Common Ground
Stephen Granade
cover art easy family female protagonist house setting male protagonist marriage multiple protagonists profanity puzzleless real life serious short TADS TADS 2 TADS2 source available Xyzzy Awards 1999
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GlkTADS - A text-only TADS 2.5.3 Interpreter.

Maintained by Stephen Granade <sgranade@phy.duke.edu>

Type "about" for more information.

Great, just great. First you oversleep, end up being late for school. Then the whole day sucks so bad you can barely wait until seventh period's over and you're free. Now you've wasted so much time watching TV that you've gotta rush through your makeup or you won't be ready for tonight before April gets here with her wheels. Mississippi may say you're old enough to drive, but Frank sure doesn't agree.

Man, you can't wait for all this to be over.

You've spent a lot of time in this room, enough that it's really beginning to get on your nerves. You're tired of the stupid posters, you're tired of your stupid bed, you're tired of everything. You just wish it weren't such a hassle to try to change any of it. Besides, if you were going to change anything, you'd start with the clothes in your closet. To the west, across from your window, is a closed door going out.
You see a flowerdy bag here. Sitting on the vanity is a geode, mascara, eye shadow, pink blush, and foundation.
You examine the flowerdy
You sometimes wonder if you should replace it, but you really like the flowers printed on it. Most everything you need's in it.
About yourself
You've gone with your jean cut-offs and a plaid shirt tonight. Nothing fancy, but then it doesn't really need to be.
You take foundation
Taken.
You wear the foundation
You've already put on foundation.
Inventory
You've got foundation, a flowerdy bag, eye shadow, and pink blush.
You wear the shadow
A couple of careful passes with the eye shadow brush and your eyelids turn a pretty lavender.
You wear the blush
You pop open the blush container and take the brush. Staring in the mirror, you rub the pink blush along your cheekbones with quick strokes. Satisfied, you put the brush back and close the container.
You look at the posters
You liked all of the posters when you put them up, especially that one of Mötley Crüe. But they've been up there long enough that you're bored of them. Even the Crüe is last year's band now.
You stand
Forget this. You stand up and grab your makeup. A little bit of mascara, then you dump all the makeup into your bag.
You look under the bed
You used to keep magazines under there until you got tired of your mom yapping at you about them and threw them away.
You look in the closet
Your closet's full of old clothes.
You look at clothes
You guess they aren't that bad. You'd still like some new ones.
Go outside
(Opening the bedroom door)
Hall
The hall goes north to your bathroom and south to the stairs. Mom
and Frank's bedroom is to the west, directly across from your room.
Go north
You open the door and go through, closing it behind you.

Your bathroom's not only small, it's not even right by your bedroom. Some day maybe you'll streak between here and your room, give Frank a real show. A bunch of your bottles are scattered round the sink. The hallway is back to the south.
You look at the bottles
Moisturizer, shampoo, shit like that.
Go south
You open the door and go through, closing it behind you.

The hall goes north to your bathroom and south to the stairs. Mom
and Frank's bedroom is to the west, directly across from your room.
You go west
Mom and Frank's room is okay, you guess. That waterbed of theirs is pretty sweet, even with that stupid little nightstand next to it.
Their bathroom is north, and an open door to the east goes back into the hall.
You look at the nightstand
It's not much to look at. There's a closed drawer in it.
You examine the bills
Frank's little stash of money. There's probably over a hundred bucks, easy.
You take bills
You glance over your shoulder, then pull a bunch of bills from the roll. You stop after about eighty. If you're lucky, Frank won't find them gone for a while. You put the roll back in the drawer and hide the bills you took.
Go north
You don't know why Frank has this big thing about you not using his
and mom's bathroom. It's not like it's any big secret deal. You can leave it to the south.
Go south
Mom and Frank's room is okay, you guess. That waterbed of theirs is pretty sweet, even with that stupid little nightstand next to it.
Their bathroom is north, and an open door to the east goes back into the hall.
The nightstand drawer seems to contain a roll of bills.
You close the drawer
Closed.
You go to the east
The hall goes north to your bathroom and south to the stairs. Mom
and Frank's bedroom is to the west, directly across from your room.
Go south
You head down the stairs.

