Attunement

<img src="http://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/attunementlogo.png" width="315" height="250" alt="Testing"> **Attunement** by Florencia Minuzzi Made for AceJam 2018 Playing fullscreen is recommended (click on the expanding arrows on the bottom right). Attunement is a reflective experience around 30 minutes long. [[Start|Intro0]]

Maybe now's a good time. As good a time as any, at any rate. 'No, stay. I want you to see,' she says, moving back until she's leaning against her bed, 'but close the door.' Grant sits down cross-legged, turns off his phone, then smiles, waiting. Anaïs feels excited and a little bit more worried than she expected. As her pulse speeds up, she slows her breathing, trying to get back into the right frame of mind. Maybe talking through things will help. [[She starts talking.|Intro2]]

Anaïs opens her eyes, and for a second the room looks discoloured. 'I thought I'd swing by, since we're having dinner together anyway. You're cool with that, right? Dinner's still on?' Grant looks concerned as he opens Anaïs' door, but she's smiling. 'Yes, dinner is fine. Sorry, I was distracted.' She tries to recompose herself, but it takes her longer than expected. Then again, this is usually a very private affair. 'Don't stop on my account,' Grant says, looking around. 'I know you do your, um, witch stuff when I'm not around. I can watch something while I wait, with headphones on.' [[Her smile comes back.|Intro1]]

'I have these magical things that I connect to. ...Connect with? Am connected with,' she says finally, having almost forgotten the additional hurdle of explaining in English. It should still be fine, especially since he's not jumped in to correct her. 'I bring them with me all the time, but every month I like to connect with them again.' Grant nods quietly. 'Usually I clear my mind and hold the thing for a few minutes, remembering how I found it, or made it. I think I can do the same thing out loud, maybe. And you can learn more about me.' Anaïs' hand hovers, unsure where to start. What has she missed the most? [[The earrings|Earrings0]] (Her visual aid) [[The glasses|Glasses0]] (Her perceptive focus) [[The wand|Wand0]] (Her magical prowess) [[The flute pendant|Flute0]] (Her audio companion)

(display: "Audio")'These earrings didn't start like this,' Anaïs says as she holds them up for Grant to see. The small, dangling silver earrings, each hold a green cat's eye. 'I asked my mother to make the gems into earrings later, but I found these when I was six.' As she starts to explain, she lowers the earrings with one hand and tucks hair behind her ear with the other – a nervous habit that rears its head at times like these. 'Do you remember when I said we celebrate the sixth of January with a round cake, the *galette des rois*?' She closes her eyes for a second, remembering the taste. 'Yeah, the King Cake with a little figurine,' he says, 'the one we tried when we went to Paris.' (if: $glasses is 1)[His face is|hard>[<img src="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/hardtoread.png">](click: ?hard)[but Anaïs can tell he's nostalgic as well. It really was a nice trip].](else-if: $glasses is 0)[] [['Yes, that one.'|Earrings1]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]The glasses are on the floor, folded neatly, their dark green frame blending in with the rug. Anaïs picks them up carefully, trying not to smudge the lenses, and asks Grant if he's seen them before. 'Yeah, once or twice,' Grant replies, 'I thought they were reading glasses.' 'They may be, in the future, but now the lenses are just glass. I picked them because I liked how they look, when I was fifteen.' It feels like such a long time ago, *le lycée*. 'I was walking with some friends from school. One of them uses glasses, and she wanted to find a pretty frame, so we all went with her to the shop. The rest of us were bored, so we started trying on glasses too.' [['There was one pair...'|Glasses1]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]As Anaïs picks up the wand it lets out a few tiny sparks. She thinks back, trying to remember when she last attuned with it, but Grant's amazement stops her thoughts in their tracks. 'Sorry, I've just never actually *seen* your magic before, not like that,' he says(if: $flute is 1)[, then looks a bit contrite. 'The flute song was lovely, of course. It's just that seeing these sparks is something else, something special...'](else-if: $flute is 0)[. 'I mean, sure, it's just a spark, but...'] 'That's because I don't show people if I don't have to. Maybe, after I'm done, I can do something else? It will be small, but—' '—Yes, that would be great! Oh, but don't let me interrupt you,' Grant quickly adds. [['Okay.'|Wand1]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'You know this one,' Anaïs says as she picks up a thin silver chain. The flute pendant has little crystals set in the keys. 'You enchanted the pendant I gave you?' Grant sounds pleased, as if his purchase was so spot-on that it became magical. 'I did,' she laughs, 'but not only because it's from you. This flute helped me realise that, maybe, I was not quite what I thought. When I left Paris and came to London, I wanted to play the flute again. I signed up for classes – as you know, since you were there – but I was feeling very awkward. I tried being friendly but I needed more practise with my English, and the jokes were different. It was hard to make friends.' [['I spent that year...'|Flute1]]

