The Witch of the Honey-Garden

My quarters are filled with [[flowers]] which never die.

(cycling-link: "Lily of the valley", "Oleander", "Foxglove", "Rhododendron", "Hemlock"). They were a gift from [[her]].

(link-reveal: "Her Ladyship")[, the Witch of the Honey-Gardens], my employer and creator, resides within this manor. My [[list of tasks]] is on the table in the antechamber to my room.

//Rid the [[garden]] of serpents. Shatter false-mirrors in the [[long hall]]. Clear the blockage in the [[fountain]]. (if: $mirrorcracked is true and $snakeclear is true and $fountainclear is true)[Finally, meet me in [[my chambers]]](else:)[Finally, meet me in [[my chambers->null]]] //

Bees buzz around trellises of poisonous blooms. The honey they make induces prophetic dreams, ecstatic manias, feverish epiphany, creative fits, all depending on the careful balance of flowers. (if: $snakeclear is true)[There are no more serpents.](else:)[Hiding in the flowers, [[serpents]] try to steal honey, to bring back to my mistress's rival.] [[Return->list of tasks]]

Mirrors dazzle from the walls, faceted and angled to reflect a dozen dozen images each, transforming the long hall into a glittering, dazzling dreamscape. (if: $mirrorcracked is true)[No false-mirrors remain.](else:)[I was built without a reflection, able to sneak through mirrors without disturbance. All the better at locating [[false mirrors]].] [[Return->list of tasks]]

Water pours from the mouths of a many-headed serpent, rendered in marble(if: $fountainclear is not true)[—or rather, would, were the pipes not [[blocked]].](else:)[.] [[Return->list of tasks]]

The Witch of the Entombed Mountain cultivates variegated snakes to blend in with the gardens. [[Destroy them]]

I take up my sword and lay waste to the intruders. Their corpses will make fine fertilizer. I pluck out their venom glands and swallow them. (set: $snakeclear to true) [[Return->garden]]

I step through the silvered pane of a mirror I know to be safe. False-mirrors, clever tricks of my mistress's rival, the Witch of the Many-Eyed City, are found most easily from the other side. They use the reflected eyes of others as their own. Since I reflect no eyes, they do not see me coming. [[Smash them]]

I have brought a sledgehammer for this purpose. When the work is done, I gather the shards of silvered glass and crush them into powder, which I drink. (set: $mirrorcracked to true) [[Return->long hall]]

My mistress's chambers twist under the weight of the unreal. Her essence pervades the metaphysics of this estate, and nowhere more so than here. Her bedroom smells like flowering nightshade. [[Wait]]

I have sufficient skill in plumbing to resolve such blockages. The problem rapidly becomes clear: wretched little homunculi, evidently creations of my mistress's rival, the Witch of the Chemical Bog, have crawled into the pipes and died. [[Remove them]]

I spend a while with a plumber's snake extracting the absorbent corpses. When it is done, I squeeze them out and drink the expressed fluid. (set: $fountainclear to true) [[Return->fountain]]

She swirls into being, sitting at her desk as if she had already been there, busy drafting a letter at the typewriter. Her hands are many; on the keys, holding the cup of tea I had carried up, sketching the facade of a building. "Your other tasks are complete?" [["Yes, mistress."]]

She reaches out a hand to caress my chin, gently beckoning me closer. I step toward her and she unbuttons my shirt. A curved glass plate reveals the inner workings of my digestion. She opens the clasp and reaches within, unscrews the vial from the valve of my stomach, and examines it with a smile. After a moment, she tucks it away. "I think I will be inviting a few friends to tea in the coming days. Well done, my dear. I will keep you alerted to any tasks in preparation. You are [[excused]]."

