Places to Chat
the terminal
Chatterbox: Inkwell
the terminal
the terminal
okay introductions first off. this is like a text adventure kind of. if you dont know what that is celineburningbright explains it here: http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/inkwell/node/553133
sidenote: celine im so sorry i promise im not stealing your idea please ive had this idea for a while im begging you i plan to contribute to your thing youre a good writer im not a plagarist officer please.
other sidenote: everybody please do celines thing too
anyway ive always wanted to do something thats kind of like a text adventure because there was a game i played when i was knee high to a grasshopper. (please assist me in bringing that saying back into common usage) and anyway the game was a text adventure and it was real cool. ive tried making text adventure type things before but they all failed. failed ideas freak me out, i feel personally guilty about their demise.
okay im getting off topic, which is a skill of mine. this is set in the same universe as everything i write, because thats the kind of perso i am. it will include: supernatural stuff. weird bit characters. elements of mystery. nightmare sequences. distinct stylistic choices by yours truly.
and most of all, it will involve you, reader. for through the terminal, you will be able to support the character you have been given control of. dont let the power get to your head. possible suggestions for actions will be provided, if you ask for them.
ill post the first turn after this post shows up. feel free to ask questions, ill answer them if i decide that i want to.
submitted by Lord Entropy
(August 24, 2023 - 9:47 pm)
(August 24, 2023 - 9:47 pm)
Oh. Wow. Thank you! And, yeah, oc, you're definitely not stealing "my idea", (it's not really my idea anyways, sorry if it seems like I'm taking credit for it, I shall make clear now that I saw the idea exploring the CB and thought it would be pretty fun to write one, plus I'm also kinda stealing from Jason Shiga, which is why I started writing these adventures (when it was just for myself) in the first place. So, if anyone's stealing, it's me!). But anyways, I think I've already established that I love love love your work and style, and when I saw this, I was like... YESSSSSSSS!!!!! (internally, oc. If I just randomly screamed that, my family would freak out). So, pls pls pls feel free to do whatever you want here, I'm looking forward to everything (though no pressure oc), I will join in on everything (and won't let it fail!!), so glad you like my writing, uhh... thanks for the advertisement (eek!! I have an advertisement!! My first ever!!), and I love that saying! Mostly cuz I like grasshoppers, but also cuz it's a cool saying! I will make sure to randomly drop it in conversation when I'm out and about ("oh, remember when I was knee high to a grasshopper and..."). Also, I didn't know this was called a text adventure, but it makes sense! Thanks for telling me that too! One question though, this maybe is supposed to be like a mysterious "you'll find out as the story proceeds" kind of thing but I'll ask anyways... what exactly is "the terminal"? And, getting off topic... yeah.... homework took me a few hours today when it was supposed to be less than one because I kept on getting off topic because we were writing an essay and the things I was writing made me think about other things and write other things and we were writing about.... and there I go again. Well, I'll end here, and.... Ig I'll just end by saying that you always (without fail) make me laugh (in a good way) so thank you so very much for that! Thanks!
(August 25, 2023 - 12:44 am)
hey celine! the terminal is just a way to cross the border between different places, which is an intentionally vague answer, because we will learn more as the story progresses. im glad i didnt step on any toes, thats the kind of thing i worry about irrationally. and yeah, no problem with providing your first advertisment, i didn't know it was your first, or i would have done more actual advertising and less self indulgent apologetic rambling.
(August 25, 2023 - 3:20 pm)
About:
The Terminal is a long running text adventure! Unlike actual text adventures, it's not a real game. It's me, writing. You play by submtting commands, which I then implement. It's like an MSPA, minus illustration, if that helps! And, at time of writing, it's still ongoing! So you can play! You, yes, you. You exclusively. I'm talking directly to you.
It's a story about being young, and growing up in a world where the fears every teenager has about the world being out to get them are definably and observably true. There are monsters and stuff.
Cast:
Diana Zhu-
A young woman with a conspiratorial bent, and brightly colored hair. She might be the main protagonist. She has brain problems because of an alien. Her parents are named Terrance and Danielle Zhu. Terrance is a radio host. Danielle never shows up directly.
Alex Hawthorne-
A young man who is new in town, and later questions the "man" part. They are not the main protagonist. They are surly, and they have brain problems because of dysphoria and also puberty. Their mother is named Alice Hawthorne. She wears an eye patch,
Wren Hawthorne-
A young woman who likes film and gardening. She might be the main protagonist. She is dating Diana, and she has brain problems because of her grandfather. Her mother was named Audrey Hawthorne, and her grandfather is named Sketch Hawthorne. She is Alex's cousin.
Ten and Lillie-
A couple from Bellingham. They are separated by forces outside of their control. They gradually lose relevance. They're enrolled in Western Washington University.
Sam Aberdeen-
Sam Aberdeen is a young man who likes inane pop culture references and wearing sunglasses inside. He doesn't show up for a while. He has brain problems because of his upbringing. He has albinism, and his father is named Charles Aberdeen. He probably also has a mother.
Tracy Peixoto-
Tracy Peixoto is a youth who likes androgyny, and being creepy. They don't appear until about a third in, despite being a major character. They have brain problems, and they know that it's okay. Their father is named Eric Peixoto. They have a mother somewhere. They have odd taste in music.
Ryan Hartley-
Ryan Hartley is a young man who likes doom metal and being disingenuous. He doesn't appear until about a third in, despite also being a major character. He has brain problems because of an evil god, and he's also a chaser. He doesn't know his parents, but he's being raised by an uncle. He might be trying to be better.
Antimony-
Antimony is a spoiler.
