OUT OF THE LOOP: LEVEL OBSERVED WITHIN THE BACKROOMS, HENCEFORTH REFERENCED TO AS LEVEL 574 N. THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER ALONG WITH JJ HAS BEEN OBSERVED WITHIN THIS LEVEL, FOLLOWING CONTINUED FORWARD EXPLORATION IN PREVIOUS LEVEL.
LEVEL STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF A CORRIDOR SURROUNDED BY A CONTINUOUS ROW OF SHOJI SCREENS. NO NATURAL LIGHT PASSES THROUH EITHER SCREEN, LEAVING THE CORRIDOR WITH ONLY DIM LIGHTING. TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY LEVELS APPEAR TO BE HIGH, THOUGH LIGHTNING FAN DEVICES CAN AID IN COOLING OFF PRESENT WANDERERS. WALLS FACING THE CORRIDOR ARE ENTIRELY WOOD-PANELED, WITH SHOJI SCREENS MARKING ENTRANCES. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE BETWEEN ADJACENT ROOMS OR ENTER INNER ROOMS. AS THIS LEVEL DESIGN APPEARS TO BE BASED OFF OF JAPANESE-STYLE DOMESTIC INTERIORS, THIS STRUCTURE HAS BEEN NOTED TO BE UNUSUAL.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS LEVEL IS THE CONSTANT PRESENCE OF CONVERSATIONS OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE SPACE, ORIGINATING BEYOND THE SHOJI SCREENS. NUMBER OF VOICES AND TONE VARY BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION ARE GENERALLY PLEASANT AND POSITIVE, OFTEN RESULTING IN CHEERFUL LAUGHTER BY PRESENT VOICES.
one on the right's apparently planning a trip, i think... hey! a trip to where?
CONVERSATION WITHIN RIGHT ROOM IS OBSERVED TO CEASE FOLLOWING JJ'S INQUIRY. SILENCE PERSISTS AS THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER AND JJ CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITHIN THE CORRIDOR. CONVERSATION THEN RESUMES AFTER APPROXIMATELY FOUR MINUTES. THOUGH VOICES IN A CONVERSATION INSTANCE IS SEEMINGLY AWARE OF PRESENT WANDERERS, THEY APPEAR TO REFUSE INITIATION OF COMMUNICATION.
...
JJ IS OBSERVED TO SLIDE OPEN THE SCREEN. THIS RESULTS IN THE CONVERSATION HALTING ABRUPTLY. ROOM BEYOND SCREEN IS DEVOID OF ANY LIVING ENTITIES, THOUGH THE DISORGANIZED FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT SUGGESTS PREVIOUS OCCUPANTS HAD SUDDENLY VACATED THE PREMISES. NOTABLY, FOOD RESOURCES WITHIN THIS ROOM, SUCH AS PACKED SUSHI AND PIZZAS, ARE IN GOOD CONDITION DESPITE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY. CONVERSELY, UTILITY ITEMS SUCH AS THERMOMETERS AND FABRIC SCISSORS ARE IN VARYING STATES OF DETERIORATION.
DURING EXPLORATION, THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER HAS DISCREETLY OBSERVED JJ MUTTERING TO THEMSELF AS THEY MOVE THROUGHOUT THE ROOM. THOUGH BARELY AUDIBLE, THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER IS ABLE TO DECIPHER THAT THEY ARE SELF-INSISTING THE VOICES FROM EARLIER ARE 'NOT REAL'. IN ADDITION, THEY APPEAR TO HAVE COLLECTED AN ITEM, THOUGH THE ROTWATCHER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT KIND.
FOLLOWING THIS, THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER AND JJ ARE OBSERVED TO RETURN TO THE CORRIDOR PORTION OF THE LEVEL. DURING CORRIDOR TRAVEL, JJ BEGINS TO DISPLAY SYMPTOMS OF AGITATION, THEIR MOVEMENTS BECOMING RESTLESS. ACTIONS SUCH AS SCRATCHING AT THEIR WRISTS INCREASE IN FREQUENCY, AND THEY APPEAR TO BE GRITTING THEIR TEETH HARDER THAN USUAL. SOURCE OF JJ'S AGITATION IS MOST LIKELY FROM THE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING BEYOND THE SCREENS.
yeah, no shit. what, you're not affected by this?
