How to Win at Rock Paper Scissors
by Brian Kwak (2016)

The disgrace and humiliation of last year's defeat is behind you. This time, with the help of the gods, you'll win this competition for sure.

action: %
response: It's been almost a year since you've tasted that defeat and humiliation. You were forced to resign in disgrace, and another took up your position.

But this time will be different. This time, you'll definitely be guaranteed victory, as long as you pray to the gods for help.

And no one will be able to stop you.

The gym is barely different from what you remember from your infrequent visits. The only differences you can notice are the banner hanging from the wall and some tables set up in preparation for the event to take place later. You can exit the gym to the south.

You can see some club members here.

[Type ABOUT for more information about the game.]
action: You look at the banner
response: The banner reads "Rock-Paper-Scissors Competition" in bold letters. It seems rather low-budget.
action: You examine the people
response: Members of the Rock-Paper-Scissors Club. You recognize them from when you used to be in the club, but you don't know them well enough to know their names.
action: You talk to the people
response: "If you're here for the competition, you're pretty early," says one of them in a bored voice. "There's still some time before it starts, so you can come back then."
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
your cell phone
action: You look at the phone
response: Your cell phone. The camera has been broken for almost a year now. A photo of one of your friends is being used as the background.
action: You examine photo
response: A picture of your friend Sarah posing with a V sign is set as your phone background. She's always asking you to take a new picture of her, but you can't take any pictures with your busted camera.
action: You look around
response: A banner hangs from the wall, and there are some tables set up in preparation for the event to take place later. You can exit the gym to the south.

You can see some club members here.
action: You examine the tables
response: Some folding tables have been set up in preparation for the competition.
action: You go south
response: You step outside the gym. The entrance to the gym is back to the north, and there are several flyers on the doors. You can also go east to the parking lot or west to the quad.

Your best friend David is here. It seems like he was waiting for you.

"Hey," he says. "Can we talk?"
action: You talk to David
response: "Hey," you say. "What's up?"

"Well, you're entering the competition today, right? I just wanted to wish you good luck."

"Oh, yeah, thanks."

"Also, I wanted to say that, well, after last time... Just, winning isn't everything, you know? It's okay even if you don't win."

"Of course," you say, but you don't really mean it.

"Um, that's it, then! Good luck in the competition!" He raises his fist. "How about a fist bump?"
action: Paper
response: You hold out your open hand, and as you do so, the world starts to shake. A hole opens in reality—a swirling vortex of crackling energy.

David's face transforms into a look of shock as he registers the situation. A "wha—" escapes his lips before he is swallowed by the vortex, which snaps shut after him.

Paper beats rock.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: You are outside the gym. The entrance to the gym is back to the north, with several flyers on the doors. You can also go east to the parking lot or west to the quad.
action: You examine flyers
response: A bunch of flyers advertising the Rock-Paper-Scissors Competition. They contain details about when and where the event will take place.
action: Go east
response: You are in one of the two parking lots at your school, with this one being on the east side. The lot is surprisingly deserted, even in spite of it being after school. You can go west to return to the school.

The only person you can see here is a girl whose name you know to be Chloe.

Chloe folds her arms and taps her foot.
action: You look at Chloe
response: A senior at your school who is well known for her looks. She's concentrating on her smartphone, and occasionally taps her foot as if she's waiting for something.

Chloe texts someone on her phone.
action: You talk to Chloe
response: "Hi," you manage to say, but Chloe immediately interrupts you.

"I, like, have a boyfriend," she says. "And he's, like, picking me up at this parking lot soon. Or at least, he's supposed to. I've
been waiting here for, like, forever!"

"Um, okay."

Chloe holds her phone out at arm's length and takes a selfie.
action: You show the phone to Chloe
response: (your cell phone to Chloe)
"Ew, that phone is, like, so outdated. You should really upgrade to a better one, like mine."

Chloe uses her phone as a mirror to fix her hair.
action: You talk to Chloe
response: "Um, have you tried calling your boyfriend?" you ask.

"Uh, obviously. He's not picking up, though. He must have, like, left it at home again." She rolls her eyes.

Chloe takes a call on her phone.
action: You talk to Chloe
response: Chloe holds up her hand in a "talk to the hand" fashion, stopping you before you can say anything. You probably shouldn't talk to her while she's on the phone.
action: Scissors
response: You hold out your index and middle fingers, and once again, the world starts to shake. Crackling with energy, a vortex opens again.

Chloe gapes at the vortex and drops her phone, which falls to the ground. Before she can recover from the shock, she is sucked in. The vortex closes, and the world returns to normal.

Scissors beats paper.
action: You take the phone
response: (the smartphone)
Taken.
action: You look at the smartphone
response: Chloe's smartphone. The case that covers it is pink with a rabbit design. The phone is in surprisingly good condition, considering the fall it took.

Unfortunately, since you don't know the password, you can't really use the smartphone.
action: Go west
response: You are outside the gym. The entrance to the gym is back to the north, with several flyers on the doors. You can also go east to the parking lot or west to the quad.
action: You go west
response: You are at the quad, a courtyard in the center of the school that connects most of the major school buildings. During school hours, there are usually a lot of students milling around, but today you don't see anybody. From here, you can go north to the front of the school, northwest to the library, west to the western building, southwest to the parking lot, south to the southern building, and east to the gym.
action: You go north
response: You walk past the front gate and find yourself at the front of the school. You can re-enter the school to the south, or cross the street to the north.

