text; un: 013 | labelled IMPORTANT

[blattella]

Okay. Hopefully me putting IMPORTANT at the top helps denote this as actually something I personally think is important. Got the idea from username dynamight, so credit goes to them!

But serious talk: this is an experiment. Or it's an Abnormality, maybe? An enclosure either way. Either this city itself wants us here because it's lonely and it wants people around, because what's the point of a city without people in it right?? Or the scientists outside want us in so they can shake us up in this little jar and write down their results. Not sure what end goal there, we'll find out soon enough.

If anyone has any proof or any other theories, please feel free to discuss. I'm open to ideas. And I know figuring out what this place feels pointless, but if we can aim towards figuring out the what, then we'll be able to figure out the how soon enough, right?

And has anyone gotten any useful information in general? I've been nosing around, but all I get is redacted snippets with no actual details to work with. Which cycles back around to my two theories above, I guess; either we really are the first ones to get sucked into this Abnormality and it's just been made out of several lonely people wanting a better life and world, or it's artificially made in which case there's not going to be any public figures or history to learn about.

Anyway.

I just think that we should all check in and talk about anything we've learned. Don't feel like you have to talk to me only, either. Talk amongst yourselves. Information should be freely shared so we can get out faster.

Also if you saw me at the party, hi, I'm the guy with the bug arm, that's me, if you didn't know. Yes it's disgusting. Yes, I hate it too. No, the food or water or air in this place isn't the reason I have the bug arm. I've had it for twenty years or so now.

Okay that's it.

[feel free to mingle online, he's just desperate to feel like he's achieving something here!]

Comments

[willtheunwise]

Yeah that’s like sibling 101, never write anything heavily with other paper underneath that you don’t want your siblings to be able to read.
And yeah burn after reading would work as long as they don’t then confiscate all sources of fire but there are so many other ways to destroy a paper note.

At the risk of sounding like a toddler or making my mom sound crazy overprotective I’m not really allowed out on my own after dark at home but Hawkins was always creepy because we lived in a very detached house near the woods and Lenora was kinda creepy but suburban so there was always someone about, here it’s just… strange. All the lights are on and nobody is home.

[blattella]

Well, they sell lighters. Or they have lighters in stock. I got a few since I'm a smoker. Worst comes to worst though, I'll eat all the paper. Went through a phase in my teens, don't ask.

[Like it's at all for any other reason bar 'yeah I'm a cockroach guy'. Damn.]

No, that's just your mother being smart. Even without routine nightly dangers, folks get braver in the dark. Folks get too brave here, or we start running out of supplies, and they'll do it here too. It's how humans operate. So I'd advise being wary if you decide to do what I'm doing and going on early morning adventures; I come with a weapon, so I'm a bit of a cheater hahahaha.

It's really eerie to see all the store lights on though. Cold, kind of. Can't say I like it, but it's better than walking around in the cemetery at night.

[willtheunwise]

Yeah but if we get caught trying to be clandestine they might just all vanish and then everyone who smokes will be a nightmare to be around.
Don’t worry I’m not above eating notes either, I’ve done it before.

Oh I got kidnapped by monsters one time when I was out on my own in the dark so now mom hates it and I don’t like to freak her out too bad she’s been through enough.
I’ve not been out just sitting in the window when I can’t sleep and it’s like everything is alive but nobody is there and it’s just unsettling.

Yeah I don’t much like that the lights are always on, everything shouldn’t be 24 hours all the time it’s weird, things should switch off.

[blattella]

Oh shoot, I didn't even think about that. They better not take my smokes away or I actually WILL lose my mind, yeah. Eating'll have to do. Or other measures. I'll be eating, though.

You sound like a good kid, caring about your mother like that. And a pretty tough one too, if you got away from kidnapping monsters. Are we talking Sweepers? You ever heard of them? Or other kinds of monsters from another place? Sweepers come and take anything or anyone they can find every night, where I'm from.



I wonder if anything would happen if we went around and tried turning things off ourselves. I don't like thinking about the energy cost on top of what it must be taking to make us all food and drink and whatever else.

[willtheunwise]

I was thinking about making note soup aka rip it up and stir into hot water because water is a right and they can’t take away all sources of it like they could with lighters without risking killing people really quickly.

Oh, thanks. I mean she’s my mom and I don’t wanna put her under even more stress, especially since she had to save me like twice.
I’ve never heard of a sweeper before no. The monsters we have are called demogorgans, or at least that’s what my friends named them, they’re big slimy humanoids with huge claws and tooth filled faces that open up like flowers and then there’s ones that are like dogs and bats. They come out of a hell dimension that’s kinda like our hometown but not.

It would probably just switch back on. We could always try but I’m not going out on my own, I can survive and stuff but I’d rather not take risks.

[blattella]

That sounds rancid. Smart. But absolutely rancid, texture-wise. Though I wonder if we could recycle the notes instead, if we found some way to form sheets and dry them up......isn't that another way to make use of paper soup? Eco-friendly. But actually eco-friendly!

Damn, your mother sounds really cool. I'm a little jealous, hahaha. Not of the fact that you and her had to deal with demogorgans, they sound about as bad as any other monster I could probably think of just to gross myself out. Worse than Sweepers, maybe. About as gross, anyway.

It's alright. I can take care of the lights for the sake of a little experimentation. Might as well put my cheating to good use.

[willtheunwise]

Yeah I wasn’t gonna eat it, just throw it out when it’s too destroyed for anyone to read. But I guess you could try if you wanted to be gross.
Recycling might work though but I haven’t made paper since like preschool.

