*7:00AM*
The alarm, as always, wakes up before you. It blares at 7:00 on the dot...
[[Reach out to turn it off]]
[[Cover your head with your pillows, and hide under your sheets]]You turn the alarm off.
You proceed to get out bed. As you're about to open the door out, your mother comes in, continually impressed you wake up consistently-- you're all grown up.
At the time you reached out for the door, you noticed a mark on your hand, something resemblant of what you may have imagined from reading *Eragon*.
You decide to feel the [[mark->6:58 A.M.]], and upon touching it..."Come on, get up." Your mom urges you.
"okay"
You get up, but you haven't left your bed. Groggily, you move towards the door. You notice a [[mark->6:58 A.M.]] on your hand.*6:58AM*
You still have two minutes...
WAI-WAI-WAI-WAIT WAIT! PAUSE!!
It's? It's Not Yet 7?
It seems you have traveled back in time!
This matters very little. You still have to attend school, and you must get ready by 7:45 if you want to make it on time.
*6:59*
[[Get out of bed]]
[[Stay for another minute.]]You get out of bed.
Slowly, you open the door to the hallway and the alarm begins ringing.
You jump in fright, turn to the alarm clock, and shut it off.
Your mom walks in the room.
"Oh, you're up earlier than expected."
[[oh yeah... yeah.]]The alarm rings, and you shut it off instantly.
Your mom walks in, seconds after, surprised.
"Oh, you're up earlier than expected."
[[oh yeah... yeah.]]You brush your teeth, shower, y'know. The usual.
Now it's time for breakfast:
[[Cereal]]
or
[[Toast]]You put toast in the toaster. It works, just as it does every day.
While on your way retrieving the butter, you get a butterknife from the drawer.
Ding!!
The bread is ready, and it now time for toast...
[[Touch your mark?->oh yeah... yeah.]]
[[Continue making toast]]You get your favorite cereal from above the fridge: Cheerios. Plain ol' cheerios.
At the same time, you open the fridge and retrieve the milk, organic and bottled. Your family is taking steps to becoming more environmentally friendly. Looking at your fridge now, you notice how sparse and minimalist it has become in comparison to when your family first moved to America.
As you prepare your cereal you take a spoon out and notice the [[mark->oh yeah... yeah.]] on your hand again...
[[Ignore it, and continue making cereal because that's what you want instead of toast, right?]]You slather the butter onto the toast, set the butterknife into the sink and begin munchin on your toast. It's tasty.
As you put the bread away, you notice how sparse and minimalist it has become in comparison to when your family first moved to America.
After finishing your slice of toast, it's time for [[school]]You pour cereal, followed by milk, as it should always be done, add a little honey, although you're aware cheerios have enough sugar already, then begin digging in with the spoon you pulled from the kitchen drawer.
After finishing your cereal, it's time for [[school]].
You put on your shoes and head out.*8:01AM*
You get into class a second late, you were held up for some reason...
[[check your mark]]
[[don't worry about it]]*7:56AM*
Brad and Angelina are arguing semi-silently in the hallways. Angelina has a distressed look on her face, it looks like they hate each other and want to break up. You expected this to happen since their names were Brad and Angelina, but you didn't expect them to involve you in their business.
Acquaintances with both, you let them know:
[[Make it Better, Anderson Paak.]]
[[Let it Be, The Beatles.]]
[[I gotta get to class]]You don't worry about it.
The teacher stands up, takes attendance, and drones off with a convolutedly heavy lecture-- will college be like this?
*9:30AM*
It's time for the [[next class]]"Do you wanna make it Better?"...
[[Cool, bye.->I gotta get to class]]
"Let it Be.." It's whatever guys.
*Angelina and Brad don't seem to appreciate your lack of care*
[[I gotta get to class]]You walk in at *8:01AM*
The teacher stands up, takes attendance, and drones off with a convolutedly heavy lecture-- will college be like this?
*9:30AM*
It's time for the [[next class]]"So if we're going by the rule that a hero is undone by his fatal flaw, what was Heracles’ flaw?"
"Because he literally refuses to look at all the signs that are being literally handed to him the entire play."
"Okay, interesting! So he thinks he has control."
[[...]]"But also, don’t forget: Sophocles writes it so the oracle is unconditional. Meaning Heracles never had any choice. Right? So, does this make it more tragic or less tragic than if he did have a choice?"
"choice..." You mutter under your breath.
"What do you think?" asks your teacher.
[[It's less tragic]]
[[It's more tragic]]"If there is less control supporting his actions and the consequences of them, it's almost freeing isn't it?"
"Indeed. That's one perspective to it."
"Right... Even if we were to try [[something different->...]]... Fate. Agency. Their influence on our lives should allows us to live freely. Because... if our actions don't matter-"
The bell rings.
[[Self inquiry]]
[[Meet with friends, eat lunch]]"He was powerless. If our decisions don't matter, why even participate? Why participate in the cycle, in the journey; why work towards an end we have no control over?"
"Indeed. That's one perspective to it."
