collectedlogs | INTRO LOG #1

INTRO LOG #1

Welcome to Collected’s first Intro Log! The information we’ve provided about the setting is not exhaustive - feel free to interact with the setting as you see fit. Rather than have specific prompts, our event posts throughout the game will generally have information listed out like this and players may come up with their own prompts.

If you have questions about the setting or the intro log, please ask them HERE in the comment thread! And most of all, have fun, shoppers.

PROMPTS

The first thing anyone does is gasp for air.

It’ll feel like the first breath you’ve taken in years. That’s right; before you can even become aware of your surroundings, the most immediate thing they’ll process is that you’re in water. Foul smelling water - like rotten eggs and decay. It’s pitch black, and you’re swimming in it with only your head above the surface. If the smell doesn’t deter you, the longer you stay in will; the water stings to have on your skin, chemical in nature.

So - you need to get out. This water can’t be okay to stay in. Once you’ve gathered enough about your surroundings, you’ll see that you’re inside a mall, of sorts. There’s a large (non-functioning) escalator in front of you that will lead you to the semi-safe havens of the second floor - but be careful, because everyone’s going to be gunning for that only exit.

» Once on the second floor, exploring will lead you to a few notes of interest: Long windows and tall glass doors show the conditions outside. The sky is a burnt orange, and there is a thick sort of fog on the horizon. Nothing for miles in every direction - just an empty parking lot, completely devoid of life or any sign that anyone has come across this place in many years. Even so, you’ll find the windows and doors unlocked, so getting outside is easy… the problem is what’s out there.

A trip outside will make it instantly clear why you see no life outside the mall’s walls: exposure to the radioactive sun outside causes your skin to bubble with welts, and the thick, toxic air of the outside is impossible to inhale without keeling over. It’s blistering hot, too. Even non-organic creatures would melt or be eroded by the sun’s radioactive qualities. One thing is abundantly obvious: you cannot survive outside. Not now, at least. Those who receive a burn or other damage from the conditions outside will discover that strangely enough, upon returning inside the mall, the wound begins to heal up on its own. Slowly, and extremely painfully, but it’s healing. That’s strange…

» Another thing of note is that there’s a food court on the second floor. There, you’ll find a variety of abandoned restaurants that have varying amounts of non-perishables inside - canned vegetables and preserved meats, as well as dusty old jars of sauces and the like. There are a few walk-in freezers with hefty locks on them, but if the locks are broken or picked, there’s actually some frozen rations, as well! Many of them are not labelled, so the dining experience will be pretty hit or miss. None of the stoves or cooking appliances in the food court work anymore, either, so you’ll have to get creative when it comes to cooking up these ingredients. (Or just, you know, eat them cold.)

» Throughout the mall’s bathrooms, water fountains, and gym showers, you’ll find that all the water in the mall is suspiciously clean. Like, way too clean to be normal in a place as run-down and clearly abandoned as this. You’ll find that toilets flush completely fine, and shower water heats up (eventually). Should you be grateful, or concerned?

» There’s an electronics store on the second floor, as well, along with a internet cafe. Should you try to turn on the computers in the internet cafe, you’ll find that it only opens to the same forum page: a site called Mall Watch. It’ll prompt you to make an account and password if you try posting to it. In the electronics store, you’ll also find that any phone you forage for and try to boot up will also only open up to this forum page. Weird!

» If you’re looking for a place to sleep, the department stores of the mall still have a variety of furniture sets collecting a lot of dust. Then again, no one’s around to tell you where to sleep - and maybe you don’t trust all these new faces you arrived with. If you’re okay sleeping on the floor of a random store, more power to you.

» You’ll probably want to do something about your clothes that were stained by the black water on the first floor.. try foraging for some clothes! Looking around, you’ll find that some clothes stores have some stock left over, though everything’s generally a mess in clothing stores - it’ll take you some time to find anything that’ll fit you. Looking around enough on this second floor, you might end up stumbling across some of your own belongings or clothing, or those of your peers.

More than anything, the longer you explore and scavenge the mall, you’ll recognize how eerily silent it is. If not for you and your peers here, this place would be totally desolate. Clearly, there’s no one around for miles, and as far as you can tell, you’ll only be able to survive here for as long as the supplies here last. No one’s coming to save you - no one even knows you’re here. In every sense of the word, you are alone.

For now.

NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Cinnabar isn't particularly fond of cute things. Happening upon the remains of an old Build-a-Be*r doesn't do much other than confuse them (what's the point of a place like this?) and creep them out, a little bit - they'd never admit it, but there's something unnerving about the beady eyes staring at them from the few display dolls remaining.

What is more interesting is the enormous pile of stuffing towards the back of the store. The machine they used to fill the bears must have broken while in use, judging by how much of the fluffy stuff is spilling out of it. At this point, it's filthy, with bits of drywall and god knows what else accumulating on the surface of the mass.