When you're not in your room you usually hang here, watching TV from the couch. Frank sometimes works at a little desk he's got in here, but he's normally pretty cool with you watching TV while he works. There are stairs to the south. You can get to the kitchen to the northeast and the front door and hallway are northwest.
Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.

As you come down the stairs, Frank looks up at you. "Goin' out tonight too, huh?" Is his speech slurred again?
You examine Frank
Frank's dressed in that ratty old Bud t-shirt of his and a greasy pair of jeans. He's working hard on some appliance, frowning at it from time to time.
Kiss frank
Ew.
You look at the appliance
He's been "working" on some of that junk for years.
You ask Frank about the work
If you want to talk to someone, use TALK TO.
You talk to Frank
You wander over to Frank's desk and look at the jumble on it.
"What'cha working on?"

"Toaster," he says, staring at the inside of a chrome-plated box.
Continue
"Toaster, huh? What's wrong with it?"

"Thought it was the heater element shorting, but that wasn't it." He goes on a while about the toaster, almost makes you wish you hadn't asked. Finally he gets to the point. "Anyway, the power cord's shot, so now I'm replacing it."
Continue
You take a couple of steps away from Frank. "Gotta have toast, huh?" But he's not even listening.
You keep going
"Hey, Frank, where'd mom go?"

"Groceries." He leans his head from side to side, trying to loosen tense muscles. "Piggly Wiggly. Hope you told her what you wanted this week."
Continue
"Nah," you say, shaking your head. "Doesn't matter."

"Well, okay," he says.
Continue
"By the way, could you spot me a couple of bucks for tonight?" you ask as casually as you can.

He sighs and runs a hand through what's left of his hair. "You know money's tight this month."
You keep going
"I know. But it's not like I'm asking for much. I mean, there's not a lot of places to spend money around here 'cept the Sonic. All's I need is like a ten or something."

"Look, I told you already. Money's tight, and I don't have any to give you. Now quit yapping about it." Frank pointedly turns back to the toaster.
You attack frank
He'd hit back.
You look at your surroundings
When you're not in your room you usually hang here, watching TV from the couch. Frank sometimes works at a little desk he's got in here, but he's normally pretty cool with you watching TV while he works. There are stairs to the south. You can get to the kitchen to the northeast and the front door and hallway are northwest.
Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
About yourself
You've gone with your jean cut-offs and a plaid shirt tonight. Nothing fancy, but then it doesn't really need to be.
Go northeast
You've already got the plaid shirt.

Mom's been bugging you about learning how to cook, so you've been avoiding the kitchen as much as possible when she's around. There're counters and cabinets along the walls and a table on one side of the kitchen. The hallway's to the west and the living room is southwest.
You examine the cabinets
The kitchen cabinets are closed.
You look at what you're carrying with you
You've got a flowerdy bag. The flowerdy bag seems to contain foundation, pink blush, eye shadow, and mascara.
You go west
to the west. There's a bathroom to the north. You can slip around the wall of the hallway and into the living room to the southwest.
You go west
You'll have to open the front door first.
Go north
You open the door and go through, closing it behind you.

An extra bathroom, with a john and sink.
You look at the sink
The sink's pretty clean since mom had you clean this bathroom last weekend.
You go to the south
You open the door and go through, closing it behind you.

to the west. There's a bathroom to the north. You can slip around the wall of the hallway and into the living room to the southwest.
You watch the tv
Yeah, the TV's real exciting when it's off.
You turn on the tv
You click on the TV. It hums into life, showing a green-tinged Bon Jovi video.
You turn off the tv
The TV shuts off, its hum fading away.
You talk to Frank
Frank's absorbed in his work again. You talking to him more's only likely to make him mad.
Goodgirl
Saved.
Go south
You head up the stairs.

The hall goes north to your bathroom and south to the stairs. Mom
and Frank's bedroom is to the west, directly across from your room.
Go west
Mom and Frank's room is okay, you guess. That waterbed of theirs is pretty sweet, even with that stupid little nightstand next to it.
Their bathroom is north, and an open door to the east goes back into the hall.

Your billfold! You'll definitely need your money tonight. It better still be in the kitchen where you left it after school.
Go south
You head down the stairs.

