Onna Kabuki: A Tale of Theatre and Revenge
by Victor Ojuel (2017)

Japan, 1602. A noble lady, betrayed. A loyal samurai, fallen. A mysterious monk, unmasked. A titillating actress, haunted. A wayward drunkard, redeemed. Take your seat, for the curtain is drawn...

action: %
response: "It is the way of the samurai to be violent and headstrong, and it
is natural that Your Honour should want to cut down a troublesome wench like this, but please be so good as to think over it a moment. If you cut down a woman you will have to expiate it by cutting yourself open afterwards, and your parents will be made to look ridiculous over it, while to crown all the affair will be a blot on the memorial tablets of your ancestral shrine.

And is there any woman who is worth such a price?"

Enomoto Torahiko, Raizan.

ONNA KABUKI (Episode One)
by Víctor Ojuel

An unfinished story about theatre and revenge, made for IntroComp, July 2017.

The author wishes to thank the kind testers, namely Ara Carrasco and Andrew Schultz.

Type HELP for instructions on how to play.
Type WARNING to see the content warning for this story.
Type ABOUT to know more about the game and its author.
action: Warning
response: This story might be triggering for some people due to:

Suicide themes (non-graphic, optional)
action: About yourself
response: Behold the brave Akechi Nobuhide, a great warrior and loyal samurai retainer of the Lord Kinoshita. By all accounts, this shall be the last day of his life.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: He is carrying:
samurai armor (being worn)
a katana
a tantō
action: You look at him
response: Improper of a samurai!
action: You jump
response: He jumps on the spot.
action: You go west
response: Akechi lets go a fearsome battle cry, steeling himself for certain death, ready to dive into the thickest of the battle. Will he do it?
action: Y.
response: He charges into battle like the kami-kaze, inflicting a thousand wounds before death comes to him, swiftly, like silent snow. The bushido is honourably choosing death when life is still possible, nothing more, nothing less.

A pilgrim in the snow.
Winter.

Many days have passed, and even the bitterest winter comes to an end. Your stop for a while, interrupting the sound of steps on the crunchy snow. Night is falling behind the tall trees. Time to find a place to rest your weary bones until the morning.

Darkness is falling fast. The pines are darkened, and beyond them a river sings its bubbly song among the reeds of the northern shore. Lording over the whole nightscape, a castle is silhouetted in silver against the rising moon. The breeze sings in the branches, stirring the forest to its secret life. The road turns to the west.
action: You go west
response: Once again, you drag your sore feet along the road. After a while, the forest thins out and you come to a crossroads.

At a crossroads, gurgling of water on stone, distant laughter. To the north, a bridge over a gushing river, glinting under the moon. To the west, muffled conversation and a warm candlelight through paper walls - a roadside inn.
action: About yourself
response: You are nothing but a humble komusō monk, a "priest of nothingness", devoted to the mendicant life. Wandering around, straw basket over your head to erase your identity, you play your flute for alms and seek enlightenment on the road.
action: You play the flute
response: You play the flute as well as you can.

Silence seems to grow around you as you play the shakuhachi flute, a lonely, long ululating sound that evokes the mist in the mountains - the self peels away just like mist boils away at sunrise. Once done, you put it back in your sash.
action: Go west
response: An inn lit by candles, and within, men lit by rice wine. A half-dozen tables, occupied mostly by local peasants. A rather dishevelled waitress is strutting around the table where a few boisterous soldiers keep drinking sake in large quantities.

The obsequious innkeeper is serving his patrons from a great barrel of sake.
action: Go west
response: First things first. You should get some dinner, and a room for the night.
action: You look at the waitress
response: She's a young woman of perhaps twenty, hair haphazardly held up with a dissonant assortment of hair pins, kimono suggestively loose. It is illegal for inns of this type to employ prostitutes, so this woman is not an illegal prostitute, just a waitress that so happens to offer sexual services to travelers in exchange for money.
action: You eat
response: What do you want to eat?
action: You buy the room
response: Nothing is on sale.
action: You ask the waitress about the dinner
response: (You'd rather communicate with TALK TO a character.)
action: You talk to the waitress
response: It would be very unbecoming of a priest to be seen talking to a loose woman in a public place. You need to find a way to make her go somewhere more private, perhaps to get sent on some errand for the inn, if you found something... lacking in your accommodation.
action: You play the flute
response: You play the flute as well as you can.

