An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's

Your name is [[Atlas Day]]. You live in a town which no one has bothered to tell you the name of, though you've been there for two and a half years. You are an only child and live with [[your dad]], who is usually away at work. Fortunately, when you moved here and eventually started [[grade nine]], the girl across the street (though she initially [[drove you crazy]]) decided that you were going to be her best friend - which you now are! Her name is Cello Tchaikovsky, but everyone just calls her [[Cell]]. You are partway through grade 11, and (to your own surprise) actually have a solid group of [[friends]]. Today is your birthday, and after a school day full of well wishes, Cell asked you to come over to her place for dinner, after she's done practicing the variety of [[instruments]] she's currently learning. You approach the Tchaikovsky's [[mansion]].

You are of slightly above-average height, fairly lanky, have hazel eyes and curly blond hair. Your passions consist primarily of painting, listening to bands no one has ever heard of, and a vague interest in photography. <html><IMG SRC="http://56.media.tumblr.com/83a040dcd5a9022e6715efc208241d08/tumblr_nwedxjYFDn1tk6hhmo1_500.jpg"></html>

James Paul Day is a hardworking man. He is still haunted by a loss you both experienced before moving, but he loves you and thus spends all his time working so he can send you to whatever post-secondary institution you desire. He is a skilled photographer, and the house you live in is actually one of many "summer homes" belonging to his boss, who is a very kind man. James will usually be home for a couple days, then be away anywhere from three days to three weeks. This has forced you to learn how to cook for yourself. You get lonely sometimes.

Yes, your life is full of cliches. It forgoes any desire you ever had to read or watch dramas or romcoms.

When you first met her, the first thing she told you was that you needed a haircut. Rude.

Cell is... interesting. Her parents are classical music fanatics, and thus named her and her 7 older siblings after string instruments, chronologically. She's a musical virtuoso, but was also homeschooled and is incredibly behind on learning to socialize. She's of average height, with medium length black hair and blue eyes. You think she's really cool, but never tell her that. <html><IMG SRC="http://56.media.tumblr.com/1387af0fdfd82e01e890065da9b3c79d/tumblr_ne6obvTsAG1tk6hhmo2_1280.png" style="width:247px;height:623px;"></html>

After getting over yourself, you eventually befriended a few people. After Cell, your closest friends are likely [[Horatio]] and [[Janet]], followed by [[Cliff]], [[Lavender]], [[Peter]], and [[Hawk]] (though he mostly shows up just to talk to Cell). You are still amazed to this day that any of them actually talk to you. <html><IMG SRC="https://56.media.tumblr.com/0673818bd61b3580f08644a85ccaf340/tumblr_o19h47J66X1tk6hhmo1_540.png"></html>

Currently, Cell is continuing her studies of piano, but also recently picked up guitar, viola, and is brushing up on her xylophone skills. She mainly sticks to percussion and string instruments, as she seems to have no desire to learn wind instruments.

You have been to the Tchaikovsky's countless times and know the grounds well. There is a front door, a patio door at the back, but are also aware that Cell's room opens onto a balcony on the side of the house to your right. On your walk over, you noticed light spilling out from patio, and could hear Cell picking away at her guitar. [[Approach the front door.->Front steps]] [[Sneak around to the patio.->Outside patio]] [[Walk around the side of the house to Cell's window.->Outside Cell's window]]

You walk up to the front door and ring the doorbell, which (as you know) sends a pleasant chime through most of the mansion. You stand there and wait a few seconds. Nothing. [[Continue waiting.->Boring front steps]] [[You've been here enough times and are comfortable enough to just open the door.->It is locked]] [[You get bored and decide to shout at Cell through her balcony window.->Outside Cell's window]]

You peer around the back corner of the house to see light spilling out through the glass patio doors. Leaning further, you're able to see colourful streamers through the glass. Oh dear. You're unsure how you feel about parties. [[Return to the front door->Front steps, party??]] [[Shout at Cell through her balcony window and ask about the streamers->Outside Cell's window, party??]] [[Approach the patio doors->Patio doors]]

You walk around the side of the house and look up at Cell's balcony. You can hear the guitar slightly better, and can see the top of her head if you step back far enough. [[Shout "Hey, Cell! Let me in!".->Cell response]]

Okay, no one has answered. You know that Cell's family has a butler, but often when Cell is home alone she requests that said butler doesn't answer the door for her. Typical. [[Shout at Cell through her balcony window.->Outside Cell's window]] [[Investigate the patio.->Outside patio]]

It's locked. Well. You should've expected this. Most big, fancy mansions are usually locked and have a security system. [[Investigate the patio.->Outside patio]] [[Shout at Cell through her balcony window.->Outside Cell's window]]

Feeling like you've already seen too much, you return to the front of the house, walk up to the front door, and ring the doorbell. Doing this, as you know far too well, sends a pleasant chime through most of the mansion. You stand there and wait a few seconds. Nothing. [[Continue waiting->Boring front steps, party??]] [[You've been here enough times and are comfortable enough to just open the door->It is locked, party??]] [[You get bored and decide to shout at Cell through her balcony window->Outside Cell's window, party??]]

You walk around the side of the house and look up at Cell's balcony. You can hear the guitar slightly better, and can see the top of her head if you step back far enough. You want to ask her about the streamers, but your guilt gets the better of you. [[Shout "Hey, Cell! Let me in!->Cell response, party??]]

As you approach the patio doors, your guilt kicks in. You realize that this was intended to be a surprise party, and that Cell likely put a lot of work into it. Maybe. You are going to try to pretend to be surprised. Hopefully your acting skills are not as poor as they usually are. [[Shout at Cell through her balcony window to let you in->Outside Cell's window, party??]]

After a brief moment, the sounds of the guitar stop. You hear the scraping of a chair, and Cell walks out onto the balcony, confused. She glances down and jumps, startled. Apparently she wasn't expecting to see you. She struggles for a response "What hey uh hi! Hey. You um. You're here! Hey!" [[Ask if she can let you in.->Cell response front door]] [[Ask why she's so nervous.->Cell response nervous]]

After a brief moment, the sounds of the guitar stop. You hear the scraping of a chair, and Cell walks out onto the balcony, confused. She glances down and jumps, startled. Apparently she wasn't expecting to see you. She struggles for a response "What hey uh hi! Hey. You um. You're here! Hey!" [[Ask if she can let you in->Cell response front door, party??]] [[Ask why she's so nervous->Cell response nervous, party??]]

Well. You should've expected this. Most big, fancy mansions are usually locked and have a security system. [[Shout at Cell through her balcony window->Outside Cell's window, party??]]

She blinks and hesitates before replying. "Oh! Yes. Of course. I suppose the door is locked. Just um... meet me at the front door!" She quickly returns to her room, closing the balcony door behind her. Her room light turns off. [[Meet Cell at the front door.->Front steps again]]

Her smile falters briefly. "What? Me? Nervous? Hahaha! Haha. Atlas. You. You kidder." You give her an incredulous look. She laughs, nervously, then fades into silence. [[Ask if she can let you in.->Cell response front door]]

You walk over to the front door and wait the appropriate amount of time it would take Cell to open it for you. She doesn't. [[Ring the doorbell.->Doorbell]] [[Try to open the door.->Open the door]]

You walk over to the front door and wait the appropriate amount of time it would take Cell to open it for you. She doesn't. [[Ring the doorbell->Doorbell, party??]] [[Try to open the door->Open the door, party??]]

You ring the doorbell. No one answers. No one opens the door. Right. Surprise party. [[Try to open the door->Open the door, party??]]

Faced with no other option, you take a deep breath and try to forget about the streamers and how nervous Cell was acting. You have to be surprised, or act surprised, or else you'll let everyone down! Assuming it's more than just Cell. It's probably more than just Cell. Oh god, you think, hopefully there's not too many. You raise your hand up to the doorknob, and open the front door. [[Oh dear.->Surprise! Party??]]

You ring the doorbell. No one answers. No one opens the door. [[Try to open the door.->Open the door]]

Curious as to why Cell was acting so nervous, you open the door. [[Oh dear.->Surprise!]]

