Start of a transcript of Academic Pursuits (As Opposed To Regular Pursuits) An Interactive Fiction by Ruqiyah Release 4 / Serial number 201007 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //FFEECFB6-0B58-4E7D-B0AE-6B1F834BB12B// Interpreter version 2.1.7 / VM 3.1.2 / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 3/120430 by Graham Nelson Automated Drawers version 6 by Emily Short Smarter Parser version 16/140501 by Aaron Reed Response Assistant by Aaron Reed Assorted Text Generation version 5/150410 by Emily Short >about Written by Ruqiyah. Cover art by just saf. Playtesting by: Gary Kings, Parisa Nafis, Alex Short, Tom Spratt, Jarrod Farquhar-Nicol & Nasim Patel. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single nail hammered into the dead centre. To the east, a large window overlooks the university courtyard. An empty bookshelf squats along the south wall. To the west is the door you came in through. It is slightly ajar. In the centre of the office there is a stack of four boxes, labelled from the top down: STATIONERY, BOOKS, TROPHIES, MISC. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. >i You are carrying nothing. >x me Blazer, skirt, heels. Polished and professional. You'll be home before dawn. >x desk A small wooden desk begging to have random items stacked on it. You don't seem to have a chair. Did the previous occupant take it along with the curtains? >open it (choosing the bottom bottom drawer at random) You open the bottom drawer. >x bottom drawer An empty drawer. >close it You close the bottom drawer. >open middle drawer You open the middle drawer. >x it An empty drawer. >close it You close the middle drawer. >open top drawer You open the top drawer. >x it An empty drawer. >close it You close the top drawer. >x nail A nail juts out of the centre of the bare wall. >take it You're pretty damn strong, but you're not gonna waste all your strength on the nail. >x window Through the closed window you can see a few streetlamps flickering in the university courtyard. Some figures mill around in the distance. The window has no curtains. Is it customary to take the curtains and chair when you move out? >open it You open the window. >look out You must supply a noun. >look out window Through the open window you can see a few streetlamps flickering in the university courtyard. Some figures mill around in the distance. The window has no curtains. Is it customary to take the curtains and chair when you move out? >x bookshelf A squat bookshelf with a narrow upper shelf and a wider lower shelf. Both shelves are bare. >move it It is fixed in place. > x door The door to the office swings open. >close it You close the office door, revealing a little brass hook jutting out of the back. >x hook A little brass hook for hanging things on, attached to the back of the door. >take it That seems to be a part of the main door. >x boxes A stack of four boxes, labelled from the top down: STATIONERY, BOOKS, TROPHIES, MISC. >open stationary You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >open box (the stationery box) The stationery box is taped up securely. You had a stanley knife somewhere for this exact purpose, but...well, it is technically stationery. You may have to open the stationery box with your teeth. >open box with teeth (the stationery box with your teeth) You slice open the tape sealing the stationery box with your razor-sharp teeth. Bleuch. There's a lot of things inside the stationery box, but on top are a stained mug, an envelope and a calendar. >take all stained mug: You take the stained mug from inside the stationery box. Let's see...the stained mug could go on the desk, or in a drawer. It could go in the bookshelf if you wanted to display it. There's also the nail in the wall and the hook on the back of the door to hang things on, but a stained mug isn't very hangable. Otherwise you could always put it back into storage and deal with it later. Failing all else, some of this stuff probably belongs in the bin. You have all night, so if anything catches your interest you can examine and think about it. envelope: You take the envelope from inside the stationery box. calendar: You take the calendar from inside the stationery box. microwave: You take the microwave from inside the stationery box. bookmark: You take the bookmark from inside the stationery box. joggers: You take the joggers from inside the stationery box. That's the stationery box all unpacked now. You drop off the empty stationery box in the corridor, out of the way. >x mug Some rusty brown stains ring the inside of the mug. Emblazoned on the outside in cursive are the words BAD BITCH JUICE. >think about mug BAD BITCH JUICE. You wipe a tiny tear away. Jeez. That's so funny. >put mug on desk You place the stained mug on the desk. Still space to fit some more things on. Looking at the mug is making you thirsty, but...no. Stay strong. When you're done here, you can call back that admin assistant. >x calendar A stand-up desk calendar. >think about it You went and bought this after a colleague spent twenty minutes explaining the concept of a "deadline" to you. It didn't stick. >put it on desk You place the calendar on the desk. Some space left on the desk, but not much. Nothing big could fit. You flip through the calendar to today's date, circled in red. There, now you look organised. >x microwave An old, off-white microwave. Some rust stains. >think about it Some things taste better at body temperature. >throw