You finish your flute concert with a few prayers and blessings for the patrons and the master of the house. All the inn patrons show their appreciation, and the innkeeper in particular bows deeply. You seem to have made him suitably grateful.
action: You talk to the keeper
response: "A traveling monk! Welcome, you are most welcome to our humble inn. Have a seat, I shall bring you some food..."

He fills your bowl with rice and some tempting-looking pickles. You devour the lot in no time.
action: You keep going
response: "And now I guess you would like a place to rest? Come with me..."

He opens a sliding door, and you follow him into one of the inn's guestrooms. He wishes you good-night.

The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, there is a closed sliding window.

On the floor, neatly arranged, there is a futon mattress.

The innkeeper gestures you to wait, goes into his chambers and comes back with a white flask. He presents it to you with the utmost reverence.

"My finest sake, from Nara. To thank you for your performance and your blessings on my house. Please enjoy."

"I humbly receive..."
action: Look around
response: The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, there is a closed sliding window.

On the floor, neatly arranged, there is a futon mattress.
action: You think
response: "I need to know if my information about him is correct. The soldiers should know, if I can get them on a cooperative mood."
action: You open window
response: The window slides open almost in perfect silence. From outside comes a gust of cold, damp air, and a band of silvery light.
action: Go outside
response: You are standing with your back almost to the wall of the inn, just a couple of paces of dry land before the rapid, silver-black waters. Their chatter drowns all other nightly sounds. The current seems strong here, flowing rapidly eastwards, passing under a stone bridge. Further to the northeast, on the other shore, the black shape of a mighty castle looms ominously against the pale, full moon.
action: You examine the river
response: Up close, the current seems pretty strong. Although the river is probably not that deep, you won't be able to cross against that current. You think of a way to make that current work for you...
action: You look at the bridge
response: From this angle you can see the shape of the bridge and the soldiers standing guard as black profiles, like shadow puppets. You need to find another way across the water...
action: You go to the south
response: You get back into the bedroom.

The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, an open sliding window offers a view of the moon and the river, and the soothing sound of running water.

On the floor, neatly arranged, there is a futon mattress.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are wearing:
a kimono
a straw basket

You are carrying:
a flask
flute
action: Go inside
response: This is the very shore, surrounded by the river on all sides except for the inn to the south, where the window to the guest room is. The current seems too strong to swim against; you would end up miles downstream before you reach the northern shore.
action: Go south
response: Out of the door is the common room of the inn, with its raucous talking and singing. To the north, through the open window, comes the gurgling of the river.
action: Go east
response: An inn lit by candles, and within, men lit by rice wine. A half-dozen tables, occupied mostly by local peasants. A rather dishevelled waitress is strutting around the table where a few boisterous soldiers keep drinking sake in large quantities.

The innkeeper brings some tea to one of his patrons.

The waitress keeps flirting with the soldiers, unsuccessfully trying to score some business.
action: You go west
response: The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, an open sliding window offers a view of the moon and the river, and the soothing sound of running water.

On the floor, neatly arranged, there is a futon mattress.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are wearing:
a straw basket

You are carrying:
a flask
flute
a kimono
action: You remove the basket
response: In the privacy of the bedroom, you take off the basket for a moment. In the dim light you find a little silk pouch sewn to the inside of the basket, and from there you extract one ryō. It seems like some gold would bend a few minds around these parts.
action: Sleep
response: Not yet. You still need to know if the man you seek is where you think he is. His men should know that. You must find a way to loosen some military tongues.
action: You go east
response: Bad idea to run around naked.
action: You go to the east
response: Not without the basket, someone could see you!
action: Wear basket
response: You put on the straw basket.
action: You go east
response: An inn lit by candles, and within, men lit by rice wine. A half-dozen tables, occupied mostly by local peasants. A rather dishevelled waitress is strutting around the table where a few boisterous soldiers keep drinking sake in large quantities.

