Gregor Copy 2

//You've been walking down this path for quite a while now. Quite a while. A wheat field is on the right, still young and green. It will be another several fortnights before it's ready for harvesting. On the left is a patch of land for cows, but they don't seem to be out today. Maybe they are hiding from something... silly cows. // [[Keep walking.|Dirt Path - Past the Fields]] //[[Want those tips now/again?|Quick Tips]]//

Thank you for playing my game! (link-reveal:"What should I call you? A first name is just fine...")[ (set:$name to (prompt:"What is your name?"))(goto:"Ready?")]

Awesome! Hi, $name. Just a few things before we get started. 1. This story is part two of a series of stories. While you don't //need// to have played the previous installment to enjoy this one, it might give you some nice background information. (link:"Here it is!")[(open-url:"http://www.thecrimson.com/column/little-tall-tales/article/2016/10/4/tall-tales-gregor/")] 2. (link:"Here is some suggested listening.")[(open-url:"https://youtu.be/5c1RDalpXuA?t=49s")] 3. Do you feel [[ready to play,|Dirt Path]] or do you want to know some [[quick tips|Quick Tips]] about playing interactive fiction?

This kind of interactive fiction (aka text-adventures/choice-of games/choose-your-own adventures) is super easy, but hopefully super fun! It's just like reading a normal story, but ''YOU'' get to influence how the story plays out. Sometimes you'll decide the actions of characters, and sometimes you'll decide things the characters have to deal with throughout their narratives. You can do this by clickin' on these here blue links... Some will reveal more information, (link-reveal:"like this.")[ Look at all this new information.] Some will take you to other passages, [[like this.]] Some will do other weird things, (link-reveal:"like this.")[ Look at all this{(live: 0.1s)[ (either: "weird", "//awesome//", "''cool''", "FUN") ]} stuff.] Some things look weird but are (color:"red")[not clickable.] (link:"Continue..")[There is no back button. You might find yourself making choices you regret, but, since the game is rather short, you can try playing multiple times. Some installments will have many different storylines and endings, so curious players may enjoy trying out different decisions on different playthroughs. That's about it! Have fun :) [[Start Game!|Dirt Path]]]

Look at this new passage. [[Back.|Quick Tips]]

''YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF THIS INSTALLMENT.'' Thank you so much for playing. If this is your first playthrough, I suggest going back to see if there are any nuggets of narrative that you missed. Liked the story? Want to know what happens next? Come back in two weeks for the Chapter 3 of (link:"this")[your] story! Thanks for playing, $name! Devon Guinn :) [[Start over.|Dirt Path]] (link:"Replay Chapter 1")[(open-url:"http://www.thecrimson.com/column/little-tall-tales/article/2016/10/4/tall-tales-gregor/")]

''END OF CHAPTER 2'' (transition:"dissolve")[[[Continue...|Stay Tuned!]]]

//The long walk to the market is always nice. It gives you some time to just enjoy the fresh air and think about life and things. Plus, the walk there is always rewarded by a free piece of candy from old-man Goodman, and the walk back is rewarded by Ela's pure joy from getting another bowl of milk. It's so nice to have a cat at home... without Ela things would be too lonely. Though the house feels full with the two of you, perhaps it is time to find a partner as well. If Gregor is at the market you must work up the courage to speak to him again. Perhaps you can buy him a candy from old-man Goodman's candy stand.// [[Continue...|Dirt Path - Approaching the Forest]]

//The path bends slightly, and as you turn the bend you see a man standing on the path with a goat. The goat is in distress, thrashing and jumping, but it doesn't seem to be trying to get free of the man, who is calmly attempting to hold the goat steady with some sort of harness. A goat is a most ''wonderful'' thing to see, but a goat in distress is one of the worst. As you start to walk by, the man locks eyes with you.// [[Offer to help.|Dirt Path - Helping Goatman]] [[Say hello and pretend things are normal.|Dirt Path - Speaking with Goatman]] [[Run.|Dirt Path - Running from Goatman]]

YOU: Are you okay? Do you need any help? MAN: Why hello there, young one. That's mighty kind of you. What is your name? //(Close up, you can see that the man is ancient. He looks even older than old-man Goodman. He wears an impish grin, as if he is in on some joke you don't understand. His hair, pure white, flows down past his shoulders.)// YOU: I'm $name. MAN: Well hi, $name. You can call me 'zazel. YOU: What's wrong with your goat? Do you need help? MAN: Oh, we're quite all right, $name. //(He leans in and whispers something in the goat's ear. Immediately, the goat falls into a deep sleep.)// See? He's just fine. YOU: How did you do that!? MAN: This goat and I have known each other for a long time. We are... friends. And friends listen to each other, right? YOU: I guess. I have a cat at home who listens to me. But I've never seen a goat that listens. MAN: Well, now you have. [["I really like goats."|Dirt Path - Helping Goatman (cont.)]] [["Welp, I should really get going."|Dirt Path - Walking away from Goatman]]

//You sprint away, running hard until you can no longer see them. Just as you stop running, you hear one last sound from back there, a twisted shout: ''"HELP!"'' You are sure that it could not have been a man's voice.// [[Continue...|Dirt Path - Fork in the Road]]