There is little I love more than a task done well.

|title>[The Witch of the Honey-Garden] |h1>[A fiction] [[A story about a list of tasks]] [[A story about recruitment]] <- Challenge 2 (I'm using this story to contain different pieces I want to incorporate into the final project. For now, I'm leaving links to each in this passage, which will eventually be the title page.) //With acknowledgement to the (text-color: yellow)[<a href="https://an.emptier.place/directory/" target="_blank">Empty Spaces</a>] literary movement, particularly the works of <a href="https://fungalhalo.com/" target="_blank">Arachnixe</a>, <a href="https://maybeelse.site" target="_blank">Else</a>, <a href="https://www.sheepwave.com/what-is-a" target="_blank">Sheepwave</a>, and <a href="https://digitalsymbiote.tumblr.com" target="_blank">S13RRA</a>.//

(set: $toxin to "none")\ There's a coffee shop in town, right on the corner by the dressmaker that my mistress commissions for our uniforms. I am out of uniform today, though. I chose my outfit carefully for the occasion. (cycling-link: bind $outfit, "A loose green dress and long silk gloves", "A short black skirt and lavender blouse", "A tight blue dress and purple stockings", "A long orange skirt and cream sweater", "Black pants, a white blouse, and red leather gloves"). I'm waiting for my [[date]] to arrive.

(enchant: ?link, (text-color: yellow))\ (if: (visited: "my mistress's abode") is true or (visited: "she falls unconscious") is true or (visited: "the way over") is true or (visited: "There is little to say on the way over.") is true or (visited: "head to my mistress's manor") is true or (visited: "travel by mirror") is true or (visited: "in the morning") is true or (visited: "We have places to be") is true or (visited: "comes quietly") is true or (visited: "Easily taken") is true)[(set: $purplesky to true) ]\ \ (enchant: ?title, (align:"=><=") + (text-size: 2)) (enchant: ?h1, (align:"=><=") + (text-size: 1.5))

Her name is April. I met her, by chance, at the river-market. We bumped into each other looking at the same selection of painted playing cards. She should be here soon. (link: "Look around the coffee shop")[It's a quiet Wednesday afternoon. There are plenty of other patrons, yes, but many are quietly engrossed in reading, chat in soft tones, or simply sit outside, enjoying the air. (link: "Look around the coffee shop")[I've already ordered a drink, and, per my mistress's deal with the shop, it was on the house. I take my coffee with cream and (link-reveal: "honey")[—our product, of course]. (link: "Look around the coffee shop")[Ah. [[There she is]].]]]

She's perfectly on time. I, by nature, tend to be early. She orders, then joins me at the table. She looks lovely today; I tell her as much. She's wearing light blue shorts and a white shirt from some band. She goes to a lot of concerts in the city, as I recall. |dialogue>[Ask her about the band Ask her what she ordered Ask her how her day is going]\ (click: "Ask her about the band")[(replace: ?dialogue)[I ask about the band on her shirt. She lights up. "Oh, it's this great local synth group! I'm friends with the lead." (set: $rapport to it + 2) Her name is called and she goes to get her drink. When she gets back, I respond, "I'll have to check them out!" It's her turn to ask me something. (show: ?response)]]\ (click: "Ask her what she ordered")[(replace: ?dialogue)[Her name is called and she goes to get her drink. When she returns, I ask what she ordered. "Figured I'd try the blackberry latte. Seems interesting." She takes a sip, makes a confused face. "Not bad, but there are seeds in it?" She shakes her head, then turns to me. (set: $rapport to it + 1)(show: ?response)]]\ (click: "Ask her how her day is going")[(replace: ?dialogue)[I ask how her day is going, and she sighs. "It's been long. Glad I'm here now." She smiles. Her name is called and she goes to get her drink. When she returns, she asks me a question of her own. (show: ?response)]]\ |response)["So, what do you do for a living? Sorry, I'm bad at the getting-to-know-you questions." (show: ?dialogue2)] |dialogue2)[\ //Truth:// [["I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden."]] //Half-truth:// [["I manage a domestic staff."]] //Avoid:// [["Oh, nothing interesting."]]]

"I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden. Little ways out of town, you know all those fields of flowers? That's her estate." Her eyebrows go up. "Oh! I've heard about her." By her expression, I can tell a bit of what she might have heard. (set: $suspicion to it + 2) I redirect the conversation. "It's an interesting job, for sure. But it's my day off, so let's not talk about work." (display: "Questions")

"I manage a domestic staff." It is true; I am in charge of the staff of my mistress's estate. "Oh, where do you work? That's an interesting job." I smile. "My employer is rather private. I try not to reveal too much information about them." She shrugs. "Fair enough." Rather than let the conversation die there, I ask: (display: "Questions")

