Coffee and Co

Being a barista always did sound like fun when you were younger. Of course that was a time before you had to think about how to pay the bills and if you'd be able to eat before your paycheck came in. Now you depend on smiles and thank you's through gritted teeth on the of chance someone would tip. You worked your ass off in school and look where it got you now. [[A paper that proves your 4 years of hard work and the reason for your crippling debt.]] [[You never finished college]]

It was like watching a pile up on the road the way your life crashed and burned before you. Everything suddenly happened all at once. Just few months earlier you were set on your dream school. Bright eyed and bushy tailed that your hard work had pushed you foward in life. But then //it// happened and life crashed to a stop. A virus spread around the world and dread slowly seeped into your life as one by one everything around you shut down. Yes //it// was covid. It was probably a mixture of unprocessed depression and overwhelming anxiety that lead you to experience, horrors of all horrors ''bed rot.'' Then one day you ''woke up'' and years had slipped past you. It's like you were running on autopilot, not truly conscious of your actions for 3 years. But you had fallen behind in the process. And it was so scary to try when you felt so behind. You had chosen to work until you had gotten the courage to try something new. You heard a rattling sound and sighed, you knew exactly what that sound was. [[It's a customer.]]

College was great all things considered; you had a great time in college. Fun times and so many memories. But maybe just maybe someone should have briefed you more on finances before you signed your money away for college loans. You suppose this is what happens when public funding for education is slowly taken away and kids don't have the necessary support structure in place to make educated choices about their future. Now that you're thinking about it do you even have free will to make those choices in the first place? After all those choices were pre-determined by your socio-economic background and its not like you asked to be born. Before you can continue spiralling down a rabbit hole like Alice, you are interrupted from your thoughts by a voice. "Hello? //Hellooo?// Anyone in there?" [[It's a customer.]]

There are some mysteries in the world that struggle to be answered. Like why people continue to try to open doors that have proven seconds ago to be locked. Did anything change in between tries? You send up a prayer to anyone, ''anything'' that could be listening. 'Please let this be a easy day.' You wipe away an imaginary tear at this daily prayer. [[You think about ignoring the figure at the door. ]] [[ You pull yourself up by the bootstraps and head to the front door of the store.]]

You glance at the clock. 6:50AM, there are still 12 more minutes before the store opens. But just incase you walked over to the front door and unlocked it to respond to whoever was trying to rattle the doors of it's hinges. You walked over and unlocked the door, it was a bit of a struggle as the lock was always stuck. But after a embarrassing amount of jiggling the lock, you got it open. The door opens and as the light beams into your eyes, you squint due to the brightness but eventually your eyes focus and you see the customer for the first time. Well at least he's cute. (set:$helpful to 1) [[Next ->Castor meet]]

You glance at the clock. 6:48AM, there are still 12 more wonderful minutes before the store opens. You could get away with not responding to the figure at the door with the excuse that the store wasn't open yet. But if they left a bad review you would have to explain yourself to your ever so petty manager, Gina. And did you really want to talk to her? (set:$help to - 1) [[Don't go ->Keep ignoring the noise.]] [[Head over -> You pull yourself up by the bootstraps and head to the front door of the store.]]

You frown at the noise gets louder and louder. 'Why won't they read the store hours posted outside the door', you think to yourself. The voice in the back of your head says 'Maybe they can't read.' You play a game of wills with the noise, will you give in first or will the customer. The door continues to rattle. And rattle. And //rattle//. Apparentally whoever is at the door plays a mean game of chicken and is ever so slightly more stubborn then you are. You can't stand the noise anymore and you head over to check it out. (set:$helpful to it - 1) [[You reluctantly open the door.]]

You are a barista. You make drinks for people, you are paid to do this. Sometimes it's fun, sometimes its like dragging your face through shards of glass. But sometimes the voice in your head tells you to go apeshit and you think about giving people decaf coffee when they're rude to you. Every now and then you think about the weird things that happens during your shift and the even stranger customers you interact with. But you try not to think too hard about it, after all it's just a job at the end of the day. [[You look at your reflection.]]

