unfinishednetwork

One

Greetings. I am aware what we went through was somewhat an unique experience and I am also perfectly aware some of us got out of it a bit shaken. That being said, it's perhaps the first big 'event' we experienced since coming here, it wouldn't hurt to at least start gathering together the data we gathered to see all that can be learned from it. Also, while I'm hardly built for moral support, I feel like we could at least try to reach for each other in what may be a time of need for some of us. I wanted to suggest a gathering, I wouldn't mind hosting it considering I'm at least used to brainstorming and data elaborating meetings with others, just be aware my size may prove a bit of a challenge. If people are willing to step in, we can certainly organize something. Last but not least: we have some level of confirmation this place can mess with our head and our perception of things, it wouldn't hurt to keep a journal or something with our memories and thoughts. I'm hardly the best at social events of any kind, so please know I'm open to all suggestions. -Erichthonios

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A gathering sounds like a fine idea.

I'm not sure I have much to contribute other than asking a question. Do you know if there is anything that might predict whether you're able to simply observe the story unfold as yourself when pulled inside?

I haven't been able to find any logic behind that yet. Most people I know ended up feeling like they were part of the "setting," at least until we returned to the library.

破坏王
Wreck

I'm glad you thin so. I think all questions can be useful when you think about it. They may allow us to think about things we didn't consider up to that point. As for yours... I'm not certain. I felt some kind of 'call' toward a specific area and then I almost found myself 'inside' as a spectator. That's why I suggested keeping a journal. If this place can mess with our heads, it could be useful to at least keep track of who we are as much as possible, even if I doubt it can help us inside the actual stories. I know my beloved mammet turned into a simple keychain, there. -Erich

I would have preferred being a spectator over being an active participant, I think. Although I hope the change to your mammet was only temporary while we were inside the story?

For the journals - I do like the idea. For the most part, anyway? I feel like I'm being overly paranoid, but if our memories are temporarily rewritten inside a story, I wonder if the same is possible outside of that? Maybe the things we write won't necessary stay true to what we wrote, and may morph to reflect some other writing if the library sees fit.

That's probably way too paranoid, but it's something I've been thinking about.

Yes. I am glad I was spectating, honestly. I've been not in control of my own emotions and mind due to external influence before- and I'm not quite keen in experiencing it again. As for my mammet, he's fine now. I'm not even certain it was actually him inside and not just a small part of my belongings shaped to carry a memory of him. That is my main concern. But our current best resources to keep track of ourselves are journals and sharing details of our lives with others. I'm not entirely certain many would be comfortable with the second option. There's nothing wrong in evaluating potential danger.

[ That's good to know--that maybe their personal belongings or pets could come with them into the story and take other shapes. ]

Right. I don't want to deter anyone from trying to keep a journal or sketchbook or whatever. It might work, so I'm down for at least giving it a try.

Have you been keeping one without any issue? Or were you only planning on starting one now?

[Again, Erich cannot guarantee his lil friend was actually there...]

I'm planning to. One of the main issues in this place is objects not being quite as permanent as one would expect- I know someone has now the power of keeping things in place after creating them, but it's something i need to work on. It's one of the many reasons I think we should all share what we know and how we're planning to face things.

I'm not really sure what you'd call it, maybe matter manipulation? But I can tease items from books here in the library. At first, the things I pulled were unfinished like everything else, but I think now I've got a handle on pulling things out as they're meant to be.

The problem is that I look away for a minute and poof, it's gone. Like you said. It's the same for the Maker Room. Does your friend have any tips on actually getting things to stay? Because I'd like to practice, too.

Ah, we do seem to have the same level of... power in that sense. Back in my world we'd probably call that 'aether manipulation without permanence' but I'm fully aware that's not properly the case since I'm unable of proper aetheric powers.

I can ask him. Right now I want to test a few things with him, like: if he creates something with things I generate from books, do those stay? it was something picked from me, sure, but will his touch change things?

