. I'm a peddler alchemist, it's my way of life to move from town to town in my wagon to sell medicines. My mother taught me how. I swear. I could even show you." She was quick to pull out a few herbs from her belt pouches to show them.During her speech the elder $bunnoys seemed to want to interfere, but eventually settled to listen to her explanation. They whispered among themselves afterwards."If what you say is true, you should have a wagon full of alchemical components and tools."$hmc nodded with force."Where is this wagon of yours?""I don't exactly know where. It's in the surface. I was searching for herbs as usual and stumbled trying to escape from a wild animal that had surprised me. I lost consciousness. When I woke up $bmc had already saved me."They whispered once again. This time she felt relieved that they seemed to believe her."In that case the human shall be under custody until we find the missing wagon and bring it here for confirmation.""Could I be the one to oversee her?""That isn't a good idea. You seem attached to the human."They seemed to be in a small argument. However, $hmc couldn't hear any more since the two $bunnoys grabbing her had taken her outside. She didn't know where they were taking her, but one thing she knew for sure, they had mentioned a [[cell->In jail]].

"You must come with us, human." said the one who seemed to be the representative."What's going on?""Don't worry, $bmc. The human must meet with the elders now.""Can I come with her?""Yes, you can.""Okay, then I'm going."$hmc wasn't sure what was going on, but at least it seemed like $bmc would be with her. The $bunnoy grabbed her hand and accompanied her alongside the guards somewhere else away from [[there->The Elders]].

The cell was surprisingly comfy. It was warm and perfectly lit like the rest of the tunnels and chambers. The rock was bare as usual and aside from it being a room with only some dry leaves and a door. It did the job of making sure $hmc didn't escape.It had been hours since she was left alone. Or at least it felt like hours since she didn't have any way of measuring time and her stomach was rumbling. So that meant it had to be time for lunch.$hmc spent the time hugging her knees to her chest. She appreciated not having to feel cold. But there wasn't enough entertainment in the room to pass time. She would from time to time have a walk, sit down and repeat the process several times during her stay.A knock and some tinkering could be heard from the other side. Soon after the door opened to reveal the guards on the other side as they approached a few steps inside."Come."She didn't know what they wanted, but it was her chance to actually leave the dumb cell she was in. Surrounded in front and behind by more $bunnoy guards, they continued their way through tunnels without a hint as to where they were heading. $hmc tried to make conversation once, but she was met with silence and as a failed attempt she didn't try again.Fortunately for her, she didn't have to wait much longer. They arrived at another tunnel entrance where the three elders were stationed outside. Without much of a word they led $hmc inside. To her surprise her wagon was there. It was just as she remembered, considering she spent all her life around it since she was little. She had so many good memories that she couldn't help but to embrace the wooden vehicle.A cough reverberated. "Human, is this wagon yours?""Yes!" $hmc nodded with vigor at the question as she turned to face them.The three elders whispered among themselves. $hmc had seen it more than enough. But that didn't stop making her unsettled."If that is the case. The wagon will be stored here until further notice. You are free to roam, human. But do not leave the burrow."$hmc couldn't believe her ears. They were letting her go. She had been very lonely for the time she was imprisoned. But now she could go back to explore to her heart's content. She had to meet up with $bmc. And quick!$hmc was let to wander without escorting as she exited the chamber they were in. The elders had already left soon after conveying what they wanted to say. And after her the guards did too. Closing the entrance with a door and positioning a guard right in front of it. It would have to do for security. $hmc was a bit sad, having to part ways as soon as she had found her wagon. But at least she knew it would be safe."$hmc!"As the human girl turned around there was $bmc right in front of her. She was wearing her armor again and she looked a bit disheveled here and there."$bmc!" She didn't take long to hug the $bunnoy with ease. She was so glad to have company at that moment. Her time alone had been suffocating."Oh wow. Excuse me. I'm also here."$hmc could tell apart that sarcastic tone anywhere. She looked away$lewd[ embarrassed], she hadn't expected $bmcf to be there as well. She was also disheveled and wearing her padded armor. She looked annoyed.$foodlie[$hmc didn't exactly appreciate $bmcf being there. She was still pretty scary to be with. So she simply backed away from $bmc slowly."Oh, hi $bmcf.""Yeah, hi."](else-if:$eat)[$hmc hadn't expected her to be there. Although she was wary of her, she didn't feel the need to reject her.$shenotcool[ In fact, she kind of felt wrong for what she had said the previous day. She wanted to make it up to her somehow.]Without waiting much she approached the purple $bunnoy and embraced her too."Hi, $bmcf! Thanks for coming."She could tell $bmcf was stiff and confused. Soon enough pushing her away and ending their hug."Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Good to see you well and all that."](else:)[$hmc didn't know how to react to her. She had been scary the previous day, but she also didn't feel as threatening. Maybe just wary of her actions. It was understandable. Considering that, she approached the purple $bunnoy and waved at her too."Hi, $bmcf. Thanks for coming.""Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Good to see you well and all that."]"We both searched for your wagon." The pink $bunnoy explained. "Now that you are free, how about going to have some lunch? You must be quite hungry.""Oh, definitely. Thanks." The human girl had been a bit too preoccupied with how things would turn out. However, she was pretty sure hunger had been nagging her for a while now.It was the perfect moment to get out of [[there->Lunch 2]] and catch up to what had happened while she was caged.

(display:"After Ending")