You walk over and unlocked the door, it was a bit of a struggle as the lock was always stuck. But after a embarrassing amount of jiggling the lock, you got it open. The door opens and as the light beams into your eyes, you squint due to the brightness but eventually your eyes focus and you see the customer for the first time. Well at least he's cute. Then you frown again and realize something. He's a red head. [[Next ->Castor meet]]

When you open the door the first thing you notice is his hair, red, the color of Takis. He seems more frazzaled then your normal customers. That's impressive since the morning crew don't seem to act like regular people until they've had their bean juice. His medium length hair is curly and messy, but he's pinned his bangs to the side with a metal star clip. He's dressed in a white sweater covered in black cats and dress pants. His clothes seem to hang very losely off his frame. The stranger is cute in a kind of sopping wet cat kind of way. He notices you staring at him intensely. Crap, how long were you staring at him? (click: "him?")[//Too long//, **be** normal] "Um sorry about this-- But you're open right?" He stood there nervously, pulling on a loose thread of his sweater sleeve. Then he glanced around the cafe, noticing that the overhead lights were off and the chairs are still placed upside down on the tables. The glow of the sweest display was the only illumnation nearby. He glanced at you, then to the floor. Due to the fact you are a master at reading people you could tell what he was thinking. Probably something like, "Shit." (click:"Shit.")["I should have looked at the hours, now its super awkward."] You reply [["We open in a few minutes but it's alright."]] You reply [[ "We open in 11 minutes, I can't help you right now.]]

(set:$helpful to it + 2) You put on your best smile, you can tell that they're nervous. It's hard not to since the anxiety is ratiating off of him in waves. (if:$helpful is > 1) [ You're generally a helpful person after all] (else:)[You suppose this can be your good deed for the day. Afterall you did think about staying in the back and ignoring him until the store offically opened] "How can I help you?" "I think, um, I'm supposed to meet my friend here?" The lack of confidence in his words does not reassure you. "Think I'm just early... He said to meet him here in the morning. Aparently he comes here a lot." "Well feel free to sit down while you wait for him," You jesture to a corner that has couches facing a coffee table that had stacks of board games tucked below. "Would you like some water?" He shakes his head in a no. "Thank you, but I'm alright." You nod once and step away, leaving the young man to it. [[Finish opening up the store. -> Open the store]]

(set:$helpful to it - 1) He turns scarlet like a letter, immediately. He seems to be even more nervous then before. He quickly apologies, "I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to be a bother at all. I'll be out of your hair now!" Before you can say much else he scrambles away until, he's a good 40 feet away from the store and you can see him frantically text on his phone. 'Well I guess that solves that,' You're too tired to be curious of what's going on with his life. Time to go through the motions of opening up the store. (click:"store.") [You put down the chairs.] (click:"You put down the chairs.") [You top off the coffee grinder.] (click: "You top off the coffee grinder.")[You take the syrups out of the fridge, double checking the date that it isn't expired.] (click: "You take the syrups out of the fridge, double checking the date that it isn't expired.") [You refill the dessert fridge.] (click: "You refill the dessert fridge.")[You continue to go through the task list until you're at the front door, flipping the sign from //closed// to //open.//] [[It's time for battle!-> Open the store]]

After flipping the sign to //open// you retreat back to your post in annicpation of the regulars. A pin that says $name shines brightly, adorning your apron. In no time they flood in at a regular pace. ***It's time to focus.*** You take their orders. (click:"pace.") [The construction guy whose hair line has retreated in terror, always orders a medium hot black coffee. No sugar, no cream.] (click:"no cream.") [The hispanic guy wearing the shirt of the kbbq place next door always orders something with strawberries. Today he ordered a large iced strawberry milk, extra sweet.] (click:"strawberries.") [The blonde woman who orders a medium matcha soy latte warm with two cubes of ice, is super duper lactose intolerant. You know this because she warns everyone that if she has dairy shes going to shit her pants in front of you.] (click:"you.") [The East Asian Amazon worker buys a few cookies for his daughter and a large hot latte for himself, //remember he never tips.//] (click:"tips.") [A woman with rose tattoos up the forearm orders a large iced white mocha.] (click:"mocha.") [[Time to make the orders]] (set:$health to 3)

The first drink was a- [[large hot americano -> 2nd Drink]] [[medium hot americano -> 2nd Drink Right]] [[large iced americano -> 2nd Drink]] [[medium iced latte -> 2nd Drink]]

The 2nd drink was a- [[large iced strawberry lemonade -> 3rd Drink]] [[medium iced strawberry matcha latte -> 3rd Drink]] [[large iced strawberry milk -> 3rd Right]]

(set:$dright to 1) The second drink was a- [[large iced strawberry lemonade -> 3rd Drink]] [[medium iced strawberry matcha latte -> 3rd Drink]] [[large iced strawberry milk -> 3rd Right]]

