Twine-a-thon

Welcome to the end of the world. Everything has flooded. A few islands exist, home to a few rich and powerful lords. Most live on boats, searching for scrap to please the Lords and earn food. Some strike out on their own and create floating gardens, braving oceans full of giant aquatic monsters for the sake of freedom. And some are pirates. A few years ago, you set out from your island with a small floating garden full of stolen seeds and a laser-glaive to fend off monsters and pirates. It is a one-month journey through the Deepwaters to a coral reef where you can make your home. If you can survive that one month, you can survive anything. Good luck. {(set: $lies to 0) (set: $strength to 0) (set: $will to 0) (set: $dex to 0) (set: $shiphealth to 100) (set: $josiah to false)} Choose what you would like to be [[best at.]] [[Lies. Trickery.]] [[Strength. Brutality.]] [[Will. Fortitude.]] [[Speed. Dexterity.]]

{(set: $lies to 5)} Very well. Choose what you would like to be second best at. [[Strength. Brutality.|2ndstr]] [[Will. Fortitude.|2ndwill]] [[Speed. Dexterity.|2nddex]]

{(set: $strength to 5)} Very well. Choose what you would like to be second best at. [[Lies. Trickery.|2ndlies]] [[Will. Fortitude.|2ndwill]] [[Speed. Dexterity.|2nddex]]

{(set: $will to 5)} Very well. Choose what you would like to be second best at. [[Lies. Trickery.|2ndlies]] [[Strength. Brutality.|2ndstr]] [[Speed. Dexterity.|2nddex]]

{(set: $dex to 5)} Very well. Choose what you would like to be second best at. [[Lies. Trickery.|2ndlies]] [[Strength. Brutality.|2ndstr]] [[Will. Fortitude.|2ndwill]]

{(set: $strength to 2)} Very well. Select your final skill. {(if: $lies <5)[[[Lies. Trickery.|3rdlies]] ]} {(if: $will <5)[[[Will. Fortitude.|3rdwill]] ]} {(if: $dex <5)[[[Speed. Dexterity.|3rddex]]] }

{(set: $will to 2)} Very well. Select your final skill. {(if: $lies <5)[[[Lies. Trickery.|3rdlies]] ]} {(if: $strength <5)[[[Strength. Brutality.|3rdstr]] ]} {(if: $dex <5)[[[Speed. Dexterity.|3rddex]] ]}

{(set: $dex to 2)} Very well. Select your final skill. {(if: $lies <5)[[[Lies. Trickery.|3rdlies]]] } {(if: $strength <5)[[[Strength. Brutality.|3rdstr]]] } {(if: $will <5)[[[Will. Fortitude.|3rdwill]]] }

{(set: $lies to 2)} Very well. Select your final skill. {(if: $strength < 5)[[[Strength. Brutality.|3rdstr]]]} {(if: $will <5)[[[Will. Fortitude.|3rdwill]] ]} {(if: $dex <5)[[[Speed. Dexterity.|3rddex]] ]}

{(set: $strength to 1)} You have chosen. Your stats are: Lies: $lies Strength: $strength Will: $will Dexterity: $dex [[choose again|Apocalypse]] [[Onwards]]

{(set: $will to 1)} You have chosen. Your stats are: Lies: $lies Strength: $strength Will: $will Dexterity: $dex [[choose again|Apocalypse]] [[Onwards]]

{(set: $dex to 1)} You have chosen. Your stats are: Lies: $lies Strength: $strength Will: $will Dexterity: $dex [[choose again|Apocalypse]] [[Onwards]]

{(set: $lies to 1)} You have chosen. Your stats are: Lies: $lies Strength: $strength Will: $will Dexterity: $dex [[choose again|Apocalypse]] [[Onwards]]

Your ship is ramshackle, and a little on the small side. Your precious floating garden is in the center, crops carefully shielded from the harsh elements and provided sunlight through a hatch in the roof. The rest is hashed together from plastic, the trash of a bygone era. Hopefully it will not get too hot. Ship health: $shiphealth You enter the first leg of your journey. You spend your nights fishing and scavenging, and the days mostly sleeping. Back on land, it's considered more profitable to sleep during the night, but few fish will come up to the surface while the sun is out, so you've had to invert your sleep schedule. Still, it's surprisingly easy to settle into a rhythm. You wake up, check the nets, fish for a few hours, make repairs. Sometimes, when it is very quiet, and the subtle dread of setting out on your own for the first time begins to gnaw at your bones, you sing low, keening shanties to the waves. [[Things go smoothly until your fifth day at sea.]]

