Martha's Big Date
by Mary Potts (2008)
Genres: Slice of life

You're a teenage girl, getting ready for a date. Oh, and your father is Superman.

action: %
response: It's finally happened. You've finally got a date - a real date - with Troy!

You are Martha Jeraldine Kent, teenaged daughter of Superman. Troy will be here soon to take you out to the Ukrainian film festival, and you are nowhere near ready! Your shoes are missing. You can't find your hair pick anywhere. You still need to put on your makeup. You desperately need some jewelry to wear. And to top it all off, you've just discovered a huge stain on the dress you're planning to wear!
Your reflection in the mirror shows a total mess.

'Life is unfair!' you think, as you stand in the middle of your bedroom, sobbing.

This is your room. For the most part, it is pretty neat. Your bed lies alongside the wall that has your closet, and a small dresser is next to it. The other walls are covered with carefully organized bookshelves, videoshelves, pictures, and a full-length mirror by the window. The hallway is south of here, right out the door.

Your dress is lying in a heap on the floor.
action: You look at the dress
response: It's Troy's favorite color, which is partly why you picked it for tonight. It has spaghetti-strap sleeves, and a neck-line that's cut just low enough to be interesting without making any promises. Right now, there is an ugly stain on it.
action: You take the dress
response: Taken.
action: You examine the dresser
response: It's just a small dresser painted red with yellow trim. It has two drawers.
action: You open the top drawer
response: Opening the top drawer reveals some underwear.
action: You open the bottom drawer
response: Opening the bottom drawer reveals some socks.
action: You open the closet
response: Opened.
action: You examine the bed
response: It is a comfy bed, with rose-pattern sheets and pillow cases.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: This is your room. For the most part, it is pretty neat. Your bed lies alongside the wall that has your closet, and a small dresser is next to it. The other walls are covered with carefully organized bookshelves, videoshelves, pictures, and a full-length mirror by the window. The hallway is south of here, right out the door.
action: You look at the stain
response: It's horrible! Strangely, it looks like chocolate.
action: Lick stain
response: The word "lick" is not necessary in this story.

(If this was an accidental misspelling, you can correct it by typing OOPS followed by the corrected word now. Any time the story points out an unknown word, you can correct a misspelling using OOPS as your next command.)
action: You look at the videoshelves
response: They're essentially small bookshelves, except you've stacked your videos on them.
action: You examine pictures
response: There's a painting of a field of daisies, and several family photos hanging on the wall.
action: You look at the photos
response: There are some of you and your sister, and a few group shots of everybody.
action: You look at the bookshelves
response: Sturdy, wooden bookshelves line the walls of your room. The books on them are all arranged alphabetically according to author.
action: Examine books
response: The books themselves are a mix of novels, biographies, and encyclopedias. There is also a stack of printed out fanfiction.
action: Examine fanfiction
response: You and your sister were both fans of the tv show Louissa and Mark: The New Adventures of the Hulk back when it still aired. Since it's been cancelled, you both practically thrive on internet fanfiction and the reruns that air on channel 2.
action: About you
response: You're about average height, with dark, naturally curly hair.
action: You examine the mirror
response: It's a tall, narrow mirror with a gold frame, and glass in which you can see your reflection.

You're about average height, with dark, naturally curly hair.

You do a little twirl in front of the mirror. Right now, you're in your slip.

You really should get dressed; Troy could come at any minute! What are you going to do about that horrible stain on your dress? You should also get some shoes on. Some jewelry would really help. You could also do with just a touch of makeup. By the way, your hair is a frizzy mess. Get Moving, girl!
action: You go to the south
response: (first opening the door)

This is the end of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. Your room is to the north, and your twin sister's room is across the hall, to the south. The hall coninues to the west, and immediately east is a closet.
action: Go south
response: (first opening your sister's door)

