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Interactive Solo Write
Interactive Solo Write
If anyone's ever read Leviathan or Meanwhile, this'll be kinda like that. A sort of Choose Your Own Adventure, if you will. There will be obstacles, there will be decisions, there will be magic, there will be books (that you can actually read!)... there will also be a whole bunch of (controlled) randomness. Hope people join because I am really excited to write this, and, umm... yeah!
You wake up in a cold, dark room. You have no idea where you are, or why you are here. Weren't you just blowing out your birthday candle a few moments ago? Or maybe that was just a dream... anything seems possible in this strange, featureless place. Perhaps everything you thought you knew was a lie. Perhaps you have been here all along. You pause for a moment. What are you talking about? Of course you have been here all along! All your memories of your previous life are already fading... they were never real. And even if they were, once, they at least aren't anymore. Not here. What's real, though, is a soft brightness you see a distance away. Not light, per say, but maybe guidance? Something that could answer all your questions. And, boy, do you have questions! You crawl towards the brightness, feeling along the rocky floor. Your hands close against a small rectangle. Warm in your hands and wrapped in leather, it smells like comfort and reassurance. You turn to the first page, which you can surprisingly read in this everlasting nighttime. Words gilded in gold appear slowly appear on the title page. The Guide to the Realm of Imagination, it says. Interesting. You flip to page two. As you do so, the world begins to lighten into something... something exquisite. Your breath catches. You know where you are now. The Realm of Imagination, said the book. The name does this place injustice. All your wildest dreams live here, the sky is an everlasting rainbow of your favorite colors, the creatures that call this place home shouldn't exist. But this is a place where there are no limits. A place where magic reigns. The Imagination. You look down at the book again. Two options have appeared in its elegant script. Take the stairs, says one. Take the rope, says the other. Which one will you pick?
The rules to this are simple. Just type in what choice you make, you being anyone who reads this, and I'll write what happens. If you want to take a look at your guide to answer a question (ask the question) or anything else, just tell me! You can't go back and take a different choice, I am afraid all choices are permanent, and no, there is no time travel in here (sorry. It would just be too complicated to write). I will try to get the parts out quickly! Thank you!
submitted by Guess(you know who), age Solo Write, The Realm of ImagiNation
(August 23, 2023 - 1:31 am)
(August 23, 2023 - 1:31 am)
Sorry, I didn't have time to edit or come up with a name when I wrote this. I still don't. This is a temporary name given by my captcha.
(August 23, 2023 - 9:33 am)
Stairs, absolutely. It seems safer.
This looks really fun, btw! Are you Emekittycon Kitten, Darkvine, Celine, or Lyric?
(August 23, 2023 - 4:03 pm)
Yes, I'm Celine! I tend to get guessed pretty fast :)
But I'm very much honored to also be guessed as all of those amazing people!!
Btw, I have a name now.
And, stairs!! All right! I'll time how long it takes me to write this so I have something to reference. 4:09 rn. Ending w/editing 4:20.
A wooden staircase, carved with ornate designs, calls to you. You put one foot on the first step. A low hum emanates from the step, and you feel a bit lightheaded, as if the staircase is plucking thoughts from your head. And maybe it is, because then the staircase turns your favorite color, adjusts to fit you. You smile. Steamer-covered banisters appear, and you run up the staircase with your hands on both railings (am I the only one getting serious Let It Go vibes right now?), laughing wildly. You don't know where this staircase is taking you, and you don't care. Because the cold never bothered me anyway! ... Sorry. I had to. Love that song. ANYWAYS! At the top of the stair is a dwelling of your choice. It's beautiful and simple, light reflects off the shelter to create a masterpiece, drawing the landscape. Rays of sunshine bathe you in light, you look up to follow them and notice a sunshine-bridge arching overhead. You wonder whether you should follow the bridge or go into the dwelling. Or maybe go back down the stair or explore randomly? Maybe you should just sit down and take a rest, actually. A mysterious pack has appeared on your back, and now would be a good time to look inside. Though it will always be there later!
(August 23, 2023 - 6:24 pm)
FOLLOW THE BRIDGE
(August 23, 2023 - 7:08 pm)
You decide to shoulder your pack and follow the bridge. You've never walked on sunbeams before (at least, you don't think you have...) and you're excited! Walking on Sunshine plays in your head as you put one foot on the bridge... and the tune switches to Follow the Yellow Brick Road. What's this? The sunbeams look like... bricks! But they're definitely sunbeams, because suddenly you're falling falling falling, and you remember that you can't typically walk on sunbeams. Not even in a magical world, it seems. A disappointment, but you have more important things to think about right now. Such as, where are you going to land?! There's a big ocean to your right, a beach full of pillows is where you're heading, and to the left and back of you are grasslands. A concrete carnival seems to stretch across your front.
