SSSS Christmas Quest

Emil is woken up by his alarm! Or, sort of... he opens his eyes and looks at the clock. That's really no time to be getting out of bed... [[Get up now|Wake up]] [[Sleep a little longer...|bad-end]]

Emil yawned and stumbles into the bathroom. He had a vague thought that there was something he had to do today, but he couldn't remember what it was. His apartment was spotless and the fridge was full of food, so it wasn't that... As he stood in front of the mirror brushing his hair, he noticed a piece of paper stuck in the frame. [[Look closer|note]] [[Ignore it]]

Emil goes back to sleep, promising himself only five more minutes and waking up two hours later. There is now no time left to brush his hair. Everything is ruined. Life is over. -- You have reached: THE WORST END -- [[Try again?|START]]

(set: $ego to $ego + 1) The paper had his name written on one side in big, practiced writing: EMIL He smirked and turned it over. "Don't forget about tonight! - Tuuri" Well, that was interesting. There was definitely something going on, then. The note didn't really help him figure out what it was, but he decided to keep it for now anyway. You got: Tuuri's Note x1 [[Continue|walk]]

(set: $sparkle to $sparkle + 2) Emil shrugged and continued going about his morning. He didn't remeber what it was or who put it there, so it obviously wasn't that important. Besides, he had vital hair-brushing duties to attend to. [[Continue|walk]]

Two hours later, Emil finally emerged from his apartment, dressed to the nines as always and ready to face the day. Only... something was bothering him. There must have been SOMETHING he had meant to do today. The frost in the air made him realize that it was in fact December. Good thing he had dressed in warm clothes! Emil wrapped a knitted scarf around his neck, arranging it carefully in a way that made it seem as though he just threw it on. Deciding to grab a late breakfast, he popped into his favorite cafe. [[Continue|cafe]]

(set: $sparkle to 0) (set: $ham to 0) (set: $ego to 0) (set: $empathy to 0) (display: "start")

In this game, you play as Emil! The course of the story will change depending on which options you pick, so choose wisely! There are 3 different endings. At the end of the game, you can go back and try choosing different options.

The cafe smelled of ground coffee and freshly baked bread - Emil could live off this aroma. He stared for a few minutes at the menu, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Just as he was about to order, a strong slap on his back sent him careening face-first into the glass display case full of pastries. Emil spun around to see Sigrun's wide grin. "Hey, little viking! What're you up to? I'm here for a mid-morming espresso, myself." He rubbed his sore forehead, thinking that she probably didn't really need any more caffeine. [["Just... getting breakfast..."|breakfast]]

"That's great! You gotta eat well if you want to be a famous hunter like me!" Sigrun exclaimed, hands at her hips proudly. She was loud enough that a few of the other patrons turned to look at her in annoyance. "Soooooo you're coming to that thing tonight right? And you didn't forget what you have to do?" she asked, taking the extra-large mug of... something that was significantly darker than any coffee Emil had ever seen. He blinked. [["Of course! I would never forget something like that!"|ego1]] [["Clearly! I was actually just on my way to the tailor to pick up my outfit."|sparkle1]] [["You can totally count on me to be at whatever that thing is, Sigrun."|ham1]] [["Can you remind me again? I want to make sure I'm not late..."|empathy1]]

(set: $ego to $ego + 1) "Of course! I would never forget something like that!" Emil said, waving his hand dismissively. He was a little miffed that Sigrun was served ahead of him even though she cut in line, bbut didn't say anything. (set: $party to 0) "Well, alright. We're all counting on you, Emil." She said, though she did not sound convinced. The barista seemed to be waiting for his order... [[Finally order breakfast|eat]]

(set: $sparkle to $sparkle + 1) Emil made a dismissive kind of noise, brushing his bangs back from his face in what he hoped was a confident gesture. "Clearly! I was actually just on my way to the tailor to pick up my outfit." (set: $party to 0) Sigrun made an uncertain face. "Geez, it's not like, a fancy thing or anything. But hey, I'n not gonna judge. Mikkel's got his books and you've got your... stuff." She said with a shrug. "Whatever, man. See you there!" The barista seemed to be waiting for his order... [[Finally order breakfast|eat]]