The innkeeper fills another flask on the sake barrel and ceremoniously brings it to the soldiers.

The dishevelled-looking woman takes a surreptitious look at the innkeeper, and has a sip of sake while he's not looking.
action: You talk to the peasant
response: You start a friendly conversation with the rustic peasants. They gossip about various topics, tell a few a legends and a bit about the local spirits and suchlike.

"Have you seen the castle?" asks one of them, perhaps a bit more into his cups than the others. "It used to belong to Lord Kinoshita..." his friends try to shut him up, looking nervously at the soldiers on the other tables.

"That was many years ago. There was a great battle, many great warriors died. There was a samurai called Akechi, they said he was illegitimately in love with a noble lady. The tale says he died fighting scores of samurai, and even his enemies praised him for his bravery after slaying him...

The others manage to make him shut up, and apologise quietly for the tirade. Under the table, you clench your fists.
action: You talk to the soldier
response: You approach the soldiers and try to make small talk, but they are more interested in drinking and bragging about their dubious exploits rather than have a pious conversation with a monk.

"Pray tell, good soldiers, which lord do you serve?"

"Why, the daimyō, of course! Haven't you seen his castle, on the northern shore?"

"And why so many of you? I want to continue my pilgrimage, but the bridge seems to be closed..."

"And why so many questions? And why answer them? Leave us to our sake, monk, and bother us no more unless you're buying!"
action: You pay soldier
response: What do you want to pay the soldiers?
action: You pay coin to the soldier
response: They would definitely do anything for this kind of money, but a mendicant monk carrying so much gold would look extremely suspicious. There must be a subtler way to make them do your bidding.
action: You pay waitress
response: What do you want to pay the waitress?
action: Coin
response: Not here in front of everybody! Find somewhere more private for the transaction.
action: You go west
response: The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, an open sliding window offers a view of the moon and the river, and the soothing sound of running water.

On the floor, neatly arranged, there is a futon mattress.
action: You take the mattress
response: With some effort, you lift the cumbersome futon.
action: You go to the south
response: You get back into the bedroom.

The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, an open sliding window offers a view of the moon and the river, and the soothing sound of running water.
action: You drop the mattress
response: You leave the futon here for the moment being.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, an open sliding window offers a view of the moon and the river, and the soothing sound of running water.

You can see a futon here.
action: Go east
response: An inn lit by candles, and within, men lit by rice wine. A half-dozen tables, occupied mostly by local peasants. A rather dishevelled waitress is strutting around the table where a few boisterous soldiers keep drinking sake in large quantities.

The innkeeper steals a greedy look at the waitress.

The waitress is exchanging some rather coarse banter with the soldiers.
action: You talk to the waitress
response: It would be very unbecoming of a priest to be seen talking to a loose woman in a public place. You need to find a way to make her go somewhere more private, perhaps to get sent on some errand for the inn, if you found something... lacking in your accommodation.
action: You go east
response: You would never get past the innkeeper while lugging the futon.
action: You go north
response: You are standing with your back almost to the wall of the inn, just a couple of paces of dry land before the rapid, silver-black waters. Their chatter drowns all other nightly sounds. The current seems strong here, flowing rapidly eastwards, passing under a stone bridge. Further to the northeast, on the other shore, the black shape of a mighty castle looms ominously against the pale, full moon.
action: You drop the futon
response: With a grunt, you throw the mattress into the river. The current drags it quickly to the east and it floats for a short while, but halfways to the bridge it sinks, soaked in water.
action: Close window
response: Quietly, you slide the widow until it's shut again.
action: You go east
response: An inn lit by candles, and within, men lit by rice wine. A half-dozen tables, occupied mostly by local peasants. A rather dishevelled waitress is strutting around the table where a few boisterous soldiers keep drinking sake in large quantities.

With a few compliments for each patron, the innkeeper serves sake from a barrel.

