{(if: (passage:)'s tags contains "past")[ (enchant: ?passage, (text-colour:green+gray) + (css:"border-left:2px solid forestgreen;padding-left:10px;display:block;width:80%")) ](else-if: (passage:)'s tags contains "middle")[ (enchant: ?passage, (text-colour:gray) + (align:"=><=")) ](else:)[ (enchant: ?passage, (align:"====>") + (text-colour: orange+gray) + (css:"border-right:2px solid orange;padding-right:10px;width:50%;margin:0 auto;")) ] (enchant:?page, (font:"sans-serif")) }(css:"font-size:120%")[//"A HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA [[2<-HAHHH!!]]"//](It's the first time you've heard her [[laugh->3]] in a week.)She's quivering with glee, her robe swaying like smoke, swirling like water. You're standing in the two-foot-wide chalk circle, ankles touching, arms down. "It's funny, isn't it?" she crows, head and voice gently lowering, "So much strength in your body... enough to smite me, effortlessly! But here, mere feet from me, it is I whom your muscles obey. I whom your body respects." "I'll..." you snarl pathetically, "I'll never kneel to you! No matter what you make me do!" "I don't need you to obey me," she retorts, leaning into you, jabbing you in the ribs with the tip of her fingernail, "Your body will keep you nice and still, as I [[inflict on you->4]] the same agonies you have given me and my plans!"She notices your trembling. She replies, "Feeling a chill all of a sudden? Well, I can fix that! You won't be shivering... //when you're as small and cold-blooded as your cruel heart!//" Is she going to do it? Is she going to do it? She raises her left palm and places it on your face, fingertips on your forehead. She's saying the words... You close your eyes... [[Here it comes...!->5]]Her (text-colour:magenta)[magic] sizzles through you. Your eyelids fill with strange light. Her palm recoils. Your skin tingles. When your vision returns, you notice you've become... slightly dark green. Still hairy, not even shiny. You both wait. Nothing else happens. The spell has subsided. Eventually, she breaks the silence. "Ha!" she squawks - a little too loudly, a little too shrilly. "Just look at you! Just //look// at you!" She looks at you, eyes pleading for your response. [[Cower to her->Cower 1]] &bull; [[Defy her->Defy 1]] &bull;"N-no!" you grimace and squirm. "I'm a half-frog! F-froggy urges... I must resist!" You bend your knees as far as the circle allows, spread your fingers, and stare up at her as a grin covers her face. "Yes! That's right!" she exclaims with a small flourish. "No! I'm human! I'm human! I'm... crooooaak," you gasp and groan, flicking out your tongue and gazing wide-eyed. "Yes! Croak, croak! How grand that my sanctum is again filled with croaking!" "Ah," she continues, "but being half a frog is still too good for you. Surely you need a frog's size, too!" Both hands are on you now, her deep breathing filling your ears as she concentrates even harder. Her second threat stirs you... [[What will happen?->7]]"N-no!" you grimace and squirm. "I... I refuse! //I refuse to lose my human form!//" "What? What's going on?" she asks. You tilt your head, teeth gritted. "You... you see? A lesser victim would have fallen to your immensely strong spells... but my pure heart is stronger still! You can't make a frog of me, when I am filled with the humanity you lack!" "No! That's not possible!" she wails, circling you, her spirits returning. "That doesn't even //make sense//!" "No matter!" she hisses. "You may have escaped becoming a frog, but you'll still enjoy being the size of one!" Both hands are on you now, her deep breathing filling your ears as she concentrates even harder. Her second threat stirs you... [[What will happen?->7]]A pulse of (text-colour:magenta+gray+gray)[magic] again flows into you, changing you - you open your eyes and feel yourself sink down, like the floor is slowly swallowing you... But then, you stop. You've only lost a foot in height. Maybe it's slowed? ...No, it's gone. She bites her lip, disbelief emerging. Frozen in place, her hands open in front of you, she waits for your reaction. [[Cower to her->Cower 2]] &bull; [[Defy her->Defy 2]] &bull;"N-no!" you wail and wince. "What have you done to me? My body's the same, but everything looks so huge-" You tip forward slightly and drop your chin into her palm, eyes squeezed shut. "Aah! I hate heights!"|cower1)[ You croak in dismay.] "Oh! Ohhhh," she gasps. "How does it feel to need my hand to hold you aloft|cower1)[, frog]? You'd fall down, terrified, without me!" Her other hand pats your head, softly and smugly.|defy1)[ "No! No matter what you do to me, you'll never take my humanity!" "How provocative! ]|cower1)[ "]Ah, but my hand grows tired already!" she grins. "Now to hoist you in the air, //dangling and drifting at my whim!//" A look of extreme focus comes over her. She reaches over to a nearby shelf, slips on a ring, and grabs a wand. Gripping firmly, she presses the flat of the wand against your forehead, her other hand still under your head. The cold of the wand and the fierceness of her expression fill you with anticipation. [[This time, will the magic...?!->9]]"N-no!" you wail and wince. "Not my height! //By my will, I'll still stand tall against you!