After school lets out, a crossing guard is stationed here to make sure students can cross the road safely without being run over, but right now there are hardly any students crossing or cars passing by that you wonder why the guard is even here at all.

"Heya, kiddo," says the guard with a smile. "If you want to cross, just give me a heads-up and I'll handle the rest."
action: Go north
response: The guard holds up a hand to stop you. "Whoa, there. Didn't I say you should give me a heads-up if you want to cross? Just give me a sec and I'll let you cross."
action: Scissors
response: You hold out your index and middle fingers, and once again, the world starts to shake. A vortex of swirling energy opens in front of the guard.

She looks at you in surprise, and as she does so, the stop sign is pulled from her hands. She reaches to grab it, but loses her balance and tumbles into the vortex. The vortex closes, leaving the world quiet again.

Scissors beats paper.
action: You look around
response: You are at the front of the school. You can re-enter the school to the south, or cross the street to the north.
action: You go to the north
response: You gingerly step onto the street. Is it really safe to cross without the guard?

Yeah, who are you kidding. You boldly stride across the street and manage to cross safely, because there aren't any cars driving by that can run you over.

You are across the street from the school. You can see the school in all its glory to the south.

You can see a rock here.
action: You take Rock
response: Taken.
action: You look at the school
response: You can see the front side of the school from here. It's not a sight you see often, given that you usually enter and exit the school from the side.
action: Exits
response: You can only go south.
action: Go south
response: Without the guard here, you cross the street with reckless abandon.

You are at the front of the school. You can re-enter the school to the south, or cross the street to the north.
action: You go to the south
response: You are at the quad, a courtyard in the center of the school. From here, you can go north to the front of the school, northwest to the library, west to the western building, southwest to the parking lot, south to the southern building, and east to the gym.
action: Go northwest
response: The library is usually a quiet place, but today it seemed even quieter than normal. The ambient sounds of the librarian moving around or of students murmuring to each other was strangely absent. Bookshelves are lined up, filling most of the room, and a sign on one wall compels you to be as quiet as possible. From here, you can go south to the western building or southeast to the quad.

A boy is here, reading a novel.
action: You examine the sign
response: The sign reads "SILENCE IS GOLDEN". You feel compelled to speak quietly, despite the fact that the librarian isn't even here.
action: You examine boy
response: The boy appears to be of high school age, though probably younger than you. He's currently reading a novel.
action: You examine novel
response: The novel that the boy is reading. The novel happens to be the sort without any sort of distinguishing features on the cover, so you have no way of knowing what it is.
action: You talk to the boy
response: "Hello," you say quietly to the boy. You wait for a bit, but he doesn't look up from his book. Maybe if you tried again?

You hear the sound of a page being turned.
action: Keep going
response: "Um, hello," you say, a little louder, but the boy still doesn't look up. Frustrated, you wave your hands wildly until you finally get his attention.

He looks up at you, points to his ear and to his mouth, and then shrugs.

Huh. Does that mean he's deaf?
action: Continue
response: You try to talk to the boy again, but he just shrugs at you.
action: You give the phone to the boy
response: Which do you mean, the smartphone or your cell phone?
action: Smartphone
response: He looks at the smartphone and shrugs at you.
action: You give the cell phone to the boy
response: He looks at your cell phone and shrugs at you.
action: You show Rock to the boy
response: He looks at the rock and shrugs at you.
action: Examine books
response: You stride over to the shelves and choose a book at random. You're not really fond of the book's genre, so you put it back. Besides, the librarian doesn't seem to be here, so it's not like you can check out books, anyway.
action: You go to the southeast
response: You are at the quad, a courtyard in the center of the school. From here, you can go north to the front of the school, northwest to the library, west to the western building, southwest to the parking lot, south to the southern building, and east to the gym.
action: You go west
response: You walk into the western building of the school. The walls of this hallway are lined with lockers, and the classrooms are mostly empty and locked, with the exception of one room to the west which still has its light on. The library is to the north. You can also exit south to the parking lot or east to the quad.

You can see a girl waiting in front of the door.
action: You look at the girl
response: You don't think you've seen her before. She looks pretty young, so you're guessing she's a freshman.
action: You talk to the girl
response: "What's up?" you ask.

"Oh, um, I'm supposed to be meeting with Mr. Russo in this room for something," she says. "But the door is locked, and nobody's responding when I knock, so I'm not really sure what to do."

"Hmm. Maybe try knocking again?"

She sighs. "It's not like there's anything else I can do."
action: You knock on the door
response: You knock on the door.

The girl knocks on the door.
action: You examine the door
response: You see nothing special about the Room 309 door.

The girl knocks on the door.
action: Go west
response: (first opening the Room 309 door)
It seems to be locked.
action: Paper
response: You hold out your open hand, but nothing happens.

The girl knocks on the door.
action: You talk to the girl
response: "By the way, what was your name again?"

"It's Jayma. Nice to meet you."

Jayma knocks on the door.
action: Keep going
response: "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Don't worry about it. Mr. Russo has never been the most reliable person."
action: You keep going
response: "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Don't worry about it."
action: Go west
response: (first opening the Room 309 door)
It seems to be locked.

Jayma knocks on the door.
action: You give Rock to the girl
response: "Um, I'm not sure how that can help."

