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(font:"Merriweather")[(css:"font-size:280%")[Give//Take]]
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[[start]]
[[how to play]]
You're waiting to meet up with your friend after a couple years apart.
(click: "apart")[Nestled in the space between you both, is a comfortable asynchronism.(alert:"Ahh! I hope they still like me!")]
(click: "asynchronism")[In so much time, you've forgotten the natural flow of conversation, the way you used to finish each others' thoughts and sense when the other had something they wanted to say.]
(click: "wanted to say")[Not quite strangers but further than intimate, your friend takes up the [[seat next to you. ->intro]]]
//in progress//
click on the differently (link-reveal:"colored words")[(alert:"hopefully you choose right...")
don't give too much or take (link-reveal:"too much.")[[[go back to the menu->title]]]](set: $give to 0) (set: $awk to 0)"Hey!" Their smile is just as radiant as you remember, and their presence (link-reveal:"just as warm.")[(alert:"awe..I forgot how much I missed them..")]
> [[wait for them to say more ->awkward]]
> [["It's been so long!" ->cont]]
> [["How are you?" ->give]]
> [["Hey!" ->cont]](set: $awk to $awk+1)
(if: $awk is 1)[They paused as if waiting for you to say something in return. You both sit there in an (link-reveal:"enveloping silence")[(alert:".............yikes.")]. Your head rushes with all the possible greetings you could have said instead.
> [[So, what've you been up to?->give]]
> [[Welp! It was nice seeing you!->awkward]]
> [[...Hey!->cont]]]
(if: $awk is 2)["Wait, seriously?? I just got here and you want to leave?"
> (link-reveal:"...haha..yeah")[(set: $awkleave to (confirm:"Wait..for real? After a single awkward pause?"))(if: $awkleave is false)[[[
> haha, just kidding->cont]]](if: $awkleave is true)[[[
> It was nice seeing you->end]]]]
]
(if: $awk > 2)[Your friend shifts in their seat. "You know, maybe we should try this again another time?" They stand up to leave.
> [[It was nice seeing you->end]]](if: $awk >2)[You watch your friend leave the room and with them the warmth that filled the whole room. You hope that they get in touch with you again soon, but you understand why they wouldn't. (click:"they wouldn't")[(else-if:$give and $take < 2 and $awk>2)[Maybe next time you'll try to keep the conversation going? It takes two to tango and you kind of just stood there like a [[limp noodle.->endAwk]]]
(else-if:$give > 3)[Maybe next time you need to open up and be vulnerable to your friend the same way they've opened up to you? Conversations are like two way streets and you've been treating it like a [[one-way->endGive]]]
(else-if:$take > 3)[You kind of dominated the conversation...even though it seemed like your friend had some things they wanted to share with you. Conversations are like a balancing scale and you didn't bother to balance out any kind of give [[or take.->endTake]]]]]
(else-if: $take is 4)[Your friend loudly sighs as you continue to talk about yourself, like you have for the past hour.(click: "past hour")[(alert:"Have I really been talking about myself...for that long?")
Maybe it's (link-reveal:"time to go home")[(set:$awk to 2)[[end]]]].]
(else-if: $give is 4)[Your friend continues to look away from you, "I really didn't want to meet up to just talk about me for an hour. I want to hear how you're doing to." They sigh and finally make eye contact with you again, "Maybe...we should try this again (link-reveal:"another time")[(set:$awk to 2)[[end]]]."]
(else-if:$take and $give <=3)["Huh," You friend sits back and smiles at you, "You know, I was a bit nervous about coming and seeing you? I don't know why though, it's just been like old times!"
> [[Maybe we should hang out sometime soon?->goodEnd]]
> [[Yeah, this has been really nice.->goodEnd]]
> [[I'm glad we did this.->goodEnd]]](set: $give to $give+1)
(if: $give is 1)[You know me, just keeping busy! Oh, I got a new dog! Do you remember when we used to talk about getting dogs when we got older? Well! I've finally done it!"