Sorry this is so short, but ackk homework!!
(August 24, 2023 - 9:42 pm)
Let's land on the beach full of pillows.
This is really cool, Celine!
(August 26, 2023 - 6:59 am)
Thanks! I just recently realized that ackk I stole the "Realm of Imagination" part from Cricket... that's why it sounded so familiar! It's probably copyrighted, right? Ackk ackk ackk it's probably too late to change it maybe if I make this place Cricket I won't be breaking the law??? Ackkkkkk all right, that's what I'm gonna do, and it's Cricket's website anyway so hopefully it's fine... hopefully *more ackks in the background*
The beach full of pillows seems like the safest bet, so you angle yourself towards there. You land on a particularly fluffy one, which softens your fall, and you sigh in relief... only to get pelted by another pillow! You're in the middle of a war zone, a pillow fight!! How will you get out of here?! You run around the pillow fort, because that's what this giant pile of pillows is, trying to avoid the flying pillows (and the candy raining out of the sky too??), but it's no use! The participants of the pillow fight are intent on hitting everything they can, and are far too into the game to listen to reason! Eventually, you cower under a pile of blankets you find, and try to be as still as possible. Hopefully the pillow fighters will take a break from their game sometime and you can crawl out unscathed. But after a few hours, this feeble hope seems unlikely. You borrow deeper into the blankets and prepare for a long wait... but what's this? Your foot suddenly finds empty air, your hands come up with nothing to grab onto, and suddenly you're falling again, though void and space, your pack flying over your head (but thankfully remains attached to you). The only difference this time is that the fall seems to be in slow-motion, like how you'd imagine being abducted by aliens would be like. You feel... content, and lazy. The tranquility is almost like a lullaby, you find yourself drifting off to sleep... you snap awake. You're in a cozy shack. Miscellaneous couches dot the room you're in, framed paintings of breathtaking landscapes hang on the honey colored walls. But hang on... they're not just honey colored, they are honey! You're inside a beehive! Oddly enough, there are no bees here. You look up from your position laying on the floor, and see a petite girl reading a book, seemingly sitting criss-crossed in midair. She looks up, or rather down, at you and smiles. She puts down the book, on nothing, and drifts to the floor. "I see you're awake?" She has an accent you can't place, but it speaks of magical places, much like the one you're in right now. Only fitting she can float on air. "I-I- yes," you stumble over your words. "Was I asleep?" "Don't worry," she doesn't really answer the question. "The Void of Tranquility does that to everyone, but it's the only way to access the Hive. I've still got to ask the Administrators to change that..." she adds as almost an afterthought. "What?" You ask. "The Hive? The Administrators?" "The Hive is where we are now, silly" she laughs, a sound that reminds you of tinkling bells. "The Administrators are the ones who run this place, you probably won't see much of them, though. Well, come on, have a cookie! I'm Kaleidoscope, by the way." The cookies Kaleidoscope's holding smell vaguely of spoiled fruit and rotten eggs, your clothes, admittedly, after gym class. Kaleidoscope is looking at you with an expression that's half of curious, half... slightly frightening, to be honest. You wonder if you should make a break for it, the door is a foot from where you're standing right now. Or should you knock out Kaleidoscope? You have no idea what her intentions are, you have no idea what any of this is. You wonder if maybe you should take another look at your book or your pack, instead. Maybe they hold some answers. Or it might be best to follow Kaliedescope first, and figure up what she's up to before doing anything...
wow. My writing's pretty inconsistent. First it was short, now long.
@admins, is it fine I put you guys in too? I don't know if you guys would rather not get too involved or what, I made it so you guys probably won't be in this too much, or at all...
Sure, it's fine for you to include Admins. Just please don't tarnish our reputations (although a pillow fight does sound like fun).
Admin
(August 26, 2023 - 2:21 pm)
follow her....
(August 26, 2023 - 3:39 pm)
Oc! Thx admins!
