(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: black) + (background: red))
You wake to sunlight streaming through the window and onto your face. Flinching, you drape a forearm over your eyes. The crimson light filtering through the tiny blood vessels in your eyelids darkens to black.
{
(live: 10s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: white) + (background: black))
<br>
The darkness is a relief, because your head thrums with a hangover.
<br>
<br>
The bed creaks next to you and you remember you're not alone.
<br>
<br>
"Ros?" A groggy voice from next to your ear. "Rosalind?" When you don't answer.
<br>
<br>
You swallow the stale taste of last night's whiskey and consider pretending to be asleep, but Celia is the only person who hasn't abandoned you. You flop over in the bed to face your best friend.
<br>
<br>
(transition-arrive: "pulse")[[Opening your eyes only intensifies your headache.->Celia]]
]
}
You step out of the bathroom, a $gender with $hair hair and $eyes eyes wearing $clothes. $tattoos.
Celia almost does a double-take. "Ganymede!"
"I think I'm going to go with Rosamede," you say. "How I feel depends on the day."
"It's perfect," she says.
Celia goes into the bathroom to take a shower, and you glance at your phone. Both Phebe and Orlando have texted, which means you have some decisions to make.
[[Meet up with Phebe.->End1]]
[[Meet up with Orlando.->End2]]
[[Meet up with Neither.->End3]](enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: black) + (background: yellow))
"Yeah?" Your voice works after a few attempts.
"How are you feeling?" Celia asks.
"Not bad," you lie.
She replies, "I might be dying."
"We probably overdid it. We should get breakfast."
"That sounds good," Celia agrees. "Well, not good, but you know. Want to shower?"
"You go ahead." You try to make this sound like you're being magnanimous when, in reality, you need a few more minutes in bed to attempt not throwing up.
The mattress shifts as Celia leaves the bed. The bathroom door shuts and you hear the muffled sound of the water turning on.
(transition-arrive: "dissolve")[[You close your eyes again and try to piece together yesterday's events.->Background]]You and Celia had planned on going to the Pride parade in Arden, but when your uncle--Celia's dad--found out he freaked out.
"I don't know why you always spend time around those people," he said. "It's not like you're <i>gay</i>."
"What if I am?" You retorted. This was not exactly how you'd planned to come out.
(transition-arrive: "instant")[[There was a long silence, then...->Boom]](enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: red) + (background: orange))
=><=
"GET OUT."
{
(live: 3s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: white) + (background: black))
<br>
[[Celia grabbed your hand and led you out the door.->Runaways]]
]}Once we were on the train and headed toward the city, I turned to Celia.
"You didn't have to come with me, you know."
"He's an asshole," she said.
"He's your dad, though."
"That doesn't make it right," she said. "You should be able to be who you are."
And that was the last we'd mentioned it. We went out, got wasted on whiskey shots, and got a cheap hotel room. Now, here we were, hungover on the morning(ish) of Pride.
[[Celia comes out of the bathroom and turns the shower over to you, interrupting your thoughts.->Shower]]You head into the bathroom. The lukewarm shower wakes you up, and brushing your teeth and takes some of the edge off of the hangover. Still, you take a few pain killers to get rid of the headache.
Feeling refreshed, you wipe the steam off of the mirror with the corner of a towel. You've never liked what you see there. Today was supposed to be the day you started to change all that, but you can't help feeling like any effort to finally be yourself is futile.
What is your gender?
(dropdown: bind $gender1, "man", "man", "man", "man")
What kind of hair do you have?
(dropdown: bind $hair1, "shaved", "shaved", "shaved", "shaved")
What color eyes do you have?
(dropdown: bind $eyes1, "sea blue", "sea blue", "sea blue", "sea blue")
What are you wearing?
(dropdown: bind $clothes1, "a pair of baggy jeans, your favorite band t-shirt, and a baseball cap", "a pair of baggy jeans, your favorite band t-shirt, and a baseball cap", "a pair of baggy jeans, your favorite band t-shirt, and a baseball cap", "a pair of baggy jeans, your favorite band t-shirt, and a baseball cap")
You put on a baggy pair of jeans, a plain t-shirt, and a baseball cap--the three things you usually hide behind.
[[You emerge from the bathroom->Brunch]]Celia scrolls through her phone on the bed. "I found a good brunch spot, Ros."
"Call me Ganymede," you say.
She grins. "Ganymede."
The two of you head out to the restaurant. There's a wait, of course, but after a while you're ready to sit down. Your server walks up to the table.
"I'm Phebe," she says. "I'll be taking care of you. Some coffee to start?"
"Yes," you and Celia respond at once.
Phebe laughs a little. "Rough night?"
"I guess we started Pride a little early," Celia says.
"You going to the parade?" Phebe asks.
"Of course," you reply.
Phebe looks at you. "I hope I'll run into you there."
You an Celia finish your meals, and by the end the coffee and carbs have banished your hangover. Brunch is busy, of course, but when Phebe comes back with your receipt, you notice she has written her phone number across the bottom. You probably won't text, you tell yourself. Life is complicated enough right now. But you save the number in your phone anyway.
[[You leave the restaurant and walk toward the parade route.->Parade]]Even before the parade starts, the avenue is awash in vibrant color. Flags of all kinds--the rainbow flag most prominant, but the powder blue and pink of the trans flag, and even the tri-colored bi and pan flags--adorn buildings and people alike. Music from various sources clashes in a cacophany, and you and Celia link hands to work your way through the crowd.
In some ways, watching the crowd is even more exciting than watching the parade itself. All around, people are celebrating and enjoying themselves. You wonder whether you'll ever get to go back home to your uncle, and then turn your attention back to the parade, deciding you can worry about that tomorrow.
{
(live: 15s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: white) + (background: red))
<br>
A float of drag queens rumbles past . . .