The 3rd drink was a warm matcha latte with- [[soy milk with no ice, it's supposed to be warm duh -> 4th Drink]] [[oat milk and 3 cubes of ice -> 4th Drink]] [[ soy milk and 2 cubes of ice -> 4th Right]]

(set:$dright to it +1) The 3rd drink was a warm matcha latte with- [[soy milk with no ice, it's supposed to be warm duh -> 4th Drink]] [[oat milk and 3 cubes of ice -> 4th Drink]] [[ soy milk and 2 cubes of ice -> 4th Right]]

What did the Amazon driver want again? [[medium hot decaf americano -> 5th drink]] [[iced large latte -> 5th drink]] [[ large hot latte -> 5th right]]

(set:$dright to it +1) What did the Amazon driver want again? [[medium hot decaf americano -> 5th drink]] [[iced large latte -> 5th drink]] [[ large hot latte -> 5th right]]

(set:$dright to it +1) The woman with the rose tattoo ordered a- [[large iced white mocha latte -> end drink]] [[large iced mocha latte -> end drink]] [[regular iced mocha latter with a pump of hazelnut **yum** -> end drink]]

The woman with the rose tattoo ordered a- [[large iced white mocha latte -> end drink]] [[large iced mocha latte -> end drink]] [[regular iced mocha latter with a pump of hazelnut **yum** -> end drink]]

(if:$dright > 3) [You let out a sigh of relief, you got everything right. You're sure of it. Or at the very least no one came up to you and out right admitted you got their order wrong. That's still a win in your book. [[YOU SURVIVED]]] (if:$dright < 4) [(set:$health to it -1) People start coming up to the counter with their cup in their hands. The hair at the back of your neck starts to stand up and you can feel a cold sweat start to form. You fucked up. (click: "You fucked up.") [[YOU LOSE ONE LIFE]]]

You managed to make it through your shift with no trouble occurring. No bad reviews left on your shift! (click:"shift!") [You don't have to talk to Gina!] Fucking amazing opening shift for once, maybe you should go buy a lottery ticket today. It looks like things are looking up for you! You start humming along to the music in the cafe. Of course its Taylor Swift Love Story. You wonder what happened to the redhead you saw this morning. You weren't paying close attention to him after he sat down, the rush took most of your attention after all. [[Maybe you'll see him again some time.]]

You feel like you've been run over by a truck. Today was not a great shift, for whatever reason you were making drink mistakes left and right. You were seriously off your game. You've had to appologise to multiple customers today, if you were lucky they wouldn't leave a bad review. Maybe you should throw some salt around and attempt to get rid of the bad luck that was stuck to you. You wanted to stick your head in the sand and forget the last couple hours. [[G(i)dle plays on the speaker overhead ->Maybe you'll see him again some time.]]

(set:$name to (prompt:"What is your name?","Name")) You double check your name tag, $name. It is the correct one this time, last time you got in trouble for borrowing a coworker's jacket and pin. Your manager chewed and spit you out like bubble gum for that one. Everyone had to wear pins with their 'actual' name on it because it would make us stay on our best behavior. We were all at the mercy of a bad yelp review at the end of the day. [[Shift Start]]

As you continue wiping the counters to look busy for the ever watching cameras. You see your personal guardain angel sent straight from heaven walk in through the doors. A tall blonde woman with an asymetric hair cut and emerald green eyes walks in the doors. Her eyes are glued to her phone, persumably scrolling through TikTok. She was conventionally attractive in the way you'd expect an influencer to be. Beauty made money and money talks. But her face was scrunched up in irritation. While walking and //with one hand mind you//; she starts to put on her black apron and shove her hair into a ponytail. It's your knight in shining armor, ''Ciana''. (click: "Ciana")[She's come to clock in for the closing shift, so you can finally clock out.] She does a little half hearted wave at you, many of her fingers covered in a fine assortment of rings that even a crow would be proud of. "Hey $name, I've come to save you." She says. She stepped back behind the counter and begun to take off her rings, slipping them all into her coat pocket for later. Something about her face always looked perpetually bored and if you didn't know better you would have guessed she had botox done because her face was so stiff. Some people were born with frozen hearts, others with chilly hands, and she was born with a face made of a block of ice. [["Thanks for being on time Ciana," You smile at her. (status - coworker) -> coworker 1]] [[Laugh, "I'm surprised you're still alive a kicking after drinking last night (status -friends) ->friendly]]. [["God bless your beautiful face and kind soul, you have truly taken mercy on me." You pretend to weap. (status - coworker) -> coworker 2]]

(set:$CianaFri to 1) "No problem," She says, popping the P sound. You choose between taking your paid 5 minute break or just clocking out. [["I think I'm going to take my five before I leave." You say ->Take 5]] [["I'm gonna leave, see ya later aligator." You say]] [[ You take off your apron and head to the back to gather your stuff to leave.]]

