[GAME] The House

[King-Clod]

Diary topic: Star charts, the future

[knux400]

Diary perspective: Mist
Diary topic: Shrump's company

[victorianflorist]

Item Discovery - Weapon

[skinstealer]

+1 ITEM DISCOVERY
+1 MEMORY RECOVERY

Mist’s Journal

Day 12

…today was…strange.

I’m dealing with a lot of feelings. It feels almost wrong to write about them, but the same compulsion the three of us have been getting has struck again like clockwork…I feel like I have to, whether I really want to or not.

Shrump and I have been growing closer, and I don’t know how much I want to explore this. We’ve only known each other for a short time, realistically, and while we’re comfortable around each other to share a sleeping space and each other’s company while walking around, there’s so many things that could go wrong. I know that not all of my fears are rational, but…I don’t know. Maybe writing these things down will help me make sense of it…

The logistics of me being in a relationship, even if just casually, are…dicey. Admittedly, if it did come down to a situation where I needed to eat, they’d be able to regenerate…but…

I don’t know.

I guess a saving grace is that Shrump is. Well.

I don’t mean this unkindly. In fact, it’s a huge benefit and a load off my back.

But they’re…not very appealing as a meal. I know it must sound ridiculous that a cannibal is being choosy, but Shrump’s weird combination of shrimp flesh mixed with uncooked tempura batter on the inside is. I would rather not. Simon’s got the same thing going on with being partially made of fire, and I genuinely consider both of these to be advantages towards our party’s survivability. I can commit to not worrying about that.

Which raises the question- why am I still worried about it, then? If Shrump doesn’t even register to me as food then why am I so…torn up about the idea of this?

I guess the hard answer to that question comes with what happened in the lower levels of the observatory.

We were looking through a library full of star charts, seeing what’s out there- and boy, there is a lot. I would honestly be fine staying here for a while to read more things, even if it makes Simon antsy…even moreso after what he found.

The person who was here before us had some kind of gun hidden in one of the books, still loaded as well. Simon considered taking it with us until Shrump pointed out that he doesn’t have ammo for when it runs out, and that his knife would probably be safer. Simon confessed he doesn’t know how to use a gun anyway, and while it does feel like a bit of a sour grapes situation, I think it’s for the best. Getting near that thing did something to my head…

I remembered Hen, more. He always carried something like that around the house, and he did fire it at me. At least once.  I remembered the fact that he was cruel to me, and that I hurt him in kind before running. It was all I could do.

I couldn’t tell Shrump about it, even though I know they would understand. They’ve already told me I could tell them about any memories I recover, but…I wasn’t blameless in that relationship either. I don’t think I want to pursue things because I can’t just hide that my last one ended so disastrously, it wouldn’t be right. I don’t know…

We’re going to read more star charts after dinner tonight. I’ll likely end up sleeping next to Shrump again, and I’ll…do my best to figure out my feelings going forward in a way that doesn’t hinder our progress.

What a mess of an entry I've made.

[skinstealer]

+1 NEW TCP

Mist's Journal

Day 13

The person who's been "running" this observatory came back today- and it wasn't too happy about us rooting around through its stuff. Simon countered that none of this stuff really "belongs" to anyone, but George, as it's called, really seems to believe otherwise. Once we explained that we were just as stuck here as it is though, it seemed to calm down. George had been going out to look for supplies in the basement, and managed to find the same treasure trove we did- it says it really appreciated whoever set that up, but it's just as clueless as to who could have done it.

It's also been here for 13 days. We're beginning to suspect that everyone in this house started at the same point...but in different locations. This is where George woke up, which it says suits it fine- it's an astronomer in the outside world, and insists that this, albeit a less than ideal situation, is kind of a dream come true for it...

...I don't understand it much. Once it learned we weren't a threat, and that Shrump and I are actually very interested in all of the stuff found here, it said we could stay for a while longer. It seems distrustful still, but I think it'll work out for now...

---

A new TCP has been discovered in the house. George is a face bank/ovibos type with a major fluid anomaly, and can be selected for diary perspective.