it You're not here to scatter stuff all over the floor. Either you find a place for the microwave, or it's going in the bin. >x bookmark A flimsy old paper bookmark. Wasn't this marking a page in a book? >think about it You don't even remember where you got this. Looks like an old receipt, with all the text faded off. >x joggers A pair of grotty joggers with worn soles. >think about them Your regular office shoes are very high-heeled (to assert dominance). They won't be much help if you need to book it. >open box (the book box) The book box is taped up securely. Shouldn't the stanley knife have been packed in with the stationery? Why wasn't it in that box? Eurgh, you might have to open this box with your teeth again. >open box with teeth (the book box with your teeth) You slice open the tape sealing the book box with your razor-sharp teeth. Bleuch. There's a lot of things inside the book box, but on top are a degree, a thesis and a hat. >take degree You take the degree from inside the book box. >x it A framed PhD from a prestigious-enough university. There's a wire on the back so you can hang it up. >think about it Took you eight years to get the PhD, but you've spent longer on less. You're here now and this is going to be worth it. >put it on nail You hang the degree on the nail. The degree hangs alone on the bare wall, making you look exceptionally powerful and confident. You hope the Professor comes by and gets intimidated. >take thesis You take the thesis from inside the book box. >x it A thick hardbound thesis. Your name is embossed on the front cover in gold foil. >think about it You smashed the whole thing out in a couple of weeks. It's about some bit of 12th century architecture. You can't remember which. They were all the same. Working out how to open the word processor took the most time. >put it on shelf (the bookshelf) There might be space for the thesis on the narrow upper shelf of the bookshelf. You place the thesis on the narrow shelf. Doesn't look like anything else will fit onto the narrow shelf now. You're surprised by the feeling of pride that hits you at the sight of your thesis sitting on your shelf. So what if you only wrote it on your way to teach the Professor a lesson. You made that! >x hat Straw, with a wide droopy brim that shades your whole head and usually gets in your eyes. It has a daintily decorated hatband. The hat is in the book box. >take it You take the hat from inside the book box. >x it Straw, with a wide droopy brim that shades your whole head and usually gets in your eyes. It has a daintily decorated hatband. >think about it You discovered a few years ago that sunshine is quite nice, really, but you wouldn't dare go outside during the day without this hat. You burn something terrible. >wear it You wrangle the oversized, floppy straw hat onto your head. Standing in the centre of your dark office in the middle of the night wearing an enormous sun hat, you feel like a prize idiot. You take the hat off again. >hang it on hook You hang the hat on the hook. You're working on getting out more. Having the hat on the back of the door means you'll never forget it on your way out, and the Professor won't know you're free range now. The office isn't big, and it's getting quite crowded. If you can't find anywhere to put something, you can try looking for space. >x book box All that's left in the box are a small framed headshot, a cardigan and a pencil. >take headshot You take the small framed headshot from inside the book box. >x it A small framed black-and-white headshot of the Professor. The frame has a little metal bit on the back to hang on. >think about it You cut this headshot out of the bio on the back of the dustcover of The Book. You only framed it to keep it safe?this is the best photograph of her you've ever had. >x cardigan A moth-eaten knitted cardigan with "stylish" stripes. Very vintage. Not to your tastes. The cardigan is in the book box. >think about it Last time the Professor visited, you hid her cardigan in the back of your wardrobe. She never found it. Still smells like her, a bit. >put it in bottom drawer (first taking the cardigan) You take the cardigan from inside the book box. You open the bottom drawer and fit the cardigan in. Still some space left in the drawer. The cardigan is so colourful it hurts your eyes to look at. The Professor's the fashion disaster, not you. But sometimes you want to remember what she smells like. >take pencil You take the pencil from inside the book box. That's the book box all unpacked now. You drop off the empty book box in the corridor, out of the way. You carry the pencil with immense care, ensuring that the pointy end isn't aimed in your direction. >put it in top drawer You open the top drawer and fit the pencil in. Still some space left in the drawer. There. You dust off your hands. No splinters, no harm done. You saw a pencil and you put it in the stationery drawer. Good job. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a calendar, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a large window overlooks the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a thesis in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is firmly closed. A hat hangs on the back of the door. In the centre of the office there is a stack of two boxes, labelled from the top down: TROPHIES, MISC. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the degree and the thesis, not to mention the cardigan, the office has a fresh, academic feel. >open trophies The trophies box is taped up securely. Still no sign of your knife? What is this? Your teeth are getting all gross and sticky, but you don't have any other option. >open trophies with teeth You slice open the tape sealing the trophies box with your razor-sharp teeth. Bleuch. There's a lot of things inside the trophies box, but on top are a hardcover book and a jar of soil. >take book You take the hardcover book from inside the trophies box. >x it A chunky, fancy-looking hardcover book titled Solving the Mysteries of the Sangsue Town Murders. A square is cut out of the back. >think about it You can still remember the first time you saw this book in the window of the castle gift shop. You picked it up and flipped through, expecting a sensible chuckle?but the solutions posed were sensible, logical, and disgustingly banal. And then you saw the headshot of the author. Every word in the book is a complete lie, and the Professor knows it. And you know it. >read it A puff quote on the front cover reads The answer to every question ever asked about Sangsue Town, spanning centuries. Finally, reason prevails! reads a puff quote on the front cover. You don't have time to flip through the book right now. >put it on shelf (the bookshelf) The narrow upper shelf of the bookshelf is full, but there might be space for the hardcover book on the lower wide shelf of the bookshelf. You place the hardcover book on the wide shelf. Still space to fit some more things on. You angle the book so that the spine faces the door. The moment the Professor walks in she'll know that you found it, and guess at what you've come here to do. >take jar You take the jar of soil from inside the trophies box. You carry the jar of soil with immense care. >x it A glass jar filled with soil. >think about it You've been carrying this around with you ever since you first left home, and you haven't needed the contents yet, but you also haven't been this close to the Professor before. >put it on shelf (the bookshelf) The narrow upper shelf of the bookshelf is full, but there might be space for the jar of soil on the lower wide shelf of the bookshelf. You place the jar of soil on the wide shelf. The wide shelf is fit to bursting now what with the hardcover book and the jar of soil. That's it. Leave the most secret stuff in the most obvious spaces. Tell people you're trying to grow tulips?no, gardenias?but you've got a brown thumb. No-one will want a jar of dried-out, rocky old dirt. >x box (the trophies box) All that's left in the box is a souvenir. >take souvenir You take the souvenir from inside the trophies box...revealing a single stanley knife at the bottom of the box. >take knife You take the stanley knife from inside the trophies box. That's the trophies box all unpacked now. You drop off the empty trophies box in the corridor, out of the way. Always the last place you look, huh? At least it wasn't at the bottom of the miscellaneous box. >open misc box with knife You slice the box open with the stanley knife and it is quite possibly the most satisfying experience of your life. Look at that. You're civilised. You can use people tools. Your teeth are exclusively for steak. There's a lot of things inside the miscellaneous box, but on top are a pair of blackout curtains and a pair of lacy curtains. >x lacy Cream-coloured light lacy curtains, with lots of holes to let the sunlight in. The lacy curtains are in the miscellaneous box. >hang lacy What do you want to hang the lacy curtains on? >window You take the lacy curtains from inside the miscellaneous box. You hang the lacy curtains over the window. The streetlamps outside flicker through the lacy curtains. You imagine sunlight coming through, instead. You think it'll be pretty. >x blackout You unfold the bundle of curtains to reveal a faded old photograph in a wooden frame. You must have wrapped it up for safekeeping. You take the old photograph. >think about lacy The Professor replaced your bedroom curtains with these on one of her earlier visits. If the next morning hadn't been so overcast... Not one of her cleverest strategies, but nearly the most efficient. >x photograph A faded and torn sepia-tinted photograph of you and the Professor?though at the time she was better known as the stakeholder?and three children, ranging in age. The frame has a wire on the back for hanging. >think about it She stood at your door, more frazzled than you'd ever seen her, one child on her hip and two hiding behind her skirts. Forgive me, she said, though she wasn't apologising to you. I didn't know where to go, and you are always here... And of course you'd let her in, because you always let her in. >x box (the miscellaneous box) There's a lot of things in the box, but on top are a pair of blackout curtains. >take blackout You take the blackout curtains from inside the miscellaneous box. >x blackout Heavy black curtains for blocking out all light. >think about them A necessary requirement for a good day's sleep. >x box (the miscellaneous box) All that's left in the box are a cape and a mirror. >take cape You take the cape from inside the miscellaneous box. >x it Long and black with a red satin lining. >think about it You were wearing it the first time you met her. You run one hand up and down the fabric. You've kept it in good condition all these years. >wear it You draw the cape reverently over your shoulders and strike a dramatic pose. You glance into the mirror but there's not much to see. More's the pity, as you're sure you strike a very threatening air. But you're here to unpack stuff, not to play dress up. You'd better decide what to do with it. You take the cape off. >take mirror You take the mirror from inside the miscellaneous box. That's the miscellaneous box all unpacked now. You drop off the empty miscellaneous box in the corridor, out of the way. That's all the boxes done. Now you just need to find the right place for everything you're carrying. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a stained mug, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a jar of soil in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is firmly closed. A hat hangs on the back of the door. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the pencil and the thesis, not to mention the degree, the office has a fresh, academic feel. >x mirror A large old-fashioned mirror with a wire on the back to hang it with. The mirror reflects an empty office. >think about it You absentmindedly wonder what your face looks like these days. You should find a photographer. Or get a smartphone? >i You are carrying: a mirror (big) a cape (medium) a pair of blackout curtains (medium) an old photo (small) a stanley knife (small) a souvenir (medium) a small framed headshot (small) a pair of joggers (medium) a bookmark a microwave (big) an envelope (small) >put microwave in bin You put the microwave into the rubbish bin. There's a microwave down the corridor if you need it, and you shouldn't be drinking on the job anyway. >put boomark in book You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >take book What were you thinking, putting the hardcover book on the lower shelf? That's a terrible place for a hardcover book! You take the hardcover book off the lower shelf. >put boomark in book You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >x bookmark A flimsy old paper bookmark. Wasn't this marking a page in a book? >x book A chunky, fancy-looking hardcover book titled Solving the Mysteries of the Sangsue Town Murders. A square is cut out of the back. >put boomark in book You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >take thesis What were you thinking, putting the thesis on the upper shelf? That's a terrible place for a thesis! You take the thesis off the upper shelf. >put it on lower shelf You place the thesis on the wide shelf. The wide shelf is fit to bursting now what with the jar of soil and the thesis. >take jar What were you thinking, putting the jar of soil on the lower shelf? That's a terrible place for a jar of soil! You take the jar of soil off the lower shelf. >put book on lower shelf You place the hardcover book on the wide shelf. The wide shelf is fit to bursting now what with the thesis and the hardcover book. >i You are carrying: a jar of soil (medium) a mirror (big) a cape (medium) a pair of blackout curtains (medium) an old photo (small) a stanley knife (small) a souvenir (medium) a small framed headshot (small) a pair of joggers (medium) a bookmark an envelope (small) >put photo on narrow shelf You place the old photo on the narrow shelf. You could fit something small next to it. The stakeholder?no, the Professor now?never pegged you as the sentimental type. Always convinced you were cold and heartless, even where she was concerned. She won't understand why you've put a photograph of the two of you on display, and it'll throw her off-guard. >take it What were you thinking, putting the old photo on the upper shelf? That's a terrible place for an old photo! You take the old photo off the upper shelf. >put it in bottom drawer You cram the old photo into the bottom drawer. The drawer is packed full now. This photograph is no-one's business but your own. The stakeholder?no, the Professor now?would take it for her own if she saw it lying around somewhere. >x envelope A heavy-duty sealed A4 envelope. >open it You try to open the flap of the envelope with your bare hands, but your fingernails are too long and sharp. You could damage the contents. Didn't you have a knife somewhere? >x it A heavy-duty sealed A4 envelope. >open it with knife You slice open the envelope with the stanley knife, revealing a card inside. You pull the card out and shred the envelope into the rubbish bin. >x card A congrats on the job card covered in signatures. >think about it Oh, you remember this, actually. Your cohort threw you a party after you mentioned you'd got the teaching party. Streamers and things. You didn't eat the cake, and you left the gift somewhere. Someone must have slid the card into your stuff. >put it in middle drawer You open the middle drawer and fit the card in. Still some space left in the drawer. The card is way too tacky to display?can't let colleagues know you have feelings?but somehow you can't bring yourself to throw it away. Odd. >i You are carrying: a jar of soil (medium) a mirror (big) a cape (medium) a pair of blackout curtains (medium) a stanley knife (small) a souvenir (medium) a small framed headshot (small) a pair of joggers (medium) a bookmark >think about jar You've been carrying this around with you ever since you first left home, and you haven't needed the contents yet, but you also haven't been this close to the Professor before. >put it in bottom drawer The drawer's completely filled with the old photo and the cardigan, no luck. >put it in middle drawer You cram the jar of soil into the middle drawer. The drawer is packed full now. Keep