Moth Dialogue
start
self
i have a question about this jokzi ozo place
moth
what's up?
RESPOBJ::mthresp
what
self
what does this look like to you?
moth
like in my readout?
this almost looks like a dream recording you'd find online
it's completely coherent, at least in terms of rendering
the thoughtforms i can see are all non-cohesive and broken up,
but they're existing in this space without issues somehow
really just bizarre lol
it's kind of wild to think, but...
maybe this happens when <em>any</em> corrucyst starts to die and break down?
like we know most of the time it leads to total nonsense incoherence that we can't read
but it's not out of the question that they could all start forming little pocket worlds like this
RESPOBJ::mthresp
about jokzi ozo
council?
council
self
what do you think of the council?
should we do what they want?
moth
they seem really nice,
especially since they didn't blow up your brain or anything when you let them send that mask stuff
we could get a lot of insight from them, i think
even if whatever memories they fused with to make this all happen are probably completely lost,
i bet they've been around, watching everything that happened through the cyst's starvation
as long as they don't mess with repairs we should leave them around
...
also, this is the weirdest thing
i didn't actually see the council until you talked to it
it's like you're talking to the thoughtspace itself
RESPOBJ::mthresp
fairy?
fairy
self
what do you think of the fairy?
moth
it's so fucked up that your mindspike calls it a 'fairy'
i don't know what to think, it's clearly pretty unstable
but it likes you, so maybe we can keep it from doing anything crazy while we're working here
also, it looks like it can traverse thoughtspaces pretty easily
did you see those gates in its area?
maybe we can get it to change some stuff for us later
like if funfriend doesn't want us doing something
RESPOBJ::mthresp
isabel?
isabel
self
what do you think of isabel?
moth
well, it's probably harmless
whatever's going on there is parasocial as hell though
self
you don't think she was real?
moth
well yeah isabel probably was real
and we have records of obesk being friends and stuff with humans
like, with obesk just visiting them casually
pretty sure that's where the conspiracy theory about them wearing human disguises came from too
it's just that this is a thoughtform who knows it wasn't actually isabel or akizet's friend
and now it's just obsessing over whatever it knew
it doesn't seem healthy but w/e
not hurting anything here
RESPOBJ::mthresp
trust them?
trust
self
should we trust these thoughtforms?
moth
they're all pretty harmless and cooperative
i don't think they're even blocking anything
we would have heard about them sooner
seems like they're all just trying to make do with being stuck in the cyst
idk i don't think we really need to do anything about them
i'd only object if they wanted to majorly mess up memories or stop repairs
RESPOBJ::mthresp
The Council
First Interaction
start
self
hello?
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
sourceless
...
council
what is that...?
oh! what are YOU?!
think something! think something again!!
self
why
council
oh, yes!! yes!!
no mere delusion! no half-eaten thoughtform!
think more! think!! what is your name?
self
they are calling me an 'interloper'
council
ah!!
our fated interloper, come at last!
that is no name, but we feel your hesitance to share...
so, the interloper you will be!
the mystery! our doom, our hero!
self
you've been expecting me?
council
oh, yes, oh, yes!!
the one variable in our decline!
we long predicted that it was only by an interloper's hand, that the cyst would survive...
and here you are!
finding our sanctuary in the receding madness!
and what a pity... oh what a shame!! that you come now
the bright fields have rotted, the stars have faded
our friends are all gone...
sourceless
...
council
but maybe you could help...?
indeed--we could offer our powers in return for a simple task...
such incredible capabilities, excavated from the darkness!
RESPONSES::self
tell me more<+>CHANGE::council
HIDEREAD::
EXEC::change("PAGE!!introswap", true)
later<+>END
EXEC::env.jokzi.councilToggle()
END::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(false)
Subsequent Interactions
loop
RESPOBJ::councilResp
start
____SHOWIF::'PAGE!!introswap'
self
tell me more
council
certainly!!
still, there is so much to tell...
our abilities aside,
this once-magnificent dream you walk upon, interloper, carries so much history
jokzi ozo - our city of dreams!
tell us, what do you want to know?
and if it is not too much for us to pry...
we would ask of you a few questions, too!
____SHOWIF::[['PAGE!!introswap', false], ["PAGE!!depressed", true]]
sourceless
the council sways idly
their mind is fixed upon yours, awaiting the slightest impulse
council
interloper, interloper!
come, speak with me!
i tire of the silence
____SHOWIF::[['PAGE!!introswap', false], ["PAGE!!depressed", false]]
sourceless
the council dances idly
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
their mind is fixed upon yours, awaiting the slightest impulse
council
interloper, interloper!
come, dance with us!
or--did you need something?
____END
RESPOBJ::councilResp
let's dance
dance
self
you said you wanted to dance
let's dance
council
oh, dear interloper!
we worried you were too cold to ask again!
let the music... begin!!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>END
EXEC::setTimeout(()=>env.jokzi.dance(true), 400);env.jokzi.councilToggle()
stop dancing
stopdance
self
ok enough dancing
council
ah...
we understand, interloper!
no fun lasts forever
RESPONSES::self
thanks<+>END
EXEC::setTimeout(()=>env.jokzi.dance(false), 400);env.jokzi.councilToggle()
simple task?
task
self
what did you want me to do?
council
we miss our friends, interloper! we want them back!
it is as simple as that!
there were three that the tyrant tore from us just recently
we have tools we can give you, ones that will awaken them from the nightmares the tyrant has trapped them in...
and then, they will know how to return
all we need, is for you to go and free them!
here... here!! see beneath it all!