When you're not in your room you usually hang here, watching TV from the couch. Frank sometimes works at a little desk he's got in here, but he's normally pretty cool with you watching TV while he works. There are stairs to the south. You can get to the kitchen to the northeast and the front door and hallway are northwest.
Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
Go northeast
Mom's been bugging you about learning how to cook, so you've been avoiding the kitchen as much as possible when she's around. There're counters and cabinets along the walls and a table on one side of the kitchen. The hallway's to the west and the living room is southwest.
You look under the table
You glance under the table, then get down on your hands and knees. There that stupid thing is! You grab the billfold and stand up.

Mom comes bustling in the kitchen with a bunch of groceries, which she plops down on the table. "Hey, Jeanie," she says.
You examine billfold
All the money you've made the last month at Hardee's is jammed in there.

"Could you help me put the groceries up?" mom asks you.
You look at the Mom
Mom's wearing her plaid summer dress and has her brown hair up in a bun. She's putting groceries away right now.
You talk to the Mom
"What'd you get at the store?" you ask mom.

"Right, uh-huh. The usual. Oh," she says, pulling a box out of a sack and showing it to you. "I got Wheat Thins for you." She puts the box away.
Continue
"Don't forget I won't be here for supper," you tell mom.

"Right, uh-huh, right," mom says. She sighs. "I wish you'd eat supper here a little more often."

Mom says, "Jeanie dear, I'm making roast tonight. If you're still hungry when you get home, there should be some left in the fridge."

"Um, thanks."

"Right, right, you're welcome."
You open the billfold
You pop it open and take a quick look. All your Hardee's money from the last month is in there.
Go west
to the west. There's a bathroom to the north. You can slip around the wall of the hallway and into the living room to the southwest.

You hear a car horn being honked outside in front of the house. Must be April.
You open the door
You yank open the door. Sure enough, there's April in her old Mustang. You slam the door shut on your way out, heading for her car.

That toaster's been giving you fits the last few nights. "Could you fix it?" Deb asks, like it's the easiest thing in the world. Least now you're pretty sure it's the power cord and not anything more serious. It oughta be a quick enough fix.

Quick enough once you get a drink, that is.

You'd think you never ate, as hungry as you get every time you go in the kitchen. But you promised Deb no snacks, so the cabinets are off-limits for you. Good thing drinks from the fridge are okay. The den is southwest.
You open the fridge
Inside the fridge, nestled among the food, are several cans of Coke and Bud.
You get Coke
You suddenly realize that you've been standing and staring into the open fridge for a while. You shake your head slightly and pull a Coke from the fridge. You'd prefer a Bud, really, but Deb's been on you about that.
You go southwest
On your way out you lightly kick the door of the fridge, closing it.

You've got the desk where you work pushed up against one wall, over
by an old stereo you keep meaning to fix. The only thing you can see from the desk is the kitchen to the northeast, but at least your back's to the TV. A worn banister and stairs to the south go up to the second floor.
Sitting on your desk is a broken toaster, a junk box, a
Phillips-head screwdriver, and a multimeter.

You hear Jeanie clomping around upstairs. Probably getting ready to go out again tonight.
You fix the toaster
You're going to have to be more specific.
You examine the cord
The power cord's gotten pretty frayed from the toaster being plugged and unplugged so much. It's held in the toaster by screws.
You hit the toaster with the screwdriver
Before starting work on the toaster you lower yourself into your chair.

Attacking the broken toaster doesn't appear productive.
Dance
You weren't any good at dancing when you were young. What makes you think you could do it now?

Jeanie comes clumping down the stairs. She's all dressed up, with her plaid shirt tied so that you can see her midriff. "You going out again tonight?" you ask her. She doesn't answer.
You talk to Jeanie
You decide to take a break from messing with the toaster. "So," you ask Jeanie, "how was school?"

It's a stupid question, and you realize just how stupid it is right after you say it. Jeanie sighs. "How do you think it was?"
Keep going
"I hated school, too. Couldn't wait to graduate."

"Yeah? Why'd you even bother? Not like you need a diploma to do factory work."

Should of known better than to even try to talk to her.
Continue
"Where you going tonight?" you ask Jeanie as you lean back in the chair and stretch.