"SURPRISE!!" An explosion of streamers, confetti, people, and noise greets you. After a moment of shock, you hesitate. You aren't sure how you feel about parties, but the fact that all of your friends did this for you... brings a smile to your face. "Oh my god! Is this... is this for me?" you ask, looking around at your friends. Everyone's here! [[Horatio]], [[Janet]], [[Cliff]], [[Lavender]], [[Peter]], [[Hawk]], and... Cell appears to be absent? Everyone nods and smiles at your question, though. [[Ask where Cell is.->Where's Cell?]] [[Ask what they have planned for this... party.->Plans?]] [[Give in to your inner panic and sit down. On the floor.->You are on the floor.]]

"SURPRISE!!" An explosion of streamers, confetti, people, and noise greets you. After a moment of shock, you plaster a smile to your face and hope it looks genuine. "Oh my god! What is this?" you ask, looking around at your friends. You are trying really hard to act surprised. You hope you look surprised, as all of your friends are there! [[Horatio]], [[Janet]], [[Cliff]], [[Lavender]], [[Peter]], [[Hawk]], and... Cell appears to be absent? [[Ask where Cell is.->Where's Cell? Party??]] [[Ask what they have planned for this... party.->Plans, party??]] [[Give in to your inner panic and sit down. On the floor.->You are on the floor, party??]]

Lavender answers, this time. "It's a SURPRISE party, silly! We can't just tell you that." "Er, right." you respond. Everyone seems to be... waiting for something. "So uh. Are we just gonna wait here? Hangout? Should I do something?" you ask. A couple people look at each other somewhat nervously. An awkward silence follows, but fortunately something [[happens->Happened, party??]] to distract from you being on the floor.

A couple people laugh quietly, but Horatio saves you from questioning further. "Happy birthday dude! This surprise party was all Cell's idea, so she's like... um. Doing stuff. She'll be around, don't worry! I think you just caught her off guard." You nod understandably. [[Ask what they have planned for this... party.->Plans?]]

A couple people laugh quietly, but Horatio saves you from questioning further. "Happy birthday dude! We're throwing you a surprise party. It was all Cell's idea, so she's like... um. Doing stuff. She'll be around, don't worry! I think you just caught her off guard." You nod understandably. [[Ask what they have planned for this... party.->Plans, party??]]

You thought that you had gotten over that initial moment of panic, but you were wrong. Your knees give way and you promptly sit down. You are now on the floor. The people closest to you offer to help you up, others peering over shoulders to see why you suddenly dropped. "Atlas!" "Dude are you okay? "Whoah! You feeling sick or something?" "Hey, whoah, let me help you up." "Do you need to lie down?" Their concern is comforting but also overwhelming. You wave everyone off and say "I'm okay, guys, seriously. I just. Need to sit down for a bit." Everyone looks at you with a variety of concerned looks. "On the floor?" asks Cliff. You nod, looking at your feet. "Yes. On the floor." you reply. An awkward silence follows, but fortunately something [[happens->Happened, on the floor, party??]] to distract from you being on the floor.

The sound system in the Tchaikovsky's mansion is remarkable considering that, not only are THEY never home, but they never seem to host any large gatherings or parties. Seeing as this was a party, it seemed reasonable for it to be used. Breaking the silence, you hear the first few, unmistakable, bass notes of your current favourite song (which is impressive, as it changes every week, if not more so). You manage to laugh, smiling, "How... how did she know?" Hawk shrugs, looking down at you. "Cell, dude. She's made of magic." You roll your eyes at him, and say "People can't be made of magic, Hawk. That's just. That's not a thing." Hawk lowers his voice to a strained whisper "Then what else would explain it?". A few people abruptly turn around at a soft noise behind them. You can't really see anything because you're on the floor. [[Stand up.->No longer on the floor.]] [[Stay on the floor.->Still on the floor.]]

The sound system in the Tchaikovsky's mansion is remarkable considering that, not only are THEY never home, but they never seem to host any large gatherings or parties. Seeing as this was a party, it seemed reasonable for it to be used. Breaking the silence, you hear the first few, unmistakable, bass notes of your current favourite song (which is impressive, as it changes every week, if not more so). You laugh, smiling, "How... how did she know?" Hawk shrugs. "Cell, dude. She's made of magic." You roll your eyes at him, and spot movement over his shoulder. A few people notice you looking, and turn in time to see Cell sliding down the railing of one of the grand staircases. You sometimes forget how huge this place is. [[Catch the girl!->Don't be ridiculous, party??]] [[Make a snide comment.->Oh snap, party??]]

The sound system in the Tchaikovsky's mansion is remarkable considering that, not only are THEY never home, but they never seem to host any large gatherings or parties. Seeing as this was a party, it seemed reasonable for it to be used. Breaking the silence, you hear the first few, unmistakable, bass notes of your current favourite song (which is impressive, as it changes every week, if not more so). You manage to laugh, smiling, "How... how did she know?" Hawk shrugs, looking down at you. "Cell, dude. She's made of magic." You roll your eyes at him, and say "People can't be made of magic, Hawk. That's just. That's not a thing." Hawk lowers his voice to a strained whisper "Then what else would explain it?" A few people abruptly turn around at a soft noise behind them. You can't really see anything because you're on the floor. [[Stand up.->No longer on the floor, party??]] [[Stay on the floor.->Still on the floor, party??]]

The sound system in the Tchaikovsky's mansion is remarkable considering that, not only are THEY never home, but they never seem to host any large gatherings or parties. Seeing as this was a party, it seemed reasonable for it to be used. Breaking the silence, you hear the first few, unmistakable, bass notes of your current favourite song (which is impressive, as it changes every week, if not more so). You laugh, smiling, "How... how did she know?" Hawk shrugs. "Cell, dude. She's made of magic." You roll your eyes at him, and spot movement over his shoulder. A few people notice you looking, and turn in time to see Cell sliding down the railing of one of the grand staircases. You sometimes forget how huge this place is. [[Catch the girl!->Don't be ridiculous.]] [[Make a snide comment.->Oh snap!]]

Horatio Pippin is your best friend who isn't Cell. Having Cell as a best friend isn't like having anyone else as a best friend. She's... well she's Cell. You mostly talk to Horatio about music, as you both have largely different tastes, though they sometimes overlap. He's also the first person you go to about... well, anything. He's got a good head on his shoulders. He's also part of the [[band->The band.]] that you and Cell made over the summer.

Janet Elliott is great in that her interests are all over the place. She always has some new show, movie, or videogame to tell you about. Horatio usually tells you about most of the videogames he plays, but Janet has a very different point of view on them. She's just... fun and carefree, in general, which is great. She's also part of the [[band->The band.]] that you and Cell made over the summer.

Cliff Noble is definitely closer to Cell, but he's usually pretty fun to talk to, and almost always has some sort of joke to brighten up the situation (though whether or not they're always good is um... yeah). He's also part of the [[band->The band.]] that you and Cell made over the summer.

Lavender English is Horatio's childhood friend who, you suspect, sort of joined your little friend circle out of her impressive ability to enjoy the company of just about anyone. She's also really nice and super friendly in general, and is probably the only person who you can talk to about art.

Peter Quinlan is the 'newest' to your friend group, and was introduced through being friends with Hawk. You don't know him all that well, but he seems really genuine and kind underneath his goofy, trouble-making exterior.

Hawk Davidson is certainly closer to Cell, sometimes to the extent that it makes you nervous, but he seems pretty harmless. He's a fun-loving trouble-maker, but also genuinely cares about all his friends, even those he doesn't know all that well.

Haha, yeah, like that's possible. Even if you COULD run fast enough to cover the distance of the hall and get to the bottom of the railing in time, you're far too clumsy to actually CATCH Cell. In the time it takes you to realize this, Cell slides down the rest of the railing, landing gracefully at the bottom of the stairs. She then runs over, saying "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday Atlas!", and stopping in front of you with her arms outstretched and a goofy smile on her face. [[Hug your best friend.->Hug Cell.]] [[Give her a high five.->High five Cell.]] [[High five BOTH of her hands.->Double high five Cell.]]

You step forward past your friends and call out to Cell, saying "Look who finally decided to show up!" as she lands on her feet at the bottom of the stairs. Cliff elbows you and you give him a sarcastic look. Cell freezes briefly before running over, saying "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday Atlas!", and stopping in front of you with her arms outstretched and a goofy smile on her face. [[Hug your best friend.->Hug Cell.]] [[Give her a high five.->High five Cell.]] [[High five BOTH of her hands.->Double high five Cell.]]