You have nobody else with you. You knew it was risky when you started out, but none of your acquaintences were willing to leave the safe, oppressive arms of the local lord, and you could not bring yourself to trust strangers. If somebody else had been with you, perhaps they could have warned you of the approaching storm. Perhaps they could have steered your little ship away from the squall. Being as it may, you wake to crashing thunder and water spilling between the old bottles that serve as the roof to your quarters. You wake with a start and leap off the spare canvas that serves as your bed. You weren't expecting this. It's not the season for storms. {(if: $will is 5)[ [[You steel your resolve and move quickly to act.]] ] (elseif: $will < 5)[ [[You lose some valuable time panicking, but you manage to get yourself moving.]] ]}

There's no time to lose. Storms like this have sunk greater ships than yours. You leave your chambers and assess the damage. {(set: $shiphealth to it -10)} Ship health: $shiphealth From what you can see, some of the siding has come off, and you are missing part of the roof over the back end where you store your pots and pans, but nothing too serious. You quickly realize the most pressing matter is a bit of the roof in the garden room. It is about to snap. [[Brace it yourself. Hold it in place. (Strength)]] [[Retie the ropes that bound the pieces together. (Dexterity)]]

It is the distant snapping of plastic that moves you to act. Some real damage has occurred. {(set: $shiphealth to it -20)} Ship health: $shiphealth In the garden room, the all-important garden room, you see that part of the roof has come loose. Rain and wind gust through the opening, lashing your plants. You need to do something about this. [[Brace it yourself. Hold it in place. (Strength)]] [[Retie the ropes that bound the pieces together. (Dexterity)]]

Your ship sinks; and though you manage to survive a little longer by clinging to the wreckage, nobody comes to save you. The great oceans, blue and deep around you, do not care as you threaten and beg for safety, and they do not care as their denizens come to consume you. In a sense, you are safe now, at least. Your bones will rest easy on the abyssal plain. [[Would you like to try again?|Apocalypse]]

{(if: $strength >1)[You seize the piece of roofing and force it back into place. The plastic crunches under your desperate grip. It is slippery, but you manage to jam it firmly enough in place that it no longer threatens to come loose.] (else:)[You snatch at the roofing, trying to press it back up into where it should be, but you are unable to make it stay. It snaps from your hands, and in one violent movement, tears up and away, lost to the storm's winds. {(set: $shiphealth to it -10)}]} Ship's Health: $shiphealth [[There are other matters to attend to.]]

{(if: $dex >1)[You reach out and grab the soaked ropes that held this section of the roof together. The knots must have come loose in the winds. Cursing, you pull them tight and tie a tighter knot. You're glad your hands are so practiced. In this low light, you can barely see what you're doing. ] (else:)[You flail your arms, trying to catch the ropes that tie your flimsy craft together, but in the low light and with your shitty hand/eye coordination, it is all in vain: at the last moment, you catch the end of one rope, but then a powerful gust of wind catches the underside of the roofing and blows it away.{(set: $shiphealth to it -10)}]} Ship's Health: $shiphealth [[There are other matters to attend to.]]

You move frantically for the next hour as the storm passes over you, doing damage control and keeping your tiny garden safe. By the time the sun, instead of seawater, washes over your ship, you feel indescribably tired. Things feel moderately safe for now. And yet, you could still try for repairs. [[Get some rest.]] [[Do some repairs.]]

//Note: this section is for those who want to know about what the different stats do. If you'd like to play blind, click [[here|Apocalypse]] to return to the first screen.// (color:green)[**Lies**] is, predictably, your ability to lie to others, but also to manipulate, to charm, to gain information. With high Lies, you will be able to sway those you encounter on your journey, potentially walking away from encounters without taking any damage to your ship. (color:red)[**Strength**] is your physical ability related to brute force, including your ability to take punishment. With high Strength, you will be able to more easily incur damage on your foes and do physical tasks like fishing, as well as repair your ship faster. (color:yellow)[**Will**] is your tenacity, your ability to act in tough situations. Your (color:red)[&hearts;](color:yellow)[Determination], if you like. With high Will, you will be able to push through your own panic, the manipulation of other people, and occasionally, natural forces. (color:blue)[**Dexterity**] is your physical ability related to reflex. With high Dexterity, you will be able to manuever your ship better to avoid damage, and easily do tasks that require fine motor skills like tying knots or sewing. [[Return|Apocalypse]]

You elect to sleep. The damage wasn't that bad-- and you won't be able to fully repair the ship unless you're rested, anyways. You drag yourself ot your quarters, ignoring that the pile of canvas you've reserved for your bed is kind of soaked now, and collapse. [[You fall asleep, and when you wake, the stars are out once more.]]

//Your Will has decreased.//{(set: $will to it -1)} You are tired as hell, but you force yourself to make some repairs to your ship, at the cost of some of your personal morale. It's okay, you tell yourself. As long as you make it. At least the ship doesn't look so awful now. {(set: $shiphealth to it +6)} Ship's health: $shiphealth [[You fall asleep, and when you wake, the stars are out once more.]]