(display: "Audio")'Yes, that one. For us it wasn't an important day, except for eating *galette*, but our new neighbours were from Spain and they got presents in their shoes.' 'I don't know why, in their shoes,' Anaïs adds before the question could be asked, 'but I was six and I wanted to get more presents, so I asked my parents if we would be getting presents like the kids next door, and they said to wait and see.' 'When I woke up and looked at my shoes, there was a kitten inside.' 'An actual live kitten?' Grant's look of amazement surprises her, until she remembers he's lived in small flats for most of his life. [['Yes, a real kitten...'|Earrings1b]]

(display: "Audio")'The next day, they opened the closet after breakfast and the kitten was gone, probably back to the cat's owner. I was sad, but I could visit the Spanish kids and play with their kittens, so I tried not to think about mine.' 'Then, in February my friend Solange slept over after my birthday. You don't know her,' Anaïs explains, 'she's been in Rome for some years. Solange and I we were trying to sleep when I saw a small shadow, like a kitten. The shadow was running around our room, and touching the window. It looked so...' Lost. Trapped. Scared. (if: $wand is 1)[It was so hard to (link: "put into words.")[put into words. (color: "#B43FE2")[*Instead, Anaïs conjures an image of a cave, dark and quiet and isolating. It makes Grant shudder*.]]](else-if: $wand is 0)[It pawed at the window so helplessly.] 'So,' Grant starts tentatively, 'did you let it out?' [['Yes.'|Earrings3]]

(display: "Audio")(set: $earrings to 1)(set: $items to $items + 1)'Yes, I let it out. My friend didn't know what I was doing – she thought I was playing make-believe, so she stayed in bed. I was small, so I went out the window and saw the kitten was waiting for me, wanting me to follow.' 'It went to the neighbour's garden, so it took me a bit of time to climb up the fence, and when I got there I couldn't see the kitten's shadow anymore. I sat under a tree, although it was cold, and waited a little bit, hoping it would come back. When the light from the moon hit the tree, I thought I saw the kitten's eyes, and so I tried to pet it...' Anaïs holds the earrings out, so Grant can see them. 'But I found two stones. I took them with me, and kept them in a little bag. Then, for another birthday, I asked my parents to make them into earrings.' [[Anaïs puts the earrings on.|Earrings4]]

(display: "Audio")(display: "Image") As Anaïs puts the earrings on, magical colours creep back into existence. The way she thinks of it, there are extra layers that only come into focus when she's wearing the earrings. She sees Grant, sitting across from her, eyes glinting under his glasses. 'They're pretty simple,' Grant says, 'but I suppose magic comes in different shapes and forms.' 'Exactly.' (display: "Choices")