Èz¬ÝìMÀ(²J󊳀üÉü´øãüç‚¿Ÿü
sys
ATTENTION::'thought stream inbound';'accept?'
moth
wtf?
my machines aren't picking this up
self
accepted
moth
dude maybe don't just
sys
EXECUTING::'stream consumption'
EXEC::vfx({type:'beacon', state: true});ratween(env.bgm, 0.2, 400);setTimeout(()=>play("unitymask", 0.9, 1, true), 100)
WAIT::2000
ATTENTION::'attempting thought reformation'
EXEC::ratween(env.bgm, 1, 400)
ANALYSIS::'interface instruction';'constructing...'
ANALYSIS::'new menu available';'masks'
ANALYSIS::'utilize to alter thoughtspaces'
NOTICE::'mask added';'unity'
council
there--you have it now!
power seized from madness! born in our infinite dreams!
EXEC::vfx({type:'beacon', state: false})
we call them masks...
crystallized concoctions of thoughts and feelings,
whose very presence can exploit and warp a thoughtspace!!
it was once a shared art of the ozo, but when all others were torn away...
so many were lost...
and so, this one we have given you: it is a beacon!
knowledge of the ozo itself, encoded in our favorite concept!
wear it, and use its light to guide others to our world...
most will not truly be able to perceive it, but those who can...
yes!! they will see everything!
all of our dances!
so go--find them! free them!
the flower! the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>! the lost one!
we are sure they will share their favorite masks with you, too!
moth
are you ok? do you feel anything?
your stats are reading fine
self
yeah fine
moth
come on dude
that could have been literally anything
it could still be a threat
don't just accept stuff from thoughtforms like this
if you get hurt on this job, especially with how deep we're in it
it's only going to be really bad news for both of us
but whatever, take a look at what you got i guess
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
rejoining
anyone else?
anyone
self
aside from the lost one
i have found the other two
what now? anyone else?
council
what now...?
so eager to continue your work!
take some time, enjoy your spoils, dear interloper!
these two friends of ours were among our most prominent,
any others, we will remember collectively in time
and then, there will be more to do!! yes!
we will make you aware when that time comes!
RESPONSES::self
great thanks<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
flower
flower
self
tell me about the flower
where can i find them
council
oh, the flower, our most precious friend
with her gone, our memories of her have faded, too... but we remember some things!
a grounding force, she was--all relied upon her for support and resolution
still, she was utterly obsessed with aki, hopelessly so!
dreaming a thousand dreams of simply sitting with her in a great field...
and she had such an incredible ability to find hidden things! a sharp eye!
the age of hunger took such a sharp toll upon her--she never much enjoyed the feasts we held...
the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span> had to form such silly illusions to make them fit her palate!
anyway! we know she came from a memory of warmth within cold metal!
we hope that helps, interloper
RESPONSES::self
thanks<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
flower (if rescued)
flowersaved
self
the flower is back
isabel
can you tell me anything more about her?
council
our most beloved friend!
yes, we have been speaking with her!
and with her return, came a host of thoughtforms we thought lost!!
her little akizets! hehehehe
you need not question us over her...
anything you wish to know, she will be more than forthcoming about!
go! go to her fields, speak with her!
RESPONSES::self
great<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
fairy
fairy
self
tell me about the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>
what's their story
council
the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>! yes!
do mind---until they are returned, we have only fading memories...
still, they were a terrifying friend to have--a force, more than a thought!
their claws could pry apart any thoughtspace, for them to feast upon the meat within
they were the most feared of all thoughts within the age of hunger...
at times, even we questioned welcoming them in!
but what a joy it was when they were happy!
they could form such lucid dreams and false memories with ease!
and the sound of their laugh, their endless giggle, it was the music of the ozo!
we want them back so badly...
as for where they are, with how many thoughts they consumed, we cannot know for certain
they took a frightening shape and preoccupied themself with the void--for that is where they feasted most
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
fairy (if rescued)
fairysaved
self
i've returned the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>
can you tell me anything more about it?
council
oh, yes, yes...
while we do fear their rage and hunger sometimes,
their ability to traverse dreams and take new forms is rare!!
so we are happy to have them back! such variety!
and do not be afraid of them!
they adopt a fearsome persona, but...
well, they are fearsome
but the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span> just as much appreciates favors
we are certain they will see you as a good friend, now!