(set:$CianaFri to 2) "Eh, I just keep drinking if I don't want to get hungover, " She shrugs and continues "Life doesn't stop so why should I?" Based on her instagram stories, she was out all night bar hopping. You experienced drinking with her once and you swore to yourself never to do it again. You remembered only pieces of that night; the image of throwing up your stomatch onto the sidewalk, bits of vomit hitting your shoes, and her laughing like a manic... (click:"manic") ["Inhuman." "Of course I'm not," She says her tone serious. "I'm a vampire after all."] (click:"vampire")[ "Blah, blah, blah-- you drink the blood of children under the moonlight, thats how you stay so beautiful right?" "Exactly."] (click:"Exactly.") [[["I think I'm going to take my five before I leave." You say ->Take 5]] [["I'm gonna leave, see ya later aligator." You say]] [[ You take off your apron and head to the back to gather your stuff to leave.]]]

(set:$CianaWork to 2) Not missing a beat she replied, //"Foul soul, let your sins be washed away by the light of grace that guides you. I pray for you, let my hand rest upon you. If thou wish, I shall share what once I claimed." // "Wow you're really good at this," You respond awestruck. "Yeah I spent a summer doing Shakespeare in the Park," She reaches into her bag grabbing something out it, "You want a cookie?" (cycling-link: "Hell ya I do!","I'm good.", "Yes please.", "No, thank you.") Don't get distracted by the cookie, //focus//, Ciana's dropping lore? Woah. "Didn't expect that from you." "I got roped into it by a friend-- now are you gonna go or what?" [["I think I'm going to take my five before I leave." You say ->Take 5]] [["I'm gonna leave, see ya later aligator." You say]] [[ You take off your apron and head to the back to gather your stuff to leave.]]

In the back of shop area there are a bunch of lockers. You grab your bag that sits in one of the lockers and shove your apron into it. You're finally set free from your work. [[Check your phone]] [[ Head outside ->Walk around]]

You sit in the back for a bit. It's probably not worth very much taking 5 minutes at the end of each shift but you get paid for it and you'd be damned if you don't shit on the boss' time. [[Check your phone]] [[Do nothing and stare into space like a weirdo -> You take off your apron and head to the back to gather your stuff to leave.]]

(set:$CianaFri to it +1) "Seeya later." She says You quickly grab all your things and book it out of there. You feel like a prisoner escaping from jail. As you step outside the boundry of the store you get to feel the city breeze on your skin. And you finally feel free. [[Check your phone]] [[Walk around]] [[Go staight home -> alone forever]]

You have a bunch of notifications on your phone, most of them are YouTube notification but you get a few of texts from friends. Message from Nat (click:"Nat")[ Nat is your best friend from highschool, you guys grew up together. Nat is a self proclaimed cool guy who rolls with the punches. If you could describe him with a statement, you would say he's (cycling-link:2bind $Natpersona, "a chill guy with daddy issues.", "a high functioning alcoholic.","actual human-trash non recyclable.")] Message from Thea (click:"Thea")[ Thea was a ex-coworker. She used to also be a barista at the same cafe as you but after she graduated, she started a big girl job as a physical therapy assistant at a nearby clinic. Really putting her universty degree to work. (click:"work.")[You're very proud of her.]] [[Check Message from Nat -> Nat phone]] [[Check Message from Thea -> Thea phone]]

Thea's message reads ''Are you free tonight'' [[Reply to Thea -> Thea Reply]] [[ Check other message -> Nat phone]]

His message reads- ''game night'' ''my place, bring pizza'' [[Reply that you want to go-> Nat RSVP]] [[Reply that you don't want to go -> No RSVP]] [[Check other message -> Thea phone]] [[Don't respond to him, because he can't tell you want to do with your evening-> No reply Anyone]]

You text him back that you're going to go to his house tonight, of course you would. He's your best mate after all. [[Check your other messages? -> Thea phone]] [[Stop looking at your phone and go over ->go to nat]]

Thea's message log reads ''Are you free tonight'' You think about inviting her to the Nat's place. Or you just hang out with Nat. What could go wrong right? [[Nat's hosting game night, wanna come with? -> thea to nat]] [[Don't respond right now -> no reply]]