You stand up in time to see Cell slide down the end of the railing and land gracefully at the bottom of the stairs. She then runs over, saying "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday Atlas!", and stopping in front of you with her arms outstretched and a goofy smile on her face. [[Hug your best friend.->Hug Cell.]] [[Give her a high five.->High five Cell.]] [[High five BOTH of her hands.->Double high five Cell.]]

You feel safer on the floor, and, listening closely, you think you can hear the sound of someone sliding down a railing, landing, and taking a few steps forward. Then you hear the unmistakable voice of Cell ask "Wait... where's Atlas?" Your friends step away from you so Cell can see you sitting on the floor, and you wave awkwardly. Hawk even points at you, saying "Sitting on the floor. He's okay, though!" You can see Cell's previously excited facial expression falter slightly, and she runs over. [[Stand up to greet her.->Hey Cell I was on the floor.]] [[Stay on the floor.->Hey Cell I'm still on the floor.]]

You hug your best friend, who hugs you back excitedly. You release her after a moment, and she steps back, asking "Did we surprise you?!". You laugh, looking around at your friends. "Yeah, you totally did." Cell beams at your response, and laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a nonchalantly innocent expression. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti.]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti.]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti.]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti.]]

You high-five one of Cell's outstretched hands, which she then lowers, asking "Did we surprise you?!". You laugh, looking around at your friends. "Yeah, you totally did." Cell beams at your response, and laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a nonchalantly innocent expression. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti.]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti.]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti.]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti.]]

You give Cell a double high five, who then lowers her arms, asking "Did we surprise you?!". You laugh, looking around at your friends. "Yeah, you totally did." Cell beams at your response, and laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a nonchalantly innocent expression. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti.]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti.]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti.]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti.]]

Haha, yeah, like that's possible. Even if you COULD run fast enough to cover the distance of the hall and get to the bottom of the railing in time, you're far too clumsy to actually CATCH Cell. In the time it takes you to realize this, Cell slides down the rest of the railing, landing gracefully at the bottom of the stairs. She then runs over, saying "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday Atlas!", and stopping in front of you with her arms outstretched and a goofy smile on her face. [[Hug your best friend.->Hug Cell, party??]] [[Give her a high five.->High five Cell, party??]] [[High five BOTH of her hands.->Double high five Cell, party??]]

You step forward past your friends and call out to Cell, saying "Look who finally decided to show up!" as she lands on her feet at the bottom of the stairs. Cliff elbows you and you give him a sarcastic look. Cell freezes briefly before running over, saying "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday Atlas!", and stopping in front of you with her arms outstretched and a goofy smile on her face. [[Hug your best friend.->Hug Cell, party??]] [[Give her a high five.->High five Cell, party??]] [[High five BOTH of her hands.->Double high five Cell, party??]]

You stand up in time to see Cell slide down the end of the railing and land gracefully at the bottom of the stairs. She then runs over, saying "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy birthday Atlas!", and stopping in front of you with her arms outstretched and a goofy smile on her face. [[Hug your best friend.->Hug Cell, party??]] [[Give her a high five.->High five Cell, party??]] [[High five BOTH of her hands.->Double high five Cell, party??]]

You feel safer on the floor, and listening closely, think you can hear the sound of someone sliding down a railing, landing, and taking a few steps forward. Then you hear the unmistakable voice of Cell ask "Wait... where's Atlas?" Your friends step away from you so Cell can see you sitting on the floor, and you wave awkwardly. Hawk even points at you, saying "Sitting on the floor. He's okay, though!" You can see Cell's previously excited facial expression falter slightly, and she runs over. [[Stand up to greet her.->Hey Cell I was on the floor, party??]] [[Stay on the floor.->Hey Cell I'm still on the floor, party??]]

You hug your best friend, who hugs you back excitedly. You release her after a moment, and she steps back, asking "Did we surprise you?!". You laugh, hoping you don't sound nervous. "Yeah! Oh yeah. You surprised me big time. I don't think I've ever been more surprised in my life." Cell beams at your response, and laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a slight frown and shaking his head. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti, party??]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti, party??]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti, party??]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti, party??]]

You high-five one of Cell's outstretched hands, which she then lowers, asking "Did we surprise you?!". You laugh, hoping you don't sound nervous. "Yeah! Oh yeah. You surprised me big time. I don't think I've ever been more surprised in my life." Cell beams at your response, and laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a slight frown and shaking his head. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti, party??]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti, party??]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti, party??]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti, party??]]

You give Cell a double high five, who then lowers her arms, asking "Did we surprise you?!". You laugh, hoping you don't sound nervous. "Yeah! Oh yeah. You surprised me big time. I don't think I've ever been more surprised in my life." Cell beams at your response, and laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a slight frown and shaking his head. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti, party??]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti, party??]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti, party??]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti, party??]]

You stand up and offer her a smile. She hugs you. "Are you alright? Was it too much?" she asks. "Cell, I'm fine! I just needed to sit down for a bit, get over the initial shock." you explain, as you hold her away from you by the shoulders. She blinks at you, trying to read your face. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asks. [[Assure Cell that you're okay, and are definitely good to continue the festivities.->Okay you didn't say it like that.]] [[Admit that you need some space for a bit->Abscond!]]

You look up at Cell, but you're a bit too anxious to stand up just yet. You smile awkardly at her. "Are you alright? Was it too much?" she asks. "Well, yes! And no. Um. What I mean is-" you begin stuttering into an explination, but Cell cuts you off. "Oh, I knew you didn't like parties! Or there was a chance you wouldn't. I'm sorry, Atlas. I truly am." she says, her shoulders sag, and she brings her hands up to her face periodically before dropping them again. [[Gather your courage, stand up, and tell her you're okay.->Was on the floor, Cell was sad, you felt bad.]] [[Tell her that you're really okay, you just feel better on the floor.->Hey Cell I just like being on the floor.]] [[Tell her that you just need some space for a bit, but would be okay to join the festivities later.->Abscond! Floor.]]

You stand up and offer her a smile. She hugs you. "Are you alright? Was it too much?" she asks. "Cell, I'm fine! I just needed to sit down for a bit, get over the initial shock." you explain, as you hold her away from you by the shoulders. She blinks at you, trying to read your face. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asks. [[Assure Cell that you're okay, and are definitely good to continue the festivities.->Okay you didn't say it like that, party??]] [[Admit that you need some space for a bit->Abscond, party??]]

You look up at Cell, but you're a bit too anxious to stand up just yet. You smile awkardly at her. "Are you alright? Was it too much?" she asks. "Well, yes! And no. Um. What I mean is-" you begin stuttering into an explination, but Cell cuts you off. "Oh, I knew you didn't like parties! Or there was a chance you wouldn't. I'm sorry, Atlas. I truly am." she says, her shoulders sag, and she brings her hands up to her face periodically before dropping them again. [[Gather your courage, stand up, and tell her you're okay.->Was on the floor, Cell was sad, you felt bad, party??]] [[Tell her that you're really okay, you just feel better on the floor.->Hey Cell I just like being on the floor, party??]] [[Tell her that you just need some space for a bit, but would be okay to join the festivities later.->Abscond, floor, party??]]

You bend down and, along with the confetti you already pulled out of your hair, pointedly gather more confetti from the floor. You stand back up, and ceremoniously drop the confetti all over Janet's head. "Uahhhh no whyyyyyy?" she asks, pouting at the confetti in her long, reddish-brown hair. She starts pulling it out, piece by piece. "I trusted you." she says, in a mock-offended tone. You and Peter laugh, but then everyone ducks as Hawk managed to go unnoticed in gathering the rest of the confetti from the floor and throwing it over everyone's heads. "Hey!" "Oh-why-not again." "Hawk! You dick!" "Nooooo." "I swear to god, dude." Hawk dodges back, laughing, to avoid a jab from Cliff. You sigh along with everyone else, and attempt to shake the confetti out of your unfortunately curly hair. [[Request a change of scenery.->Food time yes?]]