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'There was one pair I liked,' Anaïs declares as she holds the glasses in front of her face, 'with different kinds of green, like trees and grass and moss. The frame is very light, I almost couldn't feel them. I think, as soon as I put them on, I wanted to do something special with them. Like an enchantment.' She sees a twinge of discomfort cross Grant's face and lowers the glasses. This is not a conversation he's used to, not yet. 'My friends were so happy. They said I was finally trying to look nice, maybee zhere waz a boy I liked! Waz eet someone from school, or from musique classes?' Anaïs used her best nosy French accent. 'Did I want too go buy makeup togezur?' He smiled. Teenage banter seemed to be an easier subject, and he always liked her imitations. [['I let them think that.'|Glasses2]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'I let them think that. Everyone cared so much about their looks, they thought I was one of those "late bloomers". At least it was a different kind of teasing.' 'So,' Grant starts tentatively, 'you didn't tell your school friends that you're, um, asexual?' That pause. "Um, magic" or "um, asexual", like the words aren't in his dictionary and he needs an extra second to look them up. He knows in theory, but to actually say it out loud is a whole different story... (if: $wand is 1)[Anaïs' wand starts buzzing, as if stretching an invisible hand (link: "for her to take")[for her to take. (color: "#B43FE2")[*She brushes a finger against her wand and receives a comforting pinprick of current. A reassurance*]].](else-if: $wand is 0)[Anaïs shakes her head.] She shouldn't have started this if she was going to berate him. The whole point was to be more open, not more critical. [['No, I didn't tell anyone.'|Glasses3]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'No, I didn't tell anyone. When I talk about it now, it sounds more obvious, but I just thought it was normal. Like the old way of thinking about it, just something women do for their partner.' She's glad she can smile about it now. It's been easier to talk about her later realisations than these earlier doubts. 'The next year, I started wearing the enchanted glasses to school – not to look nice, just to have this magic closeby, because it's a part of me.' ...Just like a lack of desire to sleep with people was a part of herself. '...You know, one day, during lunch, I talked to Caroline about the other girls. How they had posters of sexy movie stars and cool rock bands, how they gossipped about couples having sex already. It sounded so boring to us. Was it really irresistible to people or were they just pretending it was exciting, because everyone else was?' [[Anaïs thinks about that day.|Glasses4]]

(display: "Audio")(set: $glasses to 1)(set: $items to $items + 1)(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]Anaïs remembers that day, the (if: $wand is 1)[(link: "chill breeze.")[chill breeze with a hint of snowflakes. (color: "#B43FE2")[*She embellishes, using her wand to conjure snowflakes above herself, like she's in a snowglobe.*]]](else-if: $wand is 0)[chill breeze.] Sitting with her friend, watching other students. There was a certain kinship then. 'We didn't talk about it again, but that was fine. I didn't care what other people were doing, but it was nice to know someone my age, my generation, who thought all this talk about sexy people was strange too.' 'These glasses were a mask, or a façade,' she says as she places them on the rug again. 'I showed people what they expected, even if I wasn't like that. I could pretend I cared about the same things, even if I didn't.' Anaïs lets herself laugh. [['That is a very teenage thought...'|Glasses5]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'That is a very teenage thought, right? "No one knows how I feel", "They don't know the real Anaïs",' she says with a teenage drawl. 'Well, yeah,' Grant laughs along. 'I mean, when everyone's changing around you, you end up worrying about it too.' 'It is true about the glasses, though,' Anaïs continues. 'They made me feel better with myself, and wearing them more, I felt closer to them.' Anaïs picks up the glasses and puts them on. Although everything looks the same, she finds herself more able to focus, her mind wandering less. 'They do look good, even if that wasn't your intention,'[|GS>[<img src="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/grantsays.png">](click: ?GS)[ and Anaïs can tell that he means it].] (display: "Choices")