//" "What? How can this be?! My power is..." she falters, "...utterly immense!" "I can feel myself being pulled apart..." you continue, shoulders tightening, hips wobbling, "your devilish spell, stopped in its tracks by my pure heart! Your power is truly fearful, but |defy1)[it has truly met its equal!]|cower1)[no more will it afflict me!]" |defy1)["No! Your "pure heart" gobflobbery can't be true! It's... it's //completely ridiculous!//"]|cower1)["What? The half-frog dares claim to be my power's equal? How //preposterously bold!//"] she exclaims, the hint of a laugh in the corner of her lips. "But though I somehow can't fit you in my hands, I can still hoist you in the air as easily, regardless!" A look of sheer focus comes over her. She spins over to a shelf and grabs a wand with one hand and a ring with the other. She slips the ring onto her wand-hand, and, gripping tightly, presses the flat of the wand firmly against your forehead, her other hand cradling your face. The cold of the wand and the fierceness of her expression fill you with anticipation. [[This time, will the magic...?!->9]]Witch (Natalya) tries to torment you Tries to frog you turns your skin green [defy][allow] Tries to hold you holds your chin [defy][allow] Tries to levitate you raises your hair and tugs you around the room [defy][allow] ...Flashback... Browsing rent sites for flats less than 1KM from leylines. "No pets" ...Flashback... Watching people whose feet don't line up with the ground, trying to outrun them. (Lots of clicks) ...Flashback... Trying to unshrink their bed, being unable to, having to call someone in the morning. ...Return... Ending based on defy/allow (if: "Cower 3" is in (history:))[(show: ?cower3)] (if: "Defy 3" is in (history:))[(show: ?defy3)] (if: "Cower 2" is in (history:))[(show: ?cower2)] (if: "Defy 2" is in (history:))[(show: ?defy2)] (if: "Cower 1" is in (history:))[(show: ?cower1)] (if: "Defy 1" is in (history:))[(show: ?defy1)] (replace:?sidebar)[]You both sit down together and start browsing for an apartment in your price range, laptop on two laps. (link-reveal:"34 Themis Cloister")[: Over 3km from leylines, and nearest mana sources are private property.] (link-reveal:"14 Fir-sap-spent Approach")[: Over 2km from leylines, bus lines and soar lines.] (link-reveal:"122 Plugbung Descent")[: Over 3km from any mana sources.] (link-reveal:"538 Hardclover Throughway")[: Only bus and soar lines within 1km are private. Only supermarket and doctors within 1km are in a mana sink, too.] (link-reveal:"81 Decedent Spiral")[: Over 2km from leylines and mana sources.] (link-reveal:"44 Fearnaught Passage")[: No foot access - soaring and levitation only. You scowl at the street's gorgeous greenery.] (link-reveal:"83 Innis-Fonk-Faldy Climb")[: You look up the advertised "strong, accessible" leyline - it's already been demolished.] (link-reveal:"E12 Lunoc Perimeter")[: You look up the advertised "plentiful, diverse" mana sources - they've already been privatised.] (link-reveal:"5 Shearfraycut Gully")[: Over 2km from bus and soar lines.] (link-reveal:"312 Nurk-Feiz Lane")[: Hmm... very weak leyline in walking distance... small mana source on the bus line... the place is ugly as sin and there's no greenery on the whole block, [[but...->P3]]]"God, that can't be the best we can get," she exclaims. "We don't deserve //that//! We deserve better than that, both of us." Letting her thoughts hang in the air, you read a line in its description aloud. //"No mammal, avian, reptile or amphibian pets."//. She turns to look over your shoulder at Carrie, Morgan and Izzy, in their terrarium. "Well," she continues, "now it's definitely, absolutely out." You say nothing, but reach to close the tab. [["I mean, bookmark it, but-"->P4]] #[[✾->P5]]"We'll call someone." "//No!//" she spits, pulling her shrunken bed away from you. "I'm doing it fine!" She grips the tiny headboard even tighter. More (colour:cyan+white)[magic] flows into it. Then... maybe it got an inch wider? No, that was just her fingers spreading. "You've had a hard day, doing the chairs and shelves and all," you continue, placing your box cutter on the floor. "I'll pay for someone to come over-" "I don't want you to... Not more money..." "It's not a problem. We got it all here ourselves thanks to you, and-" "We didn't, though! We'd never have afforded movers, and //we can't afford this!//" Her knuckles whitening, threatening to tear the unyielding bed apart, another burst of (colour:cyan+gray+white)[magic] passes into it. "//Look//," you firmly interrupt, placing your open palm near her face. She grows still, says nothing. Your palm gently nudges her face toward you, until she's looking right at you with red, red eyes. [[P6<-"Look..."]] #[[✾->E2]]She's watching the others glide down the street. Both feet raised, skating on air. Using mana like they never need to stop, like the whole world is a leyline. You're both holding grocery bags, but your arm is brushing hers. You look at her. She's looking at her feet. (link-replace:"She strides ahead of you.") [(link-replace:"She mumbles \"Meet you at home\".") [(link-replace:"She starts running.") [(link-replace:"She hops into the air.") [(link-replace:"Her feet don't descend.") [(link-replace:"She glides forward, building up speed.") [(link-replace:"You break into a jog to keep up