She is cool, she’s kicked so much ass since everything started at home and I bet she’d know how to get home.
What are sweepers like?

The only time I’ve ever been successful with a weapon was when me and my friend helped take down a really big gross monster with fireworks and I don’t think I’ve seen any here yet or whether there’s even anything it would work on out there.

[blattella]

Only way to ensure extra destruction. Dissolve, then acid. You never know how resourceful this place is. (Or maybe I'm just embarrassed at the fact that my first thought was to drink paper soup) (I think it's that I'm so sorry for the image)

Sweepers are

hard to explain

they come every night like clockwork though, and they'll just eat whatever and whoever's in their road. Can't come into residential houses if you're in the better parts of town, but if you're out at night too late, you're done for, simple as that. Just eaten by the Sweepers. Lots of orphans go missing that way.

You know, I'm surprised there aren't fireworks here yet. Even weak ones. If we're allowed any sort of knife, then shouldn't we be allowed awful firecrackers? Though that sort of talk's only more reason the City should take my lighter away hahahahah

[willtheunwise]

Its fine I’ve seen some really gross stuff before. Like a spider monster made of human flesh (long story)
But hmmm you make a good point about the resources they might have for finding out what we’re up to.

That’s absolutely horrible. Lots of people died at home because monsters but they don’t just keep coming and eating orphans or something. I mean sure every time we think they’re gone they manage to come back but I think there is a way to get rid of them for good we just haven’t worked out how to make it happen yet.

Maybe if they celebrate holidays they’ll bring them out then? They’re mostly available around major holidays where I come from, it was the Fourth of July celebrations when we got our hands on them to use as projectiles!

[blattella]

Oh hey, meat abominations are a common thing no matter where you're from!! That sucks. Hope there are none here.

[There kind of already is at least one, or at least a girl who turns into one, but he's not going to talk about her. Less said about her the better.]

Damn. I'm sorry about that, the monsters where you're from. That means they're not natural, then? Like, you CAN stop them or get rid of them for good? Do you know how they breed? That'd be a great start, if you can manage and stomach it. Get rid of the production, have less to come back.


...................That's a great point. I should ask the Kiosk what holidays get celebrated here. Don't know what holiday's on the fourth of July or anything where you're from, but if there's something coming up close now, we can start stockpiling. It at least tries to throw us parties, confirmed, so celebration's a thing it knows about.

Late reply, life kicked my ass, sorry!!!

[willtheunwise]

[ No thank you, he will absolutely not allow himself to think about how they breed. Ever.

And now he’s thinking about it. And nauseous. ]

Some of them by using a human host. The less said the better.
Basically it’s a hivemind though and we have to kill the thing keeping it alive.

That’s a good point, the 4th is a holiday specific to my country so it probably won’t be important here but I think maybe Halloween is global? I don’t know, the kiosks might have more to work with if you know how to work them. I’ve only just figured this whole hand computer thing out…

man i understand, no stress!!

[blattella]

[About.......Half an hour later, after a trip to the kiosk to confront it, he remembers to reply. Oops. Senile old fart.]

Oh ew. Okay, no, that's. Hivemind? Okay, yeah, striking down the centre is the best idea. And keeping it that way. All power to you when you get home, man. It sounds rough, and I wish I could help.

As for holidays, I just asked the kiosk. Apparently this place has no holidays or traditions native to it. So I doubt we'll get fireworks at all, which sucks. They'd be good for a ranged option. And no extra candy for Halloween, either........What the hell are we meant to do for entertainment without meaningless holidays to gorge ourselves on?

[willtheunwise]

[ half an hour is time enough to have recovered from the need to hide in a blanket pile so it’s welcome ]

Yeah. If I get home. It almost feels weird wanting to go back to it this badly but my family is there.

No Halloween?? Okay that’s just a sad existence.
I’ve been using being stuck here as an excuse to just snack on whatever I want whenever I want so I don’t need candy excuses but like… the costumes? The parties? All of that and they just do nothing at all… Weird.

Maybe we’ll find fireworks eventually anyway, there’s so many places there has to be some somewhere unless they’re banned.

[blattella]

Nothing weird about wanting your family, especially if your mother's half so good as you made her sound. A good family makes up for everything this city provides for free, you know?

And yeah! No holidays at all. I thought that people used to live here, but if they did, you'd think there'd be any marks of culture, history, anything like that. But I've asked about any past figures of note, and there's nothing. No holidays, no music.........It's weird. I think it might've just been created with that air to unnerve us more or something.

Does this place even know about monsters, to dress up as? What would it make up for costumes?



Anyway maybe in the mall there's fireworks. If there's barbecue and bouncy castles, then you'd think there's other generic marks of a celebration like fireworks SOMEWHERE. Even if it's just at another welcome party or something. We'll have to keep our eyes peeled.

[willtheunwise]

I mean the entire town is falling apart and the monsters are coming through and everything is terrible but yeah. They’re my family, I miss them already.

That’s so weird. Maybe there was nobody here, maybe we’re the first. I was wondering if it’s some weird experiment like we’re all just fish in a tank to someone. You know when people put those little shipwreck ornaments in like they’re pretending it’s the ocean? Sometimes it feels like that a bit.

I haven’t been to the mall yet. I was thinking about trying because I want to find better art supplies than whatever spawns in the convenience stores but I didn’t want to go alone or to drag my friend who’s here too along in case he has the same hesitation about setting foot in one
The meat monster attacked us in a mall and I’ve not been to one since.

[ more open than he would usually be but since Gregor seems to know about monsters it feels okay to own up to why he hasn’t been exploring yet ]