You decide to follow Kaleidoscope. It seems like the safest bet, or at least the smartest. It'll probably answer some questions, anyways. And you like to be able to know things (speaking of knowing, why can't you seem to remember anything from before waking up in that dark, dark place...?). Kaleidoscope's standing in the doorway of another room, waiting for you expectantly. You walk through and find yourself in a completely different place, the ground is grass, the furniture is made up of some flexible Lego bricks that are surprisingly soft (you sink onto a blindingly violet couch, if only so you don't have to look at it from across the room), and windows fill the walls, documenting important going-ons and happenings from all over. Kaleidoscope sees you looking. "Oh, I call this my Observatary," she says "It's my job to observe and keep track of anything and everything happening in the Realm of Imagination, you see, and I report anything strange or out of the ordinary to the admins, who decide what happen to the anomalies. Or sometimes I take care of them myself..." she's looking at you strangely, now, with a gaze so intent it makes you uncomfortable and you have to look away. You try to change the subject. "So... did you bake these?" Your motion at the cookie platter she's still holding. "Oh!" her face visibly brightens as she stares... lovingly?... at the cookies. "These are my Quadruple Double Fudge cookies, made with the finest civet poop (look it up!)! Want to try? It's a secret family recipe!" she holds the platter out to you. It does not look appetizing. You take a cookie. Surprisingly, the cookie is actually really good! Or, not good, per say, but interesting, and not in the least horrible. "Could I..." you grab a few more cookies and stuff them in your mouth. The flavor is constantly changing, like that gumball in Missy Piggle Wiggle, and you simply can't stop eating them! Kaleidoscope looks on in what is obviously pride. "As I said, secret family recipe!" She takes a cookie for herself, too, and soon the whole thing is gone. You feel very sleepy all of a sudden... maybe because it's been a long day... but, wait! The taste of the cookie still lingers on your tongue... could it be? Kaleidoscope looks at you apologetically "I really didn't want to..." she starts, but you are already out.
Your eyes slam open, your breath comes in bursts, your hands are clutching your shirt like doing this alone will save you from death. The smell of smoke wafts into your nose, people are singing... people are... singing? At a time like this? But... what happened to Kaliedoscope? The cookies? The Hive? The Realm of Imagination? It all comes flashing back to you. And then you realize... the Realm of Imagination? The place you created with your friends a few months ago, the imaginary world? It couldn't possibly be... you were blowing out your candle!, you suddenly recall. It was, no, is, your birthday! There was never any Realm of Imagination, which was just a made up place that existed in your mind, and your mind only. You certainly didn't somehow go into it, though that would be fun. However, this is real life, and what you thought you remembered had probably just been some sort of vivid daydream. You can't really call to mind any details, anymore, anyways. Clapping tells you the song is over, and you look out at all the familiar faces surrounding you. Your family. Some close friends. Your dog, the only one not looking at you waiting, who is instead staring hungrily at the cake. The cake... that's right! You have to cut the cake! You pick up the cake cutter placed next to you, and make one clean slice down the middle of the humongous cake that stands before you. It's red velvet, but for a second reminds you of cookies... cookies? What cookies? Why would it remind you of cookies? You pass the rest of the cake out to the various guests, and make it through the rest of the party, if not in a slightly confused way. You feel like something is missing... but that's not right! You know everything, right?
The next morning, you wake up and decide to go to the village. The village is on an island in the middle of a lake, and you have to take a boat to get there, but luckily you got a dinghy as a birthday present, and had taken lessons the summer before. At the village, a phantasmagoria (bc yes, I did use that right, right? Oh well, I just wanted to use it, who cares (usually I would, but not now cuz I'm half asleep)) of shops await you. Should you go to the clothing shop, the café, the adoption center, the bookstore, or the grocery store?
sry if things sound weird :)
(August 27, 2023 - 2:43 am)
bookstore
(August 29, 2023 - 8:59 pm)
AHH YESS BOOKSTORE THANK YOU ACKKKK BOOKSSSS!!!
...
Ahem.
....
sorry, I was excited. As you can see. Btw, I was just digging through my clothes because I usually just wear whatever's on top but then my family was like, all these good clothes! Wasting away at the bottom! And so I found a shirt that says "Read more. Worry less." :) ... But anyways, I will get on to the story awkwardly now. Probably what you've all been waiting for.