You enter the next leg of your journey soaked with brine but definitely alive. And, lucky you, the drying salt on pretty much everything you own can probably be used to make some of your meals a bit tastier and longer-lasting. Your time begins to look more precious to you. You're lucky that you survived the storm, but you can't count on getting lucky every time. You need to spend some time honing your skills. Plus, your ship could use some repairs. What will you do? [[Hone strength.]] [[Hone dexterity.]] [[Hone will.]] [[Repair the ship.]]

{(set: $strength to it +1)}//Your Strength has increased.// You spend a few days honing your physical prowess. You lift and carry the heavier cargo on the ship; you do push-ups under the stars, which makes you feel a little stupid but whatever; you take your laser glaive from where it sits in the corner of your quarters and practice swinging it until it feels natural in your hands. You hope, when the next disaster comes, that you will be strong enough to fight it. [[Onwards|2]]

{(set: $dex to it +1)} //Your dexterity has increased.// You spend a few days training your reflexes. You practice your knots; you weave nets; you spend hours at the rudder of your ship, adjusting to her quirks and learning how best she maneuvers. You hope, when the next disaster comes, you will be quick enough to avoid it. [[Onwards|2]]

{(set: $will to it +1)} //Your will has increased.// You spend a few days concentrating on yourself. You set aside a few hours, without fail, to climb to the top of the ship and stare at the horizon, to feel the stars as they arc overhead, to listen to your own heartbeat. You remind yourself that you are alive. You remind yourself that you can get through this. Even on the days when it is hard to get out of bed, you can still survive. And that can be enough. You hope that, when the next disaster strikes, you will be brave enough to endure it. [[Onwards|2]]

{(set: $shiphealth to it +10)}You decide it's best if you set aside personal improvement projects and focus on repairing the ship. You shred some of the spare canvas for use as ties, harvest some trash from your nets, and work to make the ship sturdier for a few days. You hope that, when the next disaster strikes, your ship will keep you from the depths. Ship's health: $shiphealth [[Onwards|2]]

You have spent close to eight days and nights out at sea now. The lights of the island you left behind have long sunk into the horizon, but they are not so far away that there is no turning back. You sometimes very much want to turn back. [[So you do.]] [[But you do not.]]

You turn your ship around. There is no shame in that. You go home, to the people you know, to the friends who were too afraid to set out with you, and you do your best to forget your dream of a floating garden in the coral reefs, where you do not have to beg for food from a Lord that owns everything, where it is free but so achingly lonely. You are safe, in a way. Until the Lord next raises tithes. Until the next plague sweeps through, and you cannot afford medicine. Until someone hurts you in a way you cannot heal or run from. Until, until, until. Thank you for playing. [[Return to the start|Apocalypse]] [[Return to the last screen|2]]

You know that your family and friends would rejoice at your return. You know that the Lord would welcome another collector of scraps, though he would despise having to feed you again. But you also know that you would not feel free. And though there is no shame in returning, no shame in changing your mind once, you are strangely certain that once you abandoned this quest you would never set out again. Still, you are unsure. You doubt yourself. It is in this state of mind that, one night, you [[hear a voice calling from the waters ahead.]]

The voice is hoarse, quiet, and haunting in its desperation. It is calling for help. You are standing on the gunnel on the left side of the ship when you first hear it, so you move up to the bow to get a better look at the voice's owner. They are hard to make out in the dim light of the stars, but you can see that they are on the larger side, with long black hair that makes unearthly shapes where it flows into the ocean. They are clutching a tiny plastic raft, and looking up at you. Your boat is moving faster than their raft. You are going to pass them. [[Bring them on board.]] [[Leave them.]]

You scramble to bring the stranger on your ship, and even as you do, you wonder if it was the right choice. You cannot seem to trust your own decisions lately. A trap, a trap, your thoughts chant to you, as you ask if the newcomer is alright. They mean to steal from you. "I'm alright," the newcomer says. You push your fear down. This is another human being. The potentiality of harm does not matter. What only matters is the action. "I'm Josiah." You nod and give Josiah your own name. [[How did you get out here?]]

You disappear within the depths of your ship and do not pay attention as the voice of the person crying for help clogs with tears, then rasps with anger. You cannot help them, you remind yourself. You cannot help them. You have your own problems. You must attend to your ship, to your garden. They would have died eventually anyways. You feel immeasurable grief. {(set: $will to it-1)}//Your will has decreased.// You do your best to forget for the next few nights. You focus on keeping yourself safe. [[It is a good thing, too, because on your tweflth night at sea, you are attacked by pirates.]]

It is a long ways off, but you spot the ship just as you are reinforcing the roof of the garden room. It starts as a speck on the horizon, a black spot that could easily be mistaken for an unusual shadow, or one of the sea monsters that likes to roam this part of the ocean. You tie your final knots and keep an eye on it. Monsters can be thrown off if you make yourself seem like enough of a threat, but if you start too late they will tear you to pieces. The thought of pirates does not quite enter your mind until the black dot resolves itself into something more definitively man-made. Your heart skips a beat as soon as you realize it's a ship. Another traveler, you think. A trader. Please. {(if: $josiah is false)[You could use a friend. Your refusal to help the stranded sailor has left your heart cold.]} But the ship draws closer, and you see the telltale sign: dark sails, made to aid with stealth on less clear nights. You are being pursued by pirates. [[Evade. (Dexterity)]] [[Surrender.]]

