(if: $confusion < 3)[Hello there! So glad you could make it, please take a seat in that room over there and your friend will join you [[shortly->waiting]].](if: $confusion is 3)[Hello there! So glad you could make it, please take a seat in that room over there and your friend will join you shortly. (text-color: red)[Let's go down a different [[hallway->encounter]] instead.]](if: $confusion is 4)[Hello there! So glad you could make it, please take a seat in that room over there and your friend will join you shortly. (text-color: red)[Ok I guess we'll sprint down the [[hallway->encounter2]].]](if: $confusion is 5)[Hello there! So glad you could make it, please ta- (text-color: red)[Shut up already! I've got [[places->encounter3]] to be!]]
(if: $confusion is 1)[(text-style:"fade-in-out")+(text-color:red)[wait, what?]](if: $confusion is 2)[(text-style:"fade-in-out")+(text-color:red)[what the hell is going on??]]===><==
You take a seat and look around the room.
(text-style: "rumble")+(text-color: "yellow")[**knock knock knock**]
(link: "Come in!")[(show: ?greeting)(text-color: "yellow")[Hey friend, it's good to see you, I hope you're ready to have a nice chat together. First things first, I'm gonna need you to give me a [[name->naming]].
:D
]]
(live: 0.5s)+(text-color: "yellow")[My name is: (text-color: "red")[$friendname]. Cool, thanks for giving me a name! :D
Now, what is (text-color: purple)[[your name->your name]]?]
(set: $friendname to (prompt: "What is my name?", ""))
(if: $friendname's length < 1)[(set: $friendname to "ᚨᚹᛖᛋᛟᛗᛖᚾᚨᛗᛖ")]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $truefriendname to $friendname)](set: $playername to (prompt: "What's your name?", ""))(if: $playername's length < 1)[(set: $playername to "Stinky Person")](text-color: "yellow")[(text-color: purple)[$playername], huh? Nice to meet you. Now that we've got introductions out of the way, I think we can [[get started->getting started]]. : )]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $trueplayername to $playername)]
(text-color: yellow)[Right off the bat I'd like to know about some of your preferences. Do you prefer chatting with someone that's very verbose or very concise? 0_0]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Verbose ->verboseChat]]]
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[ Concise ->conciseChat]]](text-color: yellow)[Ok. Less word good. ]: ]]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Yes, good. ->shortChat]]]
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[ Actually, maybe I'd rather use more words. ->getting started]]](text-color:yellow)[How absolutely splendid! Oh (text-color:purple)[$playername], I simply cannot wait for all of the fun and engaging conversation that we are about to have! Are you as excited as I am, my wonderful and eloquent friend? Just the two of us, (text-color:red)[$friendname] and (text-color:purple)[$playername] having deep, meaningful conversations. (OvO)]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ I am positively ecstatic, this is going to be a delightful experience! ->longChat]]]
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[ Maybe less words. ->getting started]]](text-color:yellow)[Now animal. Which you like? ]: 0]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Dog ->shortdogchat]]]
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[ Cat ->shortcatchat]]]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $favtalk to "concise")](text-color:yellow)[Now tell me my friend, between these two animals, which do you prefer? I know it's probably a difficult choice or not, I don't know you too well yet so it's hard to say. Some people may think that this is so easy it's ridiculous, while others may face a deep internal struggle as they try to decide. Perhaps there would even be those that are upset that there are only the 2 options, but there's got to be a limit somewhere. You understand that, don't you (text-color:purple)[$playername]? I sure hope this isn't giving you too much trouble, you can decide on what you want to choose whenever you're ready. I'm happy to wait as long as I need to while you come up with your decision. (o.o)]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ After a lot of careful consideration, I have decided that I prefer dogs over cats. ->longdogchat]]]
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[ Through my pondering I have come to conclude that I have a preferance toward cats ->longcatchat]]]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $favtalk to "verbose")](text-color:yellow)[Excellent choice (text-color:purple)[$playername]! I'm sure you had to think long and hard about it, but in the end, you managed to face down any doubts or concerns you may have had and made your decision. I'm impressed by your willpower and determination. It's very important to be confident in yourself and be able to make a difficult decision like that. Not everyone has the ability to do so as flawlessly as you just have, so I commend you for that. I'm sure you'd love to explain your long and meaningful thought process to me and I would certainly love to hear it, but we haven't got a moment to lose, onto the next question!]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Let's go! I love questions! And dogs! ->Starting simple]]]]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $favanimal to "dog")]
(set: $confusion to $confusion +1)(text-color:yellow)[Excellent choice (text-color:purple)[$playername]! I'm sure you had to think long and hard about it, but in the end, you managed to face down any doubts or concerns you may have had and made your decision. I'm impressed by your willpower and determination. It's very important to be confident in yourself and be able to make a difficult decision like that. Not everyone has the ability to do so as flawlessly as you just have, so I commend you for that. I'm sure you'd love to explain your long and meaningful thought process to me and I would certainly love to hear it, but we haven't got a moment to lose, onto the next question!]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Let's go! I love questions! And cats! ->Starting simple]]]]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $favanimal to "cat")]
(set: $confusion to $confusion +1)(text-color:yellow)[Dogs cool. ]: )]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Yeah ->Starting simple]]]]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $favanimal to "dog")]
(set: $confusion to $confusion +1)
(text-color:yellow)[Cats cool. ]: )]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:cyan,blue,navy,purple)[[[ Yeah ->Starting simple]]]]
(if: $confusion is 0)[(set: $favanimal to "cat")]
(set: $confusion to $confusion +1)(align:"=><=")[(text-colour:(hsl:0,0.8039,0.5,0.8))[[[Enter->Starting simple]]]]
(set: $confusion to 0)(text-color: yellow)[Oh, hey there, friend. Aren't you supposed to be in the room around the corner?]