"Oh, nothing interesting. Besides, it's my day off. I don't like to think too hard about work." I redirect. (set: $suspicion to it + 1) (display: "Questions")

|dialogue>["What about you? What do you do?" (if: $rapport is not 1)["What did you order, out of curiosity?"] (if: $rapport is not 2)["Tell me about the band on your shirt?"]\ (click: "\"What about you? What do you do?\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["What about you? What do you do?" She sighs. "Not much, right now. Between jobs." (set: $seenopening to true) I spot an [[opening]] for my pitch. But perhaps I should wait and continue chatting [[for a while...]]]]\ (click: "\"What did you order, out of curiosity?\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["What did you order, out of curiosity?" "Oh, it's a blackberry latte. It's pretty good, but there's seeds in it.(set: $rapport to it + 1) (if: $rapport > 2)[Want a taste?" It did have seeds in it.](else:)["] We continue chatting [[for a while...]]]]\ (click: "\"Tell me about the band on your shirt?\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["Tell me about the band on your shirt?" She lights up. "Oh, it's this great local synth group! I'm friends with the lead." (set: $rapport to it + 1) We continue chatting [[for a while...]]]]]

Sure. I'll make my pitch. "If you're looking for a job, my employer does have some openings. I know we're on a date but hey, I've been there, and everything helps." (if: $suspicion < $rapport)[She laughs. "Yeah, everything does help. What sort of opening?" //Half-truth:// [["Security."]] //Lie:// [["Just cleaning. But it's well paid.]]](elseif: (visited: "\"Oh, nothing interesting.\"") is true)[She tilts her head. "Oh? You didn't really tell me what you do, exactly." Ah. A blunder. //Truth:// [["I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden."->Null]] //We've already put her off enough. Be subtle.// //Half-truth:// [["Oh! Domestic service. I'm a house manager."]]](elseif: (visited: "\"I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden.\"") is true or $suspicion > $rapport)[Her eyes widened a little. "Oh! What sort of opening?" //Half-truth:// [["Security."->Leaving]] //Lie:// [["Just cleaning. But it's well paid.->Leaving]]]

(set: $suspicion to it + 1)\ She laughs. "Security? I don't know if I have the physique for it." (if: $rapport > $suspicion)[(set: $considering to it + 1)] She doesn't—at least, not yet. My mistress has her ways of changing such things. I laugh along with her. "Oh, don't worry. That's not a huge concern. It's mostly just keeping an eye out." We continued talking [[for a while...]]

(if: $rapport > 1)[She (link-reveal: "frowns")[—thoughtfully, rather than with distaste]. "I've definitely worked worse. Let me think about it." (set: $considering to it + 2)](else:)[She (link-reveal: "frowns")[—thoughtfully, but perhaps with a little distaste]. "Let me think about it. (set: $considering to it + 1)] We continued talking [[for a while...]]

"Oh!" She (link-reveal: "frowns")[, thoughtfully.] "Interesting! I'm not sure if it's the job for me though." (if: $rapport >= $suspicion)[(set: $considering to it + 1) We continued talking [[for a while...]]](

She nods, (link: "thoughtfully")[feigning thoughtfulness]. "I'll think about it. Sounds interesting." She gets up. "I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick." When she leaves eyeshot, I prepare myself for (link: "other")[more forceful] methods. She is //too// lovely of [[material]] to let escape so easily. [[Give chase]] (if: (visited: "Let her go") is not true)[\ [[Let her go]]](else:)[\ [[Let her go->Null]]? Of course not.]

I hope I haven't given you a wrong impression. My purpose here has been very straightforward. My mistress's rivals have been escalating their maneuvers near her claimed territory, and she is in need of greater security. April has the makings of an excellent (link-reveal: "combat doll")[(show: ?whatsthat)]. |whatsthat)[What's a combat doll? A weapon that can make decisions. Exactly enough of a person to be useful, and no more. A toy.] But back to (link-undo: "business").

The road back to my mistress's estate winds a ways out of town into the fields; first of grain, vegetables, the occasional rows of grapevines, and then, as the estate approaches, of flowers and the sound of buzzing. She has passed by here before, I'm sure, but now she looks closer, marveling at the flowers with a fresh awareness. (if: (visited: "\"I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden.\"") is true)[I can sense her hesitation, but she knows where we're going. I have her, so far.](else:)[She's hesitant. She has an inkling of where this path leads, and isn't sure she likes what that inkling hints at. (set: $suspicion to it + 2)] I lead her down the winding path to the manor. The sound of bees grows louder. She takes hold of my hand, holds tight. Soon, we stand before [[my mistress's abode]].