Thea's message log reads ''Are you free tonight'' //Nat's hosting game night, wanna come with?// She replies back quickly,(click: "quickly,") [ ''yeah sure''] (click:"yeah sure") [Cool as a cucumber Thea.] [[You go with Thea to Nat's place -> +1 to nat]]

You don't respond to Thea's message after reading it. What a rebel. [[Reply to Nat -> Nat phone]] [[Don't respond to anyone, no one can tell you what to do -> No reply Anyone]]

His message reads- ''game night'' ''my place, bring pizza'' You respond with (click:"with")[ //no energy today//](click:"today")[ '' D:'' ''leave the cave for once!!''] It seems like Nat misses you and really wants you to come outside. [[Tell him you're going to go to his place ->go to nat]] [[Tell him you're staying home -> stay home for real]]

He responds with a .gif of a cat dancing under a disco ball. He seems siked to see you. You laugh a little bit at the image. Nat has a ancient cat named Cheesepuff, because he was 5 years old when the cat showed up on his doorstep. If it wasn't obvious the Cheesepuff the Cat had a serious case of being //orange//. [[You go to his place alone -> Nat alone]]

He responds with a .gif of a crying cat but he leaves you alone after that. You get a quiet night all to your self! [[Go outside by yourself-> meet hailey]] [[Stay at home the world is scary -> alone forever]]

You don't respond to anyone because why would you, when you can have some quiet time all by yourself. Maybe you'll pirate a movie, maybe you'll take a walk, whatever it is you want to do the world is your osyter! [[Go outside by yourself -> meet hailey]] [[Stay at home -> alone forever]]

You were sucessfully able to bring a +1 to Nat's place! Good on you for having friends in times of need. Thea's always been really cool to hang out with. She's really got that //it// girl factor to her. Not even the vape in her back pocket dimenishes her coolness factor. Thea's the type of person who could convince you to run a marathon because it sounded fun, and you would do it to impress her. Then you would embarrass yourself by actually running the marathon and you would look like a corpse in the desert, searching for water. [[Head to Nat's place -> temp end]]

You decide to go watch a movie by yourself. You debate on which movie to watch right now. Currently theres showing of sequel's, sequel or the 3rd instalment of the series. Something about a blue hedgehog and his romance with a black and white hedgehog. You feel a gentle tap on your shoulder and you turn around. Despite being (cycling-link:2bind $height,"short","average height","tall") all you see is chest. [[Admire the Chest ♡]] [[ Look up ]]

You stay at home alone. You feel well rested. If this was a game that tracked your stamina it would say ''full hp'' in the bottom of the screen, you would probably refill your spell slots too. However this is not one of them. You have turned down everyone's responses and chosen to be alone tonight. That's brave of you. Maybe you really just like yourself that much! I commend you on your self love. [[Tonight your story ends here. -> temp end]]

You go to Nat's place alone. Guess you weren't feeling like bringing anyone with you tonight. Or maybe you wanted some alone time with Nat? (click:"alone time")[ He is very handsome after all] [[Nat's Party -> temp end]]

(set:$metmori to 2) You decide to walk around the plaza today. Since you were working the morning shift you're able to do things for once. When you work the closing shift you tend to get off after 9pm, meaning there isn't much to do besides hitting up Jack in the Box or getting drunk. The sun shines bright above your head and you feel the heat slowly seep into your body. UV rays may cause cancer but god does a bit of sunshine feel great. As you're walking around, window shopping you accidently bump into a tall figure. You stumble a bit, trying to catch your footing. They catch you before you can trip and fall on your ass like an idiot. "Hey are you alright?" You definitely recognize that voice. You look up at the stranger who caught you. It's Mori. (click:"It's Mori.")[ Mori was a well known regular at the shop. They always ordered a very particular drink, regardless of the weather. A large iced matcha latte with 2 pumps of vanilla and a sprinkle of rose sugar. They looked like they walked off a cover of a magazine, messy black and blonde peakaboo hair that looked too effortless to actually be effortless. (Source; the many wolfcut tiktoks online.) You tried the matcha latte for yourself once as your shift drink.] (click: "shift drink")[ It was pretty damn good. Mori (unknown last name) usually came in during the later hours of the day. They wore simple outfits mostly from Uniqlo but made any Kevin wearing the same fit look like a knockoff. (click: "knockoff.") [ [[You didn't think much about them -> mori]] [[You've always thought they were cute (♡) -> mori]] ]]