Your parents have finally given in to their children's pleas, and given you and your twin sister separate rooms. Lara's room is messier than yours, but that's no surprise. Her walls are mostly covered in posters and pictures, and if you use your x-ray vision, you can almost see the floor. Well, okay, it's really not that bad. Her closet is at the far end of the room, by the window, and she has a desk and chair against one wall, across from her bed. The hallway is north of here.
action: You examine the bed
response: It looks like she quit in the middle of making it. The sheets are pulled halfway off, and the pillows are on the floor.
action: You look under the bed
response: The monsters wave at you.
action: You look at the posters
response: Aside from pictures and photos, Lara's walls are plastered with a vast quantity of posters for the heavy-rock boy band, "Screaming Mayhem". Some of them are just artsy album covers, but most feature various members of the band in flashy poses, often licking their guitars for some reason.
action: You examine the snowglobe
response: Lara borrowed it from you a month ago. You have no idea why. She never bothered to return it, apparently. She's bad at that-well, actually, you both are, but she's worse. Of course, it might be that she didn't return it because she still using it; although that doesn't make sense! How do you use a snowglobe?

It has a little snowman inside, wearing a red cape.
action: Shake snowglobe
response: You turn it upside-down and shake it. When you turn it right-side-up again, a myriad of little snowflakes swirl around the tiny, caped snowman.
action: You examine the snowman
response: He seems like a jolly little fellow.
action: You examine closet
response: Lara's closet contains her clothes. It's closed.
action: You open the closet
response: Some random odds and ends are piled on the floor. There's something about the pile that catches your attention...
action: You look at the pile
response: This is just a pile of Lara's junk. It's mostly things like CDs, shoes, board games, and who knows what else! A pair of shoes in the pile looks familiar. Hey-those are yours! That's the pair you've been looking for!
action: You take the shoes
response: Got 'em! Now finish getting dressed!

(If you'd prefer not to be notified about score changes in the future, type NOTIFY OFF.)
action: Go north
response: This is the end of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. Your room is to the north, and your twin sister's room is across the hall, to the south. The hall coninues to the west, and immediately east is a closet.
action: Go east
response: You enjoy standing in closets?
action: You open the closet
response: Opened.
action: Yes
response: You must be more specific about whom you want to talk to.
action: You examine the door
response: Which door do you mean, your bedroom door, your sister's door, or the hall closet?
action: Closet
response: It's just an ordinary hall closet. Nothing special about it. It's open.
action: You go to the west
response: This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.

Your parents' voices leak out from the bathroom, and you nearly fall over, until you realize that what your mom actually said was "Scrub me harder." Of course, that still doesn't make it much less disturbing.
action: Go south
response: The "Keep Out" sign's magic powers keep you from entering. Actually, it's more likely the huge mess and brother germs on the other side of the door.
action: You examine the sign
response: KEEP OUT!
action: You fly
response: You hover for a while.
action: You stand
response: You're already standing.
action: You go west
response: (first opening your parents' door)

This is the master bedroom, where your parents sleep. Their large, double bed is at the far end of the room, your Dad's side close to the window in case he has to leave in the middle of the night to attend an emergency. Against the far wall is a large vanity. You notice a beautiful silver necklace hanging from it.
action: You look at the necklace
response: The necklace was a gift from your father to your mother, and it's absolutely beautiful! The chain is silver, and the pendant holds a sapphire cut in a shield-shape. It's breath-takingly elegant, and it just so happens to complement your dress perfectly.
action: You take it
response: You'd better ask your mother before you go borrowing any of her jewelry!
action: You examine the bed
response: This is the bed your parents sleep in. It's a big double bed with deep red sheets and blankets. Under the double bed is a laptop.
action: You look at the laptop
response: It's a sleek, black laptop. It belongs to your mother. She usually uses it for work.
action: You describe your surroundings
response: This is the master bedroom, where your parents sleep. Their large, double bed is at the far end of the room, your Dad's side close to the window in case he has to leave in the middle of the night to attend an emergency. Against the far wall is a large vanity. You notice a beautiful silver necklace hanging from it.
action: You examine the vanity
response: It's a large, mahoganny vanity. The center of it is a large mirror, flanked by drawers and hooks for hanging jewelry. Your parents just bought it one week ago. There's only one necklace hanging from the hooks.
action: You open the drawers
response: Opened.
action: Close drawers
response: Closed.
action: You examine window
response: The huge window in the south wall of your parents room is almost the size of a door. It even opens similar to one. The curtains over it help keep the paparazzi from getting shots that are much too personal. It's closed.
action: You go east
response: This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.