... and soon, finish our drinks and step out into the dwindling sunlight. (if: $considering > 0)["Would you like to see the estate?" I laughed. "Not the most romantic way to invite a girl home, I know." (if: $suspicion < $rapport)[She laughs. "Little bit. Sure, lead the way."](else:)[She looks at her watch and sighs. "I really should be getting home."]](elseif: $suspicion < $rapport)[She's not going to make the first move, so I do. "Would you like to come with me to my place?" She smiles. "Sure!"](else:)[She looks out toward the horizon. "It's getting late. I should probably head home."] (if: $suspicion < $rapport)[\ [[Lead the way]]](else:)[\ (link-reveal: "\"Let me walk you home?\"")[ (if: $suspicion > $rapport)[She looks hesitant. She doesn't want me knowing where she lives. "Oh no, I'm alright. You probably have a long walk of your own." //Be manipulative:// [[Insist]] (if: (visited: "Let her go") is not true)[\ //Be kind:// [[Let her go]]](else:)[\ [[Let her go->Null]]? Of course not.] ](else:)["Sure, my place is just down the [[main street]]."]]]

The sky tinges a deep violet, this close to the house. She squeezes my hand tighter. I smile, reassuringly. (if: (visited: "\"Oh, nothing interesting.\"") is true)["This is why I don't like to talk about my work. I work here.](else:)["Here's the house I work at.] Let's go around to the [[servants' entrance]]. It leads right to my room."

"No, please, I insist. I usually take a long walk around this time anyway." This puts her only more on edge, but she has no good way out. "Well ok, I guess it's alright." (set: $suspicion to it + 1) (link: "Walk her home")[Her place is just a short way down the main street. She's nervous as we walk, keeps looking over at me. //Leave:// (link: "Bid her farewell at the door.")[Don't be ridiculous. We've come this far. We're getting what we want.] //Setup:// (link: "Bid her farewell at the door. Leave yourself a way in.")[(replace: ?options)[I bid her farewell at the door, and she seems visibly relieved when I don't demand to come in. She doesn't notice me looking inside, observing what the most reflective surfaces are, nor me leaving a small pocket mirror on the ground outside. Later that night, I [[return to her apartment]].]] //Force:// (link: "Simply take her.")[(replace: ?options)[I take her as far as the immediate inside of the apartment building, and take her hand to bid her farewell. There is a sharp pinprick, and she recoils. There is no one there to watch as [[she falls unconscious]]. A shame, that I don't have time for more subtle poisons. (set: $toxin to "sleeping")]] ]<options|

I think you misunderstand my purpose here. April has the potential to be useful to my mistress, and I do not give up my task so easily. (if: (visited: "Leaving") is true)[\ [[Let's try that again->Leaving]]](elseif: (visited: "for a while...") is true)[\ [[Let's try that again->for a while...]]](else:)[You shouldn't have reached this passage this way. (link: "Restart")[(restart:)] or (link-undo: "undo") to go back.]

I'll need to be quick. I down the last of my coffee and head out the door. She's likely leaving through the back; I make my way around the corner and towards the back exit. I can see her moving quickly down the street, evidently looking to cut through side streets to lose me. |options>[\ (link: "Proceed stealthily")[(replace: ?options)[I follow at a distance, tracking her by sight when I can, by scent when she rounds corners. She leaves a faint trail of it, hints of fruit-perfumed soap, of sweat, of fear. I find her at the entrance to her apartment building and watch at a distance as she ascends. Through the window I see her open a door on the second floor. [[Be there before her]]]] (link: "Proceed swiftly")[(replace: ?options)[A badly-calculated risk, to travel on empty streets in the hope of losing me. I don't have the swiftness of my mistress's more deadly creations, but I am fast when it matters. I [[catch her by the arm]] before she can round a second corner.]] ]