[AceOfNothing]

Diary Perspective - George

[skinstealer]

+ DISASTROUS EVENT

George's Journal

Day 14

i can barly writ this but need to jrnal. nt sure why but we need to we alwys nd to. hurts an they wont stop lookig at me

part of th ceiling downstars crumbld and crushed my leg. th noise was awful. nothng pierced skin thnk god but it crushd a lot of snails and i felt their pain i wish they were okay. i dont think a lot of thm died but i am so so sad for them and hpe they forgive me

the new peopl fed me and i thnk the hurt snails ar ok now but i know things are bad and i don know what happens when they die. scary to think abot

shrum seems extra worrid but not much i can do there. they seem nice at leas

[Blue_Fox]

Diary Perspective: Shrump
Diary Topic: George's Injury

[skinstealer]

+ AMAZING EVENT

George's Journal

Day 15

doing a bit better today. theyve been giving me food type products and i think it's making new snails...grow in? i still feel the loss of the old ones but i think they are resting somewhere now. i want to believe that, anyway. i have seen so many things in the sky and beyond and i hope, so hard, that there is some kind of little snail afterlife for them. my sweet creatures...

the new snails are adjusting. i think they want vegetables, but i've mostly been eating chips and jerky. mist says that she and shrump will go out and look for some for me, but simon doesn't seem too keen on being left alone with me here....i suppose i don't trust him much either, especially not with my leg still recovering. all the same...

i will write more later.

---

they managed to find me some packets of lettuce! i can't believe it, only a few hours later and we're eating one of our favorite snacks...some kind of god must be looking out for us, i swear. tonight we eat like kings, and remember our fallen comrades. shrump has been sitting with me and i confided in them about why i was so distressed, and they seemed very alarmed at the fact that part of me had literally died...they said that i should be more careful, and let mist help more with physical tasks.

they seem very kind...

[King-Clod]

Diary Perspective: Shrump
Diary Topic: George's injury, Mist's company

[skinstealer]

+1 DISASTROUS EVENT

The Adventures of Shrump Boondoggle

Day 16

Things didn’t go so well today…

Another part of the lower floors crumbled, and thankfully nobody got hurt! But…we’re realizing that even though it’s comfortable here- and previously safe!- it’s not somewhere we can stay long term. Something about it is falling apart…

Simon says the basement was having issues as well- maybe our captors put us in a purposefully faulty house? I don’t know…I’m just sad that we’re already planning to pack up and leave, I’ve grown pretty attached to this place…

…I like the company, though. Simon may be grumpy, but even he’s coming around, I think…getting a lot less snarky comments out of him ever since Mist told him off for being rude to George the other night. He even apologized!

George is doing better, it even walked around a little bit…I’ve been doing my best to be encouraging, since that sort of thing always helps people feel better! I‘ve asked a couple of questions about the snails in order to help out better, too- apparently they like being gently pet, so I’ve been helping massage the area that got hurt. Simon says it can’t be that affected with how small I am, but I always make it work. :)

And then…Mist. She’s been a little weird around me lately, but I always like hanging out with her! Our little adventure yesterday was surprisingly fun now that we have each other to talk to, and I even made her laugh a couple times!!!

I suspect she has something she’s not telling me... but I don’t want to press. Whatever it is, she can tell me when she’s ready!

Maybe today wasn’t so bad after all.

[King-Clod]

Diary Perspective: Simon
Diary Topic: New guy, Mist's behavior

[skinstealer]

+1 NEW LOCATION
+MEMORY RECALL [SHRUMP, BACKLOGGED]

Simon's Log

Day 17

Left the observatory today. We decided to take George with us, though I don't know how to feel about dragging around a guy who crunches when something lands on it. Its leg's doing better, but it cost us a fuckload of our rations, and I'm not feeling great about that either. We just avoid each other for the most part, which, thanks to the shrimp and the cannibal buddying up with it, means people pretty much ignore me most days. Guess it saves me the trouble...

Still, I don't know what to make of these guys. Mist seems like she's hiding something, and I don't trust that one bit. She hasn't gone and attacked anybody yet, and doesn't look all that hungry, but who knows what's going on in that head of hers. I've got my eyes peeled...

---

Guess today's a two entry day, because of course it is. We ended up finding a new...weird...place....and while it looked kind of sick at first, I don't know how to feel about its...occupant. It's an arcade, full of different machines that don't even require coins to play. They all work, and there's even some that stand at my height. We played games for a bit, even if it felt kind of silly to mess around in a situation like this.