It's time to experiment!

I'll test it out as well. Nice probably won't be happy about it, but the more people looking into it, the more accurate the results are I guess, right?

If it does work that way, with the objects being more permanent with some people more than others, that's going to be annoying. Useful to know, but really, really annoying.

I can assist with organizing, like we spoke of. I can also help create simple tools for others if needed, should anyone else be reading this. They won't disappear... or haven't yet, at least.

- Nara'a

You could be our wonderful journals provider, my friend! Since one of my main concerns is things disappearing after a while, yours may be permanent enough! - Erich

I'll see what I can do. They might be a bit colorful, given the construction paper, but they'll be better than not having anything.

Colorful, mh? Well, may mine be silverish then? Like the hair of my two friends. I read in some books hair seem to have a lot of sentimental value, after all. Please, let me know if there will be any way for me to assist you.

I'll see how much of it I can find.

Sometimes it does... depends on the person.

You don't have to, of course. And I'd give other priority, considering they seemed more affected than me. I... guess? I do admit it's almost surreal for me, but I was reading this novel and one of the characters in it had their kid living oversea. (I will not elaborate much on it, but it's fascinating to imagine a world without ways to teleport around.) They kept a lock of their child's hair in a bottle they carried everywhere to 'keep them close'. I'm not entirely sure why, but it felt nice. There's a lot I apparently still have to learn.

Ah. Well, when I first visit somewhere I cannot teleport there until I attune with an aetheryte crystal. So I've also been on long boat trips or airship rides.

... But some families are more attached to each other than others. My culture is different, but I know a lot of hyur and elezen and lalafell families that do keep each other very close. But it's not wrong to be wanted to be loved, Erichthonios. ... At least, not in my view.

Aetheryte crystals, I know them but we never had a proper one in the Pandaemonium for fear of having creatures escape. I know them as a medium for people with limited aether to travel freely, but in my case I was told they'd be useless considering how minimal my pool was. Traveling by unconventional means sounds lovely. Ah, don't get me wrong, I'm not seeking love of approval through the pages of a book. [He is unusually attached to his parents but that's not something worth discussing much.] I merely find cultural differences so fascinating. Back home, with my kin? Our way seemed the only way to approach things from how we spoke. Different prospectives have their charm.

You're able to use aether at all, so I assume you could use them... I only know one person outside of the Garleans who can't, but he struggles to manipulate aether entirely. Perhaps if we end up in a world with other travel options I can show you some of those other means, however. I think you'd like traveling by chocobo - large birds that we use to transport people and goods where I'm from.

Mm.

[He's not so sure, but now's not the time to call his friend on it.]

Well, your world had only one type of people and one society, from what I know of. And even if far-off places were different, you weren't able to be exposed to them. Where I'm from there are so many cultures that it can be a bit of a shock when you show up to a new one and struggle to learn the social 'rules'.

I don't know. I was told I couldn't use them by my mother and I never questioned it. Who knows. Also... garleans? A tribe of your people, perhaps? Are they a bit like me? Not really useful when aether is involved? As for the chocobo- I'd love to see one. I don't think I ever heard of such concept.

[One of those stories Erich will have a dad or be one- and Nara'a will get PLENTY to tease Erich about. Just be patient.]

I was hardly exposed to my own people, friend. I wouldn't be surprised if I had some ideas of how some things worked and the truth was different. Pandaemonium was rarely a 'normal' place by our standards, or that's my understanding after leaving a few times with Lahabrea. Part of me, wishes I could see your world. It seems so different I can't help but wonder.

Not my people, but another race. They are unable to manipulate aether at all, and rely on technological things to do what we would normally do with aether. For instance, rather than using one's own aether to start a fire, they would have a certain type of rock that they strike with steel to create a spark.

True, I... suppose I had hoped that you would at least have been able to learn some from the others there.

But I wish you could see my world, too. There's so much to see and even I haven't explored it all yet. The love I have for my world is difficult to express with words - one has to see it, experience it.