Josiah is shaking and scared, so you show them to a drier part of the ship while you ask the question. But it is only once you press a small bowl of soup into their hands that they start talking, gulping down food between breaths. "I was... on a ship, much like this one, when we got caught in a sudden storm." "I was in that storm," you say. "It passed me over just a few days ago." They nod. "Our ship is small and light-- built for speed. We had expected to outrun the squall, and when it got ahold of us, I was on the rudder. Waves poured over the bow, and wind lashed at the siding, but I thought I would be safe as long as I kept my back to the wall." Josiah lifts the bowl of soup to their lips and tips it back. Their eyes slide closed in contentment, if only for a moment. When they take the empty bowl away from their lips, they stare at it, their eyes hollow. "I could barely see, but I kept my place-- until there was a deafening crack, and the rushing feeling of falling backwards, and suddenly I was in the water." You can imagine the feeling of the crushing ocean all around you, the swells breaking over your head. You have had nightmares of falling overboard. You shudder. "I'm sorry." Josiah nods. "I'm just glad you came along. I was floating there-- it felt like ages. I thought I would die." "I'm glad I came, too," you say. You do not mention your brief hesitation about rescuing them. [[Your ship-- where was it bound?]]

Josiah becomes cagey. "Ah-- well. a floating city," they say vaguely. You are afraid to press them on the subject. So instead, you say, "I'm bound for the coral reefs, about twenty nights' journey from here. Would you want to come with me?" Josiah mulls it over for a moment. "Yes. I think that would be-- nice." You do not trust this person, but you cannot think of anything else to do. And so, the two of you settle into something of a routine over the next two nights. Josiah is weak, so they can't do much work yet, but they ease the icy loneliness which sometimes grips you out on the ocean in the dead of night. They tell stories of their life as a child in a floating city. You tell about your life as a peasant on land. You seem to get along fairly well, which is a relief. Perhaps you really will go all the way to the coral reefs together. You find yourself in increasingly higher spirits. (//Your will has increased.//) {(set: $will to it +1) (set: $josiah to true)} [[It is a good thing, too, because on your tweflth night at sea, you are attacked by pirates.]]

You pull your rudder drastically to the right, and head towards a spot that you saw earlier and marked in your head to avoid: a small sandbar, or at least, something shallow enough that you could see white on the crests of the waves near there. Your ship is small; with some lucky, you will be able to skirt the sandbar, while the pirate ship will be forced to go around. After a minute or two, you see that the pirate ship has adjusted course, and swallow nervously, though your mouth is dry. No going back now. (if: $dex is >2)[You maneuver your ship towards shallower waters with adrenaline-fueled expertise. You coast over it; the waves breaking in the shallow water push you gently back towards the deep blue ocean you are so familiar with. You look back. The pirate ship appears to have seen the shoal now, too, and is preparing to turn and go around it. They caught their error pretty early, but it seems you've gained some distance.] (else:)[You maneuver your ship towards the shoal, but your hand slips from the rudder at the last opportune moment, and you make a turn that you didn't intend to. When you look back, the pirate ship is closer. You hear the distant firing of-- something, and seconds later a laser arrow streaks just over your head and slams into the closed door to your cabin. There is a cacophony of heat and light and the sound of melting plastic. Your ship's health has decreased. {(set: $shiphealth to it-30)} Ship's health: $shiphealth] The pirate ship follows, its presence as looming as the specter of death. And, like death, it creeps slowly closer. [[Evade Again. (Dexterity)|evade1]] [[Surrender.]]

You rush down into the hold, hurrying to the white flag you never thought you would use. You are worried about damage to the ship-- in all likelihood, they will only take what they find valuable. Your ship is irreplacable; you can find new supplies. Except your garden. You will have to lie to the pirates about your garden. (if: $will is > 2)[You steel your nerves. You can do this. You must.](else:)[Your hands shake. Your insides writhe like a den of snakes. You are too nervous. //Your lies has decreased.// {(set: $lies to it-1)} ] You hoist the white flag, and within minutes the pirates are upon you. Their ship glides smoothly through the water, its plastic faded by time in the sun. It must have been through the same storm as you, because it looks somewhat damaged. You stand on the back deck of your ship as the pirates quietly pull up alongside. The captain, a tall, svelte person with long red hair, is the first to step aboard. Xe introduces xerself with a smooth, low-pitched voice as Irene. [[You nod, and offer your own name in return.]]