CURRENT DEAD END

Hailey: 6'1, buff, medium length curly black hair pulled back with a scrunchie. Tan, from sports. Piercing black eyes and strong features. Has a loud laugh and is often forgetful of his items. Is clean shaven but when stressed will have some stubble. Works as an accountant. Believes in the paranormal. Thinks that visa gift cards are a good gift. Hispanic Andy: 5'2 (super average height) black hair with with blue eyes. Crazy bright smile. Short curls pushed back by a handband. Works as a photographer and travels constantly. Is a person of passion, and has no work life balance, when Andy pays attention to you it feels like you're the most important person in the world but when leave you feel lonelier then ever. Will throw very harsh words in fights. Born in the midwest. Mori: 5'6 Dresses super alt but is actually a lab tech for a nearby university and is getting their masters in geo. Has long wolf cut with underdye and complains about dying their hair every time because they do it themselves. Is really lean and kind of boney so they wear a lot of layers to keep warm. Puts their crystals in the moonlight. Makes their own tea blends. Really loves mothman and would propose to him in a heart beat. Yuna: 5'1 Pink hair with black roots. not sure what she does Nat: messy, nerdy, plays a lot of video games and works as manager for the local YMCA and paints warhamer figures. Thea: long medium sized braids adorned with jewerly. is a rock climber, buff, works as a physical therapy assistant. really enjoys sports and physical activity [[mori future event]]

"Oh yeah- I'm alright," You respond, trying to collect yourself from your awkward position. They politely release you when it seems like you're able to steady your feet on the ground. You quickly straighten yourself out, brushing off bits of imaginary dirt. A few silent moments go by as you look anywhere but at Mori. (click: "Mori")[ They ask the dreaded question, "You're $name right? The barista?(set:$mori_meeting to 1)(set:$moriheart to 1) [["Yeah that's me." -> Truth Mori]] [[Laugh nervously and lie that you've never heard of that person -> lie mori]]]

Their brown eyes narrow suspiciously, and you can feel the hairs on your back start to stand up. (set:$moriheart to it -1) "Um okay..." //Fuck Fuck Fuck// Why did you lie, now they're suspicious of you and Mori's a regular. It's not like they would forget what you look like out of no where. God maybe they think you're a drug dealer now. How are you going to get out of this conversation. Or maybe you can tell the truth? [[" I can't talk now I have to go...feed my dog my homework," You dig a deeper hole for yourself. -> lie mori 2]] [[ "Sorry... I'm $name, I just panicked for some reason." -> redeem mori]]

They nod at you. A soft smile crosses their face. "Well I'm glad that you're okay, you could have taken a nasty fall there if I hadn't caught you in time." They weren't entirely wrong. The tiny crack in the sidewalk that tripped you up could have bruised your knees and scraped up your pants. "Thank you for catching me." There is an awkward pause of silence in which you can feel the tension in the air. It's so thick you could cut it up and make a sandwich with it. It seems that even Mori is looking expectantly at you. Your mind begins to spin and open your mouth to- (set:$mori_meeting to it +1) [[Ask for their number ♡ -> number direct]] [[Ask about the weather]]

You sprint away from the conversation as if you're a track star. (click: "track star")[ I think you need to take some time off, the stress of life seems to be getting to you. Maybe you should just call it and go home for the day. (set:$moriheart to it -2) [[Try again another time? -> alone forever]] ]

"I see," Mori replied gently. //Translation: I don't understand but okay.// It seems they were trying to distance themselves from this conversation that had gone south faster then Californians trying to escape Califorina. "I should go," You said carefully picking your words. You didn't want them to think you were any weirder then you were-- maybe jumping ship was the best option then. Mori nodded. "Have a good day then $name." [[God what an awkward first meeting, maybe the next one will be better? ->Mori bad1]]

Once again you seem to be at a cross roads. You can either go straight home from work or maybe respond to some friends. [[Go home. -> alone forever]] [[ Check phone. ->Check your phone]]