You bend down and, along with the confetti you already pulled out of your hair, pointedly gather more confetti from the floor. You stand back up, turn around quickly, and throw the confetti over Cell's head. "Hey! Haha. You're so sneaky, Atlas." she exclaims, as you and a few others laugh. She looks up suddenly, and ducks, as even more confetti falls over everyone's heads. "Hey!" "Oh-why-not again." "Hawk! You dick!" "Nooooo." "I swear to god, dude." You turn around to spot the culprit, Hawk, who dodges back, laughing, to avoid a jab from Cliff. You sigh along with everyone else, and attempt to shake the confetti out of your unfortunately curly hair. [[Request a change of scenery.->Food time yes?]]

Being a mature, grown-up, and totally responsible 16 year old, you decide not to participate in any confetti-related shenanigans. You shake your head in disappointment at your friends. It doesn't seem to matter whether you threw confetti or not anyways, as Hawk managed to go unnoticed in gathering the rest of the confetti from the floor and throwing it over everyone's heads. "Hey!" "Oh-why-not again." "Hawk! You dick!" "Nooooo." "I swear to god, dude." Hawk dodges back, laughing, to avoid a jab from Cliff. You sigh along with everyone else, and attempt to shake the confetti out of your unfortunately curly hair. [[Request a change of scenery.->Food time yes?]]

You bend down and, along with the confetti you already pulled out of your hair, pointedly gather more confetti from the floor. You stand back up, make a fake throw towards Janet, then dump the confetti over Peter. "Hey! Dude, I'm innocent! God dammit." he exclaims, trying to brush it all out of his hair. You and Janet laugh, but then everyone ducks as Hawk managed to go unnoticed in gathering the rest of the confetti from the floor and throwing it over everyone's heads. "Hey!" "Oh-why-not again." "Hawk! You dick!" "Nooooo." "I swear to god, dude." Hawk dodges back, laughing, to avoid a jab from Cliff. You sigh along with everyone else, and attempt to shake the confetti out of your unfortunately curly hair. [[Request a change of scenery.->Food time yes?]]

Oh, yeah. The band you and Cell started over the summer, with Horatio, Janet, and Cliff. You aren't super sure of your talents, but everyone tells you that you're a good singer. You don't believe them. Even though half the school seems to know your name now, after performing at two assemblies. They even compliment you sometimes. It's really overwhelming.

It takes all of your willpower, but you manage to stand up. You gently place your hands on Cell's shoulders, and reassure her "Hey, I'm fine. I was just a bit overwhelmed, and needed to sit down for a bit.". She looks at you like she doesn't believe you. You don't blame her. [[Assure Cell that you're okay, and are definitely good to continue the festivities.->Okay you didn't say it like that.]] [[Admit that you need some space for a bit->Abscond!]]

"Hey, hey, it's fine. I'm fine. Okay? I just. Feel better sitting on the floor right now. I think I'd be good to just... sit here until I feel up to joining you all." Cell folds her arms and shakes her head at you. "You are befuddling, Atlas." she says, and then turns to the group. "Well, I suppose we can continue the festivities without him for a bit." she looks back down at you, "Come find us when you're feeling better, okay?". You nod. You're not sure how long this will take. Cell then makes a wild gesture, pointing up the stairs. "Tooooooo the wreck room! Band room. Whichever you like to call it." she turns and begins walking towards the left staircase leading upstairs. Your friends follow her, some giving you a pat on the head on their way past, and Hawk throws some confetti over your head. You try to shake it out of your hair, smiling at him. You watch everyone climb the stairs, and then disappear around the corner. [[Well. The floor is kind of boring.->Why are you still here?]]

You falter, and hesitate. You're not sure you can handle this. "I uh... I think I just need some space, for a bit, if that's okay? I've never um. Had a surprise party before. It's, oddly enough, rather surprising." you explain. A couple people around you laugh quietly, and someone (probably Horatio) gives you a pat on the shoulder. Cell gives a sigh, you're not sure it's of relief or something else. "I'll walk you to my room. Er. Everyone else... just. You know. Mingle amongst yourselves. I'll be back in a bit." she says, sounding very resigned. She starts walking towards the set of stairs to the right, and gestures for you to follow her. [[Follow the girl.->Cell's room, no apology.]] [[Apologize to your friends.->Sorry guys.]]

It takes all of your willpower, but you manage to stand up. You gently place your hands on Cell's shoulders, and reassure her "Hey, I'm fine. I was just a bit overwhelmed, and needed to sit down for a bit.". She looks at you like she doesn't believe you. You don't blame her. [[Assure Cell that you're okay, and are definitely good to continue the festivities.->Okay you didn't say it like that, party??]] [[Admit that you need some space for a bit->Abscond, party??]]

Okay you would never actually use words like that. Instead, you say "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. So what's next for this party?" Cell opens her mouth to respond, but then laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a nonchalantly innocent expression. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti.]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti.]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti.]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti.]]

Okay you would never actually use words like that. Instead, you say "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. So what's next for this party?" Cell opens her mouth to respond, but then laughs as someone throws more confetti over your head. You duck out of surprise, and try to gather the pieces out of your hair as you turn to try to spot the culprit. Janet stands behind you, giggling, next to Peter with his arms crossed, sporting a nonchalantly innocent expression. [[Throw confetti at Janet.->Janet confetti, party??]] [[Throw confetti at Peter.->Peter confetti, party??]] [[Turn around and throw confetti at Cell.->Cell confetti, party??]] [[Don't throw confetti.->No confetti, party??]]

"Um, wait." you say. Cell stops and turns around, noticing you're still on the floor. "I just. Feel better sitting on the floor right now. I think I'd be good to just... sit here until I feel up to joining you all." Cell folds her arms and shakes her head at you. "You are befuddling, Atlas." she says, and then turns to the group. "Well, I suppose we can continue the festivities without him for a bit." she looks back down at you, "Come find us when you're feeling better, okay?". You nod. You're not sure how long this will take. Cell then makes a wild gesture, pointing up the stairs. "Tooooooo the wreck room! Band room. Whichever you like to call it." she turns and begins walking towards the left staircase leading upstairs. Your friends follow her, some giving you a pat on the head on their way past, and Hawk throws some confetti over your head. You try to shake it out of your hair, smiling at him. You watch everyone climb the stairs, and then disappear around the corner. [[Well. The floor is kind of boring.->Why are you still here?]]

You falter, and hesitate. You're not sure you can handle this. "I uh... I think I just need some space, for a bit, if that's okay? I've never um. Had a surprise party before. It's, oddly enough, rather surprising." you explain. A couple people around you laugh quietly, and someone (probably Horatio) gives you a pat on the head. Cell gives a sigh, you're not sure it's of relief or something else. "I'll walk you to my room. Er. Everyone else... just. You know. Mingle amongst yourselves. I'll be back in a bit." she says, sounding very resigned. She starts walking towards the set of stairs to the right, and gestures for you to follow her. [[Get up and follow the girl.->Cell's room, from floor, no apology.]] [[Get up and apologize to your friends.->Sorry guys, from floor.]] [[Stay on the floor.->Oh my GOD WHY.]]

You turn around to face your friends, briefly, and apologize "Sorry guys, I really appreciate it, I just... well I struggle with these things. You know." you shrug. A few people smirk knowingly, others smile supportively. "It's okay dude, we'll be here for you when you're ready." says Horatio. Hawk gives you a thumbs up, and Peter pats you on the shoulder. With an attempt at a smile, you turn around and [[follow Cell.->Cell's room, apology.]]

You stand up, turn around to face your friends, briefly, and apologize "Sorry guys, I really appreciate it, I just... well I struggle with these things. You know." you shrug. A few people smirk knowingly, others smile supportively. "It's okay dude, we'll be here for you when you're ready." says Horatio. Hawk gives you a thumbs up, and Peter pats you on the shoulder. With an attempt at a smile, you turn around and [[follow Cell.->Cell's room, apology.]]

After a bit more confetti throwing, and Cliff chasing Hawk up the stairs, along the upper balcony, and back down the stairs, you turn to Cell. "So... what's next?" you ask. She smiles and, quickly glancing over her shoulder, catches Hawk and Cliff in either arm as they run past. "Who's hungry?" she asks, looking between the two boys on her arms, and then back at you. "Ohhh, me me me!!" "Finally!" "I am SO hungry." "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry." "I actually didn't have lunch in preparation for this." There seems to be a general agreement that it's time to eat, and so everyone follows Cell as she turns around, Cliff and Hawk still on either arm, and walks towards the dining table at the back end of the mansion. [[You join your friends for a fantastic birthday dinner.->Bday dinner.]]