OH! that's- not something new, actually! The whole concept of striking two different materials and generating a spark was used for plenty of early fire breathing concepts with gas sacks in their bodies and often beaks that would clatter and offer an ignition point! It's such a basic concept yet somehow it's almost shocking to hear an entire species uses similar tools instead of Aether!

[Words cannot convey emotions well, but he's very happy right now.]

Ah, well, people of Pandaemonium are kind but they are also professionals. No one signed up to take care of a child and as soon as I was made a warder we focused on work, little talks were offered about the 'outside'. But, trust me, despite the gloominess and lack of sunlight? I did love my home.

[And he was a child when his mother passed, considering she made him a warder... he's been focused on monsters and creatures since childhood.]

Maybe someday we will find stories about your world? I cannot imagine traveling too much but I'd love to see what you have seen.

We would use fire crystals, if we didn't use our own aether. But they've found a very aetherically charged liquid that they've been using for a lot of their newer machinery.

I suppose that's true. I... want to show you many different things. There's so much to learn and explore in the world - never mention all of the other worlds we might get sent to!

I remember using fire shards to warm up my drinks after a day of work, but I was hardly the best a controlling that kind of stuff as well. But an aetherically charged liquid? Color me intrigued. Well, I may not be able to see it all but I would still love to learn from you, my friend. I am certain you've seen countless wonderful things.

I know it can be carried in barrels, as I've done it before. But the finer details of how it works... I'm not certain.

I have. Not everything I've seen has been wonderful, but... it's all been important.

So It happened. [Without voice, it probably sounds strange but that's what happens when your brother tries to gaslight you so well that you begin to doubt reality.]

It did. One can argue we don't know for sure how much of that was real or not, especially considering some of us weren't themselves, but it was real enough for us to experience it as a group so I'd say it counts.

[That was something. That changed something. He wasn't sure what, yet.

But it opened the question: why would Curze lie to him? Mock him with deceit?]

We should meet. Is there a place here outside any possible monitoring? [He does understand operational security.]

And what do you mean that this place 'messes with our perception'?

[Was there? Erich can't tell.]

The gardens perhaps? I'm not entirely sure, honestly. I think a first meeting could also be a good moment to share potential places where to be a second time. Apologies, I wasn't clear. I mean some of us weren't able to tell they weren't part of the story. There was not just a full altered perception of their reality, but also a fully altered perception of their own persona.

The garden would be nice. But we would need food. [Listen, he knows how to throw a war council and that involves food.]

Yes. I was one of those. I was, literally, someone else. [Some HORRIFYING one else.]

We can ask everyone to gather there. I do find the garden refreshing as well, after all. While I can obtain items from books, they do tend to disappear when I get distracted. I can probably summon ingredients, though, and since at least someone like my friend is able to craft items and make them permanent... maybe they could cook? I'm really sorry to hear that. Being stripped of your true self must be awful.

You will understand if I choose to redact some details, I hope. My own role, the young Tsukuda, was uncomfortably on the nose about the biography of a young Hikaru Aozora, and the less personal detail I go into for all to see the better.

It’s a good idea to compare notes, but that tale reopened some wounds I’d rather not keep open and raw.

- 光
Hikaru

I'm not planning to force anyone to share more than they're comfortable doing. Fear not, should we touch anything unpleasant I'm certain we can just be told 'thanks but no thanks'. Also, should you choose not to speak... well, more people thinking in a single spot the better regardless, am I wrong? -Erich

[ He knows he's only really talked to him the one time, so his teasing might not come off that way, but he couldn't help it. ]

'hardly built for moral support' as he is trying to gather those of us for a helpful gathering. I know it's not in the typical ways, but anyone trying to lend a hand is a little more supportive than they think.

- Nice
奈斯

Edited 2025-12-23 07:13 (UTC)

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sorry for how this starts.

I love this already

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