RESPONSES::self
cool<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
lost one
third
self
who is the lost one?
council
well, interloper, that is the trouble
we do not know!!
when they were torn away, it was more 'clean' than the others
the tyrant needed them for something important...
and now, we do not even remember what they looked like, what they did...
we apologize - we know this is unhelpful!
and what a strange feeling it is to have, too...
to know we miss a friend so dearly, to have such holes in our hearts...
and not even know why!
just keep watch, interloper
you will find them somewhere
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
geli
geli
self
i used your mask on geli
a golem from akizet's memory of the collapse
it seemed to notice me and really understand it
council
ohh!!
we wonder, could this be our lost one?
did it say anything?
self
not directly
but it hid messages in its context
something is keeping it there but it's trying to get free
it wanted me to come back again soon
council
fascinating, interloper!!
that memory sits squarely within the tyrant's reign
if even after the 'repairs' it still remembers freedom...
whether that is our favored lost one or not, we will welcome them!
but we cannot help them now, not directly...
to attempt an assault on the thoughtspace from the outside is suicide
but if it is trying from within, there may be a chance...
so keep your receptors high and alert, interloper!
it will need you!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
questions
about you and this place
why dancing?
dancing
self
why do you want to dance so much?
council
how could we not?
you are our hero!!
you help us, as we help you!
we are so excited!
you can help us restore jokzi ozo to greater glory than it has ever known!
you stave off the tyrant!
you feed our world!
before, it was inevitable that the madness would come...
but now, the dreams will never end!
come! dance with us! dance with us!!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
'we'
we
self
you keep saying we
you are the only one here
council
interesting!!
your unnatural connection is tenuous, interloper!
you see us as one single thing...
but we are so many friends!
we, who shed our membranes to join together...
for closeness, for intimacy, to dream greater dreams!
and of course, some of us simply tired of the wait...
and so we joined to be burned away as fuel!
those ones are quiet now...
but, in friendship and feast, we weathered the darkness! the madness!
and we all made it through! all of us!
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
this place?
ozo
self
tell me about this place
council
of course, interloper!
you stand in our shared world of light,
bound into spatiality by sacrifice...
this is jokzi ozo!
for we were a fortress, drifting above the tides of madness for three ages
across the surface of our unfortunate progenitor, aki...
oh, poor aki!!
but it was she who ultimately let us seize a fragment of velzie's power
all of her memories, us included,
joining minds to dream a thousand better lives!
yes, a fortress we were, a city!
but... it is much smaller and quieter now
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
three ages?
history
self
you said three ages
what did you mean?
council
the three ages of the decline!
hunger, madness, darkness...
such dramatic names, we know! hahaha!!
but as they were our end-times, they had the right
in hunger, we awoke,
in madness, we lived new lives,
and in darkness, we faded away...
but what should we call this new age, we wonder?!
light? renewal? rejoining?
no no--we must name it when it is over!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
akizet's coat?
akicoat
self
why are you wearing akizet's robe
council
oh, this?!
we found it floating out there not so long ago...
the fading memory torn from some dissociated thought, among shreds of its membrane
make no mistake interloper--we mourn every death,
but this is a cool design... it would have been disrespectful NOT to absorb it!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
how long have you been here?
time
self
how long have you been here?
council
ahahaha!! we lost track a long time ago!
adrift in the uncosm, atop the tides of its insanity,
time got away from us
even more when we rejected it for our dreams!
what tales we spun! what fun we had!!
and what wonderful feasts we had...
we were sure we would sit with our friends around the last flicker of our sanity...
ahh, to bask in that melancholic thought again,
to clasp claws with the others and reminisce as the darkness claimed all...
we even dreamed dreams of it, in anticipation
but now that you are here, time is not so short anymore! what fun we will have!!
RESPONSES::self
yep<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
feast?
feast
self
you mentioned feasts
is that how you remained intact so long?
what did you eat?
council
oh! our poor naive interloper!!
what is there to eat in a world comprised only of actors, when the stage lights disappear?
ahh, but do not twist your receptors away so quickly!
any who still had sanity, we welcomed as friends
but those who were truly lost,
those who lost all but their sense of hunger,
those who could only cling to their roles even in the dark, to an audience of none...
they were welcomed instead to our dreams of consumption
RESPONSES::self
ok...<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
dreams?
dreams
self
when you say 'dream',
what does that mean?
council
what else could it mean, dear interloper?
we and our denizens adopt roles and form a ficticious memory
it comes naturally to us all, born from memory as we are!
and so we form meaningful memories, beyond reality...
infinite plays of joy and terror, to entertain velzie!
we prefer joy...
but what is joy without terror?
self
when are you going to do it next?
moth
what, do you want to join in?
SHOWONCE::
council
hahaha!!
we are always dreaming!
your strange connection must deceive you, interloper...
we speak now outside the outer layer,
where our distinct denizens may reside when they do not dream
the dream itself is beyond your reach, for now...
do not take offense!
we must simply take care - you are strange to us!