You falter, and hesitate. You're not sure you can handle this. "I uh... I think I just need some space, for a bit, if that's okay? I've never um. Had a surprise party before. It's, oddly enough, rather surprising." you explain. A couple people around you laugh quietly, and someone (probably Horatio) gives you a pat on the head. Cell gives a sigh, you're not sure it's of relief or something else. "I'll walk you to my room. Er. Everyone else... just. You know. Mingle amongst yourselves. I'll be back in a bit." she says, sounding very resigned. She starts walking towards the set of stairs to the right, and gestures for you to follow her. [[Get up and follow the girl.->Cell's room, from floor, party??]] [[Get up and apologize to your friends.->Sorry guys, from floor, party??]] [[Stay on the floor.->Oh my GOD WHY, party??]]

You get up, and with a wave to your friends, follow Cell up the stairs. The bedrooms are all on the lower floor, but since all of Cell's older sibling are moved out, she's been permitted to use the guest room as her own. It's worth it for both the size upgrade and the balcony. Cell, having lead the way, holds her door open for you. [[Enter her room.->Inside Cell's room, no apology, party??]]

You can distantly hear your friends chatting, and have some time to your thoughts. Your mind wanders, unchecked. You wonder if everyone's really here for your surprise party, or if they're just here for Cell, and her really nice house. You wonder if some of your friends are just friends with you so they can be friends with Cell. You wonder if Cell is just friends with you so she can befriend other people more easilly. You wonder if you're just friends with Cell so YOU can befriend other people more easilly. You start to feel sad. You try to remember what it was like, making friends in grade school. You feel like it was easier, like it made sense. There was nothing to worry about, back then. Nothing to feel sad about, beyond minor accidents and mistakes that were easilly forgiven. You notice that it has gone quiet upstairs, and wonder where they went. There IS another set of stairs on the other end of each wing of the mansion, but... where would they go? Why? Your thoughts are interrupted as your [[phone->Buzz buzz.]] goes off.

You can distantly hear your friends chatting, and have some time to your thoughts. Your mind wanders, unchecked. You wonder if everyone came to your surprise party just to make you like them more. You wonder if everyone's really here for your surprise party, or if they're just here for Cell, and her really nice house. You wonder if some of your friends are just friends with you so they can be friends with Cell. You wonder if Cell is just friends with you so she can befriend other people more easilly. You wonder if you're just friends with Cell so YOU can befriend other people more easilly. You start to feel sad. You try to remember what it was like, making friends in grade school. You feel like it was easier, like it made sense. There was nothing to worry about, back then. Nothing to feel sad about, beyond minor accidents and mistakes that were easilly forgiven. You notice that it has gone quiet upstairs, and wonder where they went. There IS another set of stairs on the other end of each wing of the mansion, but... where would they go? Why? Your thoughts are interrupted as your [[phone->Buzz buzz, party??]] goes off.

With a wave to your friends, you follow Cell up the stairs. The bedrooms are all on the lower floor, but since all of Cell's older sibling are moved out, she's been permitted to use the guest room as her own. It's worth it for both the size upgrade and the balcony. Cell, having lead the way, holds her door open for you. [[Enter her room.->Inside Cell's room, no apology.]]

The bedrooms are all on the lower floor, but since all of Cell's older sibling are moved out, she's been permitted to use the guest room as her own. It's worth it for both the size upgrade and the balcony. Cell, having lead the way, holds her door open for you. [[Enter her room.->Inside Cell's room, apology.]]

You walk through the door, into her room, and sit on her bed. Cell follows, closing the door behind her, and sits next to you. You sit in silence for a bit. "Did I do something wrong?" Cell asks, turning to face you. She looks about as distressed as you feel (which is relatively distressed, but not too much). You shake your head. "No, you did nothing wrong, Cell. You did just fine. Perfect, even." you reply. You think about your words carefully before explaining "It's just that... I'm not fine. I'm getting better, but sometimes... it's too much." Cell frowns, looking down at her lap. "I wish I could help you." she sighs, glancing at you briefly before looking away again. You turn most of your body to face her, and place a hand on her shoulder. "You ARE helping, Cell. Seriously. It just takes time." She looks up at you, disbelieving, but slowly breaks into a small smile. "Well. I'm glad I can help, in that case." she admits, then asks "So, shall I leave you to your thoughts awhile?". [[Say no.->Cell's room, Cell stays, no apology.]] [[Say yes.->Cell's room, Cell leaves, no apology.]]

You walk through the door, into her room, and sit on her bed. Cell follows, closing the door behind her, and sits next to you. You sit in silence for a bit. "Did I do something wrong?" Cell asks, turning to face you. She looks about as distressed as you feel (which is relatively distressed, but not too much). You shake your head. "No, you did nothing wrong, Cell. You did just fine. Perfect, even." you reply. You think about your words carefully before explaining "It's just that... I'm not fine. I'm getting better, but sometimes... it's too much." Cell frowns, looking down at her lap. "I wish I could help you." she sighs, glancing at you briefly before looking away again. You turn most of your body to face her, and place a hand on her shoulder. "You ARE helping, Cell. Seriously. It just takes time." She looks up at you, disbelieving, but slowly breaks into a small smile. "Well. I'm glad I can help, in that case." she admits, then asks "So, shall I leave you to your thoughts awhile?". [[Say no.->Cell's room, Cell stays, no apology, party??]] [[Say yes.->Cell's room, Cell leaves, no apology, party??]]

You walk through the door, into her room, and sit on her bed. Cell follows, closing the door behind her, and sits next to you. You sit in silence for a bit. "Did I do something wrong?" Cell asks, turning to face you. She looks about as distressed as you feel (which is relatively distressed, but not too much). You shake your head. "No, you did nothing wrong, Cell. You did just fine. Perfect, even." you reply. You think about your words carefully before explaining "It's just that... I'm not fine. I'm getting better, but sometimes... it's too much." Cell frowns, looking down at her lap. "I wish I could help you." she sighs, glancing at you briefly before looking away again. You turn most of your body to face her, and place a hand on her shoulder. "You ARE helping, Cell. Seriously. It just takes time." She looks up at you, disbelieving, but slowly breaks into a small smile. "Well. I'm glad I can help, in that case." she admits, then asks "So, shall I leave you to your thoughts awhile?". [[Say no.->Cell's room, Cell stays, apology.]] [[Say yes.->Cell's room, Cell leaves, apology.]]

You walk through the door, into her room, and sit on her bed. Cell follows, closing the door behind her, and sits next to you. You sit in silence for a bit. "Did I do something wrong?" Cell asks, turning to face you. She looks about as distressed as you feel (which is relatively distressed, but not too much). You shake your head. "No, you did nothing wrong, Cell. You did just fine. Perfect, even." you reply. You think about your words carefully before explaining "It's just that... I'm not fine. I'm getting better, but sometimes... it's too much." Cell frowns, looking down at her lap. "I wish I could help you." she sighs, glancing at you briefly before looking away again. You turn most of your body to face her, and place a hand on her shoulder. "You ARE helping, Cell. Seriously. It just takes time." She looks up at you, disbelieving, but slowly breaks into a small smile. "Well. I'm glad I can help, in that case." she admits, then asks "So, shall I leave you to your thoughts awhile?". [[Say no.->Cell's room, Cell stays, apology, party??]] [[Say yes.->Cell's room, Cell leaves, apology, party??]]

You pull your phone out of your pocket and open it to the lock screen. A group photo from the last assembly your band played at is displayed, as well as the time, which reads 6:47, and a notification that someone messaged you. You double tap the screen, pulling up the keypad, and unlock it. Your home screen is pretty typical - a colourful expanse of stars. You open [[SAIL]] and access the messaging tab. A bottle from Cell floats up to the top, and you open it. >From: Cello Tchaikovsky >Hello! Are you feeling well enough to join us, yet? You sigh, realizing you've been sitting on the floor for a good while, and compose a reply. >From: Atlas Day >Yeah, I think Im good. Whats the plan? You wait a moment, and stand up, ready to walk over to wherever the group was. Your phone goes off again >From: Cello Tchaikovsky >It's high time we have dinner, and then I'm to give you your birthday gift. It's of... a sensitive subject, but I explained it in brief to everyone and they were very understanding. It will make sense when I give it to you. Meet us at the dining table! You blink at your phone. Sensitive subject? What the heck is she talking about? You decide against messaging her back, as she probably won't respond at this point, and head to [[the dining table]].

