CF's Neither Sense Nor Sensibility by Douglas Kiang

CF's Neither Sense Nor Sensibility

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"Neither Sense Nor Sensibility" by Caitlin Falls



When play begins: say "You're in a room, that much you know.  You know you came in here for a reason, also, but you can't really remember all the details right now.  Sort of like a dream.  You can't remember quite how you got there, but you know you're here to do something.  Might as well look around and try to remember.'"

The player is a person.  The description of the player is "Well, you're fully clothed, but that's pretty much all you can deduce, as you don't have a mirror on you."



[The Study]

The Study is a room.  "You seem to be in a study of some sort.  There's a large window in one corner.  In another corner, there's an ornate mahogany desk.  On a wall, there's a large, creepy painting.  In the west, there is a large opening, leading to the next room.  In the east, there's a huge, fancy door."

The window is scenery in The Study.  The description is "You image this window would've let in loads of sunlight in it's heyday, but it's since been boarded up.  It's a shame, this room could really use the warmth."

The desk is scenery in The Study.  The desk is fixed in place.  The description of the desk is "A huge mahogany desk.  It looks very expensive."  

The note is a thing in the study.  The note is undescribed. [added] The description of the note is "A note on an old, yellowed piece of paper.  It looks as if someone wrote it in a hurry.  You manage to decode the following 
'Victoria, what else is there to be done?  The boy's finally left, I've told Lilith he's getting married and doesn't love her anymore.  We must'nt tell her.  Having her here, though depressed is better than not having her here at allâ€¦Are we doing the right thing? 
	-D'  Hmm." 
	
The note can be found.  The note is not found.

Instead of looking under the desk:
	if the note is found:
		say "Just a bunch of dust, save for the square where the note was sitting.";
	otherwise:
		now the note is found;
		now the player carries the note;
		say "You see a folded up note on the floor.  You take it out and shake off the dust."

[I had some trouble keeping Inform from saying "You can see a note here" upon looking around, but still haven't fixed it.  Though, I still hadn't decied whether I wanted it to be an easter-egg-special type thing or not, anyways]

Instead of attacking the desk:
	say "THAT.  IS.  MAHOGANY.  You simply can't bring yourself to damage it in any way."
	[Hunger-Games-inside-joke]

The drawer is in the desk.  It is fixed in place.  It is a closed openable container.  It is locked and lockable.  The description is "A medium-size drawer.  It is only locked drawer in the entire desk.  The keyhole is shaped like a heart.  You don't see that everyday."  The locket unlocks the drawer.  

The letter is in the drawer.  The description is "A lovely, though yellowed, envelope, with dark green designs at the top.  It seems to be unopened, as the wax crest is still intact.  You open it and read,

'November 21st, 1701

Dearest Lilith,

I implore you to remember my love for you in my absence.  While our parents kept their opinions to themselves for some time, my father has finally made his decision.  We must move far away, and I am never to see you again.  He has forbidden me from even telling you of the news in person.  The only thing that has kept me sane is the knowledge that upon reading this, you will know that I haven't, and will never stop loving you, and will meet me  tonight in the woods where we can escape from the prejudice of our parents.  I beg of you to be timely, for if we don't find each other tonightâ€¦I can't bear to think of it

Desperately yours,
William'

Well.  That was quite emotionally heavy."

The painting is scenery in the study.  The description is "A huge painting of a young woman.  Although she looks quite sad, as if she's recently lost someone, she is very beautiful.  Her hair is in a bun, and she is wearing a long, dark green dress.   There seems to be an inscription on the wall next to the painting."

The inscription is scenery in the study.  The description is "The inscription reads, 'The key to truth lies within your heart.'  A bit cheesy, but informative nonetheless."

Instead of taking inscription:
	say "It's writing on a wall.  There's now way you could carry it around.  If you ever want to read it again, you can just walk back over here."
	
Instead of taking painting:
	say "It really is a huge painting.  If you wanted to look at it again, you could just come back here.  No need to carry it around with you."
	