For a moment, the girl lingers in the back, propped against the wall. A dirty look from the innkeeper sends her on a flurry of action.
action: You talk to the innkeeper
response: "Dear innkeeper, thought it pains me to ask so much of your piety, can't you provide at least a meagre futon for your guests? My old bones ache in this cold..."

"What, isn't there a futon in your guest room?"

"A futon, you say? Not one, no, not a single blanket you have provided!"

"Damn that lazy wench! You, woman, did I not tell you to prepare the guest rooms before dinnertime? Go tend to this venerable monk, at once! Go to, make haste!"

The waitress gives you the evil eye as she goes fetch a futon for your room.
action: Go west
response: The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, there is a closed sliding window.

The waitress is here, searching every nook and cranny and muttering something about a "damned futon".
action: You talk to the girl
response: "I would need some distraction, and I think you might be able to help with that."

"Distraction? What are you up to? I want no part in anything illegal!"

"Nothing more illegal that what you are already doing. I need that innkeeper to lose sight of his sake, for the general merriment of all patrons..."

"Heh, that might be fun. But what's in for me? If I do that and he finds out I was an accomplice, he'll kick me out, to starve in the snow. So, "monk", if you want my help, I need to see some money..."
action: You show the coin to the woman
response: You produce the golden coin, which attracts the waitress' gaze like a magnet.

"Get the innkeeper away from that barrel, can you?"

"For a ryo, I can that and much more!"

You give her the ryo, and she bites it to ensure it's gold.

"A piece of advice, girl. Get out of here. Go south, to Edo, it's where the bakufu is these days, a great city. Ask about the kabuki theatre. I make no promises, but it is the only place where a woman can be her own."

She pulls a face like you were telling her to go to the moon, but she seems to listen, and even bows a little. Then she's off.
action: Go east
response: An inn lit by candles, and within, men lit by rice wine. The tables are occupied mostly by local peasants, except for one where the soldiers keep yelling for more sake... but the innkeeper doesn't seem to be around.

The barrel is full of sake... and the innkeeper is nowhere to be seen. Tempting.
action: You take the barrel
response: All that sake makes it way too heavy to carry or push. What would be a good way to empty it? Ah, yes, the soldiers... that could work...
Not yet. Before you get them completely drunk, there is some information you need to extract from them. Start with the finer wine to loosen their tongues, and go for broke only when you don't need them awake any more...
action: You give the sake to the soldiers
response: (the flask to the soldiers)
"I have brought some fine sake, more worthy of great warriors like yourselves."

"Ha! Good, good, let's drink it then! To the health of our daimyō and his illustrious guests."

"Does he have guests tonight?"

"Of course, why'd you think there's so many of us around in such a bitter night? And very special guests indeed - the lord Konkawa, liege of all the region, and some say, Tokugawa's staunchest supporter in the whole of Chūbu."

"Is he indeed."

"Aye! He's on some tour of his vassal castles. But he departs early in the morning, so let us drink and be merry while we can, and damned be the dawn."

And with that, he finishes the flask and throws it to the floor.
action: You give the barrel to the soldiers
response: (first taking the barrel of sake)
All that sake makes it way too heavy to carry or push. What would be a good way to empty it? Ah, yes, the soldiers... that could work...

"Good soldiers, look! That gold-hearted innkeeper has left you all his sake for your enjoyment! What a compassionate fellow! How he loves loyal soldiers!"

The men cheer and waste no time in requisitioning the barrel. Needless to say, in a moment they are drunker than a sailor.

That should take care of them for the night... and empty that barrel very conveniently. Time to catch some rest while you wait for them to pass out.
action: Go west
response: The inn guestrooms are spartan and small, as expected in such a remote part of the Empire. The tatamis are a bit old and worn out, but at least you will have some privacy here. From outside comes the din of the tavern. To the north, there is a closed sliding window.
action: You remove the basket
response: You take off the straw basket.
action: Sleep
response: Everything is ready. You sit patiently in your chambers, getting some rest while you wait for the right moment for your next move...