Your parents sound like they're having a fun time in the shower.
action: You listen
response: The hiss of the shower running reaches your ears from the bathroom.

You can hear the shower running in the bathroom, and your parents moaning and giggling.

There's some strange noise coming from outside that sounds like a guitar...if guitars could feel pain.

Something's rustling around in the trashcans next to your house.
action: Go down
response: This is the living room. It's the front room of the house, and its main feature is the large sofa along the back wall by the staircase, across from the front door. Just north is a small bathroom. West is the door that leads into the dining area, and there is a sitting room set apart to the east.
action: You examine the sofa
response: It's a large, comfortable-looking sofa, upholstered with blue fabric. It sometimes acts as a vacuum, sucking various objects into its cushions.
action: You search the sofa
response: Under the sofa cushions is a comic book.
action: Examine book
response: The comic was a gift from your uncle in a parallel universe. You find it hard to believe that a universe can exist where nobody realizes that Clark Kent is Superman with glasses. Frankly, you never really got into comicbooks, but it seems perfectly suited to keeping a nine-year-old gleefully occupied.
action: Go north
response: (first opening the downstairs bathroom door)

This is actually a small half-bathroom tucked away under the stairs.
It has a toilet and a sink, but not much else.
action: You put the dress in the sink
response: You hold your dress under the running water, allowing it to completely soak the material.
action: You look at the stain
response: It's horrible! Strangely, it looks like chocolate.
action: You remove the stain
response: (from the dress)
You can't take that.
action: You turn off the water
response: You turn the knob the other way, and the water shuts off. One last drop falls from the tap and plummets down the drain.
action: Blow dress
response: You change your mind at the last mintue, and tiny frost crystals materialize as you gently exhale.
action: Burn stain
response: Your eyes glow red for a second, but then you change your mind.
action: You take the dress
response: Taken.
action: You look at the dress
response: It's Troy's favorite color, which is partly why you picked it for tonight. It has spaghetti-strap sleeves, and a neck-line that's cut just low enough to be interesting without making any promises. Right now, there is an ugly stain on it. It is also sopping wet.
action: Dry dress
response: You zap your dress with a quick burst of heat vision, instantly drying it.
action: You look at the stain
response: It's horrible! Strangely, it looks like chocolate.
action: You go west
response: (first opening the door to the dining area)

This is the dining area. It isn't quite a dining "room" since the only thing that seperates it from rest of the kitchen is space. It consists of a large table and several chairs at the south end of the expansive kitchen. The cooking area is at the north end. The living room is out the door to the east.
action: You look at the table
response: It's a large, wooden table surrounded by chairs, and it has a checkered tablecloth that covers the top and hangs over slightly.
action: You examine the chairs
response: The chairs around the kitchen table were actually purchased at a different store, as part of a different furniture set. However, they go with the table so well, nobody's noticed.
action: You go to the north
response: Kitchen (or Cooking Area)
This is the main part of the kitchen, where the food is prepared. A long counter runs along the east wall, broken up in the middle by the refridgerator. A small cooking island dominates the center of this area, and pots and pans hang from above it. Light floods the room from the large windows on the west wall , and there is also a small window in the north wall, next to the door that leads out into the backyard.

