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She wanted to tell him about the pale man who lived in her attic but the time was never right. She wanted to tell him there’s a man upstairs, a pale man, and that man’s face is white as raw garlic. She knew that the man in the attic wasn’t dangerous, though he watched her at night. She wanted to say he is pale as egg whites. She knew she should tell.

Maybe she should tell him about the man in the attic. She thought, maybe when we’re old he’ll go up there looking for rats and he’ll see the pale man in the corner. She felt dull and the time was never right.

When he moved in with her she couldn’t put it off any longer. She said to him I have a secret and his face turned pale. Not pale like the man in the attic, but nervous.

She said I have a secret. There’s a man in my attic. There has always been a man in my attic. He lives up there. He has no shelter up there. There is a pale man, and his face is white as rice and pale as the water rice cooks in.

You know he must have said there is a pale woman who lives in my attic.

My stomach once was round, red as a sweet.
When he left I tried to give it to him
curried and vinegared
by rust in handfuls,
value size,
as if I’d been training.

Black liquid came from the hummingbird then
from a belly hollowing ibuprofen.
40 grams
shaken by bells ringing, men yelling,
enteric coating
bloated my sugar-craving bird belly.

On advice without lavage,
I drank charcoal only,
thick, drank to bring demons.
Ink splashed back teeth;
nausea blacked and tangled.
I spit, spit out,
shadows into plastic,
my black sauce ounced; valued.

I then felt drowsy as a hole,
came out plastic
banded on cuts.
When they called (661)
my belly emptied of all humming.

(April 30×30: 20-30/30)

Heather – The Butcher
The Butcher is first encountered reading graffiti in the poorer neighborhoods of the City. Before joining your quest, The Butcher will ask you if you feel the same way that she does.
The Butcher carries a shotgun but prefers to use it as a precision bludgeoning weapon. She never loves her enemies in whole; she much prefers for them to be in parts.
The Butcher’s only weakness is spiders, and all Spider-type enemies.
Under no circumstances should you allow squid ink into the vicinity of the Butcher, as it will explode with great force and leave Argentinian love notes all over the walls. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Jessica – The Alter
The Alter carries two primary weapons: The Fish Gutter and the Fish Monger. Neither of these weapons are effective against fish.
The Alter’s primary form of attack is the Tiger Prone Time Parade. Enemies are not sure how to interpret the narrative of this attack but generally agree that they trust the impulse behind it.
Under no circumstances should you allow The Alter to encounter Meta-type enemies, as she is powerless to resist becoming the game of playing the game, looping the game upon itself in infinite, beautiful circles. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Catherine – The Wrinkler
The Wrinkler is first encountered in the Windmill, which functions as a portal to other locations across the game.
The Wrinkler can offer several essential quest items, including Snow Flowers and The Floral Rug. When trading with The Wrinkler, there is a 40% chance of a Random Item Event, during which she will transform your weapons into different weapons; i.e., your Axe may become a Crab Leg.
The Wrinkler may remark that your quest is simply beautiful, which will result in bonuses to your stamina and self-worth.
Under no circumstances should you allow The Wrinkler to go mole without covering her. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Mason – The Architect
The Architect is first encountered in the Zoo, where he will offer to aid your quest in return for information regarding what happened to all the honeybees. If you accept, he will redesign all encountered maze puzzles, allowing you to advance terrains more efficiently and lyrically. If you decline, he will tell you upsetting stories from his childhood.
The Architect is also a weapons-expert. He will judge for you whether your weapon is performing the same work as your other weapons.
Under no circumstances should you mention what happened when they refused him a dog. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Misty – The Milliner
The Milliner can be found along any of the game’s mountainous territories. The Milliner is capable of painting new cliffs and will expand the territory of the game by 2% every in-game hour. As the territory expands, the area will be populated with repeating motifs.
The Milliner carries with her at all times a Cactus. Players should avoid asking the purpose of the Cactus, as it is a weapon of unknowable power.
Under no circumstances should you allow a sequence belonging to The Milliner to begin with the number 1. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Kyle – The Organ-Player
The Organ-Player is first encountered in The Asylum, knocking on the doors of the empty wards. Each time you encounter The Organ-Player his face will appear slightly and unsettling different.
His primary mode of attack is Melting. Players affected by The Organ-Player’s Melting will be unable to counterattack, as they will only be capable of hearing loud sexual moaning for the duration of the battle.
The Organ-Player pulls behind him a typewriter on a leash.
Under no circumstances should you transcribe onto paper the voice of the Organ-Player. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Lara – The Dual Wielder
Your encounter with The Dual Wielder will depend on your decisions throughout the game.
If you have completed primarily Good quests, The Dual Wielder will appear holding a coconut cake that will immediately restore all of your health, mana, and stats to full.
If you have completed primarily Evil quests, The Dual Wielder will cast her most powerful attack, Metaphor. The Metaphor will propel forward at great speed. All enemies caught under the Metaphor will suffer increased emotional impact until the spell releases.
Under no circumstances should you allow The Dual Wielder to contract Strep Throat. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Kiley – The Saint Dancer
The Saint Dancer is first encountered at the Carnival Ride That Was Then Known as the Turkish Twist, but you will be able to communicate with her throughout the game by looking into Mirrors.
The Saint Dancer does not wield a weapon, but possesses a great number of beautiful cloaks that allow her to progress through the game without inviting enemy attack. These cloaks are richly embroidered and feel extremely real to the touch.
The Saint Dancer has excellent hearing and is able to detect many voices from great distances and across many registers.
Under no circumstances should you remember Ada. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Tom – The Ornithologist
The Ornithologist is first encountered in the Fish House, and can later be visited at the Lake House, the Beach House, or the River House.
The Ornithologist is willing to trade supplies, although he will require that all items you offer for exchange are first scanned by a barcode of green light, for quality control.
The Ornithologist is usually in the presence of an unknown “she,” who carries significant emotional weight. Be aware of this weight penalty when traveling long distances, especially over swampy terrain.
Under no circumstances should you attempt to physically enter locations descried by The Ornithologist, as these buildings tend to be damp and present considerable danger of slipping. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Katy – The Outdoorsman
The Outdoorsman generates all of the terrain within the game. You can find The Outdoorsman only in the boundaries between terrains, as marked by ashes and large numbers of animal skulls. She can be identified by her strong scent of pine and apple blossoms.
The Outdoorsman’s weapon of choice is the Yellow Raspin, a dagger-class weapon of her own invention. The Outdoorsman may also cast the spell of Prosody, which compels all players to communicate only through natural speech rhythms.
Under no circumstances should you remove things from the forest. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

Dora – The Final Boss
The Final Boss is encountered at the beginning and end of every quest. During these encounters, you should expect to comment on whether or not you agree with other players’ statements about the quest.
Note that The Final Boss considers Feelings and Emotions as valid weapon categories. The Final Boss may also increase your supplies of Life Lessons and Stroopwafel.
Under no circumstances should you allow The Final Boss to let the semester end. This event will result in an End Game scenario.

There’s a room in his house I found skins of peeled animals
folded in a corner like shaving cream.
Maybe it felt good. I wasn’t there to judge.

I crawled through his house like a starfish,
I left wet stains with my feet. I ate a lot of his food.
I ate his mushrooms. I found his trashcan.
I touched his seedpod. I ate his seedpod.
I found something greasy on the corner of his bed.

He touches himself to make himself feel good.
Maybe he feels good. I wasn’t there.

(April 30×30: 20/30)