You go in to the bookstore. The bell on the door jangles pleasantly as you step in, and almost immediately you inhale the musty, loved scent of books. Ahhh. You know you've come to the right place. There is no one at the counter but for a pure black cat snoozing in a patch of sun. This actually isn't that odd. People in this village are very lax about rules, leaving their shops to fend for themselves as they take a lunch break or sketch at the nearby park. You know that, at least for now, you have the whole bookstore to yourself. And you intend to make use of it. The bookstore is called Mystic Books, and it's designed to fit its name. Ivy crawls up the walls of the shop, arching over windows and blooming in random spots of color. The entryway is always kept misted to accommodate the tropical plants hanging around the doorway, making it feel as if you've just stepped into a rainforest or through a portal. Castle turrets, actual castle turrets, rise up from the main building to create small reading nooks around the space, each and every one unique to itself. In fact, one of these turrets is where you're headed to right now. Specifically, the smallest one, the one whose door is hidden beneath the staircase in the supply closet (which, in turn, is in the bathroom), making it all the more mysterious. It's a good thing you like mysteries. You head up the spiraling rickety stairs to the turret room, enjoying the creaking of the steps beneath your feet, as if they're welcoming you back. And maybe they are. Officially, the bookshop keeper calls this turret Turret 6, but you call it Home, because you're here so often. And because it is home. Yes, you know you already have a home, where you're sheltered and loved and protected, but this... this is another kind of home. This is your home, the one you choose, and you smile as you settle in on one of the many beanbags that lay scattered on the floor. A window looks out to the lake off one side of the room, a fireplace gone out on the other. The floor is carpeted with a thick, plush rug that's perfect for laying on your stomach, and a skylight lets in natural light from outside, coincidentally also serving as your favorite stargazing spot. The walls seem like they've been painted over, layered on, again and again, though the current paper is a blossom pink, baby blue background with touches of brown. It isn't stuffy, but it isn't drafty, either. It's, as Goldilocks would say, "just right." Speaking of.. you wend your way around the shelves. They extend from floor to ceiling and sometimes even stick out of (or into) the walls. Books of all shapes, sizes, colors, subjects, and authors share a place in this room. That is, perhaps, the most unique thing about Mystic Books. There's no rhyme or reason to it all. Which is part of why you love it so much. You never know what you're gonna get, and you get exposed to new things. You never learn the same thing twice, and you don't know the meaning of a cliche. Plus, nonsense is great for imagination, and you love imagination! Who doesn't? Speaking of... a midsized hardcover volume with a beautiful blue spine catches your eye. The Midnight Children, says the title. It sounds serious but the drawing on the front shows of a boy releasing fireflies, wonder and what might be hope in his eyes, as a girl peeks curiously out from behind a tree. Around them, other children are playing a game of what seems to be hide-and-seek tag, laughing mouths open in a carefree manner. It really doesn't seem like what its title brings to mind at all. There is one very very suspicious man, though... The whole scene makes you want to find out what is happening. You read the first sentence. "Nearly all of Slaughterville was sleeping when the children came." And then you fall into the spell of books. (by the way, it sounds very serious and dark and scary, but it's really not. Just about honesty and friendship and every bird to its nest. Really very sweet). A giggling chime some time later tells you someone's at the door, and you poke your head out the window to see who it is. Mx. Colloney, the book shop keeper! You race down the stairs to help Mx. Colloney with some boxes she's carrying, Mx. Colloney is always very nice, letting you stay in the shop for hours on end, and you're always eager to try to replay the favor. The boxes are very heavy, and there are 4 or 5 of them in total. "What's in here?" you ask. Mx. Colloney smiles. "What else?" they say. "Books!" You can't believe your luck! You came in just in time for the new books to arrive, and so close to your birthday too, and Mx. Colloney always lets others help her unpack the new arrivals. You can't wait to see what nonsense the boxes you're holding now contain! Finally, you have all the packages from off of Mx. Colloney's motorcycle, where they brought them from the post office, and you tear open the flaps. Shiny and used, torn and untouched, vintage and mint lie within. The first book, A Little Princess. The second, Wyrd Sisters. 3, 5, and 6 are all Narnia books, the last book in the box, a book called Fever 1793. Methodically, you and Mx. Colloney open the other boxes, till all the books are sprawled before you. You see Crenshaw, Flora and Ulysees, Swordbird, Music is my Life, The Hero Nextdoor Sophie Mouse, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Orange for the Sunsets, The Tree of Ecrof, Argos, Bailey's Story, Rescue of the Unicorn (a choose your own adventure book), Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story (this is literally every single thought I have every single day in a book. Each line is something that's part of my daily life, that I thought I, and only I, knew. It's amazing.), Too Bright to See, The Shadow Cipher, Enders Game, Norby the Robot, The Emerald Gate, Falling Down the Page, and so many other books which I will not tell you because then we'll be here forever. Mx. Colloney tells you you can take a few books, free, and you look at get in surprise. "For your birthday," she whispers. You smile to yourself. It figures that even though you were trying to help Mx. Colloney, you ended up just benefiting yourself. However, that doesn't stop you from shoving all the books you can (Music is my Life, Crenshaw, Flora and Ulysees, The Hero Next Door...) into your pack, all the while thanking Mx. Colloney profusely, of course. Then, you shoulder your pack, and walk out of the store. But something doesn't feel right... Wait. Your pack? What pack?! Last time you checked, you didn't have a pack! You mentally run through your list of what you did this morning. You never put on a pack, or got any kind of bag. You unsling the sack and look at it. It's a bright pink... surely you would remember it! But you've never seen it before in your life! Suddenly, a weird flash of deja vu hits you, like... but no. You brush the thought off, though you can't ignore the chills it gives you. The chills the whole situation gives you. You have some options. You can either inspect the pack and it's contents. You can open a book from your pack and flip to a random page (I will name all the authors later just in case any copyright issues or whatever). You can go to your favorite thinking spot, the fountain in the middle of the park. Or, your phone dings, you can meet up with your friends, who are hanging out and inviting you to join them. What will you do?