A cockroach crawls along the kitchen counter, cheerfully minding its own business.
action: You examine the cockroach
response: Roaches really creep you out. Of course, there's a chance that there might actually be someone in the world who hates them worse than you do. The cockroach is scurrying around, probably looking for food.
action: You show stain to the roach
response: The roach looks at the stain and scurries a few inches away.
action: You look at the island
response: The island looks like it's made of a light-colored wood, and is shaped like an octogon. The center of the island is a stove range, and there is an oven hidden in the base. Your mother sometimes hits her head on the top part of the island whenever she's baking something. Pots and pans hang over it from above.
action: Show shoes to roach
response: The roach looks at the shoes and scurries a few inches away.
action: You examine the fridge
response: The refridgerator stands against the north wall of the kitchen, breaking the long stretch of countertop on either side of it. A crayon drawing is stuck on the door with magnets, showing your Dad blasting a monster with his heat vision. It's closed.
action: You look at the magnets
response: They're an assortment of cookie-shapes, an S-Shield, and the letter Z.
action: You look at the drawing
response: The picture shows your Dad in his Superman suit, flying triumphantly, and somewhat awkwardly since he has no apparent knees or elbows. As if the suit was not enough of a tip-off, the word DAD has been printed in thick, black letters over his disproportioned head, with an arrow pointing to him. Red lines extend from his eyes to what appears to be a smaller, fatter version of Godzilla. Crudely drawn buildings are in the background, surrounded by red, yellow and orange scribbles that are meant to indicate fire, and there is a car upside-down in the air for some reason.

"David, Age 9" is printed in black in the lower, right-hand corner of the paper.
action: You examine the pans
response: The cookware hanging over the island is stainless steel, and variously sized.
action: You examine the oven
response: It's closed.
action: You open it
response: Opened.
action: You close it
response: Closed.
action: You examine the window
response: It's a small window in the north wall, and it has a little yellow curtain.It's closed.
action: You examine the curtain
response: It is little and yellow. It's closed.
action: You open the curtain
response: The curtain is already open.
action: You examine the window
response: It's a small window in the north wall, and it has a little yellow curtain.It's open.
action: Go north
response: (first opening the back door)
Ahem. You ought to at least throw something on before you go running around outside. Tabloid publishers live for shots of celebreties in their undies.
action: You go to the south
response: This is the dining area. It isn't quite a dining "room" since the only thing that seperates it from rest of the kitchen is space. It consists of a large table and several chairs at the south end of the expansive kitchen. The cooking area is at the north end. The living room is out the door to the east.
action: Go east
response: This room is mostly set apart from the living room by a depression in the floor and a wall with a wide opening that's a bit too big to be considered a doorway. Here is where you all come to watch TV. There are some assorted chairs and beanbags scattered about for this purpose. To the north is the laundry room, and the living room is back west.

The television sits in the southeast corner of the room.
action: Examine tv
response: It's a nice set, with a fairly large screen. Your father sometimes jokes about unplugging it so that he won't have to be interrupted by emergency news bulletins so often.
action: You look at the chairs
response: A recliner and a rocker sit positioned in front of the television, and three beanbags have been tossed around the room. They are red, yellow, and blue.
action: You examine the recliner
response: It's a large leather recliner. There is a discoloration on the arm where your father spilled coffee in his rush to get to a disaster in Taiwan.
action: You examine the rocker
response: This is a simple, wooden rocker that your dad got for your mom when she had you and your sister. You remember playing on it when you were little.
action: You examine the red
response: (the cape)
It's meant to resemble your father's, but it's generic enough to keep the makers of the snowglobe from getting in trouble.
action: You look at the red beanbag
response: The wonderful thing about beanbags, is beanbags are wonderful things. This one's red.
action: You examine the yellow
response: This is a giant yellow beanbag. It reminds you of the sun-only much, much lumpier.
action: You examine the blue
response: This is basically a huge, plastic sack full of-um, beans, you guess. It's blue.
action: You turn on the tv
response: As the television comes to life, you hear the voice of LNN's new anchorman, Harry Sharper, describing a devastating earthquake in South America. Soon, a cracked landscape fills the screen, with an on-the-spot reporter standing in the foreground to give his perspective on the ensuing chaos.

Upstairs, you hear the sounds of someone bustling around at super-sonic speed, and doors and windows slamming open.

After a while, you hear the shower shut off, and footsteps padding into the general direction of your parents' room. You guess the bathroom's free, now.

The TV is on. It's the news.
action: You go to the north
response: (first opening the door)

This is just a small utility room tucked away in the corner of the house. To the south is the door leading back to the sitting room. A washer and a dryer line the east wall, while across from them are tools hanging on hooks and nails. A shelf runs along the back wall, with various odds and ends stacked on it.