(set: $ham to $ham + 1) "You can totally count on me to be at whatever that thing is, Sigrun." "... No, you'll just screw it up, so I'll tell you." Emil frowned but let Sigrun keep talking. "Tuuri's throwing a party tonight for Christmas, so. You have to bring a cake. Got that?" (set: $party to 1) "Yeah yeah of course-- party, cake, Tuuri. Easy as pie. Or cake? Or... ummm." While Emil tried to think of the right metaphor, Sigrun seemed to have grabbed her coffee and left. The barista seemed to be waiting for his order... [[Finally order breakfast|eat2]]

(set: $empathy to $empathy + 2) "Can you remind me again? I want to make sure I'm not late..." "Look at you, being all polite! Anyway we're all meeting at Tuuri and Lalli's place tonight at 8! It's Christmas eve, so... obviously there will be things going on. I think little fuzzyhead wanted you to bring some sort of... cake?" Sigrun shrugged. (set: $party to 1) The barista seemed to be waiting for his order... [[Finally order breakfast|eat2]]

Eventually Emil settled on a latte and a butter croissant, which he ate at his favorite spot by the window. There were some newspapers scattered around the table, but he ignored all of them and instead thought about what Sigrun had said. He still wasn't sure what the thing was that he was supposed to remember, but now he knew there was definitely... something [[Continue|reynir]]

Full of coffee and baked goods, Emil decided to go for a walk. It was nice and sunny out for once, and who knows, maybe he will run into someone else he could talk to! He had barely stepped out of the cafe when a certain other redhead ran full-force into him. This was not how he wanted to spend the day, he thought as he pushed Reynir off of him. "I'm sorry! Sorry sorry sorry!!" Reynir babbled. "Are you hurt? Can I help? I'm not a doctor but--" Emil frowned. "I'm fine. Why are you running around like a crazy person?" "No, I didn't see any crazy people. I need your help!" Reynir sounded so sincere, but somehow Emil just found it annoying. Maybe it was the fact that his hair always managed to look way too nice without him even trying, or the fact that both Tuuri and Lalli seemed way too friendly around him even though they were friends with him first. [[Listen to what he has to say|reynir2]] [[Don't you have somewhere to be?|no-reynir]]

(set: $reyhelp to 1) He was probably going to regret this, Emil realized. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, what... what do you need?" Reynir grinned. "Tuuri's brother, he promised to help me with my spells today, but-- I forgot my notebook in the library last night!" "Your book is in the library?" "Yes! Can... can you go get it? Please?" Emil considered this for a moment. He didn't have much else to do right now, but... [["Forgetting things definitely sucks. I'm going that way anyway, I'll grab it for you."|empathy2]] [["Can't you just buy a new one? Or take notes somewhere else?"|ham2]] [["... Fine, but you have to tell me what shampoo you use. I NEED to know!"|sparkle2]] [["Well, alright, but you have to owe me a favor after this."|ego2]]

(set: $empathy to $empathy + 1) "Forgetting things definitely sucks. I'm going that way anyway, I'll grab it for you." He said with a friendly smile. Sure, maybe things were awkward with him and Reynir in the past, but why not try and patch things up now? "When do you need it?" He asked, remembering he didn't bring his watch. "Um... as... as soon as possible... I thought I could just wait here, maybe?" Emil nodded. "Maybe grab some coffee for Onni while you're at it... Something decaf," he added while remembering Sigrun this morning. He waved at Reynir and set off towards the library. [[Continue|lalli]]