I lead her to my room. She marvels, for a moment, at the abundance of flowers on every surface, filling the place with a gentle perfume. I sit down on the (link: "bed ")[bed—neatly made, as always, as I do not sleep—]and invite her to join me. (if: $considering > 0)[She sits next to me and (if: $rapport > $suspicion + 1)[flops back, looking at the ceiling. "I think I understand what's going on here. Tell it to me straight. I'll hear you out." //Truth:// [[Do so]] //Lie:// (link-reveal: "She'll flee. Don't tell her")[ This is an opportunity to make the process go smoothly. I will be taking it.]]]\ (else:)[kicks her legs nervously. "This is getting really weird. Something's going on here. Can you just tell it to me straight?" //Truth:// [[Do so]] //Lie:// [[She'll flee. Don't tell her.]]] (else:)[The next several hours pass in a delightful haze. (set: $rapport to it + 3) //Truth:// [[Tell her what you're actually here for->Do so]] //Concealment:// (link-reveal: "Keep her in the dark until the last moment")[ She's already beginning to understand. You think she didn't, with her hands on me, feel porcelain instead of skin, the ticking of clockwork instead of a heartbeat? No, this is a fine opportunity to let it go smoothly, perhaps.] ]

She lives on the second floor of an apartment building, with a roommate who doesn't leave much. There's a mix of decor; a vase of (link-reveal: "flowers")[, which I recognize as those my mistress sends one of the other dolls to sell at the weekly farmers' market], a painting of the (link-reveal: "sea")[ as seen from the port of the Many-Eyed City], a collection of antique knives.\ (click: "Many-Eyed City")[ I ask her if she's been to the City, and she nods. "I lived there, for a while. Back when I lived with my parents." She smiles sadly. "It's better here."] She offers me a (link-reveal: "drink")[, and I accept, sitting while she prepares it. She comes back with two glasses(show: ?options)]. |options)[\ Hopefully, this will give me an opportunity to fulfill my (link-reveal: "task")[(show: ?task)] here. |task)[ Ah. Have I not mentioned it yet? No matter. April offers valuable [[material]] for some of my mistress's current endeavors.] [[Slip something into her drink]] (if: $considering > 0)[ [[Direct the conversation subtly towards the offer]]]\ (if: (visited: "opening") is not true)[\ [[Wait until she's tipsy]]] (if: (visited: "opening") is true and $considering is 0)[\ [[]]]]

I don't have the swiftness of my mistress's combat dolls, but I have ways of getting around. There's a puddle on the ground, sufficiently reflective for my needs. There's a mirror in her bathroom. A drop of oil tinges the puddle, and I'm gone. I'm sitting on the edge of her bed when she comes in. |dialogue>[ //Truth:// (link: "\"Close the door. I have a proposition to make.\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["Close the door. I have a proposition to make." Surprisingly, she does so. "How did you get up here?" I smile, and let my facade of personhood fall. She knows what I am. "I see. Witchwork." "My mistress considers you a good potential recruit." She knows she can't do anything, as well. She [[comes quietly]].]] //Lie:// (link: "\"Close the door. I have a proposition to make.\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["Close the door. I have a proposition to make." Surprisingly, she does so. "How did you get up here?" I smile, and invite her to sit next to me. She's wary. She remains standing. This is fine. I begin to weave a web of falsehoods, and soon, the subtle potency of the lexical poisons within begin to work. She's dazed, enthralled, suggestible. [[Easily taken]]. (set: $toxin to "hypnotic") ]]]

I don't bring it up directly, of course. We chat for a while, and I slowly add details about work, keep the conversation on topic when the current job market comes up and she complains about her difficulty finding anything suitable. (set: $considering to it + 1) (if: $considering > 2)[Eventually, she asks me about it directly. "Alright. I've been thinking about it. You could get me this job? "Of course." I smile. "I could get you it tonight, even." She laughs. "Tomorrow. We can head over together. If you're staying the night, that is?" |choices>[(link: "Of course")[(replace: ?choices)[Of course I am. Over the course of the night, she begins to understand something of my nature, hands running over cold porcelain, feeling the ticking of clockwork.(if: (visited: "\"I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden.\"") is false)[(set: $suspicion to it + 1)](set: $rapport to it + 2)] In the morning, we [[head to my mistress's manor]].] (link: "Not tonight")[(replace: ?choices)[I unfortunately have to decline. (if: (visited: "\"I work for the Witch of the Honey-Garden.\"") is false)[There are risks if she finds out too much about my nature.] But I offer to pick her up in the morning and [[walk her over->head to my mistress's manor]].]] ]](else:)[She doesn't bring it up on her own, and eventually, I have to ask directly. (link-reveal: "\"I do want to ask. Have you thought about the job offer?\"")[ She nods. "I've been thinking about it. I think I want to at least see the place. Tomorrow morning?" Tomorrow morning. She does not ask me to stay the night, but accepts my offer to come [[pick her up->head to my mistress's manor]] tomorrow.]]