"My name is actually Megumi Fujimori. It means 'blessing', I think my mom had a lot of hopes for me when I was born." Their eyes narrowed as they spoke, gazed unfocused in the distance. "So why do you go by Mori?" You asked your curiousity peaking. "Did you know $name that Mori means forest? I grew up in the smallest town countryside near the mountains. It probably couldn't even be considered a town it was so small. My childhood was was filled with memories of my grandparents and forests as far as the eyes could see." "I was raised by a single mother, I never knew my father. She never said anything cruel about him despite it. She said she had been young and reckless. She told me to dream big that I could do anything I put my mind to. " You thought carefully before responding, "It sounds like your mother loved you a lot." Mori's eyes crinkled, a soft smile reached out across their face. "She loved me the most. My mother loved me more then anything the world." "I had a happy childhood, I only have fond memories of my mother and my grandparents." Their eyes glittered, "When you're far away from the city lights the sky shimmers with stars. Everything else pales in comparison and fades away when you see it. I could have lived forever under that sky." "But after my mom and grandparents died, I told myself I would make it outside of my bubble. Most of the kids never left that town, there weren't that many opporuntiies unless you worked hard. Most people were farmers. Without my family I had to work harder then anyone else I knew to survive. Then I studied for highschool exams, then for college exams. I even did well enough for myself that I was able to study in America. But people struggled to pronounce my name, 'Megumi', a professor shortened my name from Fujimori to Mori." "So I went by Mori from then on, not Megumi like my mother wanted." Mori's fists tightened on the railings, their knuckles whitening. "I've spent almost my entire life studying. Everyone tells me I'm on the right path but I don't know if I'm happy." They turned their face away from the night sky to look back at you, "空が青を失ってる。" "Sorry, what did you say?" "It's nothing important." You watched as Mori took another drag from their cigeratte, the end of it lit up a brillant orange that illuminated their facial features. [[Your heart skipped a beat as you caught their eye once more.]] [[You looked away from Mori, unable to meet their gaze.]]

You chickened out at the very last moment. You weren't the best at interacting with people to begin with, you've always had a small group of friends in school and found yourself flailing around like a goldfish out of water when interacting with someone new. This was the first time that you had spoken to Mori outside of the strict script of work. Usually conversations with customers went like this-- "Hi, how can I help you?" "I want a medium iced Americano (or insert other drink order here)" "And would that be to go or for here?" "What?" "For to go or for here?" "Oh to go." "Can I get a name?" "(Insert random name here)." Overall it was a pretty simple structure, phone numbers were a little more of a pain because people tend to list of phone numbers very quickly. "So the weather's pretty nice today." You say, as cool as a pickle. Mori blinked twice quickly, not expecting you to change the conversation to the weather of all things. But they quickly recovered. "Today's weather is much better then the heat wave of last week, I am worried that it might ran soon though." They glanced up at the sky while speaking, peering at the dark clouds not to far away in the sky. Their eyes widen suddenly as if a flash of genius had just struck them. "Hey $name can I get your number?" [[I thought you'd never ask. ♡]] [[HIT THE PANIC BUTTON]]

The cogs in your brain break in half. Nothing has prepared you for this moment, you hadn't seen any signs of interest from them before this moment either. Did you miss something important? (click:"important?")[Your rizz was so low that it seemed to roll back into the positive. ''Congrats!'' For whatever reason Mori seems to be interested in you You manage to reply with, "I'm sorry- I'm usually better then this..." [[Give them your phone number, after all you've been interested in them for a while ♡ -> phone number given]] [[Give them your phone number, but not because your romantically interested in them -> phone number given]] [[ Don't give them your phone number, their still a stranger to you after all. Haven't you heard of stranger danger? -> no phone number Mori]]]

''You added one new contact to your phone.'' Before you know it you've gained someone's number. It felt like fireworks exploding in your head, you barely remember the rest of the interaction afterwards. You arrive home in a daze, screaming into your pillow and kicking your legs in the air. After you've finally calmed down enough you notice that your phone has a bunch of missed notifications. [[Check your phone]]

"I'm sorry, I just don't know you that well yet. I don't feel comfortable giving you my number." Internally you think to yourself, //you could be an axe wielding murderer for all I know//. Mori's cheeks light up a bright pink, and they avert their gaze away from you. They rub the back of their neck, fidgeting with their dyed hair. They nod. "Sorry, I just thought you were cute." The compliment makes you feel, (cycling-link:"flattered", "awkward", "confused", "well actually you don't quite know how you feel about it yet"). They take step back away from you- "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable at all. I didn't mean too, it's just--" They take a deep breath before continuing on, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." [[You laugh a bit at their response, because you never expected them to quote The Office in this situation. -> cont mori speak]] [[Mori continues to speak. -> cont mori speak]]

"I thought you'd never ask," You quickly blurt out. Mori hums lightly under their breath. "I'd like the opportunity to get to know you better." (set:$moriheart to it +1) A gust of cold wind blows through the street, ruffling your clothing. It feels as if something is changing in the air. "I've been interested in you for a while." Did you save a country in your past life? [["I think I'd like that." -> phone number given]]