(set: $ham to $ham + 1) "Can't you just buy a new one? Or take notes somewhere else?" "Well... um... no... it has all my spells in it and if I show up without it again Onni will get mad, you know how he gets." Emil did not know. He had mostly heard of Tuuri's brother second-hand, and hadn't ever actually spoken to him in person. In fact, he couldn't imagine what they would ever talk about if such a meeting took place. But, Reynir probably had a point. From what he remembered, his college professors didn't particularly like it when he showed up without his books either. "Fine, whatever. I'll go get your stupid book for you," Emil groaned before sulking off towards the library. [[Continue|lalli]]

(set: $ego to $ego + 1) Emil narrowed his eyes and pointed in what he hoped looked threatening. "Well, alright, but you have to owe me a favor after this." Reynir only grinned and took his hand, shaking it. "Yes, yes, thank you very much! I will wait here for you to return." [[Continue|lalli]]

(set: $sparkle to $sparkle + 2) "... Fine, but you have to tell me what shampoo you use. I NEED to know!" Reynir blinked a few times in confusion. "It's... um.... it's just generic store brand. Why do you ask?" Emil was shocked. Devastated even! How could it be that this idiot had such amazing hair with nothing but store-brand shampoo? This was completely unfair! He had been using an all-natural checmical-free shampoo and deep conditioner for years now, which left him with amazing results (and smelled like rosemary as an added bonus)... but that was all for nothing if Reynir could just grab some cheap chemical-laden stuff off the shelf. "... Never mind. I'll go get your notebook, whatever. Wait here, I guess." [[Continue|lalli]]

The library was only a short walk away, though he had another reason for going there. Lalli was usually easy to find here during the day, as the warm rooms and quiet atmosphere was ideal for his naps. Emil was pretty sure the librarians had something to say about a random person sleeping in such a public place, but since he kept doing it, they clearly weren't that bothered by it. This time, Lalli was awake, curled up near one of the windows with a pile of books surrounding him. Emil waved when he got close and got a tiny nod of acknowledgement in return. [[Continue|lalli2]]

Emil smiled. It was nice to have someone not ask anything of him for once today, and just be glad for his company. Or at least, he assumed he was He sat down beside Lalli, and glanced at the book open on his lap. "That looks interesting." He said, pointing. The illustations showed some kind of animals, though the text didn't make sense to him. "Is... is that in Finnish?" He asked. Tuuri had taugh him that word, hadn't she? What was it now... He pointed to the text again, "Suomen kieli?" he tried, though his pronunciation was probably way off. Lalli cracked a rare smile and patted Emil's head. [[Get a closer look at the book|ham3]] [[Smooth out your hair|sparkle3]] [[Sit with Lalli until he falls asleep|empathy3]] [[Try your hand at some other Finnish phases|ego3]]

(set: $empathy to $empathy + 3) Emil knew that eventually Lalli would fall asleep, as he often did around this time of the day. Until that happened, he sat back, watching people come and go, and offered Lalli the choice of using him as a pillow should he so choose. When he glanced over and saw that his friend had in fact fallen asleep, Emil got up careful not to wake him. (if: $reyhelp is 1)[ He also remembered that he had promised to help Reynir and rifled for a while through the lost-and-found box (with his gloves on, of course). Finally, he found a notebook with what looked like suitably icelandic gibberish inside.] [[Continue|mikkel]]

(set: $ham to $ham + 3) Curious, Emil tried to get a closer look at the book, but in trying to grab it, accidentally knowcked it off of Lalli's lap. The book tumbled do the floor, pages scattering, and caused a few people to turn and look in their direction. Lalli frowned in annoyance, and Emil wondered if maybe it was best to leave him alone now. (if: $reyhelp is 1)[ He also remembered that he had promised to help Reynir and rifled for a while through the lost-and-found box (with his gloves on, of course). Finally, he found a notebook with what looked like suitably icelandic gibberish inside.] [[Pretend it wasn't you and go somewhere else|mikkel]]