]
(live: 18s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: white) + (background: orange))
<br><br>
. . . then a group of allies waving tiny rainbow flags . . .
]
(live: 21s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: black) + (background: yellow))
<br><br>
. . . then you spot Orlando, bare-chested atop a pair of stilts.
]
(live: 24s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: white) + (background: green))
<br><br>
Your face turns red. Did you imagine that he caught your eye, as well? Celia nudges you as he walks gracefully by. Oh well, you're sure he didn't see you in your bland outfit among the multitude of hues.
]
(live: 30s)[
(stop:)
(enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: white) + (background: purple))
<br><br>
[[The parade ends, but the party is just beginning.->Parade end]]
]
} After the parade, you and Celia head to a nearby bar. It's packed.
"Are you going to text Phebe?" she asks.
"I don't know." You say, "Do you think she really wants to hear from me?"
"She obviously does."
So you text her the name of the bar. She responds almost immediately and arrives half an hour later. Celia is away talking to some guy she's met, so you and Phebe nab a table when another group gets up.
You spend hours talking and drinking, and you tell her about the fight with your uncle.
"Ganymede," she says, "you're so brave."
"I don't feel brave," you blush.
"Would it be OK if we kissed?" Phebe asks.
You think about this for a while. On one hand, the whole point of this weekend was for you start the process of coming out. On the other hand, you barely feel like you know yourself, and adding another person into the mix might complicate things.
[[Kiss Phebe->Kiss]]
[[Don't kiss Phebe.->No kiss]]"I'd like that," you say, and the two of you lean closer. The kiss feels a bit awkward at first, as though your lips are trying to do something completely independent of the rest of your body. You soon relax, though, feeling your shoulders loosen down your back. By the time you and Phebe separate, you feel comfortable and warm. You catch Celia grinning at you from across the room.
You and Phebe continue talking, but are interrupted by a text from Orlando.
"Saw you at the parade," it says. "Didn't know you were in town! Wanna meet up?"
Orlando. You had been close to dating before you moved in with your uncle. You never thought he was very interested, but here he was. You wonder if it's smart to invite him to the bar, given that you just kissed Phebe, but it's tough to resist a chance to see him again.
You text back, letting him know where you are. It will be up to him to show up if he wants.
[[He shows up.->Orlando]]"I'm not sure I'm ready for that," you say.
"I understand," Phebe replies. The two of you continue talking, but are interrupted by a text from Orlando.
"Saw you at the parade," it says. "Didn't know you were in town! Wanna meet up?"
Orlando. You had been close to dating before you moved in with your uncle. You never thought he was very interested, but here he was. You wonder if it's smart to invite him to the bar, given that you've just turned down someone else.
You text back, letting him know where you are. It will be up to him to show up if he wants.
[[He shows up.->Orlando]]From your vantage point, you see Orlando enter. He waves and makes his way over to the table.
"Ros!" he exclaims, clearly excited to see you.
"It's Ganymede," you correct him. You glance at Phebe, but she doesn't react to the confusion. Instead, she makes her exit.
"You're welcome to stay," you say.
"Oh, I know, but I have to work breakfast again tomorrow so I should get some sleep. The only thing worse than working Sunday brunch is working it with a hangover. You should stop by."
You and Orlando are alone.
He ventures, "So, no more Rosalind."
"It's something I'm working on," you explain.
"That's cool," he says. "You know, Ganymede, I have something to confess. I had a huge crush on Rosalind."
Where is this going? Does he know you were into him, too?
He continues, "I never told her. How do you think she'd react if I told her now?"
"I think she'd say you have to accept her for who she is now, and that she might be a little different than you remember."
"Of course I would."
[[The two of you talk until you and Celia decide to go back to the hotel and get to bed.->Departure]]Outside on the street, you say goodbye to Orlando.
"Do you think we could hang out again tomorrow?" he asks.
"Maybe," you say. "Let's figure it out in the morning."
You walk back to the hotel with Celia, who asks a million questions about Phebe and Orlando and who you're interested in and how and why. It's a bit much to take in, but you had fun tonight and you think you're starting to accept that you can be yourself around other people.
(transition-depart: "dissolve")[[As you fall asleep, you finally look forward to tomorrow.->Day2]](enchant: ?Passage, (text-color: black) + (background: yellow))
Morning arrives quickly. This time, when you wake, you ask Celia if you can have the bathroom first. When you look in the mirror, you finally see possibility. It's a start.
What do I want my gender to be today?
(dropdown: bind $gender, "woman", "man", "nonbinary person", "unicorn")
What kind of hair do I have?
(dropdown: bind $hair, "shaved", "chin-length and pink", "long and black", "shimmering rainbow")
What color eyes do I have?
(dropdown: bind $eyes, "sea blue", "cotton candy", "black and pupiless", "holographic starshine")
What am I wearing?
(dropdown: bind $clothes, "a pair of distressed jeans and your favorite band t-shirt", "a bright pink tafetta dress", "a supremely shapely leather catsuit", "a saddle blanket of pure spun moonlight")
Do I have any tattoos?
(dropdown: bind $tattoos, "Your arms are covered in brightly colored floral sleeve tattoos", "A trail of tattooed stars stretches along your collarbone", "A series of mysterious tattooed runes winds up your forearms")
(transition-depart: "dissolve")[[You get dressed.->Character View]]You let Orlando know you're busy and invite Phebe out to have dinner after she's done with work. You're not sure how long the relationship will last, but you feel comfortable and happy around her.
You and Orlando have a history. You decide to give the relationship a chance and invite him to brunch. Maybe he'd be willing to try an open relationship. Phebe, he, and you would make a great trio.
You text both Orlando and Phebe and tell them you're just not ready for a relationship yet. You need more time to explore your new identity.