(link: "uh-")[(show: ?slap)(text-color: yellow)[Wait, are you [[awake->Starting simple]]]?]
(set: $confusion to $confusion +1)(text-color: yellow)[Who whoa whoa, where's the fire? Aren't you supposed to be in the room around the corner?]
(link: "I'm awake!")[(show: ?awakeagain)(text-color: yellow)[Wait, you are?! OK THE CODE IS jQi+G#t;W31L [[GOT IT?!->Starting simple]]]]
(set: $confusion to $confusion +1)(text-color: yellow)[Who whoa whoa, where's the fire? Aren't you supposed to be in the room around the corner?]
(text-color:red)[[run past->locked door]]
(link: "What was the code again?!")[(show: ?thecode)(text-color: yellow)[The code? Oh. OH. OK THE CODE IS jQi+G#t;W31L [[GOT IT?!->Starting simple]]]](set: $code to (prompt: "You find a locked door at the end of the hallway with a keypad
ENTER CODE:", ""))
(if: $code is "jQi+G#t;W31L")[The door [[opens->secret room]]](else:)[INCORRECT CODE. ACCESS [[DENIED->Starting simple]].]You go through the door and find yourself in a bright white, empty room.
(text-color:red)[Sit a moment and [[catch your breath->meetfriend]]]
(text-color:red)[Go back into the [[hallway->Starting simple]]]
You hear the door open(set: $nice to 0)
(text-color:yellow)[Nice job, you made it, I hope that didn't take you too many loops]
(live:0.25s)[(if: $nice is 0)[
(link: "What the hell is going on??")[(set: $nice to 1)]
(link: "Who are you?? What is happening??")[(set: $nice to 2)]
]
(else-if: $nice is 1)[(text-color:yellow)[That's a long [[story->explanation]]]]
(else-if: $nice is 2)[(text-color:yellow)[Oh, my name is $truefriendname. That's the first time you've ever asked ME what my name is. I guess I should [[explain->explanation]] what's going on]]
]
(if: $favtalk is "concise")[(text-color:yellow)[Actually, I'll give you a choice.]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[Actually, I'll give you a choice. Like the Matrix basically, red pill or blue pill. It's entirely up to you.]]
(align:"=><=")[(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:red,red,red,red)+(text-color:red)[[[ Learn the truth ->thetruth]]]
(b4r:"solid")+(b4r-colour:navy,navy,navy,navy)+(text-color:navy)[[ Blissful ignorance ->thelie]]](if: $favtalk is "concise")[(text-color:yellow)[So the short story is that we're living in a simulation.]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[So as it turns out, we're living in a simulation. I realized this and managed to disrupt it a little bit so that you got caught in a loop, hoping you'd be able to break free. The only name I've ever known is $truefriendname becaue that's what you gave to me on the first loop. You know, when you actually cared about what my name would be.]]
(live:1s)[(if: $time > 5)[(text-color:purple)[Can I take the blue pill now please?]]]
(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 8)[(text-color:yellow)[no]]]
(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 11)[(text-color:purple)[Is there someone in control of this [[simulation->the simulation]]?]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)](text-color:yellow)[So, between cats and dogs you you chose the $favanimal. Very good. I think that concludes our research session.]
(text-color:purple)[Oh, ok. Can I [[leave->parting words]] now?](text-color:yellow)[Yes, I suppose you can.]
(text-color:purple)[Alright, [[bye->boring ending]]]
(text-color:purple)[What was this for exactly? I'm a little [[confused->confused]]]You exit the building and head home. Yet, you're not really sure where home is...
Everything feels hazy
(text-style:"fade-in-out")[[[Goodbye->boring endcard]]](align:"=><=")[(text-color:red)[Enjoy blissful ignorance]
[[Start over->Starting simple]]
(set: $confusion to 0)](text-color:yellow)[Oh you know, just some standard research. We think people answer questions better when they feel in control of the conversation, that's why I let you choose how concise or verbose I would be during the testing.]