(set: $ego to $ego + 3) Spurned on by his apparent success, Emil tried his hand at the other bits of Finnish he had asked Tuuri to teach him. He thought he was doing quite well, and didn't notice the growing discomfort on Lalli's face - at least until a thin hand covered his mouth. Or, really, just his entire face. Lalli wasnt really known for his subtlety. Emil jumped slightly out of surprise, then relaxed, pouting. "Fine, be that way." He said in a huff. "I'll see you later, then." (if: $reyhelp is 1)[ He also remembered that he had promised to help Reynir and rifled for a while through the lost-and-found box (with his gloves on, of course). Finally, he found a notebook with what looked like suitably icelandic gibberish inside.] [[Continue|mikkel]]

(set: $sparkle to $sparkle + 1) Emil accepted the pat, but quickly smoothed out his hair afterward. Lalli didn't understand, but he allowed Emil his little rituals, because he knew it made him feel better. (if: $party is 1)["So... do you know anything about... that thing tonight? Tuuri's thing?" Emil asked. He really should learn more Finnish, he thought as he watched awareness disappear from Lalli's face. "Right, no... of course, you cn't understand me... sorry. Well, um... I guess I'll see you there."] Emil flipped through a few of the books Lalli has surrounded himself with before getting bored. He turned to Lalli, fixed his hair, and got up to wave goodbye. The Finn seemed to understand this gesture at least, and waved back faintly. (if: $reyhelp is 1)[ He also remembered that he had promised to help Reynir and rifled for a while through the lost-and-found box (with his gloves on, of course). Finally, he found a notebook with what looked like suitably icelandic gibberish inside.] [[mikkel]]

(if: $reyhelp is 1)[ In spite of himself, Emil rushed back to the cafe to find... Well, to find nothing, actually. The redhead was nowhere to be seen, and he stood for a while in stupefied silence, cursing himself for being made to go on a wild goose chase. Emil decided that might as well keep the notebook for now, and slipped it into his inner coat pocket.] With the rest of the day ahead of him, he decided to make a trip down to the market. Yes, that would be nice, Emil thought. Maybe he could pick out a new tie or some socks. He certainly liked socks. But no sooner had he decided to do that when his way down the street was blocked by a tall, imposing dane with a sour expression. "Helveteeee~" Emil hissed, rubbing his forehead for the third time that day. Why did he keep running into people? Literally, in this case. And before that. And... the time before that, too. They should whatch where they're going, really. And also stop following him, because all of these coincidences were moving from 'uncanny' to 'mildly disturbing'. Mikkel had barely opened his mouth to speak before. Emil interrupted him, "Are you going to ask me to help you too? I'm a busy guy, you know. Got places to be. People to do-- I mean THINGS to do." The large Dane frowned slightly. "I was hoping you could assist me, yes." [[Help Mikkel with whatever it is that he wants|mikkel2]] [[No way!|no-mikkel]]

(set: $mikkelhelp to 1) "Uuggghhhh okay fine. What do you need?" Emil groaned. Mikkel did not speak, probably because he understood that the young Swede had difficulty parsing his Danish, so he just extended a large hand towards him. Held in it was a small can with the picture of a smiling cat on it. "It's her favorite and this is the last can. Can you... maybe...buy some for me? I will pay you back, of course." Emil considered this. He certainly enjoyed that cat's company, and really he was doing it for her, not Mikkel. But the pet store was quite a bit further than the library. [["Anything for my favorite kitty!"|empathy4]] [["...But the pet store always smells funny."|sparkle4]] [["This is the brand you're feeding her? Ugh. So pedestrian"|ego4]] [["Let me see that..."|ham4]]

(set: $empathy to $empathy +3) Emil reminisced fondly about his first time meeting that cat, about rescuing it from certain death. He stayed up all night feeding it pieces of canned tuna and warming it with a towel. Really, he should be the one to care for her. It was only because of a technicality that she lived with Mikkel, something about his landlord not allowing pets in the building. But Emil wanted to be the best cat brother possible, and if that meant one tiny trip to the pet store, he was fine with that. "I will do it!" He said triumphantly, raising the can of cat food aloft. "I will get her the best there is, just you watch!" With that, he took off running off down the street, narrowly avoiding a fire hydrant, an ice cream truck, and three small children. [[Onwards!|store]]