the jar of soil close to hand, but avoid any awkward questions?yes, that's the way. You might need it if the Professor storms in, and if she doesn't, well, academia is hard work and sometimes you really need a good nap. >x souvenir A beautiful plastic model of an immense stone palace, about half a metre tall. >think about it You stole this model from the palace gift shop after hours, so you could keep a memento of home when you left. A gift shop that might not exist for much longer, if the tourist dollars keep drying up... >put it on narrow shelf The souvenir is too tall to ever fit on the narrow shelf. >put it on desk You place the souvenir on the desk. The desk is definitely packed full now. That palace is where you belong. The dark shadowed corridors, the eerie, angular towers full of bats. This office will do for now, but that's your home, and when you're finished with the Professor?when you've restored the mystique and those tourists start pouring in again?you'll make it back. >i You are carrying: a mirror (big) a cape (medium) a pair of blackout curtains (medium) a stanley knife (small) a small framed headshot (small) a pair of joggers (medium) a bookmark >put headshot on narrow You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >put headshot on narrow shelf You place the small framed headshot on the narrow shelf. You could fit something small next to it. When the Professor comes in and sees her headshot on your shelf, she'll know you found her book, and she'll know you're out for blood. And she'll know that you still like looking at her face. >put bookmark in top drawer If you leave the bookmark lying around on its own it'll get lost in an instant. Where's its home? >put blackout in storage You put the blackout curtains into the storage box. The blackout curtains are very functional, but they don't quite fit the environment you're trying to build in here. >put knife in top You fit the stanley knife into the top drawer. You could still cram something small in there. So the knife was in a stupid place before, but you're damn well keeping it somewhere sensible now. >i You are carrying: a mirror (big) a cape (medium) a pair of joggers (medium) a bookmark ...now that you're thinking about it...your storage unit is running low on space. You should commit to this properly and work out what to do with the blackout curtains. >x mirror A large old-fashioned mirror with a wire on the back to hang it with. The mirror reflects an empty office. >put cape on hook There's already a hat hanging on the hook. >put cape in storage You put the cape into the storage box. You're not sure about the cape. Is it too much? >wear joggers You slip on the joggers and run a few laps around the office perimeter. Not bad. But standards must be maintained, so, a little regretfully, you put your heels back on. >put joggers in middle The drawer's completely filled with the jar of soil and the card, no luck. >put joggers in top You can't quite fit the joggers into the drawer. Maybe if you took the pencil out first? >take pencil What were you thinking, putting the pencil in the top drawer? That's a terrible place for a pencil! You take the pencil out of the top drawer. >put joggers in top You cram the joggers into the top drawer. The drawer is packed full now. If you need the joggers, it'll be at a moment's notice. Good to have them close at hand, but you don't want anyone to think you're active. >put pencil on desk All of the desk space is taken up by the souvenir, the calendar and the stained mug. >take souvenir What were you thinking, putting the souvenir on the desk? That's a terrible place for a souvenir! You take the souvenir off the desk. >put pencil on desk You place the pencil on the desk. You could still squish something small beside it. If you're going undercover, you're going to commit. You might even write with it sometimes. >i You are carrying: a souvenir (medium) a mirror (big) a bookmark >put bookmark on desk If you leave the bookmark lying around on its own it'll get lost in an instant. Where's its home? >open book A puff quote on the front cover reads The answer to every question ever asked about Sangsue Town, spanning centuries. Finally, reason prevails! reads a puff quote on the front cover. You don't have time to flip through the book right now. >open thesis You open your thesis and scan the first page. There are four typos in the abstract. You close the thesis. >put bookmark in thesis The bookmark wasn't marking a page in the thesis?you know the contents of the thesis well enough. >put bookmark in hardcover What were you thinking, putting the hardcover book on the lower shelf? That's a terrible place for a hardcover book! You take the hardcover book off the lower shelf. You flip through the hardcover book until you find the marked page, and slot the bookmark in. The bookmark marks a page in the hardcover book with a single highlighted sentence: While much has been made of historical references to "something" inhabiting the abandoned palace and murder victims oft appearing exsanguinated, both phenomena are easily explained by the colony of vampire bats that have occupied the bell tower for generations. >i You are carrying: a hardcover book (medium) a souvenir (medium) a mirror (big) The Professor's words echo through your mind. Both phenomena are easily explained.... >put hardcover on shelf (the bookshelf) The narrow upper shelf of the bookshelf is full, but there might be space for the hardcover book on the lower wide shelf of the bookshelf. You place the hardcover book on the wide shelf. The wide shelf is fit to bursting now what with the thesis and the hardcover book. ...easily explained by the colony of vampire bats...vampire bats... You would never have kept bats in the bell tower! That was where you lurked. Once the tourists started arriving, at least. She's finally accepted that she's never going to succeed in slaying you, so she's taking aim at your legacy? Your reputation? Well! We'll see where that takes her. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a pencil, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a hardcover book in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is firmly closed. A hat hangs on the back of the door. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the card and the lacy curtains, not to mention the cardigan, the office has a fresh, academic feel. >x storage A large open cardboard box containing a cape and a pair of blackout curtains, ready to go back into storage when you're done here. >i You are carrying: a souvenir (medium) a mirror (big) >x souvenir A beautiful plastic model of an immense stone palace, about half a metre tall. >think about it You stole this model from the palace gift shop after hours, so you could keep a memento of home when you left. A gift shop that might not exist for much longer, if the tourist dollars keep drying up... >put it in storage You put the souvenir into the storage box. You don't want to think about the palace right now?can't afford to get too nostalgic for the good old days of you and the Professor killing time (or each other). >put mirror in bin You put the mirror into the rubbish bin. What were you thinking? A mirror? In your own office? Are you trying to be found out? >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a calendar, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a hardcover book in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is firmly closed. A hat hangs on the back of the door. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the calendar and the cardigan, not to mention the thesis, the office has a fresh, academic feel. >i You are carrying nothing. >save Ok. >out (first opening the main door) The hat sways as you open the door. Tempting, but you'd better get everything unpacked first. >i You are carrying nothing. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a pencil, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a thesis in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is slightly ajar. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the pencil and the thesis, not to mention the hat, the office has a fresh, academic feel. >x hardcover A chunky, fancy-looking hardcover book titled Solving the Mysteries of the Sangsue Town Murders. A square is cut out of the back. A bookmark sticks out about halfway through. The hardcover book is on the lower shelf. >x lower (the lower shelf) A wide shelf packed to bursting. There are a hardcover book and a thesis on it. >enter window That's not something you can enter. >close it You close the window. >x box A large open cardboard box containing a souvenir, a cape and a pair of blackout curtains, ready to go back into storage when you're done here. >done Sorry, that command was not understood. Try typing COMMANDS for a list of valid commands. >commands Most of the basic commands you will need are: EXAMINE/X/LOOK AT (noun) THINK ABOUT/CONSIDER (noun) OPEN (noun) (WITH (object)) TAKE (noun) (FROM (object)) PUT (noun) IN/ON (object) HANG (noun) ON (object) Some special commands you might want to use: INVENTORY/I checks what you are holding. LOOK FOR SPACE can help you find a spot to put something. LOOK FOR THING can remind you where you've put something. UNPACK (noun) can work in multiple contexts, so experiment. Try other commands as they occur to you. >look for space There's room for something small on the narrow shelf. No space on the wide shelf. There's room for something small on the desk. The top drawer's full. Middle drawer's full. Bottom drawer's full. And there's always space in the STORAGE box and in the rubbish bin. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a calendar, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a small framed headshot in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is slightly ajar. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the joggers and the cardigan, not to mention the calendar, the office has a fresh, academic feel. >think about me You could do with a drink, but other than that, you're doing pretty well. >out Tempting, but you'd better get everything unpacked first. >x narrow You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >x narrow shelf A narrow shelf with some free space. There is a small framed headshot on it. >take headshot What were you thinking, putting the small framed headshot on the upper shelf? That's a terrible place for a small framed headshot! You take the small framed headshot off the upper shelf. >put it on desk You place the small framed headshot on the desk. The desk is definitely packed full now. Propped up on the desk, the headshot will look to any visitor like some personal trinket?a family photo, or a pet. You'll know the truth, though. Oh, you'll know. >look for space The narrow shelf is still bare. No space on the wide shelf. No space on the desk. The top drawer's full. Middle drawer's full. Bottom drawer's