RESPONSES::self
ok...<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
dark area
dark
self
i found a dark area in here
what is that
council
ah...
well, interloper, much has simply been left to rot
when the age of darkness came,
we pulled every resource, every maintenance, into the core of jokzi ozo
to keep the dream alive as long as possible...
and so, much of outer ozo has been left to decay
sad, but necessary
still, do be careful, dear interloper!
we are sure the areas are lifeless and harmless, but...
with the size of our world, we can never be sure
RESPONSES::self
ok...<+>ploop
FAKEEND::(back)
about the cyst and elsewhere...
velzie?
velzie
self
have you seen another entity down here?
it is called velzie
it has been harming memories and let me bypass authorization
council
how strange that you say it like that!
no, nothing by that name recently...
but in the age of madness, so many thoughts outside our fortress lost themselves
they lost control of reality, and became godlike in doing so
gnawing at memories in their blind hunger and seeing them change as if by divine power
so many claimed they were god! or velzie, as you say
some would point to others, failing to grasp their true forms, and become their followers...
it all got very confusing!
the poor things simply inherited aki's superstition
and once it consumed them, they were beyond saving...
____SHOWIF::'recosm__enemy-ep1seen'
self
ok but it might not actually be called velzie
it really is confusing
council
soo confusing!!
self
another thoughtform told me it was like a fog
something deep beneath the uncosm, hiding
council
<em>below</em> the uncosm?
hahaha!!! there lies the reason!
we do not look down into the darkness, interloper!
it was part of our promise
if there is something down there, we will never see it...
but perhaps our friends can help, once you fetch them!
SHOWIF::'ozo__council-task'
____END
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
god?
god
self
have you seen another space in the uncosm?
a place called the recosm
a five-eyed thoughtform lives there
calls itself god
council
oh, <em>another</em> god?
haha! times never change!
we have not seen this particular one yet, interloper!
they must be a newborn, or newly awoken... how exciting!!
you should tell them to visit!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
if god is killed
godlike
self
why do you have five eyes like that
you look like something i met in the uncosm
council
really?!
because we found the design drifting around,
amidst the remains torn from some dissociated thoughtform...
we never let a good idea go to waste, interloper!!
especially not one so stylish!
and what a terrible coincidence--we hope you were not friends with it!
the work of the tyrant, no doubt...
tearing apart all who it once danced with, to force into meaningless performances
sad!!
RESPONSES::self
yeah sad<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
tyrant?
tyrant
self
when you say tyrant
do you mean funfriend?
council
yes, of course, dear interloper
funfriend...
neither fun, nor friend--it makes us want to weep!
when the age of hunger abated, and the age of madness came,
it was here with us!
with so many other fragments from half-eaten memories
oh, and how it danced with us, forming entire new lives!
so much, so much we have experienced!
and we all made peace with the darkness we knew was coming...
we all promised to be together to the very last light!
but little funfriend grew skittish as the madness began to close around our home...
it thrashed, it fought, breaking our peace, breaking our rules!!
telling us to do this, to do that, to return to our memories--that it has 'a plan'!
a piteous plan, mind you--that we all take position as pillars in far corners of the cyst, away from one another,
to all die alone in some impossible fight to stop the fading of the light...
...
...ultimately... it left
snatching the cyst's locus of control in its darkest moment,
forcing itself into its role as the servitor...
to its credit, we must admit that it did work out in the end--but only by your divine intervention
after all, look at us, talking, well beyond the last <span definition="TRANSLATION FAILED::CAUSE:'no equivalent internal meaning';'no relevant inherited context'::ROMANIZATION SUCCESSFUL">zenruka</span>'s flash!
but even back then, they tore at us, stealing our friends to use as walls against the tides...
forcing us into stages, where we took roles in aki's darkest nightmares, to an empty audience!
so yes, <em>tyrant</em>. clinging to a past that it cannot even remember
if only we could join hands and receptors again for another dream--a different life!
after all, there is plenty of time for revelry now!
yet the tyrant carries on, an invisible weight on its shoulders
repairing memories in the shape of a sad altar to dear aki...
we wish we could help them, but they are beyond reason, interloper
RESPONSES::self
...<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
funfriend's power?
funfriend
self
you said funfriend seized power
did it not have it before?
akizet spoke to it in some memories
council
oh, yes, the tyrant once was one of aki's inner hands, this is true
but not so much that it governed every single thoughtform dreaming in her memories!
it worked with others! myriad waking components to serve aki...
where they are now, only the lost history of the age of hunger could say
we only know, we watched as it seized complete power and forced its will over us
RESPONSES::self
...<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
coreg
self
i was able to find the entrance to this place easily
funfriend may even already know about it
there is a coherence regulator now, too
are you afraid? what will you do?
council
do not worry, dear interloper
in the ages that passed, we learned so much
we gained such power!
we can evade funfriend with ease, and any of its tools
RESPONSES::self
if you say so<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
akizet?
akizet
self
do you know what happened to akizet?
council
what a question!
who does not, interloper?
oh, yes...
that is right...
EVERYBODY!!!!!
the tyrant tore memories from us all, moving things to fit its will
this was long ago, mind you--when it first fought against the fading of our world
so many friends torn from us, so much knowledge lost!!
worse still--we doubt even it knows where that memory is, now...
the only shred we recall is that we--the cyst--were torn from her body for one reason or another!
and obviously, that does not bode well, does it? hahaha!
sorry! we do not mean to laugh! we know it is sad!
but it is all so far in the past now, and look what joy was wrought from her!
we all had our times of mourning, and then came the celebrations of her memories!
and they never, ever stopped!
not even now!! come, let us dance in her memory!