(set: $ham to $ham + 2) Emil took the can in order to get a closer look at it. Unfortunately for him, it slipped out of his hands, made a few somersaults in the air, and landed directly under the wheels of a passing truck. Both Emil and Mikkel stared in disbelief as the can of cat food rattled and exploded its contents over the road. "Um." Emil said, as Mikkel could only shake his head. [[Looks like you better go to the pet store|store]]

(set: $ego to $ego + 2) "This is the brand you're feeding her? Ugh. So pedestrian" Emil scoffed. Mikkel blinked a few times. He had that look on his face that he got whenever he tried to be the voice of reason but Sigrun talked over him and everyone ended up agreeing with her - so, not anger, but deep-seated annoyance at knowing you're right but having nobody care. "This is the one that she likes. Also, it is all-natural, organic... I don't know how it could be better." Emil could tell that Mikkel was trying to slow down so he would understand, but it wasn't really working. Also, he was already walking away and didn't hear the end of that sentence. "I'll get her something nice, don't fret. Be back in a bit!" He called over his shoulder. [[What do cats like, anyway?|store]]

(set: $sparkle to $sparkle + 2) "...But the pet store always smells funny", Emil whined, though it was obvious from Mikkel's face that he was getting no sympathy for that. Maybe there will be some cute dogs there, though. That would be nice. Not that he would ever let Mikkel think that he enjoyed doing this errand. Emil snatched the can and shoved it into his pocket, annoyed at life but taking the time to straighten out his hair before he stormed off. [[Time to go pet the puppies!|store]]

(if: $mikkelhelp is 1)[He had assumed Mikkel would just stop by and pick it up later; going yet further away to the farmer's market seemed like a tiring thought.] On his walk home, Emil wondered what this whole weird day had been about. Everyone seemed to want his help for random things they could do themselves. Aside from Sigrun, nobody made any mention of tonight, either. As Emil was opening the building door, he was surprised to find a rounded shape standing by the staircase. "Oh! Tuuri, hi!" He called out cheerfully. The girl seemed a bit distracted as she returned his greeting. "What's going on? Did you just come to visit? I keep running into people today, it's really weird." He said with a laugh. "First Sigrun and then that tall redhead guy--" "His name is Reynir, and you should be nicer to him." "Yeah yeah sure. And then Mikkel, just a short while ago." "Well, that's... interesting, Emil, but --" [["Come on, I'm about to head upstairs, I'll make you some tea and I will tell you all about this weird day I had."|tuuri2]]

When the elevator finally chimed at his floor, Tuuri followed him into his apartment. "So... where is it?" She asked, glancing around while Emil took off his jacket and shoes. "Where is what?" "...the cake. You know, for the party?" Emil froze. His eyes went wide, and he involuntarily fell back against his coathanger. As it was only thin piece of wood, it offered no support and he fell backwards with a clatter, scarves and coats and a hat all landing haphazardly on top of him. "Ow. Okay, that hurt." He mumbled as Tuuri helped him up. She was even nice enough to straighten out his hair for him, although he fully intended to do it himself later, the proper way. "That's... that's what I was forgetting this whole time. I woke up this morning and--- oh my god, that note!" He exclaimed when he got to his feet. Emil dug into his pocket and produced a crumpled piece of paper. Tuuri nodded. "Yes, I wrote you that when I was over last night to help you remember." "But... but this is so unhelpful! What does it even mean??" Emil felt panic rising inside him, and Tuuri could probably tell, since she put a calming hand onto his shoulder. "Emil. Emil, it's fine. There's still time left, okay? I need to go home now and start setting everything up, but if you're a little late with the cake, I won't be mad or anything. I promise!" She said. He felt himself relax, and nodded. [["You're right. It's... fine"|empathy5]] [["Don't worry, your cake will be safe in my hands!"|ham5]] [["Tuuri, I have failed you. I will put my culinary talents to work and bake you the best cake ever!"|ego5]] [["Well, I'll need a few hours to make myself presentable, so maybe one of the supermarkets will still be open then..."|sparkle5]]