Jayma knocks on the door.
action: You go south
response: You are in one of the two parking lots at your school, with this one being on the west side. You can go north to enter the western building or east to enter the southern building. You can also go northeast to the quad or southeast to go behind the school.

A single car is parked in the lot. Leaning against the hood of the car is who you presume to be its owner. You believe his name is Brad.
action: You examine the car
response: Brad's car. Well, you're pretty sure it's Brad's car, unless he decided to lean on a random one that wasn't his. It seems to have been used for a while.

Brad drums his fingers on his thigh.
action: You examine Brad
response: A senior at your school. If you remember correctly, he used to be on the basketball team, but rumor has it that he was kicked off for being too aggressive. In any case, he looks like he's in a bad mood right now, so you probably don't want to do anything to provoke him.
action: You talk to Brad
response: "Um, hey, how's it going?" you ask cautiously. Brad turns to look at you, and takes some time before responding, possibly to assess whether you're a threat or not.

"I'm waiting for my girlfriend," he says.

You wait for him to elaborate, but it doesn't seem like he plans on saying anything more.
action: You show the smartphone to Brad
response: "Hey, wait, that's my girlfriend's phone!"

"Uh, it's mine," you lie expertly.

"Are you sure? It looks a lot like her case. She's always looking at her phone when we're on dates, so I remember it pretty well."

"I'm pretty sure it's just a coincidence," you say, quickly putting the phone away.

Brad shifts to be in a slightly different position from before.
action: Smartphone
response: "It really does look like my girlfriend's phone, though."

Brad scratches his chin.
action: You talk to Brad
response: "Um, if you're looking for your girlfriend, you might want to check the other parking lot," you suggest.

He looks at you like you're the world's biggest idiot. "Uh, there's only one parking lot at this school," he says.

You consider correcting him, but you decide you don't really want to argue with him.

Brad drums his fingers on his thigh.
action: You give your phone to Brad
response: (the smartphone to Brad)
"It really does look like my girlfriend's phone, though."
action: You give the cell phone to Brad
response: "What, are you asking for my phone number? I have a girlfriend, you know."

Brad shifts to be in a slightly different position from before.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a rock
a smartphone
your cell phone

Brad scratches his chin.
action: You show Rock to Brad
response: "What do you want me to do with that, huh!?"
action: You talk to Brad
response: You think about saying something else to Brad, but you decide not to risk making his bad mood worse.

Brad drums his fingers on his thigh.
action: About yourself
response: You look down at yourself. Yup, you're wearing clothes. Thank goodness!

Brad shifts to be in a slightly different position from before.
action: Exits
response: You can only go north, east, northeast, or southeast.

Brad drums his fingers on his thigh.
action: You go east
response: You walk into the southern building of the school. Most of the classrooms are empty and locked, but one classroom to the east still appears to have its light on. You can also exit north to the quad or west to the parking lot.

The walls are lined with lockers, and you can see your own locker among them.
action: You look at the locker
response: Your locker. This year, it's too far from any of your classes to use normally, so you've found another use for it.
action: You open the locker
response: You open your locker, revealing a shrine and an altar.
action: You examine the shrine
response: Since you weren't using this locker for anything else, you decided to build a small shrine to the gods and house it here. You've made small figures to represent each of the three goddesses enshrined here: Petra, Charti, and Psalidi.
action: You examine the Petra
response: Petra, the goddess of rock. Rock evokes imagery of hardened stone or tall, rugged mountains, and the fist makes you think of punching or fistfights. Consequently, Petra is the most durable of the three goddesses, as well as the most aggressive.
action: You look at Charti
response: Charti, the goddess of paper. Paper on its own can be considered flimsy, but through paper the written word can carry immense power. Similarly, Charti is the most unassuming of the three goddesses, but she can strike with subtlety and grace when she is least expected.
action: You examine the Psalidi
response: Psalidi, the goddess of scissors. Scissors can dangerous implements, but they are often used as tools for crafting; as such, they represent aggression that has been channeled into something constructive. It follows that Psalidi is the most creative of the three goddesses, finding new and innovative ways to attack.
action: You examine the altar
response: A small altar that can support items to use in a sacred ritual.
action: You put Rock on the altar
response: You put the rock on the altar.
action: Pray
response: You should probably find some offerings for the gods before performing the ritual.
action: You close locker
response: You close your locker.
action: Go east
response: (first opening the Room 415 door)
It seems to be locked.
action: You look at the door
response: You see nothing special about the Room 415 door.

After a moment, the door opens, and you are face-to-face with your friend Sarah.

"Oh, it's just you," she says.

"You could sound more excited to see me."

She rolls her eyes. "Well, I should've known that it was you. I can't think of anyone else that will try and enter every door they see. Here, I'll leave the door open, so you can come in whenever." Sarah props open the door and goes back inside the room.
action: Go east
response: Room 415 is a science room, so instead of the usual chairs and tables, there are lab benches and stools. The benches are clear except for one, which is occupied.

Sarah is sitting at the bench, studying.
action: You examine Sarah
response: Sarah is another one of your friends. The two of you often clash over a difference in opinion, but despite it you remain good friends.

Sarah is currently studying.
action: You talk to Sarah
response: "What are you doing in here, anyway?" you ask.