The ceiling is scenery in The Study.  The description is "It's a somewhat run-down ceiling.  Not much to say about it."

The floor is scenery in The Study.  The description is "It's your average floor.  You know.  The stuff you stand on."

The wall is scenery in The Study.  "It's just a wall.  The wall-paper has a fancy floral-print on it, if you really want to know.  It's not really that important."

The fancy door is east of the study and west of the bedroom.  The fancy door is a door.  The description of the fancy door is "A huge, dark, door.  You get the feeling that this door spent most of it's existance closed and locked.  However, you see that it is currently unlocked and ready to reveal it's secrets.  Cool."







[Almost Empty Room]

The Almost Empty Room is a room.  It is west of the study.   "There is but one object in this room.  A large safe sits in the very middle of the room.  It must contain something important."

The safe is scenery in The Almost Empty Room.  The safe is a closed openable container.  The description is "The safe's handle looks pretty normal, but instead of a regular keyhole, there's a slot where something thin can by pushed through.  Looks like you need to unlock the safe with a piece of paper or something of the like."  It is locked and lockable.  The letter unlocks the safe.  

An every turn rule:
	if the player has the framed picture,
	end the game in victory.
	
The framed picture is inside the safe.  The description is "An old-looking framed picture.  It's actually starting to look quite familiar.  Wait a secondâ€¦" 

Before taking the framed picture:
	say "You snap back out of it.  Looking around, you remember that you're in your driveway.  You remember wanting to check the mail forâ€¦Right.  Your sister's calculations as to the price of your late great-grandmother, Lilith's funeral.  Instead you've found an ancient looking framed picture of her in a dark green dress.  She's standing with a handsome, young version of your great-grandfather, William, and they're both gazing into each other's eyes, smiling.  You recall hearing the story of their love a hundred times over.  As Lilith was about to throw herself off a balcony because her parents told her Will was getting married, Will was waiting for her outside the balcony to see her face one last time.  Once everything was sorted out, they ran away together.  Real life Romeo and Juliet, sans most of the tragedy.  Although you've been walking past this frame your whole life, catching glimpes as you hurry off to somewhere or another, you notice some small, flowery handwriting on the back.  Upon looking more closely, you read 'Thank you.'"






[The Bedroom]

The Bedroom is a room.  It is east of the fancy door.  The description is "A large, brooding bedroom.  The huge window has not only been boarded up, but has shredded-up dark green curtains drawn tightly over it.  The bed is covered in green blankets that have long been tossed aside and balled up.  Old, ripped-up sheets of paper have been thrown all over the place.  It smells of mold and forgotten things.  Quite depressing."

The bed is a thing.  It is fixed in place.  The bed is in the Bedroom.  The description is "The old bed with green covers.  You can almost see an indent in the matress, shaped like a person.  Looks like the owner didn't get out much."

The large window is scenery in the bedroom.  The description is "It's the huge window you saw when you walked in.  Ragged curtains, boarded up-All the creepy haunted house jazz."

The bits of paper are scenery in the bedroom.  The description is "An inconceivable amount of old paper shreds.  It looks as though someone has scrawled 'LONELY.  HELP ME.' on some papers before ripping them apart.  Pretty unsettling."

The locket is a thing.  The description is "A beautiful, heart-shaped locket made of gold.  It's rather large, and looks quite expensive."  The locket can be found.  The locket is not found.

Instead of looking under the bed:
	if the locket is found:
		say "There's nothing under here but a layer of dust and the choking scent of lost dreams.  Sigh.";
	otherwise:
		now the locket is found;
		now the player carries the locket;
		say "Amidst the dust and old smells, you find a golden heart-shaped locket, which you fish out."
		
[I found all this finding-stuff-under-the-bed info in the Inform Handbook under Looking Under & Looking Behind, pg. 96]



[Misc.]

understand "paper" as letter

understand "envelope" as letter

understand "portrait" as painting

understand "picture" as painting

understand "lady" as painting

understand "words" as inscription

understand "writing" as inscription

Use no scoring.

An every Turn rule:
	If the player has the framed picture,
		End the game in Victory.