I'm a lot stronger than I look. Her eyes widen at the sudden arrest of motion. "April," I say. |dialogue>[ //Truth:// "I will be upfront about my motive here." //Intimidation:// "I would advise you come quietly." //Force:// "I'm sorry about this, but I have a job to do." (click: "\"I will be upfront about my motive here.\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["I will be upfront about my motive here. My mistress needs new recruits. You are an ideal candidate." She looks at me in confusion. "What do you mean?" I smile. "Would you like the explanation on [[the way over]]?"]]\ (click: "\"I would advise you come quietly.\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["I would advise you come quietly." I punctuate the statement by gently tightening my grip on her arm. She has enough sense to do so. [[There is little to say on the way over.]]]]\ (click: "\"I'm sorry about this, but I have a job to do.\"")[(replace: ?dialogue)["I'm sorry about this, but I have a job to do." She looks confused, frightened. So be it. A tiny needle sticks from my finger into her arm, and [[she falls unconscious]]. Unfortunate, that I don't have time for more subtle poisons. (set: $toxin to "sleeping")]]]

We have our drink, then another, then a few more, and soon, she is giggling and pressing up close next to me. I feign (link-reveal: "intoxication")[—I carry stronger poisons within me on the regular]. When I suggest she come with me, it's trivial to convince her, even more so when I lift her bridal-carry and she giggles and pulls close to me. I'm uninterested in taking the long walk home. I [[travel by mirror]].

The circumstances give me much opportunity for more complex and useful poisons. I take some time to let the substances stored within me mix and react in subtle ways, then, excusing myself to the bathroom, take from inside my torso a small glass vial of subtly tainted honey. I mix the next drink. She comments on the complex sweetness, compliments me, then goes glassy-eyed. She's suggestible, like this, lost in the strange delirium brought on by my concoction, and I give her an abundance of suggestions. (set: $considering to 10, $toxin to "honeyed") She's the one to suggest I stay the night and take her to the manor [[in the morning]]. I'm happy to do so.

She doesn't try to run as I explain, just grows more and more tense. Her steps slow. Her eyes widen. I don't get into the gory details. She understands the picture of what she will become. The sky tinges a deeper violet as we approach the estate.

Much more convenient. I have sufficient strength to carry her home. The estate is not far. As we draw close, the sky tinges a deeper violet. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

I let the thin facade of personhood slip away, and she looks on my form with (if: $rapport > $suspicion + 1)[awe](else:)[(link-reveal: "nervousness")[, but not outright fear]]. Her eyes trace over etched and glazed and oft-repaired porcelain, little lines of gold standing out among the brightly painted flowers. (if: $rapport > $suspicion + 1)["You're beautiful," she whispers. I smile. "Do you start to understand what you're here for?" She knows. I tell her. She will be more steel than porcelain, but still beautiful. My mistress knows how to ornament the form without sacrificing function. (set: $considering to it + 2) She's ready. We leave for the main hall of the house. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]]\ (else:)[She's at a loss for words. I explain. She knows. She's known something, at least, and still came. There's no way out for her, so she doesn't try. I lead her out of the servants' quarters. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]]

I say nothing, just lead her out to the main area of the house. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

At the door of the manor, the sky tinges a deep violet. I open it, usher her in. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

Add a passage that further explains/elaborates on ES/further reading list (set: $color1 to magenta + black) #8a0f89 - Magenta + black (set: $color2 to cyan + black) #0f898a - Cyan + black (set: $color3 to purple + black) #4c0f8a - Purple + black

It's a lovely morning. She walks alongside me, watching as fields of grain give way to flowers. If she has any misgivings, she doesn't show them yet. (if: $rapport > 3)[She holds my hand the whole way, finger tracing over a knuckle ball-joint.] As we draw nearer, the sky tinges violet. She looks up, perhaps in trepidation, perhaps just noting the change. It's too late, if she wants to turn back. [[Open the door for her]]