"Mr. Petridis told me that I could stay in this room and study as long as I lock up properly when I leave," Sarah says. "Well, although the door locks on its own anyway. It just opens from the inside."
action: You continue
response: "You have a teacher named Mr. Petri Dish?"

"It's Mr. Petridis," says Sarah, rolling her eyes.
action: Keep going
response: "Oh, by the way," says Sarah. "Did you ever meet up with David? He said he was looking for you."

"Um, no," you lie masterfully.
action: You show the cell phone to Sarah
response: "Is the camera on that thing still busted? You really should get a new one."
action: You show the smartphone to Sarah
response: Sarah's eyes light up when you show her the smartphone. "Is that a new phone?" she asks. "You can finally get a new picture of me for your background! Here, take a picture of me," she commands, posing for a picture with her usual pose.
action: Rock
response: You hold out your fist, and once again, the world starts to shake. Sarah looks at you as a vortex yawns open and beings to inhale everything around it, sending papers flying into the air.

"Seriously?" she shouts over the crackling of the vortex. "What, are you offering people as sacrifices to the gods so you can win at that rock-paper-scissors competition?"

You start to say something in response, but she shakes her head. "Whatever. Hope everything works out for you. I'm out."

She turns and, without looking back, throws up the V sign again before walking into the vortex.
action: You take all
response: You must take things one at a time.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: Room 415 is a science room with lab benches and stools. One bench still has a pencil case sitting on top of it.
action: You take case
response: Taken.
action: You open it
response: You open the pencil case, revealing a blue pen, a red pen, a black pen, a mechanical pencil, a wooden pencil, a lead refill, an eraser, a pair of scissors, a glue stick, some white-out, a yellow highlighter, a pink highlighter, an orange highlighter, a ruler, and a pack of tissues.
action: You look at the Scissors
response: A pair of scissors.
action: Go west
response: You are in the southern building of the school. Most of the classrooms are empty and locked, but one classroom to the east still appears to have its light on. You can also exit north to the quad or west to the parking lot.

The walls are lined with lockers, and you can see your own locker among them.
action: You open the locker
response: You open your locker, revealing a shrine and an altar.
action: You put the Scissors on the altar
response: You put the pair of scissors on the altar.
action: You go west
response: The parking lot on the west side of the school. You can go north to enter the western building or east to enter the southern building. You can also go northeast to the quad or southeast to go behind the school.

A single car is parked in the lot. Brad leans against the hood of the car.
action: You go southeast
response: You find yourself behind the southern building at the back of the school. The first thing you notice as you approach is the awful smell of cigarette smoke. The source of it is leaning casually against the wall next to a dumpster. There is a sign affixed on the wall above him. You can go northwest back to the western parking lot.

The smoker sees you approaching and blows smoke in your direction, which you try not to breathe in.
action: You look at the smoker
response: The smoker appears rather unkempt, wearing a tank top and sweatpants and holding a cigarette between two fingers. Does he even go to this school? He looks a little too old to be in high school.

You try to withstand it, but the stench overpowers you. You cover your nose and hurry back the way you came. Besides, if you stayed there too long, you would probably have gotten lung cancer or something from all the secondhand smoke.

[press any key to continue]## Western Parking Lot
The parking lot on the west side of the school. You can go north to enter the western building or east to enter the southern building. You can also go northeast to the quad or southeast to go behind the school.

A single car is parked in the lot. Brad leans against the hood of the car.

Brad runs his hand through his hair.
action: Go southeast
response: You are at the back of the school. The smell of cigarette smoke is still here. You can go northwest back to the western parking lot.

The smoker is leaning against the wall next to a dumpster.
action: Rock
response: You hold out your fist, and once again, the world starts to shake. Crackling with energy, a vortex opens on the wall behind the smoker.

No longer having a wall to lean on, the smoker falls backwards into the vortex. The vortex thoughtfully lingers for a little while longer to vacuum the smoke out of the air before closing.

Rock beats scissors.
action: Examine dumpster
response: There's some trash in the dumpster.
action: You search the trash
response: [For the purposes of this game, SEARCH is synonymous with
EXAMINE.]

That's not a nice thing to call the ex-smoker.

Oh, the trash in the dumpster? There's nothing important in there. It's just trash.
action: Look around
response: You are at the back of the school. With the smoker gone, the air is much easier to breathe. All that remains is the dumpster, pressed up against the wall of the southern building. You can go northwest back to the western parking lot.
action: You go northwest
response: The parking lot on the west side of the school. You can go north to enter the western building or east to enter the southern building. You can also go northeast to the quad or southeast to go behind the school.

A single car is parked in the lot. Brad leans against the hood of the car.
action: Exits
response: You can only go north, east, northeast, or southeast.

Brad shifts to be in a slightly different position from before.
action: Go north
response: You are in the western building of the school. The walls of this hallway are lined with lockers, and the classrooms are mostly empty and locked, with the exception of one room to the west which still has its light on. The library is to the north. You can also exit south to the parking lot or east to the quad.

You can see Jayma waiting in front of the door.

Jayma knocks on the door.
action: Paper
response: You hold out your open hand, and once again, the world starts to shake. The doors shake and the lockers rattle noisily as a vortex opens below Jayma.

She seems to hover over the vortex, her fist still raised in the air, before she plummets down into the vortex with an ear-piercing shriek, which echoes in the halls a little while longer before finally falling silent.

Paper beats rock.