It's also dark in the back of the store - and the stress from, well, everything has left their inclusions drained. No one is around, right? And this store is tucked away at the end of one of the wings. They should be fine, their sleepy mind says, and before they know it, they're climbing on top of the pile and curling up for a nap. Of course, Cinnabar's weight means they basically sink right in, so it now looks like the pile of stuffing has a mysterious indentation leaking a little bit of ominous-looking black sludge. Suspicious. ]

[ Unfortunately for Cinnabar, it isn't empty for long.

9S has seen the odd toy buried among the remains of hidden society here and there, so he has a vague idea of what he's looking at when he stumbles upon this particular store. (He's since begun to catch on as the hours have passed; this is one of those fabled shopping centers he's learned of in the past.) Granted, he's never held one so... fluffy, but cotton and fabrics were not wont to stand the test of time. 9S turns an already assembled teddy bear in his hands, brows furrowing as he attempts to put a name to the animal he's seeing. There's a lot of things he fails to understand about humans, but he thinks he could see how this would appeal to children; it is soft.

He places it back onto its spot within the dust covered shelf before long, though, and wonders if it's worth rummaging around here for long. So far, he's found nothing that could answer any possible question he has. What use could a bunch of cotton have?

Not that the thought lasts for long. From the corner of his covered eyes does he spot a pool of black, slowly expanding from a large pile of cotton. More of that water that floods the ground level...? As is his nature, 9S grows curious and inches closer, if only to see where it could be coming from.

Along the way, a piece of broken glass crunches beneath his foot. In case Cinnabar wanted that warning. ]

[ the noise is enough to warn them, as far as waking them up goes. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), the light is still pretty dim, and, if anything, 9S drawing closer only blocks out more of it. The crystal hair beneath them and silver poison around them just barely reflect enough of it to make them aware that sound is the sound of someone getting closer; blearily, they blink their eyes, peering up out of their fluffy burrow at the figure. ]

... Bort?

[ in their foggy state, their mind supplies them with the most likely situation: they're sleeping, and someone's come to get them, and with Rutile in their current state, it's probably their partner. Right? ]

—Huh?

[ He freezes. That was a voice. There's then a shifting within the pile of fluff, and in the dim light he realizes there's a person within it. ]

Er— Sorry, am I interrupting something?

[ Well. That's definitely not Bort, because Bort would never apologize for anything. Willing their drowsy inclusions to hum back to life, they shift inside their cottony cushioning, and it becomes slightly more obvious that, yes, there's a person in there, albeit a strange one. ]

No, I just fell asleep... Huh? Who's...?

[ they're squinting at the blindfolded person in front of them, still not entirely processing - they're like a computer that hasn't finished booting up yet. ]

[ Strange because who'd pick way out here to fall asleep? From behind the visor 9S does narrow his eyes, though, attempting to get a better look at this who in the lack of light. (There's something about that head of red that's peculiar, but difficult to nail down why just yet.) ]

You might want to reconsider where you take your naps. [ This doesn't answer their question at all, but that's not the important thing here. ] Something's leaking all over the floor there.

[ A broken pipe in the wall? Or perhaps from the machine? ]

Leaking...?

[ another blink; they glance around, and then, finally, they start to remember where they are and what's happening - and also realize the situation they're in right now. At once, their eyes widen, and they look panicked. ]

Y-you need to get away! It's dangerous!

[ they have a strong urge to run away from him, but they're backed into a corner of sorts, and they're more afraid of accidentally hurting him than they are of conversation. ]

—Huh?!

[ Their sudden shift from drowsiness to frightened, voice suddenly volumes louder than it were moments ago, is what startles 9S the most. He jumps back, looking around them and the machine they lie next to... but when they don't appear in any immediate danger, he only grows more puzzled. ]

What're you talking about?

[ it's a lot harder to get out of the fluff pile than it was to get in; in the end, they just end up sort of forcing their feet through to the ground and standing up, sending little bales of cotton drifting to the floor. Bits of it are sticking to their body all over, temporarily glued to their stone skin and hair with the same dark silvery liquid.

Cinnabar is fully aware that they look silly and disgusting - it's easy enough to imagine - and while they're mortified, they still place safety first, taking a few heavy steps away from him. ]

It's -- poison. You'll die if you touch it. So get away from me.

[ It's kind of silly; that combined with 9S' overall confusion makes it difficult for him to take the situation entirely seriously. His head tilts down, then back up. ]

I'm... pretty sure I wouldn't die from it.

[ As for other side effects, well, he admittedly doesn't know. But he doesn't plan on ingesting it, so... ]

Wait—what about you? You're covered in the stuff!

[ his dismissal of their warning offends them somewhat; some embarrassment creeps onto their features, and they clench their fists. ]

I'm serious.

[ if he doesn't die, it'll at least hurt him, probably irreparably - they've seen it happen enough times to enough types of creatures. ]

It can't hurt me. [ ... ] It's part of me.