The Alien-
The Alien might be an alien. That isn't his real name. He likes to bully actual children.
The Old Voice and Nyarl-
The Old Voice and Nyarl are the main antagonists of the first act. You'll meet them later.
The Oracle-
The Oracle is a giant insect. They talk in all caps, and they might be okay.
Apophis-
Apophis Is.
(August 11, 2024 - 1:35 pm)
top
(August 25, 2023 - 6:36 am)
top
(August 25, 2023 - 6:37 am)
You awaken, strapped to a table. The room around you is white, and nondescript. There is a large, sealed metal door to your left, and to your right, some sort of mechanical device s making quiet gurgling sounds. You observe your restraints, and find that they seem to be simple wire. You weigh the pros and cons of calling for help, when the door opens and a figure enters.
???: Hey kid! Time for a little checkup! Doctor’s orders!
The figure is some little guy in… a spacesuit maybe? There’s definitely some sort of helmet, and maybe a cloak. He’s making his way over to you now.
???: Is there a problem?
YOU: Yeah… who are you?
???: …
???: Are you joking? You don’t remember me. I’m hurt!
YOU: Well, you kidnapped me, so I am not feeling especially sympathetic toward your plight.
???: Haha, that’s fair. But, uh… first hint, I didn’t kidnap you. I abducted you.
YOU:... are those not synonyms?
???: You aren’t especially bright, are you? Okay here.
The Alien: Does that make it any clearer for you?
YOU: Oh.
The Alien: Yeah. “Oh.” Now hold still.
He pulls out a long, sharp utensil of some sort, and brings it down on your abdomen. But just before he makes the first incision-
You awaken, wrapped in a fleece blanket, sweat dripping from every pore you currently possess. You take in your surroundings, and despite the faintness of the light filtering through your curtains, you realize that you are in fact, safe and secure in your room. You let out a heavy sigh, and then realize that you can smell pancakes. Pancakes. Beautiful, blessed pancakes.
Your name is DIANA ZHU, and you think its going to be a long day.
What do you do next?
(August 25, 2023 - 7:58 am)
Ooh, let's see (I wonder, maybe my consciousness was abducted by aliens? Or I'm having future visions? Or my brain was hijacked?)... I think that I'll open the curtains to let some light in, then go eat pancakes cause those sounds really good right now (and maybe do some wondering about whether I'm going crazy or not)! Great start so far, and thanks for answering my question! And that advertisement was perfect, btw!
(August 25, 2023 - 5:55 pm)
hey admin for some reason this post wont show up. so... top?
(August 25, 2023 - 3:15 pm)
my bad
(August 25, 2023 - 5:48 pm)
Or maybe the dream is the terminal... an in-between place... a bridge... a crossing through... an intersection... a... don't mind me! My mind is just going Ahhhhh right now or maybe it's the imagination? Your mind? A fake place that's totally real? A hallucination? A...
(August 25, 2023 - 5:59 pm)
the terminal is a way to inject free will into a story that would otherwise be forced to exist in a nasty, doomed state, where every choice is final.
(August 25, 2023 - 7:54 pm)
Oh, this is cool!
And also, wait a second...your writing style reminds me of this other thread that I remember reading a while ago: https://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/downtoearth/node/523296
Could you be the same person?
(August 25, 2023 - 6:46 pm)
not me, but that thread seems pretty cool, ill check it out
(August 25, 2023 - 7:53 pm)
A flurry of thoughts and questions spiral through your head, regarding the unusual dream you just had. You power through them, and reach a decision as to what your next immediate action will be.
DIANA> OPEN BLINDS==>
You pull your curtains open, flooding your dark room with light. You observe your bedroom, and solemnly note that you haven’t cleaned it in a long time. Your posters and memorabilia are all here, somewhere, but they are covered in piles of sweatpants and hoodies. Maybe it’s best to keep the curtains closed, if you don’t want to be reminded of how disorganized you are.
Of course, you could also clean your room…
Nah.
EAT PANCAKES== >
Okay, that’s a train of thought you can get on board with. You only pray that your dad made them, and not your mom. You love your mother to death, but her pancakes are hot garbage circles. You leave your room, and peek into the kitchen. Your dad is sitting there in his hawaiian shirt and khaki pants. Oh, he sees you.
Terrance: Hey, Deen. I was about to wake you up.
YOU: Good morning.
Terrance: Yeah, come get yourself some breakfast. You sleep alright?
YOU: I had a weird dream. Otherwise, no complaints.
Terrance: You had a nightmare? That hasn’t happened in a while.
YOU: I am not sure I would call it a nightmare… But it was very vivid. It felt real, and it seems more like a memory than a dream.
Terrance: Heh, maybe it’ll come true, huh?
YOU: …
Terrance: Something wrong?
YOU: No… No, I am all right. Better than all right actually. I see you made pancakes!
Terrance: No, unfortunately, I can’t claim ownership of these pancakes.
YOU: but-
Terrance: Your mom had to leave, but she made us breakfast. Nice of her, huh? Dig in, kid.
YOU: …
YOU: D:
You need a way out of this situation, and fast.
What do you do next?
(August 25, 2023 - 9:09 pm)
This made me laugh so hard!! How you have no response to your dad's enthusiasm about your mom making the pancakes except for
"YOU: ...
YOU: D:"
idk why, it just did. I can't explain. :)
And, this part:
"Of course, you could also clean your room…
Nah." was just like, yess. This. Is. Totally. Me. And I love how you thought about it for a second... jk, you never did. Cleaning your room is not an option (unless you use it as an escape, and don't rly do it, but I want to give other people chances to answer so pls just ignore that speculation).
(August 26, 2023 - 2:09 am)