(if: $earrings is 0)[[[Pick up the the earrings|Earrings0]] (Her visual aid) ](if: $glasses is 0)[[[Take the pair of glasses|Glasses0]] (Her perceptive focus) ](if: $wand is 0)[[[Hold the wand|Wand0]] (Her magical prowess) ](if: $flute is 0)[[[Grab the the flute pendant|Flute0]] (Her audio companion) ] (if: $items is 4)[[[Time to wrap things up.|End0]]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'To me, this wand is a symbol of my independence. Some days after I started University, I decided to go to a forest that was close by – euh... Verrières, it was called.' 'I sat on the grass near a lake, or pond maybe. It was early in the morning, and there weren't too many people around, so I sat for half an hour, looking at the trees and thinking about how different things were. I wasn't even very close to Paris, but everything already felt so different. Maybe because university is so different from school.' Grant nods along, quiet and attentive. It takes Anaïs a few seconds to continue her story; she looks around the room and her eyes fall on (if: $glasses is 1)[|scarf>[<img src="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/oldscarf.png">](click: ?scarf)[ too warm for the current weather. If it's not back in the closet yet, it's because it reminds her of home. It's still]](else-if: $glasses is 0)[an old scarf, loosely] draped on her chair. Right. [[The park.|Wand2]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'I started trying to remember the names of trees, just for something to do. I liked one tree in particular, it looked like oak from the leaves but I didn't see any acorns, so I stepped closer. When I touched the trunk there was a strong wind, so strong it could blow me away! And then...' 'And then?' Grant asks excitedly. 'A branch fell in front of me. It was as long as half my arm. I didn't think about it at first, since there was that strong wind, but when I looked up at the tree again, there was a squirrel looking at me... intensely.' As if its eyes were boring into Anaïs' soul. [['I kept looking...'|Wand3]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'I kept looking at the squirrel as I picked up the branch. I wanted to make a wand for some time, and this was the perfect size. I didn't have an excuse not to anymore, I just had to, euh, *limer*...' She mimics filing the wand, and Grant provides the right word. 'Yes, that. I didn't make a wand before leaving home because everything was going to be different. I didn't want more ways to remember home, I wanted something new, a part of the new Anaïs. So this branch was perfect for what I wanted. After that, I had to tell myself – I'm really a witch. I'm not just a girl who has funny stories that sound unbelievable, because I'm going to do real magic now.' (if: $glasses is 1)[ Anaïs finds her eyes resting on |varnish>[<img src="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/herwand.png">](click: ?varnish)[. She thinks she could give it a nicer finish if she varnished the wand] again.](else-if: $glasses is 0)[] [['When it was done...'|Wand4]]

(display: "Audio")(set: $wand to 1)(set: $items to $items + 1)(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'When the wand was done, and I tried it and it worked, it was like I had actually grown up. It was very emotional. Sad because my other life felt far away, but happy because so many exciting things could happen now.' Anaïs pauses for a moment, trying to recall that feeling. She's still holding the wand, although it's been quiet in her hand ever since she started talking. It almost feels alive, like a creature rumbling under her touch. 'After that, I did a lot of stupid things. It was university, so I made some weird friends and skipped classes and drank very bad drinks. But if I needed to remember who I was, I had the wand in my bag.' [[Hold the wand.|Wand5]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'I spent that year trying to connect with people, but it was hard. I had to take the underground from work, then play the flute, so I was tired when I came to the pub with everyone. I always made friends faster in France, it was weird that I didn't here. And Saturdays, after my shift, were even worse.' Anaïs takes a breath. This was only two years ago; it's stifling for her to remember how isolated she felt. 'I didn't realise it was so bad,' Grant says. (if: $wand is 1)[Before she knows it, her wand is back in her hand, pointing at her (link: "bedside table")[bedside table. (color: "#B43FE2")[*First one tissue, then a second, pull themselves out of the box, although she thankfully doesn't need them now. They slowly float back down*]]. Her mind is clearly elsewhere.](else-if: $wand is 0)[The comment helps Anaïs realise she's going off-track.] There are so many tangled stories from that year, she finds it hard to disconnect them all. [['Then...'|Flute2]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'Then, it was almost the holidays. I wanted a bit of silence, but it would be rude to skip the last pub day, so I came. There were only seven people, then five, then everyone else left and it was just the two of us.' Grant smiles; he remembers this day too. He refers to it as Day Zero. 'You were so... British. Asking if I wanted another pint, if I minded the football on the "telly", apologising. I didn't know who you were other than being British.' 'Oh,' he says quietly. 'I kind of thought we were friends by that point.'(if: $glasses is 1)[ Grant |sadG>[<img src="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/doesntlookhappy.png">](click: ?sadG)[, but Anaïs thinks he might just be surprised. She's not always forthcoming with these sorts of details, and she did spring this up a bit unexpectedly].](else-if: $glasses is 0)[ Grant doesn't look happy to hear it.] [['We were...'|Flute3]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'We were, but I didn't know what you were like. That you get really excited about roller skating, and painting miniature people, and making amazing roast chicken. That day, you were more like a work friend, but for flute classes.' Grant makes his sad face, the one with the lip quiver, which makes Anaïs cross her arms. 'You know I need time for these things, it's not my fault...' 'Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to say that,' he adds quickly. 'It's fine. But there are no sparks for me, no "that person is hot" or "sexy". And you know I'm not touchy. I can kiss or hug as a greeting, but I don't touch someone's arm if they're sad, or pat them on the back, not until I'm more comfortable with them. But that day was when I first thought that, maybe, I could get comfortable with you.' [['After a bit...'|Flute4]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'After a bit more time, we went on dates, and after a few of those dates, I thought, okay, maybe I can kiss him. Or let him kiss me; he probably knows what he's doing.' 'Sort of,' he jokes. 'You gave me the flute necklace,' Anaïs says, 'and I put it on when I got home, and I started crying.' 'No, good crying!' she reassures Grant, who looks flustered. 'I thought, maybe I can like someone. Just because I don't want to do everything people say you should do, doesn't mean I can't want a person. Before then, if someone asked me to go on a date, I would try, but then it was just... nothing. Obligation. Boredom.' 'But this flute,' she says as she takes his hand, 'reminds me that people's assumptions are not my rules.' [['Do you know what it does?'|Flute5]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]Anaïs starts wrapping things up. She's wearing the earrings and the green-framed glasses. She closes the necklace's clasp behind her back, careful not to catch her hair. She holds the wand, which is now humming slightly. 'So... is there a big finish?' he asks. [[She puts a finger to her lips|EndQuiet]]