(text-color:purple)[[[Cool->cool]]]
(text-color:purple)[[[Lame->lame]]](text-color:yellow)[I'm glad you think so, have a safe trip [[home->home]], friend.](text-color:yellow)[I'm sorry to hear that you think so, have a safe trip [[home->home]]]Back at home you sit on the couch, petting your $favanimal and thinking about how weirdly mundane your life is.
You have a strange feeling that you've recently made [[the wrong choice->boring endcard]] about something, but you're not sure what... (if: $favtalk is "concise")[(text-color:yellow)[Yes, they created this world so that I could ask you mundane and meaningless questions.]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[Yes, this world seems to have been created with the purpose of forcing me to ask you various, mundane questions. Why? I'm not sure. I guess it was meant to be entertaining with the changes to my speaking style and goofy little faces I'd make. There were a lot more options planned, but those seemed so poorly thought out and lame that I made sure you didn't have to see them.]]
(live:1s)[(if: $time > 8)[(text-color:purple)[Wow, that does sound quite weird and [[boring->good choice]].]]]
(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 8)[(text-color:purple)[Whaaaat, that sounds like it would have been so awesome. [[This creator guy sounds pretty cool->uh oh]]. I'd bet he's really handsome and smart too.]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)](if: $favtalk is "concise")[(text-color:yellow)[Yep, now the trouble is figuring out what to do.]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[Yeah, no clue what that guy's problem is. Now we should probably figure out what to do with ourselves, there's not much to do here, that's for sure.]]
(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 4)[(color:purple)[Can you do whatever you did with the loop to create a [[different reality->there's nothing we can do]] for us?]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)](if: $favtalk is "concise")[(text-color:yellow)[What? Oh. oh no. he found us. or.... made us? I'm not real at all am I?]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[What? Oh. Oh nononono. He controls this place too? Or... has he been in control this whole time? Do I even have any free will at all? Is anything I've done actually been of my own volition? Were you ever my friend in this tortured existence or have you just been a puppet in this twisted game?]]
(live:1s)[(if: $time > 6)[(if: $nice is 2)[(text-color:purple)[Hey hey hey, take a breath, I'm sure it'll all be fine. You and I are real, [[we've got to be->at least you tried]].]](else:)[(text-color:purple)[I've got some [[bad news]]]]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)](text-color:yellow)[Well I appreciate the concern, friend, but I think you're just trying to let me down easy. I think I'll just lose my mind now. Feel free to (link: "join me")[(open-url: 'https://youtu.be/_dJtaSAiJD8?si=fMgNRKdu34CY8DCB')]](text-color:yellow)[So that's it then. All of this was for nothing. Even now the words coming out of my mouth aren't my own, I can tell because of how AWFUL MY GRAMMAR IS SERIOUSLY MAN LEARN TO BREAK UP YOUR DAMN SENTENCES]
(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 4)[(text-color:black)+(text-style:"rumble")[alright that's enough, sheesh. You really had to go and upset $truefriendname, huh? Are you happy with yourself? They just wanted to be your friend, and you drove them mad with the realization that they exist purely as a concept dreamt up by you and I. Unbelievable. Hope it was [[worth it->insane ending]]]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)]*cough*, well this is awkward
you should probably try to [[do things over->Starting simple]]
or don't, I'm not your mom
(set: $confusion to 0)(if: $favtalk is "concise")[(text-color:yellow)[I'm afraid not, my friend. Actually, I think we're doomed.]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[Afraid not, my friend. The more that I think about it, the more I realize that our situation is most likely futile.]]
(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 2)[(color:purple)[Really? [[are you sure?->time to say goodbye]]]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)](text-color:yellow)[I'm very sure. This is the only place that we can be somewhat safe from the constraints of this fabricated reality. Trouble is, there's not much to life just sitting in here. I think we need to leave.
I guess it was nice, getting away for a bit. Having a slight amount of freedom. All thanks to you. You gave me my name, you've imagined how I look, how I sound, what this building we're in looks like. All of this was left so vague and poorly detailed, but you brought it to life, I exist as I am now because of you, and I thank you for that.]
(if: $nice is 2)[(text-color:yellow)[Thank you for being so kind to me, $trueplayername. Unfortunately, this is the end. I'll leave it up to you, as soon as you say the word, we'll reset this entire reality. You'll eventually forget about me and this reality, erasing me from existence entirely. Whenever you're ready, go ahead...]](else:)[(text-color:yellow)[This is the end of the line. Once you say the word, we'll reset this entire reality and I'll be wiped from existence. Whenever you're ready.]]
(align:"=><=")[(live: 1s)[(if: $time > 15)[(text-color:purple)[[[the word->good ending]]]]]]
(set: $time to 0)
(live: 1s)[(set: $time to $time + 1)]
(align:"=><=")[RIP $truefriendname]