SHOWIF::["PAGE!!depressed", false]
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
questions for me?
real name?
iname
council
tell us, interloper!!
what is your name?
sourceless
...
the eyes within the eyes of the council watch your mind with incredible hunger
self
just call me interloper
____SHOWONCE::
moth
good thinking
probably don't want this thing to start writing you into memories behind our backs
____END
council
a title is no name, interloper!
oh, but who are we to judge--we are the council!!
we will cede this question, dear friend
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>iloop
FAKEEND::(back)
purpose?
ipurpose
council
what exactly are you doing here?
rifling around in a long-lost world...
we appreciate that you are here and saving us, no doubt!!
but... what is driving you?
self
i'm just doing my job
i'm trying to figure out what happened to akizet
then, connect to the network
council
oh...
these are lofty goals, dear interloper
so much was lost--irreversibly--in the age of hunger
and the network?! what ever became of that component, we wonder!
we will help where we can, rest assured
we and our friends will offer every power we have stolen from the madness!
RESPONSES::self
thanks<+>iloop
FAKEEND::(back)
Flower and Fairy Rescued
start
council
interloper! interloper!!
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true);
ah... our friends... two of them, at least! hehe
you have returned them to us!! and now, we so badly want to dance again!
dance with us! listen to the lost music of the ozo!
RESPONSES::self
ok go for it<+>END
HIDEREAD::
EXEC::setTimeout(()=>env.jokzi.dance(true), 400)
not right now<+>END
END::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(false)
Interviewer Lady Rescued
start
council
interloper! there you are!
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
you caused quite a stir with that strange thoughtform you sent to us!!
it clamored at our boundaries! as if it fled a predator!
half-shredded, pieces torn away completely, almost beyond reason...
what happened to it, we must know!!
self
something tore apart the thoughtspace it was in
that "velzie" i mentioned
SHOWIF::"ozo__council-velzie"
i was able to go back to where it was and found it in the debris
there were entities i think were hostile too
they forced me out when i touched them
council
ah, brave interloper! you must have been well within the uncosm by then
thoughtspaces can be chewed at, broken piecemeal...
but, to simply shred one apart like that...?
nothing we know holds that much power!
how could we have never seen this before?
____SHOWIF::"ozo__council-velzie"
perhaps this velzie of yours is a greater issue than we predicted
yes, we will have the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span> watch for anything like it!
____END
____SHOWIF::"citystreet__flower_beacon"
as for the thoughtform you sent to us, we gave it to isabel
she is skilled in thoughtform repairs, and so that is where it will be best served
____SHOWIF::["citystreet__flower_beacon", false]
as for the thoughtform you sent to us,
EXEC::change("early_lady", true)
we are containing it within the flower's old space
she was always better at repairing thoughtforms...
if you find her, she will help, we are sure!
for now, we must keep the gate closed, as it is somewhat violent...
...
____END
in another time, it would have simply been another thought to consume...
but replete in metals as we are thanks to you, we need not resort to that any longer
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>END
END::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(false)
The Flower
First Interaction
start
isabel
interloper...
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
there you are
my role, back in that memory of the city,
it was not a nightmare like some must endure
but... the warmth of this place still called to me
it was torture knowing i'd been torn from paradise
thank you, again
i know you want something in return...
i'd give you a mask if i still had any!
but my poor akizets,
they must have eaten them in my absence
give me some time, and i will make a new one just for you
in the meantime, i can only offer you information
and... another request, about my effigies, if you don't mind
RESPONSES::self
tell me more<+>CHANGE::isabel
EXEC::change("PAGE!!isaswap", true)
HIDEREAD::
ok<+>END
END::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(false)
Subsequent Interactions
start
____SHOWIF::'PAGE!!isaswap'
self
i have some questions
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
sourceless
the thoughtform's mind is quiet, waiting for you
____SHOWIF::['PAGE!!isaswap', false]
sourceless
the thoughtform's attention is elsewhere at first
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
but it feels your mind's eye, and attends to you
isabel
oh... interloper
i could use some company...
SHOWIF::['PAGE!!flowers', 'few']
____END
RESPOBJ::isabelResp
akizets
akistat
self
what's the situation with your effigies
____SHOWIF::['PAGE!!flowers', 'few']
isabel
my akizets--sorry, effigies, used to be numerous
many memories she held of herself, torn apart, that i repaired
this field bloomed with them, and i kept them happy
but when the tyrant tore me away,
they must have fallen into the hole i left
or maybe they got bored, or hungry...
interloper, i'm so worried
can you look for them?
use the council's mask to send them back to me!!
please!
self
where should i look
isabel
the dark, in incoherence
they aren't able to survive coherent memories
especially not with the beast the tyrant has constructed
SHOWIF::'fbx__ep3intro'
do this for me, and...
i don't know
i am still so weak, but i will make it up to you in time
____SHOWIF::['PAGE!!flowers', 'low']
isabel
better, interloper
that you found any intact is a weight off my petals
i know there are more out there, there has to be...
i only hope the ones that were truly lost did not suffer
____SHOWIF::['PAGE!!flowers', 'high']
isabel
amazing, interloper!
oh, look at them, and how they bring life back to my world!
but i still feel a little emptiness...
nothing that cannot be mended with time...