On the laundry room shelf are a tube of spot remover, a box of nails, an empty bottle of bleach, a doomsday remote control, a Copy of Metro Magazine, and a glass jar.
action: You look at the remote
response: It was once used by some supervillain as a remote control for a doomsday device. It doesn't work.
action: You look at the Metro
response: It's just last year's copy of Metro Magazine.
action: You examine the nails
response: (the hooks and nails)
tools are hanging from them.
action: You turn on remote
response: Aaah! What have you done?! Now in ten seconds, the whole world and everything in it and everyone you know and love will be absolutely destroyed and there will be panic and mayhem and--

Just kidding. It doesn't work.
action: You look at the spot remover
response: It's a tube of Zappo! Spot Remover, guaranteed to get any stain out- including chocolate-or your money back. The label on the back has instructions for use.
action: You read it
response: To remove tough stains:

1. Pour spot remover onto stain

2. Rinse garment, or wash as normal

3. Dry

4. Purchase more Zappo! products
action: You pour the spot remover onto the stain
response: You pour a hefty glob of spot remover on the stain. There, that should help take care of it! Now, what does the tube's label say you should do next?
action: You examine the tools
response: People are surprised when they find out your family keeps tools; after all, why would a man need a hammer when he can drive nails with his bare fist? Mostly, these get used by your mother, who has no special powers. Plus, there's always the occasional encounters with Kryptonite...

The tools are pretty much a bare-basics set- there's a hammer, a wrench, a screwdriver, and a small saw.
action: Look around
response: This is just a small utility room tucked away in the corner of the house. To the south is the door leading back to the sitting room. A washer and a dryer line the east wall, while across from them are tools hanging on hooks and nails. A shelf runs along the back wall, with various odds and ends stacked on it.

On the laundry room shelf are a tube of spot remover, a box of nails, an empty bottle of bleach, a doomsday remote control, and a Copy of Metro Magazine.
action: You examine the bleach
response: It's empty.
action: Examine box
response: It's a little box of nails. Nothing special.
action: You examine the washer
response: It's a standard front-loading washer, well suited to a family of five. As you gaze upon the washing machine, strains of The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah fill your ears. The chorus stops abruptly as you realize that the shortest washing cycle takes 45 minutes, which is more time than you have right now. You'd probably be better off washing your dress by hand.

It's closed.
action: You look at the dryer
response: The dryer is looking a little worse for wear. It hasn't been completely functional since "the incident", so your mother sometimes has to take the laundry to the laundromat to use the dryers. Sometimes she asks you or your sister to go. It's annoying, since you almost always have to fend off people who try to steal the spandex.

It's closed.
action: You go south
response: This room is mostly set apart from the living room by a depression in the floor and a wall with a wide opening that's a bit too big to be considered a doorway. Here is where you all come to watch TV. There are some assorted chairs and beanbags scattered about for this purpose. To the north is the laundry room, and the living room is back west.

The television sits in the southeast corner of the room.

On televesion, some talking head is babbling about geophysics, biophysics, and metaphysics to explain how your dad is doing whatever he's doing.
action: Go north
response: This is actually a small half-bathroom tucked away under the stairs.
It has a toilet and a sink, but not much else.
action: You put the dress in the sink
response: Done.
action: You turn on the tap
response: You turn the knob, and water starts gushing from the faucet in a steady stream. The water runs over the material of your dress, completely soaking it.
action: You turn off the tap
response: You turn the knob the other way, and the water shuts off. One last drop falls from the tap and plummets down the drain.
action: Dry dress
response: You zap your dress with a quick burst of heat vision, instantly drying it. Yes! You've gotten the stain out. Now quick, finish getting dressed!
action: You wear the dress
response: (first taking the dress)
Okay, you're now wearing the dress.
action: You put the roach in the jar
response: (first trying to take the cockroach)
You can't bring yourself to touch it, though you could probably catch it in something, like a jar.
action: You catch the roach
response: You can't bring yourself to touch it, let alone catch it with your bare hands. Though, you could probably catch it in something, like a jar.
action: You catch the roach in the jar
response: With the stealth and grace of a ninja, you turn the jar upside-down and drop it over the cockroach, trapping the bug inside. After your prisoner scrambles around for a bit, you right the jar again, giving it a light shake so that the bug falls solidly to the bottom of the jar. That should hold the creature long enough for your purposes.
action: Go upwards
response: This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.
action: Go west
response: This is the master bedroom, where your parents sleep. Their large, double bed is at the far end of the room, your Dad's side close to the window in case he has to leave in the middle of the night to attend an emergency. Against the far wall is a large vanity. You notice a beautiful silver necklace hanging from it.