Btw, @Lord Entropy, so sorry I have not commented on your text adventure (though thank you so much for commenting on mine). I seriously try again and again, but I can never decide which question to ask. All three of them combined?? None at all?? A COMPLETE DIFFERENT QUESTION?!? And it feels plain wrong to just choose randomly, because I'm weird that way. But I want to know EVERYTHING!!! So, fyi it's not your writing, it's my Phil-Gordoness from Anne of Green Gables if you've read that (the series). Basically my indecisiveness. :) BUT WE WILL NOT LET THE TERMINAL DIE!!! IT IS TOO AWESOME TO DO SO!!
I'm gonna post this with no rereadinga or edits, sorry. It's probably gonna sound horrible and the transitions are gonna be weird but oh well. Sorry, I'll read over this tmrw.
(August 30, 2023 - 2:37 am)
:DDD ah yes, the Midnight Children! I randomly picked this book up in the library, and it was quite good!
Hmm, I...join my friends?
(August 30, 2023 - 9:45 pm)
Same! I got it at a bookstore simply cuz of the cover and never looked back! Then did I realize the same author of Coyote Sunrise!! Though I didn't really like the Honest Truth so much... also praise from a bunches authors of books I like! I'll get the part out tmrw
(August 31, 2023 - 1:44 am)
So.. I did two drafts cause I thought I lost the first one, which was incomplete, partly why this took so long sorry. I'll share both. The second:
You decide to join your friends, who are meeting at a pop-up art store full of cool supplies, interestingly called The Realm of Creativity… it’s eerily close to The Realm of Imagination, but there’s probably, no, definitely, no correlation. Right? You arrive at the shop early, as you are already at the village, and buy a cool sketchbook and set of pens. You’re an aspiring artist and if you ever want to sketch something you see, just take the pad out of your pack. Your pack… maybe your friends can help you understand what is going, or at least figure out if you’re crazy or not. They did invent the Realm of Imagination with you, anyways, they’ve gotta know something! Speaking of… the door to the store swings open and three kids walk in. Sequoia, the girl in the lead, ties her wild red hair into a neat braid as she walks, confident as usual, and you can see that familiar spark of imagination burning a flame in her eyes. Caroline, quiet and calm, walks next to Sequoia, hands twisted in a knot as she tries to hide, to become less vulnerable way out in the open, yet the brightness in her step is unmistakable. Allegra, the last girl, is skipping, her energy as always bursting out of her in uncontrollable waves, almond eyes wide with anticipation and taking in every little thing with an open mind that can turn anything to anything. The sisters, on time as usual, you think. My friends.
The first: You decide to join your friends. Maybe they can help you figure out what's happening with the mysterious appearance of the pack and... your journey to the Realm of Imagination, if that really happened. At least they can help you figure out if you're crazy or not. They're meeting at a pop-up store a few streets down and you go there. It's an art store, with beautiful landscapes and takes on perspective dotting the walls, aisles upon aisles of supplies sporting everything you need to paint, draw, sketch, scrapbook, collage, or any other form of art. You’re early so you look around and buy a sketchbook and a pack of pens. Maybe they'll prove useful you think, you put them in your pack. Plus, you've always wanted a sketchbook, there's something just so professional and... and possible about them. You can create and flesh out and display for the whole world to see anything and everything you want, and that's pretty amazing. Things in your mind can take shape and be seen in real life, creativity can blossom within just one blank page, and anyways, sketching is pretty cool. The door to the shop opens and your friends enter. Sage, a dark-haired, green-eyed, curious girl with a big imagination is in the lead. Next to her is Agnes, red hair hanging loose and neat, calm and collected as always. With them stands Allegra, black hair and eyes, filled to bursting with energy and literally quivering with anticipation. They all light up as they see you, and you all rush to greet each other. The three of them are sisters, and they’re always on time to everything, a skill you haven’t quite mastered yet…
(September 2, 2023 - 1:06 pm)
And please go off the second one btw
(September 2, 2023 - 1:07 pm)