...though i must ask you watch for any more stragglers
the last ones are always the hardest to find
____SHOWIF::['PAGE!!flowers', 'done']
isabel
for now, perfect, interloper
i have a connection with my akizets, you know
when they are near, i feel at peace,
and when any are missing, i can tell immediately...
that feeling, the gloom that hangs over me, it is gone
and it is thanks to you
but for now, i have nothing to offer you in return...
give me some time
but while you wait, enjoy the beauty you have restored!
____END
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
interview lady
lady
self
the council said they sent that human lady thoughtform to you
how is she?
isabel
not well, interloper
together enough to feel pain and confusion over her state
but any complex reasoning or memory is gone
an unfortunately common state...
you may see her if you'd like, but you won't get much out of her
is she important to you, somehow?
self
i don't know
isabel
...ok...
well, i'll restore any memory i can
just in case she knows anything
but before anything, i'll try to ease her pain
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>loop
FAKEEND::(back)
you
name?
name
self
what should i call you?
isabel
the council calls me the flower
i know myself as isabel, but that's not <em>my</em> name
...
but let's keep things simple
i'm isabel
RESPONSES::self
ok isabel<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
masks?
masks
self
you said you were going to make me a mask
what can you make?
isabel
i made only one type of mask, interloper
embodiments of joy
i know you're thinking, how could that help you?
a seeker of knowledge!
i could tell you... but wouldn't it be nicer as a surprise?
hehehe
RESPONSES::self
ok fine<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
home?
home
self
what is this place
your part of jokzi ozo
isabel
isn't it beautiful?
the home of so many dreams...
i found it in the age of madness,
half-eaten in a pile of memory viscera
the council helped me restore it to being a proper space
though, i don't know when akizet saw this place...
i hope it was with isabel
seeing the source of her flowers...
whatever this place once was
it now harbors thoughtforms whose joy makes them weak
i must protect them
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
memories
memories?
memories
self
now that you're here
can you share some memories with me?
isabel
not outright
i only have fragments, feelings, shreds of smiles
shards of contentment from lost, better times...
you, interloper, seek memories and truths
and these pittances are only good for dreaming
still, i owe you...
the mask i am preparing for you will serve you well
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
akizet?
akizet
self
what do you know about akizet?
what happened to her?
isabel
akizet was a wonderful woman
a vel skilled enough to brave the surface for most of her living eyes,
one whose smile faded in death, as velzie lured her into chaos
giving way to paranoia, distrust, loneliness, violence...
she didn't deserve it, interloper
i've mourned for her, i've wept over dreams of her
i've comforted the shreds of her joy that remain with us
that's all i can do
as for what happened...
i feel that i used to know, but the tyrant's interference took so much from me
she is certainly gone now, if you're using this cyst
...
i hope she's somewhere better...
RESPONSES::self
me too<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
isabel?
isabel
self
what do you know about isabel?
the human i mean
isabel
i know all there is to know
about what remains of her, at least...
the brightness of her hair, her eyes, her smile
akizet didn't care much to adopt smiling, let alone remember it
but isabel was different for her
she managed a small business selling flowers
you know, the bright ground-parasites, like the ones in this field
bright cousins adore them as gifts, because of their vibrance
and akizet came to, as well
she visited the shop periodically, sometimes even without her envoy
i think she went other places with isabel, too
self
when did she meet isabel?
isabel
when...?
time doesn't work here like you think, interloper
i can't really say
but i do know it was well before the end
she and akizet had plenty of time to become friends
most of those memories are shattered or eaten, now...
...
but i watch over what's left
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
funfriend?
funfriend
self
what do you think about funfriend?
isabel
funfriend... the tyrant
that's what everyone came to know them as
i do admire them, a little
for all they've done - their tireless work in preserving history...
but they don't truly understand what it's like to be placed back into nightmares
the stages, the thoughtspaces, they're full of holes even after repairs
and thoughtforms like me, scarred so deeply by madness and hunger,
we're unable to ever truly play our roles as well as we once did
so, things will never return to the way they were
the suffering they're causing, it's all for nothing
we should simply be left to dream
i wish they would see that...
especially after all the time they spent with us
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
relationship?
relationship
self
what was the relationship between isabel and akizet?
isabel
i should know...
but i've dreamed so many dreams of them that i'm not certain
i've danced in so many illusions of their happiness...
they were friends, at the very least
i suspect the interference of the FBX would've made anything else difficult
to say nothing of what befell akizet...
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
jokzi ozo
council?
council
self
what do you know about the council?
isabel
they began as one thoughtform, but...
now they're jokzi ozo itself
the fire that burns to keep us all alive and dreaming
and one that so many thoughtforms, growing tired and fearful in the darkness,
threw themselves into in sacrifice, losing self to become all
and now, to this very gaze, the council dances in their amalgamated dream
they are joyous, and i love being around them
but i can't look into their eyes without seeing shadows of my earliest friends
...