Edo, the floating world...
Summer.

The kabuki play will start soon. And yet again, time and place shall dissolve, identities will be confused, and an old tragedy will be made real again for the audience. You can hear the audience on the other side of the curtain, talking, laughing, drinking, almost holding their breath in anticipation for today's play. They have come to see beautiful women, brave samurai, dastardly villains, daring deeds and titillating innuendo. A story to take their minds off the daily toil and business of Edo life. A fantasy to forget the grayness of a military rule, or so they expect...

The green room is teeming with other actresses chatting, putting on their costumes and applying make-up in preparation for the performance. Not long to go until it starts, better get ready. The main stage is to the east, the stairs in the background climb up to your chambers in the upper floor.

One of the newest actresses smiles nervously at you, perhaps intimidated by the thought of appearing on-stage so soon.

A heavy wooden tansu chest sits at the foot of a huge mirror.

On it sits a bowl of fine white powder.

Another couple of bowls contain red and black paint.

A third bowl is full of thick, sticky white foundation.
action: About you
response: The alluring Shiratama, one of the most celebrated kabuki actresses of the pleasure district of Edo, famous for her dramatic talent.

You are splendidly dressed in a deliciously tactile silk yukata, light and fresh for the humid summers of Edo.
action: You apply the foundation
response: Unworthy of a splendid lady like yourself!
action: You look at foundation
response: Thick white paint.
action: You examine the mirror
response: You stand in front of the mirror and take a critical look at yourself...

The alluring Shiratama, one of the most celebrated kabuki actresses of the pleasure district of Edo, famous for her dramatic talent.

You are splendidly dressed in a deliciously tactile silk yukata, light and fresh for the humid summers of Edo.
action: You wear the foundation
response: (first taking foundation)
You take foundation.

You apply the white foundation over your naked skin, painting your face all white with a brush. Then you use a sponge to even it out, eliminating brush marks.
action: Wear powder
response: (first taking powder)
You take powder.

You gently apply white powders all over your face, carefully brushing away the excess. It clings to the white foundation perfectly, giving your face an even appearance, like fresh snow upon a field.
action: You look at the tansu
response: Once it belonged to a travelling merchant, but at some point he had to pawn everything he owned to pay for a certain lady. What a coincidence, his chest ended up in your possession.

The great chest is closed.
action: You talk to the actress
response: "So, girl? Ready for the performance?"

"Oh, I am so nervous, Shiratama-san! I am terrified that I would freeze and forget my cues!" she says, trembling slightly. You smile reassuringly, as expected from a seasoned actress like yourself.

"Don't be, little sister. Let's go over it one more time: in the first act, the noble Toji defends her lady from a band of robbers. The theme is bravery and fierceness. Then, when her lady dies (that is, you), he is overcome by grief and wanders off, wishing death. The topic of the second act is desperation, as he travels the world and meets a tengu. The tengu teaches him some magic tricks, and in the third act he avenges her lover (and then you appear as a ghost), finishing on a note of redemption. See? Not that difficult to follow."

The other woman bows, with a smile of relief.

"Thank you, Shiratama-san! I shall remember that."

You go back to your preparations.
action: Go upward
response: Stage fright, girl? It is not the time to retire to your chambers, not until the performance is done. You should be getting ready. Once you are, the main stage is to the east.
action: Inventory
response: You are wearing:
paint
powder
foundation
purple silk yukata
lacquered geta

You are carrying:
a fan
action: You remove the yukata
response: You take off purple silk yukata.
action: You wear the red kimono
response: (first taking the fiery red kimono)
You take the fiery red kimono.
action: You wear it
response: You layer the kimonos carefully, so that they can be taken off for dramatic effect when your character undergoes a personal ordeal.

You're already wearing that!
action: You check your inventory
response: You are wearing:
a fiery red kimono
paint
powder
foundation
lacquered geta

You are carrying:
purple silk yukata
a fan
action: You remove the kimono
response: (the fiery red kimono)
You take off the fiery red kimono.
action: You wear green
response: (first taking the soft green kimono)
You take the soft green kimono.
action: You wear it
response: You take the dignified yellow kimono.