WHILE NO DIRECT ANOMALOUS PHENOMENON HAS BEEN OBSERVED FROM CONVERSATIONS, HEARING THEM OFTEN PERPETUATES FEELINGS OF LONELINESS WITHIN WANDERERS, STRENGTHENED WHEN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM RESULTS IN FAILURE. AS THE CURRENT ROTWATCHER IS ACCOMPANIED BY JJ, IT DOES NOT POSSESS ANY MAJOR FEELINGS OF LONELINESS.
i- well, you do help as well, being here, but-
it just- pisses me off, okay? that these people, they're having a conversation without me- us. not only that, it's clearly fucking deliberate. they-
THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER IS OBSERVED TO REMIND JJ TO REMAIN CALM, AND THAT THE CONVERSATIONS ARE NOT MEANT TO HARM PRESENT WANDERERS.
then what the hell are they here for?! if sounds with no visible source are meant to 'accent' a level, then what does it mean that conversations intentionally leave us out?
hong gan, shut the hell up!
LAST STATEMENT IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE STILL ONGOING CONVERSATION. THIS RESULTS IN SUDDEN SILENCE BEFORE CONVERSATION AGAIN RESUMES. HOWEVER, CONVERSATION CONTENT HAS UNDERGONE A DRASTIC CHANGE, NOW DEVOTED TO SLANDERING JJ SPECIFICALLY. EXAMPLES OF SLANDERING STATEMENTS RANGE FROM TAUNTS RELATED TO AN APPARENT ADDICTION JJ HAD FACED IN THE PAST TO ACCUSATIONS REGARDING JJ'S AUNTIE.
shut up... what, what gives you the right to say that...
shut up, shut up, shut up shut up shut up shut
shut up!!!
FOLLOWING JJ'S SHOUT, NUMEROUS TENDRILS ARE OBSERVED TO EMERGE FROM EXPOSED AREAS ON JJ'S BODY, CHARGING TOWARDS SURROUNDING SHOJI SCREENS. EACH TENDRIL EASILY BREAKS THROUGH THE PAPER, QUICKLY TEARING IT APART. DESPITE THIS, CONVERSATIONS ON BOTH SIDES CONTINUE THEIR SLANDERS AGAINST JJ; IN FACT, THEY APPEAR TO INCREASE IN VOLUME, NO LONGER SPEAKING IN HUSHED TONES.
what, you think you know me? you think that gives you the right to talk shit about me? just from watching me?
well, fuck you! i had to do it, it was- i needed it, needed that cat, without it everything just feels worse-
she knew- she should've known- it was what was rightfully mine, passed down from her. why did she give it to that girl, then?
why, why, why-
JJ IS OBSERVED TO COLLAPSE, REMOVING A PAIR OF FABRIC SCISSORS FROM THEIR POCKETS. IT IS ASSUMED THIS WAS THE OBJECT JJ HAD COLLECTED EARLIER. WITH THE SCISSORS, THEY ARE OBSERVED TO BRANDISH THE ITEM OUTWARDS IN A THREATENING GESTURE. THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER IS OBSERVED TO REMIND-
i don't care if they're not real! if they want to talk shit about me, at least they should say it right to my face rather than-
AT THIS MOMENT, THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER AND JJ ARE AFFECTED BY SUDDEN LOCATIONAL EXCHANGE. THE ENVIRONMENT SWITCHES FROM THE RUINED CORRIDOR TO AN EXTERNAL CORRIDOR ATTACHED TO A LARGER BUILDING. IT IS ASSUMED THE SUDDEN ACTIONS PERFORMED BY JJ RESULTED IN THIS LOCATIONAL EXCHANGE TO A NEW LEVEL.
goddammit...
hey, hold on a minute. i recognize this place.
we're- are we on the fifth floor?
IF COUNTING THE GROUND FLOOR AS THE FIRST FLOOR, JJ IS OBSERVED TO BE CORRECT IN THEIR ASSUMPTION. CORRECT ASSUMPTION APPEARS TO BE DUE TO FAMILIARITY OF SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT.
yeah... that's- holy shit, does that mean-
BEFORE JJ CAN COMPLETE THEIR STATEMENT, A SUDDEN CALL SOUNDS BEHIND JJ. ONCE TURNED AROUND, JJ IS OBSERVED TO FALL SILENT, THEIR EXPRESSION INDICATING IMMENSE SHOCK. SOURCE OF CALL APPEARS TO BE FROM AN ELDERLY FEMALE BRIGHT COUSIN, WHO APPEARS TO BE EQUALLY SHOCKED AT SEEING JJ. THIS COUSIN SPEAKS TO JJ IN CANTONESE DIALECT, OF WHICH THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER IS UNABLE TO TRANSLATE.
i- auntie?