[press any key to continue]
action: You look
response: in front of Jayma opens, and a man pokes his head out.

"What's going on?" asks Mr. Russo, yawning. "I thought I heard somebody being murdered out here."

You shrug at him, and he scratches his head. "Maybe it was just my imagination." He yawns again and goes back inside, leaving the door open.
action: Go west
response: The classroom is rather unextraordinary, with the only thing of note being Mr. Russo's desk in the corner. Even from far away, you can tell that the desk is a disorganized mess. You can exit the classroom to the east.

Mr. Russo sits at his desk, grading papers.

Mr. Russo underlines a sentence on the paper in front of him and makes a note.
action: You talk to Russo
response: "So how are you, Mr. Russo?" you ask.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just working on grading these papers." He glances over the numerous sticky notes stuck to his desk. "It looks like I'm also waiting for a student of mine to come in so we can discuss her grades."

"Cool," you say.

Mr. Russo blinks, struggling to stay awake.
action: You take paper
response: "I would prefer if you didn't touch anything on my desk right now," says Mr. Russo without looking up to see what you were reaching for.

Mr. Russo closes his eyes, and his head droops forward.
action: You talk to Russo
response: "Mr. Russo—" you begin, and Mr. Russo wakes with a start.

"Huh? Wha?" He glances around. "Oh, I must have dozed off again." He yawns. "I haven't been getting much sleep lately, so I've been really tired, you see. Thanks for waking me up."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

Mr. Russo scrawls something indecipherable in the margins of the paper in front of him.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

Mr. Russo blinks, struggling to stay awake.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

Mr. Russo stifles a yawn with an open hand.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

Mr. Russo frowns at something on the paper that he is reading.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

Mr. Russo closes his eyes, and his head droops forward.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.
action: You take the paper
response: You accidentally rustle the papers as you pick one up. Mr. Russo stirs, and you drop the paper and quickly move your hands away.

"Oh dear, it seems I've dozed off again," he mutters, rubbing his eyes, and goes back to grading.
action: You look at Russo
response: You had Mr. Russo as your English teacher last year. Given how absentminded and forgetful he was, it was a miracle that he managed to teach a class every year without it being a disaster.

Mr. Russo is currently dozing at his desk.
action: You look at the paper
response: You take a peek at one of the ungraded papers. You catch a glaring spelling error in the first sentence and look away in disgust.
action: You look around
response: The classroom is rather unextraordinary, with the only thing of note being Mr. Russo's desk in the corner. Even from far away, you can tell that the desk is a disorganized mess. You can exit the classroom to the east.

Mr. Russo sits at his desk, grading papers.

Mr. Russo scrawls something indecipherable in the margins of the paper in front of him.
action: You examine the desk
response: Looking closer at the desk does not make it seem any less chaotic. A pile of papers covers most of the surface, with graded and ungraded papers all mixed together. You can see the corner of a textbook peeking out from within the pile. A corner of the desk is littered with sticky notes with various reminders. There is also a computer monitor on the desk.

Mr. Russo underlines a sentence on the paper in front of him and makes a note.
action: You look at the monitor
response: A computer monitor. It is turned off. Since the monitor is here, you're guessing a keyboard and mouse are hidden under the papers somewhere.

Mr. Russo stifles a yawn with an open hand.
action: You examine mouse
response: A computer monitor. It is turned off. Since the monitor is here, you're guessing a keyboard and mouse are hidden under the papers somewhere.

Mr. Russo blinks, struggling to stay awake.
action: You turn on the monitor
response: It isn't something you can switch.

Mr. Russo closes his eyes, and his head droops forward.
action: You look at the book
response: It appears to be a textbook that teaches sign language. You could look through it if you picked it up.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You take the book
response: You quietly pull the textbook from the mess of papers on the desk, taking care not to wake Mr. Russo.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: Examine book
response: It appears to be a textbook that teaches sign language. It appears to have been read thoroughly, with various annotations and sticky notes in the pages. You decide to take the time to look over the alphabet and some simple phrases from the beginning of the book.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You read the book
response: It appears to be a textbook that teaches sign language. It appears to have been read thoroughly, with various annotations and sticky notes in the pages. Earlier, you took a look at the beginning of the book to go over the alphabet and some simple phrases.
action: You look at the notes
response: You pick a sticky note at random and take a look at it. It reads "Buy eggs".
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a sign language textbook
a pencil case (open)
a blue pen
a red pen
a black pen
a mechanical pencil
a wooden pencil
a lead refill
an eraser
a glue stick
some white-out
a yellow highlighter
a pink highlighter
an orange highlighter
a ruler
a pack of tissues
a smartphone
your cell phone
action: You look at the note
response: You pick a sticky note at random and take a look at it. It reads "Meeting w/ Jayma after school, discuss grades".
action: Go east
response: You are in the western building of the school. The walls of this hallway are lined with lockers, and the classrooms are mostly empty and locked, with the exception of one room to the west which still has its light on. The library is to the north. You can also exit south to the parking lot or east to the quad.
action: Go north
response: The library is quiet, with only the occasional turn of a page being audible. Bookshelves are lined up, filling most of the room, and a sign on one wall compels you to be as quiet as possible. From here, you can go south to the western building or southeast to the quad.