Then we stopped by the prize counters, and found some...guy, sleeping in the middle of it. Like the cheap toys were some kind of hoard.

He says his name isn't important, but for us to just call him "Bunny". He's been here just as many days as us, but says that he's pretty sure we're all dead. Guess he's some kind of dumbass, but he did say there were...ghosts, somewhere here?

Says we'll figure it out soon enough. Fuck this.

---

A new TCP has been discovered in the house. Bunny is a horn type with a major geometric modifier, and can be selected for diary perspective.

[kit_spin]

Shrump's perspective, diary topic: chatting up the new guy and gamin on ya

[Blue_Fox]

Bunny's Perspective: Ghosts

[skinstealer]

+ POSITIVE EVENT

The Adventures of Shrump Boondoggle

Day 18

I've been talking to the new guy! Bunny seems like an...interesting soul. :)  He's very relaxed and chill, even if some of the ways he expresses that are concerning...he doesn't seem to mind being in the house at all, and says he doesn't see a real need to leave- nor does he think it's possible. Simon says that that can't be true, he's been in multiple of these houses, and Bunny asked if he had proof. Simon...doesn't, so Bunny shrugged it off and went back to doing his thing. He says he'll probably stick around this arcade and not leave with us if/when we go, so I guess that's his goal there...

Playing games has been fun! Bunny actually guards the prize counter and makes us actually earn our cheap prizes, so I've had to get really good at this one matching arcade game to get lots of tickets. I'm getting really good at it! >:) I won Mist a little toy to match the one that she's been helping carry around for me, and we've joked that they're buddies. It really seemed to cheer her up, she's been feeling down lately...

...she reminds me of someone, I think. I knew someone on the outside a long time ago who was kind and sweet and quiet like her, and I think we were very close. I don't think she's a replacement for that person by any means! I just...it's nice. To have that familiarity.

I hope we can stick together, even after this...

PS: No sign of the ghosts yet, beyond things falling over mysteriously....

[Blue_Fox]

Bunny: Opinions on the newcomers

[King-Clod]

Bunny's perspective: Thoughts on Simon, ghosts

[skinstealer]

+AMAZING EVENT
+3 ITEM DISCOVERY

Bunny :]

Day 19

Wow…these new people sure know how to party! That shrimp guy and Mist went out to explore the spots I’ve never looked, and found a whole closet full of stuff! We got tons of food and supplies, which is cool, considering I think they were getting sick of arcade candy lol. They even brought back some clothes for me, so now I’ve got this cute crop top sweater and a choker. Shrump kept a bowtie for themself- I think it was more for a plush than a TCP tho looooool. They wrote down the location so we can go back there if we ever need to restock, too. Everyone lightened up a bit while we sat around and talked…

I’ve tried telling them, that like, we’re dead, soooo many times by now. Simon just thinks I’m straight up crazy lol but George seems kinda intrigued. It says that it’s been through some shit here that makes it suspicious of whether it really is an afterlife- because surely, it’d be some kinda hell if it was. I don’t think so, though. This place has been really nice to me! Which is cool, considering everything. I always thought if I was gonna end up anywhere, it’d be somewhere real shitty. But I guess I made the right deal to get in here! Giving up works sometimes I guess :]

Overall impressions tho…

Simon: Hardass who really needs a break. Something’s getting to this dude baaad.
Mist: Cute, seems nice. She keeps looking at me weird, but that’s probably just me being so big.
Shrump: lolll I love this guy. They’re so funny!
George: Cool to talk to. Wouldn’t mind getting to know it better.

[skinstealer]

Bunny :]

Day 20

Whoaaa, day two-zero! Tomorrow, we'll have been here a whole three weeks. Not that it super matters, I'm just happy to be in this arcade.

Simon finally saw a ghost today! He screamed so loud, even though all it did was poke at him. Thing didn't like the fire burning its little ecto-hand, though...

Well, at least they believe me now. I think Sime's having some kind of breakdown over it, tbh. Not sure what to do about it, any attempts by Mist or Shrump to comfort him goes tits up. George seems to be giving him space, but it seems pretty weird about it too.

I don't get it! The ghosts don't even hurt anything, they just mill around. No big deal for me.