She throws up as we pass through the first inversion, and looks up at me with confusion. I just kiss her on the head and tell her everything will fine. The second inversion, stepping out into the manor entryway, is a little easier on her, but she's dizzy, pushing her face into my shoulder. I'll have to wash the vomit off my (if: $outfit is "A loose green dress and long silk gloves" or $outfit is "A tight blue dress and purple stockings")[dress](elseif: $outfit is "A short black skirt and lavender blouse" or $outfit is "Black pants, a white blouse, and red leather gloves")[blouse](elseif: $outfit is "A long orange skirt and cream sweater")[sweater]. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

The pocket mirror lies on the ground. It's enough space. I step out through the mirror in her bathroom, and find her asleep. |options>[\ //Gentle:// Wake her //Kind:// Let her sleep (click: "Wake her")[(replace: ?options)[I am ready for this. From the alchemic equipment within me, I take a small vial of honey, a deep, deep magenta glowing from within. There is only a drop within, and I carefully place it on her tongue. When she awakens, all resistance fades before the taste and the light. (set: $toxin to "glowing") [[We have places to be]]]] (click: "Let her sleep")[(replace: ?options)[I prick her neck gently with a tiny needle. Best she not wake up. (set: $toxin to "sleeping") [[We have places to be]]]] ]

She's still a little loopy in the morning. It's cute. I help her on our way down the road, early enough that there are few to notice. And if anyone does, well. One more story about the strange manor with the flowers and the bees won't make much of a difference. As we draw closer to the manor, the sky tinges violet. She notices, and gasps with delight. [[Open the door for her]]

(if: $toxin is "honeyed")[She spins around slowly, giggling at her reflection in the mirrors hidden among climbing flowers and the beehives that are present even here.](else:)[She marvels at the dizzying space within, and for a moment I remember my own awe, a lifetime ago, when I first wandered into this web. There are flowers here too, as there are everywhere, and bees, and mirrors.] [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

The Witch of the Honey-Garden, in all her glory, all power readied for the creation of a new, perfect toy, is beautiful and terrifying. Her many arms flicker in and out around her. I catch glimpses of the tools of her trade: tools for shaping clay, for manipulating paint and ink, for cutting and welding steel, for taking apart and reassembling flesh and bone. Tools for other arts. (cycling-link: "A razor-sharp skeleton key", "A candle of red beeswax", "An unadorned kitchen knife", "Many, many needles", "A single bloom of deadly nightshade", "An embroidered mask"). The sound of bees is deafening around her. Colors burn bright enough that even my eyes begin to sear. I look down, avoiding looking into her eyes. Her gaze is for April alone, and (if: $toxin is "sleeping")[eyes opening from her slumber, ]April meets that gaze, and then is gone. It is not until much later that she delivers the new doll, still hot from the heat of becoming, into my care. There is no need for a report on the operation. She knows all that I know. [[Examine the doll]]

As we approach the manor, the sky tinges violet. (if: $toxin is not "sleeping")[She marvels at it. There is nothing but awe present in her mind.] We head in(if: $toxin is "glowing")[, and the mirrors on every wall, in between the flowers, reflect a glow at the center of her]. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

Foxglove. The name is etched on a small tag on a collar around her neck. My fingers brush over my own, subtle and well concealed.(click: "my own")[ Azalea, by the way. I don't think I ever told you.] She did turn out beautiful. I thought she would. Steel—a more complex alloy, really, composited metals and ceramics, strong enough to withstand even those munitions that unwrite objects from history—covers her limbs, projects out in plates from her shoulders, open, now, to leave her fragile-seeming body uncovered, but ready to fall in place for her protection. I set her on my own bed, for now, rather than take her to the hangar. Her hair falls over her slumbering face. I don't disturb her. She'll be jumpy. Combat dolls always are, and there are weapons within her that I could feel humming as I carried her, powerful and frightening with all the secrets the Witch has amassed over the years. She cannot harm me, but she could scorch the sheets. She will wake up soon. I stroke her hair a little bit as I wait.

She walks like a woman to the gallows, but she does walk. It's easier than carrying her. The sky tinges violet as we approach my mistress's estate. She does marvel, a little, at the flowers outside and, once through the door, those inside, winding up into the dizzying heights, around mirrors and beehives. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]

She follows me, but slowly, dizzily, until I grow impatient and carry her there. The sky tinges violet as we approach the manor. She's too dazed to react to any of the incredible sights within. A shame. [[My mistress is already waiting.]]