A boy is here, reading a novel.
action: You talk to the boy
response: You wave your hands again to get the boy's attention. He looks up from his novel.
action: You talk to boy
response: You decide to attempt communication with the boy using your recently learned knowledge of sign language basics. "Hello, how are you?" you sign. The boy recognizes your clumsy signing and responds with a simple "I'm fine" in response.

"What is your name?" you try signing.

The boy fails to hide an amused smile before he starts to slowly spell out the letters to his name.

The boy spells an O with his fingers.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

The boy spells an L with his fingers.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

The boy spells an I with his fingers.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

The boy spells a V with his fingers.
action: Rock
response: You hold out your fist, and once again, the world starts to shake. The boy looks on in confusion as a vortex opens in front of him.

The novel he was reading is wrenched from his hands and sucked into the vortex, and it isn't long before the boy follows suit. You hear a scream fade into silence with the crackling of energy as the vortex closes.

Rock beats scissors.
action: Look around
response: The library is quiet. Bookshelves are lined up, filling most of the room, and a sign on one wall compels you to be as quiet as possible. From here, you can go south to the western building or southeast to the quad.

You realize that the boy never managed to finish spelling his name. Since he spelled O-L-I-V, you would assume his name was probably Oliver, but for all you know he could've been spelling out "Olive Garden" or something.
action: You go to the south
response: You are in the western building of the school. The walls of this hallway are lined with lockers, and the classrooms are mostly empty and locked, with the exception of one room to the west which still has its light on. The library is to the north. You can also exit south to the parking lot or east to the quad.
action: Go west
response: The classroom is rather unextraordinary, with the only thing of note being Mr. Russo's desk in the corner. Even from far away, you can tell that the desk is a disorganized mess. You can exit the classroom to the east.

Mr. Russo sits at his desk, dozing.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You look at Russo
response: You had Mr. Russo as your English teacher last year. Given how absentminded and forgetful he was, it was a miracle that he managed to teach a class every year without it being a disaster.

Mr. Russo is currently dozing at his desk.
action: You examine the desk
response: Looking closer at the desk does not make it seem any less chaotic. A pile of papers covers most of the surface, with graded and ungraded papers all mixed together. A corner of the desk is littered with sticky notes with various reminders. There is also a computer monitor on the desk.
action: You examine the sticky notes
response: You pick a sticky note at random and take a look at it. It reads "Remember Allison's birthday!" with a heart scribbled in the corner.
action: You take the sticky note
response: You don't really want to mess with those. They're practically what keep Mr. Russo from becoming a mess. Or at least, a bigger mess.
action: You take the monitor
response: That's hardly portable.
action: You take the paper
response: You accidentally rustle the papers as you pick one up. Mr. Russo stirs, and you drop the paper and quickly move your hands away.

"Oh dear, it seems I've dozed off again," he mutters, rubbing his eyes, and goes back to grading.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a sign language textbook
a pencil case (open)
a blue pen
a red pen
a black pen
a mechanical pencil
a wooden pencil
a lead refill
an eraser
a glue stick
some white-out
a yellow highlighter
a pink highlighter
an orange highlighter
a ruler
a pack of tissues
a smartphone
your cell phone

Mr. Russo frowns at something on the paper that he is reading.
action: You examine eraser
response: An eraser.

Mr. Russo underlines a sentence on the paper in front of him and makes a note.
action: You look at the tissues
response: A pack of tissues.

Mr. Russo stifles a yawn with an open hand.
action: You examinthe white-out
response: Some white-out.

Mr. Russo blinks, struggling to stay awake.
action: You givthe white-out to Russo
response: (first taking the white-out)
There's really only one thing you need from this pencil case.

Mr. Russo closes his eyes, and his head droops forward.
action: Close case
response: You close the pencil case.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You hit Russo with case
response: I only understood you as far as wanting to hit Mr. Russo.
action: Exits
response: You can only go east.
action: Go east
response: You are in the western building of the school. The walls of this hallway are lined with lockers, and the classrooms are mostly empty and locked, with the exception of one room to the west which still has its light on. The library is to the north. You can also exit south to the parking lot or east to the quad.
action: Go east
response: You are at the quad, a courtyard in the center of the school. From here, you can go north to the front of the school, northwest to the library, west to the western building, southwest to the parking lot, south to the southern building, and east to the gym.
action: Go south
response: You are in the southern building of the school. Most of the classrooms are empty and locked, but one classroom to the east still appears to have its light on. You can also exit north to the quad or west to the parking lot.

The walls are lined with lockers, and you can see your own locker among them. The locker hangs open, revealing a shrine and an altar.
action: Go west
response: The classroom is rather unextraordinary, with the only thing of note being Mr. Russo's desk in the corner. Even from far away, you can tell that the desk is a disorganized mess. You can exit the classroom to the east.

Mr. Russo sits at his desk, dozing.
action: You cut the paper
response: Cutting it up would achieve little.
action: You look at the smartphone
response: Chloe's smartphone. The case that covers it is pink with a rabbit design. The phone is in surprisingly good condition, considering the fall it took.

Unfortunately, since you don't know the password, you can't really use the smartphone.
action: Unlock smartphone
response: What do you want to unlock the smartphone with?
action: You go west
response: You can only go east.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You look at the pile
response: You take a peek at one of the ungraded papers. The words start to swim before your eyes and you realize you've had enough of Romeo and
Juliet last year.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You look at Brad
response: A senior at your school. Apparently, he's known for being rather aggressive, and since he looks to be in a bad mood right now, you probably don't want to provoke him.
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes.