ʚ♡ɞ Some characters will express direct interest in the player, others may take more time. Certain choices will be marked with ♡, these choices will allow you explore romantic events. Not all choices will be marked, and characters may perceive choices negatively. But relax! This game is about the mundane things in life like car cheese (will be explained at a later date) and your connections with others. Have fun and don't get fired! [[Intro]]

"Well... I hope I didn't just make too much of a fool of myself just now. Please feel free to forget what just happened next time we meet, it will save my pride a little bit." Mori tucks their hair behind their ears, //are they self concious?// They offer you a slight smile; despite regularly being the center of attention they don't enjoy the spotlight. Mori picks their words carefully, "I'm sorry if that came off too strong, if you aren't interested please let me know now." Oh thank god they were just looking to be friends. [["Can we start off as friends first? " -> friends mori]] [["I'm sorry I'm not looking for a partner right now." -> rejection mori 2]] [["I'm sorry you aren't my type." -> rejection mori 2]]

"I don't think I ever really loved you $name." It felt like ice water was thrown on you. "I liked you... but I think I just wanted someone to love me. I wanted to know that someone could love me." Andy was a liar, they were a coward, and they were selfish. "I don't think I knew what it meant to love someone. I don't think I'm capable of prioritizing someone else." Every word was like a knife in the heart. Andy was your first love. Andy had always shined brightly, brighter then anyone else. It felt like other people saw that shine in Andy too. They had a soft gentle face with down turned sleepy eyes. "I thought what we had together was real... what happened?" "I think it's better if we stop here," A pause in their words. "From the start I've felt like I was counting the days until we broke." [["You're a coward Andrew."]] [["Okay."]]

"You're a coward Andrew." "So from the start you've lacked faith in me- in us to work out. Why did you even say yes to me?" At this Andy was quiet, "I don't know." "It's not fair... It's not fair- You- I fell in love with you. We made so many memories together. You promised you were going to make me happy." "I know." "Did you ever love me?" The tears fell down and popped like bubbles. "I think... I liked the idea of falling in love with you." "Why are you telling me this?" It hurt like your heart was spliting in two. "I tried to love you... in the only way I knew how to." [["So it's over, just like that?"]] [["I don't ever want to see your face again."]]

"Don't think of negative things! Just face foward!"

You look into the mirror. You are a (link:"Male")[(set:$gender to "m")(go-to: "male")] (link:"Female")[(set:$gender to "f")(go-to: "female")] <<link ‘1. She/her pronouns.’ 'Next Passage’>>

It's a pretty impressive well built chest. The shirt's graphic is stretched horizontally, leaving the cute character in a limbo of suffering. You look up and met the eyes of Hailey. His eyes were brown- almost black; you wished you could think of something poetic but all it reminded you of was burnt toast. Hailey was handsome though, not in the way that models or Matt Rife was. He had fine lines around his eyes and dimples that showed when he laughed. His nose looked like it had been broken and reset more than once with a barely there scar on his lower lip. Hailey looked tough but you knew he was made of cotton candy and gum drops on the inside. He smelled like smoke and baked bread. "Hey $name, wanna watcha movie with me?" [["Hell Yeah"-> temp end]]

You look up and met the eyes of Hailey. His eyes were brown- almost black; you wished you could think of something poetic but all it reminded you of was burnt toast. Hailey was handsome though, not in the way that models or Matt Rife was. He had fine lines around his eyes and dimples that showed when he laughed. His nose looked like it had been broken and reset more than once with a barely there scar on his lower lip. Hailey looked tough but you knew he was made of cotton candy and gum drops on the inside. "Hey $name, wanna watcha movie with me?" [[ "Hell yeah" -> temp end]]

Mori smiles at you, their face bright- excited. They extend a hand out to you. Their fingers are slender and long, with fingernails cut short. "My name is Hibiki Fujimori, it's nice to offically meet you." [CURRENT DEAD END]

(set: $moriNoRomance) "That's alright, I hope I didn't take up too much of your time $name." Mori composes themselves by straighting out their pristine jacket collar. You noice that their hands shake ever so slightly. "It's okay, I hope you have a good night." You feel so awkward you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. [[Go Home -> lie mori 2]]

Mori blinks at you, once, twice and finally reacts. "I would love that," They respond. Mori's voice washes over you. Their voice is cool and smooth, like running water. "My name's actually Hibiki by the way. Hibiki Fujimori." [[ You stare down at your phone -> phone number given]]