Irene nods, as though xe was expecting your answer. You notice the other pirates climbing aboard your ship. There are not too many of them-- four, at most. Crews are small out here, and only get smaller with time. "I don't want any trouble," you start, as though that weren't perfectly obvious. "I'll give you whatever you ask for-- just let me go afterwards." "We have no interest in unnecessary bloodshed," Irene says. Xe nods to two of xer men, who move to stand on either side of you. Their body language is relaxed, friendly even, but they keep their hands on the hilts of their knives. Fighting back is probably not wise just yet. Your gaze slides to your laser glaive. It sits next to the boat hook, powered down. The pirates don't seem to have noticed it yet. Irene is still speaking. "Just give us the tour," xe says, gesturing languidly with long, elegant fingers. "We'll take whatever we need. Are you the only one here?" (if:$josiah is true)[You panic momentarily. Josiah is still inside, in what used to be a supply closet, resting. Irene did say that the pirates were uninterested in bloodshed, but you can't be sure they wouldn't hurt Josiah. And what's more... if you do want to fight later, it would be good to have an ally that the pirates don't know about. "Well?" Irene prompts. [[I'm alone. (lies)]] [[There is someone else.]]] (elseif: $josiah is false)[You nod. The pirates on either side of you prod you gently towards the cabin. [[You'll have to do as they say, for now.]] ]

You decide to try and evade once more. You scan the horizon, looking for any sort of obstacle to put between yourself and the pirate ship when you spot it. Off in the distance-- small, yes, but there-- is a dense patch of fog. It will be harder for you to see, but so will it be for them. You have to take the chance. (if: $dex is >3)[You push the rudder to set you on track for the fog cloud, and begin to lighten your load. You discard some of your pots and pans, the weightier food items-- anything to make your ship move faster. With your skillful maneuvering and your newly lost weight, you are able to make it into the fog cloud in time to avoid taking any damage. ] (else:)[You push the rudder to set you on track for the fog cloud, and do your best to offload extra weight-- some of your pots and pans, the weightier food-- anything to make your ship move faster. But it isn't enough. You manage to slip into the fog cloud, but just as you do, the pirates shoot two laser arrows at your ship. One just grazes the port side before disappearing into the dark waters, but the other hits the roof and sends up a showere of sparks and the smell of burnt plastic. Your ship has taken damage. {(set: $shiphealth to it -40)} Ship's health: $shiphealth] (if: $shiphealth is 0)[ [[You Died.]] ] (else:)[Your ship sails through near-glass waters. Mist clouds almost everything. In a few moments, you dare to look back, and you wish you hadn't. A shadow looms, sailing sharklike towards you. It is close, now, and you curse yourself. Of course pirates would know how to navigate fog! [[Evade Once More. (Dexterity)|evade2]] [[Surrender.]] ]

You know that evading pirates is a long shot, but you cannot help it. You want to try. You are already in the fog cloud. You must have a chance! (if: $dex is >5)[You hurry and cut the rudder away from where the pirate ship approaches. Then, as soon as you're sure the pirates would have adjusted course, you cut it again, in the opposite direction.You hunker low on the deck, silent, holding your breath lest even your heartbeat give you away. The shadow fades a little, then begins to turn. You follow this pattern for hours, carefully turning away, always deeper into the blanket of chilling fog, until the pirate ship's shadow fades from your sight completely. When you emerge from the fog cloud, it has gone, vanished like a nightmare at sunrise. [[You got away.]]] (else:)[You try to turn through the fog, try to twist in some way that will keep the dread ship from approaching your flank. You crouch near the rudder, silent and terrified, making tiny changes to your course. And for a moment, you think you've succeeded. The shadow of the pirate ship disappears. You relax, slump against the rudder. But just as you do, you catch something in your periphery vision, and turn, horrified, as the pirate ship comes into full view on your other side. It plows into your ship's starboard side, tearing up the plastic you worked for so long to tie together, and you cannot help it: you yelp in pain and shock. It feels as though it is your side being split. Your ship has taken damage. {(set: $shiphealth to it -50)} Ship's health: $shiphealth ] {(if: $shiphealth is 0)[ [[You Died.]] ]}{(if: $shiphealth < 0)[ [[You Died.]] ]} {(if: $shiphealth > 0 and $dex <5)[ [[Surrender.]] ]}

You can scarcely believe it. You stand on the back deck, watching the fog cloud as it begins to recede. (if: $josiah is true)[Josiah comes out of the cabin, leaning on the door frame. They look concerned.] (else:)[You stay on the back deck, staring out into the night. The waters churn. The horizon rises above the fog cloud. The night ends, and still you watch for dark sails on the horizon. But none come, and so, around noon, you go back to sleep.] [[You survived.]]