(set: $empathy to $empathy + 2) "You're right. It's... fine." Emil said, smiling. Tuuri also grinned, and felt a renewed sense of purpose. After she left, Emil got right to work. He found his best party outfit, combed out his hair as best as he could, and called a few bakeries in the area. He was excited to see everyone, even if they had made him run around all day for strange reasons. Maybe that's just something friends did, he thought. He finally located a bakery that was on the way to Tuuri's apartment, and asked them (politely, of course) to set aside a holiday-themed cake for him. He made sure to handle it carefully as he knew people were depending on him to get it there safely. [[empathy-final]]

(set: $ham to $ham + 3) "Don't worry, your cake will be safe in my hands!" Emil declared. After the bare minimum of getting ready, he dashed out to the nearest bakery. He wanted to impress the others and also make up for forgetting about this request at the last minute - so naturally he bought their most expensive cake. It did say "Congratulations on Your Retirement" on it in bright blue icing, but Emil figured it would be okay. [[They won't even notice|ham-final]]

(set: $ego to $ego +2) "Tuuri, I have failed you. I will put my culinary talents to work and bake you the best cake ever!" "NO!" She gasped. "I mean... no, there... really isn't the time. Not that I don't think you're good at baking, but... I really want this party to go well." "... I understand," he said, eyes downcast. In fact, haven't a lot of people tried to tell him that today? Maybe Emil wasn't always right, but... Tuuri flashed a small smile up at him. "How about, next week I'll come over and we can all bake together, hm? I'll bring Lalli, too." Emil had to admit, that did sound really nice. "... Well, alright. I'll see you at the party then." [[Time to start getting ready...|ego-final]]

(set: $sparkle to $sparkle + 2) "Well, I'll need a few hours to make myself presentable, so..." Emil tapped his chin thoughtfully. Tuuri rolled her eyes and put her hand on the door handle. "Well, whatever you need to do, Emil. I just know I need both you and that cake at my party. Bye!" She explained as she was leaving. His hair had managed to cooperate, but standing in front of his closet, Emil just could not decide what to put on. He wanted to seem apologetic, but he also didn't want people to think he wasn't putting any effort into his appearance. When he realized what time it was, he let out a yelp, threw on the first shirt and pants he saw, and made a mad dash for the door. [[Hurry!|sparkle-final]]

(if: $hamend is 1)[-- You have reached: THE BAD END --] (if: $egoend is 1)[b>-- You have reached: THE OKAY END --] (if: $sparkleend is 1)[b>-- You have reached: THE GOOD END --] (if: $empathyend is 1)[b>-- You have reached: THE MOST BEST END --]

Eventually Emil settled on a latte and a butter croissant, which he ate at his favorite spot by the window. There were some newspapers scattered around the table, but he ignored all of them and instead thought about what Sigrun had said. A party! How could he have forgotten about that? Emil loved parties! And if the others were counting on him to get something as vital as cake, then he would do his best to rise up to the occasion! [[Continue|reynir]]

Emil looked at his watch and then realized he wasn't wearing one. "Oh, gee, you know Reynir, I have-- I have got a lot of things to do today and I just... Yeah. But I just saw Sigrun so maybe she can help you? Okay? I am going to go now." He made a small walking motion with his fingers and took off at a brisk pace around the corner. (set: $reyhelp to 0) [[Continue|lalli]]

(set: $mikkelhelp to 0) Emil held up a hand dramatically. "No. Stop. I can't unerstand what you're saying and I have plans anyway so I am going to go home now and sit there until I find a reason to leave." (if: $party is 0)[This was kind of true. He didn't know exactly what those plans were, but there was definitely some plans] And with that, he turned around and started walking towards his apartment building. [[tuuri]]