(set: $flute to 1)(set: $items to $items + 1)(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]'Do you know what the flute does? You've actually heard it before,' she says, then briefly presses the flute to her lips. A song starts playing. 'Oh,' realisation crosses Grant's face. 'So whenever I can't figure out where that weird music is coming from...' 'Sorry, now you know. ...And it's not "weird", it's modern.' (display: "Choices")(display: "Audio")

TO DO -Add all effects: Flute - Add song (that is just notes???) Earrings - Turn BG image into header? Glasses - Hover text? Or at least green?... Restart function, or clear all variables when start? #B43FE2 Add more glasses and wand? -Check it's all in present tense! Testing <background="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/livingroomteawithflo.png"> <html><body background="http://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/livingroomteawithflo.png"></body></html>

Anaïs tucks hair behind her ear, even though her eyes are closed. An unconscious reaction to an unconscious worry. Is it about their relationship? Is there something she's not confronting? Grant is so attentive, so caring, so well-intentioned. What's Anaïs supposed to do when she gets the feeling he doesn't quite believe her? She demonstrated her magic, there's no denying that it's something inherent to her. But what about her lack of physical desire for him? Is there any way to prove that? She's toyed with other labels, other explanations, other possibilities. She doesn't find his smell odd anymore. His hair always seemed weirdly floppy, but now it's almost endearing. The way he says "the thing is" – *breathe in* – "is that..." in a way that confused her at first, but now is expected. His weird way of gripping pens. If she grew to like all those, would she grow to want him that way? [[And if not...|End2]]