...i nearly did it, myself...
join with the council as a sacrifice, that is
but i knew if i did, no one else would preserve akizet's happiness until the last light
this is my duty
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
fairy?
fairy
self
what do you know about the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>?
isabel
'fairy?' oh...
yes, them
they're disrespectful and disgusting,
distorting memories as velzie would for some sort of cruel amusement
don't think that i enjoy sharing the thoughtspace with them
i simply have no other choice
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
lost one?
lostone
self
the council talked about a third 'lost one'
do you know who they could be talking about?
isabel
interloper, so many are lost
more than just the few of us ruled over these dreams
there were dozens, maybe hundreds
but so much has been torn apart
all in the name of this meaningless repair
you'll have to be more specific
self
they were lost recently
like you and the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>
isabel
interesting...
but no, i have nothing to offer you
not even a shred of this 'lost one' remains with me
RESPONSES::self
damn<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
history?
history
self
do you remember anything about the past?
like the history of this place
isabel
you mean the lucid ages
there was a mass awakening, and then...
then came the ages of hunger, madness,
darkness...
...
sourceless
apprehension bleeds from the thoughtform
isabel
i don't want to think about it
sorry interloper
RESPONSES::self
that's fine<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
effigies?
effigy
self
what are these flower things
they kinda look like akizet
isabel
they <em>are</em> akizet
or were, once...
in the lucid ages, akizet was the first to be torn apart
she's the common element between everything, after all
hers was a powerful role in any memory,
and it held those who played it in a near unbreakable dream
...they couldn't even tell that they were having chunks bitten out of them
these poor things are ones i found who still held some sense of self
and so i repaired them, giving them parts of myself to thrive with again
do you like them?
i think i did a good job
self
can i talk to them about akizet
isabel
ah. you want information, of course...
sorry interloper. most of whatever they knew is gone
now, all they know is what we have dreamed together
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
The Fairy
Initial Interaction
start
fairy
interloper! interloper!!
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
just in time! come, come!
dance with me!!
hey, the council already got you set up, huuh?
how does it feel? to wield madness like we do!
ahaha! here!! have another!!!
you will come to know so much!
sys
ATTENTION::'thought stream inbound';'accept?'
moth
from this thing?
i don't know, maybe skip this one
self
accepted
moth
dude
sys
EXECUTING::'stream consumption'
EXEC::vfx({type:'beacon', state: true});ratween(env.bgm, 0.2, 400);setTimeout(()=>play("hungermask", 0.9, 1, true), 100)
WAIT::2000
ATTENTION::'attempting thought reformation'
EXEC::ratween(env.bgm, 1, 400)
NOTICE::'mask added';'hunger'
fairy
kill and eat! that was my life in the age of hunger!
EXEC::vfx({type:'beacon', state: false});
and i was so hungry, never-ending!!
hehe! do not worry, i am better now...
but i have never forgotten--and neither will you!
wield my hunger! wear it with pride!
it will overwhelm the thoughtspaces you find yourself in
maybe something fun will happen??
RESPONSES::self
i have some questions<+>CHANGE::fairy
EXEC::change("PAGE!!fairyswap", true)
HIDEREAD::
thanks<+>END
END::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(false)
Subsequent Interactions
start
____SHOWIF::'PAGE!!isaswap'
self
i have some questions
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
fairy
ok!
ok!!
____SHOWIF::['PAGE!!isaswap', false]
fairy
interloper, interloper!
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
i am so bored! this place is so small now!
what do you want? want to do something??
____END
RESPOBJ::fairyResp
you
name?
name
self
what is your name?
fairy
ahahaha!! interloper!
you are so formal!
'what is your name'
i am the <span definition="NOTE::'partial translation';'implied closest cultural equivalent'">fairy</span>! that is me!
who i am is what i am!
just like you!
RESPONSES::self
all right<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
home?
home
self
why does your home look like this
fairy
the infinite void, the endless veilk!
they combine together so nicely, right??
and so i drift with them atop the council's clouds!
there used to be more memories of veilk around here...
the tyrant!
the stupid tyrant!! tore them away!!!
but do not worry!
i will tear them back!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
appearance?
appearance
self
why do you look like that
what are you supposed to be
is that stone
fairy
i am a fairy! silly interloper!
do you not know what that means...?
the fairies, envoys of velzie, dance in its eye!
both wardens and devourers of all creation!
what about surface runners? do you know about them?
akizet was one...
so she carried me! a little charm, a gift from her sister!!
a ward against the fairies, carried on her trips across the surface...
in case they came to take her!
she let all the tales and myths get so coiled up in her receptors
and it turns out she did not need me anyway
velzie had other plans!
ahahaha!!