When he got to the pet store, Emil spent at least 30 minutes in the cat food aisle. At least 20 of that was spent arguing with the clerk about whether cats actually had food preferences or not. Of course he had to stop and play with the puppies too. [[Now it was really time to go home and take a break for a few hours|tuuri]]

Your empathy level is $empathy Your hamfistedness is $ham Your ego level is $ego Your acquired $sparkles sparkles [[Start over from the beginning|START]]

Emil raced towards Tuuri's apartment, hilariously inappropriate cake in tow, glancing at his watch every time he had to stop at a crosswalk. He was already way beyond fashionaly late, any longer and they might think he isn't coming! There it was, finally! He could even see a light on the fifth floor which he knew was hers, and -- oh, of course the elevator was out of order. He yelled some Swedish obscenities before tackling the stairway. However, Emil was not a good sprinter, and was already out of breath by the time he cleared the final flight of stairs. As such, he did not notice that Lalli had heard (or, sensed? It was difficult to tell) him coming and had opened the door for him, standing there with the faintest of smiles. Emil also did not notice the raised threshold he had stepped over every other time. His shoe snagged, the package flew from his hands... and landed squarely on top of Mikkel, who had come to see what all the commotion was. Emil spent the rest of the night hiding in the bathroom. -- You have reached: THE BAD END -- [[See how well you did|stats]] [[Start over from the beginning|START]]

Emil picked out a suitably festive outfit and managed to make it to the bakery just before it closed. They didn't have many cakes left, since it was Christmas Eve, but he charmed his way into getting a small one that at least had some snowflakes on it. When he knocked on the door, it was Reynir who opened, blinking. "H-hi Emil..." he began. Emil remembered what Tuuri said and thrust the cake forward into the redhead's hands. "Here, take this to Tuuri." He said before stepping inside and taking off his scarf. "Okaaay... Why?" "Don't want get all the credit, that's all." he said with a wink. As Reynir walked towards the kitchen, Lalli wandered over and leaned against Emil's shoulder. "You don't really like parties, do you buddy? Well, I'm glad you came to this one". Emil said, reaching up to pet Lalli's head. -- You have reached: THE OKAY END -- [[See how well you did|stats]] [[Start over from the beginning|START]]

As he had expected, with all the time it took him to get ready, the good bakeries were closed. As he stared down a sparsely populated shelf of supermarket cakes, Emil could feel his heart shriveling in his chest. He grabbed the one that looked the least depressing and left the store as fast as he could. Even if he brought a terrible cake, he thought as he waited for the light to change, at least he won't be too late. When he knocked on her door, Tuuri opened with a smile, though it disappeared when she saw Emil's sour expression. "What's wrong?" "I... I didn't get a very nice cake... Look at this thing, it's so pitiful. I shouldn't even be here..." He mumbled. But Tuuri only took the package from him and patted his head like her cousin often did. "Oh, Emil, this is fine, really. Honestly, I don't care what the cake looks like, I'm just glad you're here." She grabbed his elbow and pulled him inside. "Come on, we're about to play a game!" -- You have reached: THE GOOD END -- [[See how well you did|stats]] [[Start over from the beginning|START]]

When Emil finally knocked on the door, Sigrun answered it with a loud cheer, prompty depositing a string of tinsel around his neck. "You didn't mess it up!" She yelled. Emil could only smirk as he lifted up the cake, carefully, to show her. "Oooh, little fuzzyhead is gonna love it! So festive! Come on, say hi to everyone." The party passed in a flurry of excitement and celebration. Emil had always wondered why the six of them were friends despite being such different people, but something definitely tied them together, and whatever it was, he felt it that night. -- You have reached: THE MOST BEST END -- [[See how well you did|stats]] [[Start over from the beginning|START]]