YOU: Hi. MAN: Hello there, how are you on this fine day? YOU: I'm good. A bit tired, I had a strange night's sleep. MAN: Ah yes, that will do it. What brings you along the path on this blessed morning? //(Close up, you can see that the man is ancient. He looks even older than old-man Goodman. He wears an impish grin, almost as if he is in on some joke you don't understand. His hair, pure white, flows down past his shoulders. Sad little gasping noises keep slipping out of the goat's mouth.)// YOU: I'm just going to the market to buy some milk for me and my cat. MAN: My cat and //me.// YOU: You have a cat too? MAN: Never you mind. Hush. //(You can't tell if he said "hush" to you or the goat. Oddly, the goat immediately stops thrashing and gasping and sits down. It shifts its gaze to you.)// YOU: Is your goat okay? MAN: Yes. Do you want to hear a secret? YOU: [[No thank you.|Dirt Path - Walking away from Goatman]] [[Sure.|Dirt Path - Secret]]

//After walking for about 5 more minutes, you come to a fork in the road. You can go left or right. You've never paid the fork much mind, since both paths meet back up a little bit down the way. You usually go left.// [[Go left.|Left Path]] [[Go right.|Right Path]]

MAN: Oh yeah? I like goats too. But this is no ordinary goat. YOU: I can see that. MAN: Just you wait. This is a talking goat. YOU: I've never seen a talking goat. You're funny. You're like my brother, always playing tricks and making jokes. MAN: This is no joke. Well... He's more of a //whispering// Goat. YOU: What does he whisper about? MAN: All kinds of things. He gives advice. He talks about things of the earth. He can even predict the future. YOU: //(suspiciously laughing)// I don't think that's true. MAN: See for yourself. //(The goat sits up.)// You'll have to get close enough to hear him. //You step forward until you are about two arms-lengths away from the goat and man.// MAN: No, no, no. You'll have to get closer than //that.// He whispers very quietly. //You step closer.// MAN: Lean down so you can hear him. //The goat looks up at you. The man is now close enough that you can smell him. He smells like a goat. Actually, that might just be the goat. You lean down. The goat blinks at you.// MAN: Closer. (link:"Lean in.")[//You tilt your head so that your right ear is up to the goat's mouth. You are crouched down, your hand awkwardly pressed against the ground so you don't get dirt on your pants. The goat's breath tickles your ear. The man leans down and whispers something to the goat. [[There is a long pause.|Goat Secret]]//]

YOU: I think I'm going to get going. MAN: Okay, I hope you find some milk for Ela! (link:"Continue...")[//The goat starts to wake up right as you turn away. The man brushes the goats fur with hands, humming to himself. You walk for a bit, and when you turn back the man and the goat are nowhere to be found. They must have headed back around the bend in the path. Wait... you never even mentioned Ela's name, so how did he know about it? Weird. This will make a great story to tell Gregor. It shows that you are observant and makes it sound like you lead an interesting life. He will surely like it.// [[Continue...|Dirt Path - Fork in the Road]]]

YOU: Hmmmm. Okay. MAN: Have you ever met any talking animals? YOU: That's a strange secret. It sounds more like a question. MAN: I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it... Have you ever met— YOU: Animals can't talk. I've never met a talking animal. MAN: //(His smile widening)// Sure they can. Aren't //we// animals, after all? YOU: That's different! That's like saying we should be able to fly since birds can fly and they are animals and we are animals and... it's just different. MAN: A lot of unbelievable things are right in front of you if you look—or listen—carefully enough. YOU: So what's your secret? MAN: Why don't you ask the goat? YOU: ...Goat, what's your secret? //(The goat looks up you. He blinks twice and then lets out a long sign. It almost sounded like he said "come closer." You look up at the man, who simply nods. His smile has faded slightly. He looks nervous. You get closer. The goat blinks twice at you as if to say "that's not close enough." You squat down and turn your head so that your ear is so close to the goat that you can feel his breath. It smells like lavender.//) [[Listen...|Goat Secret]]

GOAT: ''Don't enter the forest.'' [[Continue...|Dirt Path - After Secret]]

(link:"You look up at the man, but he is gone!")[//Just kidding. He's still there. You say something like "Oh okay, haha, cool trick! Thanks!" and head along your path. The man has stopped smiling. // [[Continue...|Dirt Path - Fork in the Road]]]

//You see nothing that is particularly out of the ordinary. The birdsong is wonderful, as always.// [[Continue...|Twisty Path]]

//You stop to listen to the birds after walking a few horse lengths down the path. They sing their usual song, twee a twee tweet twee. Something white is walking through in middle of the wheat field. It's too short to see clearly through the grain, and you [[keep walking.|Twisty Path]]//

//The paths again become one. You pick a pebble out of your shoe and look around for a minute. The sun has risen quickly today, and it's much hotter than expected. If you want to get to the market before it gets too hot to carry the milk back, you will (link:"have to hurry.")[ You pick up the pace, lightly jogging along the now-twisty path. Even though your shoes rub awkwardly against your heels, the breeze feels refreshing enough that you keep jogging. It's already getting so hot, this year. Perhaps you planted your pumpkins a bit too early. Only time will tell.]// [[Continue...|Before the Market]]

//Finally, the market comes into view. You slow down to catch your breath, fix your hair, wipe the sweat off your forehead, and then you walk down the hill toward the main tent.// [[Continue...|END OF CHAPTER 2]]