full. And there's always space in the STORAGE box and in the rubbish bin. >x storage A large open cardboard box containing a souvenir, a cape and a pair of blackout curtains, ready to go back into storage when you're done here. >take souvenir The thought of it languishing in a cardboard box for fifty years is stupid. You take the souvenir out of the storage box. >i You are carrying: a souvenir (medium) >put it on shelf (the bookshelf) There might be space for the souvenir on the narrow upper shelf of the bookshelf. The souvenir is too tall to ever fit on the narrow shelf. >put it on bookshelf There might be space for the souvenir on the narrow upper shelf of the bookshelf. The souvenir is too tall to ever fit on the narrow shelf. >x shelf (the bookshelf) A squat bookshelf with a narrow upper shelf and a wider lower shelf. The wide shelf carries a hardcover book and a thesis. The narrow shelf is bare. >take thesis What were you thinking, putting the thesis on the lower shelf? That's a terrible place for a thesis! You take the thesis off the lower shelf. >put souvenir on lower (the lower shelf) You place the souvenir on the wide shelf. The wide shelf is fit to bursting now what with the hardcover book and the souvenir. The Professor always hated the palace?reallyshe'd complain, every time she visited too dark, too bleak, too lonely, too stereotypical, have you no shame?but it kept you safe and happy and well-fed and damn it all, you love that place. >put thesis on narrow You glance around the office, but can't see any such thing. >put thesis on narrow shelf You place the thesis on the narrow shelf. Doesn't look like anything else will fit onto the narrow shelf now. >look for space No space on the narrow shelf. No space on the wide shelf. No space on the desk. The top drawer's full. Middle drawer's full. Bottom drawer's full. And there's always space in the STORAGE box and in the rubbish bin. >x storage A large open cardboard box containing a cape and a pair of blackout curtains, ready to go back into storage when you're done here. >out Tempting, but you'd better get everything unpacked first. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a small framed headshot, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a hardcover book in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is slightly ajar. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the stained mug and the souvenir, not to mention the jar of soil, the office has a gloomy feel. >search storage A large open cardboard box containing a cape and a pair of blackout curtains, ready to go back into storage when you're done here. >close door The hat sways as you shut the door. >l Office At the far end of the office is a small wooden desk boasting a pencil, among other items. No chair, apparently. Three drawers are built into the desk. The north wall is bare except for a single degree. To the east, a pair of lacy curtains hangs over a large window overlooking the university courtyard. A mostly-empty bookshelf squats along the south wall, featuring a hardcover book in prime position. To the west is the door you came in through. It is firmly closed. A hat hangs on the back of the door. In the centre of the office there is a worn carpet. Off to the side there is a rubbish bin and a cardboard box labelled STORAGE. Between the jar of soil and the stained mug, not to mention the souvenir, the office has a gloomy feel. >x soil A glass jar filled with soil. The jar of soil is in the middle drawer. >x mug Some rusty brown stains ring the inside of the mug. Emblazoned on the outside in cursive are the words BAD BITCH JUICE. The stained mug is on the desk. >take cape The thought of it languishing in a cardboard box for fifty years is stupid. You take the cape out of the storage box. >put it in bin You put the cape into the rubbish bin. The cape had sentimental value, sure, but it's not fitting in with this university persona. >take blackout The thought of it languishing in a cardboard box for fifty years is stupid. You take the blackout curtains out of the storage box. >put it in bin (first taking the cape) You were going to throw out the cape? What were you thinking? You fish the cape out of the rubbish bin. You put the cape into the rubbish bin. >put blackout in bin You put the blackout curtains into the rubbish bin. A bit of sunlight isn't so bad, really. You'll wear long sleeves. Wait, is that?is that everything? Have you unpacked everything? You cast your eyes over the office you have laid out in painstaking detail. Look at your card, calendar, joggers, degree, thesis, hat, cardigan, pencil and lacy curtains. ... Your old battlefield was losing its edge?stuck at home, day in, day out, abiding by your arrangement, until she turned up again at the front door to take another shot at you, and then back to fighting tooth and nail 'til you both limped to the bedroom. But now you stand on her home soil, and you will steal it from under her feet. You'll win the grants. You'll write all the critical peer reviews on her journal articles. You'll dismantle her entire body of academic work, one paper at a time, until her academic reputation is entirely discredited. You'll haunt the walls of this building, keep late night office hours, build yourself a whole new legend from nothing, all out in the open. You have never hunted her before. She has always come to you. But an apex predator can always adapt. *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? >