[ Alright, alright, warning duly noted. They definitely don't sound like they're messing around, if nothing else.

But that still only raises more questions than answers them. ]

A part of you, huh... [ This is a more thoughtful statement than a curious one. ] I know some animals can be, but I've never heard of a poisonous person before.

<[ their frown deepens at the comment. yes, they know they're a weird anomaly, thank you... With a small huff, they pick a wad of stuffing off of their head. ]

Well, now you have. [ he said "person," not "human," so they don't feel the need to clarify what they are. They continue, brushing some fluff off their arms and not looking at him. ] Why do you have a blindfold on...?

[ WEIRD ]

[ For all the questions Cinnabar is likely getting today, 9S is getting just as many, with the "blindfold" being an oft asked subject. And honestly, he deserves it right now. ]

It's a visor, not a blindfold—I'm able to see just fine.

[ In case they were about to comment on that, too. ]

Is that really any weirder than you deciding to sleep all the way out here?

[ In a pile of cotton. Leaking... poison, apparently. If you asked him, they have no room to talk. ]

[ being a non-human among humans is truly difficult...

the difference between "visor" and "blindfold" in this context is totally indeterminate; they give him a flat look for a moment, one slim brow arched, but decide pursuing the subject isn't worth the trouble. ]

Staying around others is too dangerous, [ they begin, with a resigned matter-of-factness. ] You humans are all so nosy. So I had to go hide somewhere. But even that didn't work...

[ pointed glance. ]

[ Yes, that is, indeed, very pointed. 9S doesn't appear all that apologetic about it, though, his nose instead wrinkling a little. ]

I'm not human, if that's what you're worried about. [ (But he is very nosy, perhaps more so than most.) There's a very noticeable pause before he continues, surprise evident in his voice: ] Wait—you're not either?

Isn't it obvious?

[ they are especially sparkly... although they're also looking like they fell out of the dryer at the moment, so. ]

You look like one. You're definitely not a gem...

[ he doesn't look like a Lunarian, either - they would never wear black like that. ]

I don't know. I've never been around humans before.

[ His kind may have been modeled off of them, but that doesn't mean he could say with certainty what they're like. It's true shiny and poisonous aren't what he would expect—no, it's unheard of—but if they had turned around and said they were human... 9S doesn't think he's in a position to refute that.

They're not seeing him for what he actually is either, so they have no room to talk. ]

I'm an android, so I only look like one.

Android...?

[ their brow is furrowed, skeptical. They've never heard that word before.

The fact that he's apparently never seen humans, either, though - that piques their interest. Maybe they're not the only one who thinks this is all bizarre. ]

[ They don't even know what an android is. That's new. What are they, he wryly thinks, some kind of alien? ]

Uh—yeah, mechanical beings built to resemble humans. You are familiar with robotics, right?

[ against all odds, they actually are familiar, although only in the vaguest sense. A wave of surprise passes over their features, and they look at 9S with renewed interest, although (of course) it's muffled by their continued wariness. ]

You're a machine?

[ he doesn't look very much like Adamant - or act like him, either - but they're fascinated all the same. ]

... Are you here to pray, too?

[ There's a near knee-jerk reaction, and he opens his mouth to retort back, but 9S stops himself just as quickly. The visor makes it difficult to read his expression, conflicted as it is, and for that he would be thankful for if he thought to in the moment; instead, he appears to do little more than shift uncertainly on his feet, and manages to at least muster some bafflement over the query posed. ]

Um... pray?

[ To him, that has little relevance to what he is. 9S is fairly certain he's never taken a moment to pray in his life, anyway. ]

Not... really. For what?

For the humans' souls.

[ they sound more like they're reciting something they've heard than something they truly understand, which is because... that's exactly what they're doing. Cinnabar doesn't exactly comprehend what that means; all they know is that it's what Adamant was supposed to be doing, according to Phos (and what little their teacher himself could share.) His reaction to what they said doesn't go unnoticed, but they leave it alone. ]

[ This, unfortunately, answers nothing. 9S' mouth twists, then: ]

I don't know what gave you that weird idea, but androids were built to serve humans, not pray for them.

[ "Serving" wasn't entirely true in recent days, but 9S is one of the rare few privy to that knowledge. But then, there are humans here, now, and despite knowing his life was built on lies, it never meant his innate desires and loyalties ever went away. Perhaps that's why it's so easy for him to answer like this. ]

... It's the same thing.

[ but it seems like he's not the same kind of tool that Sensei is, regardless. They shake their head quietly. The familiar loneliness starts settling in once more. ]

Whatever... I'm not a human, so you don't have to "serve" me.

[ he has no reason to need to stay around them, and put himself in danger... as they pull another piece of fluff from their shoulder pad, they slow to a stop. Adamant is immune to their poison, isn't he...? ]

nanners

bononos

beninis

baneeners

bamamas

bunomos

bananais

sibnana

i'm out of banana corruptions

i was starting to struggle too

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