(if: $lies > 1)[You say the words as casually as you dare, and hold eye contact with Irene for a few seconds as you do so. Xe smiles, almost cruelly. "Valiant effort, kid, but we're pirates. You don't lie to us that easy." "I'm not lying," you say, and stare into xer eyes. "I'm alone. Why would I lie to you?" Silence falls. You see the pirates on either side of you shift in your peripheral vision, but you hold your ground. Finally, Irene speaks: "Huh. Well, in that case, let's go ahead and get the grand tour, eh?" {(set: $told to false)} [[It seems you don't have any other choice.|You lead Irene to the room where Josiah is resting.]] ] (else:) [You do your best to sound casual ask you speak, but you can't keep the tremble out of your voice. You've always been a bad liar. You hope that Irene won't notice, but xe immediately cocks xer head to the side and smiles, almost cruelly. "Valiant effort, kid, but we're pirates. You don't lie to us that easy." "I'm not--" you start, but Irene's smile fades and you feel the pirates on either side of you put their hands on their cutlasses and you yelp. "Fine! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I lied. But I promise it's nobody! Just a stranded sailor I picked up a couple nights ago. They're still recovering. They're no threat." "A rescue, huh? Well, aren't you kind," Irene says. "Well. Why don't you bring them out and we'll all have a chat." You nod, and internally, brace yourself. {(set: $told to true)} [[You lead Irene to the room where Josiah is resting.]] ]

Just saying it feels like some admission of guilt, but you force yourself to be calm. "A sipwrecked sailor I rescued a few days ago. They're inside, resting." "A rescue, huh? Well, aren't you kind," Irene says. If xe notices your fear, xe doesn't say anything. "Well. Why don't you bring them out and we'll all have a chat." You nod, and internally, brace yourself. {(set: $told to true)} [[You lead Irene to the room where Josiah is resting.]]

The pirates ask idle questions and poke around as you lead them through the tiny corridors of your ship. Your heart thrums in your chest. You passed the laser glaive on your way in. Now three pirates, including the captain, block your route to your only true weapon. There's Josiah, of course, but they're in no shape to be fighting. You're just going to have to hope the pirates won't try and take anything important-- "What's this door for?" You turn, and see Irene examining the door to your floating garden room. Shit. [[It's a supply closet. (lies) ]] [[Run for the laser glaive. (Dexterity) ]] [[It is the only thing on this ship I cannot allow to be taken. (Will) ]]

The pirates ask idle questions and poke around as you lead them through the tiny corridors of your ship. Your heart thrums in your chest. You passed the laser glaive on your way in. Now three pirates, including the captain, block your route to your only true weapon. There's Josiah, of course, but they're in no shape to be fighting. You're just going to have to hope the pirates won't try and take anything important-- "What's this door for?" You turn, and see Irene examining the door to your floating garden room. Shit. [[It's a supply closet. (lies)]] [[Run for the laser glaive. (Dexterity)]] [[It is the only thing on this ship I cannot allow to be taken. (Will)]]

(if: $lies is >3)["I keep my mop and bucket in there," you say. "'S got my fish bait in there too, currently, so it's none too pretty in there." Irene makes a face. You didn't expect a pirate to be so easily disgusted, but maybe you were just that convincing. Either way, xe nods to xer subordinates, and you continue. (if: $told is true)[ [[You take them to Josiah's room.]] ](if: $told is false)[ [[You continue your tour, trying your best to breathe steady.]] ] ](else:)["Nothing really to see there," you say, in a manner that you know is suspicious as soon as it leaves your mouth. Irene raises an eyebrow and gestures to one of xer subordinates. "Let's check," the pirate captain says. "Wait--" The pirate raises one booted foot and kicks the door to your garden open. You wish that you had made it a little smaller, because the space of the room before the pirates is damning enough evidence. You have seconds to act. [[I won't allow you to take it. (Will)|It is the only thing on this ship I cannot allow to be taken. (Will)]] [[Fight. (strength)]] ]

(if: $dex is > 3)[You pivot and with extraordinary skill run past Irene, slide between xer subordinates, and burst onto the back deck, where you snatch your laser glaive from its spot next to the boat hooks. It hums softly as it powers up. Irene and xer subordinates dash out onto the deck after you, laser blades out and ready for a fight. You tighten your grip on your laser glaive. You refuse to give any ground.](else:)[You dodge and immediately try to run through the pirates and out to the deck, towards your weapon, but as you do Irene grabs you by the hair and slams you into the ground. You black out for a second, or at least you think you do, because the next thing you know you are being sat up against the wall and Irene's pirates are rummaging through your garden. "No--" You say, weakly, and Irene next to you pulls a laser knife from xer pocket and holds it against your throat. "Don't try anything else," xe says softly. "I hate violence."] [[And then you hear a voice say, "What the hell did I miss?"]]