Brad drums his fingers on his thigh.
action: Scissors
response: You hold out your index and middle fingers.

"Hey, what's the deal?" asks Brad, putting his fists up. "You tryin' to poke my eyes out? What, you wanna fight?"
action: Paper
response: You hold out your open hand, and once again, the world starts to shake. You don't see the vortex open, but you feel it open behind you.

Startled, Brad throws a punch that you dodge easily, and the force of his punch sends him tumbling headfirst into the vortex.

Paper beats rock.
action: You look at the car
response: Brad's car. It seems to have been used for a while. Or rather, Brad must have just gotten a used car.
action: You take the flyer
response: You decide to take one of the flyers with you.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a flyer
a pair of scissors
a sign language textbook
a pencil case (closed)
a smartphone
your cell phone
action: You put the flyer on the altar
response: You put the flyer on the altar.
action: You examine the altar
response: A small altar that can support items to use in a sacred ritual.

On the altar are a flyer and a rock.
action: You put the Scissors on the altar
response: You put the pair of scissors on the altar.
action: Pray
response: You should probably find some offerings for the gods before performing the ritual.
action: You take Rock
response: Taken.
action: You give Rock to the petra
response: You can only do that to something animate.
action: Examine flyer
response: A piece of paper advertising the Rock-Paper-Scissors Competition. It contains details about when and where the event will take place.
action: You put Rock on the altar
response: You put the rock on the altar.
action: You look at the altar
response: A small altar that can support items to use in a sacred ritual.

On the altar are rock, scissors, and paper.
action: You take the Scissors
response: Taken.

You can't see any such thing.
action: You take the flyer
response: Taken.
action: You examine the altar
response: A small altar that can support items to use in a sacred ritual.
action: You put Rock on the altar
response: You put the rock on the altar.
action: You examine the altar
response: A small altar that can support items to use in a sacred ritual.

On the altar are scissors, paper, and rock.
action: You examine the desk
response: Looking closer at the desk does not make it seem any less chaotic. A pile of papers covers most of the surface, with graded and ungraded papers all mixed together. A corner of the desk is littered with sticky notes with various reminders. There is also a computer monitor on the desk.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: Clean desk
response: You rub the desk.
action: You examine the keyboard
response: A computer monitor. It is turned off. Since the monitor is here, you're guessing a keyboard and mouse are hidden under the papers somewhere.
action: You look under the papers
response: You find nothing of interest.

Mr. Russo snores gently.
action: You talk to Russo
response: "Mr. Russo—" you begin, and Mr. Russo wakes with a start.

"Huh? Wha?" He glances around. "Oh, I must have dozed off again. Thanks for waking me up."
action: Continue
response: "Need help with anything?" you ask.

"Oh, no, I'm all right. Thanks for the offer, though."

Mr. Russo scrawls something indecipherable in the margins of the paper in front of him.
action: Continue
response: "Need help with anything?" you ask.

"Oh, no, I'm all right. Thanks for the offer, though."

Mr. Russo underlines a sentence on the paper in front of him and makes a note.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
a sign language textbook
a pencil case (closed)
a smartphone
your cell phone

Mr. Russo stifles a yawn with an open hand.
action: Scissors
response: You hold out your index and middle fingers, and once again, the world starts to shake. A vortex opens behind Mr. Russo, and loose papers and sticky notes are sucked in.

Mr. Russo grabs his desk to avoid being pulled in, but the force of the vortex overpowers him. The desk topples over with a resounding crash, and Mr. Russo flies into the vortex, screaming.

Scissors beats paper.
action: You look around
response: The classroom is rather unextraordinary, with the only thing of note being Mr. Russo's desk in the corner. The desk has been toppled over and most of the clutter on it has been sucked away, leaving only his computer on the floor. You can exit the classroom to the east.

Looks like you're just about ready. The competition is about to start soon, so you better hurry.
action: You look at the computer
response: A computer monitor. It is resting haphazardly on the floor. You can also see a keyboard and mouse. You hope nothing broke in the fall.
action: Go east
response: You are in the western building of the school. The walls of this hallway are lined with lockers, and the classrooms are mostly empty and locked, with the exception of one room to the west which still has its light on. The library is to the north. You can also exit south to the parking lot or east to the quad.
action: Go west
response: The classroom is rather unextraordinary, with the only thing of note being Mr. Russo's desk in the corner. The desk has been toppled over and most of the clutter on it has been sucked away, leaving only his computer on the floor. You can exit the classroom to the east.
action: Pray
response: You put your hands together in front of you and kneel.

You offer a prayer to Petra, asking for her strength and power. You offer a prayer to Charti, asking for her elegance and poise. You offer a prayer to Psalidi, asking for her sharpness and inspiration. And you pray to the three of them: a prayer for victory in the upcoming trials, and an entreaty that your offerings are provided safe passage.

[press any key to continue]As you finish your prayers, you
hear a soft sigh, and you can feel the blessings of the goddesses drape over you. Though you aren't physically emanating light, it almost feels as if you're glowing.

You should be able to win with this.
action: Go north
response: Returning to the gym means you're ready to enter the competition. Do you want to go to the gym now?
action: Rock
response: You play rock.

Your opponent plays scissors.