Your mother, fresh from the shower, is sitting on the bed in her bathrobe, busily typing away at the laptop on the bed next to her. She pauses occaisonally to pat at her hair with the towel around her shoulders.

Your Mom types furiously for a seconds, then curses and holds down the delete key.
action: You talk to Mom
response: Your mother turns and smiles at you, lifting her fingers away from the keyboard. "Hi, Sweetie," she says.
action: You ask Mom for the necklace
response: Your mother leans back, looking thoughtful. "It would look nice on you, Honey. Tell you what-that guy from the Tabloids has been sneaking around again. If you can get rid of him, I'll let you borrow the necklace for tonight. Okay?"

It sounds like a fair deal. As you nod, your Mom turns back her laptop and types a few more sentences.
action: You examine mom
response: Your Mom is about average height with dark hair, and she looks pretty good for her age. Your father sometimes describes her as a hurricane; she's always on the go! She's sitting on the bed, looking at you.
action: You go east
response: Your Mom shrugs and goes back to typing.

This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.
action: You go north
response: This is the upstairs bathroom. Clouds of steam from your parents' recent shower fill the room, and there are puddles on the tile floor. The large mirror over the sink and the glass front of the medicine cabinet are fogged up.
action: You examine the mirror
response: It's a large, plain mirror hanging over the bathroom sink. The glass is completely fogged over from all the steam in the room.
action: You look at the cabinet
response: It's a small wall-mounted medicine cabinet with two glass doors over the front. It's good for storing things like toothpaste, makeup, mouthwash, and cologne. It's closed.
action: You open it
response: Opening the medicine cabinet reveals a makeup kit.
action: You take kit
response: With a triumphant cry, you seize the makeup kit and immediately apply some of its conents. Ah, you feel so pretty, now!
action: You examine the shower
response: You try to avoid eye-contact with it for the time being.
action: You go to the south
response: (first unlocking the bathroom door, then opening it)

This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.
action: Go east
response: This is the end of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. Your room is to the north, and your twin sister's room is across the hall, to the south. The hall coninues to the west, and immediately east is a closet.
action: Go north
response: This is your room. For the most part, it is pretty neat. Your bed lies alongside the wall that has your closet, and a small dresser is next to it. The other walls are covered with carefully organized bookshelves, videoshelves, pictures, and a full-length mirror by the window. The hallway is south of here, right out the door.
action: You look at the mirror
response: It's a tall, narrow mirror with a gold frame, and glass in which you can see your reflection.

You're about average height, with dark, naturally curly hair.

You do a little twirl in front of the mirror. Your dress fans out around you as you turn, and the high heeled shoes on your feet make you look taller. Your features are nicely accentuated without looking trashy.

Some jewelry would really help. By the way, your hair is a frizzy mess. Get Moving, girl!
action: You look at door
response: Which door do you mean, the bathroom door, your brother's door, or your parents' door?
action: Go south
response: The "Keep Out" sign's magic powers keep you from entering. Actually, it's more likely the huge mess and brother germs on the other side of the door.
action: You go west
response: This is the master bedroom, where your parents sleep. Their large, double bed is at the far end of the room, your Dad's side close to the window in case he has to leave in the middle of the night to attend an emergency. Against the far wall is a large vanity. You notice a beautiful silver necklace hanging from it.

Your mother, fresh from the shower, is sitting on the bed in her bathrobe, busily typing away at the laptop on the bed next to her. She pauses occaisonally to pat at her hair with the towel around her shoulders.