"Is that so?" Irene asks. "Yes." (if: $will is > 4)[You stare into each others' eyes for a moment, and xe sees something in yours that makes xer relent. "Fine, then." Irene cracks xer neck, then xer knuckles. "Lead on. Whatever this is-- if you're willing to stand up to me for it, I won't take it from you. I'm a thief but not foolish. I know the sorts of things people will kill for." (if: $told is false)[ [[You continue your tour, trying your best to breathe steady.]] ](if: $told is true)[ [[You take them to Josiah's room.]] ] ](else:)[You cannot help but tremble beneath the weight of the pirate captain's gaze, and suddenly you feel as though you are begging. And Irene, eyes full of fire, does not appear to pity you. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you can live without it," xe says, and takes one step towards your garden room before you, crying out, rush forward to try and prevent xer. [[And then you hear a voice say, "What the hell did I miss?"]] ]

You walk the pirates around the corner and open the door to Josiah's room where Josiah has just stood up from their bed, leaning on a mop like a cane. When you open the door, they are partway through asking what's going on when the pirates come in. You have not seen Irene look truly surprised until now. Xer mouth widens and drops to form a perfect, silent O. "What?" Josiah asks, grinning. "You look like you've seen a ghost, 'Rene." And you put two and two together. Oh. This could be very bad. Irene's own face curls in a smile. "So you were the castaway they--" (jerking xer thumb at you) "--said they brought on board." Josiah spreads their hands. "Generous, aren't they." A momentary silence falls, and then Josiah and Irene walk to meet each other and hug tightly. When they separate, Irene seems to realize something. "Oh," xe says. "We were gonna rob this tub." Your heart siezes with momentary panic, and you look at Josiah. They catch your gaze, and give you an easy smile. "Maybe hold off on that," Josiah says, as they and Irene both turn to look at you. "As a gesture of goodwill towards the person who saved my life." Ireen hesitates, then nods. "Very well." Your shoulders droop with relief. Josiah walks towards you, smiling. "Thanks for the help, by the way. But it seems this is my ride." They're leaving. The realization hits you just as Josiah says it, and loneliness rises in your throat like bile. "But--" Josiah continues, looking shyly down at you, "if you'd like-- it can be your ride too." Now this is an option worth considering. [[Become a pirate.]] //(let's be real, there's no way you'd pick another option even if I gave you one)//

You manage to guide the pirates through the rest of the ship, and they take things, but they do not take your garden. {(if: $josiah is true)[They ask about the door to Josiah's room, and you say truthfully that it is a sleeping quarters, and there is nothing but canvas in there. Irene, at least, seems to buy what you say at this point.] At last, they leave. [[You survived.]]

(if: $strength is > 3)[You punch Irene in the face, and as she staggers back, hear the telltale buzzing of a laser blade being powered up. You sidestep as one of the pirates behind you moves in to cut off your head. You punch them, too, in the stomach; as they double over, you wrench the laser cutlass from your hand and back up from the remaining un-punched pirate, and Irene, who is just recovering from the blow to the nose. "Rude," xe growls, and moves forward with the lethal grace of a shark. You hold your laser cutlass up, but it sits wrong in your hands. You can tell that without your glaive, you won't stand a chance in this battle. [[Run for the laser glaive. (Dexterity)]] ] (else:)[You whirl to hit Irene, but your strike has barely hit xer face when you hear from behind you the telltale buzzing of a laser blade being powered up. Irene's arms come up around you, almost in embrace, and you struggle to leave xer grip, but it is too late. You feel the blade of the laser cutlass slice through your neck. You have a few seconds left of consciousness, during which you fall backwards, and wonder why the rest of your body doesn't appear to fall with your head. [[You Died.|killed by pirates]] ]

You die, and your dream dies with you. You are pitched overboard and the great oceans, blue and deep around you, do not care as their denizens come to consume you. In a sense, you are safe now, at least. Your bones will rest easy on the abyssal plain. [[Would you like to try again?|Apocalypse]]

You turn and see Josiah, leaning on a mop. You expect them to be scared, angry, even, but their expression is almost joking. Irene seems stunned. "What?" Josiah asks, grinning. "You look like you've seen a ghost, 'Rene." And you put two and two together. Oh. This could be very bad. (if: $told is false)[Irene blanches. "How did you get here?" "Picked up as a castaway," Josiah says. "Nearly died, but. All in one piece." Irene gives you a sidelong look. "Someone omitted that you were a passenger." Xe almost looks impressed. You're not sure if that's a good thing.](if: $told is true)[Irene's own face curls in a smile. "So you were the castaway they--" (jerking xer thumb at you) "--said they brought on board." Josiah spreads their hands. "Generous, aren't they."] A momentary silence falls, and then Josiah and Irene walk to meet each other and hug tightly. When they separate, Irene seems to realize something. "Oh," xe says. "We were gonna rob this tub." Your heart siezes with momentary panic, and you look at Josiah. They catch your gaze, and give you an easy smile. "Maybe hold off on that," Josiah says, as they and Irene both turn to look at you. "As a gesture of goodwill towards the person who saved my life." Ireen hesitates, then nods. "Very well." Your shoulders droop with relief. Josiah walks towards you, smiling. "Thanks for the help, by the way. But it seems this is my ride." They're leaving. The realization hits you just as Josiah says it, and loneliness rises in your throat like bile. "But--" Josiah continues, looking shyly down at you, "if you'd like-- it can be your ride too." Now this is an option worth considering. [[Become a pirate.]] //(let's be real, there's no way you'd pick another option even if I gave you one)//