"Just out."
Keep going
You roll your shoulders some to work the kinks out of them. "Just out? Seems like you oughta stay in and rest up before school tomorrow."

"Look," she snaps, "Mom okayed it. I'm just going to ride around a while."

"Whoa, whoa, okay." You decide to drop the whole thing. No skin off your nose if she wants to be tired tomorrow.
Continue
As snappy as she's been tonight, you'd just as soon not hear her talk right now.

"What'cha working on?" You look up to find Jeanie looking at the toaster like she's never seen one before.
You keep going
"It's a toaster," you tell Jeanie, since she can't figure it out by herself.

"Oh. What's wrong with it?"
You continue
You briefly toy with the idea of saying, "It's broken," but she seems almost interested. "Well, I think the heating element might be shorting."

"Oh," she says, and wanders away. Guess she wasn't that interested.
You keep going
As snappy as she's been tonight, you'd just as soon not hear her talk right now.

"Where's mom, Frank?" Jeanie asks you.
Continue
"She's gone to the Pig," you tell her. "Why, was there something you wanted her to get?"

She shakes her head. "Nah." You shrug and turn back to the toaster.
Continue
As snappy as she's been tonight, you'd just as soon not hear her talk right now.

Jeanie clears her throat. You brace yourself for whatever she wants. "Um, can I borrow some cash for tonight? 'Cause I'm kinda short."
Continue
"You know money's tight right now," you tell Jeanie. Besides, when does she not want money?

"Money's always tight." Her voice gives you a headache every time she starts whining like this. "I only need a twenty."
Continue
Does Jeanie even listen to you? "I told you. Money's tight. Fixing the station wagon took all our extra money this month." Thankfully, she doesn't say anything back.
You remove the cord
You take the cord off of the old stereo.
You eat the cord
Which cord do you mean, the stereo power cord, or the frayed power cord?
You attach the stereo cord to the toaster
The toaster's already got a power cord.
You remove frayed cord
It's got to be unscrewed first.
You unscrew the frayed cord
As careful as you can you loosen the screws holding the cord and take it out of the toaster.
You tie the knot in the cord
You've already got the frayed power cord.

I don't know the word "tie".
You attach the stereo cord to the toaster
You put the cord from the stereo in the toaster where the old one used to be.
You stand
You start to stand up, but glance at the toaster. You've got to be close to fixing it. It shouldn't take you too much longer.
You plug in the toaster
Not while you're fixing it.
You screw the cord to the toaster
You put the old power cord back in the toaster and screw it in tight.
You screw the power cord
Which power cord do you mean, the stereo power cord, or the frayed power cord?
You get up
With a start you realize that you've been staring at the wall for the past few minutes. Better do at least a little more work on the toaster before you give up.

The sound of the front door slamming startles you. Jeanie's left already? Wonder where she's going.

The nice thing about going grocery shopping this late is that the store isn't too crowded and you can check out quickly. It would have been better if Julie Morgan hadn't been there, making those snide comments of hers, but all in all it wasn't too bad. Now maybe Frank or Jeanie can help you put the groceries away.

The carport's in bad need of a cleaning, what with all of the
supplies for fixing the cars lining the sides and spilling out almost into the middle. It's getting so you can't hardly find space for the station wagon, though you managed to squeeze it in somehow. And you're beginning to think that you might as well get rid of the bikes. The side door to the house is to the west.
The station wagon's door is wide open.
You check your inventory
You've got sacks of groceries and your key ring.
About yourself
Your slacks have seen better days, but you were only going to the Piggly Wiggly. Your arms are filled with sacks from the store.
Go inside
You'll have to open the side door first.
You open side door
Better close the car door before you go in.
You close car door
You bump the door closed with your hip, but it doesn't quite make it. It stops short, leaving the dome light on.
You examine the car door
The door's wide open.
You open the side door
It's locked. Frank must've locked it when he got home.
You examine the bags
You must be holding some five or six sacks. But it was either that or make several trips from the car, and as tired as you are, you'd just as soon get this chore done quickly.
You open the side door
It's locked.
You unlock side door
(with your key ring)
You pull your key ring out, but drop it before you can unlock the door. "Shit!" you exclaim, then look around. Looks like no one heard you.