And if not... would things continue to be okay? Would Grant be so accepting after three years, five years, thirty? *Arrête*, she tells herself. These spirals, they're the problem. Anaïs grips her wand more tightly, clears her mind, bites her lip softly. Her perception leaves the confines of herself and senses the whole room, the swirls surrounding herself and Grant, the soft violet currents connecting them. (if: $A is 0)[(link: "She takes a deep breath...")[(set: $Step to $Step + 1)(set: $A to 1)(goto: "End2")]](else:)[She takes a deep breath, calming herself.] (if: $B is 0)[(link: "She traces her wand with a finger...")[(set: $Step to $Step + 1)(set: $B to 1)(goto: "End2")]](else:)[She traces her wand with a finger, noticing every scratch and uneven surface.] (if: $C is 0)[(link: "She remembers her mantras...")[(set: $Step to $Step + 1)(set: $C to 1)(goto: "End2")]](else:)[She remembers her mantras, recites them slowly in her head.] (if: $Step is 3)[(display: "Finish")]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]It's not visually impressive, but Anaïs knows she's finished. She opens her eyes and smiles at Grant. 'All done. Thank you for waiting, and... oops,' Anaïs says as she fails to get up. Her legs sometimes go numb when she's sitting like this, and she's been sitting for longer than usual. Grant helps her onto the bed and sits next to her while she waits out the pins and needles. She leans on him, resting her head on his shoulder. 'I'm looking forward to dinner,' he says. 'Me too. Are you going to change? Maybe I should wear something nice.' She says, then yawns. She's more tired than she thought. 'Just wear whatever you're comfortable with,' Grant holds her hand. 'Besides, you already look nice.' 'Thanks,' she says, [['Maybe I won't change, then.'|Credits]]

(display: "Audio")Thank you for playing! <img src="http://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/attunementlogo.png" width="315" height="250" alt="Testing"> **Attunement** by Florencia Minuzzi Made for AceJam 2018 Thanks to Dustin Connor for testing the game Ocean Going 124 by Allformsofpandas (Freesound) [[Restart|Start]]

(if: $earrings is 1)[<img src="https://teawithflodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/grant3.png" width="315" height="250" alt="Testing">]

(display: "Audio")'Yes, a real kitten(if: $wand is 1)[,' she repeats, and thinks she could help out with (link: "a visual aid.")[a visual aid. (color: "#B43FE2")[*She uses her wand to create a little transluscent image of a kitten in a shoe. It's close enough to the real thing, and she knows Grant likes cats too*]. 'So,' she starts again, ']](else-if: $wand is 0)[. ]The two neighbours also got kittens from the same litter – maybe they gave one to my parents because I kept asking if I could get a gift. My father doesn't like animals, so it was probably the neighbours' idea.' (if: $wand is 1)[Anaïs puts her wand down and holds the earrings again](else-if: $wand is 0)[Anaïs squeezes the earrings tight]; she's getting derailed and it's not helping her connection. 'Anyway, I got a kitten, and I played with him all day. When I went to sleep he went in the closet, where my mother made him a little bed and locked him in for the night.' [['The next day...'|Earrings2]]

(if: $flute is 1)[<audio src="http://teapoweredgames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Allformsofpandas__ocean-going-124.mp3" autoplay loop>]

(set: $earrings to 0)(set: $glasses to 0)(set: $wand to 0)(set: $flute to 0)(set: $Step to 0)(set: $items to 0)(set: $A to 0)(set: $B to 0)(set: $C to 0)Anaïs sits cross-legged on her soft carpet, breathing deeply and enjoying the sunlight streaming through the window. It's always nicer on a sunny day, easier to feel the connections. She closes her eyes, counts to ten and starts reaching out‒ '‒Hey, Ana,' a voice calls out, 'Guess who got off an hour early?' [[Anaïs opens her eyes...|Intro0b]]

[[She finishes her attunement.|End3]]

(display: "Audio")(if: $earrings is 1)[(display: "Image")[ ]]Anaïs holds the wand with her other hand, then with both. Its power feels so familiar to her, like her own scent, and it's buzzing with potential. If she wanted to, she could (link: "make her scarf float")[make her scarf float. (color: "#B43FE2")[*She did say she might demonstrate, after all. Anaïs twirls the scarf around in the air with just a flick of her wrist, waving it into odd shapes, as though it were floating underwater. Grant's reaction makes her smile.*] 'It is fun,' she adds]. (display: "Choices")

Anaïs puts a finger to her lips, then closes her eyes and finishes strengthening the bonds. Grant is silent, but his presence still slows things down. Maybe not his presence, exactly, but Anaïs can't put her finger on what the problem is. She was glad to share, and she thought it went well, so why does she feel this pang of regret? Didn't she want Grant to know? [[She tucks hair behind her ear.|End1]]