"No. Um, I mean, if you don't mind staying." you say, afraid to be left alone. Cell smiles, and nods. "Okay, but we shouldn't stay long. Everyone will be wondering..." she says. You realize you didn't even say anything to them when you left. "Shit, I didn't even say sorry or anything. God, I'm a horrible friend." you exclaim, falling back on the bed. Cell pulls her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, and faces you. Her eyebrows knit together, confused. "No, you're not. I'm sure they will forgive you, as they too have at least a general understanding of you." she argues. "Gee, thanks Cell. I'm glad to hear my friends have at least a general understanding of me." you retort. She pouts, having taken your response seriously. Abruptly, she gets off the bed, and appears to drop to the floor. Startled, you sit up, exclaiming "Cell I'm sorry I didn't mean-", but stop as Cell pulls a box out from under her bed. She looks up at you silently, and stands up. "Well, whether you're happy or not, it's your birthday, Atlas, and I hope you can be happy about it eventually." she says, handing you the box. You take it from her, smiling. "Thanks Cell. You didn't have to get me anything." you tell her, and her face softens into a smile. "Well, I wanted to. So open it, and then we can get back to everyone else." she states plainly. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. It's very light. [[Open the gift.->Gift, open.]]

No. You can't do that. You don't think you could handle being left alone right now. "No. Um, I mean, if you don't mind staying." you say instead. Cell smiles, and nods. "Okay, but we shouldn't stay long. Everyone will be wondering..." she says. You realize you didn't even say anything to them when you left. "Shit, I didn't even say sorry or anything. God, I'm a horrible friend." you exclaim, falling back on the bed. Cell pulls her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, and faces you. Her eyebrows knit together, confused. "No, you're not. I'm sure they will forgive you, as they too have at least a general understanding of you." she argues. "Gee, thanks Cell. I'm glad to hear my friends have at least a general understanding of me." you retort. She pouts, having taken your response seriously. Abruptly, she gets off the bed, and appears to drop to the floor. Startled, you sit up, exclaiming "Cell I'm sorry I didn't mean-", but stop as Cell pulls a box out from under her bed. She looks up at you silently, and stands up. "Well, whether you're happy or not, it's your birthday, Atlas, and I hope you can be happy about it eventually." she says, handing you the box. You take it from her, smiling. "Thanks Cell. You didn't have to get me anything." you tell her, and her face softens into a smile. "Well, I wanted to. So open it, and then we can get back to everyone else." she states plainly. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. It's very light. [[Open the gift.->Gift, open.]]

"No. Um, I mean, if you don't mind staying." you say, afraid to be left alone. Cell smiles, and nods. "Okay, but we shouldn't stay long. Everyone will be wondering..." she says. You realize she's right, and suddenly feel terrible for ditching everyone. "Shit, Cell. I just up and left! I'm such a horrible friend." you exclaim, falling back on the bed. Cell pulls her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, and faces you. Her eyebrows knit together, confused. "No, you're not. I'm sure they will forgive you, as they too have at least a general understanding of you." she argues. "Gee, thanks Cell. I'm glad to hear my friends have at least a general understanding of me." you retort. She pouts, having taken your response seriously. Abruptly, she gets off the bed, and appears to drop to the floor. Startled, you sit up, exclaiming "Cell I'm sorry I didn't mean-", but stop as Cell pulls a box out from under her bed. She looks up at you silently, and stands up. "Well, whether you're happy or not, it's your birthday, Atlas, and I hope you can be happy about it eventually." she says, handing you the box. You take it from her, smiling. "Thanks Cell. You didn't have to get me anything." you tell her, and her face softens into a smile. "Well, I wanted to. So open it, and then we can get back to everyone else." she states plainly. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. It's very light. [[Open the gift.->Gift, open.]]

No. You can't do that. You don't think you could handle being left alone right now. "No. Um, I mean, if you don't mind staying." you say instead. Cell smiles, and nods. "Okay, but we shouldn't stay long. Everyone will be wondering..." she says. You realize she's right, and suddenly feel terrible for ditching everyone. "Shit, Cell. I just up and left! I'm such a horrible friend." you exclaim, falling back on the bed. Cell pulls her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, and faces you. Her eyebrows knit together, confused. "No, you're not. I'm sure they will forgive you, as they too have at least a general understanding of you." she argues. "Gee, thanks Cell. I'm glad to hear my friends have at least a general understanding of me." you retort. She pouts, having taken your response seriously. Abruptly, she gets off the bed, and appears to drop to the floor. Startled, you sit up, exclaiming "Cell I'm sorry I didn't mean-", but stop as Cell pulls a box out from under her bed. She looks up at you silently, and stands up. "Well, whether you're happy or not, it's your birthday, Atlas, and I hope you can be happy about it eventually." she says, handing you the box. You take it from her, smiling. "Thanks Cell. You didn't have to get me anything." you tell her, and her face softens into a smile. "Well, I wanted to. So open it, and then we can get back to everyone else." she states plainly. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. It's very light. [[Open the gift.->Gift, open.]]

Gently, you tear away the wrapping, and open the small box. Inside lays what appears to be a braided bracelet of thread or something. You look at it, then look back at Cell. "Am I missing something?" you ask. She takes in a deep breath, and then sighs. She nods, and then sits down next to you. She hesitates, then explains "It started as... just an idea. I spoke with your father and he was surprisingly very supportive of the idea. He gave me the materials, and my mother knows a jeweller in town, and he was able to braid it together and attach the clasps." she isn't looking at you. "My... dad? Materials?" you ask her, cradling the box in one hand, and removing the bracelet with another. "He explained how he, of course, kept all of your mother's instruments. It's understandable. In fact, he even kept a bow that she had broken at one point." she says. You feel like your heart stopped beating. You look down at the bracelet, and notice (out of the corner of your eye) that Cell is finally looking at you. "That bracelet is made of the horsehair of one of your mother's old bows." You drop the box, but retain a grip on the bracelet. You're afraid to look at Cell. [[You feel a teardrop fall onto your arm.->Crying.]]

"No. Um, I mean, if you don't mind staying." you say, afraid to be left alone. Cell smiles, and nods. "Okay, but we shouldn't stay long. Everyone will be wondering..." she says. You realize she's right, and suddenly feel terrible for ditching everyone. "Shit, Cell. I just up and left! I'm such a horrible friend." you exclaim, falling back on the bed. Cell pulls her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, and faces you. Her eyebrows knit together, confused. "No, you're not. I'm sure they will forgive you, as they too have at least a general understanding of you." she argues. "Gee, thanks Cell. I'm glad to hear my friends have at least a general understanding of me." you retort. She pouts, having taken your response seriously. Abruptly, she gets off the bed, and appears to drop to the floor. Startled, you sit up, exclaiming "Cell I'm sorry I didn't mean-", but stop as Cell pulls a box out from under her bed. She looks up at you silently, and stands up. "Well, whether you're happy or not, it's your birthday, Atlas, and I hope you can be happy about it eventually." she says, handing you the box. You take it from her, smiling. "Thanks Cell. You didn't have to get me anything." you tell her, and her face softens into a smile. "Well, I wanted to. So open it, and then we can get back to everyone else." she states plainly. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. It's very light. [[Open the gift.->Gift, open, party??]]

No. You can't do that. You don't think you could handle being left alone right now. "No. Um, I mean, if you don't mind staying." you say instead. Cell smiles, and nods. "Okay, but we shouldn't stay long. Everyone will be wondering..." she says. You realize she's right, and suddenly feel terrible for ditching everyone. "Shit, Cell. I just up and left! I'm such a horrible friend." you exclaim, falling back on the bed. Cell pulls her legs up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, and faces you. Her eyebrows knit together, confused. "No, you're not. I'm sure they will forgive you, as they too have at least a general understanding of you." she argues. "Gee, thanks Cell. I'm glad to hear my friends have at least a general understanding of me." you retort. She pouts, having taken your response seriously. Abruptly, she gets off the bed, and appears to drop to the floor. Startled, you sit up, exclaiming "Cell I'm sorry I didn't mean-", but stop as Cell pulls a box out from under her bed. She looks up at you silently, and stands up. "Well, whether you're happy or not, it's your birthday, Atlas, and I hope you can be happy about it eventually." she says, handing you the box. You take it from her, smiling. "Thanks Cell. You didn't have to get me anything." you tell her, and her face softens into a smile. "Well, I wanted to. So open it, and then we can get back to everyone else." she states plainly. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. It's very light. [[Open the gift.->Gift, open, party??]]