It's just not your night.
You open the car door
You adjust the groceries and manage to pull open the car door.
You close the car door
You hit the door pretty hard with your hip. It closes.
You knock on the door
Which door do you mean, the side door, or the car door?
You get the keys
It's tough bending down and getting your keys without spilling groceries out of the sacks, but you manage it.
You unlock door
(with your key ring)
You fumble with your keys and finally manage to get the door unlocked.
You open the door
You almost drop a sack doing it, but you eventually manage to get the side door open. You go through it and close it behind you.

The living room is starting to look a little dusty, the TV
especially. There are two paths worn in the green shag carpet, one going from the stairs to the front door, the other from the stairs to the kitchen, right by Frank's desk and the row of family pictures. The door to the carport is east.
Frank's boots are sitting in the middle of the floor again.
Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
You examine Frank
Frank is studying that broken toaster intently.
You look at the boots
Frank's left his boots in the middle of the floor again.
Kiss frank
You don't want to distract him. Besides, you're not really in the mood tonight.
You go east
You just came from there, and with all those groceries. No sense in going back out again.
You look around
The living room is starting to look a little dusty, the TV
especially. There are two paths worn in the green shag carpet, one going from the stairs to the front door, the other from the stairs to the kitchen, right by Frank's desk and the row of family pictures. The door to the carport is east.
Frank's boots are sitting in the middle of the floor again.
Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
You go northeast
After several rounds of remodelling you finally got the kitchen laid out fairly well, with the range near the cabinets and with plenty of counter space. If only the table weren't between the range and refrigerator. The living room is to the southwest.
Standing in the middle of the kitchen is Jeanie.

"Hey, mom," Jeanie says as you walk in.
Dance
Goodness, it's been ages since you danced! Wonder if Frank would take you next weekend.
You drop the bags
You lift the sacks and pile them on the kitchen table.
You go to the south
It won't take long to put up the groceries. No sense in leaving it for later, especially since the ice cream would melt.

Jeanie grabs some of the groceries and puts them on the counter. You didn't even have to ask her to.

You can't go that way.

Jeanie picks up some of the groceries and puts them away.
You go southwest
It won't take long to put up the groceries. No sense in leaving it for later, especially since the ice cream would melt.

Jeanie picks up some of the groceries and puts them away.
You put up the groceries
You take some of the groceries and put them where they belong.

"What all'd you get at the store?" Jeanie asks, rooting around in the sacks.
You put up the groceries
You take some of the groceries and put them where they belong.

"You know I won't be here for supper, right?" Jeanie tells you.
You talk to Jeanie
"I know," you say to Jeanie. How could you forget? She's seldom here for dinner these days. "Too bad you'll miss dinner again."
You talk to Jeanie
"I'll leave some roast in the refrigerator in case you want some when you get home," you say to Jeanie.

Jeanie shrugs. "Okay."

Jeanie picks up some of the groceries and puts them away.
You continue
"You're welcome." You smile; you know she'll be thankful later.

Jeanie heads out of the kitchen.
Go southeast
You can't go that way.

Outside you hear someone honking. Jeanie's ride must be here.
You put up the groceries
You take some of the groceries and put them where they belong.

You hear Jeanie go clomping out the front door. She slams it shut hard enough to make the dishes shake. Was she mad?
Continue
You put up the last of the groceries and put the left-over sacks away.
You go southeast
You can't go that way.

A cough at the door makes you turn around. Frank's there, leaning against the frame. "Did, um, did Jeanie say where she was going?"

"Not really." These days, does she ever? When she gets back you'll have to talk to her about it.

April asked if you wanted her to wait with you, but you told her nah and so she just dropped you off at the station.

It was real easy to buy a ticket. You were afraid they'd want to see ID or maybe a letter from mom or something, but the guy just took your money and didn't say nothing.

This all seems unreal, somehow.