[press any key to continue]The tension in the air recedes as
everyone takes stock of the results. Then, the gym breaks out into mild applause, and the referee takes your arm and holds it up into the air, declaring you the victor of the competition. You feel your blessings melt away from you, having fulfilled their purpose.

The club president looks frustrated, but only for a moment. Then they grin at you and begin clapping as well.

"Congratulations," they say.
action: You pray to Petra
response: You can only play rock, paper, or scissors.
action: Scissors
response: You play scissors.

Your opponent plays scissors.

[press any key to continue]The tension grows thicker as
everyone in the gym registers the draw in their heads. You meet eyes with the president and raise your eyebrows to indicate that you're in control. They look away from you.

The referee opens her mouth again.

You can feel the blessing of Petra, the goddess of rock, guiding you.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
action: Scissors
response: You play scissors.

Your opponent plays scissors.

[press any key to continue]Another draw. You hear a
collective gasp from the spectators. You can see beads of sweat form on the president's face, though they don't betray any emotion in their expression.

The referee opens her mouth again.

You can feel the blessing of Charti, the goddess of paper, guiding you.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
action: Rock
response: You play rock.

Your opponent plays rock.

[press any key to continue]The tension in the air grows even thicker—it almost feels like it's constricting you. You've let this
go
on for far too long. You should probably end this soon.

The referee opens her mouth again.

You can feel the blessing of Psalidi, the goddess of scissors, guiding you.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
action: Paper
response: You play paper.

Your opponent plays paper.

[press any key to continue]You tie again.

[press any key to continue]And again.

[press any key to continue]And again and again and again and
again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

[press any key to continue]You realize far too late that it
wasn't the tension in the air constricting you but your blessings tightening around you, mutating into curses. For abusing the gifts of the gods, you have been frozen in a single moment, compelled to force a draw over and over and over again.
action: Rock
response: You play rock.

Your opponent plays paper.

[press any key to continue]The tension in the air recedes as
everyone takes stock of the results. Then, the gym breaks out into mild applause as your opponent is declared the victor.

You let out a breath that you didn't know you'd been holding and you feel your blessings melt away from you. And when you look up, the club president is staring at you with a bewildered expression. "Wh— How— Why did you—" they stammer.

You shake your head and smile at them, and you turn away as they are surrounded by their club members congratulating them on their victory. And off to the side you can see David and Sarah, who wave at you when you spot them.

[press any key to continue]"Good game," says David.

"Thanks," you say, giving him a fist bump. You hold out your fist to Sarah, too, but she punches you in the arm instead.

"That's for earlier," she says.

"Yeah, I probably deserved that."

She laughs, but then looks at you seriously.

"But really. You lost on purpose, didn't you? Why?"

[press any key to continue]"I guess I just realized in the
end that winning isn't everything," you say with a smile as the three of you walk into the sunset.
action: Xyzzy
response: When you say the word, you feel like there's a disturbance in reality, but the feeling soon fades away. Maybe if you tried again in a more central location.
action: You go west
response: You can only go south.
action: You talk
response: (to David)
"Hey," you say. "What's up?"

"Well, you're entering the competition today, right? I just wanted to wish you good luck."

"Oh, yeah, thanks."

"Also, I wanted to say that, well, after last time... Just, winning isn't everything, you know? It's okay even if you don't win."

"Of course," you say, but you don't really mean it.

"Um, that's it, then! Good luck in the competition!" He raises his fist. "How about a fist bump?"
action: Scissors
response: You hold out your index and middle fingers. In the next instant, a hole in reality opens, swallowing you whole.
action: Rock
response: You hold out your fist, and David bumps it with his own.

"Come on, that was weak! If we're going to do this, we should do it properly." He holds out his fist again.
action: Continue
response: You hold out your fist, and David bumps it with his own.

"That was still pretty weak. If we're going to do this, we should do it properly." He holds out his fist again.
action: Keep going
response: You hold out your fist, and David bumps it with his own.

"That was still pretty weak. If we're going to do this, we should do it properly." He holds out his fist again.

Your eyes are drawn to David's fist. At any other time it would just seem like a normal fist bump, but right now it looks like he's playing rock in rock-paper-scissors.
action: You keep going
response: You hold out your fist, and David bumps it with his own.

"That was still pretty weak. If we're going to do this, we should do it properly." He holds out his fist again.

Your eyes are drawn to David's fist. It kind of looks like he's playing rock in rock-paper-scissors.
action: Paper
response: You hold out your open hand, and as you do so, the world starts to shake. A hole opens in reality—a swirling vortex of crackling energy.

David's face transforms into a look of shock as he registers the situation. A "wha—" escapes his lips before he is swallowed by the vortex, which snaps shut after him.

Paper beats rock.
action: Xyzzy
response: The word barely escapes your lips when time stops and the colors of the world invert themselves. A giant, disembodied hand floats down from the sky, and a hollow voice seems to echo in your head.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
action: Rock
response: You play rock. The hand plays rock.

It's a draw!

The voice speaks again. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"
action: Rock
response: You play rock. The hand plays paper.

Paper beats rock. You lose!

Apparently satisfied, the hand floats back into the sky, and the world returns to normal.
action: Paper
response: You play paper. The hand plays rock.

Paper beats rock. You win!

Apparently satisfied, the hand floats back into the sky, and the world returns to normal.

It occurs to you that you gained absolutely nothing from this victory, as if this was just someone's elaborate idea of an Easter egg.