River’s Notebook
-> Two groups with their own goal
Our goal: Complete ritual
-> Map: Apartment building? City? Building, ground floor off limits
-> Length: Seven days, no repeats
-> No shadows – real setting
-> Own identities? Same position as others in building (tenants? cultists?)
Rules
-> Be social/communicate
-> Don’t try to leave
Other Group
-> Papyrus (Strength), Soot (Knowledge), Acorn (Social)
-> Goal: ???
-> Acorn “knows” us
Situation
-> Morning bell
-> Meals together on second floor
-> Logan (talkative) is a friend
-> Viewed as lovers? Partners?
-> Seven floors + open rooftop
-> Feeling watched/observed?
Building
-> Ground floor ng (Fingerprint lock)
-> 1. ??? (locked)
-> 2. Meals, meditation
-> 3. Rooms
-> 4. Rooms
-> 5. Library, open rooms
-> 6. Some rooms + ??? (locked)
-> 7. ??? (locked)
They all ate lunch together before the scene from the morning returned.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
No matter who retreated into their room for some time, sooner or later they’d reappear and join everyone else on the fifth floor.
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The meditation room had a tinted window that let in gentle, warm light. The floor was padded and comfortable. There was no music, only the sound of a little table fountain trickling away. There were candles and papers around, along with different pens to use for drawing or writing.
Only one person was allowed inside the room, so River left Aspen to relax on his own and walked upstairs again with Logan.
The man chattered away happily, praising their good relationship and how much he wished he too would find someone like that.
“Some experiences we have to make on our own”, he said wistfully. “As much as I like listening to others talk about it. Maybe one day you’ll tell me more about how you two get along? I’d love to hear that!”
“Maybe”, River evaded vaguely.
Logan beamed.
The fifth floor also revealed to have rooms where you could work out, which River decided to take advantage of.
Logan was again happy to accompany him, explaining that while he wasn’t a professional trainer, he had listened to how to use what and could repeat it. Some others ended up joining, so Logan hopped from here to there like a butterfly, glowing brightly whenever someone asked him for help.
As evening approached, Aspen returned. People began checking the time more and more often – not tense, but filled with expectation.
Finally, a sound rang.
It was different from the bell that woke them up – it was more of a gong.
People nearly dropped everything where they stood and hurried into the hallways.
River swallowed his question where they were going. He grabbed Aspen’s hand to keep him close and stuck to Logan, who was one of the first to hurry out.
They went up the stairs to the seventh floor – one of the places with rooms that they hadn’t been able to access, right below the rooftop.
The doors were open now, revealing a giant, dimly lit room. It must have been just aired out as the air was still fresh and cool, though quickly heating up with the dozens of people gathering inside, finding their seats on simple seating pillows.
Rows upon rows formed, with Logan sitting almost completely in front.
River’s skin was prickling.
There was no feeling of fanaticism. People still chatted quietly. They were relaxed, not tense or in awe.
And yet, the way everyone gathered, the way they fell quiet as Miles entered the room with a couple of other people… It wasn’t right.
River’s eyes darted around.
No odd imagery around. No odd music or odd scents. No uniform clothing, no uniform greetings.
“Good evening you all”, Miles greeted gently and the greeting was returned in uneven waves, like a teacher appearing in front of a class.
The old man talked.
And the people were quiet.
Enraptured, they listened to the almost hypnotic voice of the old man, doing nothing but telling the biography of a man who had travelled the world.
“We should learn from each other”, Miles reminded them all, rubbing the head of a little child that didn’t manage to sit still and had sneaked up to find a place on Miles’ lap. “Every experience is precious, and while we cannot hand it over to another, we can at least make an attempt to share what we know. Only together can we form a whole, a whole that protects each other and keeps everyone safe. Do not hesitate to share your feelings and thoughts with each other, for silence only ever breeds violence, and we are not animals unable to communicate.”
How much time passed?
It must have been hours, in total, for the dinner was late and surprisingly quiet.
River found himself dazed by what had just happened.
The man’s story – his life – kept on turning inside his head. It must have been a true story, for it included a lot of the traveller’s thoughts and feelings, making you sink into the story. Through vast fields of blooming flowers, over the barren ridges of mountains, alongside the shining surface of a calm lake…
“This might be a problem”, he said into the silence of his and Aspen’s room.
“I feel weird”, Aspen whispered blankly, hugging his knees to his chest. “Was the world always this large? I never knew there were people living like that. I’d have never known.”
“Is this a cult?” River pushed his hands through his hair. “It… No, actually it doesn’t feel like a cult. There’s not even a deity or something. There’s no religious aspect. It doesn’t feel bad. But it feels like a cult?”
“I feel brainwashed, if that’s what you’re saying.” Aspen shook his head in agreement. “But not in a negative way? Does this make any sense?”
“We will need more information. It’s only the first day. Let’s talk.”
River sat down on the bed, facing Aspen. He opened up his notebook on his lap, scribbling inside it.
“Tell me your thoughts first. I don’t want to influence you with my own.”
Aspen closed his eyes. His lips curled a small bit, then puckered up as he was thinking. His tone was slightly hesitant.
“The people here are… not hostile. There’s some kind of hierarchy that Miles is on top of, but it’s not… not enforced? Like, everyone seems happy to follow the rules here. The way that woman reacted to seeing us want to leave, she was genuinely confused.”
River hummed in agreement.
“The way they spend their day creeps me out a bit. It’s too quiet and obedient. It reminds me of a boarding school? Uhm, hard to explain. I don’t have any idea about the ritual yet but it should be related to whatever is behind this place.”
He shut his mouth. River raised his head from his notebook, adding his own thoughts.
“Today was peaceful, but we can infer some rules. You don’t leave and you go to the meals together. Communicate with each other.”
“Do you want to try leaving at night?”
River considered the suggestion but rejected it. “Too dangerous for the moment. Did you notice that people knew things we didn’t say in front of them? I have a feeling they’d know if we left.”
“Yeah. Creepy.”
“So let’s stay inside for tonight. I don’t think the other group will make a move either.”
As for them, they were worrisome.
He hadn’t seen Papyrus around at all, but Acorn was already integrating himself into this place easily. Soot acted more like River, checking the areas one by one.
“We’ll be fine. For now, we have to wait and see what the next day brings. Let’s stay with Logan and get some more info out of him.” Aspen reached over to grab River’s hand and squeezed it. “How about we relax for the rest of the evening? It feels like forever ago, but just yesterday you had a really, really long day. We can allow ourselves this break.”
“You’re right.” A small smile appeared on River’s lips. “I’ll go out and get us something to drink. I’d like water for the night anyway, and I might as well find some wine to sleep better.”
“Then I’ll take a shower first.”
Aspen slid off the bed and into the bathroom.
He needed these moments on his own, as did River, but he was also looking forward to sitting together for the night.
With the gentle warm water trickling down, Aspen hummed happily to himself, taking his time to wash up and dry his hair.
Leaving the bathroom, he stumbled upon an unexpected scene.
