OBITADASHI-: LEVEL OBSERVED WITHIN THE BACKROOMS, HENCEFORTH REFERENCED TO AS LEVEL 808 N. THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER ALONG WITH JJ HAS BEEN OBSERVED WITHIN THIS SPACE FOLLOWING TRACKING OF FOOTSTEP SOUNDS IN PREVIOUS LEVEL.
LEVEL STRUCTURE RESEMBLES A DIRT ROAD LINED WITH FOOD STALLS. TEMPORAL FIXATION AT POST-BRIGHT CYCLE IS NOTED, AND FEW PRESENT LIGHT SOURCES THAT ARE CONSISTENT CREATES A DARK ENVIRONMENT. ONLY PRESENT SOURCE OF LIGHT COMES FROM LOW-EXPLOSIVE PYROTECHNIC DEVICES KNOWN AS FIREWORKS THAT ARE ONLY OCCASIONALLY OBSERVED EXPLODING IN THE SKY. TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY LEVELS ARE BOTH QUITE HIGH. FOOD STALLS LINING THE ROAD APPEAR TO BE UNMANNED, WITH A FEW IN VARIOUS DEGREES OF DETERIORATION.
DUE TO THE LEVEL'S UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, MOST WANDERERS ARE UNABLE TO OBTAIN A BETTER VIEW OF THEIR SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING FOOD STALL APPEARANCES. HOWEVER, THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER'S FLOATATION ABILITY ALLOWS IT TO VIEW THE LEVEL ENVIRONMENT IN GREATER DETAIL.
just stay close to me, okay? can't move around nearly as much as you can, at the moment.
LEVEL IS DENSELY PACKED WITH COUNTLESS COUSINLY ENTITIES, FORMING CROWDS WITHIN THE ROAD. APPEARANCES VARY BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, THOUGH ALL INSTANCES HOLD SMILE-LIKE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. MANY OF THESE ENTITIES FORM GROUPS OF TWO-TO-THREE INSTANCES, AND THEY APPEAR TO HOLD FOOD COMMONLY PRODUCED DURING BRIGHT-FESTIVALS. COMMON BEHAVIORS PERFORMED BY THE ENTITIES INCLUDE SHARING FOOD AND APPEARING TO CONVERSE WITH ONE ANOTHER. REGARDING THE LATTER, THIS BEHAVIOR IS ASSUMED TO BE MIMICKING CONVERSATION, AS NO ACTUAL VOICES CAN BE HEARD.
NO ATTEMPTS IN INTERACTING WITH THESE COUSINLY ENTITIES HAS SUCCEEDED. IN ADDITION, THEY DO NOT SEEM LARGELY AWARE OF PRESENT WANDERERS WITHIN THE LEVEL. THEREFORE, IT IS ASSUMED COMMUNICATION WITH THEM IS IMPOSSIBLE.
gotta be careful not to trip, if they won't stop for me. at least they won't react if i go through their bags.
VARIOUS TYPES OF ITEMS CAN BE ATTAINED THROUGH BAGS AND POCKETS CARRIED BY COUSINLY ENTITIES. EXAMPLES PROCURED BY JJ THROUGH FRISKING NEARBY ENTITIES INCLUDE BOTTLED DRINKS, PACKAGED CONFECTIONERY, AND CHEWING STICKS.
unbranded soda. not bad.
THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER HAS RECENTLY OBSERVED JJ TO ENGAGE IN JJ-TYPICAL NERVOUS HABITS, INCLUDING CONSTANT SWITCHING IN GAZES AND SCRATCHING AT THEIR WRISTS. THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER IS OBSERVED TO INQUIRE OF JJ'S CURRENT MENTAL CONDITION.
'jj-typical'? that seriously what you're calling it, lah?
it's nothing to worry about. honest.
DESPITE INSISTING THEIR MENTAL STABILITY IS SUFFICIENT, JJ IS OBSERVED TO LAPSE INTO AN UNEASY SILENCE, ONLY BROKEN BY THE OCCASIONAL FIREWORK EXPLOSION. EVENTUALLY, THEY ARE OBSERVED TO SPEAK.
it's just- you ever been to a festival?
THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER HAS NOT DIRECTLY OBSERVED A BRIGHT-FESTIVAL SUCH AS ONE ITS CURRENT LOCATION IS BASED OFF OF BEFORE, NOR HAS ITS LOST PROGENITOR EVER PARTICIPATED IN ONE DURING THEIR TIME ON THE BRIGHT STAGE.
i've only been to a few myself, and usually only because i happened upon them.
never went there deliberately, let alone bring anyone with me. not that i have anyone to come along with me: au- old bag would probably be snoozing away by the time it begins, and i don't have anyone else close to me.
maybe i could've strung a client along to accompany me to the festival, but- no, i can't. pretending it's not business, that's just pathetic.
and honestly, it's probably for the best. with how crowded some festivals could be, i'd be extra smothered the more people i bring along.
that's what it feels like, right now. helps that you're small enough, but being in the middle of these crowds, it feels like there's not enough air for everyone here.
especially me.
doesn't help that everyone else here's so focused in going this one direction. no one else is moving the other direction. where are we all going-
THE MOMENT JJ SPEAKS THEIR LAST SENTENCE, COUSINLY ENTITIES ARE OBSERVED TO CEASE BEHAVIORAL MOVEMENT SAVE FOR FORWARD WALKING. THEY ARE OBSERVED TO TURN THEIR UPPER BODY TO DIRECTLY FACE JJ, STARING AT THEM INTENTLY.
h-holy shit, the guy in front. w-w-what, you some kind of owl, or s-something?
COUSINLY ENTITIES ARE OBSERVED TO HAVE NO RESPONSE TO JJ'S INQUIRY. IT IS ASSUMED THE INQUIRY REGARDING THE FINAL DESTINATION OF BOTH ENTITIES' AND PRESENT WANDERERS' JOURNEY WILL RESULT IN THIS UNIQUE REACTION.
great... are they, uh, gonna stop, anytime soon?
COUSINLY ENTITIES CONTINUE DIRECT OBSERVATION OF JJ, SHOWING NO SIGNS OF CEASING THIS BEHAVIOR. THE PRESENT ROTWATCHER THEORIZES THIS EVENT WILL END ONCE LOCATIONAL EXCHANGE OCCURS. IT HIGHLY RECOMMENDS CONTINUING FORWARD EXPLORATION IN THIS LEVEL, IN HOPES OF DISCOVERING AN ENTRYWAY.
hopefully it'll be soon. really, really hope so.