> [[Holy cow! That's great! ->cont]]
> [[Ooo! What kind of dog? ->give]]
> [[Speaking of keeping busy, guess what I've been doing?->take]]]
(if: $give is 2)["She looks like this!" Your friend pulls out their phone and shows you a picture. (click: "picture")[<img src = "https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9e/28/a4/9e28a4f0e3ec62cfb70d73afa4b21647.jpg">
> [[You're dog...is incredible ->cont]]
> [[That reminds me, have I told you about what I'm doing now?->take]]]]
(if: $give is 3)[Well, remember how I've always been excited to move out to California? I'm finally out there and...it kind of sucks. (click:"sucks")[
> [[I'm sorry to hear that...->cont]]
> [[Have you heard where I'm living now a days?->take]]
> [[Oh no, what's going on?->give]]]]
(if: $give is 4)[Your friend looks away from you for a bit, "Ah, it'll be ok! I've talked a lot about me. (link-reveal:"Seriously")[(alert:"Have I not said anything about myself this whole time?? ...Do I not trust them? What should I say?")], how have you been doing?
> [[Oh you know me, just the usual!->cont]]
> [[I don't have much to report..tell me more about California!->end]]
> [[Well, if you insist, I did make big strides with...->take]]]
(if: $give is 0)["I know!"
> [[wait for your friend to say more->awkward]]
> [[So how are you doing?->give]]
> [[Do you wanna hear this funny thing that happened to me?->take]]]
(else-if: $give > 1)["Anyway, enough about me! How have you been?"
> [[I'm fine! What else have you been doing? ->give]]
> [[Oh, just living my life! I've really been making strides with my family and settling in. ->take]]]
(else-if: $awk > 0)["Uh...so..." Your friend is visibly struggling for words, "How have you been?
> [[I'm fine! Tell me more about what you've been doing! ->give]]
> [[Oh, just living my life! I've really been making strides with my family and settling in. ->take]]
> [[Not much. Just the usual. ->awkward]]]
(else-if: $give is 1)["Yeah! For real! Anyway, what have you been up to?"
> [[Wait up, tell me more about this dog->give]]
> [[Oh you know, same old, same old.->cont]]
> [[You wouldn't believe what happened to me since you've seen me last! ->take]]]
(set: $take to $take+1)(if: $take < 4)[(either: "Your friend patiently listens","Your friend nods occasionally", "They listen intently") as you recount the recent events in your life.
"That's so interesting!"
> [[So, what about you? ->give]]
> [[I also discovered this new thing! ->take]]
> [[wait for your friend to say more ->awkward]]
(if: $take is 2)[> [[And I've been making a lot of progress with... ->take]]](if: $take is 3)[> [[Have you heard about my...->take]]]]
(if: $take is 4)[Your friend nods and is visibly growing tired. They've stopped asking for more details and is instead (link-reveal:"fiddling with a loose piece of thread.")[(alert:(either:"ugh..did I talk about myself too much??", "is my friend...bored of me?", "have I been talking too long??"))]
> [[Anyway, enough about me! What else have you been up to?->give]]
> [[Can I tell you about this one thing?->end]]
> [[wait for them to say something->awkward]]
](set: $test to $test+1)
loop this biz(click: "loop")[(set: $test to $test+1)]
[[test]]//in progress take ending//
The room is empty now, save for you and your thoughts.
perhaps there is something to learn from this.
perhaps, not.
But, at least you were honest and have no regrets about
[[start over?->start]]
[[back to menu->intro]] //in progress awkward ending//
[[start over?->start]]
[[back to menu->intro]] //in progress give ending//
[[start over?->start]]
[[back to menu->intro]] //in progress Good/balanced ending//
[[start over?->start]]
[[back to menu->intro]] maybe add prompt dialog to add more customization? and the feeling of actually GIVING in a conversation
add more personal voice into the player part
change font color on awkward route
path to cont didnt work? might be fixed