Everyone gathers around the dining table next to the patio door, streamers hanging from the ceiling. To your dismay, you end up at the head of the table, with Cell and Hawk on either side of you. The table is set, and a few people are twiddling with utensils in anticipation. You'll never get used to what happens next. Cell clears her throat, and the minimal chatter dies down. "The table's ready!" she calls, directing her command to the set of silver doors that lead to the kitchen. A few seconds pass, and the doors open to reveal a cart full of silver, lidded, trays, being pushed by the Tchaikovsky's butler. [[Wait, butler? What?->Yep. Butler.]]

Everyone gathers around the dining table next to the patio door, streamers hanging from the ceiling. To your dismay, you end up at the head of the table, with Cell and Peter on either side of you. The table is set, and a few people are twiddling with utensils in anticipation. Before the food arrives, Peter stands up. "Hey, Atlas, can I talk to you for a second?" he asks. You nod, unsure what he wants, and you both exit the dining room and you lead him down the hall to one of the empty, unnused bedrooms. Peter follows, closing the door behind him. "How the hell did you know we were planning this?" he asks abruptly, suddenly slightly aggressive. You back away, startled. "What? What are you talking about?" you ask defensively. Peter rolls his eyes at you. "When Cell asked if we surprised you? And you lied? You might have fooled Cell, the poor girl, but pretty much everyone else caught on." he explains. [[Well. Shit.]]

SAIL is a messaging and social media application for mobile devices. Pretty much everyone uses it, especially since it's got a majority hold on the cellular market. It's got a sea/sailor theme, so messages arrive in 'bottles' and that sort of thing.

Yep. Butler. They used to have more, when there were eight children running around the house, but now they only need to leave one with Cell. Robin is her name, and she's very serious about her job. Though she's occasionally friendly, and will throw in the odd joke here and there, always completely dead pan about it. You like her, but are still unnerved by the fact that... Cell's family has a butler. Thankfully, upon the placement and reveal of the contents of the trays, it appears that Cell had kept in mind your anxiousness about the whole.. 'crazy rich thing'. Instead of anything extravagant, you and your friends are treated to a simple (yet well made) meal of lasagna, salad, and bread. Fantastic. After everyone eats, Robin clears the table, and brings out a cake. Ice cream cake. [[Oh yes.->Ice cream cake.]]

Your initial excitement skitters to a halt as, though you vigorously shake your head, everyone starts singing happy birthday. You slide down your chair and hide under the table as they sing, ignoring Hawk's attempts to pull you back up. You poke your head back up when they've finished, to see Robin holding the cake out to you expectantly. "Make a wish, sir." she suggests. Everyone is looking at you. [[Blow out the candles.]]

You back up and sit down on the bed behind you, and put your head in your hands. "I... I'm sorry, dude. Um. On my way here, I noticed the light spilling out through the patio doors, and my curiosity got the best of me. I peeked around the corner and saw streamers. I didn't mean to! And, I couldn't just TELL Cell that I wasn't surprised. It would crush her." you admit. Peter crosses his arms and glares at you. "You have to tell her." he demands. You drop your hands to your lap and look at him. "At the table. In front of everyone." You raise your eyebrows. "Seriously? This is ridiculous." you exclaim. Peter remains unmoved. "I don't know either of you all that well, but I know you well enough. And, hanging out with her earlier, and setting all of this up... she really cares about you. She at least deserves your honesty." he explains. Though his tone gives away that it's more of a request than a demand. You stand up. "Okay. I'll do it." you say, and Peter smiles. "I knew you were an alright guy, Atlas. Let's head back." he says. He opens the door and leads the way back to [[the dining table.]]

You follow Peter back to the dining table and sit down, smiling at Cell to ensure everything's okay. Before anyone can say anything, however, you clear your throat. "So uh. I have something to say." you declare. Everyone looks at you. "Um. On my way over, I kindof got curious and peered briefly through the patio doors and saw the streamers, so... I wasn't REALLY surprised. I just. Pretended to be. Cause I care so much about you guys and really appreciate all you've done... especially you, Cell." you explain, looking at her. Cell pauses a moment before smiling. "It's okay, Atlas. Thanks for telling me, though. I just... hope you're having a good time." she admits. You notice Peter give you a thumbs up. "Of course I'm having a good time." you say, smiling back. "So, are we all ready to eat, now?" Cell asks the group. Everyone nods. You'll never get used to what happens next. Cell clears her throat, and the minimal chatter dies down. "The table's ready!" she calls, directing her command to the set of silver doors that lead to the kitchen. A few seconds pass, and the doors open to reveal a cart full of silver, lidded, trays, being pushed by the Tchaikovsky's butler. [[Wait, butler? What?->Yep. Butler, party??]]

You approach the dining table next to the patio door, streamers hanging from the ceiling, just as everyone's sitting down. To your dismay, you end up at the head of the table, with Cell and Horatio on either side of you. The table is set, and a few people are twiddling with utensils in anticipation. Before the food arrives, Peter (on the other side of Horatio) stands up. "Hey, Atlas, can I talk to you for a second?" he asks. You nod, unsure what he wants, and you both exit the dining room and you lead him down the hall to one of the empty, unnused bedrooms. Peter follows, closing the door behind him. "How the hell did you know we were planning this?" he asks abruptly, suddenly slightly aggressive. You back away, startled. "What? What are you talking about?" you ask defensively. Peter rolls his eyes at you. "When Cell asked if we surprised you? And you lied? You might have fooled Cell, the poor girl, but pretty much everyone else caught on." he explains. [[Well. Shit.->Well. Shit. Was on the floor.]]

You back up and sit down on the bed behind you, and put your head in your hands. "I... I'm sorry, dude. Um. On my way here, I noticed the light spilling out through the patio doors, and my curiosity got the best of me. I peeked around the corner and saw streamers. I didn't mean to! And, I couldn't just TELL Cell that I wasn't surprised. It would crush her." you admit. Peter crosses his arms and glares at you. "You have to tell her." he demands. You drop your hands to your lap and look at him. "At the table. In front of everyone." You raise your eyebrows. "Seriously? This is ridiculous." you exclaim. Peter remains unmoved. "I don't know either of you all that well, but I know you well enough. And, hanging out with her earlier, and setting all of this up... she really cares about you. She at least deserves your honesty." he explains. Though his tone gives away that it's more of a request than a demand. There's a brief pause. "Look, I know you're kind of overwhelmed with this whole party thing, but can you handle this one resonsibility? Please?" he asks. You stand up. "Okay. I'll do it." you say, and Peter smiles. "I knew you were an alright guy, Atlas. Let's head back." he says. He opens the door and leads the way back to [[the dining table, was on the floor.]]

Your initial excitement skitters to a halt as, though you vigorously shake your head, everyone starts singing happy birthday. You slide down your chair and hide under the table as they sing, ignoring Horatio's attempts to pull you back up. You poke your head back up when they've finished, to see Robin holding the cake out to you expectantly. "Make a wish, sir." she suggests. Everyone is looking at you. [[Blow out the candles.->Blow out the candles, was on the floor.]]

You stopped believing in wishes a long time ago, and blow out the candles. Everyone claps, and Robin puts the cake in the center of the table, passing you a large knife. With Cell's help, you cut the cake and give everyone a piece. You love ice cream cake. After some chattering and cake eating, Cell clears her throat. "So. I have a birthday gift for you." she says, and everyone expresses variations of minimal excitement. She appears to become tense at this reaction, and ducks down to pull out a box from beneath her chair. "Hmm." she says, then turns to you. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. "Does... everyone here know about your mother?" she asks. [[The world suddenly stops turning.->Bracelet.]]