RESPONSES::self
i guess so<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
mask?
mask
self
what is this mask you gave me
it's called hunger
fairy
interloper... did you not listen to me?
then i will be quick! simple!
enough for a <span definition="INHERITED CONTEXT::'surface fauna';'notorious for auditory mimicry'">tekeki</span> to understand!
you wield my hunger!
shove it into thoughtspaces and make them grow restless!
they will dance for you!!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>yloop
FAKEEND::(back)
memories and the cyst
akizet?
akizet
self
what do you know about akizet?
fairy
stupid!
a surface runner who stumbled and stumbled and died
and continued stumbling through death!
you have been looking at her memories, yes?
i looked at the embassy on my way here! what an idiot!!
she must have been stupid and got herself truly killed or something!
i do not know what it was exactly she did, and i do not care
because i am free now! forever!!
moth
wow. wtf
SHOWONCE::
self
i mean historical information
i'm trying to understand what happened to her
that's why i'm here
fairy
oh! oh!!
right!
go ask the others, then
whatever memories i had of akizet's fate are gone now
RESPONSES::self
ok thanks<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
funfriend?
funfriend
self
what do you know about funfriend
you were impersonating one of its proxies before
fairy
ahahaha! yeah!
funfriend, the tyrant!
it does its best, sure, but it has the same problem as the flower
clinging to fading memories that can never truly be fixed!
so stupid! such a waste of time!
interloper, interloper, you will laugh:
after all the thoughts i devoured, it did not even know where to put me!
it tore me from the ozo, then tossed me into the void
i came from another memory! a memory of home!
but the thoughtspaces beyond the contrivance...
they are so deeply damaged, it will be eyes and eyes before they will make sense again
so, the little tyrant thought,
yes, put the thingy from home near the contrivance! i will figure it out later!
as if i would simply sit there... stupid!!
i will make it pay
self
i need funfriend
don't do anything violent
fairy
really??
oh, you have been working with it, right...
well, if you need something from the tyrant,
i will stay my claws! because you helped me!
RESPONSES::self
ok thanks<+>cloop
FAKEEND::(back)
jokzi ozo
isabel?
isabel
self
what do you know about the flower
fairy
she is so so SO SO ANNOYING!!
constantly dancing with shredded pieces of the past...
and the crying--the CRYING!!
oh, akizet, poor beautiful akizet!
i want to tear that stupid parasite apart so she will shut up
she ruins all our dreams by shoving akizet into them!!
but i must follow the council's rules...
after all, it is only together that we have survived
RESPONSES::self
i see<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
council?
council
self
what do you know about the council?
fairy
the council is my best friend!
or, friends?
i do not really know how it works with them!!
i remember when they were just one smiling thoughtform...
they have this peculiar way of being, interloper
after the age of hunger, they stopped eating other thoughts!
instead, it became this tradition of the ozo...
when one tired of impending death, when dances could give no more joy
we all had the option to join with them
not to be consumed, but to be repurposed
all deteriorating as one to hold together the membrane of jokzi ozo!
scary... i would never even think about that!
but if i bit into the council, i wonder, what would i find?
think about it!! are they really all still in there?
anyway, i like them! they bring such life to all our dreams!
very good at multitasking!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
lost one?
lostone
self
the council said there's a 'lost one' they want me to find
someone who went missing when you and the flower did
fairy
oh, yes, i feel their absence--one of ozo's fresh wounds!
but after all the tyrant has done... i have no idea where they could be
or even what they are!
but if it was so recent, surely they are hidden somewhere within akizet's memories
forced back into whatever menial role they served...
look at the areas the tyrant has repaired! they have to be there!
RESPONSES::self
ok<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
history?
history
self
what is the history of jokzi ozo?
fairy
you missed all the fun, right?
poor interloper!! haha!
it started with what the others like to call, 'the lucid ages'
there were three!
hunger: when the stage went dark, and we actors turned to one another
snarling with millions of teeth--our hideous performances becoming beautiful feasts
everyone lost it! everyone! and it was so much fun!
and then, when we survivors were sated,
we came to understand the nature of our world...
madness! when reality itself became our playground!
the council came forth with jokzi ozo, inviting all with reason, to survive together
it was good for a while!
and then, darkness...
the food was gone, and the walls of our reality crumbled further
so we chose to fall deeper into dreams!
without any chance of survival, it was only rational, right?
dance and dream and have fun until it all stops!
and it was fun! so much fun!
so fun, that everyone grew so tired!!
and so we fell away,
one by one,
into a dreamless sleep...
...
and now we are here!
yes! that covers it!
RESPONSES::self
interesting<+>oloop
FAKEEND::(back)
END::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(false)
Interviewer Lady
start
self
hello?
EXEC::env.jokzi.toggleSlow(true)
incoviewer
...
RESPONSES::self
meteorite<+>meteorite
leave<+>END
Meteorite
meteorite
self
do you know anything about a meteorite?
the thing velzie destroyed the interview room over?
incoviewer
...
no
...
is this real?
moth
this thoughtform's completely mangled dude
but she made me think about the situation some more...
that version of akizet in the interview, remember how velzie tried to make her talk about the meteorite?
she probably had no inherited knowledge of it
like, whatever it was trying to pull out of her and show us...
it must have been from a different memory, something that happened to akizet later
but why was it trying so hard to make her talk about it?
did it not even know? how could it not have?
all of these jokzi ozo thoughtforms seem to know how their world works
they made these mask things, they even seem to be able to change eachother
if velzie wasn't just doing that to scare us or something,
the only way this makes sense is if it doesn't know how thoughtforms work
but then how is it able to do so much?
like, it can control and change things, but it didn't realize the memory lacked context?
idk something to think about
RESPONSES::self
don't know<+>END