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<center>
''//< / 3//''
''//broken heart//''
an interactive fiction short made with Twine 2.
[[START|Winter.]]
written by
Wyatt Beard
//headphones recommended//
</center>
<<set _sad = setup.SoundPath + "Sadness-Pixel_Beats.mp3">>
<<cacheaudio "start_sad" _sad>>Winter.
The wind howls as it pries at every crack in the walls. The floor creaks with every step. Ahead, a fire softly crackles. You see him sitting, alone, watching the embers dance.
He sniffles. It's probably from the cold.
[["\"Hey.\""|My old friend.]]
<<masteraudio muteonhide>> <<audio "start_sad" volume 0.1 play loop>>@@.him;"Oh. Hey."@@
He sits up in his chair, and gives his nose a quick wipe.
@@.him;"I didn't know you were coming."@@
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"Neither did I.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">>[["He nods."|The fire.]]<</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"I come every winter.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">>[["He pauses, as if remembering."|The fire.]]<</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>@@.him;"Well, I've got the fire going. Nice and warm."@@
You look at the fire.
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"Nice and warm.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Not enough of that these days. Warmth.\""|His eyes.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"Thanks.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Always.\""|His eyes.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>You look back at him. His eyes are still red.
[["Probably just the cold."|I'm sorry.]]You tell him you don't mean to intrude.
@@.him;
"No no, not intruding. You're always welcome here."
@@
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"Thanks.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Always.\""|Cold.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"...\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Even if you don't want to be.\""|Cold.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>It's quiet for a while.
You start to feel cold again.
<div id="choice-1">\
<<link "Sit by the fire.">>
<<replace "#choice-1">>You're still cold.
<div id="choice-2">\
<<link "\nMove closer.">>
<<replace "#choice-2">>You've always had issues with getting close.
<div id="choice-3">\
<<link "\nPut your hand over the fire.">>
<<replace "#choice-3">><span class="him">"That won't solve anything. You know that."</span>
[["\"I don't care.\""|Hot.]]
<</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>
<</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>
<</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>For a second, you feel the heat.
It's good, just to feel something.
But then it's over.
You're cold again.
He sighs. @@.him;"I told you."@@
[[Stand.|Question.]]
[[Sit.|Answer.]]You ask him why he's brought you here.
@@.him;
"I didn't. You know that."
@@
You do.
@@.him;
"If it's any consolation, I'm happy to see you."
@@
[["\"Thanks.\""|Cry.]]
[["\"I'm happy to see you too.\""|Laugh.]]He smiles.
@@.him;"Let's not make it a regular thing though. For your sake."@@
He relaxes a bit, and slouches back down in his chair.
@@.him;"I'd offer you a seat, but I'd hate for you to get too comfortable."@@
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"First time for everything.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">>He laughs, briefly.
For a moment, you both just sit there.
You wonder if he ever thinks about leaving too.
<span class="him">[["\"If I left, who would be here to keep the fires warm?\""|Warmth.]]
</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"Are there even other chairs here?\"">>
<<replace "#choice">>He thinks for a minute.
<span class="him">[["\"I... No.\""|Answer.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>@@.him;"How long's it been? Since the last winter?"@@
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"Six months.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Ah.\""|An old flame.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"I don't keep track anymore.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Yes you do.\""|An old flame.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>@@.him;"Remind me of her."@@
You tell him about the cold. The nights spent shivering. The old flame, that once was there and kept you warm.
You cherished the flame. You held it close and kept it safe.
Sometimes it burned you.
You cherished it still. Your life was better with the flame in it, that much you knew for certain.
You'd hoped the fire would burn forever.
You sniffle.
[[Probably just the cold.|Forever.]]@@.him;"And then?"@@
It burned out, you tell him.
It just happens sometimes. There's nothing you can do or say about it.
@@.him;"And then?"@@
[["\"I was cold again.\""|Cold again.]]@@.him;"Ah."@@
He stands. You notice that the fire has gotten low.
@@.him;"And now?"@@
You're quiet. He grabs an iron rod from the corner, and stokes the flames.
@@.him;"Your eyes are red."@@
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"Probably just the cold.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"Yeah. Probably.\""|Probably not.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>He leans the rod against the fireplace and sits down next to you.
It's quiet for a moment, and then he looks at you.
<div id="choice">\
<<link "Sit.">>
<<replace "#choice">>[[He hugs you.|Love.]]<</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "Look back.">>
<<replace "#choice">>[["\"It feels so much worse this time.\""|Pain.]]<</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>Maybe, you say,
You don't need anyone to keep the fires warm.
Maybe you like the cold, you tell him.
Maybe the cold is what you deserve.
If you deserved warmth, you'd have it by now, right?
He sighs. A part of him agrees with you. A part of you is glad he does.
@@.him;"You don't //deserve// anything,"@@ he tells you.
@@.him;"That's not what this is about."@@
[["Yeah? What, then?"|Remember.]]@@.him;"It's about what you do with what you've got."@@
You scoff. Yeah, right.
@@.him;"If you're not going to listen to what I have to say, you can leave any time."@@
You wish it was that simple.
@@.him;"Staying? Good."@@
[["\"...\""|Answer.]]He looks away, wiping his nose again.
@@.him;"You know you're not the only one who gets lonely once in a while."@@
<div id="choice">\
<<link "\"I'm sorry.\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"I'm sorry too.\""|Answer.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"It's a lot more than 'once in a while.'\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"I know.\""|Answer.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
\</div>@@.him;"Tell me about her."@@
You tell him about the cold. The nights spent shivering. The ache you felt at the memory of being happy.
You tell him about how you'd gotten used to the cold. That you'd learned to live with it, somehow.
Sometimes that frightened you.
You decided you'd never go near fire again. You'd been burned too many times—you were better off this way.
You'd be cold forever. It's fine.
You sniffle.
[[You know it isn't the cold.|Her.]]He sniffles again.
@@.him;"I know what you're going through.
It's hard, I know.
I've gone through it too.
Winter always comes. It's never easy.
But it's not forever. Snow melts, flowers bloom, and the sun goes on shining.
You feel cold now, but you'll be warm again soon.
And until then, I'll be here.
Keeping the last fire hot."@@
<div id="choice">
<<link "\"Thank you.\"">><<replace "#choice">>He squeezes just a little tighter, and then lets go.
<span class="him">[["\"Until next time.\""|Spring.]]</span>
<</replace>>
<</link>>
<<link "\"...\"">>
<<replace "#choice">><span class="him">[["\"It'll be alright. Eventually.\""|Spring.]]</span><</replace>>
<</link>>
</div><center>
''//< / 3//''
//broken heart//
an interactive fiction short made with Twine 2.
Thanks for playing.
written by
Wyatt Beard
music by
Vinícius Corte (Pixel Beats)
//[[restart?|Introduction]]//
</center>@@.him;"Tell me about ''//her//''."@@
Fine, you say.
You tell him about her warmth. The way just her presence made you melt.
You tell him about looking at her. How she dazzled and gleamed. How she made the world around her glow.
You tell him about her kindness. The way she took care of you, and was always there when you needed her.
You tell him how she moved. Free, careless, and full of energy. She danced through life, and you wanted to dance with her.
You told her you wanted more.
She told you she didn't.
You tell him you're done playing with fire.
<span class="him">[["\"Don't say that.\""|Love.]]</span>