You stopped believing in wishes a long time ago, and blow out the candles. Everyone claps, and Robin puts the cake in the center of the table, passing you a large knife. With Cell's help, you cut the cake and give everyone a piece. You love ice cream cake. After some chattering and cake eating, Cell clears her throat. "So. Your birthday gift." she says, and anyone who was still talking stops abruptly. You glance around the group, curiously. Most seem somewhat neutral, though Janet and Hawk look tense, and Horatio looks concerned. You turn to Cell, who is sporting what's probably the most forced smile you've ever seen. She gives up on that, resorting to a slightly tense look, and ducks down to pull out a box from beneath her chair. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. She hands it to you. It's very light. [[You open it.->Bracelet, was on the floor.]]

Your initial excitement skitters to a halt as, though you vigorously shake your head, everyone starts singing happy birthday. You slide down your chair and hide under the table as they sing, ignoring Horatio's attempts to pull you back up. You poke your head back up when they've finished, to see Robin holding the cake out to you expectantly. "Make a wish, sir." she suggests. Everyone is looking at you. [[Blow out the candles.->Blow out the candles, was on the floor, party??]]

You stopped believing in wishes a long time ago, and blow out the candles. Everyone claps, and Robin puts the cake in the center of the table, passing you a large knife. With Cell's help, you cut the cake and give everyone a piece. You love ice cream cake. After some chattering and cake eating, Cell clears her throat. "So. Your birthday gift." she says, and anyone who was still talking stops abruptly. You glance around the group, curiously. Most seem somewhat neutral, though Janet and Hawk look tense, and Horatio looks concerned. You turn to Cell, who is sporting what's probably the most forced smile you've ever seen. She gives up on that, resorting to a slightly tense look, and ducks down to pull out a box from beneath her chair. The box, about the size to hold jewelry, appears to be wrapped with newspaper and tape. She hands it to you. It's very light. [[You open it.->Bracelet, was on the floor, party??]]

Well. You cry quietly for a few minutes, with Cell's uncertain hand on your shoulder. After a while, you put the bracelet on your left arm. "Thanks, Cell. I... don't know what to say." you say with a sniffle. "You're welcome, Atlas. It's okay. You don't have to say anything." she says, giving you a small smile. You smile back, wiping your eyes. Suddenly, you remember something that your guilt had been eating away at. "Oh, I should... probably tell you. I lied earlier when you asked if I surprised you." you say. Her smile falters slightly. "What do you mean?" she asks. You give a shakey laugh. "It's kind of stupid. I saw the light coming through the patio doors and curiosity got the best of me. I saw the streamers and... well I didn't want to ruin all the work you guys put together, so I just... pretended to be surprised." you sigh, stroking the bracelet on your arm. Cell pauses a moment before smiling. "It's okay, Atlas. Thanks for telling me, though. I just... hope you're having a good time." she admits. "Of course I'm having a good time." you say, smiling back. "Good. So... are you okay to have dinner with the group, now?" she asks. You nod. "I'm just gonna... go to the washroom first. Clean up my face." you say. She nods, understanding, and stands up to leave. "Take your time! We'll be ready when you are." she says, and with a last pat on your shoulder, she exits the room. You smile down at the bracelet on your arm. This really has been [[the best birthday ever.->Ending 6]]

Ending 3 Thanks for playing An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's! It was an adventure to write this, as I didn't know where it would entirely end up when I finished it. Feel free to [[start over->Start]] and try to find the different endings (there's 6 in total, but also different ways to get to them). I hope you enjoyed it! Alanna Vanderbaan.

Ending 6 Thanks for playing An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's! It was an adventure to write this, as I didn't know where it would entirely end up when I finished it. Feel free to [[start over->Start]] and try to find the different endings (there's 6 in total, but also different ways to get to them). I hope you enjoyed it! Alanna Vanderbaan.

You notice a couple people shake their heads, but everything else seems to freeze in time. After what seems like forever, you snap back to reality as Cell says "I guess not. Do... you want to explain or-" apparently your facial expression said enough, as she stops mid-sentence, and turns to face the rest of the table. "Okay. So, as I'm sure most of you know, Atlas moved here the summer before grade nine." she begins, and everyone nods in agreement. "What you may not know is... why this happened. I'm not going to get into the details, but... his mother died, and it was so distressing for his father that they moved across the country to get a new start." she explains. Everyone is dead silent. "Open it." she suggests. [[Open the box.->Bracelet cont.]]

Gently, you tear away the wrapping, and open the small box. Inside lays what appears to be a braided bracelet of thread or something. You look at it, then look back at Cell, who continues her explination. "It started as... just an idea. I spoke with your father and he was surprisingly very supportive of the idea. He gave me the materials, and my mother knows a jeweller in town, so he was able to braid it together and attach the clasps." she isn't looking at you. "My... dad? Materials?" you ask her, cradling the box in one hand, and removing the bracelet with another. "He explained how he, of course, kept all of your mother's instruments. It's understandable. In fact, he even kept a bow that she had broken at one point." she says. You feel like your heart stopped beating. You look down at the bracelet, and notice (out of the corner of your eye) that Cell is finally looking at you. "That bracelet is made of the horsehair of one of your mother's old bows." You drop the box, but retain a grip on the bracelet. You're afraid to look up at anyone. [[You feel a teardrop fall onto your arm.->Crying, was on the floor.]]

Quickly, you wipe your eyes, and start laughing, smiling. You look up at Cell, then around at everyone else. "I... Cell. Thank you. I honestly don't know what to say." you exclaim. She smiles. "You're welcome, Atlas. It's okay. You don't have to say anything." she says, giving you a small smile. You actually look at everyone else, this time, and notice you aren't the only one sporting tears. Everyone is at least shocked, if not moved. Hawk gets up, walks around the table, and gives you an awkwardly-angled hug, as you're still seated. "We're here for you buddy, okay?" he says. You laugh, patting him on the arm. "Thanks dude." you say. You smile down at the bracelet on your arm. This really has been [[the best birthday ever.->Ending 1]]

Quickly, you wipe your eyes, and start laughing, smiling. You look up at Cell, then around at everyone else. "I... Cell. Thank you. I honestly don't know what to say." you exclaim. She smiles. "You're welcome, Atlas. It's okay. You don't have to say anything." she says, giving you a small smile. You actually look at everyone else, this time, and notice you aren't the only one sporting tears. Everyone is at least shocked, if not moved, but quickly change to smiles as they notice that you are, indeed, happy about this gift. Hawk gets up, walks around the table, and gives you an awkwardly-angled hug, as you're still seated. "We're here for you buddy, okay?" he says. You laugh, patting him on the arm. "Thanks dude." you say. You smile down at the bracelet on your arm. This really has been [[the best birthday ever.->Ending 2]]

Ending 1 Thanks for playing An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's! It was an adventure to write this, as I didn't know where it would entirely end up when I finished it. Feel free to [[start over->Start]] and try to find the different endings (there's 6 in total, but also different ways to get to them). I hope you enjoyed it! Alanna Vanderbaan.

Ending 2 Thanks for playing An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's! It was an adventure to write this, as I didn't know where it would entirely end up when I finished it. Feel free to [[start over->Start]] and try to find the different endings (there's 6 in total, but also different ways to get to them). I hope you enjoyed it! Alanna Vanderbaan.

Ending 4 Thanks for playing An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's! It was an adventure to write this, as I didn't know where it would entirely end up when I finished it. Feel free to [[start over->Start]] and try to find the different endings (there's 6 in total, but also different ways to get to them). I hope you enjoyed it! Alanna Vanderbaan.

Quickly, you wipe your eyes, and start laughing, smiling. You look up at Cell, then around at everyone else. "I... Cell. Thank you. I honestly don't know what to say." you exclaim. She smiles. "You're welcome, Atlas. It's okay. You don't have to say anything." she says, giving you a small smile. You actually look at everyone else, this time, and notice you aren't the only one sporting tears. Everyone is at least shocked, if not moved, but quickly change to smiles as they notice that you are, indeed, happy about this gift. Hawk gets up, walks around the table, and gives you an awkwardly-angled hug, as you're still seated. "We're here for you buddy, okay?" he says. You laugh, patting him on the arm. "Thanks dude." you say. You smile down at the bracelet on your arm. This really has been [[the best birthday ever.->Ending 5]]

Ending 5 Thanks for playing An Afternoon at the Tchaikovsky's! It was an adventure to write this, as I didn't know where it would entirely end up when I finished it. Feel free to [[start over->Start]] and try to find the different endings (there's 6 in total, but also different ways to get to them). I hope you enjoyed it! Alanna Vanderbaan.