(if: $dex is > 3)[You pivot and with extraordinary skill run past Irene, slide between xer subordinates, and burst onto the back deck, where you snatch your laser glaive from its spot next to the boat hooks. It hums softly as it powers up. Irene and xer subordinates dash out onto the deck after you, laser blades out and ready for a fight. You tighten your grip on your laser glaive. You refuse to give any ground. [[fight with the glaive. (strength)]] ](else:)[You dodge and immediately try to run through the pirates and out to the deck, towards your weapon, but as you do Irene grabs you by the hair and slams you into the ground. You black out for a second, or at least you think you do, because the next thing you know you are being sat up against the wall and Irene's pirates are rummaging through your garden. "No--" You say, weakly, and Irene next to you pulls a laser knife from xer pocket and holds it against your throat. "Don't try anything else," xe says softly. "I hate violence." You cannot live without your garden anyways. You surge forward, hoping to-- what?-- and Irene automatically slices your throat. [[You Died.|killed by pirates]] ]

"Is that so?" Irene asks. "Yes." (if: $will is > 4)[You stare into each others' eyes for a moment, and xe sees something in yours that makes xer relent. "Fine, then." Irene cracks xer neck, then xer knuckles. "Lead on. Whatever this is-- if you're willing to stand up to me for it, I won't take it from you. I'm a thief but not foolish. I know the sorts of things people will kill for." [ [[You continue your tour, trying your best to breathe steady.]] ] ](else:)[You cannot help but tremble beneath the weight of the pirate captain's gaze, and suddenly you feel as though you are begging. And Irene, eyes full of fire, does not appear to pity you. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you can live without it," xe says, and takes one step towards your garden room before you, crying out, rush forward to try and prevent xer. But before you can do anything, you hear the telltale hum of a laser blade powering up, and feel a glowing stab of pain in your chest. You already know what you will see if you look down, so you do not look down. [[You Died.|killed by pirates]] ]

(if: $strength is > 3)[You punch Irene in the face, and as she staggers back, hear the telltale buzzing of a laser blade being powered up. You sidestep as one of the pirates behind you moves in to cut off your head. You punch them, too, in the stomach; as they double over, you wrench the laser cutlass from your hand and back up from the remaining un-punched pirate, and Irene, who is just recovering from the blow to the nose. "Rude," xe growls, and moves forward with the lethal grace of a shark. You hold your laser cutlass up, but it sits wrong in your hands. You can tell that without your glaive, you won't stand a chance in this battle. [[Run for the laser glaive. (Dexterity) ]] ] (else:)[You whirl to hit Irene, but your strike has barely hit xer face when you hear from behind you the telltale buzzing of a laser blade being powered up. Irene's arms come up around you, almost in embrace, and you struggle to leave xer grip, but it is too late. You feel the blade of the laser cutlass slice through your neck. You have a few seconds left of consciousness, during which you fall backwards, and wonder why the rest of your body doesn't appear to fall with your head. [[You Died.|killed by pirates]] ]

(if: $strength is > 4)[You spin the glaive effortlessly between your fingers, and go the fuck to work. You are outnumbered, but your glaive has what cutlasses and knives do not: reach. And it takes you a while, but by the time the red sun rises on the horizon, the deck is piled with the bodies of pirates. You are panting and drained. You feel as though your limbs are made of lead, but you drop your weapon and push the corpses over the edge. And then you set sail once more. [[You survived.]] ] (else:)[You try to fight the pirates, but the struggle is brief. There is nothing in the world more horrendous than the feeling of being carved away at, piece by piece, each wound cauterizing itself so that you may fight yet more in this losing battle. It is agonizing; it is slow; it is the most pain you have ever been in-- or will be in. [[You Died.|killed by pirates]] ]

You make it through the rest of your journey in one piece(if: $josiah is true)[, partly because of Josiah's help,] and find your way to the coral reef. Your garden begins to grow, and you even meet others who have made the journey. You have made it. You are... well. You are not safe. Death awaits. But you are freer. Thank you for playing. [[Play again?|Apocalypse]]

You become a pirate. This is what we in the biz call a FUCK YEAH. You journey the seas with Josiah, Irene, and you little crew, and it is better than the stifling oppression of the Lords and it is better than the loneliness you imagine awaits you in the coral reefs. You have made it. You are... well. You are not safe. Death awaits. But you are freer. Thank you for playing. [[Play again?|Apocalypse]]