Your Mom grumbles about having to spell the names of the foreign diplomats who were held at gunpoint.
action: You ask Mom about David
response: Your mother turns and smiles at you, lifting her fingers away from the keyboard. "Hi, Sweetie," she says.

Your mother looks out the window and sighs dreamily, not really paying attention to you.
action: You go east
response: Your Mom shrugs and goes back to typing.

This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.
action: Go down
response: This is the living room. It's the front room of the house, and its main feature is the large sofa along the back wall by the staircase, across from the front door. Just north is a small bathroom. West is the door that leads into the dining area, and there is a sitting room set apart to the east.
action: You examine the front door
action: Go north
response: Kitchen (or Cooking Area)
This is the main part of the kitchen, where the food is prepared. A long counter runs along the east wall, broken up in the middle by the refridgerator. A small cooking island dominates the center of this area, and pots and pans hang from above it. Light floods the room from the large windows on the west wall , and there is also a small window in the north wall, next to the door that leads out into the backyard.
action: Go north
response: Since your house is situated on the corner of the block, you have a fairly decent-sized backyard that wraps southwest around the side of the house, also. The entire yard is closed in with a high, wooden privacy fence, but it isn't quite enough to keep the tabloidists from climbing into your yard and getting into the trash.

David is sitting on the back step, with a guitar. You double-take as it registers that he is using your hair pick to strum the guitar!

...And he's not very good, either.
action: You talk to David
response: He briefly looks up from the instrument. "Hey, Sis," he says, before resuming his daily routine of ignoring you.
action: You ask David for the pick
response: "No way, Sis!" he says. "I need it to practice my guitar. There's sure nothing else to do around here..." He exhales. "Not since I lost my comic book, anyway."
action: You give the comic book to David
response: His eyes bug out as he sees the comic in your hand. "I've been looking all over for that!" He exclaims. "Where'd you find it?"

Before you can answer, he seizes the comic and runs off, leaving the guitar and your hairpick on the step. You quickly pick up the hair pick and, after brushing the worst of the cooites off it, run it through your hair. Much better!
action: You examine the guitar
response: It's an acoustic guitar. Come to think of it, you have no idea where it actually came from.
action: You examine the fence
response: It's very tall, and made of a dark colored wood. It wraps around the backyard and the side-yard. Tabloidists still manage to get in, but at least the fence makes it more difficult for them.
action: You listen
response: Something's rustling around in the trashcans next to your house.
action: EXITS
response: Obvious exits lead south, back to the kitchen (or cooking area); southwest; and up.

(You can control the exit listings with the EXITS command. EXITS STATUS shows the exit list in the status line, EXITS LOOK shows a full exit list in each room description, EXITS ON shows both, and EXITS OFF turns off both kinds of exit lists.)
action: You go southwest
response: This is just a little stretch of land that borders the side of your house. It's almost completely boxed in by the house and the privacy fence, except for where it joins the backyard to the northeast. Some trashcans are piled at the southern end of the fence.

A bagged lunch sits on the ground by the reporter's feet.

Over by the trashcans, a tabloid reporter ineptly tries to conceal himself behind a large bush.

The cockroach senses the presence of a ham and tuna sandwich. It presses itself against the glass and stares longingly at the reporter's sack lunch. Then, much to your surprise, it flies out of the jar and buzzes straight towards the lunchbag. The bug somehow executes a perfect swan dive, landing inside the bag.

Upon hearing a buzz, the tabloid reporter glances in his lunchbag and sees the bug enjoying his sandwich. Like the hardened, unfazable reporter that he is, he immediately throws his arms up into the air and runs screaming like a little girl. You watch in amazement as he vaults the fence, landing with a hard thud followed by yelps, yapping, and an anguished cry of "My poodles!"

Well, that's one less pest to deal with, at least.
action: You go northeast
response: Since your house is situated on the corner of the block, you have a fairly decent-sized backyard that wraps southwest around the side of the house, also. The entire yard is closed in with a high, wooden privacy fence, but it isn't quite enough to keep the tabloidists from climbing into your yard and getting into the trash.