"Right... Even if we were to try [[something different->...]]... Fate. Agency. Their influence on our lives imprisons us. Because... we have no control over how much our actions mat-"
The bell rings
Your teacher calls out to you:
"You're in high school. Slow down there kiddo."
[[?]]
[[Meet with friends, eat lunch]] So we find ourselves here. A hidden passage so to speak.
Recall everything you've done today. Maybe it was work, maybe it was school, maybe it was nothing. How many times do we remember that exact memory. The memory of actions we repeat, whether or not something new happens.
This is the cycle. And we shouldn't be afraid of it. Everyone is so scared of repetition, maddened by it, but life is no science experiment. It's an art. You can't get good at the violin without this repetition right?
Are you with me?
[[Ar-->Meet with friends, eat lunch]]It's friendly banter. The stuff they usually say. Don't get yourself wrong, it's not boring, the actions are the same, but the banter itself is unique. It's entertaining and this is why you all are friends and meet in your favorite teacher's classroom every lunch.
"You were pretty into today's lecture."
[["I guess"]]
[["Yeah, what did you think about the question?"->"I guess"]]Why slow down?
Everything boils down to whether it matters or not.
Is it matter, or dark matter?
Is it love, or hatred? What's the difference??
Are there consequences, are there none?
Because if nothing matters, what was the point of [[writing this?->Meet with friends, eat lunch]]"I think... Lack of meaning preserves meaning to each individual.
[[You don't sound like a high schooler]]"Well, you got smart friends. But yeah... I think no matter how meaningless our actions are, the ''act'' of acting something out is itself the most powerful display of agency, fate, etc. Even if our choices add up to the [[same thing."]]The Bell Rings and you head to class
*1:40PM*
It's English. You share this class with Angelina. Thinking about it, that's kind of a weird name. Aside from Angelina Jolie, you can't think of someone whom you're remotely attracted to with that name... besides maybe Angelina, but hold on. You're in High School.
You take your seat. [[30 minutes until class finishes.]]Your teacher is droning on. Angelina drops her pen. It's by her desk, but she struggles a bit, as it's behind her, hidden past her periphery.
[[You're too late to react and help]]But she acknowledges the concerned expression you wore on your face.
[[Continue on with your day]]
[[Use the mark]]You and your friend and neighbor get picked up by his mom.
How was your day, boys?
[["Good"]]
[["It was nice"->"Good"]]
[["As usual..."->"Good"]]Your teacher is droning on. Angelina drops her pen. It's by her desk, but she struggles a bit, as it's behind her, hidden past her periphery.
[[She's got this! She's done it before]]
[[You reach out and pick up the pen.]]She reaches the pen and picks it up, more pround than the previous time since she could see you visually, silently cheering for her. She chuckles and continues taking notes,[[ smiling.->Continue on with your day]]She thanks you and continues taking notes,[[ smiling.->Continue on with your day]]That's nice. Do you have any plans for the weekend?
[["Yeah, we're thinking of maybe seeing the beach"]]
[["No, our plans are up in the air."]]
[["I'm not thinking of anything"]]
She asks a few more questions
The player may or may not be able to go back in time to re-answer those questions
He will reach home and be asked the same questions by his mom to which he will likely have the same responses or fewer.
And the game ends with the word
"Good.""Oh that sounds pleasant. If you would like to spend some time with Ryan, he should be free this weekend!"
"yeah, probably"
[["Sounds good"]]"Oh that sounds pleasant. If you would like to spend some time with Ryan, he should be free this weekend!"
"yeah, probably"
[["Sounds good"]]"Oh that sounds pleasant. If you would like to spend some time with Ryan, he should be free this weekend!"
"yeah, probably"
[["Sounds good"]]"Alright, and here we are! Have a great day!"
"Aight man, I'll see you whenever. :)"
[["Seeya"]]You walk to your doorstep, keeping an eye on the car as it leaves.
You ring the doorbell and your mom opens the door, on the phone.
"Hello (*insert endearing term you're most familiar with*)"
Upon your return home, you think of snacc.
What is snacc?
[[Quik Nacho]]
[[Avocado Toast]]That's nice. Do you wanna do anything this weekend?
Good.Tortilla chips spread upon a plate. Some cheese. Some beans.
Microwaved.
Taken out. Some salsa
Yum.
Your mother walks in after her call.
"Do you wanna do anything this weekend?"
[["Yeah, we should maybe see the beach"->Weekend]]
[["No, I think our plans are up in the air."->Weekend]]
[["I'm not thinking of anything"->Weekend]]You make the toast, add the avocado, add the rock salt, and some nice extra virgin olive oil. Yum yum.
Your mother walks in after her call.
"Do you wanna do anything this weekend?"
[["Yeah, we should maybe see the beach"->Weekend]]
[["No, I think our plans are up in the air."->Weekend]]
[["I'm not thinking of anything"->Weekend]]"Mm that's nice. I guess we'll figure it out soon.
How was your day, *endearing term you're most familiar with*?"
[["Good..."->Good 3]]