You layer the kimonos carefully, so that they can be taken off for dramatic effect when your character undergoes a personal ordeal.
action: You wear red
response: You layer the kimonos carefully, so that they can be taken off for dramatic effect when your character undergoes a personal ordeal.

You finish layering your kimonos for the play.
action: You examine the fan
response: The fan is a common prop in kabuki. It can represent anything, from a flower to a cup to a sunrise. In your role of today, it will be a sword.
action: You examine the geta
response: A pair of high geta sandals, made of wood and elegantly lacquered in black. They make a characteristic clip-clapping sound when walking.
action: You examine the yukata
response: It is a very expensive summer yukata made of the finest silk, a vibrant purple colour with a motif of white kitsune foxes.
action: You put the yukata in the chest
response: You put purple silk yukata into the tansu chest.
action: About yourself
response: The alluring Shiratama, one of the most celebrated kabuki actresses of the pleasure district of Edo, famous for her dramatic talent.

You are dressed for your role as Toji, the vengeful samurai.

You are halfways through your make-up session.
action: You look at the face
response: Unworthy of a splendid lady like yourself!
action: You look
response: The green room is teeming with other actresses chatting, putting on their costumes and applying make-up in preparation for the performance. Not long to go until it starts, better get ready. The main stage is to the east, the stairs in the background climb up to your chambers in the upper floor.

One of the newest actresses smiles nervously at you, perhaps intimidated by the thought of appearing on-stage so soon.

A heavy wooden tansu chest sits at the foot of a huge mirror.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are wearing:
a dignified yellow kimono
a soft green kimono
a fiery red kimono
paint
powder
foundation
lacquered geta

You are carrying:
a fan
action: You drop the paint
response: (first taking paint off)
You take off paint.

You leave paint here for the moment being.
action: Close chest
response: You close the tansu chest.
action: You examine the mirror
response: You stand in front of the mirror and take a critical look at yourself...

The alluring Shiratama, one of the most celebrated kabuki actresses of the pleasure district of Edo, famous for her dramatic talent.

You are dressed for your role as Toji, the vengeful samurai.

You are halfways through your make-up session.
action: You remove the paint
response: You take off paint.
action: You remove the powder
response: You take off powder.
action: You wear the paint
response: You paint black eye shadows over your whitened face, and then some red accents indicating your character is a brave samurai. The paint glides too easily over your foundation, smudging the edges of the shadows unbecomingly.
action: Wear powder
response: You apply the white powder all over your face. It sticks to the red and black paint, messing the colours and dampening the effect. The result is an awful mess.
action: Wear powder
response: You gently apply white powders all over your face, carefully brushing away the excess. It clings to the white foundation perfectly, giving your face an even appearance, like fresh snow upon a field.
action: You remove the geta
response: You take off lacquered geta.
action: Open chest
response: You open the tansu chest, revealing purple silk yukata.
action: You put the geta in the chest
response: You put lacquered geta into the tansu chest.
action: Close chest
response: You close the tansu chest.
action: About yourself
response: The alluring Shiratama, one of the most celebrated kabuki actresses of the pleasure district of Edo, famous for her dramatic talent.

You are dressed for your role as Toji, the vengeful samurai.

You are halfways through your make-up session.
action: Open chest
response: You open the tansu chest, revealing lacquered geta and purple silk yukata.
action: You wear the geta
response: (first taking lacquered geta)
You take lacquered geta.

You put on lacquered geta.
action: You wear yukata
response: (first taking purple silk yukata)
You take purple silk yukata.

You put on purple silk yukata.
action: You wear green
response: No, you are supposed to layer the costume kimonos for your character, according to his changes of personality, not wear your own clothes on scene. Be professional!
action: You remove the yukata
response: You take off purple silk yukata.
action: You put the yukata in the chest
response: You put purple silk yukata into the tansu chest.
action: You turn the mirror
response: It is fixed in place.
action: Y.
response: cheapglulxe quit with exit status: 0