with her.") [(link-replace:"Her feet suddenly sink, soles scraping against the pavement with a terrible noise.") [(link-replace:"She tumbles forward.") [(link-replace:"She lands hard on her knees.") [(link-replace:"Her grocery bags clatter to the ground, the cans rattling inside.") [(link-replace:"One of her soles peels off its shoe and flips into the air behind her.") [Funnily, you'd both talked about skinning knees earlier that day. How it was a universal, horrible childhood moment that you were both glad you'd need never experience [[ever again->E1]]. ]]]]]]]]]]]] #[[✾->P7]]Her wand-hand bursts with (text-colour:magenta+white+gray)[magic], and your whole head is immersed in unnatural light and warmth. You feel your hair raising. And raising. You open your eyes, and glance in a nearby mirror. Your hair is well and truly vertical, fluttering like it's waterweed... but your feet remain on the ground, in the chalk circle. As quick as it appeared, even the magic from the wand and ring has departed. Her face, having held itself up thus far, has now well and truly fallen. Her eyes are growing more unfocused by the second. Quickly as before, you break the silence and bring her gaze back to you. [[Cower to her->Cower 3]] &bull; [[Defy her->Defy 3]] &bull;"N-no!" you squeal and sway. "Stop... pulling me!" You slide out of the circle as if dragged by your hair. "Let go of my hair! |cower2)[I'm getting vertigo! Help, help! Someone, help! I give up! //I give up!//]|defy2)[I'm not your plaything! I will resist! I... I must...]|cower1)[ Crrroak!]" She watches for a moment, then forces out a chuckle. "H-hahahaha! Now you must |cower2)[ suffer like I've suffered, wail like I've wailed! |cower1)[Your body obeys me! Your mind obeys me! And now your heart obeys me! I control all of you!]|defy1)[You thought you could withstand everything I had, but now] //I am your everything!//]|defy2)[ finally accept that your "pure heart" is nothing before my power, and never will be! Your future is here, with me, for the rest of your existence!]" You lurch and stumble around the room, following each wave and flick of her wand, her laughter growing smoother, louder, more confident as you moan|cower1)[, croak] and whimper. [[......->P]]"N-no!" you squeal and sway. "Not this...!|cower2)[ Not with the fear you've given me.] I... I //refuse to be moved!//" You lurch your head out of her hands, eyes screwed shut. "What?" she weakly asks. "It's taking all my focus to resist you... |defy2)[My body is wracked with agony! ]|cower2)[My mind is wracked with terror! ]But I |defy2)[still barely]|cower2)[found strength in my heart, and now I] have the upper hand! In the end, the love that fills my pure heart will always outshine your wickedness!" "Your //pure heart//? That's absurd... //That's not real//... Is it?!" You open your eyes. Your feet shuffle forward, breaking through the circle. "//What are you doing?!//" she hollers, pointing the wand at you. "Your muscles obey me! Your body is mine!" You grin and slowly approach her. "Th-this isn't real!" she quails, recoiling from you. "//No one is this powerful!// This is all a dream! A dream!" [[......->P]] #[[✾->P2]]|defy3)[//"Why?"// she whispers, breaking the long silence. "Why do you hug me, your tormentor? Your muscles that broke my circle, your heart that daunted my spells, your body that can strike me down where I stand... why do they embrace me?" "To show you," you reply, "what the power of my pure heart really is. I won't kneel to you, shrivel away to you, be hurled around by you... and if you join me, we won't kneel to anyone." "What?" she asks. "It was not I who foiled your plots, ruined your plans, at all... I came only to show you the strength of a pure heart - and were you to take me as your partner and combine it with your magic, they would become one unbeatable power... and make us both masters of the whole world." She stops rocking. She pulls away from you. She looks at you directly in the eye. [[//"Oh my god."//->END]] ]|cower3)[//"Why?"// you whisper, breaking the long silence. "Why do you hug me, your captive? After taking such glee in tormenting me, in defeating my body, mind and heart... why do you wait to finish me off?" "To show you," she replies, "that with my total, utter mastery over you, I don't need to." "What?" you ask. "You tried to daunt my plans, foil my plots. But now I've shown you - shown everyone, everything - that my magic is not meagre, not tiny, but mighty, immense! Enough to beat down the strongest force against me! Enough to empty you of resistance and fill your entire world!" "And," she continues, "were you to accept me as your partner, and stay with me always as a symbol of my mastery, I would use them to send us both to the heights of cosmic pleasure, while bringing low our enemies... until we are masters of the whole world." With that, you finally start squeezing her back. [[//"How could I defy that?"//->END]] you reply.](colour:white+gray)[ #(colour:green+gray)[✾] Your (colour:orange+gray)[✾] ##Utterly Unbeatable #(colour:green+gray)[✾] Natalya (colour:orange+gray)[✾] ] by <a href="http://l.j-factor.com/gmhtml5/">(colour:white+gray)[Leon Arnott]</a>. **THE END** Made for <a href="https://ldjam.com/">(colour:white+gray)[Ludum Dare 39]</a>, 2017-07-31.