"Poodle-attacking fiend!" *Whap* *Whap* *Whap*
action: Go up
response: You are floating serenly in the sky above your house. It's kind of nice, up here. The view and the lovely weather combine to help lift your spirits.
action: EXITS
response: Obvious exits lead north; south; east; west; northeast; northwest; southeast; southwest; up; and down, back to the the backyard.
action: You go south
response: Kitchen (or Cooking Area)
This is the main part of the kitchen, where the food is prepared. A long counter runs along the east wall, broken up in the middle by the refridgerator. A small cooking island dominates the center of this area, and pots and pans hang from above it. Light floods the room from the large windows on the west wall , and there is also a small window in the north wall, next to the door that leads out into the backyard.

There is a din out in the street. A whole lot of small dogs are yapping like crazy, and it sounds like your neighbor Tiffany is hitting the tabloid reporter with her purse.
action: You go south
response: This is the dining area. It isn't quite a dining "room" since the only thing that seperates it from rest of the kitchen is space. It consists of a large table and several chairs at the south end of the expansive kitchen. The cooking area is at the north end. The living room is out the door to the east.

David is sitting in one of the chairs, reading his comic.

"Help! This-*Giant Raccoon* is attacking my poodles!" *WHAP*

"Ow! Look, Lady, I'm not really a raccoon, it's just a costume! So could you just-" *WHAP* "-stop-" *WHAP* "-Ow!"
action: You go to the east
response: This is the living room. It's the front room of the house, and its main feature is the large sofa along the back wall by the staircase, across from the front door. Just north is a small bathroom. West is the door that leads into the dining area, and there is a sitting room set apart to the east.

There is a din out in the street. A whole lot of small dogs are yapping like crazy, and it sounds like your neighbor Tiffany is hitting the tabloid reporter with her purse.
action: Go upward
response: This is the beginning of the narrow hallway that runs east-west through the upstairs of the house. The bathroom is immediately north, and at the western end of the hall is your parents' room. Between them is the staircase that goes down to the rest of the house. South, across from the stairs, is your brother David's room. The hall coninues to the east, towards your and your sister's rooms.

The sound of a tabloidist in mild agony amidst a horde of toy poodles reaches your ears. You ingore it.
action: Go west
response: This is the master bedroom, where your parents sleep. Their large, double bed is at the far end of the room, your Dad's side close to the window in case he has to leave in the middle of the night to attend an emergency. Against the far wall is a large vanity. You notice a beautiful silver necklace hanging from it.

Your mother, fresh from the shower, is sitting on the bed in her bathrobe, busily typing away at the laptop on the bed next to her. She pauses occaisonally to pat at her hair with the towel around her shoulders.

"Lady-*ow*--please, I-*ow*--I was only-*ow!* HELP, SUPERM-*Ow!*"

Your Mom casts a worried glance out the window.
action: You ask Mom for necklace
response: Your mother turns and smiles at you, lifting her fingers away from the keyboard. "Hi, Sweetie," she says.

Your mom grins. "From all the commotion outside, it sounds like that jerk from the tabloids won't be coming back any time soon. Just for that, you can borrow my necklace any time you like." She stands up and crosses to the vanity. "As long as you ask first, of course, " she adds as she takes the necklace from the hook and gently hands it to you.
action: Wear necklace
response: You double check everything, making sure that not one hair or thread is out of place. Perfect. Just in time, too, because Troy is at the door now! You hear his heartbeat outside the front door long before he knocks. Dropping everything you know you won't need, you rush over, pausing at the last minute so that you don't seem overly anxious.

When you finally open the door, Troy stares at you as though you were some kind of goddess. "Wow," he squeaks after a long pause, "just...Wow. You look great, Martha!" He clears his throat. "So, are you ready to go?"

Before you can reply, you hear your father land in the back yard and make his way through the kitchen. "Not so fast, kids..." After an endless parade of questions about where you're going, how long you'll be, and how much gas is in the car, you and Troy *finally* head off to the Ukranian Film Festival.

As you glance at Troy, it occurs to you that neither of you will be paying very much attention to Grosky's Fish Sing In Twighlight. He smiles at you.

"You really look nice, Martha," he says. "It must be nice being a Kent; getting ready to go was probably a snap."