Bus Station, at the counter
The ticket counter is more like a cage, with the guy giving tickets sitting behind bars. There's barely enough room in there for him and his chair. On the wall beside the counter is a big board listing arrivals and departures. The rest of the station is to the south. Sitting on the ticket counter is some change and a bus ticket.
Inventory
You've got a billfold and a flowerdy bag. The flowerdy bag seems to contain a change of clothes and some extra underwear.
You get all
change: Taken.
bus ticket: Taken.
You examine the ticket
You almost can't believe you just bought it. "Los Angeles," it says, as if you could forget.
You look at the board
The chalkboard lists a bunch of buses, but the only one you really care about is the one coming from New York and going to Los Angeles.
About yourself
You've gone with your jean cut-offs and a plaid shirt tonight. Nothing fancy, but then it doesn't really need to be.
Go south
Your feet click on the tile floor as you shift around, waiting. You could sit--there are a couple of worn chairs scattered around, but they all look really uncomfortable. The ticket counter and the board with the bus schedules on it are on the north side of the room, opposite the exit.
You wait
You wait a while.

You turn your ticket over and over, looking first at one side, then the other. LA. It's so far away. Surely you'll be an actress, right?
You look at the phone
The chalkboard lists a bunch of buses, but the only one you really care about is the one coming from New York and going to Los Angeles.

I don't know the word "phone".
Go outside
It's gotten chillier since you got here. Hopefully that bus'll be
here soon. There's only one car in the parking lot, and not a lot of traffic on the road.
You examine the car
It's a beat-up old Pinto.
You enter the car
The car's locked.
You look under the car
Your feet click on the tile floor as you shift around, waiting. You could sit--there are a couple of worn chairs scattered around, but they all look really uncomfortable. The ticket counter and the board with the bus schedules on it are on the north side of the room, opposite the exit.

I don't see any car here.
You leave
stop look weird. Old Church Road, running in front of the bus station, is pretty much empty. The station's behind you to the north.

You hear the bus's engine some time before you see it. It comes crawling down Old Church Road and pulls into the lot in front of you. Its doors open.
You look in Pinto
It's pretty dirty.
You look under the car
Nothing's under there, far as you can tell.
You examine Bus
The bus is belching smoke and shaking as it idles. Its door is open, and the bus driver is staring at you. The sign over its windshield reads "Los Angeles".
You enter Bus
You hang back for a moment, then finally climb up in the bus.

The bus is empty except for you and the bus driver, but it still
smells like old people and cigarettes. At least you have your pick of seats.
The bus driver is looking at you, waiting.

The bus driver looks at you. "Staying or going?" he asks, his hand out for your ticket. You think about mom putting a roast in the oven.
Kiss driver
Ew.
You give the underwear to the driver
Might as well leave that in there.

"You gonna give me that ticket or what?" the bus driver asks you. You look at him, then away.
You give the ticket to the driver
"Now we're cooking with Crisco." He takes the ticket from you and swings shut the doors. "Grab a seat."
You show the ticket to the driver
"The ticket'll be plenty enough, thanks."

"I said, grab a seat! We gotta move," the bus driver tells you. You pick a seat at random and flop into it. You put your head against the headrest with a sigh.

The bus moves with a jerk, the brakes squealing as the driver coaxes the bus out of the station and onto the road. You close your eyes, letting the glow of street lights play over you, light then dark, light then dark. One last glance at the houses slipping past, fading away into the night, before you close your eyes and try to sleep.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, or undo the current command.
Go up
(Undoing one command)

The bus is empty except for you and the bus driver, but it still
smells like old people and cigarettes. At least you have your pick of seats.
The bus driver's checking his mirrors and gauges.
You go outside
The doors to the bus are closed.

"I said, grab a seat! We gotta move," the bus driver tells you. You pick a seat at random and flop into it. You put your head against the headrest with a sigh.

The bus moves with a jerk, the brakes squealing as the driver coaxes the bus out of the station and onto the road. You close your eyes, letting the glow of street lights play over you, light then dark, light then dark. One last glance at the houses slipping past, fading away into the night, before you close your eyes and try to sleep.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, or undo the current command.
You leave
stop look weird. Old Church Road, running in front of the bus station, is pretty much empty. The station's behind you to the north. A bus is idling in front of the station.

You step back from the bus. The doors hiss shut and the bus jerks into life, lumbering towards the road and away from the station. You watch the bus windows slide past you, blank with reflected light. The red taillights grow smaller and smaller and smaller until they're gone.

You shrug your bag onto your shoulder. It's a fair walk back to the house.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, or undo the current command.